Best Outdoor — Curated from The Hiro Report

Kammok is an Austin-based brand, making ridiculously nice portable hammocks. My wife and kids gave me one, along with a portable stand, a few years back and I've absolutely loved it. They pack up super small, are lightweight, and yet also really strong, durable, and comfortable. Most importantly, they're so quick and easy to set up that they make for a perfect spring/summer outing companion whether for the backyard, a park, or a camping trip. Highly recommended.

An amazing, lightweight camping hammock that comes with a great collapsing stand for when you don’t have trees handy. I use mine weekly. ~$375

- Cooler weather in central Texas means it’s time to start planning our first camping trip of the season. Last year, we got two HEST foam camping mattresses that totally upped our game. They’re big, heavy, and pricey—sold yet? But hear me out: they’re almost as comfortable as my bed at home, which makes camping way more restful. No more waking up feeling like a stale extra-crispy chalupa. Love these things. *Amazon-affiliate link to support the site.

Garmin just released the newest addition to its InReach Messenger line, allowing you to send photos, voice messages, and text messages up to 1,600 characters via satellite when you’re off the grid. It’s impressive tech, though I’ll remind iPhone 14 (or later) users that you can now send/receive iMessages via satellite for free for two years after purchasing your phone. That said, iMessages via satellite don’t support photos or voice messages. I wonder how long until they do?

- After a hiatus due to back issues, I’ve been getting back into rucking this year. It’s a low-impact way for me to get a solid cardio workout while exploring the outdoors without wrecking my knees. The one catch? I’m a natural-born sweater, so I need a lot of water to stay hydrated in the Austin heat. Enter the HydraPak, a rugged but slim option for carrying water, complete with a magnetic bite valve that attaches to my bag for easy access. It’s a common concept, but I’m liking this one much more than the CamelBaks I’ve had in the past.

Whilst camping this weekend, I got to put one of my favorite pieces of camping gear to good use! This Snow Peak cooktop packs down so small, but then unfolds, Transformer-style to be a massive and HOT cooktop for anything from full-size cast iron skillets to fancy, minimalist titanium cookware. I love this thing for camping, but it's also nice to have on hand as part of our disaster preparedness kit.