Department > Adventure Toys
Adventure Toys: Camping Gear Tech
The Finer Points of Off-Road Living
by Rob Reaser
Many of our readers are avid outdoors enthusiasts, but no doubt there are many who’ve never indulged in setting up camp after a day of wheeling. Could be many reasons why not. Some enthusiasts have a difficult time breaking loose from home comforts and convenience.
Good news. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Roughing it today is not quite what it was a decade or two ago. Technology and creature conveniences have made their way into realms that, at one time, separated the proverbial men from the boys.
Bad cliché, but you get the idea.
Anyway, life by the campfire has improved for those who like to take comforts with them into the field-portable televisions, computers, AC lighting, coffeemakers, air pumps, mini refrigerators, hot plates...the list goes on. We’re talking, of course, about generators; portable units small enough to fit in your truck or SUV.
Classification of a portable generator is subjective. Most generators are large, clunky units that require two people just to move them, and they don’t quite line up in the camping-gear column for obvious reasons. Such units also have another distinct disadvantage when you’re out in the boonies to enjoy nature: they sound akin to a freight train plowing through a tin-cup factory. It’s not a device that promotes peaceful wilderness ambiance.
But once again, there’s good news.
Honda and Yamaha have developed a line of portable generators with outdoor adventurers in mind. These generators are much smaller and lighter than conventional ones and, perhaps best of all, are whisper-quiet compared with traditional units. Both use inverter technology that eliminates the standard alternator and instead uses microprocessors to manage electrical output. The manufacturers call this “clean power” because it produces electricity that delivers a stable sine wave. In other words, power delivery is precise and consistent, allowing it to be used with power-sensitive electrical equipment, such as computers and devices controlled by microcomputer processors.
Big whoop, right?
Well, from a camper’s perspective that may be so much hooey, but this inverter technology makes generators more compact, lighter in weight, fuel efficient, and quiet.
For example, Honda’s EU1000i generator weighs a scant 29 pounds, measures 17.7x9.4x15 inches, and produces 59dB at full load at seven meters distance. This 120V unit generates a maximum of 1,000 watts and features a DC terminal, which is great if you need to charge your 4x4 in the bush. In the Yamaha camp, the EF1000iS is the generator for the camp-light set. This model weighs only 27 pounds and measures 17.7x9.4x14.9 inches. Like the Honda unit, the EF1000iS delivers 1,000 max watts of clean power and, thanks to a serious effort to reduce noise via sound-dampening material and overall design, gets a 57 dB rating at full load. DC capability is also included. Both models share a slick feature called “Smart Throttle” (Yamaha) or “Eco-Throttle” (Honda), which adjusts engine speed to match the load for maximum fuel efficiency. This means that Honda’s 0.6 gallon tank delivers 8.3 hours of operation at quarter load, and Yamaha’s .66 gallons provides 12 hours of operation at quarter load.
Of course, a generator’s ability to meet camping needs depends on how much electrical equipment you plan to run. Generators feature a wide range of wattage outputs, and getting the right unit means doing the math. Before plunking down change for a camping generator, visit the Yamaha and Honda sites listed below. Information, including usage charts, is available to help find the right unit for your needs.
Portable Powerhouses
Yamaha EF1000iS
Honda EU1000i
Low Tech Meets High Tech
Today, most off-roaders worth their salt use map-based GPS receivers for wilderness navigation — whether they keep USGS quadrangles on-board or not. Still, many folks haven’t yet jumped on the GPS bandwagon. For those, Silva has recently released a new compass to make triangulation and shooting bearings using topo maps easier. The Cobalt is a digital compass that can find bearings taken from map inputs and can assist in calculating new bearings. Adjustment also can be made for magnetic declination, so that irritation is not so much of a hassle. The Cobalt also features an electro-luminescent backlight, plus time and calendar functions.
Silva; www.silvacompass.com
Elemental Protection
The day’s wheeling is over, and it’s time to kick back in camp to mellow out — hard to do, though, if the sun’s beating down or the rain is falling. That’s not a problem if you have Eureka!’s new Solar Shade. This is a three-pole cabana that sets up easily and keeps the elements at bay. Sturdy construction features include a nylon taffeta floor, polyester taffeta StormShield, and mesh windows for ventilation. The Solar Shade comes in three sizes, the biggest of which is large enough to accommodate two captain’s chairs and a table.
Eureka!; www.eurekacamping.com