5 Useful Tools and Gadgets Campers and hikers often forget

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The National Park Service recently released the results of a study conducted in 2024, which aims to measure the level of preparedness of hikers and trail runners in Rocky Mountain National Park. The study, summarized here, surveyed hikers and runners about the gear they were carrying, as well as personal data and perceptions about their level of desert preparedness. The results showed that most of those surveyed did not bring several items from the National Park Service’s 10 Essentials – a list of emergency items posted in many national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, which includes first aid, travel, shelter, and hydration.

As a Colorado resident, novice hiker, and husband of an impressive solo finisher of the Colorado Trail, I can attest to many of the findings of the field survey. My colleague is perfectly competent and wonderfully prepared for his long journeys, and often talks about people he met on the trail who were woefully unprepared for the weather or the dangers. While he’s always happy to help, nature, well, nature, means you may not be able to meet anyone else if an emergency arises.

With that in mind, SlashGear has compiled five useful tools and gadgets that campers and hikers often forget. These items represent the most overlooked categories in the test we mentioned earlier – water, tools/knife, fire starter, navigation, and emergency shelter – and are products that my wife and I have experience with. We hope they will help students prepare for anything on their next trip to the great outdoors.

Although the research we refer to shows that most expats carry more water, it also shows that many forget to bring some form of water purifier on the trip. To some extent, that makes sense – say you’re on a short trip and carry a large, heavy water bottle (like Shark Tank’s LARQ water bottle) in your pocket – why waste space? However, this is where emergencies happen. One minute he wanders down the lane to check out a beautiful tree. Next, you are leaning on that tree with a broken ankle, no one is passing by, and the water is running out fast. In that instance, the ability to safely filter drinking water is essential.

One of the most well-known brands in water purification is LifeStraw, a company that makes a popular personal water filter that allows users to drink from questionable sources without worry. While that’s a nice little gadget to have around, a better option for most people is the LifeStraw Peak Squeeze. It includes a lightweight pouch and a small removable filter, meaning you can use the filter as a straw, or attached to another bottle. The bag and filter are also incredibly compact, collapsing to almost the size of a Twinkie. It’s a logical evolution of the popular straw, allowing you to dunk the bag in a stream or lake and filter out almost anything that might leave you regretting that decision.

You can order a LifeStraw Peak Squeeze for around $40 on Amazon.

Purists will tell you that a fixed-blade knife is the way to go when choosing an outdoor knife. They are right because a fixed blade is usually stronger and more useful for the tasks you will be doing when camping in the backcountry or in survival situations. For a day trip or overnight camping, a sturdy and durable, yet perhaps the easiest to pack and carry folding knife. While it may not be as strong as a fixed knife, the tradeoff comes with a little more safety and portability. If you’re looking to carry something more versatile for your outdoor adventures, check out SlashGear’s guide to multi-tool alternatives to Leatherman.

A knife that I bought last year after reading many good reviews is the Ontario RAT 2. This is one of the best pocket knives out there. It’s incredibly durable, comfortable in the hand, small enough to fit in a pocket, and very affordable. The RAT 2 has a three-inch blade, a nylon handle, and a small lanyard hole. It’s a no-frills tool, but sometimes that’s what you want in a knife. Mine kept its edge after a few hikes and several hundred boxes that needed to be dismantled on the job, which is a testament to the quality of the AUS-8 steel used in the blade.

The Ontario RAT 2 can be ordered from Amazon for about $40; for a solid selection of handle and blade colors, order directly from the Ontario Knife Company website.

Fire starters aren’t something you think about when packing a light backpack for a day trip, but it never hurts to be prepared. You can bring light and hope to the future with any tinder you can find, but if you’re caught in a storm or forced to make camp, having something like Pyro Putty can be a lifesaver. These bulbs are waterproof, light fast, and keep burning even in high winds. They are self-adhesive, allowing you to attach them directly to wood, and they come in special formulas for the season and temperatures you will be using.

You will still need a source of fire to ignite the Pyro Putty, such as a lighter, match, or ferro rod. You could also invest in the handy Pyro Putty Elite Rechargeable Dual Arc Lighter, a gadget with waterproof storage in its Pyro Putty base. It’s rechargeable via micro USB, glows in the dark, and Phoneskope says you’ll get 300 arcs from a single charge. While I still suggest keeping a few waterproof matches in your pocket just in case, this is a great first set for the outdoorsman or campfire enthusiast in your life. The Pyro Putty Elite Rechargeable Dual Arc Lighter comes with one bag of Pyro Putty (which the manufacturer claims can start 30 fires) and can be purchased on Amazon for about $30.

Most of us consider our cell phones to be our link to the world, but what happens when you’re out of range of cell service? While that’s as common as it used to be, places where service is still lacking happen to be some of the most popular hiking and camping spots – they call it “off the grid” for a reason, after all.

In emergency situations where the phone can’t get a signal, the Personal Locator Beacon is a life-saving last resort. Personal Locator Devices, or PLBs, are devices that send out a one-way signal for search and rescue. McMurdo FAST FIND 220 is among the most popular because of its low price and lack of registration fee. It is waterproof, has a battery life of more than six years, and generates a signal to rescue resources for at least 24 hours. Fast Find also includes an LED flashlight programmed for SOS morse code, and can be ordered from Amazon for $275.

There are also two-way satellite messengers like the Spot X, off-grid technology essentials that trade in a powerful PLB beacon to send messages and location data to friends. There is still an emergency function and text messages, but these devices usually require service registration. The Spot X is available on Amazon for $250.

An often forgotten piece of gear from the National Park Service survey we referenced in this article was some kind of emergency shelter. Hikers or hikers often carry tents where they will stop overnight, but anyone who ventures out into the wilderness, including runners, bikers, and day hikers, should have some type of shelter on hand, even if it’s a light space blanket or a tarp they picked up from Harbor Freight.

Bivy bags, like the SOL Emergency Bivvy, are like an emergency sleeping bag. They are lightweight, easy to pack, and waterproof, windproof, and heat reflective. Anyone with a backpack can easily fit this pop-size emergency bag in the bottom of their pocket, and at less than four ounces, you’ll probably never even notice it’s in there. The bivvy is reusable, and the manufacturer claims it reflects up to 90% of the user’s body heat, making it a valuable resource when caught in bad weather. The SOL Emergency Bivvy includes a rescue whistle and a paracord pull cord that doubles as a fire starter, comes in safety orange or green, and can be found on Amazon for about $25.