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Camping is a great time to put down electronic devices and take a break, especially from your smartphone and its endless notifications. But there are still cases where you might need something like this. For example, to contact emergency contacts or check-in, to search GPS maps or track your movements for safety, or even just to stay in tune with your body and monitor your vital signs. Enter wearables. Think smartwatches, fitness trackers, headlamps, heated jackets and more.
Essential items that you can wear or carry with you to use precisely when you need them, to start a fire, survive or simply enjoy your experiences from a distance. They’re not quite equipped for the trappings of everyday modern life, but they offer just enough to get you by, whether near the tent or in forested areas. In other words, it’s not really an ultra high-tech caravan for next-level smart camping or glamping. But instead, something like a solar-powered USB-C gadget that you can find on Amazon and use or charge anywhere. Like a solar camping fan, portable flashlight or emergency radio. There are many ideas, but here are some of the most essential items to pack on your next trip.
1. A satellite communicator: Garmin inReach Mini 3 Plus
There are great phones for hiking, traveling, and going off-grid, if that’s what you really want. But if you’re going hiking in the middle of nowhere and spending a lot of time in remote wilderness, chances are you’ll be out of contact for a while with minimal to no signal. This is where a device like the Garmin inReach Mini 3 Plus really comes in handy. This is an incredibly capable replacement for a smartphone at around $500 full price. It is mainly intended for emergencies and SOS. The rugged design can withstand outdoor use with an IP67 water resistance rating and a rechargeable lithium battery that lasts up to 350 hours. It comes in portable form, but there is a backpack clip, bike mount, and other ways to carry it.
The most important feature is that it supports not only emergency calls, with access to Garmin Response’s global coordination center 24/7, but also voice messaging, texting and photo sharing. For example, you can send a friend or family member photos of your last known location. It offers global satellite coverage with live location tracking and the ability to share — so friends and family always know where you are. Basically, it’s your lifeline in case of a potential emergency or stranding situation.
2. A portable Bluetooth speaker: Monster Blaster Micro
Music is the language of the soul. Even in the wild, it’s good to have a few tunes, from classical to country and everything in between. It’s easy enough to put your music on a Bluetooth-enabled device, like a portable media player or tablet, or even on a wearable device like a smartwatch, but if you don’t want to wear headphones or earphones, you’ll need a speaker. There are a surprising amount of portable speaker options available on Amazon, with unique clip-on attachments, cords, and cases. The Monster Blaster Micro is a must-have. At around $40 full price, with over 250 reviews and a 4.2-star rating, most people agree it’s a great choice.
This is a rugged, rugged, IPX7 water-resistant speaker with a clip-on design and lanyard. You can nestle it comfortably on a collar, jacket, exterior pocket, etc. It’s ultra-light (just 3 ounces) and offers 12 hours of battery life on a single charge. You can also connect two speakers in tandem using True Wireless Stereo mode for more immersive camping sound. Grab another one for your friend, travel companion, or partner, and you can throw a party at the campsite. You can also use it for hands-free calling when you’re back home, at a job site, or similar location.
3. A GPS-enabled smartwatch: Garmin Instinct 3, Solar, Tactical Edition
Most people can get away with a watch without GPS. In fact, you don’t really need GPS in a smartwatch that’s always connected to your phone. But if you spend time outdoors, camping, away from chargers and outlets, you’ll need something tough enough to take a beating with a long-lasting battery that has enough power to last until you return to civilization. The Apple Watch Series 11 is great, there’s no argument against that. And no shadow over other traditional smartwatches. But a great model for outdoor enthusiasts is the Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition with solar charging. Available in 40mm, 45mm, and 50mm sizes and priced around $500 at full price, this watch was built to perform with a fiber-reinforced polymer case and metal-reinforced bezel.
It has dual-position GPS (multiband with SatIQ), with a ton of fitness and outdoor tracking modes, a built-in LED flashlight, health tracking, a three-axis compass, and a barometric altimeter. Plus, all this comes with extended battery life. It charges via solar energy – three hours a day in 50,000 lux conditions will give it a nice battery boost. For the uninitiated, this simply means that it needs a lot of time in direct sunlight. Despite its somewhat precarious load, this machine is a beast. It currently has almost 200 reviews on Amazon, with a 4.6-star rating, meaning users swear by it.
4. Hands-Free Headlamp: Lepro LED Headlamp
When it starts to get dark and you’re trying to start or tend a fire, gather extra wood, move around your campsite, or do your business, you’ll need a light. A headlamp is the ideal camping companion. They’re lightweight, keep your hands free, and provide plenty of light in front of you or in the direction you’re looking. You can also adjust the strap over your head to direct the light elsewhere, or wrap the strip around your arm or use it in a number of unique configurations. You can even attach it to your backpack. The Lepro LED Rechargeable Headlamp is a good option at just $16 full price, although it’s often on sale for a cheaper price. The brand is well known for its smart lighting solutions. This headlamp has over 19,000 reviews with a 4.4 out of 5 star rating.
It’s USB rechargeable, comes with a USB-C charging cable, and the battery lasts up to 30 hours of continuous use. There are three white brightness levels – high, low and strobe – and two red light modes, including one that stays on and another that flashes for SOS. The brightness can reach 300 lumens, which Lepro says can extend up to 500 feet. The strap is lightweight and comfortable, while the entire system is IPX4 water resistant against heavy rain or splashes.
Even if you don’t have this particular model of headlamp, it’s an essential tool to have when outdoors, camping, biking, hiking, or doing anything else in the dark. It’s also great to have a device on hand at home in case of power outages and blackouts.
5. A smart ring: RingConn Gen 2
Mainly as an alternative, if you don’t want to spring for a smartwatch, you can swap it out for a smart ring, many of which offer the same fitness tracking and monitoring features. There are actually some things that smart rings can do that smart watches can’t do because of the way they are worn. Sure, there are a few smart rings out there, but the RingConn Gen 2 is a good place to start. It comes with no subscription fees, 12 days of battery life, heart rate, sleep, and health tracking, and it’s also waterproof to 100 meters.
It retails for $299 full price and is available in several sizes and ring styles. Matte black is probably ideal for outdoors. Plus, thanks to its ultra-thin design, you’ll barely feel it when you’re hiking in the woods or carrying your gear to the campsite. Remember to keep your smart ring clean so it can work as intended and you’ll be good to go.
