The fall camping season is upon us….well, every day is camping season. Have you done an inventory of your camping gear? Is it in need of an upgrade? The sky is the limit on the choices you have in the camping market. We have selected a dozen items we think should be considered before taking to your favorite camping spot.
Contents
- 1. AMAZONBASICS’ ZERO GRAVITY CHAIR
- 2. CAULDRYN FYRE: BOILING WATER MADE EASY, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME
- CAULDRYN FYRE WATER BOTTLE FEATURES
- 3. DRINKTANKS STAINLESS STEEL GROWLER: BEST INSULATED GROWLER FOR THE TRAIL
- 4. GRAYL BOTTLE: ONE-PIECE WATER PURIFICATION IN 15 SECONDS
- 5. STARGAZE IN STYLE WITH THE NEMO STARGATE RECLINER LUXURY CAMPING CHAIR
- 6. LEARN SOME CAMP CHEF RECIPES WITH THIS COOKBOOK – THE NEW CAMP COOKBOOK
- 7. WITH THE PELICAN DAYVENTURE, YOU CAN LEAVE THE BULKY COOLER AT HOME
- 8. YETI HOPPER TWO SOFTSHELL COOLER GOES ANYWHERE YOU DO
- 9. YETI HOPPER BACKPACK SOFT COOLER
- YETI ORIGINAL HOPPER M20 SPECIFICATIONS
- 10. MAKE CAMPING MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE HELINOX TABLE ONE HARD TOP
- 11. AIR OPUS OP4 INFLATING CAMPER
- 12. THE IKAMPER SKYCAMP 3.0 IS ROOFTOP FUN FOR THE FAMILY
1. AMAZONBASICS’ ZERO GRAVITY CHAIR
Sadly, despite the name, the Amazon Basics Zero Gravity Chair isn’t actually free from the restrictions of gravity. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t wicked comfortable, and when you sit back in this bad boy and relax in the shade or by the pool with a beer, you probably won’t the know difference.
Supported by a sturdy powder-coated stainless-steel frame, that manages to be pretty lightweight too, the Zero Gravity Chair features a double bungee support system to connect the fabric to the frame and can support up to 300 pounds safely. The seat itself is made of textilene fabric, which is densely-woven, weather-resistant, and mesh – it doesn’t retain any heat. They’ve even given it a padded headrest and contoured armrests, so you can sit in pure comfort all the time.
At 16.5 pounds, it’s not the lightest camping chair in the world, but it might just be the most comfortable camping chair in the world. We’re always quite impressed with AmazonBasics quality, especially with the low prices they offer. And after taking a spin in the Zero Gravity chair, we’re not afraid to recommend it. Grab one for your back patio and chill the beers. Summer just got that much more comfortable.
2. CAULDRYN FYRE: BOILING WATER MADE EASY, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME
Boiling water when backpacking just got a whole lot easier, and your pack a whole lot lighter in process. The Cauldryn Fyre is intended for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers. It’s a battery-operated, mobile unit for boiling water on the go, that comes with two parts – a regular 16-ounce, stainless steel water bottle, and the modular Fyre heating system that screws onto the bottom.
To purify water in the wilderness, simply fill up the water bottle, screw it on top of the Fyre and let the heater go work. There are options for Hot, Extra Hot and Brew, which lets you heat up other foods and drinks such as soup or coffee without going all the way to boiling. The Fyre can be recharged by USB, delivering up to 32 oz – two fills – on a single charge. You can also run it directly from an AC power source.
With the Cauldryn Fyre, you do not have to carry a whole stove system around – nor necessarily as much water, and anywhere you can get clean water, you can get safe drinking water. The battery does not last very long, so it may not be appropriate for long trips without a spare charger.
CAULDRYN FYRE WATER BOTTLE FEATURES
- 16 oz stainless steel water bottle
- Fyre heating system
- Heats water up to 212 degrees in seconds
- Rechargeable battery lasts for two fills
- Charges via USB
3. DRINKTANKS STAINLESS STEEL GROWLER: BEST INSULATED GROWLER FOR THE TRAIL
You may not think of a growler as camping gear. Every self-respecting outdoor adventurer and drink enthusiast needs a good growler. Stainless growlers, preferably insulated, are a far better way to carry beer into the backcountry with you than in cans or glass bottles. But even then, not just any stainless growler will do; it needs to be something is portable, seals tightly to keep your beer fresh as when it went in, and most important – built like a tank. In other words, you need DrinkTanks.
Standing 15” tall and capable of holding 64 ounces of your favorite liquid – whether that’s cold beer or hot coffee, or whatever – the DrinkTanks is solidly built from 18/8 stainless steel. It’s double-walled vacuum sealed, with a vacuum-tight lid reminiscent of a corked bottle (like on Chimay, for example). The insulation is enough to keep your cold drinks cold for a full 24 hours, and your hot drinks for a solid 12, which isn’t quite Stanley records, but pretty good.
It’s also dishwasher-safe and can withstand 60 PSI of pressure. The easy pour handle makes portioning out beers super easy. DrinkTanks also backs it up with their Lifetime Warranty, there are 15 different finished to choose from, and a 128oz model exists too.
Grab one of these, and you’ll be enjoying some perfectly cold, foamed beers on the trail with ease. We consider it the best insulated growler you’ll find for camping, thanks to it’s easy-pour handle and indestructible build. It’ll have your back – and your beer – for years to come.
4. GRAYL BOTTLE: ONE-PIECE WATER PURIFICATION IN 15 SECONDS
While water purification has come a long way, and you’ve got your choice of pocket-sized, one-piece water filters (like the Lifestraw) and larger, more intricate hanging or pump systems. But one drawback all these typical systems have in common, is that they are separate from your water bottle, thus requiring you to carry more than one item and requiring more effort to properly filter water. The Grayl bottle, however, seeks to simplify the process and streamline everything down into one piece, for simple, one-step water purification.
The Grayl Bottle uses what is very similar to a French Press to filter your water; simply pour it in, straight from the backcountry stream, press down, and voila – you have instantaneously clean, pure water that you can drink as you would any other water bottle. The filter removes 99.999% of all bacteria, viruses and protozoa, as well as dirt and silt, meaning your water is perfectly clean and safe to drink at all times. It will also remove most chemicals like chlorine and benzene, and is even made from BPA-free plastic. The cartridge filter is replaceable and lasts for up to 300 uses – or about 40 gallons of water total.
But the best part of the Grayl is how easy it is; it’s all one piece, and filtering water takes seconds. There’s a lot more room in your bag and and lot less hassle. You’ve also got your choice of a several different color water bottles. If you want to travel as light as possible when you’re outside, then the Grayl bottle may just be what you’re looking for.
5. STARGAZE IN STYLE WITH THE NEMO STARGATE RECLINER LUXURY CAMPING CHAIR
If nothing but the most luxurious chair ever will do when lounging around the beach or campfire, then you want the Nemo Stargate Recliner. This isn’t your typical lawn-chair, but a rocking chair made to rock on any surface – rock, gravel, dirt, sand at the beach. With a suspended air-rocking system and aircraft-grade aluminum frame, it’s super-sturdy, letting you recline and swing gently back and forth like that old hammock in the backyard. And when we say reclining, we mean reclining; this thing lays way back, with a special supportive headrest to make stargazing easy and relaxing. It even has an Auto-Reclining Feature, which helps you find the reclining angle most comfortable for you by leaning and shifting your body weight to adjust the chair.
The non-filament mesh seats are resistant to build up of odor-causing bacteria, let water go right through, and the mesh is also made to hold up to constant sun exposure. There’s an integrated no-spill cupholder for stashing your drinks, as well as a stash pocket for stashing….well, everything else you need stashed. A padded carrying case with adjustable shoulder strap is included to make carrying easy.
The one thing the NEMO Stargate isn’t…is cheap. It also weighs a full 6.5 pounds. But, it is one solid, super-cozy reclining camping chair that will make nights around the campfire – and staring at the stars – that much more luxurious.
6. LEARN SOME CAMP CHEF RECIPES WITH THIS COOKBOOK – THE NEW CAMP COOKBOOK
Sometimes the best part of camping isn’t just being in the great outdoors, but the opportunity to enjoy some delicious warm food in the great outdoors after a long day. There is just nothing quite like fresh-cooked food over the campfire. And if you like cooking fine food at home, there is no reason you can’t prepare some gourmet food around the campsite too, and we don’t mean bacon and potatoes in foil. The New Camp Cookbook: Gourmet Grub For Campers, Roadtrippers, and Adventurers is the new go-to cookbook for those of us who live in the outdoors. Besides being a beautiful hardcover with nice big pictures, it’s packed full of delicious, healthy recipes that will bring you camp chef skills to the next level.
A few selected meals from this book include a Korean Flank Steak with Sriracha-Pickled Cucumbers, which ought to add some spice to your trail dinner, Grilled Watermelon with Gorgonzola and Pistachio Crumbles, as well as Grilled Guacamole. Sounds downright luxurious compared to freeze-dried foods and pre-cooked bacon, especially after endless energy bars and trail mixes.
Backpackers, keep in mind that this book is meant for campers and roadtrippers – the kind who roll up to camp in a fully loaded SUV with coolers and camp stove in the back. If you’re looking for easy, packable ultralight meals for the long haul on foot, you might need to keep looking.
Still, with camping season upon us, The New Camp Cookbook will make a handy addition to your camp kitchen kit.
7. WITH THE PELICAN DAYVENTURE, YOU CAN LEAVE THE BULKY COOLER AT HOME
Coolers are great and all, but they’re way too big, bulky and unwieldy for carrying around the great outdoors. And while there are some soft-sided cooler bags that can be thrown over your shoulder, they’re also often too bulky and more like a giant messenger bag than a light-and-fast piece of kit. Enter the Pelican DayVenture.
The DayVenture is a soft-sided cooler designed for an entirely hands-free operation. Whether you’re hauling those drinks and ice down to the local fishing hole or up the side of a mountain (hey, some of just really love cold beer). Pelican crafted it using their 840D, double-coated TPU puncture-resistant material that’s designed for the toughest of situations; a compression-molded base that gives it structure and lets it stand up when you need to reach inside and pull out a drink, and a wide-mouth zipper with waterproof seal that keeps things from getting messy as you’re hauling this bad boy around. The high-density closed-cell foam interior walls pack an insulating punch.
Best of all? You can carry it over your shoulder with ease with the padded shoulder strap. With an 8.5-liter capacity, it can hold four wine bottles, or 12 beer cans plus ice.
So, the next time you’re packing up some drinks or food on ice for a day in the great outdoors, leave the bulky hard cooler at home and bring the DayVenture. Your arms will thank you.
8. YETI HOPPER TWO SOFTSHELL COOLER GOES ANYWHERE YOU DO
Make no mistake – we are YETI fans. Their coolers – and now their duffel bags – are some of the coolest, most durable pieces of camping gear out there. But sometimes, when it’s time to get off the beaten path, a huge, hard cooler is just too big, bulky and heavy. Enter the Yeti Hopper Two – a softshell cooler portable and light enough to take with you into the outdoors, whether hiking, boating, camping.
The Dryhide shell is 100% leakproof and waterproof, while the ColdCell insulation keeps your drinks cold for days at a time. The tapered design means that it’s easy enough to move around, but is wide enough to make pulling drinks out of the top as simple and effortless as possible. A Hydrolok zipper provides a tight seal, two grab handles make it easy to pick up and a shoulder sling makes it effortless to carry on hikes.
The Hopper Two comes in 3 sizes – 20, 30 and 40 liters – as well as two colors – Field Tan, and the classic YETI Blue and Gray. If you’re outside during the dog days of summer as much as we are, and know that a good drink can be your best friend, then pick this bad boy up.
9. YETI HOPPER BACKPACK SOFT COOLER
It’s hard to beat a Yeti. The Yeti Hopper Backpack Soft Cooler is a masterpiece. Check out all the available colors also.
YETI ORIGINAL HOPPER M20 SPECIFICATIONS
- Large Capacity: Holds 18 cans, a limit of rainbow trout, or 20 pounds of ice.
- ColdCell™ Insulation: Keeps ice for days.
- DryHide™ Shell: High-density fabric that is waterproof and resistant to mildew, punctures, and UV rays. The liner is made from an FDA-approved food-grade material.
- Hydrolock™ Zipper: Waterproof and leakproof cooler zipper.
- Hitchpoint™ Grid: Allows you to accessorize your Hopper with flexibility. Easily fasten bottle openers, carabiners, key chains, or accessories such as the YETI SideKick Gear Case.
- Dimension Outside: 18.5″W x 9.5″D x 18.8″H
- Empty Weight: 4 lbs. 8 oz.
10. MAKE CAMPING MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE HELINOX TABLE ONE HARD TOP
A camping table usually isn’t the first thing you think of when packing up for a weekend in the woods, but sometimes…it’s exactly what you need. The Helinox Table One Hard Top is a foldable, pack-able camping table with a hard top, so you can a nice, flat, even surface for cooking, chopping, or playing cards. Even writing – we’re partial to being inspired by nature. Whatever you normally need a flat table top for, this one will help you do it.
The legs use a single-shock corded construction, similar to what you’ll find in a tent-pole , with DAC Pressfit poles. And the tabletop itself is a hard, taut Polyester 600D, 29.9 x 22.4 inches wide that provides an amply large, tight surface. Large enough for all those things you need it for, but super simple and easy to pack down into its storage bag, which features a zipper closure and grab handles for easy maneuvering.
The Table One Hard Top weighs 3.5 pounds, so if you’re looking to go ultralight, you’ll probably want to leave it behind. But it’s a comfortable way to bring your camping trips to the next level of comfort otherwise. And it makes an excellent companion for rafting and canoe trips too, where you’ve got a bit more room and weight to play with. Helinox knows a thing or two about making superlight camping chairs and equipment that holds up to anything, so we’re confident their table will be a worthwhile addition to your kit.
11. AIR OPUS OP4 INFLATING CAMPER
The Air Opus is an INFLATING camper. Integrated Air Poles inflate and stiffen using an electric pump inside the box that’s activated with the flip of a switch. Camper setup and take down is done in about ninety seconds! You will find all the conveniences of those monster fifth wheels–soft double beds for the perfect night’s sleep, plush leatherette seating for a comfortable place to relax, a stainless steel sink with running water, a kitchenette with a gas cooker and refrigerator, heating, lighting, plug sockets, etc. The list goes on and on as you can customize your experience.
Pure genius. Tired of limited adventures due to terrain, packing time, site setup, off-the-grid settings, etc.? Air Opus campers are just for you. Don’t be fooled–these may look like a traditional pop-up camper but Air Opus design is far beyond that.
The Air Opus OP4 is an INFLATING camper. Integrated Air Poles inflate and stiffen using an electric pump inside the box that’s activated with the flip of a switch. Camper setup and take down is done in about ninety seconds! You will find all the conveniences of those monster fifth wheels–soft double beds for the perfect night’s sleep, plush leatherette seating for a comfortable place to relax, a stainless steel sink with running water, a kitchenette with a gas cooker and refrigerator, heating, lighting, plug sockets, etc. The list goes on and on as you can customize your experience. Manufacturer’s Website
12. THE IKAMPER SKYCAMP 3.0 IS ROOFTOP FUN FOR THE FAMILY
There’s no shortage of rooftop tents for your car, but most of them are limited to just two people, maybe three at the most. The iKamper SkyCamp 3.0, however, wants to make car camping accessible for the whole family and did so with a 4-person hardshell tent that pops up on the top of almost any car, with ample amounts of camping and sleeping space.
This winner of the 2018 RedDot Award was the most successful tent project ever on Kickstarter. It also boasts of a 1-minute setup time, which can be a huge lifesaver on the trail and saves quite a bit of headache. It has a lightweight, aerodynamic design that allows it to give that extra room without weighing you down. And it’s fully breathable, with a poly-cotton canvas ensuring you stay cool and dry – no condensation buildup. When the weather gets hot, swap out the thick canvas version for the lightweight Airflow summer tent, made of mosquito-proof mesh.
The Skycamp 3.0 comes in at an approximate – and impressive – 165 pounds, made from a lightweight aluminum frame. Each hardshell is handmade, so weight can fluctuate just a tiny bit, but it always stays under the 160-pound limit found on vehicles for highway travel, and it’s been tested to hold up to wind speeds of 40 mph when setup.
It comes in several different colors and fits almost any car. If you’re looking for a rooftop tent that fits the whole family – or just a bunch of your friends – the iKamper SkyCamp is your best bet.
