Federal law mandates that each summer every American family must take at least one camping trip to experience the great outdoors. Okay, if it isn’t a law then it at least should be considered. Why? Because camping is unlike any other experience you can share with your family. Camping memories—both good and the not so good—are all part of growing up as parents venture into the unknown with their children to share a couple of nights under a sky filled with stars and away from the cityscape.
For our camping adventure we headed to Bear Lake, which is a gorgeous body of water nestled in the mountains on the border between Utah and Idaho. This a favorite destination of ours and we highly recommend you follow our wake and come for a visit. Bear Lake is often called the “Caribbean of the Rockies” for its intense turquoise blue water with a 50 mile circumference. With a number of recreational and cultural activities available year-round, Bear Lake is the ideal family vacation destination.
However, before you pile your family into your vehicle and head for Bear Lake or some other outdoor hotspot this month, there are a few new products that have been recently released this summer to help make your camping trip that much more enjoyable. So after you’ve packed the essentials—from sleeping bags to toilet paper—make note of the products included in our camping roundup.
1. Multi-Fuel Portable Cooktop
Seth McGinn’s new patent-pending Multi-Fuel portable cooktop is nothing short of groundbreaking with its compact size and ability to utilize two different types of commonly available fuel types (either butane or propane) to cook meals and boil water anywhere, anytime.
Why We Love It
As a boating magazine, we’re always on the lookout for great products for the boat. The portable cooktop is perfect for the entertainment center on you pontoon so you can do a little cooking while out on the water.
Why You’ll Love It
Weighting in around 5 pounds with the durable, injection-molded plastic carrying and storage case the Seth McGinn’s Multi-Fuel is compact, lightweight and can fit just about anywhere for any adventure. The new cooktop is now available at a suggest retail price of $69.99. (877-844-2772/www.cancooker.com)
2. Case Hobo Knife
One of the most popular Case styles, the Hobo knife features a clip blade, fork and spoon. The handle style is Amber Brazilian cattle bone, featuring American stainless steel bolsters and blades.
Why We Love It
On a boat it’s all about using your space wisely. With the Hobo knife if easily can fit in your glove box and when needed you have you knife, fork and spoon ready to go.
Why You’ll Love It
You can easily find cheap versions of this knife online, but that’s exactly what you’ll get: a cheap imitation. W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company is an American manufacturer of traditional pocketknives, fixed blades/sporting knives, limited edition commemoratives and collectibles and has been doing so since 1889. With a suggested retail price of $65, you know you’re getting a quality product. (800-523-6350/www.wrcase.com)
3. Clamplight
The world’s first dual-action LED lantern doubles as a flashlight and clamps onto virtually anything, illuminating all your adventures both onboard and off. It is equipped with two separate CREE LED’s and provides up to 230 lumens for better optics and ultimate performance. You can easily switch between hi, low and strobe modes for the lantern, in addition to flashlight mode.
Why We Love It
The pivoting head illuminates any space or area and it can easily clamp on the bimini frame of your pontoon. Plus the rubberized coating offers extra grip and added durability. It’s very unique and unlike other lights out there.
Why You’ll Love It
The Clamplight from Backfire is weatherproof, making it perfect for camping, fishing, and boating and has a MRSP of $44.99. (877-572-4184/www.blackfire-usa.com)
4. Power Practical: PowerPot V
With a little help from the Multi-Fuel Portable Cooktop, we were able to test out this pot that includes a resilient thermoelectric generator that instantly converts heat into electrical power, keeping your devices charged in any situation.
The Lightweight pot emits 5 watts of on demand power, regardless of time and weather conditions. You simply add water and place on any heat source—including an open flame—and you’re able to charge smartphones, tablets, GPR units, iPods/MP3 and lithium ion batteries.
Why We Love It
It comes equipped with standard USB (5V) port and three-foot flame-resistant cables to charge your devices. As much as we like to think we can turn off our phones when we go camping or boating, it’s nice to know you can recharge when you’re miles from civilization.
Why You’ll Love It
Yes, this was the product seen on the NBC show Shark Tank! The solid-state voltage regulator provides enough power to also run speakers, lights, fans and other low-power USB appliances and for $149 it includes a bowl/lid, which doubles as platform for cooking solid foods, as well as a USB 5 LED light. (www.thepowerpot.com)
5. Sweetwater Sunrise SW206 CL Pontoon
A camping trip without a boat is like a campfire without smores. While a lot of readers of this publication probably own their own pontoon or deck boat, in this case we rented a pontoon from BearLakeFun.com because of the travel distance from our home waters.
Owner Brian Hirschi has five rental locations on this lake and besides the 2014 Sweetwater pontoons that he rents at each location, he also offers a total of 80 PWC's and 25 ski/wakeboard boats.
Why We Love It
BearLakeFun.com selected this 20-foot model as a rental because it’s a value-driven pontoon, which means it helps keep his rental prices low.
“The Sweetwater's have the features we were looking for at the price point we needed,” says Hirschi. “We chose Evinrude 60hp engines because they provided enough power to cruise through the water, but kept the cost down in order to keep our rental prices down. We wanted the purpose of our pontoons to be for cruising, fishing, pulling a tube, etc., but not to compete with our ski boat category with the higher horsepower. The pontoons have been very popular for rentals because they have a lot of space on them for 10 people, and the rental cost is lower than a ski boat.”
Why You’ll Love It
The same characteristics that make it a great added value rental, applies to those looking to purchase a solid, high-quality pontoon that is built by a manufacturer who offers several different lines of boats. The standard price of the Sweetwater without an engine is around $18K. (574-522-8381/www.sweetwaterboats.com)
6. ThermaCELL Outdoor Lantern
The ThermaCELL Outdoor Insect-Repellent Lantern is a great option for keeping mosquitoes and other insects away in any boating or other outdoor setting. The Outdoor Lantern is both a powerful insect repellent device and a functional and portable, long-lasting outdoor LED lantern, with both functions being usable separately or together.
Why We Love It
Providing a 15 by15 foot mosquito-free zone, it is 98 percent effective (tested and used by the Department of Defense and the United States Army), making it the most effective insect repellent device on the market. It is also non-toxic, safe and non-intrusive, being DEET-free, silent, portable and odor-free.
Why You’ll Love It
It weighs only 13 ounces and not only provides unmatched protection from biting insects, but ambient lighting for the campsite or onboard your vessel. Eight LEDs provide the light, which has two settings controlled by a switch that is located on the base and is powered by four AA batteries and retails for $31.99. (866-753-3837/www.mosquitorepellent.com)
7. Zippo Utensil Tree
While cooking outdoors offers plenty of space, there never seems to be a convenient place to keep spatulas, forks, towels, condiments or spices, clean and within arm's reach; and that's where the Zippo Utensil Tree 44031 comes in. High in convenience, this Cutlery Holder from the outdoor experts at Zippo features an 8-inch tray that rests on top of a powder-coated metal shaft, giving users the ability to keep everything they need at their fingertips, but out of the way and up off the ground.
Why We Love It
The Zippo Utensil Tree can be used in the woods using the two-pronged step bar or it comes with a solid base so it can stand freely in your boat.
Why You’ll Love It
The Zippo Camping Utensil Tree breaks down for easy transport and includes a carry bag for a MSRP of $49.95. (888-442-1932 www.zippo.com)
8. Napier Truck Tent
The Napier Backroadz Truck Tent #13 Series is a value-priced line from a manufacturer who offers a wide-range of vehicle tents. The Backroadz Truck Tent assembles in the back of your open-bed pickup, creating a comfortable, restful sleeping area for two people. The design includes a sewn-in floor, which is exclusive to Napier and offers a large interior with over 5.5 feet of headroom.
Why We Love It
You can sleep comfortable off the ground and it truly is easy to set-up with shock-corded fiberglass poles. For those who trailer their boats with a pickup, this Backroadz Tent makes a lot of sense for camping.
Why You’ll Love It
There are four large windows and one door to allow for optional ventilation, includes a full rain fly and with a suggested retail price of $189.99 it includes a carrying bag. (The air mattress from Napier that fits perfectly between the wheel wells is sold separately). (800-567-2434/www.napieroutdoors.com)
