In last month’s magazine, we introduced you to Woodsgating. The idea is simple: Grab your traditional camping gear, sans sleeping equipment, and head into the backcountry, or even the back-40 with your friends and family for the day or even a couple hours of grilling food and having fun. Woodsgating is a fantastic option for those of us with busy summer schedules and don’t have full weekends to commit to camping.
Videos by Outdoors
Assemble Your Gear
All of us at 50 Campfires have gear lust. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that when we head out to Woodsgate, we have tons of gadgets that make our time more enjoyable. We’ve assembled a list of absolute must-haves for your next Woodsgating adventure. Unlike traditional camping, you can leave all your sleeping gear at home. With no tent or sleeping bags to lug around, you free up a ton of space for more important things like cold drinks, tons of food, and fantastic games.
Cooking
The heart and soul of any worthwhile Woodsgating trip is the grill. It’s what separates you from going into the woods to eat a sandwich and grilling fall-off-the-bone ribs with golden-brown sweet potatoes. One is lame, the other pure magic. Let’s pull a rabbit out of a hat and find the perfect Woodsgating grill.
Zippo All-Terrain Grill: We’ve grilled so many steaks on this thing we’re basically 50% beef. Ultra-portable and reliable. Enough said.
BUY NOW
$299.95
Camp Chef Outdoor Oven: Baking a pizza in the middle of the woods. Pizza in the outdoors sounds a lot like heaven.
BUY NOW
$179.99
Elevate Grill: Its compact size makes it easy to transport, and the design allows for use just about anywhere.
BUY NOW
$154.18
Seating
Birds have to fly, fish have to swim, and people have to sit. Have you ever eaten a sirloin steak standing up? Of course not. Just because you’re surrounded by nature doesn’t mean you need to eat like an animal. Grab a seat, enjoy the view, and your company with these “nearly make you fall asleep” seating options.
Lamzac Hangout: You can use it as a chair or lie vertically, and it holds up to 440 lbs. No Woodsgating setup would be complete without one.
BUY NOW
$79.00
LL Bean Low Rider: Mesh seats keep you cool and the overall design is super easy to get into and out of (even though you won’t want to).
BUY NOW
$39.95
Kelsyus Canopy Chair: For those ultra-hot, sunny days. Bring the shade with you. Just don’t get up before you call dibs on this chair. Someone will take your seat. Guaranteed.
BUY NOW
$56.99
Portable Folding Table: If you don’t have a picnic table nearby, this is an absolute lifesaver. Use it to lay out food or as a gathering place to play cards and chat.
BUY NOW
$54.95
Cooler
Your cooler HAS to hold ice. We’ve tried countless coolers. Some big, some small. Get one strong enough and it can act as a makeshift table or seat. Two birds, one stone.
YETI Tundra 45: Big enough to hold more food than you could eat in a day. Tough enough to handle anything. Keeps ice for days. A perfect Woodsgating cooler.
BUY NOW
$350.00
Coleman Stainless Steel Cooler: Large enough to hold 85 cans and tall enough to hold 2-liter bottles upright, you’ll have plenty of space for refreshments for your whole crew.
BUY NOW
$86.40
Igloo Trailmate Cooler: Party anywhere you want with the ultimate all-terrain cooler, featuring the kind of built-tough mobility that can traverse in all sorts of conditions.
BUY NOW
$249.99
Entertainment
The Internet has rendered most of our brains with the attention span of a black lab puppy. We like to be active and entertained. That’s not a crime. Is it? Here’re our top picks to keep everyone happy and off their phones.
Dreamwave Audio Tremor Speaker: When you’re responsible for bringing the party. This is a serious speaker. If there is a chance that your Woodsgating adventure could turn into a dance party, look no further than the Tremor.
BUY NOW
$298.99
Spikeball: Spikeball is an amalgam of volleyball and badminton; taking the thrill of volleying and spiking and condensing it down to a small area that is perfect for Woodsgating.
BUY NOW
$59.99
Slackers Slackline Kit: Looking to test your balance? Slacklining is a great activity to bring to the campsite – just hook it up between two trees and you’ll have entertainment for hours.
BUY NOW
$65.38
Everything You’ll (Probably) Forget
If this is your first foray into Woodsgating, you’ll benefit from our mistakes and everything we wished we brought on previous outings. Something as simple as extra garbage bags can indeed make Woodsgating much easier. Here’s the stuff you’ll probably not think to bring but definitely should.
