Camping Gear

Orion 65 Cooler

The Orion 65 cooler weighs 39 pounds when it’s empty and it is built to withstand bear attacks. On the sides there are two heavy rope handles used to help carrying the cooler from place to place. With its six secured attachment points, your cooler is not going to go anywhere. Four of the tie down points, which are located on the corner also have a built in bottle openers. This cooler can be locked with a padlock. The cooler is made out of a roto-molded polyethylene  and is extremely durable. Inside the walls of the cooler are two inches of insulation. The latches are camming latches that are hinged and easy to use.

The inner compartment has a thermoformed plastic tray and the manufacture includes a removable tray.  Connected to the tray is an included Princeton Tec Amp1 light. The light can also be used as a bottle opener. I guess the manufacture figured you can’t have too many bottle openers.This cooler feels extremely durable and should last a long time. The Orion 65 will survive your toughest journeys as long as you are willing to lug it around.

Something special to Orion coolers is that each camo pattern on each cooler is unique. There are two different base colors to choose from, olive drab and tan. The unit height is 17.5”, width is 32”, depth 18.75” and has a drain plug.

This is probably your last cooler you will buy. The best part about the Orion 65 is that it is proudly made in the United States

Coleman 14x10 Foot 8 Person Instant Tent

When I first heard about an instant tent, I thought " what do you do add water and it will grow larger or is it some futuristic tent that just automatically opens when you press a button". After opening the tent box I was impressed by the ease in setting it up. The directions say one minute to set up and it is truly a one minute setup . It is a not a small back packing tent, but a large family size tent. It comes in three different sizes: four, six and eight persons. The tent I set up was a eight person tent. With three adults in the tent , there was enough space remaining to set a card table in it.
This is a fairly new tent concept which most people have never seen before. It is like a normal tent except on top where the tent connects, it has a hub where all the pole connect to. The construction is similar to the instant 10' by 10' sun shades. All you have to do is take it out of the carrying case, unfold the poles and then extend the poles until they lock into place. When you hear a click and see a silver button extend thru the pole it is locked into place.
Taking down the tent is just as simple. Press in the silver buttons and the legs collapse and then easily fold up. The hardest thing about this tent is getting all the air out so it can fit in the case. The instructions are conveniently printed on the carrying case and Coleman even gives you tips on how to get the air out of it.
For those new to camping this tent will make your life much easier on your trip. If you are an experienced camper you won't have to fumble with a bunch of poles and pieces. All the poles on the instant tent are attached to the tent with Velcro it truly is a instant tent.
My only recommendation would be that better tent stakes be included. The stakes are just metal rod the size of about 3/8 and don't have the holding power of a bigger stake. The other complaint is sometimes the poles don't always lock in place on the first try. That is simply solved by collapsing the pole and then extending it. These are just some minor issues with this tent. I set my Coleman up in the dark by myself and showed other adults how easy it was. Nearby, I watched six campers struggle in putting one of their tents up in the dark.
The dimensions are 14 feet and 8 feet with a height of 65 inches and the retails for $229.00. The tent comes with a one year warranty. This size tent is only available on Amazon.

Camp Chef Denali 3 Burner Camping Stove

I just tested the Camp Chief Denali 3 Burner Grill and Stove and I am very impressed by it.
The stove is well made with a stove base of rugged enamel finish that can easily survive a camping trip. The grill/ stove has two side windshields to keep the flame from being extinguished by the wind. One disclaimer if you are looking for a back packing stove this is not the one as it weighs thirteen pounds and the measurements of the unit are 13.5" L x 24" W x 5.25" H.
This is a great grill and stove for camping or a tail gate party. The user has the option of using two burners and a grill all in one unit. One of my son's wishes in a stove is the ability to grill . A grilled hot dog tastes a lot better than one boiled. The Denali has a drip tray which easily slides out to remove the drippings from grill.
Starting the Camp Chief Denali is very simple. The user first attaches the propane connection to the unit. Then you simply screw the one pound propane tank in. There are three knobs for each burner and a red ignition knob. To turn on the unit you turn the knob and then turn the red ignition knob and the propane will be lit. The user can decide how many burners to have on.
The stove grill/stove immediately lit and the manufacturer states that each stove burner puts out 10,000 BTU and the grill 5,000 BTU. I placed the optional accessory griddle on the stove. I used a temperature gun and measured the surface of the griddle. The griddle rapidly exceeded 150 degrees in no time. With the knobs wide open the temperature I measured was almost 500 degrees. I was shocked to see the temperature that high in a short of time. The only issue I can see is that you have to regulate the knobs so that the griddle has an even temperature across the surface.
Two accessories I recommend are the Carry Bag for Mountain Series Stoves which is a great bag to carry it as well as two propane tanks.
The other is the Universal Fry Griddle which covers the entire cooking surface and makes ideal for making scramble eggs, pancakes, French toast to quickly name a few items you cook with it.
The Camp Chef Denali retail price is $129.17 which is very reasonable for a propane stove/grill

Coleman Portable Propane Coffeemaker with Stainless Steel Carafe

My quest for a perfect cup of coffee on a camping trip has been ended. I tried the Coleman propane coffee maker and it is very easy to operate. You connect the disposable propane tank to the coffee maker and add water and coffee. The Coleman coffeemaker works just like a drip coffee maker which brews 10 cups in about 18 minutes. The carafe is stainless and won't break. I tried the coffee maker on a camping trip when it was about 22 degrees outside.Ufortunately while it the carafe won't break it does not keep the coffee warm for long after you turn of the coffeemaker.
A few of the issues I had happened when I removed the carafe from the coffeemaker. Thee lever to stop the coffee from pouring out fell out. Another issue is when the push-button igniter is wet it won't light the burner. The easy fix is to use a lighter or match and light the propane thru the hole by the burner. Coleman should have designed a carry case for it like a propane lantern to keep all the parts together.
The Coleman Propane coffeemaker makes a great cup of coffee out in the field. It weighs 9.5 pounds so it not a back pack type coffeemaker. The manufacturer states one 16 oz. propane cylinder will run for over four. I have not tried to see how long it will ran on one cylinder, but it worked great at my house during Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey when I didn't have power for six days. Enjoy a cup of coffee on your next outdoor outing.

The retail price is $129.00 thou on line it is less than that.