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The best coffee maker for camping
By Eve O'Neill This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. In the great outdoors, there's no perfect way to deliver piping-hot coffee directly from the stove to your mouth, but you can get close. After grinding, pressing, and perking 3 pounds of beans on a two-burner camp stove, we think a French press is the easiest way to skip the instant coffee and prep a fresh pot for a large group of campers—just dump in your water and go—and the REI Table Top French Coffee Press is best suited for the job.
5 Outdoor Tech Gadgets you Need in your Life
We're taking a look at some of the coolest tech for camping and general out and about use this summer and beyond.
BioLite's new lantern doubles as a campsite power grid
After rolling out a slew of new gear earlier this year, BioLite is ready to announce their next piece of outdoor tech. The BaseLantern is a 500-lumen, flat-packing LED lantern that lights your campsite while also creating "a mini smartgrid" you can control from a smartphone.
6 tents that take technology off-grid
By Cat DiStasio People often go camping to escape the modern world, but a little technology can make a good vacation even better. The tents of the future set up in a snap, protect campers from lightning strikes and incorporate solar panels so you can keep your cellphone charged. Some even allow you to sleep high off the ground in a suspended treehouse. Read on for a look at six high-tech tents that offer a temporary oasis away from home.
Engadget giveaway: Win a pair of GoTenna off-the-grid communicators!
Camping and hiking trips can be doubly relaxing since you're often left without cell service and have no choice but to enjoy nature undistracted. If you get separated from fellow travelers and need to communicate, though, having a tool like GoTenna can be a lifesaver. This long-range radio transmitter and receiver connects locally via Bluetooth to the GoTenna app on mobile devices (iOS and Android). You can send private one-to-one or group messages and even share GPS coordinates with other users in the area. For most outdoor terrains, the range is between one and four miles. If you're using them in urban areas, it's around one mile or less, but that's still useful for finding nearby friends at crowded events where cell service is overloaded. The company has provided us with two pairs of GoTennas for a couple of lucky readers this week. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Winners: Congratulations to Manuel O. of Brooklyn, NY and Adrian T. of Toronto, ONT!
Best camping gear for the tech-savvy
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Head to the TheWirecutter.com to see all of their favorite summer picks. When you're spending time outdoors, your focus should be on the natural beauty around you, but you don't have to go completely off the grid. After all, if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to Vine it, does it really make a sound? At The Wirecutter, we spend dozens of hours on each of our reviews to find the best gear for all parts of your life. Here are seven of our favorite outdoors-oriented recommendations to help you make the most of your next wilderness excursion. Some of these picks may have been updated. To see the current recommendations, please go to TheWirecutter.com.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: pod homes and electric highways
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. When we first saw the tiny off-grid Ecocapsule pod home, we thought it looked too good to be true -- but last week Nice Architects announced plans to produce the self-sustaining dwelling next year. The Ecocapsule harvests the sun, wind and rain, and it can be easily moved practically anywhere in the world (sort of like a super-futuristic Airstream). Speaking of portable housing, this past week M2C unveiled a series of modular POD tents that can be connected together to create camping communities, and we showcased eight buses that have been converted into amazing mobile homes. Meanwhile, a smartphone-controlled spaceship home landed in Spain, and a team of architects and engineers launched a crowdfunding campaign to build a real-life Lord of the Rings city in England.
Going 'off the grid' with BioLite's BaseCamp stove
Tent? Check. Sleeping bag? Check. Spare battery packs to stave off the fear of being disconnected from the grid? Double check. Earlier this month, I loaded up the aforementioned gear for a quick weekend camping trip. It was honestly more glamp than camp, since we drove right up to our spot in Tolland State Park, which had showers and bathrooms nearby. Still, we'd be without power on-site for a couple days if not for a few backups. On top of that, someone in our crew had developed a serious Candy Crush addiction that could potentially drag our power ration down to zero. Luckily, we also packed BioLite's BaseCamp and NanoGrid system. The BaseCamp is a (relatively) portable, wood-powered grill with a thermoelectric generator, while the NanoGrid is a combination flashlight, lamp, battery and environmental lighting setup. Did these additions help us make it through the weekend alive, well and connected? Yes on all counts, but there's more to the story.
Braven's BRV-PRO modular speaker is a camper's delight
A Swiss Army knife and a Leatherman. Both of those items are capable of performing a number of tasks while remaining compact and easily packable. But what if the portable speaker that provides your campsite with tunes could do multiple things? Well, Braven's BRV-PRO can not only recharge your phone or tablet, but also its smattering of add-ons provide light, extend battery life, juice up the gadget with the sun's rays and more. The speaker is still fairly small despite its modular aspirations, so it won't take up much space in your backpack. If you splurge for the full collection of accessories though, the entire setup demands a slightly larger pocket, but they're all flat and should stow easily.
ConnectedAfield: A worthwhile hunting and fishing companion
When you're planning your next hunting or fishing trip and putting together a list of all the items you need to take with you, consider downloading ConnectedAfield. This free universal app requires iOS 7.1 or later and will provide you with some helpful tools for your time in the wilderness. ConnectedAfield offers some features you would expect. Users can get the latest weather information based on their GPS location. The weather information includes the current data, hourly and daily forecasts and the latest radar image for your location. You will also have access to updated solunar tables listing sunrise, sunset, and moonrise times plus the most likely feeding times for your prey. I found the Mapping feature to be especially useful. The app provides interactive maps based on your GPS location. Or you can enter a location so you can use the map before your trip. Once you call up a map you can save it for future use. ConnectedAfield allows users to put marks on the map to identify important spots. Users get a number of symbols to choose from to use as markers so you can indicate spots where you killed a specific animal such as a deer or bear, a good place to camp, where you placed a trail camera, a feeding area, where a tree stand is located, yours or someone else's, a rock pile off shore in a lake where fish congregate and many more. Almost no limit to the number and kinds of spots you can mark for future reference. Another feature in mapping is the use of a ruler to measure the distance between two points. Just place the crosshairs from the app on the two points and the distance appears at the bottom of the screen. This will be useful if you are marking the distance from camp or off a road, or how long the hike is to an area you want to hunt. Lots of uses for this tool. ConnectedAfield has a social media section too so you can check out pictures and information from other outdoorsmen or post your trip info and photos of your kills or catches. This area is broken into more specific segments for general information, predators, or almost every type of prey you can hunt or catch: bear, deer, elk, waterfowl, small game, fresh water fish, salt water fish, and many more. Three other sections worth noting. The app provides an area for you to compile a journal so you make notes on each trip. ConnectedAfield also saves the weather and solunar information with each entry. The second area is a classified section so you can buy and sell all kinds of hunting and fishing gear or services. And finally users will find links to each state's hunting and fishing regulations so you can double check season dates and catch and size limitations. Overall I believe ConnectedAfield will prove to be a valuable app to keep with you the next time you venture out hunting or fishing. You will still need the knowledge and skills to be successful but it provides some important assists.
The 2015 Winnebago Brave's retro flair makes for one stylish roadtripper
At some point, you've likely encountered the iconic stylings of a Winnebago from the '60s and '70s. For the 2015 fleet, the company is looking to pay homage to those motorhomes by bringing back the "eyebrow" on the Brave. In addition to the classic look of the camper's exterior, the inside is loaded with tech. There's a pair HDTVs (28- and 32-inch displays), digital TV antenna system and LED lighting throughout. In the event you find yourself with extra house, er... RV guests, a StudioLoft bunk bed and its powered lift can accommodate, and the vehicle's GPS/rearview mirror display slides across the dash so the co-pilot can dial in destinations. If you're looking to hit the road, you may need to empty that piggy bank as the base model starts at $95,199.
Generate power to recharge gadgets while grilling with this camp stove
BioLite has been recharging smartphones, action cams and GPS units via camp stove fire since 2012, but now it's offering a larger model that will grill enough grub to feed your entire crew. The BaseCamp stove offers the same heat-to-electricity conversion, but with a much larger cooking surface for grilling dinner (up to eight burgers at a time) for more than just a pair of weary hikers. The built-in power pack has been upgraded as well, generating 5W and storing power for juicing up devices during dessert alongside a UI that gauges temperature and displays the amount of electricity being generated. Need to use a pot to boil water? That cooking surface can wrangle the flame for optimal output with the flip of a lever. If all of that sounds too good to pass up, units are set to ship in September and you can one for $299 during the company's Kickstarter effort.
Go tent camping now in Wurm Online
In a game that allows you to carve out a swath of wilderness and create a home, it seems strange that Wurm Online previously lacked anything between the "sleep on the hard ground" and "set up shop in a full cabin" territory. Well that's all changed thanks to the addition of tents, including a newbie variant that is handed out at the start. Wurm's also updated the game to include timber frame walls for houses. The team spent some time in this week's news post to talk about upcoming projects, including a pavilion-style tent, progress with collision detection on bridges, a meditation animation, and the Xanadu release. [Thanks to Tom for the tip!]
The PowerPot V: Charging your devices with fire
One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is reviewing hardware that is completely unique, and that's the case with The PowerPot V (US$149.00). The device is a thermoelectric generator in the form of a camping cook pot; put it on a heat source suitable for boiling water -- a campfire or camp stove, for example -- and it bumps out 5 W of power (5V, 1A) to charge your favorite electronics. When would you use something like The PowerPot V? While backpacking, or perhaps during an extended power outage when all of your backup battery packs have already discharged. For that reason, it's the perfect accessory for campers, hikers, or anyone who wants to be sure that they have power where they need it, when they need it. To set up the PowerPot for charging, I guess the first thing you'd want to do is get your heat source going -- light that campfire, get the camp stove lit, or ignite the gas grill. Next, you take the PowerPot and extend the handle so you have something to grip onto as you put it onto the heat source. Before you do so, however, you want to fill the PowerPot with liquid -- the colder, the better. In fact, it's recommended to add snow or ice to your water so that it takes longer to heat up the liquid and give you a longer charging period. Next, you take that full pot and center it over the heat source. As noted in the included quick start guide, you don't want to engulf the PowerPot in flame. Instead, it's best to focus the heat source in the center of the bottom plate of the pot. At this point, the green LED in the charging cord turns on, and when it does, it's time to plug in your device for charging. The charging cord has a USB port so you can plug in your own favorite cable, or you can use the three-headed (micro-USB, mini-USB and 30-pin Dock connector) cable supplied with the PowerPot. You need to be sure that you don't run the PowerPot dry, so while charging you may want to just keep a pot of water boiling for tea or coffee the entire time... The pot has a 1.4 Liter (1 quart) capacity, and a combo cup/bowl/skillet that can be used as a cover or to cook other items separately. Once your device is fully charged up, you take the PowerPot off of the heat source and let it cool down slowly. Since there's still a temperature differential, it will continue to generate power for some time. I tested the PowerPot over two heat sources -- a small gas camp store (using "Coleman Fuel") and our electric range. And yes, I know that the range wouldn't be available during a blackout -- I was just testing the PowerPot... I was quite surprised how quickly the green LED lit up once I "lit the fires", and my iPhone responded by noting that it was charging. The PowerPot can also be purchased with an 1800 mAh portable battery pack ($25) that also works as an LED flashlight -- something else that would be quite handy in an emergency. The entire PowerPot V kit comes in a mesh bag that's perfect for tossing into your backpack or emergency preps kit. Use this with one of the very cool wood-burning Biolite campstoves that also contains a thermoelectric generator, and you can charge a pair of devices while cooking your dinner. Conclusion Whether you're a hiker, camper, or just want a way to charge electronics when all power fails but you have a way to start a fire, the PowerPot V is a handy, smartly-designed and well-executed accessory. Just about anyone can boil water; the PowerPot V provides a way to keep your gizmos topped off while doing so. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible
Mobile device power shines with Etón's new BoostSolar
It may rank closer to the "inconvenience" end on the post-disaster scale of challenges, but a lack of power for mobile devices certainly didn't help matters in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy last year. Innovative devices like the BioLite camp stove made appearances on the streets of New York as residents scoured darkened neighborhoods for a chance to plug in. For accessory manufacturer Etón, which partners with the American Red Cross to co-brand emergency-use chargers, radios and flashlights, flexible charging is a key component of the company's product line. Many Etón products include a handcrank option for quick charging when you're off the grid. The latest member of the Etón family draws its joules from a new, old source: the sun. The $US99.99 BoostSolar charger includes both a conventional, replaceable 5000mAh lithium battery and a solar panel for walkabout charging. You can plug the battery in to any USB port to charge the night before your hike (7 hours to full charge) and then march on with solar charging to top off during the day (16 hours from zero to full on solar alone). With a nod towards outdoor and camping use, the BoostSolar includes corner fastening loops for a carabiner or backpack strap. It's also rated IPX-4 for splash and rain resistance -- it might not survive being dropped in a puddle, but short of that it should be good to go. The BoostSolar can charge both 1A and 2.1A USB devices, so the iPad will fast-charge when connected. A micro-USB input port allows the use of most non-iPhone device chargers to top off the battery, or you can connect a micro-USB cable to almost any iOS device charger and be good to go. If you're shopping for the BoostSolar, it's available -- in black or green -- starting today from Amazon, buygreen.com and REI. Additional lithium battery packs will be available separately.
Charge your iPhone while you cook with the BioLite CampStove
Love camping? Love your iPhone? Have I got something to show you. A company called BioLite has developed a unique iPhone accessory that charges your phone while you cook your catch of the day or roast marshmallows at night. The BioLite CampStove is a device with two parts: a furnace that burns twigs and bits of wood, plus an attached thermoelectric generator that houses a fan and a USB port. Unlike conventional camping stoves, the BioLite doesn't use petroleum-based gas to light your fires. It only uses the twigs you put into it. The fan in the attached thermoelectric generator optimizes the fire for maximum cooking efficiency, and excess energy from the fire's heat can be used to charge small electronics, like an iPhone or LED lights. Besides being an awesome way to blend nature and technology, the BioLite rocks because it is completely carbon-neutral and keeps you connected at the same time. The company says that for users with an iPhone 4S, 20 minutes of charging via the BioLite equals 60 minutes of talk time on your phone (though, depending on the strength of your fire, charging time can vary). Whether your camp-out is planned in advance or forced by circumstance, the BioLite may fit the bill. Currently there is a small wait time on CampStove orders due to popular demand. Orders placed today won't ship out until November 16th. In the mean time, check out the video below to see the BioLite in action. The BioLite CampStove is US$129.00. [Hat tip BuzzFeed]
EVE Evolved: A game of cat and mouse
Outside of the annual Alliance Tournament, it's rare to find a fair fight in EVE Online with both sides being evenly matched in numbers or odds of success. On the actual battlefields of EVE, lone pilots and fleets alike hunt for fights they can win and tend to shy away from fights that aren't stacked in their favour. A bold few will intentionally engage when they're outmatched or outgunned in the hopes of getting a lucky and impressive-looking kill, but most of the time, that kind of fight is the result of a poor judgment call or misreading the situation. Something new EVE players tend to have trouble accepting is that the outcome of a fight is often decided before the guns even start firing. EVE PvP is a massive game of tactics in which the goal is to catch weaker enemies at a disadvantage, so the fight could already be lost the moment you're caught by a superior foe. A lot of PvP is psychological; you trick enemies into thinking they have the upper hand, and you hide your true intentions and abilities until it's too late. Fleets of all sizes roam around EVE appraising the smaller fish while avoiding the sharks, and I wouldn't trade that cat-and-mouse gameplay for any level of pre-arranged fairness. But what motivates people to fight or flee, and how can we win the psychological battle to gain an upper hand? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at three tricks you can use to catch targets off-guard.
Google takes Nexus 7 camping for its first ad, can afford to pack light (video)
There's more than a small amount of fervor swirling around the Nexus 7, so it only makes sense that Google wants to seize the moment and pitch its first Nexus tablet to the world. Its first commercial is a very Norman Rockwell-like, father-and-son camping trip -- if Rockwell replaced Boy Scouts with Jelly Beans, that is. The 7-inch slate handles just about every task the two could care for, whether it's learning about (and exaggerating) the local fauna as well as keeping busy on a rainy day. We'll let you witness the slight twist of an ending first-hand, although we'll add that Google is careful to use a lot of Nexus 7 features that don't demand always-on WiFi: the search giant wants us to know that we can head to the boonies without the tablet becoming a paperweight. The one shock is the absence of that all-important $199 price, which you'd think would help trigger some impulse shopping. You can reconcile your disbelief and enjoy some family bonding by catching the full commercial after the break.
Breakfast Topic: Is camping a rare spawn actually worth the effort?
My roommate Mike is a pretty awesome clothing designer, but first and foremost, he's an ultra-dedicated WoW player. Whereas I'm more interested in the raiding and economic aspects of the game, he spends hours on end grinding and camping in an effort to collect fun items. He loves collecting transmogrification gear. He loves grinding on-use archaeology items. But what he really loves is mount collecting. It's the only thing that explains why he'd waste so much of his youthful life farming in Storm Peaks. He'd been hunting the Time-Lost Proto Drake for years -- since the 2008 release of Wrath, really. Yesterday, he finally struck gold. The elusive beast was right in front of his eyes. It wasn't dead. It wasn't tagged. It was finally his. After three long years, my roommate scored the crown jewel of mounts. Two hours later, he sent me a text message: To each their own, I suppose. But what about you? Have you been on the hunt for ye olde Time-Lost Proto Drake? Have you camped some other rare? And after all the time you invested into the effort ... was it all worth it? I'm not allowed to share my phone number with you guys here, so you'll have to comment after the break in lieu of texting. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Japanese company takes pod concept mobile, keeps ants from your Grey Poupon (video)
The great outdoors not civilized enough? From the country with a dearth of space but no shortage of singular ideas comes the Zero Pod, letting you renounce the flimsy tent and enjoy nature in solid-framed style. Made up of "about 40 components," the structure can be placed on flat ground, steep hills, or even turned into a kit houseboat, judging by manufacturer DCW's video after the break. Claiming it can be assembled easily "by two women" in half a day, with knock-down taking a bit longer, the company added that the pods could also be put together as modules for use as hotel annexes. We'll have to see about the price, but if the pod lets us be in nature while keeping it off us, we're not going to quibble about a few yen.
