When it comes to fantastic hiking and camping locations, Australians are pretty spoilt for choice. If you’re someone who loves to get out and about but also loves tech, there are a fair few pieces of gear that’ll help to enhance your next hike or camping trip.
Now, we assume you already have all the basic camping essentials, like a tent, sleeping bag, a canteen, etc. These pieces of EQUIPMENT are good add-ons that can enhance your camping experience – whether that’s keeping your devices adequately charged while you’re in the middle of nowhere or enjoying some of your creature comforts while in the great outdoors.
Here are a few pieces of tech-focused gear to consider before you head out on your next hike or camping trip.
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EcoFlow River 2 Portable Power Station
Not everyone camps the same way. While some people prefer to go fully off-grid, relying only on the gear they can fit in their travel pack, others prefer to bring a few creature comforts along. Just because you aren’t at home doesn’t mean you can’t bring some tech along on your trip, which is why this portable power station is a handy way to keep everything charged up.
The EcoFlow River 2 has a decent 256Wh capacity and a 300W output while weighing around 3.5kg. You’ll be able to plug in multiple devices via its various charging ports – DC, AC, USB-A, USB-C – allowing you to keep a variety of different devices powered.
If you need a bit more juice than your average power bank can provide, the River 2 is a handy piece of camping equipment.
BioLite Alpenglow USB Lantern
A good light source is an essential piece of gear when camping overnight, and this BioLite lantern will make sure you aren’t fumbling around in the dark. With a max brightness of 500 lumens, it also has nine lighting modes which will let you adjust its tone from a cool white to a warm white and even multicolour shades. Its battery will run between five to 40 hours, depending on its brightness setting.
Designed for portability, it’s also IPX4 waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about it getting splashed if the weather takes a turn.
Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker
There are few things better than waking up with a good cup of coffee in the morning, and the Nanopresso will help you keep that routine even if you’re kilometres away from a cafe. This portable espresso maker will fit neatly in your backpack and let you brew up a fresh cup in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is tamp in some finely ground beans, add some boiling water to the water tank, and then use the pressure pump to extract your coffee.
BLAVOR Solar Charger Power Bank
Regardless of whether you’re an indoors or outdoors person, a power bank is an essential piece of tech to have on hand – but this one, in particular, is a good option when hiking or camping. With a 10,000mAh capacity, this BLAVOR power bank will easily keep your phone charged. It even includes a built-in flashlight and has a compass attached to it, making it a helpful camping accessory.
What makes this stand out from other power banks is that it can be charged via a solar panel. So you can just clip it to the outside of your bag when you’re travelling and juice up while you continue to hike (sunny weather permitting).
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro
When you’re out for a hike, it’s incredibly important to know where the hell you are. The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro is a handy piece of camping equipment that fits nicely on your wrist. This smartwatch uses multi-band GPS and preloaded TopoActive maps to help you keep track of your location, along with an altimeter, barometer and three-axis electronic compass. If you subscribe to Garmin’s Outdoor Maps+ feature, you’ll also gain access to premium mapping content, such as satellite imagery and enhanced TOPO maps.
It also includes health and activity tracking features, so you can keep an eye on your progress while you’re exploring the great outdoors. The battery will last for around 73 hours when in GPS mode – or 22 days if you keep it in smartwatch mode. The Fenix 7 Pro also uses a Power Sapphire solar charging lens that’ll help you to keep it juiced up, provided it gets three hours of direct sunlight (50,000 lux) per day.
Image: Garmin/EcoFlow/BioLite