Steve's Camping Gear Gift Ideas

 By: Steve Buelna, TMS Ambassador

If you are like me, you might sometimes struggle to find the perfect gift for the special people in your life. That made me think of the opportunity I just had for a late season trip of a lifetime on my adventure bike. Comparing gear with the gang at the campsites made me think, what can’t I live without. And later, many of these are perfect gift ideas for anyone’s outdoor adventurer. 

Not knowing exactly what the adventure would entail; I was very methodical to what I was able to take with me and what I could leave at home. One of the coolest aspects of meeting up with other riders was to see what their gear looks like and to share gear I have acquired over the years (thanks truly to Tahoe Mountain Sports). When I started riding an adventure bike 4 years ago, I had no idea of how to camp, survive and thrive at dispersed camping, or what gear was tried and true. The experts at TMS set me up for total success in this area. Realizing that not everyone is an adventure rider (totally missing out folks), I decided to focus on what items I took along the trip that have been absolute necessities and a couple that are luxury items, but sure made the experience more enjoyable. So here we go, in no particular order:

5 MVPs of the Trip:

Aeropress – When I first started camping, I took a French press. Not only was that bigger and bulkier but was an absolute mess to clean afterwards. You would think that there would be a compromise that you would have to make for the compact size. But nothing could be further from the truth. I truly believe I get a better cup of coffee from the Aeropress than I do from my coffee maker at home. And as a bonus, cleanup is a cinch. If you wait about 5 minutes for the grounds to cool, you can simply pop out the hockey puck of grounds into a ziplock and you are ready for the next cup or to pack it away. 

Jet Boil MiniMo – This is the quintessential camping kitchen item. It gets used every day for boiling water for my freeze-dried meals. Mine is also 4 years old now and I have had zero issues with it not working or not lighting. Even in windy conditions, a slight wind block for the initial light and you are good to go. Very lightweight and packable, but durability and reliability are what have really won me over.

Nemo Insulated Sleeping Pad – On the trip I really came to appreciate my Nemo sleeping pad, particularly as others were complaining about theirs. The insulation helps to keep me warm on the coldest of nights. But the overall size and the materials used help to keep me from ending up under the sleeping pads as some of my friends have complained about in the past. Also, your friends will appreciate the lack of rustling sounds as you move around in the middle of the night.

Bear Cans – The top duffel of my travel bags fits a medium and small bear can perfectly. I noticed this was a missing item for others and they were forced to hang their items in the trees. As I ate my way through the meals I brought, this made for spare room for items I picked up along the way or to store anything else that might attract critters. These cans are built so well that they have survived many crashes over the last 4 years and still work flawlessly.

Down Sleeping bag – The Nemo Disco bag has served me well from anything such as 10-degree mornings when I camped late season above 10,000 feet, to outside Moab in the summer when the night time temps are 95 degrees. Pro tip, grab the sleeping bag liner too to not only keep your sleeping bag cleaner, but also to add insulation on cold nights, or to sleep outside the bag in much hotter conditions.

Luxury Items:
Nemo portable shower – for some this is a luxury item, but for me it has become a staple. This shower packs down so small, that it is a no brainer for me to take it with me. This shower is much easier to use than the standard tree hung shower bags, but also very utilitarian for cleaning dishes or anything else you need to rinse off. In fact, this saved me on a trip last year where the clay mud encased the brake calipers. I didn’t smell so great that night, but it saved the trip for sure.

Helinox Chair – While the bear cans double as good chairs to sit on, there is something nice about a comfy chair by the campfire. These mighty chairs are super quick to set up and pack away, in addition to being very comfortable. And buy it nice or buy it twice, mine is 3 years old and looks and functions as good as day one. The compact size also makes this a no brainer as well.

Author: Steve Buelna

 A Truckee runner that doesn’t discriminate between pavement, trail, spikes, and snowshoes – it’s fun all year long! Known for coercing people into a “bad idea” any chance he gets (his idea of fun). Steve ditched his Harley in pursuit of finding cool new trails on an Adventure Bike!