Essential travel gears and where to find them

You have finally booked that overdue, much-needed vacation trip. But a 10-hour long road trip with heavy luggage and a surgical mask on your face at all times doesn't sound too exciting. While the travel can be hectic at times, if you are well-packed and equipped with the right accessories before your departure, your next hiking trip should be an absolute breeze!

Travel bags

While you can choose from a wide range of backpacks, duffel bags, and rolling suitcases, you should always keep in mind a few useful tips.

The size of the bag should be in tune.  with your build, age and planned activities.

As for material, waterproof or scratchproof fabric is usually the best choice. Make sure the zippers open and close smoothly. They should be lockable for extra safety as well.

The shoulder straps should be comfortable with expandability. There should be more than one grab handle - well-padded and comfortable to hold onto. Our recommendations:

OZUKO 9390 Waterproof Travel Backpack

Price: Tk. 4,000/-

Features: waterproof fabric, multiple zippers, pockets with a laptop compartment, large capacity, USB port, durable fabric

Available at: ETCT shop, Daraz

Golden Wolf GB00464

Price: Tk. 3,500/-

Features: lightweight polyester material, anti-theft, waterproof, additional shoe compartment, USB port

Available at: ETCT shop, Daraz

Tents

While picking out a hiking tent you need to keep four things in mind: capacity, the weight of the tent, the interior and the season. Buy tents according to the number of people to likely sleep inside them, with comfortable interiors that allow easy movement and setup. Make sure the tent is not too heavy. Our recommendations:

Camping Tent MH100

Price: Tk. 4,000/-

Supports: 3 people

Features: waterproof, heat and UV resistant material, environment friendly, wind-resistant, easy transportation and setup

Available at: Decathlon BD

Automatic Pop Up Tent

Price: Tk. 5,000 - 7,000/-

Supports: 3 to 4 people

Features: waterproof, foldable, automatic setup, strong UVA and UVB protection

Available at: Daraz Mall

Boots

Suitable hiking boots need to be sturdy with thick rugged soles. They should also be made of durable material that provides enough ankle support. Our recommendation:

Men's NH100 (Mid-ankle) Hiking Shoes

Price: Tk. 2,000-3,000

Features: TPR sole, impact protection, lightweight, tight grip, ample traction and flexibility

Available at: Decathlon BD, Smart pick BD, Diamu BD

Water bottle

Any amount of trekking will require proper hydration. That's why we need to keep water bottles with us at all times. An ideal water bottle is made of food-grade material that is shatter and leakproof. Our recommendation:

Aluminium Quechua 100 0.75L

Price: Tk. 999/-

Features: isothermal material, ease of opening and closing, food-grade

Available at: Decathlon BD

Sunglasses

Since you need to be outdoors for a long time, sunglasses are crucial on sunny days. A pair of ideal sunglasses should offer not only ample visibility but also UV protection. Our recommendation:

Adult Hiking Sunglasses MH530 - Category 3

Price: Tk. 1,399/-

Features: lightweight, 100% UV filter, robustness, flexibility

Available at: Decathlon BD

Smartwatches

People who love hiking should get watches that provide reliable GPS support and top-notch navigation features. They should also opt for a watch with long battery life and features water resistance as well. Our recommendations:

Read more

Our top picks for smartwatches under TK 5500

Amazefit Bip S

Price: Tk. 5,000/-

Features: Water and dirt resistant, high precision, 15 days battery backup for typical usage

Available at: Shop Z BD

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

Price: Tk. 11,700/-

Features: High precision global navigation satellite systems, water-resistance, weather tracker, compass, barometric altimeter, 100 different sports modes, 18-day battery backup

Available at: Star Tech BD, Techland BD

Feature phones

Read more

Buying a feature phone in 2023: here's what we recommend under Tk. 3,000/-

Feature phones are durable, less complex and cheaper than smartphones - making them the perfect travel companions. They offer you long battery backup, tough exterior, high speed and sufficient storage, enough to get by on a long trip. Our recommendation:

Nokia 150 DS 2020

Price: Tk. 3,100/-

Features: Tough exterior, dual sim, memory card slot, 4G enabled, battery backup: standby- 560 hours, talk time- 19 hours, camera, FM radio

Available at: Daraz Mall

Power banks

Read more

Our top picks for power banks under Tk.1,500/-

A power bank is a small portable recharging device for your smartphone, tablets, speakers and even laptops. It is crucial to take power banks on a trip especially long outdoor trips like hiking. Your desired power banks should be lightweight and able to recharge all your electronics at least a few times. Our recommendation:

Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 mAh PD Power Bank

Price: Tk. 2,390/-

Features: Super slim design, triple charging mode, rapid recharge, trickle charging mode for low-power devices

Available at: Shop Z BD

Walkie talkies

Mountains can be unpredictable. Walkie talkies are useful in staying connected to all the teammates on your trip, making sure no one gets lost in the mountains. Based on the model, your walkie talkie's communication range can vary from hundreds of metres to a couple of miles of distance.

It is paramount to make sure that the radio signal is not getting blocked by the mountains. Hence, strong, durable, waterproof and long-range two-way radios are needed. In Bangladesh, you will need a license issued by the BTRC for the personal use of walkie talkies. Our recommendation:

Aircom AC-990 Heavy-Duty Walkie Talkie

Price: Tk. 17,000/-

Features: 16 memory channels, uses CDMA and GSM for voice and information transfer, encrypted digital communication, high-quality two-way radio battery

Available for pre-order at: Olefins Shop BD