Your Browser is Outdated
Well, we made it through another round of holidays, so what now? Maybe you’re sitting on some Gift Cards because your loved ones don’t really know what to get a hard-core camper like you. I was chatting with my buddy Adam from CampSaver and asking him if he got everything he wanted this year. Turns out, he didn’t. Since he’s a super-outdoorsy guy, I wanted to know what Camping Gifts he didn’t get this year.
Turns out he’s got plenty of Backpacking gear but wants to up his car camping game a bit. Here are Adam’s personal picks for camping gifts to himself:
Ignik FireCan Portable Fire Pit
This is one of the coolest Car Camping Fire Pits I’ve ever seen. Let’s face it: most Car Camping Propane Stoves are behemoths with awkward shapes that take up most of the stowage space in your ride and are more for cooking than hanging out. The smaller Camping Stoves you find can be a bit, well, wimpy, and really aren’t for circling up around. This little beast is only 13 pounds and the dimensions are 15.3 x 11.4 x 7.1 in, and it looks just like an old ammo can, so you know it’s stackable, sturdy, and doesn’t take up much room. Now pile on the heat output of 38,000 BTU and 144-minute burn time, and it’s pretty incredible (the adjustable flame control allows you to lower the BTUs and increase burn time). The propane fuel helps you leave no trace and meets most burn restrictions when you’re out car camping during fire season. So grab a beverage, gather the Camp Chairs, and come sit by the fire.
Snow Peak Peg Hammer with Copper Head
Car Camping Tents tend to be bigger, and the extra space and luxury require some serious tent pegs. Add the fact that car camping spots by their nature tend to have more packed, rocky earth beneath them, and it becomes clear why you need a good peg hammer. The Snow Peak Peg Hammer is made of an oak handle featuring a nylon wrist lanyard supporting the forged steel hammer. The hammerhead is copper and decreases the impact shock to your hand and transfers that to the peg you’re driving. That same copper head is replaceable, making it perfect for jobs around camp or around the house!
MSR Stake Hammer
This one is sort of a tie with the Snow Peak above. It has a hardened stainless steel head, but it’s still really light at 11 ounces. Sturdy enough for car camping or base camp, it’s light and packable enough to go along with your backcountry Hiking & Camping Gear kit. It even has a bottle opener so you can pop tops as soon as your camp is pitched. Plus, it really looks cool.
NEMO Equipment Fillo Luxury Pillow
This one comes from the same good folks who brought us the NEMO Stargaze Camp Chairs. Car Camping Sleeping Bags and Sleeping Pads tend to be larger and more comfortable, so why not pair that up with a great camp pillow that you can also take backpacking or just chilling out in the backyard Hammock? Adam’s something of a camping pillow connoisseur, so if he recommends one then it’s worth looking at.
“Luxury” isn’t an overstatement on the Fillo. With a combo of a 3" I-Beam baffled air cell, thick foam, an ergonomic valve, and a soft, washable microsuede cover, you might just toss your old pillow at home and use this one instead. There’s a shock cord under the pillow that lets you add folded clothes or gear beneath it for even more loft, which is nice for side sleepers. The whole thing packs into the integrated stuff sack that is about the size of a grapefruit and is just 12 ounces, so it can definitely go in your backpacking gear. Taking a road trip? Leaving on a jet plane? Just need a little extra lumbar support? Reclining in your NEMO Stargaze? This little pillow is the perfect companion for all of it.
YETI Hopper Flip 8 Soft Cooler
Just about everyone has heard of YETI by now. Their series of soft-sided YETI Hopper coolers pack all of their familiar toughness into a lighter, smaller cooler for day trips and overnighters. The Flip 8 has a Dryhide Shell for waterproofing and resistance to mildew, UV rays, and punctures. Their Coldcell Insulation is made up of closed-cell rubber foam for superior cold air retention. The wide-mouth flip top lets you get to anything and everything inside in a snap, and the Hyrolok zipper is tough and leakproof. It’s even got a Hitchpoint Grid so you can attach all sorts of stuff with Carabiners, MOLLE, etc.
RovR Products KeepR Cooler
This one really isn’t a tie with the YETI Flip 8, because it’s not exactly a cooler. It has a cooler included, the RovR Products IceR Cooler, but the KeepR is better described as a picnic basket for the 21st century. It has separate compartments to keep everything organized and easily accessible, plus keeping the wet and dry stuff apart so you don’t wind up with soggy sandwiches and boggy baguettes when you’re taking that special someone to Lookout Point. Definitely perfect for Cookware if you’re showing off your Camp Kitchen skills, or a camp Coffee Maker for romantic brunches. It carries and sits flat like a pail, but looks a lot classier than some old bait bucket. Since it’s soft-sided, it’s a lot more packable than a wicker basket, too. The leak-proof TPU and high-density foam of the KeepR keep things relatively cool, but the included IceR can hold up to 3.5 pounds of ice, or 3 liters of cold beverage of your choice. With sturdy grab-n-go handles, it’s easy to carry with one hand so you don’t have to struggle when you want to look smooth.
Treat Yo’Self
So there you have it, Adam’s picks for what to get yourself with those gift cards and checks from Grandma this year. It’s never too early to get set for your first spring car camping trip of the year, so grab this stuff from CampSaver while you can!