Techno Files: New technology for May 2019
Disc-O-Bed
Who doesn’t love bunk beds? If your camping budget stretches to more than a bargain-basement effort from your local catalogue store, why not invest in a modular disc bed system?
Approved by both the US military and the Red Cross, these beauties will allow you to relive those glorious, childhood days of summer camp. They’re even called Disc-O-Beds! Rugged yet comfortable, they can be assembled and disassembled in minutes, without tools, and come with built-in storage and their own carry bag.
And if bunking seems a little juvenile (as if), you can always stick them side by side for some below-the-stars snoozing, or as an upgrade on the humble sleeping mat – either way, festival sleeping just got a whole lot comfier.
Wacaco Minipresso GR
Is there a more depressing feeling than trudging around a muddy festival site the morning after the night before, hunting for some decent coffee to cut through the fug of a hangover?
Well, fear not, fuzzy headed campers, for the Wacaco Minipresso GR is here to ease your pain!
This compact and versatile gadget claims to be the “perfect portable espresso machine,” and is as light as it is simple; just add hot water to ground beans, and you’re a few pumps away from a perfect espresso with a generous crema. It makes 50ml a go – enough for two people – is easy to clean, and can be used with all manner of beans and roasts; pair it with a portable grinder and you’ll have the freshest brews on site.
So stick one of these in your backpack and those fuzzy mornings will be a lot less painful.
Chill & Charge barrels
No matter how glamorous your camping set-up is, one thing will likely be lacking: power.
For better or worse, we all live through our devices and would be lost without them – especially at festivals – leading to vast hordes of texters and Instagramers constantly on the hunt for charging sockets (and working Wi-Fi, but that’s another story).
So thank the Almighty, then, for Chill & Charge barrels – a one-stop solution for outdoor bars and concession stalls that lets patrons top-up the juice while sipping on something cold.
Available with either mains or battery power, each barrel comes with four cables and a wireless charging pad, and has connectors for all common devices (USB-C, micro-USB, Apple Lightning). They look the part, too, crafted from real wood, and are both durable and sturdy – making them ideal for rowdy festivals and the ideal excuse to pop by the craft ale stall or gin bar for a spot of (literal as well as metaphorical) recharging.
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