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Holiday Gift Guide for Campers

gadling eureka sunrise camping gift guideWhile most campers take the winter off to pursue other outdoor adventures, the holidays are still a great time to spoil the camper in your family with some fresh new gear. And, some of the heartier folks out there camp all year long, so they’ll appreciate gifts that they can play with immediately. Here at Gadling, we’re geeks for camping gear and love to get outside. With the holidays approaching and wish lists being compiled, we’re here to help you treat your favorite campers to some goodies that will keep them safe, comfortable and happy when they venture out into the wilderness. From stocking stuffers to big ticket items, every camper will love these gifts.

Read the entire camping gift guide on Gadling.

SkyMall Monday: Reel Marshmallow Roaster

skymall monday reel marshmallow roasterDespite the fact that spring is off to a chilly start here in the Northeast, we’ve begun to plan some camping trips for the upcoming summer. If you want to book the best campsites, you have to reserve early. As such, we’ve started taking a look at our camping gear over here at SkyMall Monday headquarters to make sure that everything survived the winter. On any camping trip, you want to have the proper gear and ensure that it’s all in working order. That way, once you’re at the site, you can just enjoy the great outdoors, relax and savor those sweet, sweet s’mores. However, s’mores-making technology hasn’t advanced much since people learned how to search for sticks in the woods. We’re still poking marshmallows onto dirty twigs and rotating our arms in ways that put tremendous stress on our wrists and elbows. Most people assume that our proximity to the fire is the most dangerous part of making s’mores, but it’s actually the physical labor. Thankfully, we can save ourselves a trip to the orthopedist thanks to SkyMall. The next time we go camping, we can roast our marshmallows with the Reel Marshmallow Roaster.

Read the entire SkyMall Monday post on Gadling.

Gadling’s Ultimate Camping Gear Guide

With Memorial Day just around the corner, we are rapidly approaching the unofficial start of summer and, with it, the start of camping season. Of course, many people go camping all year long and either live in perpetually warm climates or simply don’t mind bundling up and enduring the cold. The vast majority of campers, however, eagerly await the arrival of Summer so that we can pack up our cars, hit up our favorite campsites and enjoy as many weekends as possible in the great outdoors.

Several of us Gadlingers are psyched about the arrival of camping season (while others who shall remain nameless prefer to stay only in luxury hotels and bathe regularly), so I polled the team on what gear is most essential when heading out on a camping trip. Our list is primarily geared towards car camping, which allows for more (and heavier) gear. But even backpackers will want to grab some of the equipment listed below before heading out on their treks.

We touched on some camping basics in an episode of Travel Talk, but now we’re going to help you pack everything you need before you leave the city (or suburbs) behind.

Read the entire Gadling ultimate camping gear guide.

New Segment on Gadling’s Travel Talk

Stephen Greenwood and Aaron Murphy host a bang-up show on Gadling called Travel Talk. They were in New York City last weekend and invited me to film a segment. I figured, “Hey, if you’re in NYC, we might as well film a camping piece.” A quick trip to my roof later and we had the tent set up while I was dished out advice on how to venture into the great outdoors.

The whole episode is great, but if you’re eager to see me go camping with a view of the Empire State Building, skip ahead to the 2:50 mark. And then get out there and enjoy the wilderness!

Travel Tip #200: Go Urban Camping

I refuse to use the word “staycation.” It’s not even a word. That said, sometimes you simply find yourself at home and with nothing to do. Rather than just twiddle your thumbs and have another lazy weekend, turn your home into the great outdoors. Urban camping is one of my favorite hobbies and makes even the coldest January day in New York City feel like summer in the woods.

Simply set up your tent (in my case, a Big Agnes Big House 6), stock your apartment with a few camping essentials and keep everything nice and simple. Franks and beans are a perfect campsite meal. S’mores made on the stove will generate tons of smiles. And having a dog with you fills the wildlife requirement. Heck, we even had a campfire (on the TV)!

Check out the video above to see how a Manhattan apartment can be transformed into a rustic escape.

And take a look at my photos to see how you can have an adventure without ever leaving the house.