Winter is almost over – it’s time for us to prepare for the improving weather, the rising temperatures and the days of sunshine (in short, camping). People usually imagine camping – which is a great outdoor activity – as a trip to the wilderness with nothing but a knife, an ax and some tinder in your pockets, similar to what Bear Grylls shows us on TV. But camping doesn’t have to be like that (although it can turn into a nightmare if you are not careful). Here are some gadgets that can assure you some extra comfort while away from home, and still fit into your backpack.

Today all of our technology literally fits into our pocket. Smartphones have replaced music players, video players, photo and video cameras, the compass, the thermometer, and many other things things people usually carry when they leave town. Smartphones can do all that these gadgets can, and even more – they can connect us to the internet (as long as we have coverage) and to our loved ones, and more importantly to the emergency services. But with all these new functions, smartphones have given up something very important – battery life. And this is where solar chargers come in.

Solar chargers are small, portable, and can charge your smartphone, smart watch or even laptop in a matter of hours. They are incredibly useful – they can help you play casino games Platinum Play if you have network coverage or listen to your favorite tunes even if you have no electrical outlets close. Extra comfort it is – and the difference between life and death if something awful happens.

Solar chargers can be of various types. The basic type – the cheap one – does nothing but convert solar energy into something easier to consume by our gadgets. This has to be hooked up to the device in need of some juice, and left out in the sun. The more advanced – and a bit more expensive – breed of solar chargers comes with a battery pack, which is charged using solar power and used to charge the gadgets more quickly and evenly. These chargers can be left hanging outside your backpack, charging the battery pack while you walk or hike, and do their job – charge your phone or laptop – while you sleep.

In my opinion solar chargers are among the best inventions of our times. They are clean and green, harnessing the most abundant renewable energy source on our planet, and they are small and handy, easy to carry or to use. Life would surely be harder without them.