There will come a time when you, intrepid explorer that you are, no longer have something to prove to yourself. You’ve done the whole “conquering the great outdoors with just a backpack and multi-tool”, and you’ve seen the deepest part of the woods, the wonders of the jungle, the snow-capped peaks of the mountains and the stretches of the desert. You have nothing to prove to yourself or anyone else.
Having earned your O.G. Explorer stripes, you might want to kick back a bit and start enjoying some modern conveniences on your next trip. Here are some wonders of modern science that will enhance your next excursion into the wild.
Photo by Grant Ritchie on Unsplash
What if you are hiking all day without a good spot to set up camp and just as the sun is disappearing behind the treeline you find the perfect spot? Frantically you try to set up your tent with a torch to guide you. All of that frustrating tent building work can be a thing of the past when you’re in a pinch with an instant tent (and also when you’ve got plenty of time).
Nowadays you can get a cabin style tent with pre-attached poles that can be set up in 60 seconds. And let’s be honest, struggling setting up a tent is not necessarily what you want to do after a long day. And while you’re at it, why sleep on a little roll-up piece of foam? Why not break out a portable bunk bed while you have the luxury of a cabin sized tent?
Not only can you sleep off the ground, but you will also be extremely efficient with the space you do have in your tent. And who doesn’t want to relive a bit of childhood in a bunk bed? Make sure you call top bunk first though!
Probably one of the best things for any camper to take is a portable cooler bag to keep your food from spoiling. Or, if you are an avid fisher, to keep your latest catch fresh! If you are taking the no-tent approach to the great outdoors, you can even do better than a cooler bag and opt for fridges for your caravan/campervan.
Being out in nature is one thing, knowing that you have food and a cold beverage is even better. You can stock up on all your favourite stuff while being as far away from civilization as you want. To top that, there are plenty of gadgets out there now that offer you a well-deserved cup of joe. And we’re not talking the instant kind.
You can now get yourself a portable espresso maker that will beat any instant freeze-dried coffee. Imagine meeting the sunset holding your enamel camping mug, sipping your barista quality coffee. Some people would say that’s a slice of heaven.
And roughing it out in the great outdoors doesn’t mean you have to suffer and lack modern conveniences. How about a solar camp shower? Being able to have a proper shower once in a while will make you feel human again after trekking intensively. And if said shower is a hot one even better.
Portable solar showers give you the option to shower anywhere without having to worry about having to heat up the water yourself. And speaking of comfort, what about a petit pocket blanket? Typically, picnic style blankets are rather large, even when folded down. A petit pocket blanket will fold down to the size of a wallet and will usually come equipped with built-in corner stakes and pockets for sand to make sure you have a comfortable area to sit that does not blow away.
If you ask a regular camper what he or she finds most annoying about being in the great outdoors, chances are the answer is mosquitos. People love nature, but these pesky little beasties do cause a lot of slight annoyance. And rubbing yourself in with mosquito repellent every 2 hours or so does become a bit tedious.
For those people, there are portable mosquito repellers. These devices usually work by heating disposable cartridges or mats that contain natural repellent or synthetic versions of it. It’s perfect when you have set up camp and want to create a mosquito-free zone. And while you are setting up camp, why bother creating a fire pit? You can have an instant campfire with a portable wood burning camp stove.
Not only great for cooking and boiling water, some even have the capacity to turn heat into electricity. So now you can power your devices while enjoying a nice fire. This also means you can ditch the traditional campfire guitar for some proper good tunes from your portable music device! Now that’s enjoying camping 2.0.
