The coronavirus pandemic indelibly altered our social landscape, but we will see renewed opportunities for travel and personal interactions. As travel restrictions dial down, we can return to outdoor adventures by gradually ramping up our activity.
A great way to start our return to normalcy is to head out to a remote car camping destination. For safest travel, skip the densely populated parks and popular Forest Service Campground and instead find a remote, dispersed camp in the forest. This gets you out without extensive public interaction.
But to camp rough in the woods, you’ll need good gear. Fortunately, our outdoor industry has rolled out some great new products this year that perfectly match these needs. We’ve tracked down a few of the best items for your post lock-down return to recreation.
MSR Habitude 4
Building on its solid, well-earned reputation as a maker of premium backpacking tents, MSR offers a new family of basecamp’ tents suitable for family car camping. The Habitude 4 utilizes a modified-dome structure, creating a tent big enough for a family of four along with their canine companions. In total, you’ll have 62.5 square feet of interior floor space (95-inches by 95-inches) and 23.5 sq. ft. of vestibule space over the single door. The Habitude 4 proved storm-tough and water-tight when tested in Washington’s Cascade Range during a stout spring storm. The tent stood firm in howling winds over up to 25 mph, and kept its interior bone dry even when soaked in rainstorms that dumped 1.5 inches in 18 hours. For those who need a bit more space, MSR also offers the Habitude 6 with 83 square feet (120- by 100-inch) of floor space. The Habitude 4 weighs 12 lbs., 10 oz.; $500. www.msrgear.com
Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair
There are camp chairs, and then there is the Trailhead Camp Chair. Though at first glance, the Trailhead doesn’t look remarkably unique. A closer, look – or bet yet, an extended rest in the chair – reveals some of the chair’s strengths. The soft, fine mesh seat and back panel keep you cool during hot summer days. Yeti uses what they dub ta “FlexGrid” fabric. This UV-resistant material is stretched from the back over the seat in a single piece, creating a unique comfortable sling that cradles while still providing great support. The Trailhead boasts steel tubing in a collapsible frame is nearly indestructible without being excessively heavy. Locking tensioner devices on the back and arms keep the seat-fabric taut and the chair secure – no inadvertent collapsing in this chair! At the bottom of the frame, broad textured feet keep the chair stable on any ground surface, from sand to grass to snow. $300. www.yeti.com
Yeti Roadie 24 Hard Cooler
Yeti coolers have secured a strong following among serious outdoor adventurers. The big hard-sided Yeti Tundra coolers can be used as effective ice boxes for a week or more of camp use. But for weekend outings and in-car use during a road trip, the big Tundra boxes are overkill. Enter the Yeti Roadie 24. This new version of the Roadie offers a bit more internal space than its predecessor with a smaller footprint. And while smaller than the old version it also offers 30-percent better thermal performance. The new square-shaped Roadie 24 will swallow a half-case of cans as well as ice to keep it chilled. The interior height of the cooler is just over 13-inches, so most standard wine bottle will fit inside, standing upright. And the slim profile fits into the backseat floor space of most US passenger cars and SUVs. There are even tie-down loops so the cooler can be secured in truck beds and cargo spaces with no trouble. $200. www.yeti.com
Jetboil HalfGen Basecamp stove system, $180
Jetboil, a brand well-known for fast, efficient cook systems for backpackers, offers a unique cooker system for car- and boat-camps. The HalfGen stove system sports a single 10,000 BTU burner, a 9” non-stick frying pan, windscreen, and a carry bag. The burner will easily support large pots and pans —we cooked with a 12-inch Dutch oven on the HalfGen with no stability concerns. And when your cooking requires more than one burner, the HalfGen can be expanded via its JetLink port. Just add one of Jetboil’s various burner options. Our favorite is the Luna Satellite Burner. It is essentially a linked standard Jetboil Flash burner and accepts the various Spare Cups. The addition of the Java Spare Cup takes care of coffee in the morning, while the main HalfGen burner is used for breakfast. $195. www.jetboil.com
Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap Sleeping Pad
Therm-a-Rest sets the standard for backpacking beds, and their LuxuryMap bed builds upon their successes in the backcountry. The self-inflating pad (basically, an air mattress with open-cell foam inside for insulation and cushion) swells to more than 3 inches thick when fully inflated. The pad features a soft stretch-knit face fabric to provide non-slip comfort on the warm bed – the pad provides an insulation value of R-6 to keep the ground-chill out of your bed. The LuxuryMap comes in three sizes to fit a variety of campers: Regular is 20-inches wide by 72-inches long; Large is 25-inches by 77-inches; and X-Large is 30-inches by 77-inches. The regular pad weighs 3 lbs., 4 oz. $125. www.thermarest.com
