Hitting the Trails? Get These 16 Fall Camping Essentials

Coolers leak. They’re bulky. They don’t close properly. But they don't have to be such a drag. The Hopper Flip 12 Cooler from Yeti ($280) is compact and has a hardcore zipper that doesn't leak. More importantly, it boasts a soft-but-firm shell that keeps your food and drinks cool and tidy whether you’re at the campsite, in a canoe, or picnicking up the mountain.

This $60 camp lamp has a retro design similar to old-school gas lanters. Able to dim from 220 to one lumen on its 5 Watt LED, its rechargeable battery lasts from three hours to 200, depending on how much bright you need. Comes with a carabiner to hang it inside your tent. Fully recharges in a few hours with the included power cord.

You stopped taking playing cards on your camping trips because some goofball inevitably spills their wine cooler, ruining the cards. These clear plastic playing cards ($6) will protect your poker game from your drunken friends so you can take their money all night long.

Cooking while camping -- that’s fun! Cleaning up after cooking while camping? Torture. This silicone bowl ($12) provides quick clean-ups due to its smooth surface. The bowl holds twelve fluid ounces, plenty enough for your Cap’n Crunch, and packs snugly into Snow Peak’s three piece titanium cookset.

Do you like the security of having sixteen feet of paracord on you wherever you go? Do you like knowing you can start a fire at any given time? Do you like wearing unique bracelets that double as convenient conversation starters? Well then… The King Cobra 550 Ultimate Survival Bracelet ($20) is exactly what you need.

Camping food: hot dogs, hamburgers, burned eggs, maybe some chicken. It’s great, but we can still do better, can’t we? Weighing 62 pounds and able to collapse into your SUV, the Tailgater ($450) can grill your burgers and dogs with the best of them, but can also smoke that brisket like you’re down in Texas Hill Country.

Some people go camping for peace and quiet. Some to get back to nature. Some for exercise. And some for the birds. If you’re a birder, check out these 8x42 binoculars from Eagle Optics ($330). Their extra low dispersion glass and multi-coated lenses mean the image is always bright and sharp, whether it’s a speedy warbler or the hottie a couple of campsites over.

A good hiking pack is all about comfort. This $150 Osprey bag’s suspension keeps your load stable and creates enough space between the bag and your back to allow the breeze to cool you down. Comes with an easily stowable rain cover in case you get stuck in some weather or an impromptu water balloon fight.

You’ve seen The Revanant, right? You haven’t? And you’re going camping this weekend!?! Don’t watch it! Please, we’re begging you. But definitely get this bear repellant spray ($47). We can’t be more serious about this. Tomorrow. We’re not kidding. Just trust us, OK? Please!

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I could just charge my phone with my cooking fire!” Neither have we. But Biolite has. The Camp Stove ($130) is a wood-burning, smoke-abating stove that can boil your tea, fry your eggs, and charge your electronic devices. Comes with a little USB lamp that you can use to illuminate your cooking surfaces.

Everyone knows that even the worst guitar players sound like Django Reinhardt when fingerpicking around the campfire. But only if you’re in tune. TC Electronics’s little gizmo ($35) clips to your headstock. It identifies which string is out of tune from a single strum, then helps you get that string where it needs to be. Rock on.

If you rent an apartment or buy a new house, it’s almost certainly coming with ceiling lights. Why can’t your tent? Big Agnes’ Tumble 3 mtnGLO tent ($330) covers the basics: three season support, a lightweight design, and LED lights integrated into the tent’s seams for a fully lit interior achieved without endlessly bonking your head on that annoying hanging lamp.

You want three things out of your water bottle: water, an easy way to drink it, and an exciting selection of colors. Hydro Flask’s 40-ounce bottle ($48) sports a straw lid that prevents leaking while making it easy to sip with one hand. And it comes in more than a dozen colors so you can be your authentic, color-coded self at the campsite.

You wear matching outfits on the weekends. You cuddle on the sofa at your friends’ parties. You even bought a double-seated bicycle. At last, there’s a sleeping bag for you as well. The North Face's Dolomite Double 20 Sleeping Bag ($160) is a 20° Fahrenheit-rated, two-person bag that keeps your co-dependent relationship strong through the night.