Adventure gift guide 2017

The Mantis All-In-One Hammock Tent epitomizes sleep versatility. Resort-level comfort and four-season adaptability combine for the most epic hang between two trees. Mantis is adventure ready for basecamp and backcountry, and easily sets up for a backyard nap. This thing can do it all—seriously. “I have taken the mantis out half a dozen times now. It’s become my go to hammock. It’s very well thought out and having a single pack for everything makes it light and small.” - Chuck H., Happy Camper Go-Anywhere Packability It’s time to lighten your load, camper. We know you’re always ready for the next big adventure, and with the Mantis All-In-One Hammock Tent, your kit will be too. The Mantis packs down smaller than your sleeping bag and is lighter than a one-person tent. Don’t need the rainfly or mesh canopy for this trip? Leave one or both at home for an even more compact carry. And when we say the Mantis will go anywhere, we mean it. It’s light enough for overnights in the backcountry, yet comfy enough for daily backyard hangs. Quick, Elevated Setup If you’re tired of trying to find the perfect spot for your tent, level and free of roots and rocks, then the Mantis is your solution. Elevate your campsite and sleep on cloud nine every night. The structural ridgeline takes the guesswork out of setup, providing the ideal hang every time. The knotless design means Mantis goes up in 60 seconds, allowing for more time on the trail and less time fidgeting with cumbersome tent poles. All-Weather Versatility You know what you need better than anyone, so we’re putting you in the driver seat with the Mantis’ versatile design. Take what you need, and leave the rest at home. The detachable Dragonet mesh canopy is essential in mosquito season, and the included rainfly makes for four-season adaptability. Pitch the fly close to the hammock body to stay dry through rain and snow, or use trekking poles for front-porch mode to wake up with a view. No rain in the forecast? Ditch the fly altogether and examine the night sky through the Stargazer panel. Whatever the outdoors throw your way, Mantis has you covered. Designed With the Camper in Mind After a long day on the trail, we know all you want is a comfortable bed to crawl into. The hammock body is made with our signature Gravitas™ fabric—silky soft and luxurious beyond comparison. Storage is a cinch with built-in pockets, and during our Father’s Day Sale, all Mantis purchases come with a free Ridgeline Organizer, giving you even more space for essentials like a water bottle and headlamp. Add one of our trail quilts and our Insulated Pongo Pad for an outdoor oasis like no other—resort level comfort between two trees.

Alisha McDarris is the co-founder and writer at terradrift.com, a sustainable travel and outdoor adventure blog and YouTube channel where gear reviews, how-tos, and guides help folks get outside to play more and do so safely, responsibly, and sustainably.   There’s little more thrilling than outfitting yourself with a few new pieces of gear. The excitement! The thrill! The compelling urge to get outside to use it as soon as humanly possible! But constantly buying brand-new gear is hard on the environment. Virgin materials, resource-intensive manufacturing processes, and harsh chemical dyes all contribute to harmful greenhouse gasses, and often, the well-loved gear we just replaced gets tossed in a landfill where it could take hundreds of years—if not longer—to break down. But there is a solution: used gear. Buying used instead of new is good for the planet, good for our wallet, and good for overflowing landfills. And it’s still just as exciting. It’s new to you, after all. So if you want to make your camping setup more sustainable, consider buying used instead of new. Here’s how (and where). Where to find used gear If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to used gear, don’t sweat it; there are plenty of places to find it online or in person. Start by checking at a local gear shop if you’re lucky enough to have one near you. Many local shops have used or consignment sections. Some cities even have stores dedicated entirely to used gear. If there’s not a used gear shop where you live, keep an eye out for sample sales. Kammok isn’t the only brand that hosts them as a way to offer solid used gear at a discounted rate! Next, check larger retailers like REI. The stores host several Garage Sale events per year that offer returned and used gear at deeply discounted rates. During COVID, most stores still place Garage Sale items around retail locations so savvy customers can still find a good deal. You do have to be an REI Co-op member to shop Garage Sale items, though, so keep that in mind. Online is a great place to look for used gear too. REI has a used gear section, as do many outdoor brands like Patagonia, Arc’teryx, and The North Face. Another favorite is GearTrade.com, which is all used outdoor gear all the time. You may even find items with the tags still on! Lastly, it never hurts to check sites like Ebay, Amazon Warehouse, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace. You can often find used outdoor gear in your own neighborhood. How to score the best used gear Of course, not all used gear is quality used gear. There’ll be plenty of used and abused, weathered and battered gear out there, but there’s also plenty of gear that’s barely been touched. On online listings, look for wear ratings like good, fair, or excellent. Then check for details on what’s wrong with it if it’s not in great condition. Sometimes a pair of boots may have been worn thin. Other times, all that’s wrong with a tent is that it has a small puncture hole in the floor (more on repairing used gear below). Make sure the item you’re considering suits your purposes, then buy with confidence. If you’re shopping locally, either from a retailer or individual, don’t be afraid to ask to unpack a sleeping bag, set up a tent, try on a jacket, or inflate a sleeping pad. Make sure it’s in as good of shape as the seller claims before you buy. Check for warranties Many quality outdoor gear brands and manufacturers offer excellent warranties with their gear. Osprey, for example, offers their All Mighty Guarantee on everything they make (whether or not you bought it used), and Kammok gear comes with a lifetime warranty too, which even backs their used gear! So check which manufacturers offer lifetime warranties and find out if that warranty extends to a second owner or used gear sold directly from the manufacturer. Then, if it needs repairs, find out what it takes to ship it in and get it fixed up like new. Repair worn or used gear Finally, if you found an amazing piece of gear for a stellar price, but it has a small tear, defect, broken buckle, or the like, don’t shut it down just yet. Most gear can be repaired, and often, all that’s required is a wash, re-waterproofing, patch job or zipper lubrication. Learn how to perform basic maintenance on your gear and you’ll not only be able to keep it in use longer, you’ll be able to score great deals on slightly defective gear as most people won’t bother repairing it. For example, I scored at least half off an expensive Big Agnes tent that was probably used once at an REI Garage Sale because it had a small tear in the floor. I took it home, patched it in two minutes, and the tent is just like new. Sell your old gear Now that you’ve replaced a few items in your gear closet with quality used camping gear, don’t forget about your old gear! If it’s still in decent or better working order, clean it up and resell it! Use sites like Craignslist or Marketplace or gear-specific sites like GearTrade.com. REI also lets members sell their used gear on REI.com now! If it’s time to retire an item permanently (say, if a tent is falling apart at the seams, or a sleeping bag is so old it’s lost all of its loft), take a minute before tossing in the garbage can. Many materials, buckles, and accessories can be removed and reused on other repair or DIY projects. And some repair shops and universities may even take the old gear for certain specialized programs. It’s always worth it to check as most plastic and synthetic materials won’t break down in landfills.   Bottom line Used gear is more sustainable than the shiniest new eco-friendly gear. So if it’s sustainable camping you want, it’s out with the new and in with the old! Fill that gear closet with quality used items and feel good about reducing your footprint, being kind to the planet, and saving yourself a few bucks in the process.

While all our gear is made to last, the thin mesh fabric of insect netting may get tears from being out in the elements, being stored next to sharp objects or accidents that are bound to happen while spending time outside.  We prefer using patches to fix small holes in mesh fabric. This is something you can do at home to extend the life of your gear. If the insect netting on your Kammok gear has large tears or seems irreparable, remember Kammok gear has a lifetime warranty. To repair holes in your Dragonfly, Mantis or Sunda insect netting, we recommend using the Gear Aid Mesh Patches for a quick fix. Here’re step-by-step instructions on repairing your bug netting.   Step 1: Lay your ripped mesh fabric onto a flat surface. Step 2: Open your Gear Aid Mesh Patches and peel one of the patches.  Step 3: Center the patch over the damaged area and press firmly for about 30 seconds to apply the first patch.  Step 4: Flip the mesh fabric over and peel the second Gear Aid Mesh Patch.  Step 5: Repeat the process on the other side. Lay the second patch evenly on top of the first one and press firmly for about 30 seconds to apply. Give is a good rub to make sure the patch is firmly applied.  You’re all set! The mesh fabric is now ready for the next time you want to spend time outside.

Dr. Felicia Wong is a physician, outdoor enthusiast, and wellness blogger based in Southern California. Between her and her husband (also a physician)'s busy work schedules, raising two young sons, and running her popular Instagram account Everyday Adventure Fam and blog on adventure tips, she exemplifies what it means to live intentionally and joyfully with her family. The Wong family can be found hiking, biking, enjoying a day at the beach or skiing in the nearby mountains on any given weekend. However, one of their favorite activities is camping. In this blog post, Felicia shares her tips and recommended gear to help others who are interested in camping get started. This guide is for individuals, couples, or families who are interested in trying car camping. The following recommendations are not for backcountry camping, and are comfort-oriented for a “DIY glamping” type of experience. I fully recognize that many of the following items are not necessary, but my experience has been that comfortable campers are happy campers, and I’m proud to take credit for converting several friends who had never camped before, or who were skeptical about it, into willing, maybe even enthusiastic, campers. I’m sharing this list of tried and true items that we have purchased and used on our own camping trips, and that we like enough to have recommended to our friends and family. I have provided links to products throughout this list. Most of our items were purchased from REI or Amazon, though some are from small shops such as Power Practical (luminoodle), Miir (insulated camp cups), Rumpl (sleeping bag like throws and blankets), Kammok (hammock and stand). DIY Tent Glamping Basics Tent: We have the REI Kingdom 6. The general rule of thumb for comfortable family camping is to choose a tent at least +2 greater than the number of people you intend to sleep on the tent. We’re a family of 4, so bought the 6 person version. Some of our friends who like to spread out more or have older kids bought the 8 person version, and have plenty of room in their tent to fit 2 queen air mattresses, and have space in the front for storage and indoor card / board games (handy, in case of less desirable weather) . We also bought the tent footprint to keep the bottom clean and dry. A waterproof tarp will work for this purpose as well. Sleep System: We use air mattresses, and sleep comfortably while camping. We have the REI Queen Sleep system, and it is such a comfortable air mattress, we’ve even used it at home when guests come over! As the boys have gotten bigger, we’ve added a second one (twin) to our tent setup. Eventually, we’ll probably need two queen size mattresses.  Cozy Blankets and Throws: The comforter that came with the REI sleep system is warm enough for summer camping in Southern California. For additional warmth and lounging by campfire, we like our Pendleton wool camp blankets and Rumpls (we have original puffy, but also have a couple down blankets which pack down so small!) For a budget option, Costco sometimes carries down throws. Sleeping Bag: After a very chilly camping experience (37F), we found an additional sleeping bag necessary for camping down to 20 degrees F. I found this double wide Omnicore sleeping bag rated for 10, and it has kept us warm for these situations. We still also use my 20 year old north face sleeping bag -which shows that gear does last forever if you take care of it!  Pillows: We’ve tried a few, and these Thermarest compressible pillows are the most comfortable. Lighting: We’ve found some great deals on camping lanterns from Costco. We bring flashlights for the kids. Instead of single use glow sticks, I’ve found some LED glow necklaces that make it easier to spot kids (and adults) after the sun sets. I like the Black Diamond Moji lanterns which are small but mighty, and can be hung on a carabiner to the top of your tent to provide a good amount of light at night. Recently, I’ve tried the Aimtom Power mini camping lantern and am very impressed with how much light it puts out! Camp Cooking Camp Stove: We like this Coleman triton stove and its carrying case. Cooking Table/Storage: GCI Outdoor slim-fold Camp Kitchen Portable folding cook station Camp Kettle Coffee Supplies: We use a Stainless Steel french press, or a collapsible drip coffee maker. Our friends have had success with a percolator. Recently, we’ve also enjoyed Kuju Coffee since serve drip coffee. Cast Iron Pan with Lodge cast iron pan silicon handle Oven Mitts: Don't forget to protect your hands when handling hot kettles or roasting sticks. Enamelware Dining Set: We have this Every day set from Stansport, and for Glamping, we have this beautiful dipped set from Barnyard Electric. It is $$$ and was a birthday gift, but we use them year-round and quite frequently for our backyard dinners and with the kids (enamel ware = childproof and unbreakable!) I’ve seen s started carrying a very affordable and classy looking enamelware mug and plate. Camp Cooking Utensil Set: This set has everything you really need. Camp Collapsible Dish Bin Scrub Brush: for doing dishes Camp Soap: campsuds Egg Storage: It really works and keeps our eggs from crushing! Cooler: We tried a bunch of coolers before getting Yeti Hopper flip and it really is amazing – keeps food cold all day in the summer heat with proper ice packs in place and doesn’t sweat. We were skeptical, but it really has outperformed all our other coolers, and it’s a perfect size for road trips and picnics. We also have the tundra haul which has kept food cold for 4 days, and is better for longer camping / road trips. Pop up trash can NOTE: On some camping trips (i.e. when water is limited), we have found it easier to use biodegradable disposable plates, rather bring all our enamel ware and do dishes. These not only look great, but they are really effective kindling as well! Bathing Bath caddy or hanging organizer Biodegradable soap: from REI Microfiber towels: These are great and less bulky. I think they might be seasonal but you can find them at Ikea for a great low price. Nalgene travel leakproof bottles: for toiletries Seating/ Hanging Out Don’t forget your camp chairs: we have an assortment of REI camp chair, Coleman kids chairs, Coleman adult chairs. We love these small packable ones from trekology and have been bringing them on road trips and even for tailgating parking lot picnics during the pandemic. Hammocks are great for seating or lounging! We haven’t tried sleeping in one yet, but we’ve heard some people do hammock camping! If you’re in Southern California like us, we don’t have many trees so we have found this Swiftlet portable stand super useful with our double room hammock. Extras, that enhance the experience Camp Organization: We have this Ozark trail folding end table with cup holder. Camp Table: It’s really nice to have a table to set things on when sitting by the campfire. For example, you’re s’mores or hot chocolate. We get a lot of use out of our large Trekology table Luminoodle: I love these colored rope lights – they add a splash of color to your tent. Makes it easy to pick out your tent when it is dark out and you are walking back from the bathroom. Tablecloth: Adds ambience and provides a trusty clean surface. Tablecloth Weights: Coleman watermelon table weights.  Glowsticks: for the kids, for a more sustainable option – we’ve moved to these reusable LED necklaces and have a different color per family member. Telescoping Smore’s Sticks: We like these ones. Mystic Fire: Turns campfire into a rainbow. Everyone loves this! Gas Campfire: We have the Camco big red campfire, and it comes in handy in Southern California where there are often wood fire bans. Kids Play Tent: I found one on sale for a little over $10. This is nice to have because it provides shade for kids in summer, and a place to play. Meanwhile, they don’t track a ton of dirt into your actual tent. Doormat: I got a cheap one from Target. Keeps the dirt from tracking into the tent if you’re camping by the beach or some other dirt campsite. We did not find this necessary when camping on grass. Bring From Home: Scooters or bikes for kids. I hope you find this list helpful. Again, this is just a guide and what has worked for us. None of this is “necessary” for having fun. As I prefaced, for some – a simple tarp will suffice. We did not buy all of this gear at once, but have accumulated items over the years. We generally wait until things are on sale – Labor day, Black Friday and Memorial Day tend to be sale times for outdoor gear. Finally, for those who are wondering, we organize our camp gear into several large bins, which we then store in our garage – always ready for our next trip. Happy Camping!   If roughing it in the backcountry doesn't get you excited, give glamping a try on National Camp At Home Day. For more family camping, traveling tips and inspiration, follow Dr. Felicia Wong's Instagram account Everyday Adventure Fam and blog.