When adventuring outdoors, you’ll need some gear and creature comforts to enhance the experience. Whether you’re camping, traversing the country in an RV, traveling with kids in tow, backpacking or tailgating at a sporting event, here are well-designed items made-to-measure for the get-out-and-explore type of folks.
Gear for Tailgating
REI Co-op has pretty much anything you might need for an adventure outdoors. For hanging with your friends and family outside, tailgating at a sporting event or enjoying a picnic in a park, we love the Coleman Signature Grill Stove. This grill, with its propane canister and push-button auto ignition, makes grilling dogs and burgers super easy — boil water in a pot and grill food at the same time, with two adjustable burners. At 13 pounds, this grill is easy to pack up and bring along for all tailgating fun.
While you’re at it, pick up the GSI Outdoors Stainless Troop Cook Set, sold at REI Co-op, which includes two pots and a frying pan, built with a nesting design for easy travel. This cookware is built tough and meant to last.
Another handy item, sold at REI Co-op, is the TailGater Tire Table, which cantilevers off a tire on your vehicle or RV. There’s a leg that acts as a kickstand or extra support, angled toward the rim or straight into the ground. This hard-wearing steel tabletop keeps your stuff off the ground as you’re chilling out in a parking lot, at a campground, or in a park.
Gear for Glamping
Not everyone enjoys dirtbag camping. Glamping is a great bridge from staying in a hotel to camping in the outdoors. Sometimes, you just want to enjoy the great outdoors, or time in an RV, with a glass of wine or luxury blanket.
Reduce Everyday makes sustainable products, free of BPA, Phthalates, and lead. We love the Reduce Wine Cooler, which keeps bottles of wine at the perfect temperature (without ice) while at your glamping site. Plus, the mint, blue and purple colors are so much fun. Or buy the set, which comes with the wine cooler and two matching Reduce Wine Tumblers.
Beer lovers will find good use out of Reduce Everyday’s 64-ounce Growler, which keeps beer cold for 36 hours. The growler is leak and sweat proof and the lid doubles as a cup. Colors are black and silver.
For its functionality and adeptness, we love the Plum XL Classic Stripes Recycled Towel from Sand Cloud, a thoughtful company that donates 10% of their proceeds to marine conservation. This sand resistant towel, which also acts like a blanket or a picnic table covering, is huge—you can fit multiple people on it while at the beach, in a park, or while camping. Machine washable and made from recycled materials, this towel is versatile, easy to clean, and multi-use while on the road in your RV or at your glamping hub. Sand Cloud also makes bundle packs, sure to make your time outside comfortable: Mom’s Every Day Bundle, Festival Bundle, Plastic Free Starter Kit, and Ocean Friendly Day Pack.
Likely, if you’re glamping, you’ll have access to free-flowing water. Bring along your bar of Spit & Polish Honey Grapefruit Shea Butter Soap. This soap, from Duluth Trading Company lathers well, moisturizes and smells delicious. Spit & Polish also makes deodorant, solid cologne, natural lip balm, shave soap and hand lotion.
Gear for Kids That Love Screens and Technology
Kids who love technology and building toys will find hours of entertainment with the award-winning RobotiKits Kiko.893. Kiko is a robot that can be built from a 107-piece S.T.E.M kit. Your kids will learn how to set the mode for “Follow Me” or “Explore” to have their hand-built robot track, follow and explore obstacles via infrared sensor and micro-controller programming.
Another great option is a fun take on the old-school View-Masters. The Augmented Reality (real-world environment blended with virtual objects that appear real) and Virtual Reality View-Master VR experience, which creates special worlds that inspire exploration, requires a View-Master viewer, a View-Master Experience Pack, and a smartphone running on iOS or Android.
Gear for Hiking, Running and On-Foot Adventures
Smartwool, known for high-quality socks, has a hiking short that usurps all others: Women’s Merino Sport Hike Short. Lightweight, breathable, and quick-drying, this short provides support on the trail so you can hike without worrying about chaffing or ill-fitting clothing. Plus, there are lots of pockets the fit is adjustable with a drawcord.
Men will love the Men’s Merino Sport Ultra-Light Hoodie, which is packable and designed with breathability and temperature control in mind. This hoodie, sold by Smartwool, is also made with DRW (durable water repellant) technology to keep you dry while out in inclement weather.
Another great versatile item is the Women’s Breezeshooter Slim Leg Convertible Pants (plus-sizes also available), made by Duluth Trading Company. These pants are designed with microscopic breathable vents, the legs roll up, and there are lots of pockets for storing items you’ll need on the trail.
Protect yourself from the sun with a trucker hat from PrAna. The Idalis Trucker Hat, which comes in Lagoon Blue, Dusty Orchid or Stone, is perfect for keeping the sun out of your face while also allowing for cooling air to filter through the mesh back. The hats are stylish with new spring and summer designs for a pop of color while on the trail.
Gear for Families
You want your kids to have a good experience while in the RV or while exploring outdoors. The right gear can help. Takeya makes a line of kids’ products, like the Actives Kids Insulated Water Bottle, designed to be easy to use and accessible for kids. This water bottle, for example, has a loop for easy carrying and a leak-proof spout lid for drinking, plus it comes in a variety of fun colors—tangerine, veggie, sky, violet— so your kid can pick their favorite hue.
Parents that want to be hands-free, yet need a little something extra to carry supplies needed for having kids in tow, should check out Eastpak’s bum bags. We love the Springer Super Black waist bag, that is durable and can hold extra gear while you’re out and about or while traveling.
What gear are you most excited about? One thing you might want to add to your list: a quality RV rental from your friends at Outdoorsy.
