Taking on the wilderness with nothing but a backpack on your back can be a great adventure. Or a nightmare if you are not prepared. The right equipment will help you through every unexpected thing you may encounter on your path. Then again, missing a vital item when you need it can have unpleasant consequences, even if you’re trekking on the beaten path.
There are many gadgets that are built with backpackers in mind, meant to make their trips safer and more comfortable. Here are some that shouldn’t miss from any backpack.
A sturdy battery pack
In today’s digital world, it’s perfectly understandable to take your connected devices on a hike. No matter if it’s an episode of their favourite streaming series or a game of blackjack at a casino online, pocket-sized entertainment is the perfect fun when taking a break. But today’s smartphones and tablets have limited battery lives, especially when it comes to activities like blackjack and streaming that constantly keep the screen on. So, you’ll need a backup.
For a shorter trip, a battery with a capacity twice as big as your phone’s battery should do the trick. For longer trips, you can check out a more advanced power bank that you can recharge on the go. There are plenty of options with solar chargers or even kinetic ones that use your own movements to recharge their batteries, equipped with lanterns that will keep the darkness of the night away.
With the right battery pack to provide backup power to your devices, your hike will never be without a song, an audiobook or, why not, a game of blackjack on the go.
A portable stove and dishes
When you hit the trail, it’s always a good idea to take a portable stove with you, along with some dishes. They can serve you well in many ways besides the obvious – heating your food or brewing a cup of tea when you settle down. When you camp, though, a sudden change in the weather can never be excluded. If this happens, you’ll be able to make use of your stove as a tent warmer, helping you feel more comfortable or, in more extreme cases, avoid hypothermia.
There are several models of portable stoves that are lightweight and use standard natural gas canisters as a fuel source, and there are sets of pots that are also light and don’t take up too much space that can help you enjoy a hot meal, a steaming cup of coffee, or the comfort of a heated tent while you hit the mountain track.
A shovel
One of the most useful gadgets you can take with you on a hike is one that’s been around since the stone age: a shovel. There are countless gadgets that are more sophisticated than it – but none of them can match the versatility of a shovel built with hikers in mind.
The modern-day portable shovel is small and lightweight so it won’t be a burden even on the longest, hardest trail. It folds, so it doesn’t take up valuable backpack space – you can easily hang it on your belt so it will always be at hand.
Aside from digging holes – necessary sometimes, like when you plan to light a fire or unearth something – today’s ‘survival’ shovels are outfitted with saw teeth on a side so they can be used to saw branches (or even bone), and a sharp edge on another, so they can be used as a makeshift axe.
And designers went even further with the ‘survival’ shovel. Some models have a handful of tools hidden in their handles, while others can have a first-aid kit, a water filtration system or anything else that can help you in an emergency situation.
Share your favourite items to bring backpacking in the comments below!
