Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Since you're reading this online, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you're at least moderately tech-savvy, and I'm assuming that like me, a few of you outdoors-lovers own at least one Apple product whether it's an iPod, iPhone, or iPad.

I've heard countless stories of i-whatever users taking their tech into the wild with them and finding that their iPhones aren't quite iTough enough to handle the bumps, bruises and splashes that make the great outdoors so darn great.

While I tend to go outside to get away from the trappings of modern life, there are a few benefits of taking your iPhone out in the wild with you. I've found that the Kindle app saves me a lot of space/weight when I want to bring some reading material with me, and I've got a slew of geocacheing buddies who swear by the iPhone's GPS apps, and it pays to keep your tech protected when you're out on a trail.

Colorado-based company Otterbox has made a line of cases with people like us in mind-their Defender series. As the name implies, the Defender cases for the iPhone 4 ($49.95) and the iPad ($89.95) keep them safe from drops (tested up to three feet), bumps, scratches, and the occasional splash. I've tried out both of the cases, and they make the iPhone and iPad seem impervious to just about any abuse that comes from daily use, and they've been effective at repelling dirt and water as well. I've carried the iPad around in the rain with impunity, laughing at the elements all the while. With a silicone outer layer providing shock absorption, a hard plastic shell that tightly encompasses the iPad, and a scratch and oil-resistant clear plastic layer covering the screen, my iPad feels just about invulnerable.

All that protection adds a measure of weight that adds a sense of heft and toughness to the iPad and iPhone, but if you're concerned about added weight, you're probably not bringing that stuff with you anyway.

Not only do the cases protect, but they also look pretty badass as well-I imagine that this is what Batman's iPad (would it be a BatPad?) would look like, right down to the clear window on the back that shows off the Apple logo. Function? Check. Style? Check. Awesome? Check.

Take a closer look over at Otterbox.com.

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• hi-tech
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