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.
Given your high usage of GoPros, what sort of battery degradation are you generally seeing, or don’t you really track individual ones enough to be able to tell?
Also, whole > hole in the 5th paragraph :-)
Yeah, I honestly don’t track them close enough. I probably have a least 10-15 GoPro batteries of this class, and so they’re literally just in a cardboard box between two sets of 2x and 3x chargers.
Thanks on the whole! ;)
btw, would Virb be ever be updated or Garmin simply concedes the market?
I think at this point it’s over. I don’t see any way for Garmin to get back in the market unless they can throw down on specs.
Which, to be fair, they could do. GoPro has heavily focused on stabilization, which, has obviously paid off. Nobody does it better (DJI isn’t close here). But they’ve also left over the door in the specs department, which, in the realm of YouTube (where 99% of GoPro reviews and decisions hang out), specs win. Garmin could come in with something well above 5.7K (meaning, one-up Insta360), and if they can get Hero 7 (not Hero 8) level stabilization, then they’d be OK.
Assuming they found a way to get top-tier YouTubers to ‘review’ it (however that’s defined). That’s purely why Insta360 has managed to find a small crack in GoPro’s armor. Of course, from a sales standpoint I don’t think Insta360 is making much progress. But it doesn’t help they have far more limited distribution. Garmin has equal if not better distribution than GoPro, so that’s something they could win on.
But I suspect ultimately, it’s probably just not worth Garmin’s time. They’re printing money in the fitness/outdoor realm, no reason to get distracted with something that’s realistically likely to be low-volume and low-profit for them.
There is also a door with a hole in it available for the GoPro Max. Around $15 U.S. as well.
Indeed. I was going to link it (technically on the same page actually), but it seems to come and go. For whatever reason Ulanzi does some weird Amazon stock stuff. Rather than allow backorders, they just de-list every time. I’m sure there’s a reason, I just don’t know why/what.
Thanks for awesome review. You are awesome.