Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $699, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
2
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
3
Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
4
My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
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The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Hi Ray,
I agree with other folks that besides the tech side, your personal ventures in your blog is just as entertaining. Perhaps even more entertaining!
Since you quit as a blue badge, your life seems like an episode of the “R*ch and Fabulous” Jetting around the world, with your family in tow, and visiting your family and alike. The shot with your 99 yr old grandpapa and Ellie is adorable.
Safe travels in the states!
Ken
Great article, love reading the random weekends…..do you always fly with the dog? Must be super expensive?
Most times, as it’s cheaper than leaving her at home. The price depends on the flight, carrier, and quite frankly whether or not they even notice her (she’s so small in the backpack). Kinda like flying with a bike bag.
We fly often with our dog. Ray i would suggest looking into an emotional support animal certification.
No need to use a dog carrier.
The picture of Peanut and you Granddad is gold! Thanks for sharing.
+1
The other gold pix was the water reflection in the park! totally awesome! Is it a phone pix or are you testing out one of the Nikon’s Keymission cameras?
Epic post as always, have fun and enjoy your stay :)
Judging by the name of the file when you hover over it, it looks like a GoPro
Oh yeah!
Doh!
Indeed, GoPro Hero5 Black.
To give you an idea of how clear the reflection is – the picture is actually upside down – Douh.
I was wondering why the trees in the foreground looked so weird….they are upside down! Nice catch! :)
Love your write ups Ray! Here’s to more travel and adventures!! (but uh maybe have a rest now and then haha)
Ray that is not a pony. It is a miniture horse
Was it a service pony? I can’t believe you didn’t ask why he had it!
20 mins from me in CT! Thats a great spot, if you make it back again check out Castle Craig
I think maybe you should have picked Carnegie Deli for dinner, they are closing at the end of the year!
link to carnegiedeli.com
Your grandpa is looking really spry for 99! He handed down some good genes :D
Hi Ray!
Does Lucy get to sit with you on flights (in a carrier), or does she fly with the luggage?
Yup, she hangs out in a small carrier backpack. She loves it, immediately runs inside it when she sees it.
This one here: link to amzn.to
(Best $32 we ever spent!)
Thanks!
If only that was feasible for an 80lb pup!
The pics with Great Grandpa are adorable! Thanks for sharing!
You should note that Carnegie Deli is shutting down… so instead of “practice, practice, practice” as the way to get there, you’ll have to go to an airport: the few outlets will stay in operation, while the flagship goes bye-bye.
“she became rather displeased about New Jersey” – You have a very intelligent little girl there! ;-)
Looking forward to the drone review.
I’m thinking they had a petting zoo or something in the mall that the horse was in. On the other hand, marijuana is legal in CO and some craziness has began.
Welcome back to the states.
Looking forward to your thoughts on the Karma drone as one review stated “the WORST drone he’s every flown” lol
link to youtube.com
I would agree, specifically that it’s the worst mass market drone (i.e non Kickstarter). It’s pretty bad.
That’s kind of a bummer. It is certainly a compelling package with the gimbal, backpack, controller and camera. Is it the hardware, or could it be fixable with new firmware updates?
I see two major issue areas:
A) Lack of features
This being stuff like follow-me modes, more cinematic modes, obstacle avoidance, etc… There’s also a boatload of smaller stuff like no flight log. Some of these can be added in software, whereas others require more hardware (optical sensors).
B) Things that just doesn’t work well due to whatever reasons
This includes aspect like incredibly poor GPS and altimeter capabilties, which means the unit often doesn’t go where it’s supposed to, or randomly drop or changes course/direction because it thinks it’s somewhere else. This isn’t evident at 100ft above the ground, but becomes overwhelmingly apparent when flying close to the ground or in tight quarters (near trees, etc…). This is the area that separates boring drone videos from memorable ones – the ability to transition from what you might have thought was a handheld camera to something up in the sky in one swift shot.
C) Oh, and crap battery.
I get 12-16 minutes on average, half of what DJI gets in P4 & Mavic batteries. Of course, I could almost swallow that if I could purchase more batteries, but of course you can’t right now.
I flew three more flight chunks today, and I’ve got numerous on-camera examples of the unit just drifting into harms way where I had to take over because it simply couldn’t keep still. Really basic stuff.
Another good post Ray – the pic w Great Granddad is golden. Funny why I read your personal posts w as much gusto as your tech ones!
Ray, great pictures of the park. You were about 4 miles from my office and I ride after work all around that area. Next time you visit, I suggest you try one of the various runs up to Castle Craig. That view will blow you away.
How do you normally book your travel? All one way tickets linking together your trip? It would be cool to see a blog post someday about some of the travel logistics you do since you’re vastly more experienced than most of us!
This was booked as an open-jaw. So we did CDG-EWR & DEN-CDG on one ticket (just standard United fare), and then a separate LGA-DEN ticket.
I generally book United, since we get economy plus due to frequent flyer status. The downside though to travelling with the dog is that you can’t use any of the bulkhead rows (which is where the baby bassinets are on international aircraft).