I was recently out of college and had just moved to Colorado when some new friends invited me to go camping with them. We chose to do a trip not far from Aspen, where we hiked several miles to our first campsite. We found a beautiful spot to pitch our tents overlooking the most breathtaking of views.
Lighting
In awe of the unfathomable beauty before us, we realize that we had lost track of time. The sun was already setting. We weren’t even done setting up camp! We rushed to get the last few things ready, so we could start cooking dinner. Luckily, we had brought our MPowerd Luci. It’s an inexpensive solar charged lantern that can produce 80 lumens of light for a 15 square feet area! We also had the Eton Scorpion, a rugged and splash proof NOAA weather/AM/FM radio with LED flashlight. You can also charge your devices in the outdoors, either by hand crank, batteries or solar panels.
Water Systems
For water filtration systems, there are a few options I would suggest. The Katadyn Hiker Pro Water Filter is a pump-based filter that removes particles, protozoa and bacteria down to 0.2 microns. This includes giardia, salmonella, and cryptosporidium. It is equipped with a pre-filter at the hose outlet that filters to 150 microns. It’s good for use with cloudy or sediment-filled water. Quick-connect fittings permit removal of input and output hoses. It weighs only 11 ounces and is quite compact.
Another way to easily get clean water is The Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System. It includes the Sawyer Point One Water Filter, 2 x 64 ounce and 1 x 16 ounce soft bottles. It also includes a plastic syringe for cleaning, hydration system adapters, and a straw. You can drink directly from the Sawyer Squeeze, but most people squeeze untreated water through it from a soft bottle to a clean container.
The filter uses a hollow-fiber membrane filter that removes 99.9999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E. coli. It removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium. The filter itself weighs 3 ounces.
Shower and Pump
We used the Helio Pressure Shower during our trip. This is a great gadget as its design allows for it to rest on the ground. You can pressurize the 2.9-gallon tank with a foot pump which can provide you with 5-7 minutes of strong, pressurized stream. If you set the black tank out in the sun it will heat up the water for a warm shower. Staying with the luxury theme, one of my friends brought a manual espresso machine called the Handpresso Pump. It requires no battery nor electricity, it’s simple, light and compact! This was the perfect way to wake up every morning.
The more prepared you are for the environment, potential elements, wildlife, and emergencies the better your overall experience will be. You never know when you will need to rely on one of these devices. Well perhaps not the shower or espresso pump but those can make a camping trip much more enjoyable. Even as experienced hikers and campers, you can run into unforeseen problems. But with the right technological tools, you can feel at ease on your next trip.
