How to Survive in the Wild With Just a Smartphone-Charging Camp Stove and a $500 Cooler
Ah, the great outdoors! The smell of the pines, the crackle of a campfire, the sound of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. What could possibly make that better? How about perusing Facebook on your fully charged smartphone while sipping the margarita you just made with your combination cooler-blender?
Whether you’re roughing it in the woods or tossing around the pigskin while tailgating with friends, technology can help bring the comforts of home to your outdoor pursuits.
I took to the harsh wilds of central New Jersey* to see if I could survive on my own using some of the coolest outdoor gadgets on the market. Here are a few of my favorites.
CamelBak All Clear water purifier
Whether you’re trekking through the Pine Barrens hunting for the Jersey Devil or just enjoying a camp-out at a nearby lake, clean drinking water is a must. But even if you don’t have your Brita handy, you can still get potable water — if you have the CamelBak All Clear water purifier.
A combination water bottle and purifier, the $100 All Clear kills bacteria, protozoa, and viruses in just 60 seconds using its built-in ultraviolet light. The All Clear does such a thorough job that its results actually exceed the EPA’s water standards. It’s easy to fill and easy to use — just try to keep it free of any tiny fish.
Coolest Cooler
One of the most important things when it comes to outdoor survival is to keep your morale up. Let your spirits sink too low and you can end up losing focus and making poor decisions. That’s where the Coolest Cooler comes in.
The result of one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns ever (it raised more than $13 million), the Coolest Cooler includes a built-in water-resistant Bluetooth speaker and USB charger. It also comes with four plates, a knife and cutting board, even a freaking blender to make margaritas or whatever slushy refreshments you desire.
The downside? The Coolest Cooler is heavy, even when it’s not full of ice and brews. And at almost $500, it’s pretty pricey. But if you want to party like a pro after a long hike, it’s worth it.
Biolite CampStove Bundle
After a long day of hiking over the unforgiving terrain of Jersey’s coastal plain, all you want is a warm meal, some hot tea, and … a way to charge your smartphone. The $225 Biolite CampStove Bundle can provide all of that.
The CampStove includes a cylinder that you fill with sticks and twigs. When you light the fire, the CampStove’s built-in thermoelectric generator turns that heat into electricity.
Some of that juice is used to power a fan, which then blows air into the fire to make it burn more efficiently. But with what’s left over, you can charge your phone via the stove’s USB port. About 20 minutes of charging should get you an hour of talk time.
Of course, you can also use the CampStove to cook a meal or brew some coffee (it comes with its own kettle).
To get the most out of the CampStove, you’ll have to make sure its fire is roaring all the time, which can mean a bit of babysitting. But if you’re that desperate to charge your phone in the middle of nowhere, you probably have nothing better to do.
Spot Gen 3 satellite personal tracker
If you find yourself stranded in the great outdoors, whether that be in Jersey or Nepal, the number one rule to survival is to stay put until someone comes to save you.
But you can greatly increase your chances of being rescued with a GPS locator like the Spot Gen 3 satellite personal tracker.
For $150 (plus a $150 annual subscription), the Spot Gen 3 can track your location in real time using Google Maps, so loved ones can make sure you are where you should be during your trip.
You can also use Spot to send personalized messages to let friends and family know that you’re safe or to contact them in case you need assistance. And if there’s a real emergency, Spot can alert the proper authorities and let them know how to find you.
* Technically, hanging out in the woods near my parents’ house with my friends for a few hours. That might not seem like roughing it to you, but to me it was like scaling Everest.
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+.
