In this day in age it’s almost impossible to completely shed the light of the many technological influences in our backpacking, hiking, camping, and general outdoor hobbies. From phones, cameras, gear, etc, no matter where we go, technology is with us everywhere.
So what can we do about it? Well, the short answer is not much, if anything. Nowadays people want to share with the world their experience in the “wild.” While this is great for most, it becomes a double edged sword. On one side you get to show everyone the beauty of nature and the hobby you love. On the other, those quiet spots people don’t often go now get more publicity and draw more people to them, especially the easier places to get to.
With that brings drones,phones, cameras, etc from everyone who’s trying to capture their point of view and experience to share with the world. Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ll agree it can be annoying and maybe at times inconvenient, but it can be beneficial too.
In this article, I’m going to share with you what bits of technology I use and my thoughts on them.
Computers
Computers? Really?? I know you’re probably thinking you’ve never seen someone on the trail with a computer, but hear me out please. You have and just not realized it. Technically speaking, EVERY smartphone can be classified as a computer, but we’ll cover phones later.
For our purpose right now, computer will cover traditional desktop and laptop computers. Phones, tablets, etc will be referred to as wireless devices.
While you may not be taking a computer on your hiking or backpacking trip, you likely will be using one regardless. Afterall, theres gear to buy you dont have, routes to plan, reservations, if required, to book, etc. And let’s not forget lists to organize. Ok, Ok, I’ll give you that, some of those things can be done the old fashioned way with pen and paper, but in this modern age which we live, the majority of people are likely doing them on the computer or their phone.
The major advantage of using a computer, certinly is the ease of organization. You can keep multiple trips planned and seperate in a central location that is easy to access. Yes, again, I will agree that an oldfashioned filing cabinet could do the same function, but then you have to remember where you put it and hope you didn’t misfile with another trip you ehere planning. At least with the computer, everything you had worked on to that point is all in the same data file. You just have to remember where it was saved on the hard drive, and sometimes, that can be a challange in and of itself.
So computers have their place in helping you enjoy nature.
Mobile Devices
Phones, tablets, etc, they’re everywhere, and I mean, EVERYWHERE!!! I don’t think there is a human being alive over the age of 5 that doesn’t have a some kind of mobile device. Whether you’re asked to take a pic or video for someone or you’re carrying it yourself, it’s almost unavoidable to getaway from them. However, like everything else, when applied properly, it can be a positive thing.
I currently use the Moto Stylus G 5G phone on AT&It’s cell network. It’s become a phenomenal phone for me with plenty of storage space and 4 camera lenses and multiple options for take pictures. Because I don’t have a tablet, I needed my phone to do it all, and , again for me, this phone does it all and more.
It takes amazing photos and videos. With it’s ability, like most every phone these days, to connect to the internet, I can share almost instantly my pics and videos with the world. However, the key feature I use it for is that little overlooked icon in the upper right corner. That’s right, it’s the signal strength icon. The lower it is the more I want to be where I am outdoors. Now there are some apps that will work offline, so my phone is not totally useless when I loose signal completely (and usually on purpose.)
Gear
Gear is ever evolving with advancements in technology. From your backpack to the shoes on your feet, technology had some part to play. Granted it’s not how we typically think of technology, but it’s still there. Think about flashlights or lanterns for example. At one point you had to carry candles for light that lasted a few hours before they had to be replaced. Now in 2022 you have Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs in those devices that can go for days before needing new batteries. And in fact, now you have integrated rechargeable batteries in flashlights, lanterns, etc that last longer than a lithium battery of comparable size.
Solar panels are now small enough and lite enough to carried on or in a backpack that’ll allow you to charge your batteries. New design or materials for tents, hammocks, stoves, etc are a product and form of technology. Take the time to look at the history of any one piece of outdoor gear and you can see how it’s evolution has mirrored the evolution of technology in it’s niche.
But Don, a backpack isn’t technologically advanced, it’s only a bag with straps you carry on your back. However my dear reader, technology doesn’t have to be advanced to be technology. You have hi tech and low tech technologies. Using the backpack as the example, we’ve gone from natural materials to synthetic and now we’re using stronger lighter weight synthetic materials to make those packs. Pack design has come a long way as well.
Websites and Apps
Websites and Apps can be an integral part of the technology web that we indirectly take out in nature. When used properly, they can be a wonderful tool to take some stress off our shouldlers. In the following sections, I will be discussing the websites and apps I personally use. I have tried hundreds of apps over the years looking for the perfect app for my needs. Just because it works great for me, does not imply it will do the same for you. I would suggest trying these out and maybe a few more to see what features you like.
Lighter Pack
Lighter Pack is a website I started using in the last year from the time of this writing. I have come to appreciate it and everything it can do. Not sure if I have seen or used all it’s functions, but for what have used, I am a fan and while I don’t utter these words often, I would reccomend it to anyone.
Lighter Pack allows you to create multiple packs/lists of the gear you own. You can give your gear a name and description. In addition, you can add a picture, lable it “consumable and/or wearable,” and add a link to that item. From there, you can add a price to that item and a weight in grams, ounces, pounds, or kilograms and a quanity.
When you add an item to multiple pack, all the info is there that you entered in, all you have to do is drag the item from the item list on the bottom left to the new pack/list. The quanity will default to one, then you just adjust from there how many you are carrying in that pack. I would suggest doing a full inventory of your gear first, making master lists for each catagory of gear you have, then adding gear to a particular pack list to avoid having multiple entries of the same item in the item list.
It is also worth noting, that if you delete an item from a pack/list, it will not delete that item from the item list. However, IF you delete from the item list, it will delete that item from ALL packs/lists you have built. I think the best feature of this website is that it gives you the total weight for your pack, but also breaks it down into the catagories so you can see where your wieght is distributed. In addition to that, it lets you know what your total investment is for that pack/list.
Pack Fire
Pack Fire is a fairly new website I discovered and I am still feeling my way around it at this time. However, what I do like is that it does allow you to recieve comments from other users on packs you make public IF you turn on the option for comments. In addition, you can import premade packs/lists from LighterPack. Outside of that, I have not figured out much more of how it works at this time.
Carryless
Carryless, I have used this app quite a bit over the last year or two. Like Lighterpack, this app is 100% customizable to you and your gear. Unlike Lighterpack, this app does allow you to add more details about your gear like capacities, Tempature range, and date of puchase to just name a few.
This is an APP only. There is no website or cloud tied to it. And that is the only real downside I have found to it. All data is saved directly on your phone, loose the phone or have to reset it for any reason, everything you had is gone and you have to start from the begining again. However if you move the saved file to a computer or other storage option that is NOT on your phone, you should be able to import all that work you had done. Now I am not sure if it is because of user error or not, but I have some problems with importing saved files with the data not being as organized as I would like, names of packs being changed, etc. So be aware of that if you choose to use this app.
The Carryless app is an Android only app at this time, sorry Apple useres, you can not get this app. Now you can, however, import a pack or list you created in lighterpack into this app, which is, in my opinion, simply awesome.
I love the Carryless app despite some of the precieved downfalls to it. It has helped me tremendeslly in cutting back on weight in my backpacks. By taking the time to put in as much information into each item as possible, I know exactly what gear, not only that I have but, I want to use. Then buy simply adding items or entire catagories, i can see the total weight on my pack and the weight for each catagory. Tapping on a catagory opens just that catagory allowing me to see just those items and see what is needed and what I can cut out of the gear list.
AllTrails
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Conclusion
So as you might be able to see now, technology in nature where we go to try to avoid it, is nearly impossible to do. So what can we do?? Accept that it’s everywhere. Do what you can to minimize your personal interaction with technology so you can enjoy your time out in nature.
When used properly, it can be of great benefit. Try not to let it rule your life. Remember the products of technology are only a tool to help you, not run your life. It’s up to you to decide how much technology you allow in your life and how you use it. So embrace the advantages technology affords you in nature and unplug as much as you can. Some technological influences are just unavoidable. The more low tech the more enjoyable it is, at least for me this rings true. For some, kit may feel like the world is ending to not have your phone or TV for an hour or two. However you enjoy that walk in the woods or camping trip, just get out there, enjoy it, and come back feeling refreshed and recharged.
Links
The following links may not be to the EXACT gear pictured, however, will be to what I could find comparable to what I have and use. Some are a generalized search so you can pick exactly what you want or give you an idea what might be found at that retail store if it applies.
The Wandering Leatherneck 