While we’ve featured some of Ooni’s outdoor pizza ovens in the past, none yet have approached the absolutely massive size of their latest creation, the Koda 2 Max.

With a whopping 24″ cooking area and two independently controlled gas burners that heat up a pair of 0.8″ cordierite pizza stones (their thickest yet), this beast is the one you’ll turn to whenever demand for your homemade pizzas becomes too much for any other oven to handle.

Unlike other Ooni models, the Koda 2 Max isn’t designed to be portable or used indoors; rather, it’s intended more as a permanent fixture of your backyard.

With it, you can cook a single 20″ New York-style pizza or a pair of 10–12″ Neopolitan-style pies side-by-side, allowing you to quickly and easily feed the whole family — and probably the rest of the neighborhood while you’re at it.

Thanks to those dual cooking zones, you still have the ability to cook just one small pizza if that’s all you need right then, or you can work with two completely different styles of pizza at once, no problem. You can even cook non-pizza dishes like steaks, veggies, small skillet dishes, party dips…the list goes on.

What’s more, mounted on the front is a Digital Temperature Hub that provides instant heat readings from different places in the oven and sends them to your phone so you can stay on top of things even after stepping away. Included with the hub are two food temperature probes for use with roasted meats, which is convenient.

The Koda 2 Max is $999 at Ooni’s site and available in either propane (tank) or natural gas (gas line) versions.

Buy Now

With the Lowlands Blanket, the team at YETI applied their usual dedication to making the toughest possible product and applied it to engineering an outdoor blanket for every adventure and activity, from picnics to beach days to hiking trails to festivals to concerts and beyond.

Pictured colorway: Fireside Red

The blanket measures 78″ x 55″ and is 0.3″ thick, with a multi-layered construction that’s waterproof on the outside, padded and insulated on the inside, and supremely comfortable all around. Six utility loops around the edge allow you to stake the blanket down on windier days.

On top of being waterproof, the Lowlands Blanket also repels dirt and pet hair, meaning all you have to do is shake it off before rolling it up into the included color-matched carry bag. However, if you do need to clean it for any reason, it can be machine washed and dried, no problem.

Left: Navy | Right: Smoke Blue

Pictured: Alpine Yellow blanket with carry bag.

Get the YETI Lowlands Blanket for $200 on Amazon in your choice of…

1. Olive Green
2. Fireside Red
3. Navy
4. Alpine Yellow
5. Smoke Blue
6. Nordic Purple
7. Canopy Green
8. King Crab Orange

Buy Now

Add a nautical flair to your outdoor space with Rockport’s Lobster Rope Doormat, which is handwoven in Maine from upcycled marine-grade polyolefin (specifically, polypropylene) rope — the type used by real working lobstermen to tether and haul in their heavy lobster traps at sea.

Those guys use this type of rope because it’s able to withstand extreme weather conditions and defy rough waters year-round. In the form of a doormat at your home, you can trust it to repel moisture, dirt, sand, snow, salt, and harsh sunshine for years to come.

These mats also work quite nicely for gardening purposes!

In addition to being nigh-indestructible, the mat material doesn’t retain water and dirt falls right through the rugged weave, so it’s super easy to keep clean and never gets weird and squishy underfoot. All you have to do is shake it off and give it a quick hose-rinse once in a while.

The 24″ x 36″ size mats are around $90–$96 each on Amazon depending on which colorway you choose. Meanwhile, the smaller 18″ x 30″ versions go for $65 each.

Buy Now

When you’re out hiking on the trail, adventuring through the wilderness, or even bouncing between sketchy hotels while traveling abroad, having a continual source of clean, safe drinking water is absolutely critical. With Grayl’s titanium UltraPress water purifier bottle, obtaining that water couldn’t be easier.

This portable water filtration/drinking system allows you to scoop water from any freshwater source — stream, lake, sink, tap, etc — and press it into clean, safely drinkable water in just 10 seconds. More specifically, it removes waterborne pathogens (99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, and 99.9% of protozoan cysts) while also filtering out particulates, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals.

It’s comprised of an outer titanium cup — which can be used alone to heat water and cook food when necessary — and an inner press (outfitted with an ultra-powdered activated carbon filter) that holds up to 16.9 fl oz of filtered, purified water.

Here’s what the process looks like:

The filter can clean up to 40 gallons of water — across 300 presses or 3 years, whichever comes first — before needing to be replaced. And, thanks to the one-way silicone valve pre-installed in the filter cartridge, the UltraPress is drink-mix-ready, meaning you can add your favorite sport drink mix to your water and get those extra electrolytes when they’re needed most.

Get the titanium UltraPress for $200 on Amazon in your choice of Coyote Brown, Olive Drab, or Covert Black.

Buy Now

Given the recent leaks purporting that DJI’s upcoming Osmo Action 5 camera will likely be a minor upgrade at best, I figure it’s not at all too late to point out the year-old Osmo Action 4.

This rival to the GoPro Hero 12 Black — which released right around the same time — empowers you to capture the most thrilling moments of all your outdoor adventures, whether you’re diving to depths of up to 18 meters or dealing with temperatures as low as -4°F (-20°C).

It makes use of a large 1/1.3-inch CMOS image sensor, a wide aperture of f/2.8, and an ultra-wide 155° field of view that allow you to shoot vibrant 4K/120fps footage with loads of detail even in low light conditions.

The output of that footage is also sure to be smooth and stable thanks to its HorizonSteady, RockSteady, and HorizonBalancing stabilization features. And, you can shoot for 2.5 hours (150 minutes) straight without missing a beat thanks to the Action 4’s 1,770mAh battery, which can be quick-charged back to 80% in only 18 minutes.

There are loads more features (and compatible accessories) you can do a deep dive into if you wish, but suffice to say that the DJI Osmo Action 4 continues to be a fantastic choice for thrill-seekers looking to get crystal-clear footage of their exploits.

Get it for $299 on Amazon.

Buy Now

Cuisinart’s portable Venture propane grill is an ingenious little thing that should serve you nicely on any summer sojourns you’ve got coming up. Made up of a few stacking components — a wooden lid, the grill itself, and a base piece with propane canister storage — the whole thing is about the size of a picnic basket and is super lightweight for easy carrying.

The grill evenly outputs up to 9,000 BTU across a 154-square-inch porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grate — a deceptively small footprint that actually offers enough space to comfortably cook 4–6 burgers, or about the same number of small kabobs, or a dozen hot dogs, or 2–4 steaks plus veggies.

That wooden lid can be used as a food prep board or serving tray, or simply a solid place to set stuff on while you’re cooking.

When you’re done cooking, the whole thing nests back together to be toted away, always ready for the next adventure, whether it’s at the beach, the campsite, the park, the hiking trail, the tailgate party, the festival, or wherever else.

As I write this on July 1st, 2024, the Venture grill is on sale for $154 on Amazon (down from $210), presumably for upcoming Independence Day festivities.

Buy Now

While walking around the various Disney World parks lately, I’ve noticed an increasing trend of people wearing personal neck fans to keep cool in the relentless scorching sun. As I’ve started digging deeper into this phenomenon, I’m realizing that even calling it a “trend” might be shortsighted because, much like having a way to stay hydrated all day, this sort of gizmo is likely to become practically standard-issue summerwear in the decades to come, sad as that is to say.

Well, if you are going to buy one of these things, you might as well get a good one, and the Comlife neck fan is what I’m recommending today.

This thing can move a LOT of air to keep your neck and face cool and refreshed throughout the day, and it’s quite comfortable to wear over that time, leaving your hands free all the while. It has three speed settings and a 5000mAh rechargeable battery (with USB-C port) that offers around 4–8 hours of usage on a single charge.

They market it as “bladeless,” and while it’s true that the neck vents themselves aren’t spinning blades to move air, there are still a pair of high-speed rotor blades concealed in the base of the fan that do the work of drawing in air. Most reviewers say they’ve had no issues with hair getting caught in those rotors, but there are a few people who complain otherwise, so if your hair is on the longer side, I recommend pulling it back while wearing the fan.

Get this neck fan for $32–34 on Amazon depending on your choice of black, white, or pink color.

Buy Now

As I’ve mentioned previously, arc plasma lighters are the way of the future when it comes to quickly lighting fires, whether it’s a campfire, a backyard fire pit, a charcoal chimney, or even a candle (although they make more specialized ones for that last purpose). They require no fuel — only the occasional USB recharge — and they work practically anywhere and in any weather conditions.

The Fire Lite by S.O.L. (short for “Survive Outdoors Longer”) is another fine choice for all your outdoor fire-starting needs. It can be used up to 45 times on a charge, which takes only a couple hours to refill. When needed, some of that battery life can be used to power the built-in 100-lumen LED light, which offers high, low, and strobe settings.

One nice touch is that the included 3-foot lanyard cord can be used for emergency tinder in the event of a survival scenario.

Get the SOL Fire Lite for $29 on Amazon.

Buy Now

I wanted to start off this post with a “sun’s out, guns out” pun, but I’m operating on far too little sleep for my brain to make that work so I’ll just skip to the point: This folding zero-gravity outdoor chair will be awesome to have on all your beach trips, cookouts, tailgate parties, campsites, and more this summer. In fact, people might just have to fight to get you out of it, it’s that relaxing.

Sit down in the thing, lean back in it, and the seat effortlessly floats back into a comfortably reclined position that will make your cares melt away as you bask in the sunlight, watching the clouds go by. Locking knobs under each armrest ensure the the seat stays set at whatever angle you desire.

If it’s a bit too bright out, the chair’s built-in folding canopy easily flips from behind the headrest to shade your face, and can be adjusted to be above your head or directly in front of your face if the sun is at a particularly annoying angle. And lastly, the removable side tray gives you a place to put your drink(s), a book, your phone, and your sunglasses.

Get your sunny lounging on by picking up this chair for $70 on Amazon. There are a couple dozen colors to choose from, ranging from bright to muted, along with a couple of pattern options.

Buy Now

Snow Peak products always nail it on the aesthetic and usability fronts, and their steel-and-bamboo Fire Tool Set (model N-024) will make a fine addition to your collection as we head into summer camping season.

It comes with a set of log-repositioning tongs, a fire poker, and an ash shovel that should make your charcoal grilling and campfire tending a lot easier than using whatever sticks you can find around your campsite. All three tools fit snugly into an included cotton canvas carry case to keep them together, easily totable, and safe from other tools in your outdoor kit.

Get this eminently giftable and Japanese-made fire tool set for $117 on Amazon.

Buy Now

As the title above states, Tumbling Timbers is essentially an oversized version of the classic Jenga block-stacking tower game (and it costs way less than the official “Jumbo” edition).

The premise is exactly the same: Stack the blocks into a tall tower, take turns removing a single block (one-handed) to be placed atop the structure, and try not to be the person who makes it all fall down in the process.

The blocks are hand-cut from sustainably sourced New Zealand pine wood and sanded smooth for comfortable play. They come with a nylon carry bag for easy transport, so it’ll be a hit at every party, cookout, tailgate, and beach/lake hangout you take it to this summer.

You can get Tumbling Timbers in three tower/block sizes:

• Giant (21 inches tall) — $42 for natural, $62 for stained
• Large (24 inches tall) — $49 for natural, $73 for stained
• Large Jr. (30 inches tall) — $80 for natural, $89 for stained

Buy Now

Today’s neat find are these “Sprout” wood-cased pencils, which offer an eco-friendly alternative to wasteful plastic pens and mechanical pencils. They’re made from certified and sustainably harvested wood to ensure they’re carbon neutral, and each one is tipped with a decomposable cellulose capsule containing non-GMO seeds for various herbs, flowers, vegetables, or trees.

When you’re done with a given pencil, you can plant it upside-down in a pot filled with soil. After a few weeks of regular watering, you should see sprouts starting to grow!

This is a fantastic way to get kids thinking about the products they use in a more cyclical, minimum-waste fashion. ♻️

You can buy Sprout pencils in various amounts and seed types:

• Various packs of 5 ($10–$12 each) with different seed choices
• Various packs of 8 ($15–$16 each), also with different seed choices
• Pack of 12 ($22) that includes seeds for thyme, sage, daisy, basil, melon and forget-me-not
• Pack of 32 ($50) that includes seeds for sage, thyme, carnation, chia, coriander, daisy, forget-me-not, and basil
• Pack of 100 ($135) that contains 25 sage seeds, 25 thyme seeds, 25 forget-me-not seeds, and 25 basil seeds.

They also offer colored pencils that kids will love all the more.

Buy Now

It seems that designing portable power stations is the thing every tech company wants to be doing these days. Even DJI, which is primarily known for their drones and video production equipment, is getting in on the action with their new Power 1000 and Power 500 power stations.

At this point I feel like explaining to our readers what makes a power station useful is like explaining what a vacuum cleaner does — you guys have heard it all before, right? — so I’ll skip straight to the stats:

• The Power 1000 ($999) has a maximum power output of 2,200W and a battery capacity of 1,024Wh. Ports include two 140W USB-C, two 24W USB-A, two AC outlets, and two of DJI’s proprietary “SDC” (Smart DC) ports that offer an array of functions, including fast-charging drone batteries.
• Meanwhile, the lighter and more compact Power 500 ($499) has a maximum power output of 1,000W and a battery capacity of 512Wh. Ports include two bidirectional 100W USB-C, two 24W USB-A, two AC outlets, and a single proprietary SDC port.

Both models’ LFP cell batteries support fast recharging and have the capability to be fully charged in just 70 minutes via grid power. I know battery capacity numbers like the ones listed above can be a bit inscrutable at times, so this example device chart put together by DJI should be helpful:

Compare the DJI Power Series models on Amazon and get ready to take your outdoor adventures and content creation to the next level. 🤙⚡️

Compare & Buy

Released just a few weeks ago, the new Boom 2 portable speaker from Anker’s Soundcore brand already promises to bring all the noise you need for your beach and pool parties this summer.

This spiritual successor to the Motion Boom pumps out an insane amount of bass-driven sound for its size, featuring up to 80W of clear, heart-pounding output with the “BassUp 2.0” mode turned on. It really packs a punch, no joke.

Meanwhile, a pair of passive radiators (one at each end) provide a colorful, customizable RGB light show that syncs to your music to heighten the listening atmosphere — day or night.

All of this comes in a rugged IPX7 waterproof and floatable shell with an integrated carry handle that makes it easy to bring the party absolutely anywhere, rain or shine. You can even use it as a power bank by plugging your phone into the USB-A port on the back to keep it charged while it streams music.

Thumpy bass, a built-in light show, and easy portability. What more could you ask for?

Get the Boom 2 for $130 on Amazon in your choice of Phantom Black, Adventure Green, or Explorer Blue.

Buy Now

Transforming your outdoor gathering into a culinary adventure just got easier with the 2-in-1 Wolf’em Campfire Roasting Sticks. They’re a must-have for anyone looking to make lasting memories with loved ones around the fire.

Each stick has a wooden easy-spin rotary handle that adds a playful twist to roasting, and they each come with two swappable attachments: a backward-facing stainless steel roasting fork (for skewering marshmallows or hot dogs) and a cylindrical-tipped one that lets you make canned biscuit dough cups that can be filled with sweet or savory fillings after cooking.

The durable yet lightweight sticks feature an extendable design that ensures safe handling for everyone, including kids. When you’re done roasting , they collapse from 32″ to 16″ for easy storage.

Whether you’re enjoying a backyard fire pit soirée or embarking on a camping adventure, these roasting sticks will definitely elevate your outdoor cooking game. Get a set of two for $29 on Amazon.

Here are some other neat roasting sticks we’ve previously written about, in case you need a few more shopping ideas before your next camping trip.

Buy Now