Phones have come a long way since their early beginnings, but there is one chapter that makes me think that manufacturers really want to take things backwords since present day phones, and smartphones especially, seem to be ever more fragile then they were before, so Verizon recently announced they will carry the Casio G'zOne Ravine, a phone specially built for outdoor enthusiasts.

This means the Ravine will feature a dust, water and shock-resistant construction, being able to withstand everything that you expose it to, wheather this is surfing, skiing, hiking, climbing, hunting, fishing or any other of your outdoor adventures. 

Next to the rugged design that conforms to the MIL-STD-810G military standard, this device also features a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash, VZ Navigator that enables users to get audible turn-by-turn directions to millions of points of interest as well as a full array of sensors that can measure direction, acceleration and temperature.

Since this is built for outdoor enthusiasts Casio also bundles the phone with some special applications like a compass, walking counter, thermometer, a tides information app, sunrise and sunset times, a moon calendar and the Star Gazer app that displays the stars in the sky and names the constellations based on the current season and time using GPS.

All in all this really sounds like an interesting option if you are into extreme sports and enjoy the great outdoors or if you are frustrated about just how much cash you wasted on a new smartphone that shattered into a million pieces the very first time it hit the pavement.

Price wise, the Casio G'zOne Ravine will be $149.99 after a $50.00 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement and, although I can say that you will get the best deal out there, at least I am sure that you will be able to use this phone for ages.