So you’re going on your first camping trip of the year and you’re pretty confident that you’ve planned things out completely. You’ve even gone through your outdoor gear twice and checked if everything is all set and ready to go.
Hold your horses! The inner Boy Scout in you is probably telling you that there are still things you can bring that you thought you really didn’t have any use for. That’s okay. There are lots of outdoor gear that people, didn’t know they need.
Solar-Powered Light
The sun can be a pesky companion if you’re out on a hike or headed to camp on foot. It can also be a blessing if you brought along a solar-powered LED light.
The MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0 Inflatable Solar Light lets you gather the power of the sun to provide you with light later in the evening. For a shade under $20, you can avoid using up the charge of your phone when you have to light something up. The lightweight device will also come in handy during blackouts so it’s a great thing to own, whether you’re an outdoor person or not.
Suaoki has its own version of the collapsible solar-powered light. Its rechargeable camping lantern is a two-way charger. It can harness the power of the sun as well as recharge through a wall socket via its USB port. This smart piece of device automatically keeps your devices from overcharging or overdischarging thanks to its Smart Protection Chip.
Solar Charger
You can’t go wrong with having a solar charger on your trip to nowhere. Well, unless that nowhere is somewhere where there is lots of sunlight.
Anker is a popular name in the charging industry so you can be assured knowing you have one strapped to your backpack. The portable 21-watt solar charger, worth $150, comes with a couple of USB ports that makes use of Anker’s PowerQ fast charging technology.
The Nekteck solar charger is not made by a company that’s as well-established the one above but it gets the job done. It’s also a highly efficient 21-watt sunpower panel, which utilizes fast charging technology to provide juice for two devices at once. The best thing about this Nekteck product is its price. It only costs $50.
Coffee Maker
There’s always time for a hot cup of joe, especially if you’re up in the cold mountain taking in the wonder of Mother Nature. Unfortunately, you can’t bring those huge coffee makers or espresso machines. Fortunately, there are outdoor gear that’s meant for you to enjoy coffee anywhere you go.
The GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip, worth a little over $21, is a fancy looking silicone coffee drip cone that collapses into a 5.6-inch disc when not in use. It’s great for a group of outdoor adventurers as one filter can make up to 12 cups.
If you’re more of a travel light kind of person, the folding coffee drip from Snow Peak may just be right for you. This $29 4-ounce contraption folds into a 7-inch wide and 1-inch high flat thingamajig that you can easily pack along with your other outdoor gear,
Wash Bag
It’s quite common to get down and dirty when you’re outdoors. If you didn’t pack that much clothes for your trip, this could become a problem.
Thankfully, you can do some washing even if you’re outdoors. The Scrubba Wash Bag is a portable laundry system that fits in the palm of your hands. In fact, this $50 outdoor gear claims to be the “lightest and smallest washing machine in the world.”
Portable Shower
You spending a lot of time under the sun and exposed to all kinds of dirty stuff outdoors. It’s an accepted fact that you’ll be sweaty and stinky as the day comes to an end. Still, that’s no excuse not to freshen up before going to bed or before heading out for another day of hiking or backpacking.
For $12.99 and a little arm muscle, you get to enjoy a quick shower even if you’re in the middle of God-knows-where. As long as you can spare a liter or two of water, you can use it to clean yourself up in style.
Shower Tent
If you’re a little on the shy side, you might as well pack a pop-up shower tent like this one from WolfWise.
A little privacy won’t hurt anyone and this $34 pop-up tent will certainly not hurt your back. It’s lightweight, easy to set up and to clean.
Weatherproof Notebook
Have you ever experiences being in the shower when a brilliant idea suddenly pops up in your head? And by the time you’re done talking a bath, you completely forgot what the idea was?
This will never happen when you have the weatherproof notebook from Rite in the Rain. On the other hand, no one would ever think of writing stuff up while taking a bath. Still, the waterproof notebook will come in handy when you have to jot down something while out in the rain.
Check out more outdoor gear over at The Gentleman Pirate. You can also find more articles about camping, hiking and other outdoor activities you may want to try.
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