Warm rays of sunlight spills in to your sleeping face. It coaxes your eyes open, waking you up naturally without an alarm clock. You sit up in your warm sleeping bag in a cozy tent in the middle of a thick pine forest, reach out to grab your iPhone to check the time and… It’s dead.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Camping is a pastime loved by many, and now in 2018, companies are creating gadgets to help you get outdoors without sacrificing too many comforts of city life. We’ve compiled a list of 5 must have gadgets that can help you stay in touch with your life at home, while still connecting to nature.

Nanopresso by Wacaco

Waking up to coffee is, let’s be honest, a necessity to many people. But just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you have to drink the instant stuff or worse— get a mouthful of coffee grounds when you take a big gulp from your cup.

 

The Nanopresso by Wacaco helps you make delicious coffee quickly, with an easy to use hand pump technology. All you need is boiling water and coffee and the instructions are easy to follow.

Portable Wireless BLUETOOTH® Speaker by SONY

Nature’s natural music, like the sound of rivers running or crickets chirping can be a big part of experiencing the outdoors. But sometimes playing some good tunes around a fire surrounded by good friends can be a lot of fun. With a 16-hour battery life and a compact and portable design, SONY’s Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker makes that a breeze.

MicroMo Cooking System by Jetboil

Many agree that everything tastes better outside, but trail mix and granola bars can only go so far. The MicroMo Cooking System by Jetboil is compact, light and portable, making it ideal for cooking in the great outdoors. The fire on the cooking system can be ignited with a push-button without a match or lighter.

Venture 70 Power Bank by Goal Zero

Whether you’re taking photos with a camera, playing with a tablet, or wanting to check the weather on your phone, none of that is possible without a battery charge. The Venture 70 Power Bank by Goal Zero is a portable camping battery pack perfect for charging your small devices. With two charging ports you can plug in more than one device at a time, and its waterproof exterior makes it perfect even for rugged camping conditions.

Nomad 14 Plus Solar Panel by Goal Zero

A portable battery is great, but if you can pair that battery with a device that can turn nature’s light in to power for your devices, that’s even better. That’s where the Nomad 14 Plus Solar Panel by Goal Zero comes into play. The solar panel can charge USB devices directly from the sun, even when it’s cloudy. It works by simply opening the Nomad 14 Plus and facing the panel towards the sun, so you can have all your devices full of battery life all day long.

• Technology