Best Gadgets for Outdoor Adventures 2023

If you're planning an excursion to remote destinations, it pays to have portable, durable gear that holds up to the elements.

Outdoor adventures require outdoor gadgets for the best experiences. With advancements in technology, going off-grid is more accessible than ever before, and it's now possible for most to survive even the most extreme outdoor adventures.

You might be a hiker, skier, surfer, or RV enthusiast. Or perhaps you just like taking your dog for an extended walk once a week. Whatever your outdoor pursuit, there's a gadget for everyone.

These are some of the best gadgets for outdoor adventures you can buy today.

A Mini Drone Perfect for Outdoor Adventures and International Travel

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is a lightweight and user-friendly drone that excels in outdoor adventures. With impressive automated features, 4K video capabilities, and hassle-free travel due to its weight, it captures stunning aerial shots for enthusiasts of all levels.

Drones are excellent gadgets for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you are into adventure sports, hiking, or wildlife, a drone can reach places an ordinary camera can't. Shooting stunning videos while crossing a suspension bridge in the Himalayas, capturing aerial shots while surfing, or tracking wildlife to inaccessible places were all challenging tasks before drones hit the market. The DJI Mini 3 Pro is one of the best for outdoor adventures because it's lightweight and captures premium videos and photos.

It's a plug-and-play device with many automated features, making it the perfect choice for novice pilots. These features include QuickShots for capturing videos from pre-programmed flight paths and ActiveTrack for automatically tracking animals, vehicles, or people. Videos are in stunning 4K at 60fps, while stills are an impressive 48MP. Shooting low-light shots is an uncomplicated process, too, with its f/1.7 aperture and dual native ISO.

To top it off, taking the drone to most foreign countries is also hassle-free because it weighs under 250 grams. You must register drones exceeding this weight in the majority of countries. Thus, you can take those aerial shots of elephant herds in Africa or your child's first ski trip in the Alps without filling out all that cumbersome paperwork.

An Excellent Water Filter for Pure Refreshment in the Great Outdoors

The Katadyn BeFree is a compact and lightweight water filter bottle perfect for outdoor adventures. Its one-liter capacity and fast flow rate provide fresh and clean water from various sources, making it an essential gadget for outdoor exploration.

Forget everything else, the most essential gadget for outdoor adventures, especially when going off-grid, is a reliable water filter. As long as there's an H2O source, you can filter, clean, drink, and survive to tell the tale when hiking and camping in the backcountry with the Katadyn BeFree 1L Water Filter. It's also an excellent gadget to have in an emergency when you only have access to a questionable water supply, such as when visiting cities in developing nations.

It's ultra-lightweight at just over 2oz, and you can collapse it down and pack it away unnoticeably when not in use. It removes all traces of bacteria and protozoa and has an impressive lifespan of 1,000L. It's also simple to clean the filter; you just swirl it in some water without the need for backflushing. Additionally, it has a rapid flow rate of 2L per minute, meaning even the thirstiest outdoor enthusiast can get hydrated super-quick.

A Rugged Smartphone for Any Extreme

The Doogee V30 Rugged Smartphone is a robust outdoor companion featuring a durable design and 5G connectivity. It delivers reliable performance and fast speeds, while its 108MP AI main camera, 10,800mAh battery, and comprehensive navigation support make it a versatile choice for outdoor enthusiasts.

​​​One brand in the rugged smartphone market rapidly gaining in popularity is Doogee. The V30 Rugged Smartphone is designed specifically for the needs of the outdoor adventurer. It's exceptionally durable and powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 octa-core processor. This processor offers a good balance between performance and power consumption while you get fast speeds with the device's 5G compatibility.

However, ruggedness is the name of the game with this phone. No matter the conditions of the outdoors you explore, this device will survive. It has IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H durability ratings, meaning you can test this phone to the extremes. It's submersible in water up to 1.5 meters, resistant to dust, drops, and shocks, while it can also endure extreme temperatures and humidity. Additionally, the V30 offers GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and Beidou support for reliable navigation. And, boasting an impressive 10,800mAh capacity, the battery life of this device is truly outstanding, too.

For outdoor enthusiasts who don't want to lug a heavy camera around, the 108MP AI primary camera on the V30 delivers excellent detail and vibrancy. It even has a 20MP night-vision camera for low-light shots, while the 32MP front camera provides fantastic selfies. There's also a 16MP wide-angle for landscape shots and a macro lens for detailed close-ups.

An Inflatable LED Light to Illuminate Campsites

The Luci Outdoor 2.0 Solar Inflatable Light by MPOWERD is a versatile and budget-friendly lighting solution for outdoor activities. Its lightweight and collapsible design, solar-powered charging, and weather-resistant rating make it a convenient and reliable choice for illuminating your adventures.

Collapsible and inflatable LED lights are perfect for camping in the backcountry. They are excellent gadgets to light up tents and RVs; campers with limited space will especially love them.

The MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0 Solar Inflatable Light adds only a tiny bit of weight to your backpack while you can compress and stow it away in your campervan, rucksack, or tent. It's solar-powered and takes around seven hours to get a complete charge, giving you up to 24 hours of 75-lumen brightness. It's inflatable and waterproof, too, so it's the perfect gadget for nighttime fishing or kayaking trips. The IP67 rating means that pitching a tent on the beach is also possible as sand, dust, and other debris can't penetrate the device and cause damage to its internal components.

When your day's surfing or fishing adventures are over, you’ll have light to continue into the night with chats and cold beers. You’ll even have a valuable companion to take with you when nature calls! At just 4.5oz, you can carry this light anywhere. You can also clip it to your backpack during the day for convenient charging.

A Portable Solar Charger for Backcountry Explorations

The Nektek 28W portable solar charger is a lightweight and compact device perfect for outdoor activities. With its water and cold resistance, and the ability to charge two USB devices simultaneously, it keeps you powered up and connected on wilderness adventures.

A portable solar charger can be an essential and potentially life-saving device when exploring the backcountry or going to remote destinations. With energy harnessed directly from the sun, you can keep GPS devices, power banks, smartphones, and other vital gadgets powered up for peace of mind and practicality. You’ll always have access to your map apps and can stay connected wherever you are.

The Nektek 28W Portable Solar Panel is one of the best. It weighs a paltry 23oz and is compact and durable. You can even fold it to the size of a notebook for easy packing. It features useful eyelets and hooks, allowing you to hang it from your backpack, tent, or a tree when charging during the day. And, in the event of a sudden downpour, its IPX4 water resistance gives you ample time to stow it safely before any damage occurs. It's also heat-resistant and will survive cold weather to -4 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a good choice for high-altitude trekking.

It has two USB ports, which you can use to charge two devices at the same time, and it charges quickly for a device of this type. The four Maxeon cells provide 28W of power with 24 percent efficiency, while its IC Chip Technology detects your device's optimal current and delivers safe and efficient charging.

A Handheld GPS Device With Multiple Essential Features

The Garmin Montana 700i is a rugged handheld GPS device designed for outdoor enthusiasts. With inReach satellite communication, routable topographic maps, ABC sensors, and compatibility with multiple GNSS networks, it provides essential navigation, safety, and connectivity features for exploring remote areas.

The Garmin Montana 700i is another practical and potentially life-saving handheld GPS device. For the outdoor adventurer, it's packed with handy features. Among them are routable topographic maps, BirdsEye satellite imagery, and ABC sensors, while it's also compatible with multiple GNSS networks. In addition, it provides valuable weather updates and displays federal public land boundaries.

Its inReach satellite communication offers peace of mind to outdoor types exploring remote areas. With access to the Iridium network, outdoor adventurers can stay connected regardless of location. Help is on-hand 24/7, no matter the cellular coverage in your chosen area. Activating emergency assistance is as easy as pressing the SOS button, or you can utilize its 2-way messaging and exchange information with emergency services or loved ones.

Additionally, it's water-resistant and tested to military standards, ensuring ruggedness. The 5-inch touchscreen is 50 percent larger than previous Montana models and is vibrant and glove-friendly, meaning you won't need to risk frostbite in frigid conditions.

An Action Camera With 5K UHD

Experience the next level of action photography with the GoPro Hero 11. Boasting extended battery life, improved cold-weather performance, and a remarkable 5K video resolution, this highly acclaimed camera is perfect for capturing and sharing your exhilarating outdoor escapades.

If a DJI Drone is the king of taking aerial videos of your outdoor adventures, the GoPro Hero 11 is the market leader for ground level. With 5K videos at 60fps and epic slo-mo captures in 4K at 120fps, movies of your outdoor escapades are simply stunning. However, it doesn't end there. Features like the 360-degree Horizon Lock and the upgraded Hypersmooth 5.0 video stabilization ensure professional-grade footage. You can even stream live in HD and share your epic adventures with friends and family.

GoPro has also considerably improved the battery life, making it an even more sought-after device for outdoor enthusiasts. This improvement is down to the longer-lasting Enduro Battery, which was once a sold-separately luxury accessory. It also boasts excellent cold-weather performance, so skiers, boarders, and high-altitude trekkers can now enjoy much better battery performance on top of the camera's unparalleled video quality.

While GoPros aren't cameras for taking premium-quality stills, you can still pick out detailed high-resolution moments from your videos that will capture the essence and excitement of your outdoor exploits. Furthermore, the camera is waterproof to 33 feet without the need for housing. Therefore, surfers, snorkelers, kayakers, and white-water rafters can all enjoy capturing their escapades in Ultra-HD. Scuba divers can even hit depths of 200 feet with the purchase of additional housing.

When selecting gadgets for your outdoor adventures, you must consider several things. First, you need to consider the weight. Lugging heavy objects around in your backpack needs serious justification. Most gear for outdoor enthusiasts does tend to be lighter, but items like a rugged smartphone such as the Doogee V30 will be a bit heavier and bulkier than a regular smartphone. However, you won't complain about the extra weight after you drop it in a river or if it slips out of your pocket when rock climbing!

You should also consider the necessity of the gadget. A water filter like the Katadyn BeFree is a given. You simply must have clean water when hitting the backcountry. However, you can consider things like the length of your trip and the gadget's importance before deciding whether to take others.

Last, you will, of course, want to record your exhilarating adventures. And, with advances in technology, it's now possible to record professional-grade videos even as a novice. The DJI Mini Pro 3 is the ideal choice because it not only gives you stunning aerial videos, but it weighs less than 250 grams, and you can fold it down into compact dimensions.

A Mini Drone Perfect for Outdoor Adventures and International Travel

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is a lightweight and user-friendly drone that excels in outdoor adventures. With impressive automated features, 4K video capabilities, and hassle-free travel due to its weight, it captures stunning aerial shots for enthusiasts of all levels.

Barry has had a passion for all things tech-related ever since he was given a Commodore Plus/4 computer as a child. Having spent most of his adult life traveling, teaching, and writing—often combining all three—Barry considers himself a "digital nomad." His current passion is travel gadgets, and he has been writing buying guides for around a year.