Staying warm in the great outdoors isn’t always easy, especially when the last embers of the campfire have died out and you’re alone in your tent blowing mist into the midnight air. The suitably named Hot Pocket is built for this very situation, functioning kind of like a hot water bottle that you activate with a flick of the switch.
Made by Sierra Madre Research, the outdoor company whose high-flying hammock shelters have caught our eye previously, the Hot Pocket consists of a 6,000-mAh battery pack and a pair of radiant heating panels sewn into the a soft, weather-resistant fabric.
The device essentially acts as a stuff sack that can accommodate your sleeping bag or items of clothing, and heat them up so they’re toasty warm, with the heating elements switched on via a push of the button on the outside.
But if preheated bedding still isn’t quite cutting it on chilly nights, the Hot Pocket can simply be unzipped and opened up like a book, acting as a heated blanket to slip inside your sleeping bag or thrown over your lap.
The device’s battery can also be used to charge devices by way of a USB port, and can be hooked up to a solar panel for recharging where possible at camp. A strip of lights on the outside, meanwhile, serve as an indicator of remaining power levels.
Sierra Madre Research is offering the Hot Pocket in 8.7-liter, 16-liter and 19-liter variations through its Kickstarter campaign, with an early pledge of US$89 affording backers their size of choice. If everything runs to plan, the company hopes to start shipping in November this year.
Hot Pocket offers mobile, switch-on warmth at camp [New Atlas]