Camping

A deserted street in an old western town

Pioneertown: One of the Last of the Great Movie Ranches

About two hours outside of Los Angeles is a strange landscape that feels worlds away from anywhere you’ve ever been. The hills are populated with scraggly ocotillo and creosote bush…and massive piles of boulders. If you were going to film a movie like Of Dust and Bones, this would be your place. But when you

off-road camping trailers

Giant List of the Best Off-Road Camping Trailers

You like to get far off the beaten path but you hate sleeping on the ground. We get it. And so does the Adventure Portal with their buyers guide to off-road camping trailers. All in all they cover trailers from 32 different manufacturers, with a rundown of models, features and specs: The styles of the

off road teardrop trailer

Teardrop Trailer Holds its Own in the Outback

One of the big questions about mechanized camping is whether the expense and trouble of a camper offsets the hassle of setting up and striking a tent. But when you’ve got a camping trailer as capable as the SoCal Teardrop the equation starts leaning in the direction of “camper.” Chris Cordes takes an in-depth look

Gear Filter: How to Avoid Going Broke Buying Adventure Gear

Our ancestors went camping with little more than a breechcloth and stick. Nowadays you can’t get out without your Osprey Stratos pack and MSR Hubba Hubba. There’s no upper limit to how much you can spend on adventure gear. The big question is how much do you really need? The Last Whole Earth Catalog gives us

bates motel movie set

The 5 Worst Places to Stay in America

Who plans a crummy vacation? If you’re like most people you check out the travel guides, Google the internets and browse through the Pinterests looking for the best places to vacation. That kind of thinking is only going to leave you disappointed. Instead I say shoot for the worst travel destinations and if they turn

The Best Places to See Nature in Every State

Business Insider has a run-down of all 50 states with The Most Breathtaking Natural Wonders in Every State. Some of the suggestions are obvious – in Colorado you go to Pike’s Peak of course. But some of the recommendations are a bit provocative. When in Delaware go see the cypress swamps. 50 states, 50 natural

Top 20 Best Places to Camp in California

The Huffington Post lists their picks for must-do adventures in California. There are some great spots on the list, even if it is a little heavy on campsites and hot springs. I’m a little surprised to see Two Harbors on the list – I think I’d opt for camping on Anacapa Island instead. That said,

Huttenpalast Camper

German Hotel for People Who Want to Pretend They Are Camping

Do you love camping but hate mosquitos and…well, everything that has to do with the outdoors? Welcome to Hüttenpalast, an affordable (30 euros per person, roughly $43), hotel near Berlin that brings the outdoors inside. Here you can sleep in a tiny hut or canned-ham style trailer, sing campfire songs with total strangers, and stumble

Kanz Field Kitchen

Bear-Proof Expedition Quality Kitchen

One of the dreariest chores that goes along with car camping is stashing your cookware and supplies in the bear-proof cupboard at each campsite. You’ll never have to do that again with these expedition-tough purpose-built field kitchens from Kanz Outdoors. Built from marine-grade aluminum with polished birch plywood interiors, Kanz certifies that their rugged boxes

Free National Park Guides for Your iPhone/Android (April 24 Deadline)

1

In honor of National Park Week, Chimani is offering free downloads of their popular National Park smartphone guides. They have a selection of apps for both iPhone and Android. The Android apps, usually $4.99 are discounted to 99¢ but they also have free “Lite” versions. Kerry Gallivan, founder of Chimani, says that his company’s guides

Cowboy Cooking with a Dutch Oven

2

Not for the ultralight crowd, though I once ran into some guys who hiked into Tassajara with heavy cast iron cookware, a dutch oven lets you prepare gourmet meals you wouldn’t think possible at the campsite. Casseroles, fresh baked bread — it’s all possible with with a humble cast iron pot and some red hot