Photo by Şahin Yeşilyaprak via Unsplash
It’s an unfortunate reality that not everyone’s dad was as cool as mine when it came to camping credentials. We camped enough to make our Neanderthal ancestors jealous—or at least any local Scoutmaster.
What was our secret? The devil is in the details, and the glamor was in the gear. If you plan on getting your camping feet wet (but not the rest of you when it pours on your tent), you need to be a true American and burn through some cash. With the right tools, your camp can be a home away from home—anywhere in the world.*
LifeStraw
Germophobes rejoice! The LifeStraw has made waves for campers as an affordable, portable filtration system. The product has no shelf life, kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and microplastics, and lasts through 1,000 gallons of hydration. Even if you don’t like camping, feel free to try this one at your leisure. Whether drinking from the tap in LA or a toilet in the comfort of your own home, rest assured that LifeStraw will effectively battle all the dangerous unseen forces of nature.
Pop Up Tent
Quechua Pop Up Tent
For your next summer backpacking trip, consider this portable delight: the Quechua Pop Up Camping Tent. It sleeps two and doesn’t require stakes. Instead, it folds neatly into a disk roughly 20 inches in diameter. This piece of equipment is laughably easy to assemble. The tent is also light weight, only roughly six pounds. In other words, it’s perfect for sleeping and for frisbee.
Fire Starter
You don’t want to look like a dingus in front of your in-laws when you light up the campfire, so get the Survival Spark Magnesium Survival Fire Starter with Compass and Whistle to protect your ego. Slather a cotton ball in petroleum jelly, feed it kindling, and let this product rip. You can also dazzle your in-laws with fireside whistle tunes and a vague comprehension of directional orientation.
Shower Attachment
If you want something daintier for a shower than a vat of water dunked over you like you just won the big sports game, try the Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower. Camping turns grimy fast, but screw this attachment onto any regular-sized plastic bottle and you’ll be rinsed off in no time. Plus, it’s a lot more portable than a solar shower with a large bladder.
Backroadz Tent
Truck Bed Tent
Most campers have a story of a trip that went so badly they ended up sleeping in the car. Skip the drama and plan to sleep in your car to begin with—well, on your car. The Backroadz 2 Person Tent will sit in the bed of a truck comfortably and keep camping uncomplicated.
It’s 2019—camp like it. Be on the lookout for even more exciting gadgets that make travel a cinch and keep camping convenient.
—Rochelle Burnside
*Stowaway Magazine is not sponsored by the creators of any of the following products.