As much as I’ve come to love breaking out my snowshoes and enjoying some winter recreation, there’s nothing better than opening your front door to a beautiful, sunny, mid-70s day.
Trail running? Hiking? Paddling? Yoga in the park?
Catch me scrolling through rec.gov for permits and reservations the second we get a sunny April day.
And so… as I shuffle my microspikes to the back of my gear closet and pull my inflatable paddle board down from the top shelf, I start mentally cursing myself and preparing my bank account for damage… because it’s time to go gear shopping.
So, to preface this: The best gear is probably the gear you already own. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel!
(ie: I will not be swapping my perfectly good Hydro Flask for a trendy Stanley, safe to say.)
But, I definitely have been eying a few new purchases, a few accessories for some gear I already own and a few duplicates of gear I already own that I love and could use some more of.
Pst: Affiliate links!
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Sun shirts: I’ve always been pretty religious about sunscreen usage, but I’ve found myself drawn to sun shirts more and more the last few years. I love running, hiking and backpacking, as well as paddling. I have this REI sun shirt, and I love it, but I could definitely use a few more to ease the laundry situation over here! I’ve been looking at a few different sun shirts: This hooded Black Diamond sun shirt and this Outdoor Research UPF hoodie both look great for hiking and backpacking, and this long-sleeved Mountain Hardwear crop top looks perfect for paddling. I’ve been having a surprisingly hard time finding lightweight, hoodless, long-sleeved UV shirts for running, though. Any suggestions?
This waterproof Booe belt bag: I’ve typically been using a sealed Stasher bag tucked inside my Lululemon belt bag, but how cool is this fully waterproof bag?! This is definitely a “want” and not a “need” right now, but I spend enough time on my paddle board every summer that I could totally justify this purchase.
Power station solar panels: I’ve been back-and-forth on these. Sure, reviews say they take forever to charge anything up, but also, Arizona is VERY sunny… so I’d probably get better-than-average performance out of these. Right now, I charge my battery-powered generator up at home before taking it out on the road with me, and that’s perfect for weekend trips, but if I want to use it for any longer, these solar panels might come in handy.
Telescoping marshmallow stick: I have a four-pack of bent and burnt roasting sticks I spent way too much money on when I spontaneously bought them at a camp store during a Grand Canyon camping trip years ago. They’re a pain to pack because they’re covered in crusted marshmallow and get everything in my camp cook tote sticky. These look way more ideal to pack, store and maybe even backpack with? I’m a s’mores fiend, nothing new.
Foldable table: I typically book campsites at developed campgrounds with friends when I car camp, but I’m leaning a little bit more into the idea of dispersed camping now that I’ve found some of the cooler spots on my forest after three years of working here. This foldable table looks perfect not only for those weekends, but also for outdoor events we host with the Meetup group, and even for extra seating at Friendsgiving.
Paddle board anchor: My friend Jim has one of these, and he loves it. An anchor would be perfect for high-wind days when I want to take a break from paddling to sit in the sun and hang out. I haven’t done a ton of research into this yet, but I do know I want a grapnel-style anchor.
Satellite communicator: I’ve heard fellow outdoorsy people extoll the virtues of their Garmin InReach devices for years now, but I’ve never felt the need to get one since I mostly stay on populated trails. But, now that I’ve found myself backpacking more and more — something I want to keep doing during the summers, when Ryan (and his Garmin) are gone for fire season — I find myself thinking about pulling the trigger.
Foam seat cushion: This is something I more want for work than for play. Go ahead and laugh… but sitting is HARD. One of my instructors in my S-203 class mentioned that some kind of a padded seat cushion is invaluable on fire assignments. After 16 hours in a folding metal chair, you’ll probably agree. This Therm-a-Rest version is a mini version of the brand’s foam sleeping pad, and also looks like it would do a great job cushioning my mobile printer in my PIO kit.
Solar shower: This is another want-not-a-need. I’m usually fine just not showering on weekend camping trips, and I’m not willing to tote the extra weight of a solar shower on backpacking trips, but I have to admit that I always find myself wishing I had one on the grimy Sunday afternoon drive from my campsite to my apartment (and it’s shower). Again, haven’t done a ton of research on this, but it looks like there are a ton of options across a ton of different price points — everything from this $40 Sea to Summit solar shower to this $160 pressurized Nemo shower to this really slick (and pricey!) $670 10-gallon roof rack-mounted Yakima shower.
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So, there’s my summer fun time wish list! I can’t imagine I’ll buy that insane roof rack-mounted pressurized solar shower (I mean… I’d need a roof rack for my Jeep, first!) but I can imagine I’ll definitely grab a few new sun shirts, a foam seat cushion, a paddle board anchor and that waterproof belt bag!
REI member coupon, I await you!
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