Mobile Palace: Thanks to the MSR Backcountry Barn, tent camping no longer requires crouching in a snug nylon bubble. Near-vertical walls allow full use of its expansive floor space (80 square feet), allowing even 6-footers enough room to stand, stretch and set up a table for a late night poker game. During the day, the floor can be rolled so you are able to keep bikes secure without muddying your bedroom floor. [$700; cascadedesigns.com]
Dinner for Four (or More) Packed smarter than a Tokyo apartment, MSR's Flex 4 System has all the accoutrements to prepare a gourmand's feast. Its anodized 5.3-liter cook pot fits a second 3.2 liter pot, four plates, and four insulated cups. And at less than four pounds, it's clean enough for backpacking should base camp get boring. [$160; cascadedesigns.com]
Backcountry Gourmet: Part cooktop, part grill, the Primus Profile Duo sports a 12,000-btu propane flame-bar for searing steaks and grilling vegetables on a nonstick surface, while a 9,7000-btu side burner warms up a demi-glace. Take that, beans and wienies. [$120; primuscamping.com]
Glass Act: The manly act of camp craft requires stout gear, even if the sole purpose of said gear is to hold a healthy pour of pinot grigio. The Glacier Stainless Steel wine glass won't shatter en route, and its stowable stem unscrews to save storage space in the trunk. Another benefit: The steel keeps cool longer than glass, meaning well-chilled whites stays drinkable long after quiet hour. [$13; gsioutdoors.com]
Best Seat in the House: The most important piece of car camp furniture? A place to park your butt that's so comfortable you won't miss your couch divot. The GCI Wilderness Recliner is the best we've found, thanks to a pair of webbed straps that can be adjusted to any angle with a tug. The movable lumbar support and beer holder are bonuses. [$60; integrityoutdoorbrands.com]
Optimize Your iPhone
IGRILL - igrillinc.com; $99 A wireless thermometer that relays the precious slabs of meat on the grill. Instead of sweating over hot coals, why not knock golf balls around the yard while the porterhouses make their way to medium (or a really well-done 400 degrees)? Just insert the probe into your steak, set the desired temp, and wander up to 200 feet away. Your phone will buzz you when the meat's done to your liking.
IRADAR - cobrairadar.com; $129 A tiny receiver that detects radar guns and alerts you via your iPhone. By leveraging its GPS & internet access, your phone becomes a smarter detector. It can alert you to known smokey hangouts & traffic cameras, the locations of which are stored in an enormous & constantly updated online database. Alerts are displayed onscreen, offering a far more elegant fix than your shoe box size device from 1995.
WIFI SCALE - withings.com; $159 A tempered glass scale that takes note of your weight, body-fat, lean-and-muscle-mass percentages, then beams that data to your phone. It makes progress reports and charts you can monitor with a level of neuroticism usually reserved for high school wrestling coaches. For inspiration, you can set it to share your vital stats through Facebook & Twitter, because shame is a great motivator.
IBIKE DASH - ibikesports.com; $199 A weatherproof, handlebar-mounted iPhone dock that works with a fork-mounted speed sensor. By collecting mountains of data, during your rides, your speed, distance, routes, lap times, and more get logged. Afterward you can sync to a PC or Mac & dull the pain of recovery time by pouring over your stats. Its other service? Sparing you the indignity of tucking your phone into your Lycra shorts.
GRIFFIN BACON - griffintechnology.com; $79 A small receiver that connects to your home theatre. Allows you to control the whole setup via iPhone. Your components will be in sync, thanks to an app that knows which devices you want on, depending on what activity you want to do. (Hit the "watch movie" button & the DVD stereo, & TV all come on) And since it uses Bluetooth, you can flip channels even if a cereal bowl is in the way.
SMILE INCESSANTLY SATURDAY & SUNDAY! BUY A COFFEE/BREAKFAST BE KIND :)
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