A true camping experience involves getting back to basics and being at one with nature. Well, sort of. While twigs and campfires are all well and good, there’s nothing wrong with taking a few gadgets along to ease you into the wild. Here’s our pick of the best
SOULRA RUGGED RUKUS
Beam your music to this solar-powered music machine via Bluetooth and, by soaking up the sun, it can keep the tunes blasting for up to eight hours. The internal lithium battery stores the power so there’s no need to stop the party after dark. It can also be used to charge up gadgets via the built-in USB. £85.15
SteriPEN ULTRA
A worthy addition to any camping set-up, this U.V. water purifier is aimed at those finding water to drink while on a hike, but it also offers peace of mind to campers loading up on water from taps. It eliminates over 99.9% of bacteria and such like from water, with an LCD smiley face to tell you when the job is done. £96
LUCI INFLATABLE SOLAR LANTERN
Another soaker of sun power, this nicely portable and inflatable lamp has solar panels that take eight hours to collect enough energy for up to 12 hours of action, then opens up to give a very decent sized light for under the canvas.The company policy is to donate a lamp to a developing country for each one purchased. £19.99
SCRUBBA WASHBAG
No need to kneel down by the river to sort out your smalls, just pack away the world’s first pocket-sized washing machine. It has an internal washboard, so all you need to do is load up your clothes, add some cleaning liquid and water, then set about the bag with some kneading action. Achieve impressive results in minutes – and charge fellow campers for the service. £39.99
COLLAPSIBLE PACK-AWAY KETTLE
The thought of no early morning cuppa is enough to deter some people from even thinking about a camping trip. But this nifty flat-pack kettle will ensure your boiled water doesn’t taste metallic, while the stainless-steel base means it’ll heat up over almost any source. Cheers to that. £29.99
FIRESTEEL 2.0
You’ve gathered up the twigs and dried grass, you’ve found the perfect campfire spot (away from breeze/flammable tents and so on), but… arghh, no matches. Forget rubbing two sticks together though, pack one of these spark creators and you’ll have flames in no time. Standard issue in the Swedish army – enough said. £17.99