Yeah, it’s a saw. We’re posting a hand saw and this is why. A guy needs to know his way around tools and being able to saw through a piece of wood is a necessary skill set.

The Lynx saw by the Garlick Saw Company of Sheffield England has a heritage of over 150 years. Each piece is handcrafted one at a time by an English craftsman. The steel alloy blade’s teeth are taper ground to a straight tooth line ensuring proper geometry (no binding = no strained shoulders). The handle is made of gorgeous American Black Walnut.

This saw is often backordered wherever you look so buy and plan accordingly.

How to: Proper handsaw basics article at Popular Mechanics.

Cost: $180 @ Traditional Woodworker

From the Sahara to the Adirondacks there’s nothing quite like going on a camping excursion in a Land Rover (substitute Toyota’s Land Cruiser, GM’s Hummer or any Jeep depending on preference). Why mess with a ground tent when you can loft yourself to the roof of your truck? Avoid wet ground, critters, and bears (we hope not) with a Hannibal Rooftop Tent mounted on a Hannibal Rooftop Rack.

Originally designed for South African safaris, hunting and adventures the rooftop rack offers a lot more advantages than something cool to outfit your ride with. The safety advantages, storing and ease are just a few reasons why. Hell, the view alone is worth the price of admission.

What this means to you: This might be the single best justification for wasting so much of your hard earned cash on gas for your SUV. “Oh yeah, you’ve got 300 horsepower? Well, my Rover’s got a patio.”

Full list of features after the jump.

Cost: Rack+Tent $2500 @ Hannibal

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Wham.

That’s the sound of your toe jamming on the door.

Don’t let a lights-out situation render you blind. Get a dependable light resource like the Pelican 2480 ELS Emergency Lighting Station.

Comprised of a Pelican 2440PLB MityLite housed in a photoluminescent body that’s visible in the dark. The MityLite uses a 5-LED array to illuminate the dark and powered by alkaline/titanium cells giving it an extended burn time and long shelf life. The case, made of polycarbonate (Ed: I know… I like polycarbonate) case is durable and tough.

The Pelican 2480 ELS can be mounted anywhere. Mine is mounted in the utility closet.

Cost: @ $55 SWPS

[click on image to enlarge]

A. The North Face Mountain 25 2-Person Winter Tent |
B. Clif Bar’s | C. Mountain Hardwear 3rd Dimension Sleeping Bag | D. Benchmade D2 Steel Mini-Griptillian Knife | E. Cabela’s WindShear Trek-Tech Wool Fatigue | F. The Outback Oven | G. MSR MIOX Water Purifier | H. Counter Assault Bear Deterrent Spray

By: Terrence Keller - Alrighty gents, winter is finally past an unbearable temperature. Backpacking and camping aren’t far fledged ideas and I’m pretty stoked to hit the trails again. I’m writing this piece for Gear Patrol because they asked me to share with you a nuts and bolts list of what it takes to get ready for winter camping. First, you gotta know it ain’t easy. If you think it is then you’re an idiot. But if you plan ahead, gear up and follow some simple rules it’s fun as hell and can possibly make for the best weekend of the year.

1. Plan. You’ve got to have a plan. Going camping in the winter without a plan is idiotic, at best. Give yourself a route, weather contingency plans and timing. Know where you’re going to be and how you’re getting there. Know what your party is capable of doing and always underestimate. That good buddy of yours you thought was a rugged sonofabitch may turn out to be a complete pansy when the tides are tough. You don’t want that when the weather is dropping one degree every ten minutes. Make sure people know where to find you using something unobtrusive, yet life saving, like SPOT personal satellite tracker.

2. Gear up. Of course we’re going to say that, but no gear = ill equipped. Ill equipped = frostbite on extremeties. No extremities due to preventable frostbite = dumbass. Layering is the way to go. Boots, wool sweaters (no cotton), jackets, and insulating socks.

2.5. Gear up more. Get your pack, sleeping bag, pads, and tents or shelter in order or get ones appropriate to your level of excursion. Listed are recommendations for gear you can buy for both winter or three season camping.

3. Food & Water Cooking over a fire? Fine. Got the right equipment to cook with? Cooking over a stove? Got a stove? Oh, and food - that’s an entirely different matter. Keep in mind that if you’re eating on a winter camping or backpacking trip you’ll need anywhere between 4,000-5,500 calories. Keep it a mix of simple sugars to get you rolling, complex carbs folowed by proteins and fats. Ever wonder why trail mix has peanuts, M&M’s and raisens in them? Not to mention it’s a good excuse to eat food you wouldn’t otherwise just sitting at the desk. Plan your meals in advance. Here’s a list of recipes you can start with. Of course, you can always get a kit too. As for water, take a look at this guide for different sources for water. Don’t skimp, plan on having more than you’ll need. Don’t eat snow, you’ll burn too much energy doing it. Let it melt in a tarp you sink into the ground.

Obviously this isn’t comprehensive. You should study in far more detail, but it should give you a general start to one damn good and cold time.

Gear and prices after the jump.

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Simply put the North Face: Solar Flare sleeping bag is a hard core sleeping bag. It’s trapezoidal baffle construction, vaulted oxford-cloth lined footbox, goose down filling, breathable laminate shell make it one of the top bags out there. It will take you to -20 degrees (F) and take you there in comfort.

Features:

• 7-chamber sculpted hood with dual cord adjustment
• 800+ Eastern European goose down
• Weighs 4 lbs 2 oz (1875 g) Long: 4 lbs 4 oz (1915 g)
• Down-filled draft collar
• Glow-in-the-dark zipper pull
• Ground-level side seams
• Head-level watch pocket
• No-Snag stiffener in zipper column
• Nylon taffeta lining
• One nylon mesh storage sack and one stuffsack included
• One-hand pull cord for easy hood adjustments
• Oversized down-filled draft tube and face comfort tubes
• Polarguard pads in compression zones
• Shadowlite HyVent shell
• Trapezoidal baffle construction with side box baffles

What this means to you: You. Will. Be. Warm.

Cost: ~$500 @ Various Retailers

Besides a genius name, the Hot Jugz Sport Shower does have the ability to provide long portable hot showers anytime, anywhere. Better yet it does so without any batteries and mechanical parts to go wrong.

• The Commando 6mm commercial grade neoprene cover
• Will keep water warm up to 6 hours
• 2 gallon capacity
• Dimensions: 19.5″ height, 8″ width
• Impact Resistant Plastic
• 1 Year Pump Warranty. Large volume pump, designed and warranted by America’s oldest pump manufacturer.
• Hot Jugz Showers will run for over two minutes on just 15-20 pumps.
• With over 2 gallons of capacity the shower can last up to 16 minutes.
• Special high density rubber insulation assures that Hot Jugz will stay WARM or COLD for extended periods of time.
• Hot Jugz Showers weigh just 4lbs making them extremely portable.

What this means to you: With the ability to keep water hot for up-to 6 hours, you’re bound to never be without a hot shower with Hot Jugz (cough).

Cost: $59 @ Wetsand

This winter give those boots and shoes a welcome relief from the elements by putting on a pair of Sorel Timerwolf boots. You’ll save your shoes and your own feet from the harshness of winter and be comfortable while doing it.

Sorel’s brand is known for their well priced and comfortable boots. Having owned two pairs of my own including the Caribou Reserve boots this writer can attest to how well these hold up. Now if only there were more snow…

• Timberwolf boots offer renowned Sorel quality, with a comfort rating of -25°F
• Waterproofed, heavy-duty split-grain leather and nylon uppers sit atop rubber shells for superior protection against the elements
• Seam-sealed construction minimizes leakage and lace-up design with barrel-lock closure at collar seals out snow; midfoot lace lock customizes the fit
• Insulated with 200g Thinsulate® insulation for warmth and moisture management
• Removable 6mm EVA footbeds and EVA inserts at heels and forefeet cushion your every step
• Injection-molded, waterproof rubber shells provide flexibility and traction in cold temperatures
• Rubber lug outsoles deliver dependable traction on wet or dry surfaces

What this means to you: These shoes aren’t just for protection. Give them a go when you camp, hike or just need something a little more rugged than leather.

Cost: $100 @ REI

There are flashlights and then there are Surefire flashlights.

Used in law enforcement and military applications their products embody rugged and powerful tools for tactical applications. Let that be your guiding light as you go to purchase one of their pieces.

The L1 LumaMax® features a one-watt LED powered by a single 3-volt lithium battery, digital current regulation circuitry, and a digitally-controlled two stage switching mechanism. The regulation circuitry matches the LEDs current requirements to the batteries’ output to achieve a more consistent (flatter) level of light output for the usable life of the batteries. The two-stage switch gives the user a choice of either a low-output beam or a high-output beam from a single switch. This is a rugged and dependable illumination tool that is extremely compact and lightweight. This L1 LumaMax® produces a white beam of light.

Features:

• Mil-Spec Type III hard anodized finish is extremely durable
• Tail cap switch: press for momentary-on low beam, press further for high beam, twist for constant-on.
• Switch lockout prevents accidental activation during transport or storage
• CNC machined aluminum housing is rugged and O-ring sealed for weatherproofing
  Dual Output Option
• Illumination level is switchable from 1.1 to 22 lumens
  LED Light Source with White Beam has no filament to burn out or break, lasts for thousands of hours.
• No Hassle Lifetime Warranty

What this means to you: What you can’t tell from this image is just how small this light is. It’s perfect for your vehicle (on or off road), next outdoor excursion or night time rendezvous.

Cost: $135 @ Optics Planet

Buck Knives are no joke and neither are their multi-tools. The Buck 760 Summit Knife is a lockback knife with a partially serrated drop point blade made of 420 HC stainless steel. Basically, it takes a lot to lose it’s edge.

The multi-tool includes a screwdriver, corkscrew, bottle/can opener, lanyard loop, and weighs 3.5 oz. Offered in blue, red, black and medium green (read: lime).

What this means to you: Think “tough as nails yet flexible.”

Cost: $40 @ Sierra Trading Post (on sale)

Camping doesn’t always have to be so rough. The Eureka N!ergy 1210 tent brings you the ability to sleep eight in two rooms with two doors and a gear loft. It has 4 windows, 2 mesh roof vents and sidewalls to let in light and air.

Even more interesting is it’s ability to use the E! Power Pak which allows you to power everything from fans to lights to sat-com enabled laptops. Now, we’re not condoning shirking the great outdoors for creature comforts, but sometimes you just need your YouTube fix.

What this means to you: Roughing it. Comfortably.

Cost: $209 @ Eureka Tent