Ready to hit the great outdoors on an epic adventure? We have pulled together some items that will make your trip even more perfect.
Getting out to see mother nature can sure leave you in awe, but it can also leave you wishing you had prepared better. Whether you’re planning a short hike with your furry friend or a long one with your trek buddies, certain things can make your travels more enjoyable and rewarding. These 6 items are highly recommended by outdoor enthusiasts.
1. Folding pet bed
Why we love it: This folding pet chair lets your pets enjoy the same comfort you do. It’s travel-friendly due to its compact fold-down design.
Reassuring review: “My husband and I like to go camping in our RV. Our rat terrier comes with us of course. We have a bed for her inside the RV, but when we are sitting outside, we don’t like to bring that bed and lay it in the dirt. We found this one is great because it keeps the bed up off the ground, so it stays cleaner. Best of all, it folds up so when we are moving, we can easily store it. Our terrier likes how it hugs her in it. We often toss a small blanket on top of her because she likes to burrow. We have also taken this bed when visiting my parents who live on a lake. We often sit down by the lake on their deck, and this keeps her up off the ground. Pepper, our dog, is 14 pounds and the bed is the perfect fit for her. I like the material because it cleans easily. When we are camping and she jumps on it with dirty feet, I can wipe it with a wet cloth. Once she was really muddy and we were able to hose it off and leave it out to dry.”
Get it from Amazon for [$39.99]
2. Portable shower
Why we love it: The 2200mAh rechargeable battery provides up to 60 minutes of run time, which is enough to power a shower for the whole family.
Reassuring review: “I purchased this portable shower because we have a young child whom we like to clean off after a day at the beach or hiking. We don’t like crowded beaches so that normally means going away from where there are public showers and restrooms. This works great at rinsing the sand off our daughter before putting her in the car seat. We also like to rinse the sand off our feet too. Less to vacuum out later is always a positive thing! I also enjoy hiking and sometimes my legs get pretty filthy. This helps get that off. Finally, my family has a dog who loves going to the dog park. Sometimes her legs and belly are so dirty there is no way I want to put her in the truck. So, we just rinse her off and toss a towel on the seat and we are good to go. It’s not a ton of water pressure so we haven’t used it to wash my wife’s thick hair, but it will clean your body or short hair easily. It’s very convenient and such a luxury to be able to rinse off. People often ask us about it when they see us using it in the parking lot at the beach. It’s something I am glad we have and use it even more than I thought we would.”
Get it from Amazon for [$47.99]
3. Insulated water bottle
Why we love it: The 18-ounce size of this bottle makes it perfect for everyday use; The vacuum insulation, together with the double wall construction, keeps beverages cold for hours even outside.
Reassuring review: “Me and my husband like to travel and go on hikes. We have had many different water bottles and always struggle to find one that really works how we want it to. They either leak, get a lot of condensation on the outside, don’t keep the water cold, the straw spout breaks easily, or it is hard to fill with ice. We gave this bottle a try and really liked it. I wasn’t sure how I would like the handle top, but I find that I like to carry it more than I like to have it attached to my hip. We did put a carabiner on it to clip to our backpack when we didn’t want to hold it. Also, the grip lets us get the lid nice and tight, so it doesn’t leak. It also doesn’t get condensation all over the outside like one of my plastic one’s did (which always got my shirt wet). The exciting part is we went hiking in Utah for 4 hours and our water stayed ice cold the entire time. I also dropped mine from a decent height and it barely dinged. I have left it in the hot car many times and it was still cold when I got back in the car! This is a great water bottle for travel. I refuse to leave the house without it.”
Get it from Amazon for [$24.43]
4. Sore muscle rub
Why we love it: There’s nothing smelly about this sports rub! The aroma of organic cardamom, lemongrass and sage extracts is heavenly. Your skin will be moisturized and softened by organic olive and castor oils.
Reassuring review: “I got this originally when I was going through physical therapy for my shoulder. My shoulder muscles would ache, so my therapist suggested a rub. I just couldn’t stand the smell of the rubs he suggested, however. I was trying to avoid taking too many pain relievers, so I found this to try instead. It really gave me some relief so I could sleep at night. And best of all it does not have that typical menthol-like smell of the other popular rubs. It has a warmer ginger smell. It doesn’t exactly feel the same either. This gets warm but in a different way (it’s hard to explain) A couple of years later my husband and I were going to be visiting Zion National Park. I knew we were planning a lot of hiking, so I brought this along. I was so glad I did! We rubbed it on our sore legs and feet at night and it felt great. It was nice to have a little natural relief at the end of a long day of hiking. I do need to be careful and wash my hands after using. Please don’t ask me how I know the cayenne in this stuff burns my eyes. The price is more expensive, but a little goes a long way so it lasts longer than I thought it would.”
Get it from Amazon for [$15.80]
5. Turkish towel
Why we love it: This towel is quick drying, which means fewer germs, bacteria and unpleasant odors. It saves time, water, and electricity, so you can spend more time on yourself!
Reassuring review: “My family likes to go to the beach, on hikes and road trips. We always keep towels and a blanket in the truck, but they always get really sandy, dirty, and wet. When we were hiking, we then had to carry around a heavy wet towel. It wasn’t ideal. We had a friend recommend these because they use them in their RV. I started by buying just one to test out. We took it to the beach first and they are not lying when they say it doesn’t grab sand! It also dried off incredibly fast. I wore it as a cover-up to walk back to the truck and it was nearly dry by the time we got there. After that, I got a few more in various colors so we could always know which towel was ours. They roll up really small, so they fit in our backpacks when we go hiking. We even tie them to the back of the backpack to dry a bit before putting it back in. The best part is when I wash them, they are dry after one dry cycle. My regular towels sometimes need a second round! I am so glad I was introduced to these. I am now a Turkish towel fan.”
Get it from Amazon for [$23.95]
6. Pet travel bag
Why we love it: A large dog travel backpack from Ruff Dog will make tails wag. An all-in-one travel bag for dogs that makes going out with the family a breeze
Reassuring review: “I have a sweet beagle mix that my family and I have taken on many road trips. She travels extremely well so we love that she gets to come along! We normally kept water and food in a grocery bag that would often break. It wasn’t a good setup. We also like to have drinks and snacks for the car. I saw this bag and thought it would make the perfect road trip bag for us. It really has made it so convenient and easy! We fill the inside with some drinks and snacks for the family, there is a place for her food and a pop-up bowl, and even a little first aid kit. It is great to be able to stop at rest stops and have everything we need in one place. It is also nice to carry just one sturdy bag in and out of a hotel or family’s home rather than fumbling with a separate cooler for the humans and a flimsy bag with dog supplies. I have even taken this bag with me when I didn’t have my dog in the car. It’s just a nice bag and very useful. I don’t buy things anymore that are not multifunctional, and this bag really is just that.”
Get it from Amazon for [$34.99]
