Snow Peak Mini Hozuki Lantern
Keep your campsite well lit with the Snow Peak Mini Hozuki Lantern ($40). Available in two colors, this handy LED lantern runs for seventy hours off 3 AAA batteries, and features a built-in loop with a magnetic closure for hanging and a silicone rubber shade for light diffusion. Time to turn in for the night? Set it to candle mode and let the flickering light set the mood inside your tent.
Oru Folding Kayak
Yes, you read that correctly. The Oru Folding Kayak ($TBA) is a completely sea-worthy vessel that packs down into a trunk- and plane-friendly form, complete with a built-in strap. It weighs just 25 pounds, and once you've reached your destination, 5 minutes of assembly will yield a 12-foot long kayak that's ready for whatever you can throw at it. Folding oars not included.
Kanz Field Power Desk
No matter how hard you try, sometimes you need to get some work done in less-than-ideal conditions — like in the middle of the forest with no power supply to be seen conditions. Luckily, the Kanz Field Power Desk ($2,000-$2,500) is built for just those circumstances. Available in 120- and 240-Watt configurations, they boast GoalZero Sherpa 120 power packs to power your gear for up to 3 or 6 extra hours, mono-crystalline 20W solar panels that can recharge the batteries in similarly small amounts of time, rugged bodies, included legs to serve as free-standing desks, and lightweight designs that make it possible to lug them with you wherever you may roam.
Poler Wunder Bundler
Yes, the Poler Wunder Bundler ($25) can keep your six-pack cold — but don't confuse it with a cooler. This versatile implement can also keep hot food warm, serve as padding for shock-sensitive gear, work as a reflector to attract attention in an emergency, become an impromptu baby-changing station, or just save your knees from getting dirty when taking low-angle shots outdoors. Let's see your Igloo do that.
Socks by Mack Weldon
So comfortable customers routinely claim they’re “walking on clouds” thanks to the cushioned footbed. The No Shows ($14.50/2 pack) have a “no slip grip” that stays put in low cut summer shoes, while the crew length styles actually stay up if you want them to. Get one or get them all - the Sock Drawer ($135) includes 16 pairs. But do get them soon, because like all things Mack Weldon makes, these are in high demand (and insanely comfortable).
Audubon Bird Call
Given its simple appearance, we'd have serious reservations about the effectiveness of the Audubon Bird Call ($9) — if it hadn't been doing its job for over 70 years. Invented by Roger Eddy — who was also an author and a politic in the Connecticut state legislature — this simple call is made from cast zinc and birch wood in Rhode Island, and emits a generic tweeting noise that draws curious birds in.
VitalGrill
Whether you're outdoors by choice or by necessity, the VitalGrill ($80-$170) will let you cook up a tasty meal using nothing but a couple batteries and whatever burnables you can find. Available in stove and barbecue varieties, the VitalGrill is powered by two AA batteries that run a blower fan, allowing your fire to produce up to 20,000 BTU of heat while your food cooks in no time. Being a product designed for the outdoors, it's easily collapsible, making it a no-brainer to include in your "shit just hit the fan" bag.
Zippo Outdoor Gear
Yes, they really do make more than just lighters. Zippo Outdoor Gear ($25-$300) is an all-new line of camping equipment, including a dependable Windproof Stove that borrows tech from the aforementioned lighters to keep the fire burning, a rugged, stylish All-Terrain Grill with an oversized stainless steel work surface, a log carrier, a 4-in-1 Woodsman tool that serves as a saw, axe, mallet, and puller, a LED-based Rugged Lantern, and the unique Utensil Tree for keeping all your grilling tools safe and off the ground. The bad news? You won't be using any of it this year, as the lineup doesn't launch until Spring 2013.
Jetovator
Take your on-water experience to new heights — literally — with the Jetovator ($9,000) connects to the jet unit on your personal watercraft using a 40 hose, and offers simple-to-use controls to let you rise 30 feet above the water, dive up to ten feet below, and zoom along at up to 25 mph, all while your buddy driving the jet ski looks up in envy.
Flir Scout PS32 Night Vision Monocular
Whether you're preparing for a breakdown of society or just need to scout your prey in the dark, the Flir Scout PS32 Night Vision Monocular ($2,900) has you covered. It offers a compact, weather-proof design, a 320x240 thermal imaging detector, a built-in LCD display, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a 350-foot range for human detection, a standard tripod mount for extended stakeouts, and three display modes. Bad news for those of you abroad: exports outside the US are prohibited.
Wibit Sports Park 60
Whether you're trying to run your own mini-waterpark or just want to add a full-on play area to your private lake, the Wibit Sports Park 60 ($TBA) has you covered. This massive inflatable structure measures roughly 130' by 105', uses three electric pumps to inflate in just three hours, and offers a curved bridge, a cliff, a slide, a mini-pond, long jump and high jump areas, a trampoline, a swing, a free floating catapult, an "action tower", a ramp, a balance beam, and, of course, a podium for the winners of your own drunken Wipeout-style games. [Scouted by Mark]
Curly Hot Dog Roasters
Roasting hot dogs over an open fire is a camping tradition — but using traditional campfire forks may leave you with more in the fire than in your mouth. These Curly Hot Dog Roasters ($22/2-pack) prevent this by wrapping your dogs in hand-twisted steel, with a pointed end sticking inwards to prevent accidental burning and poking. Worried about your marshmallows meeting the same fiery fate? Not to worry, they make roasters for those, too.
Z.E.R.O. Kit
Yes, we've already pointed you to a pack that will have you armed and ready for the Apocalypse — but when dealing with zombies, you can never be too prepared. Which is why they make the Z.E.R.O. (Zombie Extermination, Research and Operations) Kit ($24,000). This exhaustive collection of gear has been curated to keep you alive for the long-term, including everything from Kevlar gloves, a tactical watch, and thermal vision cameras to holographic sights, battle mugs, and a cache of 400 batteries to keep things on long after the lights — and power — go out.
