As weather warms and the melt begins, it’s time to start getting oriented back outdoors—or at least to find new ways of creating outdoor space beyond the worn winter boundaries of your pandemic bubble. When rounding out your spring camping kit, advances in materials and design are only yielding lighter, higher-performing equipment when ounces count in a pack, or when storage space in your vehicle of choice to get farther from the crowd—whether it be bike, boat, or car—is at a premium.
The spring shoulder season also means the flexibility to handle big day-to-night swings in temperature and sudden changes in the weather. Prepare for change with the right gear. Start the longer days of the early camping season with these new 11 key camp items for both backcountry adventures and frontcountry fun.