Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Arizona Outback Adventures offers luxury camping packages, which includes all transportation, gear and food. The video below highlights an outing near the shore of Havasu Creek. It looks like a great time, but isn't part of the camping experience packing (and unpacking) all the crap? (Kidding, of course!)

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Whether your plans this summer include lounging on a white-sand beach or pointing out constellations at your favorite camp site, they should include the Kelsyus Portable Hammock. I just picked one of these up and I'm quite impressed. The hammock comes neatly-packaged in a carrying bag and  portability appears to be a strong point. There's no installation required; simply pull the frame out of the bag, unfold it and hang the canvas hammock onto the...

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I've long coveted a way of bringing an India pale ale or lager on a long backpacking or biking trip. Unfortunately, the average backpack or pannier doesn't accomodate a six pack very well. That's what makes these new Beer On The Go pouches from the Beverage Pouch Group so damn hopeful. While bottles or cans are large and clunky, these seem like they could easily slip into an empty backpack compartment and provide a needed evening drink....

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The Kelty Pop Duo cooler looks like your average canvas cooler on the surface. However, when you pop it open, it stretches out to reveal a small table inside. The table surface provides a clean, convenient surface to put those finishing touches on your meal before shoving your face full of hoagie. The cooler can be found on Amazon for around $44. via Coolest Gadgets

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The Coleman Elite Weathermaster tent has a lot going for it...like its hinged door, self-rolling windows and built-in lighting with remote control. You can check out all the highlights in this video tour.  For more information about the tent, check out this page. Go here to find a retailer.

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While I have a feeling these dog tag multi-tools look a lot cooler than they perform, they are worth a look for any outdoor wanderer. Wrap up all those handy Swiss-Army-style gadgets right around your neck, so you're never separated from the tool you need. Comes with 3 mm LED, bottle opener,Phillips and flat screwdriver, serrated knife, fine and coarse file, cuticle shaper and tweezers. Weighs just 25 grams. via Inventor Spot

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  This concept tent from Orange harnesses energy via solar threads woven into its directional glides, which can be rotated to follow the sun. It has a central wireless control that keeps track of the energy collected as well as an integrated heating element embedded in the tent's groundsheet. And to top it off...at night the panels glow! Awesome. For more info, visit ecofriend.

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After watching Man vs. Wild for the past few years, I'm surprised Bear Grylls has been able to save himself. Despite having a camera crew there to assist him, he makes one crazy, boneheaded move after another.  Apparently, he's doing something right. Nine-year-old Grayson Wynne used techniques he'd learned on the show to help searchers find him when he became separated from his family in Utah's Ashley National Forest this past weekend. He tore up...

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  If you've been looking to step up your game from the styrofoam cooler filled with Schlitz, take a look at the Gear Guide Camp Bar. The handy little bar travels into your campsite in its own neat carrying bag, unfolds into a bar complete with built-in cooler and provides a nice surface to make and serve your drinks. Combine this with the gas-powered blender for the perfect margarita in the middle of the wilderness....

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Jason Klass is a mighty ambitious outdoors fanatic and DIYster. My favorite? These DIY trekking poles made from carbon golf club shafts. "Overall, I ended up with a sturdy, finished product that only weighed 4.4 oz. per pole. The cost per pole was about $18.50 since I already had the glue, etc. that I needed. While not as light as some of the commercially available ones, like Gossamer Gear Light Trek 4s, it proved to...

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You know those people who pack everything but the kitchen sink when they go camping? Well, now they can take that too. The Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink is a collapsible vessel that's good for for not only washing dishes. Other uses include bathing pan, water collection, or even pet bowl. It's available at Upside Over for about 16 bucks. 

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Need to know if it's sunny in Patagonia? How about Taiwan? If the answer is 'yes' then this map is for you. It shows the sun's progression in real time as it rises and sets across the world. An added meteorological tidbit is the tracking of clouds, which updates every 3 hours. You can now add the map (as a gadget) to your web page or your Google home page.  It's a great addition to...

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The solar panel on the armband recharges the batteries of this AM/FM radio. It also has a flashing LED light mode, which you can activate at night, for better visibility to traffic. It includes 2 AAA rechargeable batteries. Available at OnlineSports.com for a reasonable 22 bucks.       

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The Bushnell BackTrack is the easiest GPS  navigation system on the market.  Just mark your starting location and the BackTrack will help you find your way back. Basically it's like leaving a trail of virtual breadcrumbs behind you. (Hansel & Gretel could have used one.)  Available on Amazon for about 53 bucks.

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Some recently-discovered patents by the technology giant Apple, show the possibility that the company will get into the outdoor sports market. The patented technology would allow users to track performance indicators like speed, air time and energy used in sports like snowboarding and mountain biking. Much of what this would provide is already available, and it appears that it would add a lot of extra weight and bulk to the board. So, I don't think...

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The term 'camping stool' has an entirely different meaning now, thanks to this new item available at outinstyle.com ($30). It comes with interchangeable seats (one regular and one toilet) as well as a WAG BAG Biodegradable Kit that 'Instantly turns waste into a non toxic gel & eliminates all odors!' The bag includes Pooh-Powder, a zip-close disposal bag, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. 

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  Seriously? A gas powered blender with a 25cc 2-stroke engine? Seriously? I guess some people just can't live without their daiquiris no matter where they are. On the up side, the carrying case doubles as a backpack. You can find it at rvtoyoutlet.com for 360 bucks. Seriously.

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If you're looking for new outdoor gear and would like to give our sagging economy--and fellow Americans--a financial boost, you might want to shop for gear made in the U.S. REI has put together a directory of thousands of items they sell that are American made. From bikes, to cots, to kayaks, to cooking systems, there's something for everybody. On my list...this very cool roll up table from Camp Time.

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Metal detecting isn't the most inconspicuous of activities. And carrying a detector around for hours doesn't do anyone's back any good. Which is where these metal detecting flip flops come in. The coil bit is built into the right sandal, and the battery that powers it straps onto your calf. The battery pack alerts you to finds buried up to 2 feet below with a 'gentle vibration or a clearly audible buzz'. One 9-volt battery...

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Animals aren't just endangered. So are places. These five locales are places you might want to visit soon, before they succumb. Canoeing the Florida Everglades. The water levels have been, and will very likely continue to be, a concern. Photographing Glaciers in Glacier and elsewhere. A glacier park without glaciers is, well, just a park. It's been suggested that a child today should see them before he or she hits 20 years of age as...

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