MUCH OF HIGH-TECH EDC INVOLVES THE USE OF LIGHTWEIGHT, STRONG MATERIALS

STORY BY MIKE SEARSON

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

There was probably a time when you thought the future meant that you would have a flying car, a computer in your pocket and the ability t o communicate with anyone anywhere in the world at any given time and not have to rely on simple hand t ools to accomplish most tasks. Well, we pretty much have the pocket computer and communication down; flying cars may be in the no t-too-distant future and we still rely on simple tools for the most basic tasks. Try making your lunch or starting a fire with an iPhone or Apple Watch. They don’t really make apps for that.

Our simple tools and other gadgets may be evolutions of what our fathers and grandfathers carried in their pockets or on their person, but t oday’s EDC gear has more of a high-tech edge to it thanks to advances in engineering and modern ma terials and designers who put a lo t of thought into making them more robust and compact.

There are also a few high-tech gadgets outside of smart phones, tablets, laptops or smart watches that help when any of those are somewhat lacking. However, with the number of apps out there and the wealth of resources of the internet at your fingertips, these are becoming few and far between, even as we advance into the future. However, the Leupold LTO thermal imager listed below is not a bad piece of gear to pick up if you’re looking for thermal vision on a budget.