Category: Gear

Jisulife Portable Handheld Fan

Armdog

During a recent extended trip, our group purchased several of these portable fans made by Jisulife. We actually didn’t all plan on buying the same fan, but three of us all gravitated towards this one on Amazon due to the price and excellent reviews on Amazon. The fan folds into itself for portability and is roughly the length of a smartphone with the thickness of a small flashlight. The blades are a flexible plastic and are pretty safe – the fan stops automatically when it hits something. The fan has…

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Neekfox Lightweight Travel Backpack

Armdog

In advance of a recent lengthy trip that would involve extensive outdoor walking, I set out to find a good lightweight daypack. Essentially, I was looking for an ultra light weight bag to haul around some necessities like a water bottle or two, portable fan, some small kids toys, passports, and various other small odds and ends. Basically, I needed a bag that wouldn’t add much weight to that load, but also had plenty of pockets and storage spots. I purchased and returned several more expensive options before getting my…

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DeWalt Gyroscopic Cordless Screwdriver

Armdog

I have referred to this gyroscopic screwdriver by Dewalt in other posts as my household project “MVP,” so it may not be surprising to read that this is going to be a very positive review. I received this power screwdriver a couple of Christmas’s ago, just in time to move into a new place. Through a large number of projects like putting together furniture, toys, a sandbox, an outdoor playhouse…this thing has been an absolutely champion. Basically any time I would need a screwdriver, I’m reaching for this thing. The…

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Crown Shades Pop Up Canopy

Armdog

We recently took a trip to the beach and wanted to find a portable canopy or shade we could take with us. We initially considered either getting beach umbrellas, or possibly renting something. But we had about seven people in our group, so I figured it would be a more cost effective solution to purchase our own pop-up canopy. Since renting things at a beach can cost like $25-35 per day, it seemed like this would just about pay for itself over the course of the entire trip. The key…

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Treva Bug Repellent Fan

Armdog

This bug repellent fan is one that actually surprised me a bit. I purchased it on a whim after my sister-in-law told us about a restaurant she went to that had these at every table on their patio. This was a purchase that I fully expected to be a waste of money. I figured I’d buy this, use it a couple of times, then stow it in a closet for years. I was very wrong! It actually seems to work as advertised. Apparently, flies are really not interested in this…

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Nogent Super Kim Can Opener

Armdog

If you spend some time browsing through Amazon reviews for the most popular can openers, you might be surprised to discover there is apparently an ongoing crisis in the world of can openers. With most product types, after enough digging, you can usually separate the high-quality products from the problematic ones. From reviews for can openers though, it sounds like within the last decade, the reputable manufacturers have been acquired by other companies or cut costs to a degree that has impacted quality. I hadn’t considered this until we purchased…

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Spigen Thin Fit Smartphone Case

Armdog

This review is broadly about Spigen’s “Thin Fit” smartphone case series, but I will also discuss the Samsung Galaxy S20 Thin Fit specifically. From the top I’ll say this to help you see how much I like these cases; by default, I use a Spigen Thin Fit for every phone. I originally started using one with my Google Nexus 5 like six years ago. With every new phone, I try other cases and always end up coming back to these. I have a fairly counterproductive situation with my phone use…

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Book Safe with Combination Lock

Armdog

I had this combination lock book safe on my Amazon Wish List for a long time; it’s one of those things that I don’t really need, but still thought was sort of cool. Pretty standard “gadget” type interest for me. My wife bought me one last Christmas, so I finally had a chance to try it out. The verdict is: It’s fine. Not amazing, but it works and seems a good value for the money. My version of this book safe is by Kyodoled or Jssmst (not actually sure which),…

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Axloie Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Armdog

My kids and I have been spending a lot of time outside lately. A couple months ago, I decided it would be nice to have a portable bluetooth speaker for when we’re out there playing. After some research, I came across the extremely well-reviewed Axloie bluetooth speaker. For a roughly $25 speaker, this is a really impressive device. It has surprisingly good volume and I wasn’t expecting such respectable bass. The speaker’s sound quality is crisp and clear, definitely impressive for something at this price and size. It also seems…

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Apple Smart Keyboard Folio 12.9 Inch

Armdog

When I decided to purchase a new iPad Pro, I had some pretty extensive internal debate as to which keyboard case to use. I watched quite a few YouTube videos on the subject, and ultimately it came down to a decision between the original Apple Smart Keyboard Folio and the newer Apple Magic Keyboard. I pretty quickly discarded the idea of a less expensive 3rd party keyboard due to less convenient bluetooth connection and possible battery/charging concerns. My prior experience with Samsung’s keyboard case was overwhelmingly positive, with a seamless…

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