“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>Download the app.
This year’s lineup of electronic gadgets made the outdoors more accessible, comfortable, and enjoyable for our testers, who took them into the backcountry from the Pacific Northwest to the coast of New England. We waded through dozens of gimmicky products that broke, led us astray, or added bulk to our rucksacks and kept only the gizmos that we’d keep in our packs for good.
At a Glance
All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. We do not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Learn more.
Editors’ Choice
Heat It
Weight: 4g
Pros and Cons
⊕ Practically weightless
⊕ Near-instant itch relief
⊕ Easy-to-use app
⊕ Low energy consumption
⊗ Requires a smartphone
For American trekkers, there’s usually little more than snake oil available to deal with itchy insect bites. Heat It, a German import, is the first itch-relief product we’ve tried that actually works. While this type of device is popular across Europe, Heat It is the first to make headway in the United States, especially in such a compact design.
The thumb drive-sized device plugs into the power port of an iPhone or Android cell phone and, controlled by a super-easy-to-use app, delivers a pulse of concentrated heat between 117 and 126 degrees directly to the bite, neutralizing the reaction. The phone app allows users to tweak settings for child or adult application, heat intensity, and skin sensitivity.
“I bet I treated a half dozen hikers” said one field-tester after sharing the device with mosquito-bitten trekkers on a hike up to Lonesome Lake, located in New Hampshire’s Franconia State Park. “It was pretty buggy around the lake, and in every case [the hikers’] itch was gone in just a few minutes’ time,” he said. Category Manager Brian McElwee had similar results over a month of hikes in the Northeast: “I’ve used it on myself repeatedly, and on others too—this thing is amazingly effective.”
Critically, none of our testers saw a measurable decrease in phone battery charge, even after multiple uses. For a device that uses almost no juice, weighs 4 grams, and can get lost in a hipbelt pocket, Heat It is a no-brainer for the inevitable summer itch.
Thermacell MR450
Weight: 6.3 oz.
Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Multiple carry options
⊕ Works on black flies and gnats
⊗ Can’t fly with fuel
In recent years, Thermacell, the dominant name in insect-repelling tech, has made a hard turn away from butane-powered devices to battery-powered ones. There’s a lot to love about these mosquito-fighting power plants: they’re compact, rechargeable, and—obviously—fuel-free. (We gave the EX90 an Editor’s Choice award in 2022.) The major downside? They only work against mosquitoes.
For backpacking in locales where meaner things than mosquitoes are on the hunt, the MR450 is the solution. The rugged new butane-powered device delivers a 15-foot zone of protection, and you can keep larger areas bug-free by combining multiple units. This fuel-powered outlier in Thermacell’s lineup is lighter than the rechargeables, lasts longer, is more transportable, and packs a stronger punch.
The brand’s new multi-bug repellent, a synthetic version of a substance found in chrysanthemum flowers, is also effective on black flies and gnats (no-see-ums) in addition to mosquitoes, and remains (mostly) odor-free. The MR450 gives 12 hours of protection before the fuel cell needs to be replaced, 3 hours longer than the EX90. That’s enough for any 2–3 day backpacking trip (and an extra fuel cell weighs less than an ounce).
High praise came from our tester in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, infamous for its black flies: “I had to hike with a head-net because of the black flies, but ten minutes after arriving at our tent-site on Mt. Pierce, I was able to pull it off and relax.” Lakes and trails aren’t the only places this invisible force field shines. After a day-hike over the Moat Mountains in Conway, NH, our lead tester headed to Tuckerman Brewery for an outdoor concert and well-earned refreshment. “With dusk came the mosquitoes. I could have charged admission to my no-bug zone.”
The MR450 also bests similar battery-powered units in accessibility and functionality: With a clip on the back side, it attaches easily to a pack or belt. It’s also relatively lightweight at just 6.25 ounces—practically unnoticeable when clipped onto a pack strap. The one downside? The unit’s fuel cells can’t be taken on an aircraft.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT BY TORRAS
The TORRAS COOLiFY Cyber
AC is coming to the backcountry. The COOLiFY Cyber ($279) is a personal neck air conditioner that’s ideal for hiking and traveling in hot climates—offering an icy-cool sensation in just seconds. With three speed settings and seven air outlets, this lightweight, go-anywhere tool provides high-speed airflow and customizable temperature control for a personalized cooling experience. For warmth on cooler days, use the TORRAS app to adjust your comfort settings and turn up the heat. Integrated temperature control also regulates the cooling or heating process based on the ambient temperature. And with a 0- to 80-percent charge in just an hour, you can easily keep the COOLiFY Cyber powered for up to 15.5 hours of adventure.
Natural Atlas App
$40 a Year for iPhone $40 a Year for Android
Pros and Cons
⊕ Robust features
⊕ Intuitive
⊗ Relatively small trail database
⊗ Expensive
If, like many hikers, you keep a list of questions to Google at the end of your trip, like “what type of flower is this?” or “what animal makes that noise?,” Natural Atlas is your gateway to instant satisfaction. It’s like having a naturalist in your back pocket to answer questions about flora and fauna, geology, and the changing tides.
“It’s perfect for parents or anyone introducing children to nature,” said one tester. “My daughter had fun exploring Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, using the tides, lighting, and sunset info for photo opportunities, and even stargazing.” After downloading offline data for a region, hikers can dive deep into the local ecology, with information pulled from various sources from Wikipedia to the EPA. Or they can search for specific species, like lobster mushrooms, and get a distribution map. In addition to the native information provided in the app, users can post field notes and photos that can be helpful for others in finding areas of interest or avoiding possible danger. Field notes are also incorporated into the app’s aggregated data to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
All that info isn’t sitting in a silo, though: it’s connected to an easy-to-use navigation function with tools for trip planning and mapping (users loved the snap-to-trail feature for route-planning), and layers to show weather, temperature, smoke, and more. There is also a social media component, where users can post and follow other users, many of whom add useful notes about the trail and its surroundings.
This app is for backpackers and hikers that are interested in more than getting from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B’. It’s best for those who want to dig into the nature around them, explore and educate themselves, perhaps share it with others, and ultimately navigate safely to their destination.
How We Tested
- Number of Testers: 8
- Testing States: Washington, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, North Carolina
- Backpacking Trips: 28
- Miles Hiked: 300+
- Bug Bites Prevented: Countless
- Bug Bites Treated: Dozens
To test backpacking gadgets, we took this year’s devices and apps to the places they’d be most needed. When it came to mosquito-repelling devices and itch-soothing widgets, we headed to lakes and bogs in spring, peak insect season for mosquitoes, black flies, and midges. For navigation-related devices, we sought out remote parts of the country, where cellular service is scant and the terrain is difficult to traverse.
Devices that used more battery than was worth carrying, were ineffective in their core functions, or simply broke were eliminated. Of the remaining products, only apps and electronics that we’d gladly keep in our packs and installed on our phones made the cut.
To test the Heat It device, we hiked in Franconia Notch State Park off of the AT, which is notorious for its insect life.
Meet Our Lead Tester
Backpacking gadget category manager Brian McElwee has been abusing electronic gear in the backcountry for Backpacker and Outside magazine since 2020. Living in the White Mountains of NH, he and his wife (and tester) Quinn McElwee spend as much time as possible on trails, hiking, riding, ‘shoeing, and skiing.
