Continuing the series “The 10 List” I thought I would post about two of the things I enjoy in life: Gadgets and Camping. Now a lot of people say that the two don’t go together, they say things like “You go camping to enjoy nature and you can’t do that with technology” but I would have to disagree. Camping is way more fun when you have awesome gadgets. Here is a list of 10 gadgets that I feel are essential for any camping trip
1. Reactor Solar Computer Backpack
The first gadget in the list is the Reactor Solar Computer Backpack. This backpack features a set of solar panels that, sun permitting, charge an internal battery so that you can keep all of your devices charged. Inside you’ll be able to fit your Mp3 player, Laptop, and other gadgets in padded sleeves. There are a number of useful adapters including: USB adapter, AC adapter, 4 rechargeable batteries, solar panel, power box and 4 cell phone adapters.
- Pros:
- Lots of different adapters to charge all of your equipment.
- Lightweight product with a lot of room to fit everythig you need.
- Inexpensive when it comes to Solar Paneled backpacks
- Cons:
- Laptop sleeve only fits laptops with a 15.4″ screen or smaller.
- Not the most stylish product you’ll see, but hey! you’re camping.
2. Eureka! N!ergy 1310
The Eureka N!ergy 1310 tent is a large 10 person tent that can provide a great living place for you and your family (and maybe another family as well!). This tent includes the E! Power system which basically lets you enjoy your favorite small appliances and accessories while you camp. N!ergy tents are prewired, so there are no extra steps during set-up. The wiring system is safe and unobtrusive, and each outlet is illuminated, allowing it to double as a nightlight. At $289.90 and 34lbs. this tent is a great deal.
- Pros:
- You can power up all of your devices by plugging them into the included outlets.
- The tent is fairly cheap (for a 10person tent) and not that heavy. You wouldn’t want to go hiking with this though.
- Cons:
- Most of the accessories (the power pack, fan, light, etc…) have to be bought separately.
- It’s a lot of tent to have if you only have a small family.
3. Wenger Swiss Army Knife
When you go into the woods you need a knife that can do a lot of different things. From cutting your nails to cutting through wood to cutting a cigar this Swiss Army knife can do everything. At £499.95 it should also do your taxes. This gadget definitely isn’t for the frugal people, but you get what you pay for. It’s packed with over 85 fully functional implements (but is said to have over 100, they just can’t find the other 15). Here’s list of things that this knife has: seven blades, three types of pliers and seemingly countless screwdrivers, saws and wrenches. There’s even a battery operated torch and a laser pointer with a 300ft range. It repairs golf divots and has a doodah that magnifies mineral crystals. It also has a tyre-tread gauge, signal whistle and cigar-cutter.
- Pros:
- Whatever you need this thing has it.
- Cons:
- It’s very expensive.
- It’s very large, measuring almost 9 inches in width.
4. First Alert Eternal Flashlight Deluxe
I included this gadget in for all the Science geeks out there. This flashlight uses a strong permanent magnet that can freely slide up and down a tube, passing through a coil of wire as it does. Shaking the flashlight will charge a capacitor or a rechargeable battery that supplies a current to a light source, typically a light-emitting diode or, more rarely, an incandescent light bulb. Now for those that don’t understand that (I don’t really), basically you shake the flashlight for a 30 seconds and then you have light for up to 10 minutes.
- Pros:
- No batteries needed.
- Super-Bright LED light
- At $5.95 its cheap.
- Cons:
- It does take manual labor to produce a light.
5. The Ring Thing
When people think of camping trip one alcoholic beverage comes to mind, beer. Now a lot of people think beer tastes better in bottles so unless you want to shop around for twist off bottle caps you really need to carry a bottle opener. What’s more fashionable than a bottle opener ring! With the Ring Thing you can have the best of two worlds: fashion and beer.
- Pros:
- Fashionable.
- You can finally open your beer w/out a large opener.
- At $7.99 its cheap.
- Cons:
- Some people may not like the look of it.
6. LG LPA-735
Whether your on the road or already settled into your campsite a portable DVD player can always come in handy. LG did a great job with the LPA-735 including multi Format Playability: DVD-Video, DivX, XviD, DVD-RW/-R, DVD+RW/+R, CD-Audio, CD-R/RW, SVCD, VCD, MP3, WMA, JPEG. With an advertised 3.5 hour playback you can watch approximately two movies before you need a charge. LG also included two headphone jacks for when the kids want to watch it in the back of the car. At a price of $128.44 it’s fairly inexpensive.
- Pros:
- Fairly inexpensive at $128.44.
- Plays DVDs, DivX, XviD, DVD-+RW’s and more.
- Lightweight at only 742g
- Cons:
- The white colour may get a little dirty being outside.
- Could impede only family time and roasting marshmallows on a campfire.
7. Mosquito Free
There’s nothing more annoying than mosquitoes. When you’re enjoying a nice fire (or your portable DVD player) you don’t want to worry about those pesky bugs that like to bite you. Mosquito Free uses a combination of CO2, heat, and moisture to lure mosquitoes in. When the mosquitoes are drawn to the unit, a fan pulls them into a catch chamber where they are collected and dehydrated. This machine will let you enjoy the nights without annoying bug bites.
- Pros:
- No more mosquitoes!
- You don’t need to buy bug spray (you won’t smell).
- Cons:
- It would be annoying to carry around.
- $119.99 seems a little expensive considering you can get bug spray for under $5.
8. USB Camping Lamp with FM Radio
When you’re sitting around in the dark you’re going to need some light. What’s better than having a light that plugs into a USB port? Well a light and a FM radio that plugs into a USB port. This light can be powered by either a USB port of 3x AA batteries. The FM frequency range is 88 ~ 108MHz and it includes 1 headphone jack. You don’t have a USB port you say? Well scroll down to number 9 and use to one included there.
- Pros:
- You get a light and a radio in one.
- USB or battery powered.
- It’s only $12!!!.
- Cons:
- If you’re camping you probably won’t be able to find a FM station.
- The device looks a little cheap (and it is for only $12).
9. MEDION UMPC The Medion UMPC gives you a small lightweight ultra mobile personal computer. It includes Windows Vista™ Home Premium, VIA C7-M™ 770 ULV processor (1.0 GHz, 400 MHz FSB), 30 GB hard disc, and 768 MB DDRII RAM memory. This pc will be able to power your Lamp / Radio featured in #8 as well as let you play a game of chess. At $999.00 it’s not that expensive either.
- Pros:
- It’s one small computer.
- Only $999.
- Cons:
- You’re not going to be able to play the latest games.
- It’s definitely not the fastest computer out there.
10. GSP 1600 Satellite Phone
If you’re doing any back-country camping your cellphone might not work. Whether you need to keep in touch with the office or just want a phone in case something happens you’ll need a satellite phone and the GSP 1600 is just that. With a long battery life ( 3.75 hours talk time, 19 hours standby time) and great features like: Battery Meter, Signal Strength Indicator,and Voice Mail Notification this phone has it all. Unfortunately at $549.00 (not including a plan) its very expensive. You’ll only need this if you’re out in the woods constantly for the rest of your life 
- Pros:
- You can talk almost anywhere in the world.
- The phone is rugged and has a lot of features.
- Cons:
- It’s expensive, $549 for the phone and at least $100/month for coverage.
