Dockside: Into The Wild

Thinking about your boat for a trip into the wilderness? Enhance your camping experience with these surefire outdoor products.

by Edwin Childs

Before you embark on a weekend of boat camping, there are a number of things you must first take into consideration. Primarily, what kind of boat will you be taking? The gear list for the owner of a cruiser that’s equipped with a full berth and galley is likely to be considerably different from the one prepared by someone who owns a jonboat, bow- rider or pontoon. However, there are a number of features that should be common to all the gear on your list, regardless of whatever type of boat you own — namely, that anything you bring on one of these trips should be easily stowable, relatively waterproof and utilitarian in design.

Darwinian Headlamps

Headlamps are essential when you’re camping, so you can keep your hands free for doing outdoorsy stuff at night — like collecting firewood, setting up a tent, or identifying poison ivy so you don’t accidentally use it as toilet paper. Despite the usefulness of these devices, though, there’s nothing more annoying than when your buddy is constantly blinding you with one of these lights while you’re trekking through the woods or trying to bait your line for a little night fishing. Petzl’s Tactikka XP ADAPT Headlamp attempts to overcome this, however, with a series of interchangeable color wide-angle lenses that attach to the headlamp lens. Included is a blue lens for low-illumination reading and a red lens that helps preserve night vision — a perfect feature for late-night or early-morning bass fishing expeditions. Additionally, the adjustable “Adapt” elastic headband features a clip for attaching the lamp to your belt, pack or harness; and a universal clip for attaching to climbing helmets. The Petzl Tactikka XP ADAPT headlamp sells for $64.95. (801) 926-1500, www.petzl.com.

Grill Master

It should likely go without saying that “grilling” and “camping” go together like the words “ cheese” and “burger” — both terms can be mutually exclusive, of course, but what’s the fun in that? However, cooking on those mini-Weber grills or tiny propane camp stoves is sometimes a frustrating and tedious enterprise, generally resulting in back pain and burnt grub. Now you can grill like you do at home on your back deck with Coleman’s Master Mariner Marine Grill. This stainless-steel two-burner propane grill has a 240-square-inch grilling surface and a 100-square-inch warming rack. Optional rail and rod-holder mounting kits (ranging from $70 to $90) expand its functionality, allowing this grill to be used on board your boat or in the campsite with equal versatility. The Coleman Master Mariner two-burner marine grill costs $549. (800) 835-3278, www.coleman.com.

Shady Dealings

No campsite is complete without some sort of sanctuary from the hot sun’s rays or torrential downpours. However, the tried-and-true Boy Scout method of hanging tarps from trees to achieve this protection is a lot of work, and the results are sometimes shoddy at best. Enter the Kelty Shadehouse 12 — a freestanding, shade-giving structure made from polyester taffeta that’s large enough to walk under. The 12-by-12-foot design is the perfect size for your campsite’s kitchen/dining area, and its DAC DA17 aluminum poles are practically unbreakable. An optional accessory wall ($30) easily attachs to the sunshade and provides an additional sense of privacy and shelter from the elements. The Kelty Shadehouse 12 retails for $210. (800) 423-2320, www.kelty.com.

Lite Brite

Handheld flashlights can only be so much help at night in your campsite — sooner or later, you’re going to need a propane lantern for full nighttime visibility. Traditional double-mantle lanterns can be difficult to use under windy boating conditions, though, because their design requires them to be hand-lit with a match. Equally functional for your boat or campsite, Coleman’s Pinnacle InstaStart Lantern is a single-mantle marine lantern, and its battery-powered “InstaStart” technology allows for quick, reliable lighting without using matches. Manufactured from premium stainless steel for maximum corrosion resistance, this lantern is made with frame rails and built-in stabilizers to reduce globe rattle and breakage when you’re on board and underway. The Coleman Pinnacle Insta-Start Lantern sells for $114.99. (800) 835-3278, www.coleman.com.

Buggin’ Out

Nothing can ruin a day in the outdoors faster than a swarm of biting, stinging or blood-sucking insects. Who wants to spend their day smacking black flies and scratching mosquito bites? With the ThermaCELL Realtree Mosquito Repellent Appliance, all the slapping and itching that so often accompanies the camping experience will be but a distant memory. This portable cordless device uses a butane cartridge to slowly heat up and cook bug-repellent mats, which use an odor-free chemical to provide a 15-foot diameter of protection from all those pesky bugs poised to feast on your unsuspecting family. According to ThermaCell, this device has been “tested and approved by the U.S. Army,” and, additionally, it’s “currently used in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.” That’s not a small endorsement, to be sure. The ThermaCELL Realtree Mosquito Repellent Appliance sells at a retail price of $31.99. (866) 753-3837, www.thermacell.com.

Sleeping Tight

Even if you’ve carefully selected and cleared your campsite, you’re still probably going to end up rolling around on the roots, rocks and hard ground beneath your tent. Therm-a-Rest’s TrailPro Sleeping Pad offers a solution to this little quandary — constructed from extra-thick perforated foam, this rugged pad is portable and lightweight enough to travel just about anywhere. The pad’s nylon oxford bottom offers formidable puncture and tear resistance for those times when you want to take a catnap somewhere outside your tent, and it’s easy to clean. Depending on size, the Therm-a-Rest TrailPro Sleeping Pad ranges in price from $79.95 to $99.95. (800) 531-9531, www.thermarest.com.

Kitchen Patrol

Tired of being stuck with the dreaded KP duty, where you’re scrubbing out the charred remains of that macaroni-and-spam camp dinner you burned last night? If this is the case, then it might be time to “buck up” and come correct with MSR’s BlackLite Gourmet Cookset. Manufactured with a convenient non-stick coating, this set includes 1.5- and 2-liter pots, a 7.2-inch frying pan, a handy lid that fits all three, MSR’s trademarked “PanHandler,” a stuff sack, and a “ Pack-towl” to separate the pots. Stop slaving away in the kitchen pit already — there’s loads of better stuff you could be doing with your time in the great outdoors. MSR’s BlackLite Gourmet Cookset sells for $59.95. (205) 505-9500, www.msrgear.com.

Shelter Skelter

In the pyramid-like hierarchy of human needs, nothing is more fundamental than “shelter.” Well, it might be time to make ol’ Dr. Maslow proud of his theory and consider the first thing you’r e going to need if you’r e seriously planning any sort of venture into the wilderness — your tent. The REI Cirque All Season Light-weight (ASL) 3 Tent is a lightweight, high-quality backpacking tent with a roomy asymmetrical floorplan that maximizes space and comfortably sleeps three. Ideal both in terms of design and stowablity, this tent should be more than enough to fulfill that all-consuming physiological desire to have a roof over one’s head. The REI Cirque ASL 3 Tent sells for $299. (800) 426-4840, www.rei.com.