With fall approaching briskly, those of us who enjoy a good day-trip (and for some of us, week trips!) to see those fall colors will be taking to the roads, exploring the countryside and getting in touch with nature. For those who are embarking on their fall road trips, you may want to consider investing in some tech to assist you on the road. In this day and age, technology has become such a pertinent part of our lives, and it has made so much of our lives easier and more enjoyable. With travel and outdoor activities, there are so many great developments with tech in recent years to assist us with exploring the world around us.
Apple Watch
I recently took a seven hour drive across the state, and my small car’s vents couldn’t quite fit a phone mount for GPS, so I decided to think outside the box and wrap my series 5 Apple Watch around the 12 o’clock position of my steering wheel. I loved this idea, because I could keep my eyes on level with the road, and all I had to do was just momentarily shift my focus from the road to the watch. The Apple Watch’s built in gyroscope and accelerometer come in handy too, since the watch will only display the GPS ambiently while the wheel is in the neutral position, saving you from draining your battery. You can always tap to wake too, if need be. I think this is a great little ‘life-hack’ for those with Apple Watches, albeit if you want to buy one new from Apple they will run you a cool $400. You can see the more details of the Apple Watch on Apple’s Website.
LED Floor Lights
For those long night drives, a great way to improve the mood and vibe of a long drive is by installing some LED light strips into your car, which really improves the atmosphere in your car’s cabin. Most of these LED lights come in flexible rubber strips, with a sticky adhesive to apply to the underside of your glove compartments, your floor panels, or really anywhere you want. These lights are powered via your car’s 12 volt charging ports. Some of these lights, such as this one on Amazon, will even connect to your phone via an app where you can change the color and hue. I personally love how easy of an installation this is, as well as how much of a difference it makes to your car’s environment. If this is something you decide to purchase, I would recommend finding a light set with a dimmable setting, since some colors (particularly blue, I’ve found.) can be quite bright and distracting whilst driving.
The Hiking Project
The Hiking Project is a crowd-sourced hiking app from REI that hikers can use to navigate trails, elevation, topography, and much more. The app works by downloading the trail data for your state offline, and using your phone’s built in GPS to navigate whilst on the trek. This is a great app for those who like to hike, and even if you’re not into hiking, you can still use the app to find little known scenic views and niche views only the locals know about. The other great thing about The Hiking Project is that it’s completely free and available to anyone in the United States. I plan to use the app when I take a trip to Sedona. There are so many hikes and spots to visit when in the area, which can be quite daunting to hikers on which trails to pick from, and which ones would be the best for their skill level. With The Hiking Project, you’re able to view user submitted photos, videos, and reviews of all the trails in your state, which can help you get a feel for the environment and trails before even leaving the house!
Whether you’re heading out for a day trip or exploring for weeks, these gadgets can really be of service to your travel experience for the fall. Remember to pack in and pack out if you’re going to be in nature, and drive safe!
