Although I think one of the greatest things about going mountain climbing is feeling free and far away from the trappings of modern life, there can definitely more than a few occasions when a little technology can come to the modern mountain climber's aid.
Whether it be the latest mapping app, an online gaming tool, or even a fun camera gadget, it seems that there's a limitless supply of tech that can help supplement a mountain climber's exploits.
Navigation tools
Obviously it's incredibly important for anybody going up into the mountains to know how to navigate with just the bare essentials of a map and a compass. But there is an increasing range of tech solutions that have helped me find the most magnificent vistas too.
I've found that one of the hardest things to overcome in this regard is the lack of mobile signal in remote locations. Although many of the world's most famous mapping apps such as
Google Maps have recently released an offline mode, they aren't best suited to mountaineering.
This is where apps such as
Motion X step in to use GPS technology to provide an incredible amount of accurate information regardless of what kind of terrain you are climbing.
Tech for downtime
Of course, mountaineering isn't always about being out on the go. It's also essential to gather a little time to recuperate. If you're lucky enough to find yourself in a mountain cabin with an internet connection, then the
Lucky Nugget Casino site can provide hours of entertainment playing slots games with a range of attractive bonuses that can all be accessed from a mobile device so that it should liven up even the most intense snowstorm.
And I've found that it's always good to have lots of entertainment options whilst I'm waiting for my legs to recover from the last hike, which is why the
Sandisk Connect Wireless Stick is perfect as it can hold hundreds of movies and TV shows. And more importantly, it can be accessed via Wi-Fi so that anyone can enjoy their chosen media from a mobile device, rather than carrying a bulky laptop up and down a mountain.
Documenting your adventures
I'm sure I'm not alone loving to share my mountaineering exploits with friends and family when I get back home. And whilst there has been a plethora of gadgets that can take photos and video via a body-mounted camera, few are as instantly usable as the likes of the
TomTom Bandit that can provide pixel-perfect footage that I've even managed to edit on my mobile.
And finally, I'm always hyper-conscious of making sure that all of my tech is fully charged up. So rather than carrying round an endless supply of power adaptors, I've streamlined the whole operation with the likes of the
Power Mod All-in-one Travel Charger that has the bonus feature of being 75% faster than most chargers – and therefore gives me much more time for the mountains!