The year is drawing to a close and 2022 is rapidly approaching, and that means a whole new year of outdoor fun and adventure. If you’re going to make the most of it, you need the right gear to ensure that you can enjoy it in comfort and safety. To that end, we’ve decided that now is the perfect time to take a look at the best outdoor gear for 2022.
The recommendations below have been selected to suit a wide range of outdoor activities and purposes. Whether you’re looking to head out on a day hike, camp overnight, or venture backcountry on an extreme backpacking trek, we’ve got suggestions for a smattering of great gear to help you get there.
Arguably the most all-around useful, downright essential tool to pack along on any outdoor endeavor is a knife, and this here is a real humdinger of a blade. The Swedish knifemaker Morakniv has been producing superior cutlery for more than a century, and this 130th-anniversary celebration release represents everything you could want from a great outdoor knife. It’s uber-durable, holds a sharp edge admirably, and is light to carry and balanced in the hand.
A table is one of those things you don’t really realize is invaluable until you don’t have one. This pint-sized, foldout table from the renowned outdoor gear manufacturer Nemo delivers not only the flat surface you need in the wilderness, but its sleek, collapsible design makes it super easy to pack along. It can also be adjusted to two different heights, making it more versatile for those camping moments when you find yourself sitting on the ground.
If you’re going to get a good night’s sleep while in the great outdoors, you’ve got to have a good sleeping bag. The Cloud Layer from Sylvansport is an outstanding option thanks to its cozy, multilayered design that can be adjusted to suit the weather. It’s also compatible with a wide range of sleeping mats and mattresses and is available in a two-person size in case you’re looking for a bit of camping and cuddling.
There are a lot of great camp stoves out there, but none of them offer the manifold versatility of the Gonzo Grill from Eureka!, one of the best outdoor gear producers around. As the name suggests, it’s less a camp stove than a cooking system, offering a stovetop, grill, and griddle. It can also be daisy-chained to other stoves so that they can all operate off the same fuel source.
From coolers to power stations to camp lights, Yeti makes some awesome gear. Case in point: The Crossroads Commuter daypack. Light but super durable, it boasts a minimalist design that is about as straightforward as they come but includes clever features like a reversed flip-top lid that’s more accessible, as well as carabiner loops and a water bottle access zipper. Small enough to be worn comfortably all day, it manages to hold a surprising amount of gear.
When you’re venturing forth on the exact opposite of a day hike, electing to instead journey deep into the backcountry for days on end, you need a truly great backpack. The Deuter Future Air Trek is exactly that. Ultralight, well-organized, and extremely comfortable, it’s capable of going wherever and carrying just about whatever you need it to. Ostensibly a 60-liter pack, its nifty expanding hood allows it to grow by another 10 liters if the circumstance demands.
Car campers, this one’s for you! Someone has finally created a car mattress that is actually comfortable and practical. While most air mattresses don’t fit in a vehicle space all that well, Luno’s Air Mattress 2.0 is available in a wide range of designs that are specifically cut to fit the interiors of dozens of SUVs, vans, and trucks. They’re also dual-chambered, allowing you to inflate one side while saving space for gear, or making it so that each side will remain stable to reduce jostling when two people are using it. It’s also extremely tough, meaning that it has a much longer lifespan than pretty much every other air mattress.
With its somewhat quirky, classic, pole-in-the-middle design, the Mint Saloon Tent from Big Agnes is a highly versatile shelter. This tent is roomy, easy to set up, and boasts a prolonged vestibule, it’s a great choice whether you’re camping, at an outdoor festival, or just need a break from the weather during a day outdoors.
Good prepared camping food is hard to find. Actually, it’s next to impossible to find. These ready-made meals from Good-to-Go, however, solve that issue. Offering recipes crafted by a Michelin star chef, they offer a wide range of dishes such as chicken pho, Cuban rice bowl, mushroom risotto, Thai curry, and more. They’re also extremely easy to whip up — just add hot water.
There are a ton of great outdoor jackets out there, but few are as versatile as the Novus Hoody from the great gear designer Marmot. While it’s surprisingly warm on a cold day yet light enough to provide an extra layer when the weather is only moderately chilled, the whole thing packs down to the size of a fist, making it easy to fit into your backpack. It’s also highly comfortable and looks pretty sharp.
Forget old school, ugly blue tarps. We’re looking for the tarp of the future. That trap is pretty much everything from Tarpestry. The products offered by Tarpestry aren’t quite tarps, and they’re not quite tapestries. Instead, they exist in the best of both worlds, offering tarp durability and easy cleaning along with a tapestry’s softness and aesthetics. These are great for picnics, stringing up for a bit of added privacy, or even for keeping out the rain. And when they get dirty, you can just hose them off.
These days even when you head off the grid, you still want to pack along some power. The Jackery Explorer 1500 dominates the portable power station game thanks to its unrivaled capacity, durability, and ease of use. Pair it with a set of the company’s solar panels, and you’ve got a truly off-grid electricity solution capable of keeping all your devices charged for as long as there’s a sun in the sky.
The Essential Guide for MenThe Manual is simple — we show men how to live a life that is more engaged. As our name implies, we offer a suite of expert guides on a wide range of topics, including fashion, food, drink, travel, and grooming. We don’t boss you around; we’re simply here to bring authenticity and understanding to all that enriches our lives as men on a daily basis.