If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy There’s plenty of outdoor tech that nobody really needs. But the gear on this list earns its keep in battery life, from a watch built for massive days in the mountains to a cooler that eliminates floating cheese and a torch that quickly turns kindling into a substantial fire.
We dug through the specs to find gadgets that actually make time outside easier, safer, and more fun. I enjoy the quiet romance of coaxing damp wood into a fire with tiny pieces of kindling, but I appreciate a gigantic blast of flame even more. Pump up the heat with Snow Peak’s Folding Torch, which threads onto an isobutane canister and produces a concentrated flame that lights charcoal and stubborn firewood quickly.
The stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and natural-wood handle make the 10.1-ounce tool incredibly handsome, and the head folds for storage. Some may call this cheating, but it can be a lifesaver on a cold, rainy night, and is also very fun to use. Thanks to its low weight and everyday utility, the Nitecore NB10000 Gen 2 Power Bank is a smart item to bring backpacking rather than a luxury.
Its carbon-fiber shell helps keep 10,000mAh of battery capacity below six ounces—enough for roughly two smartphone charges depending on the phone and conditions. That’s a lot of navigational, photographic, and emergency juice for very little pack weight. The NESTOUT Starter Pack Bundle is a capable charger that doubles as a genuinely solid little camp light whenever you need one.
It combines a 5,000mAh, 4.9-ounce power bank with a modular lantern and mini tripod. The light adjusts from 10 to 300 lumens and can run up to 24 hours at its lowest brightness, while the IP67-rated battery is resistant to dust and water. Changing disposable coin batteries in a device you wear while measuring state-of-the-art fitness data is ridiculously antiquated and annoying.
Wahoo’s TRACKR Heart Rate Monitor is rechargeable, with more than 100 hours of active battery life between charges. The 1.4-ounce unit broadcasts over ANT+ and can connect to three Bluetooth devices simultaneously, while an IPX7 rating protects it from sweat and rain. Binoculars make every outdoor trip more interesting, but an oversized pair is a hassle to carry.
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