Camping gadgets

Top five camping gadgets

Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink – tend to pack everything but the kitchen sink when you go camping? Now you can take that, too. The Kitchen Sink is a collapsible waterproof container that can hold hot, soapy water. When you’re done, it just folds up into its carry pouch.

Kathmandu hand torch Solar/Pull Dynamo - the Solar Dynamo is both an LED torch and an emergency charger for your personal electronic devices. It can be recharged either by solar power or the dynamo pull charge option.

Solar shower – simply fill the bag with water, leave it in the sun for a few hours, and voila – you can have a hot shower in the middle of the bush. Most solar showers can be hung from trees, and carry between 10 and 50 litres of water.

Joby GorrillaTorch – the GorillaTorch is a hands-free LED flashlight. It has bendy legs which can wrap around branches, tent poles, even your head, and magnetic feet that allow it to grip to metal surfaces. The dimmable lamp is weather-resistant and will provide 20 to 80 hours of light on three AA batteries.

Kathmandu portable speaker system – you might be in the middle of nowhere, but that’s no reason to go without music. This portable speaker system connects to an iPod, MP3 player, mobile phone, CD player or computer, and runs on batteries.

Top five camping apps for iPhone 

Flashlight – stops you tripping over guy ropes in the night, using the LED light on iPhone 4 to fill your screen with bright white light.

Google Sky Map – uses GPS to determine where you are relative to constellations and, when you hold it up to the starry night, it tells you exactly what you’re looking at.

Bug Spray – Ultrasonic – keeps mozzies away by emitting high frequency tones that repel insects.

What Knot To Do – teaches you to tie the perfect knot, whether you’re fishing, hunting, building a shelter, lashing up a raft or tying down a load.

AA’s Travel app – available through iTunes from November, will guide you to the best of New Zealand’s camping spots.