Category: Camping

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Camping Cooking

Ace 1 biomass stove makes the world your kitchen

The Premise. It’s nice to be able to cook a meal on the grill or in the great outdoors when on a camping trip. But finding material to make a campfire can be a hassle and leave you smelling like smoke. So what might a modern option look like for those who enjoy camping but detest the hassle that can come with mealtime?

The Product. Ace 1 takes the old Bunsen burner idea and gives it an eco-friendly twist. The ten pound cooking stove uses both bio mass and solar energy, so it burns cleaner to the point of eliminating smoke. Another nice feature is its speakers that provide dinner music for added ambience. And later on, campers won’t be left in the dark with the included solar chargeable LED light with built-in battery. The light will certainly come in handy for when the spooky stories get the kids freaked out. A USB and DC port are also built in to this cooking tool for those who just can’t stand being separated from their gadgets.

The Pitch. This particular cooking stove not only has campers in mind, but also those in developing countries. The initial focus appears to have been a simple but safe, healthy and environmentally-friendly cooking gadget that expanded its reach to the less fortunate. The €50,000 campaign also boasts of offering a product that can provide some great control over how much heat is being put out for cooking purposes.

The Perks. Backers may choose from quite a few tiers to offer their support for the development of this product, with an early bird option of €159 for one product. For an extra €10, backers may choose from their favorite of six color options. Expected delivery is January 2015.

The Potential. If one prefers cooking over a Bunsen burner type gadget to grilling their food, then this product will likely be useful. The fact that it takes nearly any size pot means that backers would be able to cook for fairly large groups when camping. There is no replacement for the savory taste that comes with grilling or roasting over an open flame, but this product does have some nice conveniences that are likely to delight campers and it would make for a nice addition to camping gear. Other camping stove campaigns backers may want to check out include The Sun Juicer, Charby, and Campfire in a Can.

Categories
Camping Food and Beverage

KruzieCooler makes food faster, cruises on anything

KruzieCoolerCoolers are the bulkiest part of any picnic and most only serve to keep food cool. The KruzieCooler has different uses to make eating outdoors even easier. This product boasts different compartments, a bottle opener, bungee cords for convenient toting and large rubber wheels to take the terrain better. While the KruzieCooler does improve upon the traditional cooler design, it unfortunately lacks the pizzazz of the Coolest which has a USB port, lights, and blender attachment on top of the features it shares with Kruzie. KruzieCooler will cost backers $159 and hopes to raise $120,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Camping Nutrition/Hydration

Portable cooler carrier cradles hydration across rough terrain

Providing water for outdoor activities often means that a spot needs to be found where one can place the water cooler where it won’t fall over. Portable Water Cooler Carrier makes it easier to have water on hand, whether the location has a smooth or rough terrain. This isn’t going to save a great deal on plastic bottles and paper cups unless everyone remembers to bring their own travel mug or water bottle. And if one is bringing a water cooler on a camping trip, that is some extreme camping. Nevertheless, backers can get two products for $125 with an expected delivery of July 2015.

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Camping

DEET-free Invisaband helps take the sting out of summer

invisabandsThere’s nothing more annoying than realizing mosquitoes will be joining you while you try to enjoy a cool summer’s night. All we’ve ever had to protect ourselves thus far are unreliable, environmentally damaging chemicals. The DEET-free Invisaband, however, promises the holy grail of mosquito repellent with a geraniol-infused, adjustable microfiber strap that claims 120 hours of reusable mosquito avoidance. It’s a lot less bulky than the Off Clip and doesn’t need batteries. Backers can obtain their very own pack of 5 for $19 USD to avoid ever having to wake up looking like a pepperoni pizza again. The campaign is aiming for $10,000 by September 13th, 2014.

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Camping

FreeBreezy blocks wind to get your lighter burning

FreebreezyWhether it’s starting a campfire, lighting up the grill or trying to enjoy a smoke, a windy day can make getting a fire going a challenge. That would be the purpose behind FreeBreezy. The idea is to create a kind of windshield for disposable lighters, which seems like a promising concept, but this campaign seems like it needs a bit more fleshing out than what is presently being shown. For $30, backers get one product, but the anticipated delivery is not indicated.

Categories
Camping Relaxation Sleep

Adventurers Hammock keeps bugs and elements at bay

Adventurers HammockWith a goal of perfecting the ultimate backpack, Adventurers Hammock blends sleeping bag, hammock and tent into one piece that is easily strung between a couple of trees using standard hiking gear. The inventors have piled on a lot of really neat features with this one, including the option to use a variety of sleeping pads, an ability to block chilly breezes for camping during cooler months, a zip up cocoon effect for blocking bugs, morning dew, wind and the sun to name just a few items. A couple of similar camping hammocks worth checking out include the Air Hammock and Bison Bag. For $80, backers get one Adventurers Hammock with an expected delivery of October 2015

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Camping

No matches? No problem. Sun Juicer offers campsite cooking

Sun JuicerFood cooked over an open flame tastes great on a cmping trip. But if you’re not in a hurry in the daylight hours, you can let our closest star handle some of the work for you. The Sun Juicer is a highly reflective parabolic dish that allows campers to cook their food with natural sunlight by concentrating the reflected heat. It only weighs about a pound and folds flat for some very easy storage. This will be great for camping, and it would also be useful in emergency situations in which the power is out. However, if more than two will be having dinner, additional Sun Juicers will be needed. Backers get one product for $70, with an anticipated delivery of December 2014.

Categories
Camping Food and Beverage

Coolest Cooler holds plates, charges phones, plays music, even mixes drinks

The Premise. It seems like those summertime excursions with the family to the picnic or camping grounds requires preplanning and packing comparable to leading a small army out into the wild blue yonder. In an effort to make the job of the commander-in-chief of the house a bit simpler, there is now a cooler that may help organize at least a quarter of the items on that packing list. The Product. Coolest Cooler not only holds the ice and keeps the drinks cold, but it also functions like a picnic basket in that it holds plates, utensils, a cutting board and ceramic knife. Other awesome amenities include a removable Bluetooth speaker that connects to pretty much any smartphone for music streaming, a USB charger for most gadgets, blender for those evening cocktails, built-in led lights and even a bottle opener. With its flat top, bungee cords, and thick wheels, it can even help tote gear to the campsite. It’s also waterproof. The Pitch. The video for the $50,000 campaign presents this cooler as though no stone was left unturned in regard to creating a product that very nearly does it all.  It appears to be quite user friendly and offers a great deal of flexibility for storage to match the user’s intent – whether just a day trip or a multiday camping vacation. The Perks. There are eleven tiers from which backers may choose.Backers can get one cooler for $185, which is a savings of $115 off of the anticipated retail price. Expected delivery is February of 2015. The Potential. Pretty much anyone who loves being outdoors is going to love this product. It will come in handy for not only picnics and camping, but also tailgating parties, the beach, the pool, and anywhere else people enjoy having food, drink and music available. If this campaign seems interesting, be sure to also checkout the Boombox Cooler campaign. As for Coolest Cooler, it seems to be a quality piece of equipment that will be a worthwhile investment that really adds to outdoor fun.

Categories
Camping Cooking

Charby handles the dirty work out of portable charcoal BBQs.

CharbyDie-hard BBQ fans rave about the superiority of charcoal grilling. While perhaps more tasty, charcoal grills do not necessarily travel well. Charby debunks this notion as a portable charcoal BBQ. This nifty little grill is perfect for the beach, campgrounds or park and closely resembles Campfire in a Can. While normally people on the go resort to cooking over a fire, they can now enjoy an easy an convenient charcoal experience with Charby. This New Zealand-made product costs backers $50 NZD with expected delivery in October 2014. Charby is going for a $2,000 NZD goal on Kickstarter.

Categories
Camping Relaxation

Air Hammock lets you relax in an air mattress between the trees

Air HammockHere’s an idea that gives a whole new meaning to floating on a breeze. Air Hammock takes the idea of an air mattress and ties it between two trees. It offers single and double wide options, but perhaps the coolest selection is the tent hammock. This item includes a removable rain cover and insect netting for those who like to take their hammock camping. All of the hammocks are light weight, tear proof, nylon cotton blends that breathe, are easy to clean and water resistant. This seems like a great improvement on a popular classic, especially in regard to the tent hammock. $30 gets a backer the single person option with an expected delivery of August 2014.