GoKawiilOutdoor plans are getting ambitious. With airfares on the rise, it's time to explore the unknown in your own backyard and further afield. But as we're generally carrying more kit, and staying away longer, your gear has to keep pace—after all, if anything fails in the great wide open, it's unlikely you'll have a spare to fall back on.
The adventure market is full of noise: "Military-grade," "expedition-proven," "built for the harshest environments." Many of these claims mean very little. After all, a cooler that keeps ice for five days sounds great until you realize you're carrying an extra 15 pounds to achieve this goal. This guide not only cuts through the hype and focuses on the gear that will serve you well in a pinch, it also makes sure you have as much fun as possible while enjoying the open skies, tree-lined trails, and sandy beaches.
Here's our selection of flashlights, tents, kites, and cookers, not to mention a few surprises (a wheelchair-friendly shelter and a frisbee game from a camping chair brand). Good gear doesn't make you a better outdoorsperson. It just gets out of your way. These picks do exactly that.
A 3-Person Tent
Courtesy of THE NORTH FACE Save to wishlist Save to wishlist The North Face Universal Collection Wawona 3 Tent $435 The North Face
Consisting of an innovative magnetic-closure sleeping bag, a self-standing, easy-open daypack, and a stylish three-person tent, this laudable, inclusivity-focused collection from The North Face is designed to remove friction points that can prevent people with disabilities from enjoying life outdoors. The freestanding tent is a generous size for a three-person design and comes with equal-length poles for fast, mistake-free pitching. The zippers also have extremely sensible oversized pull tabs, while the low threshold and huge 68.2-square-foot vestibule is big enough to keep two mobility devices safe, dry, and close by.
A Lightweight Stove
Courtesy of Katadyn Products Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Optimus Gemini II $199 Enwild
Traditional compact camping stoves heat water with ease, but when you want to do more than survive on rehydrated meals and instant noodles, this twin 4,600-watt burner setup gives you the freedom to get creative in your camp kitchen. Weighing just 1 pound, 10 ounces, and measuring 12 x 2.76 x 4.14 inches when folded, it’s easy to carry, the Piezo ignition is highly adjustable, and thanks to the serious power, you can boil a liter of water in just four minutes, or get your gnocchi simmering and parmigiano reggiano and sage cream sauce reducing in seconds.
A 3D-Knit Windbreaker
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