Limited time only! We are offering Free 2-Day Shipping on orders over $50 shipped within the contiguous United States….that’s the lower 48 to you and me. It will take two business days from the date of shipment for your qualifying order to reach you. The items that don’t qualify for Free 2-Day Shipping are kayaks, boats, paddle boards, rocket boxes & and car racks—anything that has to ship via freight methods. If you add a non-qualifying item to an order, your order will not qualify for Free 2-Day Shipping. If you are shipping to a PO Box, your order does not qualify for Free 2-Day Shipping. If you order a rack it will still qualify for Free Standard Shipping if the pre-tax value of the order is over $50. If your order is received before 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, we will make every effort to get it out the same day. Make sure to take Free 2-Day shipping into account when comparing prices. 2-Day Shipping must be selected inside the shopping cart.
In early May, Copy Editor and new mom Kate Showalter left the comfy confines
of her climate-controlled office and took her baby boy out on his first
camping trip. What she discovered in the San Rafael Swell was that changing a diaper
at 3AM on a cold desert night is enough of a challenge—let alone in a flapping
tent and on her thin sleeping mat. Maybe it's time she upgrades. Bring on the comfy
and luxe.
Kate gives us a rundown of her car camping wish list. (Her birthday is coming up in about
a month. Feel free to send her gifts care of Backcountry.com.)
Since my bivy
is useless for family camping, for our May camping trip we borrowed one of those mega-heavy,
ginormous canvas tents. I loved that we could stand up in it, but setting it up wasn’t
exactly a snap, and we had to anchor it with rocks because the wind was gusting hard and pushing
it over. I want a less bulky tent, one that is easy-peasy to set up and that holds up better in
the wind. One that’s comfortable to sit in and play Itsy Bitsy Spider with my son when rain
is coming down. I want the
Big Agnes Big House
for my birthday.
My lightweight Therm-a-Rest pad
is a cinch to carry into the backcountry, but for car camping I'm fantasizing about the
Exped ComfortFoam Mat
paired with Exped's Coupler Kit.
These mats inflate up to 3.5 inches thick—oh so plush. The Coupler Kit's straps connect two Exped mats together to
create one large sleeping area for Mom and Dad. All we'll have to do is zip our Marmot down sleeping bags together to make
a camp bed that rivals the comfort of our mattress. Plus, my kid can sleep between us until he's ready for his own bag.
My MSR Stove
works great for backpacking, but when my fiancé and I car camp, we go all out on the meals.
I would love to get my fiancé, who is a pro in the kitchen, the professional-grade
Brunton Wind River Range
for Father’s Day. This top-notch two-burner comes with a cutting board and space for utensils.
Or I might keep some cash to spend on other gear and go with the more moderately priced
Brunton Gannett
, which is still plenty kickass.
For the backcountry, nothing beats my lightweight
Crazy Creek.
When we car camp, I load up the TRAVELCHAIR
Easy Rider
, which folds up quickly and easily, doesn’t weigh much, and stuffs in the back of the Pathfinder.
In the spirit of luxe camping, however, I think the TRAVELCHAIR
Lounge Lizard
would be dreamy. Just the thought of lounging in the sun with the kidlet in my lap makes me want to buy
this folding recliner immediately.
I’ve been carrying my son in a
kangaroo-style carrier
, which works great around town or on short hikes. But for anything on rough terrain or longer than a couple
hours, I want a backpack-style kid carrier that he’ll still fit in when he’s a toddler. I just
can’t decide which pack to go with: the
Deuter Kid Comfort III
or Sherpani Rumba
. Both come with a sunshade. The Comfort III has a pouch for my hydration bladder, which is super cool,
but the Rumba micro-adjusts on the fly. Both can be adjusted to Mom and Dad’s size, though, and
both are sturdy enough for that future overnight backpacking trip.
I’ve never been organized. Now with an infant, my world is truly chaotic. We spent
several hours packing for our last camping trip. If only I could have an organization system
that works … if I could put all of boo-bear’s warm clothes in one container, our
kitchen utensils in another, first aid stuff in another … Someone else must’ve
had the same thought, because she created the
Mountainsmith Modular Hauler.
I could store our gear in the color-coded containers, and when we make plans to head for the hills,
I could just grab the appropriate containers and pack them in the truck. Simple.
Add to Del.icio.us
