The Cool Camping Gear You Need for Your Next Trip
When you head out on your next camping trip, don’t leave home without all of the cool camping gear that you probably didn’t even know you needed to have the perfect experience. Even though your Bowlus travel trailer has pretty much every amenity that you can think of, sometimes it’s fun to bring a little extra something on the road.
After lots of research, the team here at Bowlus has come up with a comprehensive list of some of the best gear out there.
All-Purpose Recyclable Towels
Instead of bringing the same towels with you when you camp, switch to all-purpose, lightweight recyclable towels. There are a few different brands on the market, each designed to pack down as small as possible so that they don’t take up much space when you travel.
They are also made of antimicrobial materials, which makes them resistant to a buildup of germs even after a long camping trip.
These towels also dry quickly and come in a wide variety of different patterns and colors. Don’t struggle with sopping wet towels that seem to never dry, even after days hanging on the line outside.
Campfire Prep Sets
Instead of struggling to find the tools to prep your food when it’s late, and you’re hungry, head out on your trip with a campfire prep set. These tools come in a convenient carrying case that keeps them contained in one place and away from any small hands that may be traveling with you. Most of these prep sets come with a knife, fork, spoon, spatula, and grater.
Just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you can’t eat delicious, gourmet foods. Try a new recipe designed to be made over a campfire, and use some of our camping cooking hacks to develop your outdoor cooking skills a little more even time. Even though your Bowlus travel trailer was fit with a kitchen capable of making feasts, cooking outdoors is a fun part of the entire camping experience.
Charge Your Phone By Flame
One of the cooler new gadgets that you can take camping is a charger that can take the natural heat put out by a campfire and turn it into a way to power your phone! And it doesn’t just work on your phone. These chargers can also power other small gadgets, like cameras, flashlights, and even smaller camping stoves— essentially anything that can be charged with a USB cable.
Yes, your Bowlus travel trailer has plenty of ports for charging, but if you’re outside around the campfire, you might not want to leave your precious devices inside.
On average, it takes about two and a half hours to fully charge any device. However, if you spend a lot of time outside by the fire at night, you’ll likely not even notice that much time has passed as you spend time with your friends and family.
Campfire Tripods
Cooking over a campfire doesn’t just have to include sticks for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Expand your cooking repertoire by investing in a campfire tripod, which are designed to sit right over the open flame.
You can cook with a campfire tripod in one of two ways— either by hanging a large pot like a dutch oven over the flames or using a chain for cooking food directly in the flames. In either case, you’ll be able to enjoy food in a new, interesting way with camping gear that doesn’t take up too much space in your travel trailer. Chili has never tasted so good!
Personal Water Filters
As delicious as fresh spring water might be, drinking it without it being filtered appropriately can lead to numerous different, potentially dangerous health conditions. Even though it may appear to be pure, the naked eye can’t see all of the different bacteria, parasites, viruses, and contaminants that are likely floating in it.
That’s why you should bring a personal water filter. Luckily, there are now bottles that were designed with a water filter right inside them so that every drink of water you take will be filtered automatically. They can save you from GI distress and having to cut your trip short due to illness.
They also make personal water filters that you can stick right into a body of water, like a stream or lake, and drink from. While these were mainly meant as survival tools, they are fun to have around to shock your friends and family members. They’re also very handy to have in case of an emergency.
This most likely won’t come up because your Bowlus fresh water tank can hold up to 19 gallons. But if you’re planning on heading out for a long hike, it doesn’t hurt to be able to quickly refill your water bottle with a portable filter.
Portable Misting Systems
Even with a travel trailer or other camper that can power itself off the grid without having to rely on electricity, you won’t want to be running your camper simply for the air conditioning. On days that the temperatures start to climb, avoid heatstroke by packing a portable misting system on your next trip.
Portable misting systems were designed to be small but mighty, clipping onto your clothing and providing you with a continuous stream of cool, fine mist with just a single gallon of water. Most misters allow you to change the misting speeds as well, so help conserve water as the temperature begins to cool back down.
It’s a great way to stay cool on even the hottest days without having to rely on air conditioning (even though we have that too). Just make sure you still wear your sunscreen and a hat to help prevent skin cancer!
An Outdoor Showerhead
Speaking of cooling down, one of the benefits of camping a little bit off the grid is the ability to take a shower outdoors if you want to. If you’re lucky enough to have our Endless Highways Performance Edition, that allows the shower to extend outside the camper, take full advantage of it!
Outdoor showerheads, whether pre-installed or you install them yourself, are a wonderful piece of camping gear you’ve probably been missing out on. Not only can you shower all of the dirt, dust, sweat, and mud off after a long day of hiking before heading inside to hit the hay, you can also turn it to cold water and use it to cool down when the day starts to get too hot. You can even use it to wash off your furry friends if they get into mischief.
An Adventure Flask
While this isn’t necessarily a “must-have,” bringing an Adventure Flask along with you on any trip can help you enjoy your adventure just a little bit more. These flasks come in many different varieties, but the ones we’ve seen usually include a flashlight, compass, and the ability to store alcohol inside it.
It’s great for finding your way home in the dark or just enjoying a shot while sitting around the campfire with your loved ones. For times that you don’t want a traditional drink, these flasks really hit the spot.
Just make sure to drink responsibly, even when you’re in the middle of nowhere and not driving. Accidents can happen, especially around open flames.
Bluetooth Speakers
It can get pretty quiet out in the wilderness, especially if you’re traveling solo. Break up that tedium by bringing a Bluetooth speaker with you. With a speaker, you can pump your tunes both outside and inside without needing to have them hardwired directly into your travel trailer.
They usually hold a charge for a fairly long amount of time and, if you purchased a charger that can use the heat of a fire to charge devices, you’re also likely able to charge them without even needing an electrical outlet.
You might even want to pull out some old favorites and host a sing-a-long around the fire at the end of a long night. The beautiful silence that nature provides is wonderful when you want it, but having something to break the silence is just as important.
A Portable Movie Theater
All you need is a white sheet and a projector that you can plug right into your travel trailer. Imagine how much you’ll surprise and delight the people that you’re traveling with when you pull out a movie and can enjoy it from the comfort of your campsite. You’ll wonder why you ever camped without it!
These theaters do have a tendency to be fairly large energy drains, so make sure that your travel trailer can survive long periods of time off the grid (that’s why we designed our Endless Highways Edition to last for an entire week without having to turn it on) or bring a small generator with you so that you don’t drain your battery. All you have to do is pop some popcorn over the fire (another way that a campfire tripod comes in handy), sit back, and enjoy!
To Conclude…
Even if you plan to do some boondocking, bringing some of the newest, most useful camping gear out there can elevate your entire experience. Invest in a few key pieces, like a campfire tripod or a charger that can use the heat of the fire to charge your phone without needing to rely on electricity, and watch your camping enjoyment skyrocket.
Your Bowlus travel trailer is equipped with everything else you need to travel in comfort, so you never have to worry. Now get out there and enjoy life!
Sources:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/favorite-camping-recipes/
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/index.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20353581