Which Hiking Gadgets Deserve A Place In Your Backpack?

Which Hiking Gadgets Deserve A Place In Your Backpack? - These days, there’s a lot of hiking gear to choose from beyond sturdy boots, waterproofs and a packed lunch. But you don’t want to carry more than you need either.

We asked some hiking experts what gear they recommend taking, and what you can leave at home.

Headlamp

A headlamp doesn’t just light your way, it also serves as a safety or signal light in an emergency, or while walking along busy roads. Wolfgang Todt, a field tester for hiking gear, recommends LED or halogen headlamps. Some of these can also be recharged via a USB cable, he says.

Mobile phone

While often an indispensable tool, especially for last-minute changes to travel plans, a smartphone is not guaranteed to work in every situation. “If something happens you can often quickly call for help,” says Thomas Bucher from the German Alpine Association (DAV).

“But you have to be aware that the mobile phone network in the mountains is patchy,” Bucher says.

A weather app, however, will certainly come in handy if you can get mobile data. “Especially on ambitious tours and in the mountains, you should have a good weather app on your smartphone, which reliably warns of storms,” Todt advises.

GPS device

Things to look out for in a GPS device are battery life, and whether it’s shockproof and waterproof. Alongside Garmin, manufacturers Falk and Magellan also produce GPS devices. Garmin’s hiking navigators also take the free vector maps from OpenStreetMap (OSM), if these are in a compatible format.

A smartphone can also be used as a GPS device. As Bucher points out, this saves carrying an additional piece of equipment. But mobile phones are usually less robust, so it can be worth getting a protective case.

They also use a lot of power, and for this reason Bucher says he turns on flight mode while hiking, then switches on the GPS and only activates the display for short periods, when he needs to check the map.

Digital vs printed maps

A GPS device or maps app takes practice to use properly, Bucher says. Even those who have mastered them on a hike should always take a printed map as an analogue backup, in case the technology fails.

OpenStreetMaps, of which there are specialist hiking versions, are a popular digital map choice. These can be found on OpenAndroMaps.org, Openmtbmap.org and elsewhere. They can also be found in Android apps like Orux Maps and Locus Map, or OsmAnd for iOS.

Camera and binoculars

You might be happy using your smartphone for the prize snapshot from the summit. But you may also want to lug a heavy single-lens reflex camera or even a camcorder up the slope.

“It’s a matter of taste,” Bucher says. But regardless of how you want to document your hikes, you should always take a plastic bag to protect your equipment from the rain.

“Binoculars are good for anyone who wants to observe animals, but they simply also mean more weight,” Bucher says.

Compass and altimeter

Bucher says these are normally unnecessary, because smartphones and GPS devices measure the height via satellite anyway, and also have a compass function.

In any case, a compass is only useful to someone who knows how to read it, he says. You also have to learn how to use a barometric altimeter correctly, he says.