Much like the all of you reading this, we love the idea of car camping. But when push comes to shove, we don’t want to fully convert our SUVs, vans or wagons into bespoke outdoor…
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Situated just an hour’s drive outside of Brussels, Antwerp, Aachen and Masstricht, Limburg is a province in Belgium that’s home to the Tranendreef alternative camping site that will change the way you interact with nature.…
Last updated May 2020: We updated our guide to the best coolers available with new picks. Links and prices have also been updated.
Outdoor coolers have the same adventurous spirit as those who carry them. They’re designed to be dropped, beaten, submerged and even attacked by wild animals, all while keeping their contents intact and cold for days. Whether you’re planning on taking one deep-sea fishing, big game hunting, paddling down some Class-5 rapids or simply going to a tailgate, one of these coolers is worthy of the adventure.
Everything You Need to Know About Coolers
In testing the Yeti Tundra Haul cooler, we were impressed by Yeti’s attention to detail (but then again, we shouldn’t be surprised after putting the Hondo camp chair through a thorough test). Yeti could have simply slapped wheels on a Tundra and called it a day, but it didn’t. It agonized over every aspect of how the wheels and handle would integrate into the design to the point that we were asking ourselves, “Is all of this really necessary?” But it is necessary, and that’s what Yeti is. It designed the handle so that it won’t slam against the hard plastic if you drop it, and the wheels roll so quietly and smoothly that you’ll wonder if it’s actually floating behind you instead of rolling.
Perhaps the most impressive feature (and of course the most important) is how Yeti integrated the wheels into the design. It managed to retain space on the interior of the cooler without too many awkward bumps. Other wheeled coolers on the market fail to do this as sleekly as Yeti, and when you’re moving a cooler this big around consistently, wheels — good wheels — are an essential feature.
Yeti recently redesigned its shoulder-carry soft cooler, and the improvements are enough to propel it to the top of this list. The M30 has the same wide-mouth opening, but the company ditched the zipper in favor of a feature it calls HydroShield. The tech consists of super-strong magnetic strips that seal it against leaks and make it waterproof from the exterior too. It’s also ridiculously easy to open — especially compared to the old zipper — making obtaining a beverage from inside as efficient as possible. For when you’re on the move, Yeti included two quick-release buckles that provide extra security.
Don’t have stacks of cash to shell out for a rotomolded ice chest? That’s understandable, and you can still get a great cooler for a lot less, like this 70-quart model from Igloo’s MaxCold series. The sacrifices you’ll make in choosing this cooler are mostly in durability and cold retention, and there’s no latch to keep the lid locked down, but it is much lighter and offers far more interior space. If you don’t anticipate putting your cooler through the wringer and only need it to remain icy for a day or two, this is the perfect option.
At $10, Igloo’s Recool is by far the cheapest cooler on our list. Its 16-quart capacity is small — ideal for a day trip but probably not an overnight — too. Also, while every other cooler here is nigh indestructible, the Recool is markedly destructible; it’s made of molded pulp that’s biodegradable.
The Recool doesn’t aim to replace Yetis or OtterBoxes anyway; it replaces those cheap styrofoam coolers you buy last minute at a gas station or grocery store before heading to the beach or a music festival. Igloo claims the Recool is strong enough to carry 75 pounds (I flipped ours over to stand on it, and it didn’t buckle) and that it’ll keep ice frozen for up to 12 hours and hold water without leaking for five days. Our tests confirmed these claims (although the bottom did leak very slightly after roughly 20 hours), and even after leaving water in it for over a week, we were still able to dry it out and use it again.
While many rotomolded coolers are similar in construction, ice retention, sizing and even looks, there isn’t much to differentiate between them beyond price. RTIC knows that and has staked its place as the go-to brand for saving some cash without sacrificing quality. Compared to Yeti’s Tundra hard coolers, RTIC’s run roughly $100 cheaper in similar sizes. While they don’t retain temperature quite as well, they’re perfectly capable of keeping their cool, and taking a beating when necessary (these might not be differences you’ll notice, especially with the extra dollars in your pocket).
When RovR brought its RollR coolers to Kickstarter, it optimistically promised: “the most feature-packed cooler ever!” That upbeat attitude worked, because 580 backers funded the project with more than $100k beyond its asking goal.
While many of the other hard coolers on this list all seem to be emulating Yeti (there’s a reason we keep mentioning the brand), the RollR is unique. Its shape is boxier, its finish is shinier and its interior is wholly novel. The inside is stepped to accommodate the axle supporting its built-in wheels, but RovR has worked that potential flaw into the design, using the cavity to create a slot for its removable dry storage container. It claims to keep ice frozen for ten days, a duration that has become industry standard, with the rotomolded construction.
The RollR, like OtterBox’s Venture (more on that below), earns its rank due to its potential for customization. The dry storage is a great organization feature that makes packing for a multi-day camping trip compact and organized. The RollR also can hold a prep board, cup holder and other small accessories. One unique add-on is a collapsible bin that sits on top of the cooler when closed, which can hold things like beach towels, clothing or any other supplies that are easier rolled than carried. The RollR also can rig up behind a bicycle with an extra attachment.
Those looking for specific use options will probably opt for less customization, more space and a lighter package; the RollR is comparatively heavy. But it’s also a great cooler that opts for fun instead of intensity, and stands up to the rest of this list all the same.
OtterBox’s move into the cooler category began with the release of the Venture series. It may come as a surprise to those who recognize the brand from its domination of Best Buy’s phone case racks, but among the company’s first products were protective dry boxes.
Does tech protection translate into making coolers? As it turns out, it does. OtterBox integrated rugged injection-molding and high-grade cooling technologies into its first cooler and brought the Venture straight to the front of the pack. The Venture comes in 25-, 45- and 65-quart sizes and is rated to hold ice for up to two weeks. More minute details include anti-slip rubber feet and a bottom that’s slanted just enough to make draining easier. Plus, as you’d expect from OtterBox, this thing has been dropped from every angle and on every side to ensure that it can’t be damaged, empty or full.
The Venture separates itself from the rest with an array of customizable, modular attachments. Its front has two clips that can hold a bottle opener, cup holder or one of those dry boxes I mentioned earlier. Inside, the cooler can be arranged with separators to create compartments for wet and dry goods, and it can also take on a cutting board and side table. This system sets up the Venture for future success by allowing OtterBox to continue to release components that will increase its utility. Case in point: OtterBox recently revealed its All-Terrain Wheels chassis (pictured above), a $250 add-on that makes the Venture immediately more portable — and you can always detach it later for, say, a rafting trip. The Venture may be slightly less sleek than some of the other hard coolers on this list, but it stands up to all the standards of rugged durability and, of course, keeping things cold.
Hydro Flask’s success in creating insulated water bottles that look great and work to keep beverages cold (or hot) for extended periods of time signals that the brand has a particular knack for insulation. Getting into the cooler category was a logical next step, and its Unbound Series matches its drinking vessels in both style and function.
Hydro Flask’s Cooler Pack is, without question, the prettiest soft cooler of the group that we tested. It’s sleek, with exterior pockets for things like keys or a wallet that don’t impede its design or add unneeded bulk. The cooler uses a watertight construction that keeps water in and out with an Aquaseal zipper and is equipped with an FDA-approved, food-grade liner and enough soft insulation to keeps contents cool for up to 48 hours. It has a 22-liter capacity — or enough space for 24 cans.
Because it’s a backpack, the Unbound can’t merely look good; it has to be comfortable enough to wear, fully loaded, on jaunts that are too long to haul something bigger. We found this to be the case, though you won’t want to wear it on extra-long treks; stick to trips to the beach and park or shorter hikes.
Weighing in at 7.5 pounds, this cooler is disguised as a backpack, with plenty of storage to go with it. The cooler performs surprisingly well thanks to a three-centimeter closed-cell PolarLayer XT insulation foam. The suspension system used to carry it makes it a comfortable carry whether you’re hiking into the perfect camp spot or just going from the house to your car. Reviewers love the waterproof pockets and the near-unlimited amount of food this backpack can handle. In terms of price, it’s right in the middle of Hydro Flask and Yeti’s soft side coolers and performs on par with those heavy hitters, but comes with lots of extra pockets to make carrying the rest of your gear more feasible.
Yeti is the king of rugged coolers, and when the brand launched the Hopper Flip 8 in 2016, it brought that title to a new category: lunchboxes. Now the company makes actual lunch boxes, but the Hopper still fills a need to carry and keep small amounts of food and beverages cool. It comes in various sizes — small, medium, large and backpack. (The backpack is great for jaunts that might include a hike.) Between the group of them, there’s definitely a Goldilocks-approved size for whatever your needs are. One Gear Patrol editor is even been known to bring one on backpacking trips to keep perishables cold in the backcountry. You take a weight penalty, but it’s well worth it.
Watch more of This Week In Gear video reviews.
There’s a reason why so many of the coolers created today are tougher, heavier and more expensive than the Igloo Playmate you may have carried around in years past. The update is primarily due to a manufacturing process called rotational molding, or more commonly, rotomolding.
In rotomolding, a heated mold is filled with powdered plastic material. The mold rotates on two axes as it heats the plastic until it is completely melted and fills every cavity within the hollow mold. The constant rotation helps the plastic resin spread evenly and consistently throughout. The result is a single-piece plastic cast of the desired shape that’s free of any imperfections. Rotomolding contributes to all of the traits that represent the current level of quality in today’s coolers, most importantly rugged durability and superior ice retention.
Hmm… 20-, 30-, 40-quart — knowing what each size cooler can hold can be tricky. While the shape makes a difference, especially in the soft-sided coolers, here’s what we tended to see. A 70-quart size tends to be the most family-friendly, and the smaller soft-sided coolers are perhaps better for a tailgate or drinks for a group. Keep in mind, the larger the cooler, the heavier it will be, especially when filled with food and drink. If you’re traveling with friends or family, that’s not a problem. Here’s what we gathered as general guidelines after our research. Most of the brands measure the capacity at a two-to-one ratio, meaning two parts ice, one part can, but some don’t. So take measurements with a grain of salt.
20 Quart: holds roughly 16 cans or 20 pounds of ice
35 Quart: holds roughly 21 cans or 26 pounds of ice
50 Quart: holds roughly 35 cans or 43 pounds of ice; ideal for two people for a few days
75 Quart: holds roughly 57 cans or 70 pounds of ice; ideal for two people for a week-long trip, or a family weekend trip
In order to get the most out of your cooler, make sure to pre-chill it for 24 hours before you pack it up and head out. Pre-chilling involves adding ice to your cooler to bring the internal temperature of the cooler down. When you’re ready to pack the cooler the following day, dump the ice you added for pre-chill and add new ice to the cooler. The new ice will stay frozen longer and will give you extended performance in the realm of cold retention.
The truth is, you can pack these coolers in virtually any configuration and they will all still perform far and above what you’ve used up to this point. But to get the best ice retention possible, keep the following easy tips and tricks in mind.
Line the bottom of your cooler with ice. Putting a layer of ice on the bottom of your cooler will keep the ice colder longer and also keeps it away from the least-insulated part of the cooler, the lid.
Fill your cooler with solid blocks of ice if possible. Solid blocks of ice stay frozen longer than ice cubes.
Fill the gaps with ice cubes. Pour a bag’s worth of ice cubes on top of your ice blocks to fill any gaps or holes.
Add your food, beer or both. Lay out your supplies in a manner that makes sense. In other words, don’t just toss everything in. Keep your morning meals on one side and your evening meals on the other side. This will ensure that you spend minimal time with the cooler open (allowing hot air inside).
Fill the rest of the cooler with ice cubes or ice packs. Top off with some additional ice and you’re good to go. To keep it chilled as long as possible, only open the cooler when absolutely necessary.
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Take a Load Off
OK, we admit it: as gear enthusiasts, we are sometimes prone to exaggeration. But the moment we laid eyes on the Hillsound BTR at last June’s Outdoor Retailer trade show, we were in love, and nearly a year later, that love remains true. The name stands for Better Than a Rock, and when it comes to taking a break on the trail, that’s exactly what it is.
The ultralight and packable product folds up small enough to stash in your pack’s water bottle slot, ready to unfurl into a surprisingly comfortable camp stool at a moment’s notice. And now, after months upon months of anxious watching and waiting, we’re stoked to say the BTR is available for purchase.
The BTR is available in two sizes, 14-inch and 17-inch, and while the former is naturally more transportable, the latter is highly recommended for those on the taller side (like, say, 6 feet and over). Condensed, the 14-incher is just 12.6 inches tall, quite comparable to your average 750-milliliter whiskey bottle. Both units weigh less than a pound (the 14-incher is just 12.6 ounces) and can support up to 240 pounds thanks to 100 percent nylon mesh fabric and aluminum alloy poles.
One other feature we love is Phantom Lock: the twisting telescopic legs magically lock out once fully engaged, capably supporting your trailside or campfire activities until it’s time to pack up and go.
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Example #3: That first date back in 2011? It happened not too long after Ozturk, with climbers Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker, made a daring first ascent of the infamous Shark’s Fin, a route in the Garhwal Himalayas that had long bedeviled the world’s best alpinists. They spent 12 harrowing days and nights vertical on a 4,000-foot granite wall in subzero temperatures, during which Ozturk nearly suffered a stroke. The resulting documentary film, Meru, was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
As a brief but important aside, it’s worth placing the Shark’s Fin and Hkakabo Razi in the context of Mount Everest, by far alpine climbing’s best-known ascent, if only to underscore what exactly Rees and Ozturk are up to. Three years ago, Everest was summited by 658 people during its two-month spring climbing window. The main criteria for climbers is to be in fair walking shape and to fork over $30,000 to $100,000 to an expedition company. It’s the Sherpas who set the ropes and take all of the risks on the Khumbu Icefall, as the 2015 Nepal earthquake made devastatingly clear — 16 climbers, all Sherpas, were killed by an avalanche, the worst tragedy in Everest’s history.
“That’s why blind people can summit Everest these days,” says Ozturk. “It’s just walking at a lower angle. All you have to do is clip into the ropes and take one step after another.”
If you want a view of Renan and Taylor’s world without the technical ascents and inclement weather, Ozturk’s paintings offer beautiful, colorful interpretations of the world’s highest mountains, including Ruth Gorge in Alaska and Meru in the Himalaya. See them all here.
Example #4: That Shark’s Fin ascent? It happened five months after Ozturk almost bought it while skiing in the Tetons — he caught an edge and flew off a cliff smack onto a rock. Cranial fracture, two broken vertebrae, a severed vertebral artery, the latter being perhaps the most serious, as the vertebral artery happens to host a major brainstem nexus, facilitating most of the super-important vital functions, like breathing. A rupture means clotting in the arterial wall, arrested blood-flow, possibly a stroke. On the Shark’s Fin, the vertebrae slivers still bouncing around in Ozturk’s neck transmogrified like an alien parasite. He nearly died. Again. But it passed. All this is in the movie.
Example #5: More recently, Ozturk wanted to make a film about the Syrian refugee crisis, in Syria. Rees put her foot down. The Shark’s Fin is one thing. Jabhat al-Nusra another.
“Renan said, ‘You shouldn’t keep me from doing this,’” Rees says. “And I’m like, ‘You’re right, but this is a really sensitive issue and I don’t know if you can go until you learn more.’ Deep down I’m saying to myself, ‘Please, don’t go to a war zone.’”
Their newest project, Ashes to Ashes, a documentary about lynching victims in the post-Civil War South, feels like a compromise. It’s the first non-adventure film either has made; it’s also, in a quietly disturbing way, their most serious work so far, capturing the story of Shirley Jackson Whitaker, an artist and organizer of a mass funeral in Springfield, Massachusetts for the 4,000 African-Americans who were shot, hung, burned, dismembered and tortured to death in the name of insane racial hatreds, most of whom never received a proper burial. It was Rees, egged on by Ozturk, who disentangled the narrative threads.
“Taylor took the lead on this film,” Ozturk says. “She did the interviews and moved things forward. I was just there to support her.”
Like the best kinds of stories, all three films — Meru, Down to Nothing, and Ashes to Ashes — manage to both frame our world in miniature and enlarge it. They grapple with big events (the psychological fusillade of alpine climbing, our wretched national inheritance) and manage to wrench from them something primal and intimate. They feel like an awakening of sorts, an un-wedging of the puzzles of human bonds, a bandage-rip on all the insensate ramparts we build up around us in the course of our lives, which, in a flash, can splinter and come undone. In some ways, they’re love stories.
Fall is one of our favorite times of the year to get outside. The air gets crisp, trails and campsites are a little less crowded and there’s plenty of new gear to try out. We’ve rounded up some of our best how-to guides, tips and expert advice to help you get the most out of your fall camping and hiking.
How to Get the Best Hiking Boots for You
Buying hiking boots isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. Here’s how to get a pair that fits right and will last for miles.
This Is the Underrated Piece of Camping Gear Everyone Needs
Tarps are as basic as camping gear gets, but they’re also equally versatile. Kammok’s new Khuli Pro might be one of the best.
How to Clean and Maintain Your Leather Hiking Boots
With the right care and attention, a pair of well-built leather hiking boots will last for years. Here are the steps to make your current pair your last pair.
The Proper Way to Pack a Hiking Backpack
Consider these tips before hitting the trail.
How to Wash a Down Sleeping Bag
Washing a down sleeping bag (or a down jacket) is simpler than you might think.
The Best Hiking Boots of 2019
The definitive guide to the best hiking boots available now, with reviews for each boot, plus tips and advice to know before you buy.
Why You Don’t Need Waterproof Hiking Boots
Do you really need that layer of Gore-Tex in your boots?
Why You Should Never Bring a Spork Camping
Fed up with the spork, an ineffective jack-of-two-trades, I sought out a campsite cutlery alternative.
The Best Camping Gear You Can Buy for Less Than $50
Camping essentials like a tent and sleeping bag may cost well over $100, but the rest shouldn’t have to.
Six Essentials for a Better Fall Hike
Whether you’re taking on a challenging summit or simply stretching your legs, here are six great ways to make your next fall hike a little more enjoyable.
A brief history lesson: Back in 1934, the Bowlus Chief Chief made its debut and not long thereafter introduced luxury living on the go. It is, as they say now, the original silver bullet. 85 years on, that hasn’t changed much, but the trailer needs a tune-up. And a tune it has received.
The Bowlus Road Chief Endless Highways Camper charts a cathartic return with modern upgrades in tow. This Endless Highway model features a 26-foot exterior that almost looks unchanged. It sports the same aluminum shell, the original care of aircraft engineer Hawley Bowlus.
Come inside and you’ll find an interior finished with wood walls and ceilings. It’s got a master bedroom as well, complete with a king-size bed. There’s an en suite teak and chrome bathroom, a four-person dining space, and a kitchen. There’s even a sofa and armchair that you can convert into twin beds.
For extra comfort, the camper trailer also comes with heated floors, a cellular booster, and even a private network. Continuous hot water is available, which could be a godsend especially if you’re traveling to high-temperature locations. Charging stations are also available just in case you need to re-juice your selfie shooters. It’s all powered by lithium-ion phosphate systems. That means you can stay off the grid for days at a time and not have to worry about losing power or the means to survive and brave the backcountry.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t come cheap. The Endless Highways starts at $185,000, with financing available for as low as $942 a month. Hit the link below to find out more.
Photos courtesy of Bowlus
We’ve featured many an angular teardrop-style campers, but none of them are as impressive as the Carapate Teardrop Trailer. This French-made camper is a must-have if you’re planning a countryside trip with your lover, best bud, or just yourself.
French startup Carapate Adventure’s mini-caravan is a rolling wooden trapezoid with rounded corners, playful colors, and an enormous amount of style. Who said your camper has to look bulky and its aesthetic has to be an afterthought?
Inside, you’ll find a modular bed layout that maximizes space but also saves some by removing elements when you don’t need them. There’s also an indoor and outdoor kitchen. Plenty of windows, too, in fact nearly as much as a greenhouse. Suffice it to say that natural light isn’t a problem if you like that in your campers.
There are a series of upgrades that add even more function and comfort, but these are optional.
Purists, we know what you’re thinking — this isn’t strictly a teardrop-style camper. You’re right. In fact, Carapate Adventure admits as much, saying the shape doesn’t resemble the conventional teardrop-style trailer. Still, the Carapate Teardrop Trailer borrows heavily the effortless style and sheer utilitarian sensisiblies of the classic tear.
This also has a pretty huge door, which is great. Not only does it give the indoor space some more room to breathe, it also lessens the divide between the inside and the outside. Camping is all about braving the outdoors, anyway, and this is perfectly captured in the Carapate.
Photos courtesy of Carapate Adventure
Men’s Gear has an exciting company to tell you about. What if you could get a ton of cool stuff delivered to your home every single month? With Bespoke Post, this is a reality. The coolest part is that the cost of the service is dwarfed by the contents inside the box.
As weird as it might be to believe, Bespoke Post stacks the boxes with products that are valued at $70 and up. Yet the cost of the service is only $45. Imagine that, you’re actually able to get a box that costs less than the products inside it if bought elsewhere.
Some may assume that this is just blowing smoke. You might even assume the contents of the box are clearly not that good for such a value and that the $70 cost is just a random number. However, that is not even close to true.
The boxes are made for men who love life and want to get the best possible fun a subscription box service can provide.
That means Bespoke Post could never attempt to offer a lesser product once you open the box. In fact, the company is quite open about how they are able to accomplish this. It comes down to a supply meeting the demand type of thing.
That said, what can you actually get with Bespoke Post every month? Plus, how does all of this work?
A common issue that subscription boxes tend to have is that they do not think about the person. They have a simple box that they throw together every month that is the same for every person.
Since Bespoke Post is made for men, they knew that they could not be another cookie cutter subscription box service.
Smart men will see right through something like this. Before you even get the box, they ask you a series of questions to get to know you. This allows the company to make a box that fits the person.
While this can be similar to another guy who gets the service, it won’t be the case for everyone.
Some men like things other men do not, which means you need something that best fits your personality. The coolest part is that you know what comes with your box. Of course, there might be some things they add in that you may not know about.
However, the moment you sign up, you’ll know what box you will be getting.
Best of all, you can always swap things out and go with another box in the service. The boxes are then delivered mid-month, every month.
Let’s pretend there is an issue with a product in your box or perhaps you’re not happy with something. Bespoke Post offers free returns as well as free exchanges!
Perhaps you want to cancel the service or hold off on another box for a while. You can do this with ease as there is no yearly commitment. You can cancel or skip any time, and Bespoke Post will not penalize you or charge you a dime for this at any point.
A lot of people wonder what Bespoke Post has in their boxes made for men. However, they are quite open about things and let you know upfront. They have something from these categories:
This is what their quiz helps them determine too. For example, you may not really care for grooming supplies. This allows them to form a box that may contain things from the other areas to make up for the removal of this. Truly, it’s all in how the box is formed by you, the user of the service.
Over 100,000 men have bought in and have seemingly loved their boxes from month to month.
Commonly the boxes will have things like a skillet with pancake mix included, knives, axes, travel bags, pens, matches, beard balm, shoes/boots, unique alcoholic drinks, and much more.
The Bespoke Post boxes are themed and perfect for guys who just love exploring new things. The products in these boxes are often unique with many of them coming from newer companies you may not know much about.
That means you’re discovering new and exciting companies every month with this service as well. How cool is that?!?
Bespoke Post offers something special to all new subscribers to their box service. You can join and take your quiz today for absolutely free!
Each month, you’ll get an email that allows you to know what is in the box. This is done for a few reasons, the first is to allow you to change things as mentioned above.
The second is that they may include things like clothing that will need your sizes and even the color you might want.
This can sometimes differ for men off and on, which is why they do it. As men, we know body changes happen. However, you may want to give a shirt or something to a friend. This allows you to change up sizes to fit that friend too.
This is a box service made for guys that give a damn about life and luxury at the same time. Yet despite the luxury it offers, it does not come at that type of price. Again, you’re only spending $45 a month for this amazing box service.
$45 for a service like this is an absolute steal!
Don’t take our word for it though. Check it out for yourself right now. Click on the button below and go straight there. Tell them Men’s Gear sent you!
Mexico-based startup Earth Traveler brings us this ultra-chic teardrop-style trailer, which you will never guess features a chicken feather construction.
That’s right — this trailer’s skeletal archway consists of lightweight feather composite that aims to put minimal stress on your engine. And you wallet, for that matter. So it’s cheating a bit on the range-topper variant, which features carbon fiber. But this version above is made from chicken feathers, a material that’s literally featherweight.
At setup, there are full-length gull-wing panels that rise up, which makes for a spacious standing room and a cozy interior fully integrated into the enveloping outdoors. Founder Angel Irlanda wanted his whole family to sleep inside the trailer, which left the aluminum two-person teardrop setup out of the question. As a result, he sought to channel his inner artist and reimagined the teardrop as a larger, more open dwelling. The first prototype came from simple, accessible materials like wood and fiberglass.
He’s planning to release two teardrop models. The first one, as mentioned, is a range-topper that’s fully carbon fiber. With an estimated weight of just 216 pounds, it will mark one of the lightest trailers for a family of four to date. But the kicker here, obviously, is the chicken feathers model, the T300. It’s much more affordable and boasts a strength close to that of carbon fiber when set in resin, according to Irlanda. Best of all, it’s far cheaper than other composites, bringing the estimated retail price of this model to just $10,000.
Photos courtesy of Earth Traveler
When it comes to cars, showboating is the de facto language, which makes the ultra-humble Mitsubishi Delica Star a refreshing change of scenery. Don’t for one second underestimate this ride, though.
Thanks to Bring a Trailer, this 1993 Mitsubishi Delica Star comes packing with a few focused modifications that turn it into a serious overland adventure vehicle. Unfortunately, this is just a one-off model. Bring a Trailer is currently holding an auction for it, and the bid as of this writing is at $8,000.
The car comes with a modest 2.5-liter turbodiesel inline-four engine that’s hooked up to a five-speed manual transmission. That’s not new for any off-roader, obviously. But do note that this thing boasts a mid-engine layout. You get stubby front and rear overhangs as a result. That, in turn, should lend you approach and departure angles not common on front-engine units. Bonus: this also has a fantastic center of gravity as a result.
Using the base Mitsubishi Delica Star and its balanced layout, the current seller treated it as a blank canvas and just went bonkers. Up top, you’ll find a Smittybilt platform tent on Thule roof bars. Then move underneath and you’ll chance upon brush bars and Pro Comp shock at all four corners. On top of which, there are 15-inch wheels in BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 rubber.
If you want something that’s not a Defender, FJ, or Bronco, this might be worth a look. Sadly, you’d have to outbid other interested customers to lock this one up your garage, but you who knows, you might be lucky?
Hit the link below to find out more.
Photos courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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.
If you’re planning an expedition across the great Pacific Northwest, you can go by with just the bare essentials. If you don’t want to leave creature comforts behind, though, there’s Honest Camper. They’ll give you the option to rent both modern and retro rentals. The RVs are based on either the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Volkswagen Westfalia, respectively.
Both options accommodate four campers and boast essentials such as a cooktop, pots and pans, a fridge and a freezer, and folding chairs. You can pick the van up and drop them off at various Translink Skytrain Stations. Alternatively, you can arrange to have the ride picked up at a totally different city. Honest Camper knows, after all, that you never know where camping adventures will take you.
The vans themselves don’t skimp on aesthetic and quality, just so you know. They’re marvels of compact design, outfitted with all the necessities you need to carve out a fulfilling experience in the middle of the woods. Them being painted in a vibrant a shade of woodland green is just the cherry on top. They’re painted that way because they’re designed to blend right into your backcountry habitat.
When you’re read to turn in for the day, there’s Casper memory foam mattress for you to lay on. If you’re not feeling tired yet, listen to some tunes on the upgraded stereo system, streaming Spotify over the RV’s built-in Wi-Fi. Extras include environmentally friendly soap and fragrant candles. The interiors might be a minimalist at best, but overall it’s on par with any European-inspired decor, only muted this time to keep it clean, spare.
Photos courtesy of Honest Camper
It’s hard to find camping backpack brands better than Osprey. For some reason, they think of literally anything one needs to have in a backpack. When you go camping, you want to store items well. However, you truly want to make sure you can walk without any issues.
You want your bag to manage well as you’ll be carrying it for a little while. It must be capable of supplying all major essentials on top of other things you might need to take for your own specific needs.
Osprey delivers this in spades with all of their backpacks. This is especially true of the bags used for camping, backpacking, hiking, and more. When you look up a list for the best backpacks for any of those, Osprey likely tops out the list or you see multiple bags of theirs on it.
It’s simple fact that they know what they’re doing. Like Gregory Backpacks, Osprey wanted to make sure they built a backpack that can have everything you need right there with you. This is pretty essential, as every backpack model should do this.
The question is, what does Osprey provide that Gregory and others may not?
Osprey has a ton of backpacks, but since our primary concern is camping and outdoor, we wanted to find a backpack that was perfect for this. The Rook 65 is just that.
Keep in mind that the Rook 65 is a male backpack while the Renn 65 is a female backpack. However, they do virtually everything the same. That means you won’t have to deal with assets one bag has that another does not.
As for what these backpacks can do. They are lightweight and have an interesting, new adjustable torso system. That means you can move around the main section of the backpack that uses your back to carry partial points of the weight.
On top of this is The LightWire frame, which helps distribute out the backpack weight even further near the hips.
This only helps it become comfortable to carry all times of the day, in all weather conditions.
On top of this is a mesh, breathable back-mesh to keep you from getting too hot. It also adds a bit of coolness as you walk, instead of built-up warm and sweat.
The Osprey brand also includes a heck of a lot with this backpack.
You read all of that right. This all COMES WITH the backpack. The hydration sleeve is similar to Gregory’s hydro-pack, as it stores water that you can grab out and drink while on the move. The rain cover goes over the backpack effectively giving it waterproof capability too.
The AirSpeed Back Panel looks somewhat like a lumbar rest, but it essentially keeps you from easily touching the backpack with your back, allowing for the sweat build-up not to form.
This is accompanied by soft, edgeless shoulder straps and great hip pads. You can buckle it up with the clips at the torso and hip to keep the backpack from ever coming off. Osprey also includes their Daylite Compatible.
This can easily clip onto the removable panel cord loops, also included.
Of course, inside the backpack itself, you can hold 65L worth of weight and volume. Overall, it can hold about 40lbs without difficulty.
The material that makes up this backpack is 600D Polyester, 450D Polyester, 1000D Nylon Packcloth.
This sells for just $165.
It is clear that Osprey gives a lot when they offer a backpack to the world. They don’t like to offer a small bit of something and assume their backpack is all you’ll want or need. They want to include various accessories that can make it worth even more.
This is why their price range, more than most other brands, makes sense. Despite offering so much, they have heavily competitive prices. The average price for an Osprey Backpack ranges from $165 to $375.
Of course, if you thought the model we showed you offered a lot. You should see what the more expensive ones offer.
The Osprey Brand offers a great “All Mighty Guarantee.” This is essentially a lifetime guarantee on their products. Here is what they had to say about their warranty:
“Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it. We proudly stand behind this guarantee, so much so that it bears the signature of company founder and head designer, Mike Pfotenhauer.”
They also offer free shipping on every item but Pro on their ground orders. However, you’ll need to cross by the $40 to $50 range in price. Since most backpacks cross this, you should be fine. They offer expedited shipping, but for more cost.
This differs on international orders. You can see the full shipment information here.
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.
Example #3: That first date back in 2011? It happened not too long after Ozturk, with climbers Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker, made a daring first ascent of the infamous Shark’s Fin, a route in the Garhwal Himalayas that had long bedeviled the world’s best alpinists. They spent 12 harrowing days and nights vertical on a 4,000-foot granite wall in subzero temperatures, during which Ozturk nearly suffered a stroke. The resulting documentary film, Meru, was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
As a brief but important aside, it’s worth placing the Shark’s Fin and Hkakabo Razi in the context of Mount Everest, by far alpine climbing’s best-known ascent, if only to underscore what exactly Rees and Ozturk are up to. Three years ago, Everest was summited by 658 people during its two-month spring climbing window. The main criteria for climbers is to be in fair walking shape and to fork over $30,000 to $100,000 to an expedition company. It’s the Sherpas who set the ropes and take all of the risks on the Khumbu Icefall, as the 2015 Nepal earthquake made devastatingly clear — 16 climbers, all Sherpas, were killed by an avalanche, the worst tragedy in Everest’s history.
“That’s why blind people can summit Everest these days,” says Ozturk. “It’s just walking at a lower angle. All you have to do is clip into the ropes and take one step after another.”
If you want a view of Renan and Taylor’s world without the technical ascents and inclement weather, Ozturk’s paintings offer beautiful, colorful interpretations of the world’s highest mountains, including Ruth Gorge in Alaska and Meru in the Himalaya. See them all here.
Example #4: That Shark’s Fin ascent? It happened five months after Ozturk almost bought it while skiing in the Tetons — he caught an edge and flew off a cliff smack onto a rock. Cranial fracture, two broken vertebrae, a severed vertebral artery, the latter being perhaps the most serious, as the vertebral artery happens to host a major brainstem nexus, facilitating most of the super-important vital functions, like breathing. A rupture means clotting in the arterial wall, arrested blood-flow, possibly a stroke. On the Shark’s Fin, the vertebrae slivers still bouncing around in Ozturk’s neck transmogrified like an alien parasite. He nearly died. Again. But it passed. All this is in the movie.
Example #5: More recently, Ozturk wanted to make a film about the Syrian refugee crisis, in Syria. Rees put her foot down. The Shark’s Fin is one thing. Jabhat al-Nusra another.
“Renan said, ‘You shouldn’t keep me from doing this,’” Rees says. “And I’m like, ‘You’re right, but this is a really sensitive issue and I don’t know if you can go until you learn more.’ Deep down I’m saying to myself, ‘Please, don’t go to a war zone.’”
Their newest project, Ashes to Ashes, a documentary about lynching victims in the post-Civil War South, feels like a compromise. It’s the first non-adventure film either has made; it’s also, in a quietly disturbing way, their most serious work so far, capturing the story of Shirley Jackson Whitaker, an artist and organizer of a mass funeral in Springfield, Massachusetts for the 4,000 African-Americans who were shot, hung, burned, dismembered and tortured to death in the name of insane racial hatreds, most of whom never received a proper burial. It was Rees, egged on by Ozturk, who disentangled the narrative threads.
“Taylor took the lead on this film,” Ozturk says. “She did the interviews and moved things forward. I was just there to support her.”
Like the best kinds of stories, all three films — Meru, Down to Nothing, and Ashes to Ashes — manage to both frame our world in miniature and enlarge it. They grapple with big events (the psychological fusillade of alpine climbing, our wretched national inheritance) and manage to wrench from them something primal and intimate. They feel like an awakening of sorts, an un-wedging of the puzzles of human bonds, a bandage-rip on all the insensate ramparts we build up around us in the course of our lives, which, in a flash, can splinter and come undone. In some ways, they’re love stories.
What outdoor camping getaway would be complete without the quintessential camping chair? This one, called the Savanna Chair, is from the folks at Helinox, no stranger to making excellent outdoor comforts.
The Savanna Chair is unique in that Helinox designed it for tall people. Thanks to its high back and wide profile, anyone eclipsing six feet will have a nice time lounging with this one. It doesn’t matter if they weight up to 320 pounds. The Savanna Chair can take it.
Similar to the Chair One Camp Chair, another one from Helinox, the Savanna features mesh panels on the back and bottom sides. These bring optimum comfort, with the mesh shapeshifting to accommodate the the shape of a person’s back. Elsewhere, you’ll find a nice soft cup holder. Careful not to spill anything.
Amazingly, Helinox managed to keep the chair’s weight at just 4.3 pounds. This despite despite the load-bearing capacity and roominess of the Savanna Chair. Even better, the chair’s frame and cover can be folded down and fit into a 6″ x 6.5″ x 21.5″ sleeve. No fuss when setting up at all, and no fuss when packing up, too.
As for the construction, the frame is made of proprietary aluminum alloy. You’ll find an internal bungee cord that can self-assemble when you’re setting up the whole thing. The seat cover and carry sack, meanwhile, are made of polyester that’s UV-resistant.
The chair costs $200 on Amazon. A tad bit pricey for a camping chair, but you get what you pay for: a lightweight, compact, and smartly designed outdoor essential.
Designed for small to mid-size vehicles, Rhino-Rack’s Compact Batwing Awning delivers 69 sq. feet & 270º of coverage from the sun & rain. It’s made of water-proof & mold-resistant fabric that offers UPF sun protection. It can be quickly & easily deployed by 1 person and is supported by lightweight, powder-coated aluminum legs that fold up & away when you’re ready to roll. The whole rack-mounted unit weighs just 40 pounds.
For camping, RV travels, tailgating, beach parties, and evenings in the backyard, this propane-powered fire pit from Cypress Outdoor heats things up nicely without having to deal with firewood, smoke, & ash. It is 21-inches in diameter and kicks out a bun-warming 58K BTUs. Comes with a cover and carry kit.
