American-made Gear for Your Car-camping Road Trip
By PJ DelHomme
It’s time for new toys to help you keep your wits when car camping this summer. We’ve got you covered with some of the coolest American-made gear.
Packing up the rig for a camping trip is nothing short of performance art. Depending on your stage in life, it can be a profanity-laced (yet beautifully choreographed) dance of strollers, tents, stoves, pack-and-plays, toys, and so on. Among those supplies are pieces of gear I would never leave home without on a road trip. Here are seven great pieces of gear made right here in the U.S.A.
Camp Stove ($190)
Got gas? Then you’re in luck. Coleman has been the name in camping since it was founded over 120 years ago. During World War II, American paratroopers jumped behind enemy lines with their Coleman stoves alongside ammunition and C-rations. Today, many of Coleman’s products are imported, but a few are still made stateside, including this Guide Series® Dual Fuel Stove. It burns Coleman Liquid Fuel or unleaded gas, and those burners get up to 14,000 BTUs. They make a more convenient propane stove that offers up even more BTUs, but it’s imported.
Utility Hatchet ($53)
It’s not camping if sharp edges aren’t within arm’s length. Council Sport Utility’s Flying Fox Woodsman Hatchet is a budget-conscious, American-made workhorse. Use it to hammer, chop, and demolish. And the best part? I mean, the best part. It meets the specifications for competitive axe-throwing. We encourage all of our readers to use caution when throwing sharp metal. Please, throw responsibly.
Sleeping Pad ($240)
You need a decent night’s sleep after a long day of driving and hatchet-throwing. And the older you get, the less inviting sleeping on the ground sounds (and feels). I have the solution, but it’s not cheap. A MondoKing 3D Sleeping Pad by Thermarest is the end-all, be-all of sleeping pads. With more than four inches of foam and a 7.0 R-value, this pad will keep you comfy enough at night and plenty warm. Granted, it’s no hotel bed. Then again, it doesn’t come with bed bugs.
Hammock ($70)
You’re not alone if you’ve seen more hammocks hanging around. It’s a thing, and can you blame millennials? Napping is relaxing. Based out of Colorado, Hummingbird Hammocks makes ultralightweight hammocks out of parachute material. Founded nearly a decade ago by a parachute rigger, Hummingbird Hammocks are great for car camping and backpacking. The Hummingbird Ultralight Single Hammock weighs less than an apple (5.2 ounces) and packs up just as small.
Flashlight ($89)
Things are going to go bump in the night. When they do, you want to see what’s happening. And if need be, temporarily blind whatever is making that noise. That’s where Surefire’s G2X LE flashlight comes into play. It was originally designed for Canadian law enforcement, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be in your glove box. With a max output of 600 lumens, this light is impressive for its size. The low output setting provides 15 lumens, which is typically plenty of light and increases run time.
Cooler ($220)
Since 1947, Igloo coolers have been a staple of job sites and factories. When you leave the time clock behind and hit the road, why not leave the ice behind, too? Plug in Igloo’s Iceless Portable Electric 40 Qt Cooler (it works with a 12V plug), and the convection cooling technology uses the fan to circulate cold air. Say goodbye to soggy sandwiches.
Roof Box ($750)
Thule is a Swedish company that makes all kinds of gear, like bike racks and roof-top cargo boxes. The latter is made here in the U.S.A. and is a great way to make more room inside your rig. They aren’t cheap, though. The Thule Force XT Roof Box lists for $750, but you can find better deals by shopping online. The XL version has 18 cubic feet of storage space and a load capacity of 165 pounds. It’s lockable and can be opened from either side.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of all the gear you need to car camp on the road, but it’s a start. Remember always to pack a little patience and a sense of adventure. Treat your next road trip like the vacation it should be.
PJ DelHomme writes and edits content from his home in western Montana. He runs Crazy Canyon Media and Crazy Canyon Journal.
Check out other articles in our Summer Road Trip Survival Guide blog series.
