Every week, I get press releases on outdoor products. Some are really great and some are just gadgets designed to separate you from your money. Here are some of the better ones I've tried recently. They range in price from $5 to about $10,000.

Sportdog 1825 Dog Training Collar

If you read what I write, you know I'm a big advocate of dog training collars. I recently tested Sportdogs new 1825 Sport Hunter collar. It's a little more sophisticated than the Sporthunter 800 that I normally use and just slightly bulkier. It does have features that are compelling, especially in certain conditions.

Many of you have read about Ernie, my Fox Red Lab, who was my constant companion for over 14 years. At about 12 years old, Ernie's hearing began to fail. As a result, we switched entirely to hand signals when we hunted together. Without a training collar, this would have been impossible since Ernie had to look at me to receive a command and, without hearing, a whistle was useless.

We developed a system where I would give Ernie a short low intensity bump on his training collar to get his attention. I could then give him a hand signal. We continued to hunt this way for another 2 years with Ernie doing his last duck hunt just a couple of months before the end of his life. Without the training collar, we couldn't have continued to hunt. With the collar, our only impediment was we couldn't communicate in the dark, so I had to leave him on a leash until hawking hours.

I'd have really liked the 1825 since it has a vibrate feature. Ernie didn't seem to mind the electrical signal, but the vibrate feature would have made me feel better. Other features of the collar include the ability to control up to three dogs, a convenient docking station for charging, and a one mile range. With all the other features you'd expect from Sportdog like convenient controls, simple operation, and being totally waterproof, this is a great system for the trainer looking for a few extra features.

Gander Mountain Knife Sharpener

Not everything that works well is expensive. A few weeks ago, I bought a $4.99 knife sharpener from Gander Mountain. It's a simple, hunter green, plastic hand sharpener that works really well. A year or so ago, I did a story on sharpening knives and mentioned another similar product that cost about $15. I got lots of emails and calls about it and when I tried the $5 version from Gander Mountain, I knew I had to tell you about it.

This is not the unit you want to use to sharpen your Bench-Made or Randall custom knife. Really high end knives are made of much harder steel and, while they'll stay sharp longer, they require more work to sharpen. This is a simple unit that will sharpen basic kitchen knives, filet knives, and lower quality hunting knives in just a few strokes.

I'm often frustrated when I cook at someone else's house and can't find a sharp knife. I think I'm going to buy a dozen and carry them in the car to use as gifts for just such an event. Might be a good reason to invite me to dinner.

Polaris Razor

Polaris' latest entry into the side by side market is not a true utility side by side like the popular Polaris Ranger. The Polaris Razor I recently borrowed does have enough traditional outdoor utility to qualify as a legitimate side by side utility vehicle. In fact, the Razor has the ability to go places where a Ranger won't, due to a narrower track. It has a rear rack/bed that will carry a considerable amount of payload for hunting, fishing, or camping. Where the Razor really shines, though, is in the fun department.

While it's quiet enough to use as a deer hunting or other utility vehicle, there's a noticeable burble coming from the exhaust that says the Razor is more about fun and sport. The seating arrangement is racier with a pair of comfortable bucket seats nestled in the frame with a clip on net to keep arms and legs in the ride until it comes to a complete stop. While this racier seating reinforces the sport aspect, it makes it harder to get in and out of than any other side by side I've tested. While the easy access Ranger feels truck like, the lighter weight and higher power of the Razor makes for a much more responsive machine that gives you the feel of driving a rally car.

With available 4 wheel drive and a narrower track, the Razor will probably get you in places no other side by sides can only dream of but the real fun in driving it is on smoother trails where you can take advantage of the power and handling. This is a serious fun machine. If you're looking for pure utility, it's probably not what you want, if you're looking for fun and utility it just might be.

Johnny Stewart Crow Call

Sometimes, I feel like an antique. The other day, I was going through a box and discovered some 45 RPM records. No, they weren't Elvis records, they were Johnny Stewart Crow Call records. For the information of those who haven't lived as long as I, we once had 45 RPM game calls that ran off a battery and really worked.

Of course, there were downfalls, like skips in the record from scratches, dead batteries, weight, and the fact that the caller used about a dozen D size batteries, if I remember right. Those 45 RPM electronic callers really worked, though, and I shot crows using one.

Now, life is simpler. The Johnny Stewart Prey Master I now have has 12 different sounds at the push of a button, remote control for selection and volume, interchangeable cartridges for crows and varmints, and runs off 4 AA batteries. The sounds are digital, much higher quality and don't sound scratchy after you've carried them around a while. The whole thing, unit, speaker, and remote weighs about 2 ½ pounds. Now, the really amazing part: the new unit costs less than the old one did in 1968. Now that's progress.

Caldwell G3 Platinum Series Hearing Protectors

All shooters have hearing issues. It's just part of being a shooter that, once we get close to 50, our hearing begins to fail. Having spent about 30 years at competitive shooting including 18 years on the range at Camp Perry, I'm no exception. I recent got a set of Caldwell's G3 earmuffs and I think they are absolutely the best combination of features I seen in hearing muffs. While other muffs deliver slightly more noise reduction, the G3 muff's amplification is as good as some units costing 3 times the price. They have an added advantage of circuitry that dampens the sound of the shot without interrupting the enhanced hearing feature. Most muffs go quiet for a second or so on sensing the impact noise and parts of range commands or alerts of approaching ducks can be missed.

With an MSRP of 79.99, these muffs have a super soft ear cup that could be worn all day without discomfort. Another feature I really like is the led indicator that lets you know the units are turned on. Half the time when I pick up my other muffs, the batteries are dead because I or the person I loaned them to, failed to turn them off. Caldwell has cheaper models starting at 34.99 but these are the Cadillac's of ear muffs at any price.

For more information:

sportdogbrand.com

GanderMountain.com

polarisindustries.com

johnnystewart.com

http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/caldwell/