Unless the camping enthusiast on your list has a motorized camping rig with lots of cold storage space, good quality coolers are essential items. Why not surprise your favorite camper with a brand new cooler for Christmas? To make it an extra special gift, tuck a couple of gift cards from your favorite grocer, beverage mart, or butcher shop so they can pick up some items to put in the cooler when they head out on their next camping trip.

Yes, Christmas is only a few days away. But there’s still time to get a cooler to put under the tree. Just choose a model that has overnight shipping available or take a trip to your nearest sporting goods store to pick one up. Look for one that has excellent insulation and will keep food cold for at least 4 days; or choose a plug in model that won’t need ice. My plug in cooler (which has a multifunctional plug that works in both my vehicle cigarette lighter socket and outlet inside my popup camper) is my favorite by far because I never have to worry about the ice freezing my carrots or foods getting waterlogged when the ice melts.

Hot dogs and hamburgers are great camping foods. They’re easy to make and easy to hold in one hand, leaving the other hand free to hold a nice cold beer (or other beverage of your choice).

What are the best grills to give to the people on your Christmas list who think anytime is a great time to go camping?

It really depends on your budget. They are a lot of portable grills on the market that work great. I personally own an inexpensive tabletop gas grill that cost less than $25 dollars, a Weber portable gas grill that cost over $100 but works like a dream and is well worth the money if you can afford it (get the optional cover as well), and a small tabletop charcoal grill for when I want that authentic charcoal taste.

Happy Grilling!

The best part about camping, at least to me, is relaxing around the campfire with friends and family. It’s even more fun with a cold frosty drink, like a freshly made strawberry margarita!

And thanks to the invention of portable rechargeable and propane powered blenders, delicious cold drinks can be made just about anywhere without any electricity.

They make a great gift for the camper on your gift list, even if that camper is you!

And because it’s no fun to have to keep making trips to buy ice, make sure to have a good quality cooler to keep the ice cold so that the only time a trip to buy ice is needed is when the ice is gone - not when it’s melted.