4 luxury outdoor products that can become essential tools

4 luxury outdoor products that can become essential tools

(Michael Radice, KSL TV)


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THE GREAT OUTDOORS — There are a variety of outdoor products that, while considered more of a luxury item, can actually become essential life-saving items.

These luxury items are things that would otherwise seem silly taking up space in your backpack that suddenly become the most essential items you could ever imagine. I am not referring to new waterproof headphones, plastic coated playing cards or a larger plastic flask. I am referring to a hard plastic case where hand warmer packets keep your cellphone battery warm so it can be used in an emergency, old fashioned notepads, ice spikes and other items.

Whether you are preparing for a day hike this winter or a short cross-country ski trip, there are a host of items you could bring to fill up your backpack to make the trip more luxurious. Remember, in Utah’s backcountry areas, the sun may shine in the morning but before you make that turnaround point to head back to your car, a roaring winter storm may descend and turn into whiteout conditions.

Having the right luxury outdoor products could mean the difference between getting back safely or spending the night in a makeshift snow cave.

Here are a few essential luxuries that were on display at the recent 2017 Winter Outdoor Retailer.

Waterproof box ===============

This luxury item is a small crushproof, waterproof box can hold essential items like keys, money and your cellphone. Cellphone batteries may lose their charge or simply shutdown in cold weather. Keep a hand warmer packet in this Otterbox storage box to hold in enough heat for phone operation.

Snow spikes

Hiking snow trails is a great way to find solitude during the winter season. There are plenty of local trails where the sounds of civilization dissolve within the evergreens. Regular insulated hiking boots are great for almost any trail. However, overcast days or cold temperatures will turn the trail to an icy snow pack and good traction becomes essential.

Kahtoola makes several styles of traction footwear which securely wrap around your hiking boots. One of the simplest traction systems for almost any terrain and shoe is their micro spikes. These steel spikes dig into the ice pack for solid, no-slip hiking. These luxury items fit inside a pouch and take up little room in your pack.

From experience, I can tell you these luxury items have essentially gotten me back to my car on a couple of hiking trips. With these traction spikes, now you can plan on hiking a glacier field this summer.

Coffee maker

One of the things that seems especially luxurious in the backcountry is to relax with friends on a log and enjoy a hot mug of fresh brewed French press coffee. You may laugh now, but nothing warms you up on the inside like hot coffee or hot soup.

Jetboil and other manufacturers offer small, compact cooking stoves that are light weight and fit nicely in the bottom of your daypack. Jetboil offers their Java Kit available with their Flash system. By the time you work out some of the kinks from a long hike or cross country ski tour, that hot coffee is ready.

Waterproof notepad

Paper seems antiquated in the backcountry these days. With cellphones and GPS, who needs to write anything down? However, what if that cellphone battery has died and the GPS tells you are lost?

An all-weather notepad by Rite in the Rain is perfect for leaving messages in any weather. The paper is waterproof and the pen ink stays on the paper. A notepad takes up next to no room in a pack, but can be the only life link you may have to the outside world and a safe rescue.

Luxury or essential items? It’s all in how you look at it.

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Michael Radice

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