Finally, it’s summer. The official season of warmer temperatures and taking some time off work to travel, explore and unwind. While airplanes are necessary to get to the most distant locations in the world, people often don’t take advantage of the nearby beautiful outdoors they can get to in their car.

Whether a day trip, a few hours or even an hour, there’s probably a park, wildlife refuge, campsite, watering hole, lake, river or ocean that is worth exploring. So give it a shot. Go explore the near and far. If you are looking for some ways to maximize your trip in the car or out in the wilderness, check out neat gadgets below.

For the car

CarMD Vehicle Diagnostic Kit

It’s always good to be self-aware, especially if you are going on a long road trip and traveling in an unfamiliar area. While used and new cars alert you when something is wrong, you don’t necessarily know why that “check engine” light came on. Well, there’s an app for that -- CarMD. CarMD is two-part system, a gadget that plugs into your car to read your car diagnostics and then an app on your smartphone that will provide you with the car diagnostics. CarMD provides users with answers behind the reason for a car alert -- that way you can avoid a visit to the mechanic just because your gas cap isn’t on tight.

Autonet Mobile Router

Want to be able to share the moments at the campsite on social media? Autonet Mobile Router will allow you to connect to a 3G network and get even better reception by mounting an antenna on your automobile.  

Power Inverter

A power inverter could be worth every penny spent. This is a device that can convert power from your car battery into power suitable to charge or use on smaller devices, such as a laptop or even a toaster! Ah, there’s nothing like fresh toast during the morning drive, but use a buddy to butter it!

For the Outdoors

Professional Photos on a Realistic Budget

Have you forgot your camera, or maybe you don’t own one and just have a camera phone? The Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens can turn your phone’s camera into a high-tech camera. The lens kit includes a wide-angle lens, fisheye lens, and two macro lenses that are magnetically adhered to your phone’s lens. The macro lenses are perfect for capturing the beauty of a butterfly wing upclose or every little detail of an interesting texture.

The Ultimate Wanderer’s Backpack

In need of storage, comfort and a charging station all-in-one? The Tylt Energi+ Backpack can charge up to three devices at once, has pockets and compartments to stay organized, and can open up/unfold for quick access to all of your devices.

Everyone needs a Cute Music Player

There are a lot of portable music players out there these days, but not all of them are as small as the Philips Shoqbox Mini -- and its miniature size makes it completely cute!  It’s small, wireless, and water/dust resistant so you can take it with you to the pool or beach and it won’t get ruined by sweat on a long hike.

And of course, don’t forget the bear repellent! Happy trails!