Enhancing Gear Security: Seeking Advice for Hiking and Camping

[Duncan.Y.C]

Searching for a suitable anti-loss device for long-distance travel and hiking and camping has become a recent focus of mine. This year, we encountered a situation where our luggage was unexpectedly lost during a hiking and camping trip. After setting up camp in the afternoon, we discovered that our packages were missing and had to urgently search for the lost items before darkness fell. Fortunately, our packages were equipped with AIRTAGs, but we found that the sound of the AIRTAG’s beeping was not loud enough and was difficult to notice in vast areas, especially in low light conditions.

Additionally, we also experienced a situation where our luggage was lost by the airline while traveling by plane. Thanks to the reminder from the AIRTAG, we were promptly informed of the luggage loss and where it was left.

I have started to consider whether there are more excellent anti-loss device options available that can emit light signals at night to help us easily locate lost items. I am not certain if such products exist on the market, but I am aware that GPS devices are expensive and may not be suitable for attaching to luggage.

I would like to ask if anyone has any recommendations for anti-loss devices or if there are better solutions available. As a novice camper and hiker, I also dabble in the field of product design. This is my first time seeking creative inspiration on this forum, and I hope to gain some insights and suggestions from your wealth of knowledge.

Thank you in advance for your help and sharing.

Below are photos from our hiking and camping trip to provide context for the environment in which we were searching for our luggage.

 

[Dan]

For me, there would really be no use case for something like that and TBH, I feel like I already have too much technology intruding on my wilderness experience. AirTags seem sufficient for airline travel, although I don’t bother with them myself.

I don’t understand why you brought packages/luggage with you when camping.

[Duncan.Y.C]

I also agree with what you said about many technological products entering the wilderness experience. However, appropriate technology in outdoor activities can provide some safety and convenience. For example, smart watches and smart bracelets can monitor our health condition. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing.

[Dan]

I wonder if the younger generations have ever experienced a backpacking trip with no electronics, the way that many of us did it for most of our lives. No phone, no smartwatch, no GPS, no satellite communicator. If you haven’t had that experience, perhaps you might consider trying it as an experiment.

Yes, electronics are convenient and provide additional layers of security, but in many ways they are antithetical to the reasons that I like to go into nature with only the things I can carry on my back, stripping life down to the basics for a short period of time.

[Jerry Adams]

Nice scenery, nice pictures

Airtag on a trekking pole would be useful.  The rare times I’ve used trekking poles, I’ll set them down when I stop to rest, and forget to pick them back up.

If it beeped when I started to walk off without them it would be useful

[David D]

Duncan, you need to attract one of the senses if not using wireless.

Smell and taste are out (hopefully)

Sound: false trigger would be pretty annoying to others

Sight: Royal blue or Lapis Lazuli is often favoured by SAR for it’s high visibility against a variety of natural backgrounds so gear in that colour helps.  I try to buy my rain gear and smaller items in that colour.   OTOH if GPS is too expensive then you probably don’t want to replace gear.

Another option is wireless to your phone.

You already have bluetooth with air tags but it has a limited range.

Recco Backpack Rescue Reflector is a $40 passive device used by SAR.  Where I’d start is to hunt around and see if there’s a way to use this technology linkable to your smart phone’s GPS without burdening the SAR system.

[Duncan.Y.C]

Thank you for your response once again. Your question is indeed very interesting. It reminds me of the times when my father led me into backpacking adventures with almost no electronic devices except for a professional digital camera. In contrast, my friends and I carry electronic gadgets such as smartwatches, smartphones, AIRTAGs, walkie-talkies, etc., to document our journeys and monitor our well-being. While we strive to minimize their use and immerse ourselves in nature during backpacking and hiking trips, these devices do provide a sense of security in case of emergencies.

Your advice has been very insightful for me, emphasizing the importance of simplifying our connection with nature to its most basic essence.

[Duncan.Y.C]

The Recco Backpack Rescue Reflector is indeed a good option. Thank you very much for your recommendation and advice. I will make a note of your suggestions for further research.

[Duncan.Y.C]

Yes, we often encounter this situation, which is why we rely on AIRTAG. However, sometimes its sound is very faint, making it difficult to locate the lost items.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

Having ultralight gear means I can bring my gear everywhere I go. I never “drop my pack” to take a side trail. If I am car camping I bring lower quality gear and store things of value inside the car. If I were to lose anything to theft, it’s just stuff. I can get new stuff.

[dirtbag]

Rarely do I take my pack off even at rest stops.  Lunch or dinner breaks,  yes pack comes off and pad out so I can lay and relax and my pack becomes my head rest. Breaks or side trails it never comes off. My pack molds to my body as I hike and sort of becomes part of me. I also carry bare minimum so I have nothing to lose or misplace or need to look for. If I do lose or misplace something and am looking for it.. Well then I am in big trouble because it would be something of extreme importance.. Like my sleep system, shelter or pack.. Which,  really I can’t lose when its on my back.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

I taught an engineering design class and one of the concepts that the students worked on was anti-theft bicycle devices. It basically came down to three approaches: Deterrent (visual, make it look difficult to steal or not valuable), Alarm (drive them away if they attempt to transport) and Track (location, like an AirTag). The problem with tracking it what are you going to do about it? Confront them? Pack locks and alarms already exist. Tracking like an AirTag requires BT and a capable sensor in close proximity. GPS systems are expensive. My 2 cents.

[Mark Verber]

As you and others have noted

finding a device electronically requires it to activity report it’s location or to reflect back a signal.  Recco is the answer for reflect, but I don’t think you want to buy / carry a detector unless you are in avalanche areas / conditions. GPS does no good without signaling back which require a tracker the size on an inReach device. The most practical choice is bluetooth which has a limited effective distance.  AirTags are arguably the best bluetooth based system,

Given distance limitations of BLE you need to keep items on a short leash… let your phone / watch / etc notify you when the signal is broken and retrace your steps. These days, precision location AirTags (once you are in range) with give you a compass for direction and distance from object.

I think the best option is not technology, but a combination of keep items with you, and developing a set of practices which stops you from leaving items behind.  It could be you take your items as carry-on only (I do this), don’t take off your pack until it goes under your shelter (mostly do this), smaller items always go in and out in the same order always so if something is missing you don’t need to think, your “fingers” will be itching because the pattern is off.

The ordering really saved me when we walked the camino.  I had a pouch that came out next to the bed with all my night time items.  Always packed and unpacked the same way.  A few times I loaned something out.  In the morning when I was packing I immediately noticed that the next items to go in wasn’t with me which made me remember I had loaned it to someone.

[Bill Budney]

I am paranoid about losing my car key in the woods (because I don’t have a spare attached to my car). My phone is usually in a separate pocket for quick access.

I put an extended-range Tile Pro tracker on my key chain, and keep the keys in my “EDC pouch” with other important stuff. I have used the Tile several times. The phone app gives me a “hotter/colder” signal which is helpful. The extended range helps. Also, a button on the Tile alerts my phone for when I misplace that.

I don’t doubt that Airtags are better world-wide, like for luggage. However, Tile Pro claims more than ten times the range of an Airtag (400 feet), which has been helpful at least once already.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

OK, there is a fundamental difference between Tile and AirTags. Yes, both use BT and Tile has a better BT range, however; AirTags use as secure signal to connect to ANY phone in the Find My Network (Basically all iPhones). That network covers far, far greater distances than BT. Does that make sense?

[Bill Budney]

My understanding is that both systems use both methods.

Apple has the advantage, worldwide, in that most BT enabled Apple devices can participate in the network. AFAIK, only Tile subscribers participate in their network. There is a huge difference in numbers.

Also, some of the Tile features require an optional subscription.

That is why Apple has the edge worldwide, and maybe on popular trails. In more remote locations, the greater BT range of the Tile seems to have an advantage.

Also, the Tile hotter/colder indicator uses BT signal strength for finding the Tile. Am I correct in thinking that Apple’s FindMy app simply remembers the last known location of a device in the network?

I have not tested any of this, and Apple is notorious for not explaining everything their gear does, so there may be other nuances.

The only thing I know for certain is that I have used my Tile at far more than the advertised 10 meter range of Airtags. It was helpful at the time. Shrug… YMMV.

[David D]

It would be punishment going a whole day without taking the pack off at least once (usually lunch).

I developed a habit when taking off the pack to always carefully scan the ground after putting it back on.  Buying blue stuff helps, a couple times I picked up my poncho or wind jacket that would have been left behind and blue made them pop out and easy to see.

[Jerry Adams]

I take my pack off at rest stops to get water and snack

I could have them in a pocket so I didn’t have to take off pack, but it’s not a big deal

I could wear my pack all day without a problem.  Fairly light.  Conforms to body…

Aesthetically, I don’t like pockets on packs.  Opportunity to be torn or water can leak in.  I’d rather have the pack be just be one big bag.  But that’s just me.

I don’t like strapping a sleeping pad on the outside either.  It can come off.

Occasionally, I’ll have something wet like socks that I strap on the outside.  To dry.  Haven’t fallen off yet.

[Miner]

Something non-electronic to consider as well. Having lost a GPS unit and a cell phone in the dark  on different trips (and having to stop nearby so I could go back in the daylight to try to find them), I find putting a few small strips of reflective tape on really important items that might get dropped. As an example, I put some on my cell case (that case is only used when I go hiking) as they really do reflect brightly if a light beam even gets close to it.  I also put them on my bear can so I can find it in low light situations.

I also developed a habit decades ago of always double checking the area around every break or campsite when leaving so I don’t forget something. I take a few steps away and then go back.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the same habit when squatting in the woods as I left a pair of sun gloves back in August on a log which I stupidly put on the opposite side as my pack and toiletries.

[Jerry Adams]

Did you find your gps and phone the next day?

[Duncan.Y.C]

You are right. When car camping, I can opt for lower-quality gear. However, if heading to distant foreign mountains or camping sites, a different plan is necessary. Despite being extra cautious, losing items occasionally is unavoidable.

[Duncan.Y.C]

While on the road, I often encounter outdoor adventurers like you who prioritize simplicity, value essential items, and possess a deep understanding of environmental risks. These qualities are admirable and worth learning from.

[Duncan.Y.C]

Your analysis has opened up a new way of thinking for me; your approach is very good and constructive. The idea of making items visually appear less valuable is particularly enlightening. If a thief were to steal my luggage or belongings, I might just have to accept it, as the police often do not prioritize such minor incidents. If I simply lose an item outdoors, I hope to track it down using a device like AirTag. However, AirTag does have its drawbacks; for instance, it might be challenging to locate outdoors due to its low volume.

[Duncan.Y.C]

Your advice has been very helpful to me, especially the point about developing consistent habits and practices to prevent items from being lost. This is an area I have been exploring in recent years. While I have made some initial progress, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Since I may not have had the opportunity to engage in mountaineering activities in snowy mountains, I may not be familiar with many professional techniques. After some research, I have found that Bluetooth technology may have some limitations in functionality, suitable for use in less extreme environments, but it is indeed a cost-effective and practical choice. Thank you very much for your response.

[Duncan.Y.C]

I have also had concerns about losing my car keys, and using a tracker has indeed been very helpful. However, at times I have found the alarm sound of the tracker to be a bit weak. It would be even more effective if the volume could be increased or if there were some sort of light sensor added. I have not tried Tile yet, but I may consider it in the future. Thank you for your response.

[Author]

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