The Seven Electronic Essentials for Outdoor Adventures

Number 2 of the seven electronic essentials is a location tracking device A.K.A. a GPS. This device can help you stay found! Having a real GPS device is super important for backcountry navigation especially in places where reduced visibility can impair visual or map based navigation. GPS devices for multi day backcountry hiking, sea kayaking, hunting or other remote adventures should be designed for extreme weather conditions, complete with water-resistant features. It is always advisable to choose a GPS device with buttons because they will work even when you have your gloves on or if the screen gets wet. The ideal GPS device for you will be based on your needs but we recommend that is has good signal reception, a screen you can read the map from, a reasonable size for your needs and know its power needs (rechargeable vs. replaceable batteries). Specific GPS devices that are designed for the outdoors, such as Garmin products, are tried and tested. 

Personal locator beacons resemble small GPS devices and are the simplest form of emergency signalling device. These help you get found! You can carry them around during your adventure to the wild and use them to activate emergency services should you require it. Personal locator beacons transmit high signals from anywhere in the world to specific Search & Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking systems (SARSAT). This device comes with a long-lasting battery and its use has saved thousands of people stuck in life-threatening situations. The battery of the device is remarkably powerful - it will transmit signal for a minimum of 24 hours. PLB's are used by organizations such as Parks Canada to give out to hikers heading into the national park backcountry so they can signal for emergency rescue. 

Although a satellite messenger is less powerful (uses battery faster) when compared with the PLB, taking it with you into the backcountry can keep you in touch with your ground support team (friends or family) and still allow you to activate emergency rescue services. The major difference between the satellite messenger and the PLB is that the messenger allows you to send short text messages or emails which include your location to family and friends while you are still out there. These devices do require a subscription just like a sat phone or cell phone for sending messages. The top two devices on the market currently are the SPOT and the Garmin InReach.

Most devices already discussed here use lithium batteries. Be that as it may, batteries are also very important whenever you are going off the beaten trail. The principle here is that all battery-powered devices have a way of having their batteries drained when you least expect it. Lithium batteries are notorious for shutting down in the cold (iPhone users know this!) so be extra thoughtful when planning your winter adventures and keep your batteries inside your jacket. The best practice is to keep spare batteries in a warm, watertight place to ensure they have the maximum charge available for when you might really need it. Know the power demands of your electronic devices and ensure you have spare batteries just incase!

Batteries can be a support, but power inverters go way beyond that. When you are out camping, a power inverter can give you the home experience of recurrent charges without exhaustion. The capacity of a power inverter can be remarkably large enough to give all your devices a complete charge on several occasions. Solar power also means that recharging these devices repeatedly is possible. Therefore, whenever you are camping or hiking as a group, a good power inverter would be perfect for all your power needs. Some of the things to look out for in a power inverter include capacity, the ability to use solar/wind/water energy and the number of people that can rely on it during your trip.