For most people, being out “on the trail” brings up imagines of
lonesome woods devoid of life and filled with violent animals. But the reality
of camping is so different — and so much fun — that everyone should reassess
and try it, no matter how annoying summer camp memories may have been. But
whether you’re hiking up a mountain trail or just camping out in a National
Park or even the backyard — there’s no reason not to bring some civilization
with you. And by that we mean mobile devices that can add to the fun and even
keep a bit of safety surrounding you.
Here’s some examples:
PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS
Everyone probably has used a portable
Bluetooth speaker at one time or another. But many don’t consider
just how safe it is to take some of these speakers out on the trail — there are
waterproof
models that laugh (so to speak) at being dunked in a river, others
that are weather
resistant and others so rugged that they handle getting dirt on them
better than you do. Portable speakers that are designed for the outdoors work
just as great indoors, but when they’re taken on a trip is when they can really
shine. And since their volume is usually all out of proportion to their size,
which is often small and lightweight, there’s no reason not to take them along
so that they can perform for you.
BATTERY BACKUPS
The great outdoors rarely comes with electrical outlets. But
mobile devices need power — and lots of it —so how can this be taken care of?
The simple answer is to pack lightweight power
backup devices that can be used to replenish the mobile device’s
power. There are even backup devices that use hand cranks and solar power to generate their own
electricity, such as flashlights and lanterns. Some of these self-generating
power supplies (there are some portable speakers that fall into this category
and even some portable camp stoves as well) are also made to supply mobile
devices with power as well. That makes them not just “green” but also sensible to
take along. But having one of these battery
backups on hand is a no-brainer.
MOBILE HOT SPOT
The great outdoors rarely features WiFi, but that doesn’t
mean you can’t have your own wireless network even while setting up camp or in
your sleeping bag or tent. There are devices that go out and onto the Internet
using a cellular signal — it’s basically the same as using a phone’s cellular
signal to connect. The difference is that these devices then generate a WiFi
“hot spot” so that everyone can use them. This allows not just phones but also
tablets (which rarely have cellular services built-in) to be used. And unlike
using someone else’s WiFi network, you’re in complete control of when and how
it’s used (not to mention not having to share it with others that are not of
your party). This also works much better than having to try and use a phone to
create a “hot spot” because it takes a lot of processing power away from the
phone being used for other purposes (like to provide music for that Bluetooth
speaker).
Spending time outdoors away from home doesn’t mean leaving the
convenience of today’s digital lifestyle behind. It just takes some planning
and a little bit of technology to get the job done.
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