I Wish I Had: A Sun-brella

by Willy Volk on

We love the beach, so we head there a lot. However, I tremble in fear when I see some of the old, leathery grandmas strutting down the beach. Will my skin look like beef jerky one day, too? To combat that, we always slather on the sunscreen and only stay for a short time. However, if we had a Sun-brella, we could probably stay a little longer — and have a lot more fun! I wish I had one!

The adjustable Sun-brella features a solar-powered sun-shielding canopy that can power small appliances (like a portable radio, or a Wavebox) and the small fan that comes with the Sun-brella. It’s glamping — for the beach!

Sounds great! So what’s the catch? Sadly, the Sun-brella is still in the design stages and won’t be available for a while. However, when it’s ready, I’ll be sure to pick one up!

Designs Within Reach + Airstream = Glamping Heaven

by Justin Glow on

Designs Within Reach, the same furniture retailer that brought you the bottomless beach chair, is teaming up with legendary motor home-maker Airstream to develop a “trailer for the mobile young modernist -rock climbers, surfers, dot-com guys,” according to the New York Times.

This looks very similar to Deseo’s “modular caravan” that Willy wrote about last week. Is camping becoming chic? I’ve noticed a trend lately, where things once considered rustic are getting makeovers to appeal to a whole new market — one which favors Paul Smith over Paul Bunyan.

Luxury comes at a price, however. This 16-foot trailer shown above starts at nearly $50,000, and is available in early June. Glamping is alive and well.

[via notcot]

dig&sit

by Willy Volk on

If you want to enjoy your cold wine on the beach in a little more style than by sitting in a bottomless beach chair (I mean, come on!), you should consider the dig&sit, a flexible beach sofa. Made of two layers of damp-proof, pvc-coated nylon, the 3-person dig&sit features two quilted foam zones to make that hard beach sand just a wee bit softer. The dig&sit also features stainless steel grommets in the corners to secure it to the ground to prevent it from flapping in the wind.

How does it work? Simple. Dig a shallow, rectangular hole in the sand for the seat, pile the sand where the back goes, drop the dig&sit into the formation, and sit. Get it? Dig… and sit. Perfect for couch-surfing at the beach, the quilted foam padding retains your body heat, keeping you dry and comfortable while you relax. The $150 gizmo — available in 6 different colors — comes with a spade and a backpack for easy carrying.

Ziploc Bag Ice Cream

by Willy Volk on

Here’s a great, easy idea for the next time you go camping: make Ziploc Bag Ice Cream! The easiest recipe for camping ice cream comes from the clever guys at Get Outdoors:

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons salt (rock salt is best)

Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar in one ziploc sandwich bag. Place ice and salt in a ziploc freezer bag. Place the smaller, sealed bag with the ingredients into the larger bag. Shake for 10 minutes. Eat.

However, the recipe is simple and let’s you be creative. For example, you can also make:

The Wavebox

by Willy Volk on

Well, it looks like glamping may be inching to the mainstream. Just check out the the WaveBox, a rugged, portable lunchbox that’s also a microwave. Running on 3 power options — AC, DC direct clip to a car battery, or DC connection to a cigarette lighter — the Wavebox allows glampers to heat up their popcorn, French toast, Hot Pockets, or whatever, without the hassle of that old messy, annoying thing, the campfire.

Featuring 3 quick-cook preset buttons for one-touch heating and electronic controls with LED display, the $199 Wavebox even boasts an integrated CoolWave soft-side cooler, which fits inside the WaveBox to keep food and beverages cool during transport. If all of this is just blowing your mind, check out WaveBOXMan’s geeky but thorough product vide-overview.

Love it? So does everyone else. The Wavebox is on backorder until May 1. Contact the makers to get on the waiting list.

[Via Get Outdoors]