RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Campers’

Happier Campers: Take Your Gear to a New Level With These 15 Innovations

16 Aug

[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

Elevate your camping style with the latest high-performance gear like twig-burning stoves, tree tents, bear-proof coolers and portable loungers. These major upgrades will keep you dry, warm, fed and comfortable no matter how rugged your destination, even when you’re traveling on foot instead of in a DIY RV, fancy pop-up car tent or luxuriously equipped off-road trailer.

Biolite Basecamp Stove

By now, you’ve probably seen the cool BioLite, a compact portable stove that burns twigs and then uses the heat as energy to power your gadgets (if not, you should check it out!) Now, the company is taking things up a notch with the BaseCamp, a portable grill that runs on larger pieces of wood. Smaller pieces of firewood or fallen branches both can be placed in the stove’s opening to cook your food – even in camping locations that don’t allow campfires – and an orange power pack on the side collects the energy. The BaseCamp also features a built-in light.

Scrubba Portable Laundry Wash Bag

Prefer not to tote dirty laundry around on an extended camping trip, or want to freshen up your favorite hoodie halfway through? The Scrubba is a brilliantly simple way to wash textiles. Its interior is lined with little nubs that scrub your garments as you massage the exterior of the bag for a machine-quality wash in three minutes. That’s more effective than using a bucket, and you never even have to get your hands dirty. The bag weighs just 5 ounces and doubles as a dry bag.

Tentsile Tree Tent

Marketing itself as a ‘portable tree house,’ the Tentstile tree tent lets you sleep high above the ground (how high is up to you!) by attaching to three nearby tree trunks. Stack them on top of each other to create temporary treehouse cities with your friends, or hang hammocks underneath them for an extra dry sleeping space. The number of people you can sleep using these systems is only as limited as the tree trunks around you.

Yeti Hopper Cooler

Dubbed ‘the world’s toughest cooler,’ the Yeti has become a household name for its durability and dependability. The hard-sided Yetis keep food and ice colder for longer than any other cooler on the market, and now the company is offering soft-sided versions, too, like the Hopper and the Hopper Flip. Each one is waterproof, including the Hydrolok zipper, and can withstand a bear mauling.

Sea to Summit Tarp Poncho

Heading into rainy territory? Keep your gear – and yourself – dry with the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Tarp Poncho. Made of lightweight waterproof fabric, it’s big enough to accommodate your pack while you’re hiking, and then converts from a wearable into an ultralight 2-person shelter.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Happier Campers Take Your Gear To A New Level With These 15 Innovations

Share on Facebook





[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Happier Campers: Take Your Gear to a New Level With These 15 Innovations

Posted in Creativity

 

Stealth Campers and DIY RVs: 15 Creatively Converted Vans

07 Mar

[ By SA Rogers in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

sportsmobile van 4

Lurking in a windowless white van gets significantly less creepy when you’ve custom-outfitted the interior with wood flooring, storage space, a kitchenette and a queen-sized bed – right? At least, it does for most of these creative conversions. Typically using standard cargo vans or the taller, newer Sprinter vans as a base, these DIY camper projects often emphasize stealth, so you can park them in urban areas next to a bunch of work vans and stay overnight without anyone batting an eye or calling the cops. While some definitely blend right in, others are a bit more conspicuous once you lift the suspension, add all-terrain tires and otherwise turn them into off-roading beasts.

Adam’s Former NYPD Van

adam's van 1

adam's van 2

adam's van 4

adam's van 5

Taking a scroll through Adam Nawrot’s Instagram feed might just make you question what you’re doing with your life. The photographer purchased a used NYPD crime scene investigation van for $ 2,200, custom-built out the interior by hand, and now uses it as a home base for extensive travels across the United States. He’s got kayaks strapped to the top, bikes mounted on the front, solar panels on the roof, drawers full of climbing gear, and room for up to five friends to travel with him. His adventures loo pretty epic, and he clearly has quite an eye for capturing them.

Chevy Van to Mobile Studio

converted vans zach both 1

converted vans zach both 2

converted vans zach both 3

converted vans zach both 4

converted vans zach both 5

Filmmaker Zach Both converted a work van, too, this one a decade-old Chevy with pop-out panels that happen to make perfect camper windows. He designed and built the kitchen area and bed platform, and salvaged wood from a 19th century church in Cleveland for the finishing treatments. The space is now used as both a mobile home and a work studio. Both offers a free guide called ‘The Vanual’ for anyone who wants to DIY their own camper van.

Sportsmobile Heavy-Duty Van Conversions

sportsmobile adventure van

sportsmobile adventure van 2

If the typical camper van just isn’t quite rugged and badass enough for you, Sportsmobile can probably help you out with that, assuming you have $ 100K to spend. The company customizes Mercedes Sprinters, Ford Transits, Dodge Promasters and Chevy vans into serious adventure vehicles with pop-up tops, heavy-duty cargo racks and contemporary interiors designed to their customers’ specifications, and you can even get 4×4 versions.

Solar Powered Home on Wheels

solar powered van 1

solar powered van 2

solar powered van 3

solar powered van 4

solar powered van 5

A young couple transformed a 16-year-old VW van into a sweet and simple solar-powered home they use to travel through Southern Europe and Morocco. Considering that the interior of this type of van is much smaller than that of a cargo or conversion van, they did an incredible job making use of the space, adding a kitchen, lots of storage and a pull-out bed.

Minivan Camper for an Italian Woman and Her Dog

minivan camper 1

minivan camper 2

minivan camper 3

This conversion uses an even smaller vehicle as a base, ending up with just enough space for an Italian woman and her dog to travel Europe. Marina Piro dreamed of seeing the world, but didn’t want to leave her dog, Odie, behind. She turned a 2001 Renault Kangaroo Van into ‘Pam the Van,’ insulating the floor, adding a fold-out bed and a tiny kitchen. As you can probably imagine, traveling in a van with a giant hairy dog has its complications, but it sounds like Pam is having a lot of fun.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Stealth Campers And Diy Rvs 15 Creatively Converted Vans

Share on Facebook





[ By SA Rogers in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Stealth Campers and DIY RVs: 15 Creatively Converted Vans

Posted in Creativity

 

Pop-Up Car Tents: These 15 Rooftop Campers Are Like Portable Tree Houses

07 Feb

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

ikamper rooftop tent

Popping up from the rooftops of everything from rugged Jeeps to adorable BMW MINIs or extending from the sides of motorcycles and bicycles, these vehicle-based tents make shelter on the go as easy as it can be. Some cantilever dramatically over the ground so you feel like you’re hovering in midair, and others stretch surprisingly high into the sky, like your own personal portable ‘treehouse’ built right onto your car.

Overland Tacoma Habitat Levitating Tent

overland tacoma 1

overland tacoma 2

This pop-up tent by Nemo Equipment is custom-designed to fit the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, using a hardtop as a base for a lightweight aluminum structural shell that opens and closes with the help of gas springs. When standing in the truck bed, users have an impressive 7 feet of headroom.

iKamper Skycamp & Hardtop One Rooftop Tents

ikamper rooftop tent

skycamp 2

skycamp 3

skycamp 4

The SkyCamp by iKamper is envisioned as a mobile treehouse experience that’s secured to the roof of a vehicle rather than a tree, complete with ladder access to the sleeping quarters. Nearly flat when not in use, the SkyCamp expands to impressive proportions, and add-ons can make the setup extend all the way to the ground for a lofted suite. The Hardtop One is a similar design, but expands vertically rather than diagonally.

Motorcycle Bivouac Exposed Camping

motorcycle bivouac

motorcycle bivouac 2

motorcycle bivouac 3

The ‘Bivouac’ by Exposed is designed to extend from a motorcycle to fit a single sleeper and their luggage, and pack up so tiny it can be mounted to the handlebars for transport. It may not be luxurious inside, but it’ll keep you and your motorcycle seat dry in the rain, and it’s perfect for the one-person explorer.

Prius Plus Hard Top Camper

camp inn camper 1

camp inn camper 2

camp inn camper 3

There’s something hilarious about the proportions of this hard-shell ‘Prius Plus’ camper, which is made to clamp right onto a Toyota Prius hybrid as a camper converter. It’s been described as a ‘saggy diaper,’ ‘tumorous growth’ and a ‘giant marshmallow from outer space,’ and it’s not hard to see why. But Japan-based manufacturer Camp Inn did pull off quite a feat in creating a full-height entry to the back of a compact vehicle, leading to enough space for for or five people to sleep. It’s not clear how it latches on, it probably causes a significant plunge in your fuel economy and it costs twice as much as the Prius itself.

Bike Tire Tent

bike tire tent

bike tire tent 2

bike tire tent 3

Cyclists can get in on the portable tent action, too, with ‘The Travel Tent’ by Chung-Jung Wu, Pei-Chun Chen & Li-Fu Chen. The design clips onto a bike wheel for easy portability while freeing up cargo space for other items, and extends into a pretty decently-sized one-person shelter.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Pop Up Car Tents These 15 Rooftop Campers Are Like Portable Tree Houses

Share on Facebook





[ By SA Rogers in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Pop-Up Car Tents: These 15 Rooftop Campers Are Like Portable Tree Houses

Posted in Creativity

 

Happy Trailers: 11 Cool Campers & Mobile Home Concepts

08 Nov

[ By Delana in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

Is there anything better than hitting the open road and going wherever the feeling takes you? It’s so much easier to pick up and set off on a spontaneous camping trip when you’ve got a camper or mobile home waiting to haul you and your gear to new surroundings. These mobile homes and rooms-on-wheels have the function and style to make your next camping trip unlike any of those cramped, bug-infested journeys that you probably remember from childhood.

Modern Yukon Tiny Home

(images via: Tiny House Blog)

Yukon resident Laird Herbert built this tiny 160 square foot mobile home as a miniature alternative to a traditional home. The small house is tailored to its harsh environment with features like heavy-duty construction and extra insulation. It contains a surprising amount of storage considering its diminutive footprint, along with a fully functional kitchen and queen-size loft bed.

252-Degree Mobile Home

(images via: Yanko Design)

Designers Stephanie Bellanger, David Dethoor, François Gustin, and Amaury Watine designed their unique mobile home idea with a spaceship in mind. The home opens up like a book, with every “page” revealing a new room. When you arrive at a campsite and decide to set up for the evening, a screen comes around to enclose the entire camper, keeping away the bugs and adding a sense of cohesion to the segmented home.

Colim Caravan

(images via: Tuvie)

The Colim Caravan concept gives mobile home dwellers a choice between taking their entire home around with them or simply driving a run of the mill car. The Colim (Colors of Life in Motion, according to the designer, Christian Susana) is a mobile home in two pieces: a tiny, agile car and a large living space. The two are ordinarily attached, allowing the vehicle portion to haul around the living space. But when needed, the two can separate, leaving the living space sitting where it is and letting the vehicle be used to get around unencumbered.

Mehrzeller Multicellular Caravan

(images via: Mehrzeller)

Travelers who have a hard time finding a mobile home or camper that works for them will be pleased to know that the Mehrzeller concept strives to be much more personalized. The Mehrzeller designers say that their plan is to work with customers to figure out exactly what they need, then to build a caravan that is completely personalized and seems as though it developed organically one cell at a time.

VW Westfalia Solar Powered Mobile Home


(images via: My Modern Met)

The Volkswagen Westfalia has been a well-loved symbol of hippie culture and freedom for a very long time. When designer Alexandre Verdier set out to improve the experience of traveling in a Westfalia, he created an eco-friendly and luxurious Volkswagen. The top of the camper van is equipped with solar panels which follow the sun to collect the maximum amount of solar energy. A pneumatic suspension system lowers the van to the ground to increase stability when the camper is parked. Thanks to the pop-up top, the caravan even sports a second story. The camper is very different than the usual Volkswagen camping experience, and at $ 26,000 to $ 69,000 the unique experience it offers comes at a rather steep price.

Eco Capsula

(images via: Nice Architects)

This diminutive trailer doesn’t seek attention from fellow travelers – in fact, it actually blends into its surroundings. The Eco Capsula is meant to be used in a community-type setting, with each unit connecting to the next to form a complete electric system. The units each include either a wind turbine or solar panels up on the roof, providing simple and eco-friendly ways to power the lives of the occupants. The shiny exterior is made from recycled drinks cans that reflect the surroundings, making each capsule blend in to wherever it happens to be at that moment. Meant for two to six people, the entire egg-like unit can open up in nice weather to let in the beauty of nature.

Midget Bushtrekka

(images via: Kamprite)

Travelers looking to go ultra-green might choose to take a bike rather than a motorized vehicle. The Midget Bushtrekka makes that dream practical by putting a rugged trailer behind your bicycle. An optional “tentcot” provides a handy – if rather unconventional – place to sleep while you’re on the road.

The Innovan

(images via: Innovan)

The Innovan line of products redefines just what a camper, caravan or trailer should be. Rather than the bulky, boxy things we are used to, Innovan products are smooth and aerodynamic. When driving, the top of the camper is low to the vehicle to reduce wind resistance. When parked, the top pops up to add an incredible amount of interior space.

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Woody

(images via: Moore and Giles)

There has probably never been a more stylish or fun-loving trailer than this one. Admittedly, you can’t camp in it or even stash your lawn chairs in its interior. But what it lacks in camping space, it makes up for in pure style. The Whiskey Woody is a full-service bar inside a classic trailer, including fun details like a poker set and lush leather furniture.

Modern Mobile Home

(images via: Yanko Design)

If you were to head out on the highway with this mobile home in tow, passers-by likely would not even realize that you were hauling a small residence. Folded up, the design from Mehdi Hidari Badie looks like one of those mobile storage units. But when you get to your destination, this incredible modern mobile home unfolds into a house that looks nothing like the mobile homes we are used to. The lightweight but sturdy home is made of eco-friendly recycled materials and includes a bank of solar panels on top to keep the home powered up at all times.

The Opera Mobile Suite

(images via: Opera)

Although most of us would refer to camping as “roughing it,” there is no reason to give up on luxury entirely during a camping trip. The Opera Mobile Suite is a gorgeous, elegant mobile home that takes on the shape and style of the iconic Sydney Opera House. It lets campers take a little piece of luxury with them wherever they might be.


Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Bike Campers: 12 Mini Mobile Homes for Nomadic Cyclists

Who says you can’t camp in luxury when taking a bicycle tour? These 12 bike trailers
4 Comments – Click Here to Read More »»



Futuristic Mobile Homes: Trailer Trash or Treasure?

With global warming threatening coastal cities and a new era of mass migration on the horizon, going mobile just might be today’s bright idea – and tomorrow’s way of life. Here are a dozen tech-packed trailers that are full of Win… without the Winnebago.
10 Comments – Click Here to Read More »»



Share on Facebook





[ By Delana in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Happy Trailers: 11 Cool Campers & Mobile Home Concepts

Posted in Creativity

 

Bike Campers: 12 Mini Mobile Homes for Nomadic Cyclists

16 Oct

[ By Steph in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

Choosing to ride a bike instead of driving a car doesn’t mean you have to forego the convenience of a camper trailer – if you’ve got the leg muscles to pull it off. From prototypes by a major German RV manufacturer to impressively innovative DIY creations, these 12 miniature mobile homes for bicycles pack lots of function into small (and not-so-small) trailers that don’t require gas or electricity to transport.

Mini Mobile Home for Bikes by Kevin Cyr

(images via: kevin cyr)

This amazing bike camper by Kevin Cyr looks exactly like a standard car camper, down to the smallest details like faux wood siding, reflectors and power inlets. For Cyr the camper is more sculptural art piece than functional recreational item, but he has definitely proven its viability by cruising it all over various cities.

Midget BushTrekka by Kamp-Rite

(images via: kamprite)

Available at Kamp-Rite, the Midget BUSHTREKKA is a lightweight bike trailer built for uneven terrain. It features three main storage compartments with over 41 gallons of storage space and fully adjustable leveling jacks. The trailer pairs with the ‘TentCot‘ to create the camper setup pictured.

Room Room Camper for Bikes & Burros</>

(images via: design boom)

The adaptable ‘Room Room’ by Encore Heureux + G Studio for ‘Crossing: Dialogues for Emergency Architecture’ Exhibition in China can be pulled by bicycle, motorcycle, donkey or on foot. Conceived as a mobile shelter for post-disaster recovery, the shelter can be picked up and hauled on its wheels, set back for sleeping or turned on its head and extended with a tent for longer-term use.

Burning Man Bike Camper

(images via: dvice)

Built for Burning Man, this camper weighs 100 pounds and is packed with a solar oven and a solar water heating system, and has a wind turbine and solar lights on the exterior.

DIY Bike Camper Inspired by Moon Rovers

(images via: bikeportland)

Spotted in Portland, this DIY bike camper was inspired by moon rovers and the moon landing vehicle.

Minimalist Wood Camper by Sakari Holma

(images via: saholm)

Finish designer Sakari Holma built this minimalist wood bike camper trailer, which is just wide enough to lay down in to ensure that the design is streamlined enough to pull without too much effort.

Little Tag Along by Kevin Cyr

(images via: kevin cyr)

The ‘Little Tag Along’ camper is another design by Kevin Cyr, with the look of a conventional camper shrunk down to bike-size. Pulled by a vintage 3-speed bicycle, Little Tag Along contains the minimum that you’d need to hunker down for the night on a regular basis – just a bed and a little bit of storage space.

Ultralight DIY Teardrop Bike Camper

(images via: tiny house design)

Michael Janzen of Tiny House Design envisions a lightweight teardrop trailer for bikes in this concept illustration, pointing out that a company called Human Powered Machines makes bike trailers that can carry up to 500 pounds. Of course, whether the person riding the bicycle can tow that much is another question.

The Caravan

(image via: eta.co.uk)

This tiny lightweight bike caravan is fancier inside than you’d expect: it fits a twin bed, a 19″ flat-screen television, an electric kettle for tea and a ‘drinks cabinet’. Optional extras include solar roof panels, a satellite dish, a gaming console, central heating and an external luggage rack.

Dethleffs Bike Camper Prototype

(image via: xhyperactive)

German RV maker Dethleffs experimented with a concept bike camper, producing a prototype that included a bed and a small kitchen.

Supertramp Fabric Bike Caravan

(image via: lehmanb)

Made largely of fabric, Lehman B’s ‘Supertramp’ is relatively roomy and even contains a wood stove. The designer took the bike around London in summer 2010, setting up near bars, restaurants, companies and galleries to inspire curiosity about living in tiny mobile spaces.

Custom Electric Bike Camper

(image via: jay nelson)

Of course, the addition of an electric motor to pull a bike camper makes this particular creation a whole different beast, but it’s still impressive. The Golden Gate by Jay Nelson has an unusual geometric exterior made of fiberglass, plywood, glass and epoxy and incorporates bicycle wheels and other bike parts. It’s got a bed,a miniature kitchen with sink, stove and cooler, a toilet and storage space, but it won’t go more than 20 miles per hour, and only gets about 10 miles per charge. Nelson uses it for trips to the beach.


Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Futuristic Mobile Homes: Trailer Trash or Treasure?

With global warming threatening coastal cities and a new era of mass migration on the horizon, going mobile just might be today’s bright idea – and tomorrow’s way of life. Here are a dozen tech-packed trailers that are full of Win… without the Winnebago.
10 Comments – Click Here to Read More »»



Riding High: 30 Outrageous Bike Mods

One way to get more people to start traveling via pedal power is to add a little creativity to an otherwise mundane form of transport.
9 Comments – Click Here to Read More »»



Share on Facebook





[ By Steph in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Bike Campers: 12 Mini Mobile Homes for Nomadic Cyclists

Posted in Creativity