This story originally appeared on FWx.com
If you’re like us you’re going to take advantage of the warm weather and long days by trekking out of the city and sleeping on the ground in the middle of the woods. But roughing it does not have to be the rudimentary experience it used to be. Eating, drinking, sleeping—it’s all better out in the wilderness than it used to be. Here, some of favorite gear to take with you as you venture on your way.
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Squeeze Water Filtration System
If you’re really roughing it, clean water can be hard to come by. That’s where the Squeeze filter system comes in. According to their tests, the hollow fiber membrane takes out 99.99999 percent of bacteria, allowing you to drink from any streams you pass by with confidence. It also comes with a refillable pouch that will let you carry around an extra liter of water.
Treehouse Drinking Chocolate
Unlike certain other instant hot cocoa packs that taste like the diet soda version of a campfire drink, Treehouse’s packets of powder produce a dense, chocolaty beverage that will certainly keep you warm.
Stanley Camping Cocktail Kit
Mixing cocktails when your bar is a tree stump does not necessarily make for a pleasant experience. Or for the best drinks. But this stainless steel setup that comes with a shaker, a jigger and a juicer as well as a couple stainless cocktail cups, will help. The woods have already inspired many a hipster cocktail bar, so this is a natural next step.
Tiktaalik Field Knives
When it comes to cooking tools built for the woods, most of them are flimsy imitations of what you typically use in the kitchen. Not Tiktaalik knives. While a bit smaller and much lighter than standard knives, this set mimics them in most other ways. Each Field Knife set comes with a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a serrated bread knife. A Swiss Army blade these are not.
Kleen Kanteen Insulated Bottle + Café Top
A good coffee cup can be tough to find. Kleen Kanteen’s new system will let you stop your search though. Their regularly reliable 16 or 20 ounce bottles will keep your drink hot for 24 hours (seriously, why are you taking an entire day to drink a cup of coffee?) and their new lids complete set. They’re easy to open and let you sip just enough at a time to avoid burning your mouth. It’s also a very driver-friendly cup, so it’s great for the car camping set.
Heimplanet Cave Tent
If you’ve ever had problems pitching a tent the Cave is for you. Inflatable tubes provide a solid structure that can hold up to battering in windy conditions and eliminate the struggles we’ve all had with those collapsible poles. Oh, and they provide a badass look as well. At $500 the Cave is a pricey addition, but if you’re ready for an upgrade it’s worth the investment.
Igloo Trailmate Cooler
There are coolers and then there are coolers. In addition to keeping ice frozen (and by extension, your food fresh) for up to four days, the newest creation from old standby Igloo may be the ultimate cooler for beer drinkers with capacity for 112 cans. It also comes with a couple built in bottle openers, cup holders and the neon coloring will help you find it even on a dark moonless night.
Little Red Dot Jerky
There are enough artisanal jerky companies in the world at this point to fill an entire aisle at Whole Foods, but you won’t find a better one than Little Red Dot. Spicy, sweet Singaporean-style bak kwa, the jerky from the California-based company is a perfect snack to take on the trail or keep at the campsite.
Hydro Flask Insulated Growler
Cold beer is a must when you venture outdoors for any extended period of time and we haven’t found a better way to keep than with this insulated growler. The Hydro Flask will keep your brew chilled for a full 24 hours and miraculously, it stays pretty carbonated as well.
