5 Great Investments for Serious Outdoor Travellers

Thursday, May 27, 2021

When you’ve been bitten by the travel bug and were born to spend your life in the great outdoors, there’s not much that can stop you from hitting the road in search of a new adventure whenever you can escape the office. For many of us, traveling, camping, and roughing it in new and beautiful places as often as possible is just about as good as it gets. When you have a lot of experience with this kind of outdoor travel, you probably have the basics down pat, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few new tricks you could slip up your sleeve, to make the experience easier, more fun, and perhaps even more appealing for your less adventurous friends and family members. Here are some great investments to make when you’re getting out there regularly.

Generator

For some people, having a source of power when you’re camping feels like cheating, but it can be a real game-changer when it’s something you do on a regular basis and with large groups of people. Having a solar generator to take along with you can just make certain things easier to manage - like cooking and keeping in touch with people. Sometimes, particularly on longer trips away, it’s important to be able to charge a phone or a laptop when it’s inevitable that you’ll need to keep in touch with people from work or your family. 

You can choose a generator that will fit your needs best depending on how many people you usually travel with and your personal needs relating to what you feel like you might need to power on your trips - sometimes a hot plate is all you need to take your experience to the next level. If you’re concerned about the noise of the generator interrupting your getaway in nature, check out these tips to find out how they can be managed to make for a smooth and painless experience. 

Water Purifier and Flask

Being thirsty on your travels is never fun, and dehydration is a serious threat to your health that you need to look out for. It’s important to have clean water on hand at all times, especially when you’re hiking or doing some other physical activity, or even just on a particularly hot day. When you’re on a longer trip and making different stops in various locations, it’s not always ideal to stop and boil water to drink on a regular basis. Investing in a good water purifier makes it easy to stop and grab a drink wherever you are without worrying whether or not it’s clean and safe. 

On top of this, having enough large insulated flasks or water bottles is the key to being able to store enough of that water to last until you find another water source. Make sure that you always have enough to hydrate each member of your party. 

Sleeping Pad

When you spend more nights sleeping in a tent than in your own bedroom, you might consider investing in a good-quality sleeping pad over your standard sleeping bag. Taking care of your back health and sleep hygiene are important and shouldn’t be neglected and disregarded simply because you’re not at home. A sleeping pad will offer far better support and comfort for a good night’s rest after a busy day of adventuring.

However, there’s a lot to consider regarding a sleeping pad, and the type you choose to invest in will once again depend heavily on you and your camping and travel habits. You’ll need to consider the price, weight, and warmth of your sleeping pad based on your specific needs. 

Camping Cookware

The unfortunate fact of life is that we all need to eat. Most of us aren’t keen on cold or canned food for more than a day or two, so when it comes to longer trips, you will almost undoubtedly need to cook something. On top of that, when you’re traveling outdoors and camping regularly, the mission of packing up half of your kitchen to drag with you can become something of a nightmare. Whether you’re cooking on a fire, a hot plate, a gas stove, or by any other method, you’re still going to need some equipment to cook the food in, but taking it all along is a tedious job, certain items can be heavy and you’ll almost always forget something important.

A serious camper might consider investing in a camping cookware set that’s designed and designated specifically for your travels, so you can leave your kitchen in its place at home. Camping cookware sets are usually designed to be light and as compact as possible while still providing you with the essentials you’ll need to create a meal.

An Excellent Backpack

A good backpack is a true camping basic and essential item, but those who are really serious and passionate about outdoor travel might want to take a step further and invest in something specialized. Hundreds of different backpacks exist to fit every traveler's needs and preferences – from waterproof backpacks to insulated cooler backpacks or a pack that’s designed to hold a whole lot of weight. Think about your specific needs and what kind of pack will best aid you in your travels and invest in something of great quality. You might end up splashing the cash, but this is an area where quality can truly make a marked difference in your product experience. 

Conclusion

None of these suggestions are entirely necessary for a successful trip into the great outdoors. However, serious travelers and campers who spend a lot of time away from the comfort of their homes might find great benefit in some of the creature comforts offered by these travel splurges. Roughing doesn’t always have to mean sacrificing things like a good night’s rest and a hot meal shared with those closest to you, and having some of these tools on hand might help you coax your faint-hearted friends to join you on your next trip.