The re-designed RhinoWolf 2.0 makes this modular tent system even better. It’s a lightweight, super-packable one-person tent with a design that allows you to link up with other RhinoWolfs & zip them together into a larger single shelter. The system also offers optional built-in air mattress and sleeping bags for a complete all-in-one camping kit. A funded Kickstarter.
This might be the coolest tent we’ve ever seen. Built for serious adventures and extreme conditions, or just gear-shaming your fellow festival-goers, the Geodome 4 from The North Face is a spacious, weatherproof shelter just now made available in the USA. The 4-season design can withstand winds up to 60 MPH, sleeps 4, & the peak of the roof is 6’9” tall, making for full stand-up comfort.
We’re swinging right into prime hammock season, so the timing is perfect for the ENO SkyLoft. This hammock eliminates the common “taco” effect of a gathered-end hammock by using spreader bars to create a truly flat surface. No backaches or hunched shoulders when you wake up from your siesta. At 3 pounds, plus the weight of accessories like a bug net & rainfly, the SkyLoft is really meant for car camping & backyard chilling rather than the backcountry.
The TentTube is certainly not the first inflatable-frame tent but this one is super quick & easy. It can be set up by 1 person in just 1 minute with the included manual air pump. When you’re ready to break camp, the tent deflates in seconds & rolls up flat with no poles to deal with. It sleeps 3 people & features 3000mm water-resistance. A funded Kickstarter.
California’s Rubicon Expedition Products decided that your vehicle’s trailer hitch is the perfect place for a rooftop tent. Not only is the Hitch Tent system easier to get in & out of, when you want to jump in the car & run to town, you can simply de-couple the tent from the hitch & drive away—the tent stands on a platform. When you’re ready to break camp, the whole thing folds up vertically against your tailgate.
The ultralight PocketRocket stove from MSR has been enhanced with premium features found on higher-end & more complex camp stoves. It’s got the most durable push-start Piezo Igniter the brand has ever made, weighs just 10 grams & offers consistently faster boil times than similar stoves.
Half the size of the original 5-ounce Scrubba—the world’s smallest portable washing machine—the pocket-size Scrubba Mini is designed for those ultra-ultralight adventures, where washing a shirt, socks, or under things is all you can do. And it washes well, with a built-in scrubbing board & simple roll-top design. Weight: 2.5-ounces. Another funded Kickstarter.
Prometheus Design Werx—PDW—makes smart, brutally functional gear for adventurous types. Their new premium Titanium cookware set is seriously lightweight, designed for durability and warrantied for life. The set includes everything you need for simple camp meals: a 600ML Mini-Pot/Mug, the Sierra Cup, and the Spork; all feature folding handles for packability.
The Adv3nture Backpack is two packs & two coolers in one. It has a 45-Liter capacity, with 14 accessible external pockets, and dual coolers that can carry a total of 14 cans. The pack splits apart so you can share the load with a friend and since the coolers are insulated, you can put warm items in one cooler and cold items in the other. And carry it all on your back in a well-designed, premium quality pack. Funded on Kickstarter in 2 hours.
Combine a tent and a hammock, you get the Tammock. Enjoy the comfortable sway of hammock camping without the need for properly spaced trees while also getting the protection and weatherproofing of a tent. The free-standing tent sets up in just minutes & packs away even faster if you just want to hang your hammock out in the open. A funded Kickstarter.
Built from entirely biodegradable materials & designed to replace single-use polystyrene foam coolers, Igloo’s Recool Compostable Cooler gives you 11.36-liter & up to 75 pounds carrying capacity in a cooler made of recycled paper and AKD (Alkyl ketene dimer), a natural component that waxes and binds the paper pulp for stability and waterproofing. It retains ice for up to 12 hours and water for up to 5 days; and it can be reused—simply empty the water and air dry the cooler.
Built lightweight for smaller vehicles and designed to optimize hauling capacity on top, the Sandpiper is a low-profile, two-person rooftop tent with a rugged, fiberglass-reinforced ABS shell. It’s got a 2.8-inch-thick high-density foam mattress & zippered mesh vents & doors on all 4 sides. The top of the shell features integrated aluminum rails for mounting racks to carry all your toys: boards, bikes, boats and other equipment.
Constructed of heavyweight 420gram ripstop canvas, the Goose is a camping system purpose-built for bike tours. The tent is fully waterproofed and equipped with zippable fly screen layers for breathability. The flooring is made of heavy duty pvc to keep moisture out & it has a canvas wing/awning that attaches to your motorcycle to create shelter for your riding accessories like helmet, boots, etc.
Danner loves a collab. The latest is a new variant of their popular Danner Light hiker in partnership with outdoor outfitter Helinox. The boot features a classic Vibram Kletterlift outsole and the brand’s signature stitch-down construction. The upper is a made of the same durable textile used in Helinox camp chairs plus it features DAC aluminum alloy lace hooks and ultra-strong Dyneema laces. A camp chair and table are also offered.
The Hot Pocket is genius, it’s a portable heater that gives chilly campers the heat they need in the middle of the night—or anytime a bit of extra warmth is wanted. It works as a compression stuff sack for your sleeping bag—which you can use to pre-heat before bedtime. Once inside your bag, just press that button anytime you’re cold. It delivers 6 hours of continuous heat & recharges in 90 minutes via 12V, USB or solar panel. A funded Kickstarter.
If the ever-growing number of tent options tells us anything, it’s that people really like to camp on the roof of their cars. The latest entry into this popular category is the GentleTent, an inflatable. Compared to other tents, it’s smaller & much lighter in weight—good for gas mileage & handling—and sets up in just minutes. Once deployed with the included 12V lighter socket air pump, its inflatable frame & floor expand to dimensions over 7-feet long & tall enough for campers over 6-feet tall.
There are two features you want out of any piece of backpacking gear. 1. That it weighs next to nothing and 2. That it’s really hardworking. Nemo’s Airpin ultralight aluminum stakes check both boxes. They are self-locking, keep guy wires tight & they’re made of stiff, 7075 aluminum & weigh just 10 grams.
American-made & designed for backpackers and through-hikers committed to the fast & light approach, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dirigo 2 is a minimalist 2-person, three-season shelter made of Dyneema—one of the lightest & strongest fabrics in the world. It features a waterproof floor, 2 mesh side doors for cross ventilation, and a vestibule for cooking & staging undercover. Total weight: just 1.75 pounds.
The foldable, 2-legged Bip chair from Di-Lite Equipment is quite possibly the lightest seat in the universe. For sporting events, outdoor activities like fishing, or simply taking a break when the time is right, this thing is a featherweight accessory you’ll want beneath your butt. It’s can hold up to 300-pounds and yet weighs just under 1 pound. When it’s folded up it’ll slip right into your pack or travel bag like it’s not even there.
The all-in-one Mantis hammock tent from Kammok gives intrepid tree dwellers they need for camping up off the ground, all year round. This lightweight versatile hammock is equipped with customizable features for every season: an insect net, rainfly, and a winter barrier. Smaller than your sleeping bag and lighter than a 1-person tent, it is designed to keep things light & fast for those minimalist strike missions or longer backpacking trips when every ounce of weight makes the difference. Another funded Kickstarter.
