Bellingham, Washington-based GEAR AID pivots this year from its foundation in gear repair to lights for the outdoors with a new Power Stations line launched in August.
For 35 years, GEAR AID made products that fell under the ‘gear maintenance’ category, from gear patches to tent sealant, zipper repair, and waterproofing.
This year the company rebranded and introduced a series of task lights and power stations.
With no prior experience in the ‘tools-based’ product category, the line is an unforeseen and bold move. It dives headfirst into a market led by brands like Goal Zero, Coleman, Coast, and Fenix among dozens of others.
While this may seem an unlikely brand expansion, the lights aim to stand out from a crowded field with unique capabilities. They transform from directional light to lantern, and mount anywhere on separately-sold GEAR AID or GoPro mounts.
The SPARK
Three lights — the SPARK, ARC, and FLUX — compose the new series. Each has a different power and lumen range.
The SPARK LED Light ($49.95) is the smallest of the three, roughly the size of a wallet and less weighty than a cell phone (4 oz). It’s a USB-rechargeable 160-lumen light that’s dimmable, water-resistant, and quickly changes into a hanging lantern with an included diffuser bag and hang hooks.
It has a 5- to 25-hour runtime, is drop-tested and water-resistant, and can be mounted on various objects. Imagine, one moment it functions as a hanging tent lantern and the next a fixed light tripod that illuminates your dinner.
Power And Light: ARC And FLUX
The ARC ($99.95) and the FLUX ($149.95) are both durable, water-resistant rechargeable lights that double as power-packs.
The 10,400mAh (ARC) and 20,800mAh (FLUX) batteries charge phones (up to 10 times on its own power), tablets, speakers, and cameras out in the field. The lights have a 320- to 640-lumen power range, and can shine in three different color temperatures.
Similar to the SPARK these lights have dimming options, a lantern mode, mounting infrastructure, and can signal SOS.
Multiple Mounting Options
The four different RAM mount options — claw, magnetic, suction, and fixed — allow a myriad of uses. Further, the GoPro adapter enables any GEAR AID light to be affixed to any GoPro mount, from helmet to chest to ski.
The light’s included bag helps transform it into a soft lantern that can be hooked to tree branches, clotheslines, and tents.
Though the ‘Power Stations’ product line seems sudden and out of left field, GEAR AID’s lights and power-banks are feature-rich, compact, and simple. Rechargeable LED lights are must-have outdoor tools, whether lighting up trails at night or the stove in the early morning.
– This post was sponsored by GEAR AID. Check out the lights here.
