Summer gear guide: 6 new items for your next adventure
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An Inspired Overland rooftop tent in Moab, Utah. Photo: John Frank/Axios
To make your summer outdoor adventure a little more comfortable, we put together a list of our favorite new gear to pack.
State of play: There's a tent for every adventure, organizers to make packing a breeze and other top picks.
Inspired Overland's Rooftop Tent: At $999, and just 76 pounds, this tent is more accessible than any other on the market. It's also just 6 inches mounted, meaning it'll fit in the garage atop your SUV.
- Pro tip: I tested this tent on a recent trip to Moab, Utah, and found the setup seamless — it opens on its own, and the materials top grade keeps you dry and warm. The XL version is just big enough to fit a 60-pound dog, too.
Omega Tent: This Colorado-made inflatable tent — named for its shape — stands out with its pole-free, innovative features and bright colors, making it a good home base for music festivals.
- The tent opens with a magnetic hinged door to a roomy 6-foot-8-inch tall ceiling and a ready-to-decorate inflatable shelves and closet. Pricing starts at $1,550.
Big Agnes Bunk House tent: A larger, roomy tent with high ceilings and room for gear is always worth the upgrade, regardless of how many you're sleeping. The Bunk House 4 is a great option for a couple and Bunk House 6 is a must for families.
- What to expect: The tent is lightweight yet burly and packs down to a smaller size than most of its competition, meaning it won't take up valuable trunk space.
Gregory Alpaca Gear Box: It's not worth buying nice gear if you can't find it when you want it. Enter Gregory's new $120 (for two) Alpaca organizing system. The boxes have flip-top clear lids to make it easy to find what you packed and 45-liter capacity to bring everything you need.
- Pro tip: Buy an assortment of the Alpaca Gear Pods to organize within the bins, separating headlamps from camp games, for instance.
Sea to Summit collapsible cookware: This aluminum and heat-resistant silicone cookware set, featuring collapsible pots, kettles, cups and bowls, will not only save you weight but vital space in your pack.
- What to expect: You'll need to make sure not to blast the pots with heat, but the silicone holds up to a camp stove and the 3-liter pot is big enough for double batches of ramen or macaroni and cheese.
Eno DoubleNest Hammock: Relaxing in camp is best done underneath the quaking leaves of two trees. That's where Eno's hammocks come into play.
- They come in a variety of sizes and colors, but the DoubleNest offers more room to sit or lay back.