The great escape
7 cool gadgets to upgrade your outdoor experience
GET SMART
Casio’s Pro Trek Smart line of watches is equipped with a variety of features, including location memory, a digital compass and full-color map GPS navigation that can be used on or offline, so no connection is necessary once maps are downloaded. Starting at $220, casio.com
If the idea of heading into the great outdoors for a week sounds like the perfect way to decompress, having the right gear makes it easy to find that sweet spot between really roughing it and an air-conditioned cabin. Either way, be prepared and make the trip a little more enjoyable.
START THE DAY ON A BRIGHT NOTE
Wacaco’s portable Minipresso machine makes high quality espresso that will please even the most sophisticated coffee aficionado.
Just add ground coffee, hot water and pump a few times to pressurize and extract perfect espresso with generous crema. $49.99, wacaco.com
SPOT MORE THAN THE BIG DIPPER:
Looking into the night sky with the Stellarscope is something else entirely. The handheld Stellarscope star finder helps you identify more than 1,500 stars. $40, bespokepost.com
STAY CONNECTED
GoTenna’s Mesh is a sleek device that pairs with your smartphone and keeps you connected with your group when venturing off the grid, allowing you to send text and GPS locations without cell or Wi-Fi service.
$179, gotennamesh.com
BE A NATURALIST
The Seek app by iNaturalist allows you to instantly identify plants, animals and fungi. Just take a photo with your phone and the app will search for your discovery.
Free to download at the app store.
BRING SOUND AND VISION
The portable UMA Mini Sound Lantern brings light and sound to your next outdoor adventure. Uma Mini has a party mode feature that allows for pairing multiple units simultaneously via Bluetooth to create the perfect ambiance. The UMA also features touch sensitive volume control and two soft light level settings to set the perfect mood for up to 20 hours of wireless play per charge. $254, hivemodern.com