Adventure tech has come a very long way in the past few years. And while many folks enjoy taking to the wilderness to get away from technology, there is no denying that some gadgets can make an adventure go from good to great. Whether you rely on tech to give you a bit of a safety net, or just like to keep your phone juiced up so you can listen to audiobooks on a backpacking trip, most of us use technology in one way or another these days.
Here at Backpackers we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite gadgets of the year just for you! Some of these will be familiar; gadgets everyone has come to rely on. Others you may not have heard of, freshly tested out by our gear reviewers.
If you have a favorite piece of adventure tech we’d love to hear about it. Let us know in the comments what your favorite outdoor gadgets are and we’ll put them to the test!
Check out 10 of our favorite gadgets below!
Black Diamond Moji R+ Lantern
Not all camp lanterns are created equal! Over the years we’ve tested what feels like hundreds of them and there is one camp lantern that always hits top marks. The Black Diamond Moji R+ Lantern. This is a palm-sized piece of adventure tech that we love. It’s a 200 lumen lantern that fits in the palm of your hand. Perfect for any style of camping, but shines especially bright on backpacking trips!
It features hooks to hang it and magnets to stick it. It can be dimmed, and it can also be put into rainbow colors. Camp disco, anyone? Best of all is the battery time of the Black Diamond Moji R+ Lantern. At low light it can last as long as 100 hours. At its max brightness, you’re looking at 5 hours. It charges up quickly through micro USB. And last but not least, weighs in at a scant 2.8 ounces. Try out this camp lantern and you’ll very likely keep it in your kit for life!
See the Black Diamond Moji R+ Lantern
Garmin inReach Mini 2
We know it, we love it, we rely on it. Of course it’s on this list! The Garmin inReach Mini 2 has become a staple adventure gadget. And for great reasons: it’s easy to use, small in size and can help get you out of earth shattering circumstances. Weighing in at 3.5 ounces, this little satellite communicator adds peace of mind to your adventures. Better yet, it works with your phone to make using it very simple.
Featuring 2-way text communication, breadcrumb tracking and interactive SOS capabilities this device allows you to stay connected while you’re in the backcountry. Gear reviewer Deirdre brings her inReach Mini along while driving jeep roads in remote places as well as in the wilderness! So if you find yourself driving in areas without cellphone service, this could be a very clutch piece of tech for you. The Garmin inReach Mini 2 has a battery life to 30 days in a full sky view, or up to 10 days in moderate tree cover.
Nite Ize MoonLit LED Micro Lantern
This one is for the adventure pup in your life! The tiny Nite Ize MoonLit LED Micro Lantern has a carabiner clip at the top so you can securely clip it to your dog’s collar or harness when the sun goes down. It has a simple on/off button and is water-resistant with replaceable batteries that last over 60 hours. It weighs 0.65 ounces, so even if your dog is a little buddy, they’ll be able to sport this light!
While we love this Micro Lantern especially for dog safety, it also makes a great little camp lantern or ambiance lighting for a quick glamping getaway. This is a no-frills kind of gadget. And we like that about it!
See the Nite Ize LED Micro Lantern
GoPro HERO12
Part of the fun of having epic adventures is sharing the memories of them with your friends. Nothing captures the moment better than the GoPro HERO12. Never miss a moment when you clip it to the strap of your backpack! This tiny camera takes 27MP photos and allows you to grab photos up to 24.7MP of your favorite moments from your videos using the GoPro app. Its HyperView digital lens takes 8:7 footage and serves it up as a wide-angle 16:9 shot for video that amps up POV footage by capturing more of you and your surroundings! Summit shot, anyone?
Weighing in at 4.2 ounces with a small form factor, this is our pick for the best action camera on the market. It’s super simply to use and its app it intuitive and straightforward. The GoPro HERO12 has long lasting batteries and there are so many accessories available for this gadget that you can truly make your visions come to life!
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Portable Power Station
If you plan to car camp, set up a nice basecamp or do some overlanding you’ll definitely want a nice way to charge up all your electronics. The EcoFlow River 2 Portable Power Station is a great overall pick for the job! Gear reviewer Jon says it’s the Goldilocks of power stations: not too big, not too small. Just right. At just over 7 pounds, it’s easy to toss in the car for any adventure. The River 2 has an AC output of up to 300W, which can be cranked up to 600W with X-Boost mode to run up to 99% of consumer electronics. This power station also boasts a 0 to 100% charge in an hour!
With four ways to charge- AC charging, car charging, solar charging or USB-C charging -this is a good bang for your buck way to ensure everything you need stays charged up for loads of adventures! The River 2 has an upgraded long-lasting LiFePO4 battery and can charge and empty over 3,000 times!
See the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Portable Power Station
Shokz OpenRun Pro Headphones
We all love to rock out sometimes when we’re on an adventure. But of course, we want to adhere to Leave No Trace, and we’ve all had to listen to someone else’s music in the wild when all we want is to listen to the birds. This is why a great pair of headphones is a must! Here at Backpackers we really love Shoks OpenRun Pro Headphones. Shoks’ bone-conduction technology allows for open-ear listening, which lets you hear your surroundings, while also enjoying high-quality sound. They weigh in at just 1 ounce, meaning you will barely even feel them!
Shoks OpenRun Pro Headphones have a 10 hour battery life for music and calls and they recharge really quick! They feature some water resistance and are wireless to boot. Our gear reviewers looked at a pretty wide array of headphones this year, and the Shoks OpenRun Pro Headphones were a clear winner. Simply put, they are just about perfect!
See the Shoks OpenRun Pro Headphones
Midland ER310 E+Ready Emergency Crank Weather Radio
This next item isn’t necessarily one that you’d bring backpacking, but for overlanding and car camping, it’s an essential piece of adventure tech. The Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Radio allows you to know when severe weather is coming in. And it doesn’t even need a normal charge to do it! The crank radio’s rechargeable battery power can be replenished by the built-in solar panel and hand crank. If you do wish to use a power source to charge it up, it has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides up to 32 hrs. of continuous use.
In addition to digital AM and FM radio, the Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Radio features a weather band with NOAA Weather Alert Radio capabilities. To top it all off this little safety gadget has a built-in flashlight with SOS and strobe functions to signal for help in an emergency. After writing this all up, it might be worth getting one of these handy dandy crank radios to keep in your car’s emergency kit. Even if you don’t have a specific adventure in mind!
See the Midland ER310 E+Ready Emergency Crank Weather Radio
Katadyn Steripen Ultra UV Water Purifier
There are a few ways to purify water and a wide array of products to get the job done. But nothing works quite as nice as the Katadyn Steripen Ultra UV Water Purifier if you’re dealing with tannin-rich waters. Tannins absolutely destroy your typical water filters in no time! And that simply does not happen with a Steripen. It uses ultraviolet light rays to safely purify clear water by destroying 99.99% of protozoa including Giardia and Cryptosporidia, bacteria and even viruses!
This gadget is rechargeable and can clean 50-liters of water off of one charge. Katadyn’s Steripen Ultra turns itself off once the ultraviolet purification is complete and it can be used up to 8,000 times. Do note that you’ll want to pre-filter your water before using the Steripen. It is most effective in clear water. Gear reviewers Deirdre and Jon relied on Katadyn’s Steripen Ultra US Water Purifier in Superior National Forest where they extensively adventured in the BWCAW and the Superior Hiking Trail.
See the Katadyn Steripen Ultra UV Water Purifier
Zippo Heatbank 3 Rechargeable Hand Warmer Power Bank
If you get freezing cold hands and mittens just don’t cut it, this one’s for you! Zippo’s HeatBank 3 Rechargeable Hand Warmer Power Bank is a powerhouse handwarmer for cold weather adventures. This neat little gadget is small enough to fit in your pocket and features high and low settings. Its rechargeable battery can last 3 continuous hours and it recharges pretty quick. It also doubles as a power bank so you can charge your phone or other tech gear with it.
Like the Midland Crank Radio, this is a product you might like to keep in your car’s emergency kit just in case. It’s a quick way to warm up when you need more than layers or insulation. A quick pro-tip from our reviewer team: toss the Zippo Heatbank 3 in your sleeping bag while you start to wake up during a cold camping trip!
See the Zippo Heatbank 3 Rechargeable Hand Warmer Power Bank
Garmin Instinct 2X Solar
No adventure tech round up would be complete without a kickass GPS smartwatch. We are head over heels in love with the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar. It’s a burly GPS smartwatch built to U.S. military standard 810 for thermal, shock and water resistance. And it has a large solar-charged display, with a durable polymer case. With 3 hours of direct sunlight per day, this smartwatch’s solar charge gives you unlimited battery life. Its multiband signal reception technology provides more accurate positioning than single band devices.
Keep track of you biometrics with health monitoring for energy levels, stress, sleep, Pulse Ox and more! This is a clutch piece of adventure kit and helps to keep you safe in the backcountry. It also features nice trail town and city features like Gamin Pay so you don’t need to carry cash or credit cards. When you purchase the Garmin Instanct 2X Solar from REI, it pays for your membership!
See the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar
All images courtesy REI, All Rights Reserved.
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