Cool Camping Gear for Intrepid Explorers
Who says you have to rough it when you're camping? High tech gadgets and gear make it easier than ever to hit the trail while you take the necessities - and lots of cool stuff - with you.
Mike Pham/BioLite
Instead of carrying heavy fuel canisters, stow a BioLite CampStove 2 in your pack and pick up twigs to cook a meal or boil water. The stove weighs just over two pounds and has an LED dashboard and integrated battery to power small devices. Its thermoelectric features can also create electricity from a live fire. If you can't find enough small pieces of wood to keep the flames going, reach for the BioLite StickSnapper. It cuts sticks down to size and doubles as a bottle opener when you're ready for a cold drink. Pictured: BioLite CampStove 1.
BioLite
Going off-grid means you don’t always know about severe weather conditions or other emergency situations. Etón's Scorpion II, a multi-purpose digital radio, has an integrated NOAA Weather Band receiver and AM/FM tuner to keep you on top of what's happening. This portable radio also has a built-in LED flashlight and USB/cell phone charger and comes with a rechargeable lithium battery. A crank and solar panel provide power back-ups.
Etón Corporation
Raingear can be miserable when the fabric doesn’t breathe, trapping body heat and moisture inside. Columbia’s OutDry Extreme jacket keeps you dry and comfortable thanks to a soft, wicking fabric fused to the shell that lets water vapor escape. Underarm vents also help the air circulate. Available in multiple colors for men and women, the jackets have zippered hand and chest pockets and attached, adjustable storm hoods.
Columbia
"GoPro"has almost become a synonym for "action camera." The Hero4 Black is a great choice for shooting video when you don’t want to risk using your cell phone in the surf, snow or other extreme conditions. Shoot 4K, ultra-HD video or capture slow motion at up to 240 frames per second. The camera offers customizable settings for filming at night or in other low light situations, while a GoPro Hero4 Silver model comes with a built-in touch display to make it easy to frame your shots and play back content.
GoPro
The Guardian Purifier, from MSR Products, gives global travelers an easy way to purify water almost anywhere they roam, removing up to 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and particulates (such as dirt, silt and sediments). The purifier is fast, treating up to 2.5 liters, or about 2/3 of a gallon, per minute, and self-cleaning. Expect it to treat up to 10,000 liters, or about 2641 gallons. When dry, it weighs approximately one pound and stores in a backpack or suitcase.
Guardian Purifier MSR
You can lose track of time when you’re on the trail, but you don’t want to lose your way. With Garmin's epix, you can put a portable GPS or GLONASS (Global Navigation Satelite system) on your wrist. Load maps into the 8- GB built-in memory (or opt for a model with preloaded TOPO 100K maps), and view them on the high-resolution, color touchscreen. This wearable device also functions as a barometer, altimeter and 3-axis compass.
Garmin
Throw some light on your campsite with the dimmable, dual lights of the Lighthouse Mini Lantern, by Goal Zero. On a low setting, the lantern runs for about 500 hours. To recharge, use an optional Goal Zero Nomad solar panel, connect the built-in charging cable to a USB port, or switch out the internal battery with a spare. A magnet and hook give you multiple mounting options, and the lantern's legs collapse, so it fits snugly in a bag or backpack.
Many hikers clip solar panels, like Goal Zero's Nomad 7, onto their packs, but Gregory Mountain Products is the first in the industry to offer packs with integrated solar panels. Their popular Baltoro and Deva packs will be available in summer 2016 with Nomad 7 Solar Plus Panels sewn in. A Flip 10 portable battery inside a zippered pocket of each pack stores enough power to give your phone one full charge.
Gregory Mountain Products
