There are two kinds of campers. One has a garage full of gear, but when it’s time to get ready for a trip, the stove doesn’t work or the tent has holes. The other person chose gear made to last for many seasons, so they spend less time replacing gear and more time camping.
A Room With a View
Kodiak Flex-Bow Deluxe Canvas Camping Tent
$599.99
The difference between a good tent and a great tent becomes clear in rainstorms and after years of use. Made from custom-woven Hydra-Shield canvas and top-grade YKK zippers, this 100-square-foot portable mansion is engineered to provide many years of service. Featuring four windows, a rain fly, and an interior height of 6 1/2 feet, it can be pitched by just one person.
Roaring Campfires Are Overrated
Garrett Wade Classic Camping Stove—Small Burner
$53.20
Cooking over a campfire looks easy in movies, but in real life, you want a reliable stove with an adjustable flame. This gleaming brass, hand-pumped kerosene fuel stove is available with an eight- or 10-inch burner designed to prepare meals for four or more campers. The simple, yet reliable system is easy to master, powered by inexpensive kerosene and alcohol.
Snug as a Bug in a Rug
L.L.Bean Mountain Classic Camp Sleeping Bag
$79.99–$119
Maine-based L.L.Bean has been producing heirloom-quality outdoor gear since Leon Leonwood Bean founded the company in 1912. This summer-weight sleeping bag is made to comfortably accommodate campers up to six feet tall (a larger version is also available). Made of durable ripstop and high-lofting insulation for many seasons of use, the bags can be zipped open to create a blanket or together with another bag.
Caffeinated Camping
GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Coffee Percolator
$49.95
There are few things as good as fresh coffee brewed over an open fire, which is why serious campers make sure they have the most reliable coffee pot to be found. Crafted of heavy-duty 18/8-gauge corrosion and dent-resistant stainless steel, it’s designed to brew coffee for many generations of campers. Available in sizes from 8 to 36 cups, it features an inner basket, a wire bail handle, and a PercView dome.
Let There Be Light
Coleman Powerhouse Dual Fuel Lantern
$114.99
A traditional, hand-pressurized lantern spreads a special kind of light that makes camping more fun, and few do it as well as Coleman. Unlike battery-powered or propane-fueled lanterns, the Powerhouse operates on Coleman fuel or unleaded gasoline; one gallon of fuel lasts as long as 4 1/2 cans of propane, making it much more cost-efficient, as well as more fun.
