After a tiring week at work, with the weekend joyfully looming ahead of me, I often find myself fantasizing about a short sweet getaway! Just a few days away from my hectic life, and this hectic world, in a bubble of my own, where all my worries are nowhere to be seen. The pandemic may restrict my actual traveling plans, but it definitely cannot restrict my daydreams about vacations! Jetsetting on a flight may not be a practical option right now, but I do think Camping is a plausible plan. Although camping does have a few downsides too! I mean, you have to get down and dirty, live life on the road, and tackle the moodiness of the elements. In such a scenario, having a set of trustworthy and handy camping products can make a world of difference! Having the right products by your side can make your life much easier during those crucial moments. From an adorable avocado-shaped glamping tent to a rooftop cargo box equipped with a solar panel, we’ve curated some fun and functional camping product designs for you. Enjoy!
You can find these unique tents in the Borgloon forest in Belgium if you are looking for a safer alternative to the usual touristy destinations post the pandemic. In fact, it has gained attention only now when people are looking to camp outdoors because it is safer, won’t require you to fly, is budget-friendly, and avoids crowds. Designed by the Dutch artist Dre Wapenaar, these ‘Tranendreef’ tree tents blend architecture and sculpture into one functional structure. The tent is suspended above the ground and basically hangs on the tree like fruit. The guests use a ladder to get inside/outside. It can host two adults and two small children. Originally installed as part of a public art project called ‘Pit’ (hence the avocado shape we assume) organized by Z33, it brought art into the public space of Borgloon. The designer also created ‘field furniture’ – seating, washing, toilet, and BBQ units to complete the camping site with the tents.
Grüezi Bag wanted to create a fully natural sleeping bag that respected nature while you enjoy nature! Wool is insensitive to moisture and regulates the sleeping climate in the bag. “In DownWool we combine the good properties of down and wool. All individual parts on the sleeping bag are OEKOTEX certified. At the end of its long life, the sleeping bag can be completely composted,” says the team. Thanks to its organic materials, it feels cozy and soft just like the traditional sleeping bags but without the negative impact on the environment. The down ensures cozy insulation and the wool works like natural air-conditioning. Thanks to its overlapping design, it can be opened entirely making it super easy to get in and out of the bag. You can adjust the width if you need more space and it also features a pillow pocket.
The camping gear comprises solar-powered independent items that are designed primarily for conscious travelers who want to camp in the wilderness with little or no impact on the environment whatsoever. The highlight of the gear is the smokeless camping fire pit, which is portable, lightweight, and easy to set up. Other accessories comprising the Elves include a coffee brewer, tableware, and hanging lights. Made with the idea to give your camping a glamping lift – sans environmental impact, the glamorous camping accessories have a sensory appeal and are all powered by clean energy. Yes, everything from the tripod-style fire pit to the drip coffee brewer and the hanging pendant lights to tableware is powered by the sun.
An exquisite carrying option worth every type of off-road vehicle, the durable CBX Solar with trail-ready aesthetics features an integrated solar panel for charging up to two portable devices when you’re off-the-grid. The premium Yakima cargo box with its interesting blend of modern outlook and functionality features 2 USB ports that can help charge anything from portable devices to camping gear with a USB port. For the adventurers keeping track, this solar cargo box boasts an angular finish and stealth-like texture on the outside and on the inside offers 16 cubic feet of cargo space. This space is ample to suck in tents, sleeping bags, camping gear, or anything else you have to throw into it. A removable torque limiting knob helps fasten the cargo box to the roof rails securely, while a dual-sided opening makes the box really easy to reach out from either side of your vehicle.
Breaking the shackles of mainstream travel trailer design and purposefulness is the Happier Camper HC1 which is one of the most versatile campers on the road thanks to its modular floor and a big hatch. It has an adaptive interior setup called Adaptiv system, comprising of six different components that fix into the floor like LEGO and make the modularity possible. These include a bench, kitchenette, table, cushion, floor panel, and lid. You can slot the components into place for a wide variety of interior layouts or even use these components as outdoor furniture sitting by the campfire or for outdoor cooking fun. The camper can also be left empty for hauling cargo if needed, which is a good added utility.
A portable light source is essential for every hiker or camper, especially during those dark hours. It can be a valuable protector, revealing dangerous/poisonous critters on the ground or sending an SOS signal if you are injured. The designers behind this product seemed to understand this importance. The Solarpill is a pendant-sized solar-powered lighting device that can attach to your body or almost any surface in the wild. How? The white half of the pill has a hole where you can thread a rope through to make a keychain or necklace. That part is also a cap, that when removed, reveals a needle-like stake that can be embedded into trees or soft rocks along your path. Igneous isn’t it? This ability to poke the light into any surface comes especially handy when we need to work hands-free, be it to cut some rope or while relieving ourselves while outdoors.
The Tego Adventure Kit takes the format of the roll-up toolkit and transforms it into something much more polished, and infinitely versatile. The very basic framework of the bag lies in its different modules – or sets of mesh-lined pockets – that are all differently designed to carry different things. Whether you’re using them to carry tools or toothbrushes, grooming equipment or charging cables, or just about any small item, the Tego Adventure Kit gives you different modules to easily organize, store, and separate them based on your need.
Meet WAMP, a camping cooking pot made from ultra-durable duralumin material, ideal for campers who value multiple uses of things they stuff in the backpack. Although a pretty basic utensil, this solves a very useful purpose. You can put it on top of any oil lantern to employ the heat dissipated to good use. Case-in-point, heating or keeping the food warm without expending any extra energy. Be it cooking piping hot canned food or preparing energy-boosting tea on a long trip to the mountains. This camping instant pot makes complete sense as it employs the lantern heat in the range of 200 – 300 degrees Celsius to judicious use. After all, out in the wild everything is at a premium – energy reserve in particular.
Cha Hongkun, a designer from China has pondered over tweaking the design of a portable light to an extent where it addresses an even wider array of activities. Cha calls it the “Ray” – an outdoor accompanying portable light with a never before seen form factor. It’s essentially a wide strap that can be hooked onto your bike, backpack, or anything one can think of. It goes without saying – Ray is an outdoor essential accessory that’ll never let you down. The ease of use and portable credentials make it one accessory I would want in my absolute essentials for a trip anywhere. The portable LED light can be charged with a USB-C compatible power bank or via a wall outlet. What’s got me hooked on here is the cool choice of colors the designer has penned for Ray.
Inspired by living life on the edge and documenting travels along the way, the iCam Pro was conceptualized using top-grade technology fit for the adventure seeker who isn’t about to be held back by limiting camera setbacks. Equipped with Apple’s A12Z Bionic Chip, the concept of iCam Pro boasts lightning-fast feedback and the same power efficiency we’ve all come to expect from Apple. In addition to its ultra-fast microchip, the iCam Pro comes outfitted with LiDAR sensors, an advancement in camera technology that fills out Apple’s camera to take videography to another level. LiDAR sensors essentially use remote sensing to examine the Earth’s surface, and all of its nooks and crannies to deliver photos that are as close to the real thing as you can get from phone cameras. In a similar vein, a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor expands the camera’s view to deliver fuller photos, while the iCam Pro’s 22 MP wide camera captures crystal clear colors for more realistic documentation.
