Best hiking tech for your trips and camping adventures this autumn and winter
From a rugged smartwatch with 10 days of battery life to a compact drone that shoots stunning aerial footage in 4K resolution to a compact speaker, here’s all you need for those trips into the wild
The hiking and camping season is upon us. We look at some nifty tech gadgets that are just right for exploring the wilderness.
Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 lantern
If you plan to camp overnight, the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 lantern is a battery-powered lantern that lets you ditch the propane gas cylinders. Powered by an internal lithium ion battery, it is charged from an integrated USB cable for as much as 48 hours of light on a “low” setting.
A built-in hand-crank power generator (on the top of the lamp) means you will never be left in the dark; every minute of cranking gets you about 10 minutes of light. The Lighthouse 400 has a light intensity of 400 lumens; switching both LEDs to “high” gives bright, 360-degree coverage. You will need to toggle to just one LED (180 degrees coverage) set on low to achieve 48 hours of light.
Collapsible legs that fold out create a built-in stand for better light dispersion around your campsite. The Lighthouse 400 also comes with a USB port to charge your smartphone, though its lack of support for fast charging means you’ll probably be better off with a dedicated battery pack.
Price: US$69.95