Camping should always be a good time.  You should always have plenty of beer, plenty of raw meet to grill, plenty of bug spray– and a damn good tent.  There’s nothing like ending a day in the woods coming back to a bug-infested, leaky tent that is barely supporting yourself, let alone you and your guest.  If its about time that you upgrade your own camping hardware, we recommend the good people at REI.  Their Quarter Dome T3 tent, shown above, is part of their ultralight range.  This means you can put this puppy on your back during a hike and won’t feel a burden.  While it is rated as a three person tent, consider this one a honeymooner.  You and your special lady will fit in this one just fine, with plenty of room for tent shaking fun.  The best part about the REI Quarter Dome?  You’ll have this one pitched and primed before your camping neighbors get theirs out of the bag…

Buy: $289

Got something that needs a flame, but perhaps not in the ideal situation? Cigarettes and pipes aside, the Windmill Delta Shockproof lighter is the ultimate in enviro-proof torching. When you’re in the wild, whether it be the Appalachian forests or the Arizona red rocks, you’re not a man unless you’ve got fire. And you don’t necessarily have fire unless you’ve got a Windmill Delta. With some serious steel hardware and rough, elastomer armor, this baby makes your Grandpa’s Zippo look like an ancient relic. Stuck on picking a color? We suggest orange. It’ll stand out in snow, sleet, a thicket of leaves and a foot of water.

Buy: $37.80

Anywhere bears roam brings the potential that you could run into one. Likely candidates for an introduction with these super-smart meat eaters include the unsuspecting camper, hiker, maybe even late-season snowboarder if you’re really unlucky. Spring is coming, and that means plenty of weekend getaways to the great outdoors. If you’re anywhere near bear country–Yellowstone national park, Montana mountain country, a hole in the fence at your local zoo–you should know how to avoid becoming a target for the biggest predator in the woods. Read more after the jump on how to keep the claws off your face–and your gear.

Camping can be made a lot easier with some great gadgets but sometimes you need to take it up a notch. DWR’s airstream lets you get your road-trip fix in style, taking an Airstream and giving it the interior designer touch, perfect in combo with the new Hummer HX concept.

What makes this different to the other Airstream’s is that DWR have hand picked products from their line to improve on the traditional interior. The galley comes equipped with cooktop, stainless sink, Elkay faucet, fridge-freezer, Nelson Ball Clock and four Heller Dinnerware place settings. There are recessed halogen lights, a skylight and the Wire Coatrack by Tom Dixon. There’s also a lavatory and shower. The eco-friendly flooring has a matte ebony finish and the glossy overhead lockers are backlit and have metal perforated laminate doors. The panoramic windows have custom aluminum window treatments imported from Europe. For leisurely times outdoors, a fabric awning and two Tripolina Chairs are included. There are Matteo linens and a Maharam Pillow, and the electronics package includes rooftop AC, Sony sound system and TV. [dwr]

Buy $49,066

Mogul mashers, hikers, and mountain climbers will love the Suunto Lumi. This is a rugged, polished stainless steel watch featuring a built-in barometer, altimeter and compass. The Lumi Altimeter watch gives sunrise and sunset data for 400 locations across the globe. Use the barometer to keep track of hike-threatening pressure systems, and the sunset tracker is great for judging how much available light you have left to hit that powder one more time. A truly versatile timepiece for outdoors use.

Buy starting at $306.

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GearCrave has the ultimate five technologies available now that will turn your camping adventure into a high-tech retreat. From solar power storing tents to water-purifying water bottles and more, check out our ultimate Outdoors 2.0 gear guide.

The Eureka! solar tent absorbs sunlight by day so you can see at night. The bright LED gives a full eight hours of night-time illumination great for reading, treating your poison ivy, or sizing up your fellow campers for a Donner party-style midnight snack. This tent sleeps six, and the supports are made of ultra-light fiberglass.

Buy for $239.99

Continue reading the Ultimate Outdoors 2.0!!

This portable Coca-Cola fridge by Kooltron is great for a man room bar, kitchen, or your car/boat/private plane thanks to the 12-volt adapter. The trippy thing about this? It doesn’t just cool down to 40 degrees below room temperature; it also heats up to 149 degrees! You can keep food warm in this baby all the way from the house to the picnic site or barbecue pit across town. No more wondering how long those leftover pork ribs are going to keep.

Buy for $88.85

Pure genius! The Portable Grill Gourmet Tote has a waterproof cooler compartment, it comes with tongs, skewers, a basting brush, even some excellent barbecue sauce to get your first post-Labor Day tailgate party off to a good start, and once-in-a-blue-moon campers will love this too. Yes, the grill is included and fits perfectly inside the tote. The only thing this package lacks is a case of beer. Tailgate party time is going to be sweet this season!

Buy for $124.95

When you say the word “tent”, it’s easy to think of the stereotypical cramped, leaky thing you spent your childhood battling. Forget all that. The 18 feet wide, 13 feet long WFS Nine-Person Tent blows that idea out of the water with a double-wide entry and three side rooms for the kids, the dogs, or the cooler(s). This is great for campouts with the family OR the harem, as even the Sultan of Brunei could call this tent home. A two-sided rain cover, zippered windows, and fiberglass poles round out the package to make this one of the sweetest outdoorsy deals we’ve seen lately. All this for under a buck fifty! Very nice.

Buy for $129.99. Harem not included.