Camping Comfort Vitals

Besides a freezing downpour, there are a few things that can turn even the most anticipated camping expedition into a journey of frustration: biting insects, sunburn, uncomfortable sleeping conditions and a snoring tent mate. Here are some camping survival tactics for tent-sharing families or couples:

Keep your camping crew warm and snug by choosing the right expedition blanket. The Original Puffy Blanket from Rumpl has you covered. Weighing in at 2.1 pounds and constructed from the same high-performance technical materials as the best insulated active wear, these super warm blankets are lightweight and fit into their own drawstring compression sacks. The material resists rain, water, odors and stains — and can be machine-washed and dried. The wide selection of color choices and patterns includes Ocean Fade, Fractal and Spiderweb, with large-scale renditions of the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Arches and other favorite destinations to inspire your journey.

Another thing to give serious consideration when packing: Whether you’re camping in a tent pitched directly on the ground or buffered by layers of piney needles, you won’t get any sleep if you don’t have proper neck support and a comfy pillow. You’ll get both with Kozaye pillows, customized to your particular sleep habits and needs. Your pillow is filled with always-cool memory foam and crafted to your specifications based on your responses to questions that determine the fibers in the pillow covering (soft bamboo viscose or a bamboo-hemp fiber blend), and its shape and height (thick, thin or contoured). Make sure everyone has one so all those moonlight pillow fights are fair.

Protecting kids from insects at night. Photo: Anna Om | Dreamstime.com

While summer camping comes with sunrises, great hikes and swimming in hidden lakes, it also comes with plenty of crawly, flying, bitey things. Utilizing natural essential oils, and free of scary chemicals, Para’Kito repels mosquitos, ticks and even wasps — making those forest forays a little less stressful. Loaded with citronella, rosemary, geranium, mint, clove, peppermint and cinnamon oils, Para’Kito comes in wearable clips and bracelets (and even as an easy-to-apply roll-on). Essential oil-infused pellets fit into refillable sport bands that can be worn on wrists and ankles, or attached to belt buckles or a backpack strap. Each DEET-free, waterproof pellet lasts about 15 days, and is effective in all types of climates and geographic locales. Sports bands even come in fun patterns for kids and in “Party Edition” black-and-gold patterns.

The potential risk of chemical penetration and hormone disruption from ingredients such as oxybenzone in conventional sunscreens has been all over the news, but there are a few great choices out there. C’est Moi Gentle Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30 has everything you want in a sunscreen: fragrance-free protection from harmful rays with zinc oxide, paired with botanical ingredients including organic aloe, shea butter, cocoa butter and extracts of strawberry, kiwi and apple. Big points, too, for the smooth consistency, moisturizing components, lack of pore-clogging and zero chalky white film.

Okay, let’s talk about that thing that may just result in someone being voted out of the tent: snoring. Everyone wants to wake up bright-eyed and ready to tackle the nearest fourteener or the path to the canyon river, but it can be a challenge if you’ve been up all night while the tent shakes to the rhythm of someone’s snoring (and that might be you). Created by Andre S. Michalak, MD, and his son Nicholas, SomniFix Mouth Strips are a non-invasive option that help reduce snoring and improve sleep by directing airflow through the nose while gently holding lips closed (but with a breathing vent so there’s always an airflow option). Natural breathing patterns are utilized to help the wearer stay asleep, and the soft, flexible strips are comfortable to wear.