It used to be that outdoor gear was built for the crazy climbers heading to Everest base camp, dirtbags camping along thru hiking trails, and general adrenaline junkies living out of the their vans. However, not all of us need that 800-fill zero degree mummy bag that is designed to stand up to typhoon force winds and a dozen inches of rain. Casual car campers and urban adventurers often have to settle for gear that is over built – and over priced. What’s worse, that ultralight backpacking stove or high tech GORE-TEX shell often looks like you’re preparing for an arctic expedition rather than just loading up your tent and dogs for a weekend at the lake.
With that in mind, industry titan REI pulled together a group of style conscious designers to get a new pulse on the outdoors. The result? The evrgrn collection. Gone are the days when vintage styling is dismissed as “hipster” or for the “extreme picnicking” set. If we had to describe the entire collection in one sentence, it’s, “we can get enough of it.” From the portable picnic table ($70) to the Downtime Hammock ($130) this casual camping line up is home where ever your weekend takes you, so long you get outside. So head out and savor the last few weeks of summer. You’ve earned it.
Backpack Cooler $75
With the ability to haul twenty-four of your favorite beers in a waterproof insert, this little pack will quickly become your go to accessory for the last few warm saturday afternoons of the year, to tailgating during football season. It’s got an integrated sleeve for the picnic table and can also haul the waterproof, abrasion resistant Center Stage Rug along for the ride, building a formidable package to take advantage of everything from city parks to off trail hikes.
Crash Sack $119
Outfit your lady friend with this warm sleeping bag on your next weekend outing and you won’t regret it. The sleeping bag bottom zips open and clips up, turning it into a full length puffy coat for around camp. Midnight trips to the bathroom and early morning coffee missions just got a whole lot easier. It’s rated to forty-five degrees, so you won’t be hauling it into the Rockies in the winter, but since it weighs in under three pounds, you won’t have an excuse not to bring it along for any warm weather adventure.