On the few occasions that I’ve gone camping, I was surprised by the darkness that washes over these lesser populated areas. When you live in a city, you never experience real darkness; there are always street lamps, neon signs, and car headlights to illuminate your path. On hiking trails or other natural environments, the lack of light pollution makes an impact — you wouldn’t even see your hand held up in front of your face. A portable light source is essential for every hiker or camper, especially during those dark hours. It can be a valuable protector, revealing dangerous/poisonous critters on the ground or sending an SOS signal if you are injured.

The designers behind this product seemed to understand this importance. The Solarpill is a pendant-sized solar-powered lighting device that can attach to your body or almost any surface in the wild. How? The white half of the pill has a hole where you can thread a rope through to make a keychain or necklace. That part is also a cap, that when removed, reveals a needle-like stake that can be embedded into trees or soft rocks along your path. Igneous isn’t it? This ability to poke the light into any surface comes especially handy when we need to work hands-free, be it to cut some rope or while relieving yourself while outdoors.

The adaptability and portability of this device make it invaluable for anyone traveling through remote areas at night, from causal hikers to search-and-rescue teams. It is such a convenient, useful product that I could even imagine it becoming a staple, not just in campers’ backpacks, but in every emergency preparedness kit.

Designer: Alican Faydali