The Best Gear to Upgrade Your Campsite

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Take your alfresco experience up a notch with a few non-essentials, from a campsite-friendly ice cream maker to an inflatable dog bed.

two-person hammock
  1. Two-person hammock —
    Camping chairs are great, but hang a hammock and you’re on your way to an enviable outdoor living room. Enjoy lazy afternoon naps and happy-hour tipples, all from your soft, fast-drying nylon taffeta hammock that’s big enough for two.
    ENO Doublenest Hammock, $100, MEC

Related: The Best Camping in Canada This Summer

camping stove
  1. The ultimate camp stove —
  2. This camp stove heats, cooks and even charges your gear using the sticks and twigs around you for fuel. Then it packs down to the size of a litre water bottle, weighing less than 1 kg including its 3,200-mAh battery. Biolite Campstove 2+, $200, MEC
wearable camp cushion
  1. Wearable camp cushion —
    This two-in-one cushion-quilt will keep you cozy in the great outdoors. Ready to settle into your tent for the night? Use the FÄLTMAL as-is or unfold it to reveal a jacket-shaped quilt, complete with sleeves and buttons in the back to keep it secure, from the tent to the firepit and beyond. IKEA FÄLTMAL, $40
camping lantern and charger
  1. Lantern x flashlight x charger —
    Why pack a lantern, flashlight and portable charger when you can get them all in one? This collapsible lantern, which easily switches to flashlight mode, features a rechargeable battery that also charges your devices via its USB port.
    UCO Arka LED Lantern, $79, Altitude Sports
coffee grinder for camping
  1. Serious coffee grinder —
    This hand grinder, featuring stainless-steel burrs and an aircraft-grade aluminum body, will ensure your camping cuppa is as smooth as the one from your local coffee shop.
    VSSL Java Coffee Grinder, $195
outdoor slippers for camping
  1. Outdoor slippers —
    With a tough rubber sole and toe box, these easy-to-pull-on wool boots are perfect for kicking around the campground.
    Greys The Outdoor Slipper Boot, US$108, Huckberry
outdoor ice cream maker
  1. Kid-friendly ice cream maker —
    Homemade scoops are just a game of soccer away with this this ball-and-ice cream maker combo. Made of food-safe materials, the ball has two compartments: one for cream, sugar and vanilla, and another for ice and rock salt. All it takes is 20 minutes of shaking, rolling and tossing to make a pint of delicious ice cream you and your fellow campers will get a kick out of.
    UCO Soft Shell Ice Cream Ball Pint, $40, MEC
a dog on a dog bed
  1. Inflatable dog bed —
    This lightweight bed is the perfect sleeping bag equivalent for your pet. Made to be camp friendly with its durable fabric, puncture-resistant bottom and soft fleece top, it packs down to a convenient size so you can bring your pup on every trip.
    Klymit Moon Dog Bed, from $80, Peak Camping
a foldable wine bottle
  1. Foldable wine bottle —
    Packing vin nature or a library bottle for a deep-woods dinner? This lightweight bottle with a food-grade lining keeps the aging effects of oxygen off that precious juice.
    Platypus PlatyPreserve 800-mL Bottle, $12, MEC
orange yeti cooler
  1. The coolest cooler —
    No need to worry about your patties thawing or your chocolate melting: the Yeti Tundra locks in cold like no other, making it the ideal mate for longer trips with limited access to ice. Bonus: its bright colour is sure to attract envious looks at the campground, leaving you feeling as cool as your actual cucumbers.
    Yeti Tundra 45 Hard Cooler in King Crab Orange, $400