Page 64 - iPhone Life Magazine - Spring 2020

pered case that safely compresses all components to keep no fun, and this stove will prevent a repeat of that unfortunate
them from rattling around and breaking during your expedition.
Midland E+Ready Emergency Compact Crank Radio
($49.99)
You’re keeping your iPhone safe, now let’s make sure that
you’re taken care of on your adventures too. In wilderness
areas with little cell service, it’s crucial to have access to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
weather radio for information about incoming temperature
changes, storms, and severe weather. If you’d like to listen to
a little music around the campfi re, this radio also picks up the
full range of AM and FM stations.
The Midland Emergency Radio is compact and lightweight
enough for even backpackers to make room for, and charges
via a hand crank or solar panel, so you’ll never run out of
juice. This device doubles as a fl ashlight with an SOS beacon
option, and a phone charger complete with a USB port. The
peace of mind you’ll feel knowing you’ve covered all your
bases makes this an essential purchase, even if you choose to
leave your phone at home.
BioLite CampStove 2 Bundle
($199.95)
If you’re the type of camper who likes to bring along a
camp stove rather than cooking over an open fi re, you need
to check out the BioLite CampStove. This unique device burns
twigs, small sticks, or pellets, so you’ll never need to buy or
schlep white gas canisters again. I remember a two-week
backpacking trip where a fuel canister leaked into our food
supply, and we had the choice between eating the contami-
nated items or going very, very hungry. White gas burps are
62 iPhone Life Spring 2020
situation.
The BioLite Bundle includes everything you need to make a
meal outdoors, including a kettle for boiling water or cooking
soups and hot cereals, a grill top, and even a fl ex light so you
can keep cooking after the sun goes down. There’s so much
more to this than meal prep, though. An internal fan forces air
back through the stove’s burn chamber for maximum effi ciency.
The heat created by the stove is converted to electricity (that’s
what powers the fan), and any excess power is stored in a
2,600 mAh battery that you can use to charge your iPhone via
a USB port. So, essentially, this stove will feed the human and
electronic members of your group all at once. Yowza.
For the cherry on top, a portion of BioLite sales goes toward
product development to bring stoves to households without
electricity in India and Africa. Their mission brings light and
the ability to charge phones and other electronic devices to
areas where these necessities were previously inaccessible.
The BioLite stove literally saves lives by keeping indoor air 90
percent cleaner than an open fi re, preserving lung health for
people that previously had to breathe in smoke every time
they cooked.
Voltaic Arc 10W Folding Solar Charger
($39)
If you’d rather not bring a camp stove along on your trip but
still want an off-grid charger for your iPhone, check out this
affordable, portable solar panel. You can attach the 10- by 13-
inch accessory to your day pack as you’re hiking, or place it in
a sunny, safe spot at your campsite and connect your device
via the USB port to fast charge directly from the panel. When
you’re fi nished charging, the Arc folds in half to easily slide
into your bag, and at only 0.68 pounds, you’ll hardly know it’s
there.
As for durability, I only tested this item on mild days, but
many reviewers report that it’s survived outdoor conditions
from Mount Rainier to the Sahel desert. Outdoor enthusiasts
have charged their devices in the rain, extreme heat, and even
snow with no glitches or issues. I can’t wait to use this panel
on future trips! Ѷ
Leanne Hays is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life. She loves reading and blogging, and
is never without a book in her backpack or an audiobook on her phone. Short-term
goals include fi nishing painting her house and starting an aquaponics farm, long-
term goals include a bike tour of Italy and writing a novel.