17 Outdoor Essentials for the Savvy Camper
Hudson Bay Axe
This handsome, lightweight axe is easily toteable and perfect for chopping and splitting wood as you see fit. Used by the fur traders in Canada’s Hudson Bay, the handle is made from hickory and the head of high carbon steel. It’s made in the USA and should last you a lifetime. $125,treelineoutdoors.com
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Buffalo Jerky, Original Flavor
The latest addition to outdoor company Patagonia’s excellent offerings is a Provisions line of responsibly sourced food (think wild salmon, and fruit and almond bars). One of the most trail-friendly items is their Buffalo Jerky made from American bison (free-range, grass-fed, and antibiotic- and hormone-free). It’s a lean and nutritious outdoor snack. $10, patagoniaprovisions.com
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German Kerosene Lanterns
Since 1902, this classic, handsome German-crafted kerosene lantern design has emitted a sturdy, warm glow (the tank offers 20 hours of light). A thermal, heat-resistant glass globe refuses to crack, even in snow or rain, which means all you need is a good book or warm flask as you ready for slumber. $40, kaufmann-mercantile.com
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Best Made Co. First Aid Kit
Out in the wilderness, it’s safety first. The rustic accessory shop Best Made Company’s small catchy red, moisture-resistant metal box is a supply of all-purpose essentials. Inside, you’ll find gauze pads, bandages, tape, gloves, burn cream, alcohol gel and antibiotic cream. $48, bestmadeco.com
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Snow Peak Flask
The minimalist design team at Snow Peak, founded by avid Japanese mountaineer Yukio Yamai, produces a clean, lightweight, and supremely strong and smooth titanium flask—perfect for passing a sip or two of your favorite bourbon, scotch or whiskey, and a story around the campfire. $160, snowpeak.com
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Earth Tu Face Voyage Travel Kit
This portable travel kit crafted by California herbalists includes nourishing essentials from the aptly titled Earth Tu Face. Cleanse with the light palmarosa and aloe cream, nourish and balance with blue chamomile and carrot seed face serum, and give that dry camping skin a surge of much-needed moisturize with a coconut oil and cardamom body butter. $64, earthtuface.com
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Edgevale’s North Coast Shirt Jacket & Poler’s Women's Long Sleeve ButtonUp
As the evening chill sets in around the campfire, don the universally handsome, water- and wind-resistant North Coast Shirt Jacket from outdoor outfit Edgevale. For the ladies, you can’t beat Poler’s classic, versatile and forever timeless Pacific Northwest lumberjack plaid. $199, edgevaleusa.com; $71, polerstuff.com
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Stumptown Voyager
A proper cup of coffee is a necessity for any camper, and Portland’s Stumptown has made it easy to produce a cup with their nifty travel kit, which includes a Snow Peak brewer (filters included), Porlex manual grinder, a bag of popular sweet-savory Hair Bender coffee and a good-looking evergreen tree enamel mug. $125, stumptowncoffee.com
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Eva Solo Table Grill
This handy, straightforward and easy-to-tote Danish table grill design from Eva Solo allows you to enjoy grilled food from almost anywhere thanks to white fireproof porcelain and a wood trivet table protector. $239, amazon.com
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Fire Survival Kit
This handsome circular, waterproof canister match set is encased in a bar of solid brass and holds a bunch of matches and a cotton ball (conveniently located in the cap). $150, fortstandard.squarespace.com
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Patio Oil
This woodsy, all-natural, powerful insect repellent from Jao contains a refreshing 20 percent lemon eucalyptus and 10 percent soybean oil. As bugs keep their distance, you will find your skin softened from hemp and jojoba. Without any chemicals, feel free to reapply all day. $30, jaobrand.com
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Alder Dry Shampoo
The Brooklyn-based Alder, founded by Nina Zilka and David J. Krause have concocted a natural hair powder for excess oil. Sprinkle some in your palm as ingredients like rice powder, kaolin clay, organic horsetail powder and organic essential oils take hold. A range of scents includes eucalyptus, bergamot and patchouli. $30, aldernewyork.com
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Grayl Legend with Trail Filter
Do you want fresh tasting, odorless water in 15 seconds? Thanks to Grayl Legend’s simple and effective filtration, you have the freedom to dip into a creek’s running water. Bacteria are omitted thanks to an activated carbon core, which removes 99.99 percent of the bad stuff, including E. coli and Salmonella. Drink up! $70, izola.com
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Topo x Woolrich Rover Pack
The Rover Pack is Topo’s collaboration with the venerable outdoor company Woolrich. The low-profile pack features a strong, durable base and two exterior pockets that let you store your water bottles, camping knives and guide books. $189, topodesigns.com
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How to Stay Alive in the Woods
In the backwoods, technique is everything. This practical manual by Bradford Angier is portioned into four nicely illustrated sections of Sustenance, Warmth, Orientation and Safety, and includes tips on everything from catching game without a gun to how to build a shelter. $20, shopterrain.com
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Opinel Knife
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum places the simple Opinel knife in their 100 best-designed objects in the world. It’s no wonder their No. 8 knife, a staple of French culture, is comprised of smooth beechwood and sturdy, durable stainless steel. The best part? The price tag: The elegant knife is under $20. from $9, opinel-usa.com
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Pendleton Blanket
Stay toasty in the cooler weather with Pendleton’s array of blankets woven in American mills. The smart-looking Hemrich rich stripe camp blanket, made of wool and cotton, harkens back to “ombre stripe” blankets cowboys tossed on the backs of saddles to later unroll and rest. from $119, pendleton-usa.com