From collapsible kettles to folding kayaks: 10 camping gear upgrades to make life outdoors easier | Life and style

Sea To Summit

Ultralight Collapsible Kettle

from $72.95

Pinkies up! Sip your morning coffee or tea as if you’ve never left home by heating water in this collapsible kettle made of food-grade silicone with a hard anodized aluminum base for efficient heat transfer. Alyx Gorman, a Guardian Australia editor, uses it to make “billy tea” with eucalyptus, but if you’re not headed to the outback, it also doubles as a cooking pot thanks to its wide rim.

Read the story: The 21 best gifts beloved globally that Americans haven’t caught on to yet

GoSun

Sport-E Hybrid Solar Oven

$225

Put the summer sun to work with this solar oven that cooks with the radiation of our nearest star – or electricity – in a pinch. In testing, Alan Truly, a Filter reviewer, found it capable of whipping up staples such as potatoes, quinoa, stir-fried veggies, bread, kebabs, tofu and brownies in a “novel and green way”. No sun? No problem. Plug it into your car’s 12V accessory outlet, or a portable battery pack, to keep cooking into the evening.

Read the story: GoSun Sport-E solar oven review: a fuel-free way to cook outside, even with no sun

Tucktec Pro

Foldable Kayak

$360

You don’t need to wrestle an oversized kayak atop an SUV to get out on the water, or sweat over pumping up an inflatable for 30min. This affordable folding kayak packs down small enough to fit in a Prius and assembles in just 10min. “The reduced hassle often turns a ‘maybe’ idea into a ‘let’s go!’ adventure,” said Truly. “It is compact without feeling flimsy, light without feeling toy-like, and quick enough to make paddling feel spontaneous again.”

Read the story: This $380 foldable kayak fits in my Prius and goes from backseat to lake in 10 minutes

Loop

Dream Earplugs

from $49.95

You’ve had a long day of setting up gear, ambitious ascents and maybe even combatting jet lag. The last thing you need is the sound of a snoring tentmate or whining mosquitos keeping you up. Loop Dream Earplugs don’t fall apart like foam disposables and don’t require charging like noise-canceling earbuds. “The soft silicone tips [of these earplugs] stay comfortable for hours – including for side sleepers – and the multiple size options make it easy to get a secure, gentle fit,” said Patterson.

Read the story: The 20 best gifts in the US for people who love the outdoors, tested in nature by our expert

Nemo

Fillo Backpacking Pillow

from $49.95

A full-size pillow is way too bulky to backpack with, but lightweight inflatable pillows are a poor imitation. Nemo found a way to get the best of both worlds. “The mix of an inflatable core covered with soft foam insulation makes it more pliable and, in turn, feel more natural with none of the crinkly sounds that many inflatable pillows make when you shift around at night,” said Patterson of this packable pillow “with an outsized payoff”.

Read the story: The 20 best gifts in the US for people who love the outdoors, tested in nature by our expert