Getting outdoors doesn’t necessarily have to mean giving up some of the helpful technologies that we are used to in our everyday lives. Here are four gadgets to add to your next trekking adventure.
SCRUBBA: World’s smallest Washing Machine
The Scrubba is an Australian invention and a great alternative to washing your clothes in a river. Best of all, it weighs less than 145g. The portable pocket size “washing machine” uses no electricity and minimal water and features an internal washboard that gives a quality wash in minutes. To operate, add water and detergent, close and deflate, before rubbing the washboard for 30 secs to 3 minutes and finishing off by rinsing and drying.
Price: $64
Handpresso
Australians love their coffee, and just because you’re trekking across the countryside, doesn’t mean you should miss out on an espresso. The Handpresso is a handheld espresso maker that is really simple to use: you generate a 16-bar pressure, the same as a bicycle pump, add hot water (from a thermos flask or a kettle) and the espresso coffee of your choice in order to prepare a high-quality espresso. The Handpresso takes either pods or ground coffee and requires no electricity.
Price: $150
All Clear UV Water purifier
Taking purified water to the extreme, Camelbak has a product called All Clear UV Purifier, which uses UV light to purify water. If you’re trekking around the country, lugging a large quantity of water can be a pain. But if you’re heading to a location where there’s plenty of natural water, this is a simple solution. The bottle uses ultra-violet light to purify water in just a minute. Able to zap more than 80 bottles before needing a recharge, the UV bulb, which is built into the container’s lid, lives up to 10,000 cycles. That’s enough for three bottles a day for nine years, in case you get lost out there.
Prices start at: $199.95
Solar USB charging station
In our tech based world, chances are we’ll need to charge our devices while on the road. Whether it’s trekking across the alps or cycling through the French countryside, a solar-powered USB charging station could be your saviour. There are plenty of options on the market to suit different needs, including waterproof ones. Devices such as the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite are very small and portable and are capable of charging an iPhone to 100% with plenty of charge to spare.
Prices start at: $50 for basic models
