2018 Holiday Gift Guide
Written by Shaun Swartz
Summer might be months away…
but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about your son or daughter’s AQ packing list! While official packing lists will not be available until later in the year, we’ve compiled a few pieces of summer camp gear to consider picking up for that future AQ camper on your list.
1. A HydroFlask Steel Water Bottle! – $44.95
HydroFlask makes an absolutely bulletproof vacuum insulated steel water bottle that keeps your liquids hot or cold for up to 24 hours. This piece of summer camp gear might not sound very relevant to life aboard a sailboat where no ice can be found for miles, but an insulated water bottle will prove its worth during those precious few hours of shore time when you find a restaurant with ice cubes.
2. Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag – $150
I’ve written about finding the perfect bag before, and I still maintain that the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel can’t be beaten. With the perfect amount of pockets and ample space to put all your clothes, belongings, and other summer camp gear, the Black Hole is a game changer when it comes to international travel (author’s dog, pictured above, is not included with the bag – Sorry.)
3. Cressi Pro Star fins – $36.95
In terms of bang-for-your-buck, these fins are the bees-knees. Slap these full-foot fins on and you’ll be telling Michael Phelps to eat your bubbles. Fumbling around with dive booties and heel straps on your fins is so 1984. (Image Credit: Cressi)
4. Polarized Sunglasses – $25 – $150
Polarized sunglasses used to cost an arm and a leg but those days are long gone. There are so many options now to find incredible, polarized sunglasses that you might as well try them all at this rate. You only get one pair of eyes – take care of them and look supa’ fly at the same time. Personal favorites include anything made by Goodr Sunglasses and the VonZipper Dipstick series (pictured above.)
5. GoPro Hero 7 Black – $400
A good camera is an essential piece of summer camp gear, but which one should you get? The newest version of GoPro’s Hero camera, the Hero 7 Black, is absolutely a professional quality camera that can be bought on a beginner’s budget. We call this “ballin’ on a budget,” fam. Stabilized imagery, 4k video, and so, so much more makes this camera the easy choice when it comes to action sports cameras.
6. ActionQuest Rashguards – $35
Rashguards are a great way to keep the sun off your skin without feeling like you’re wearing an itchy, water-logged trash bag (a.k.a. cotton t-shirts). Pick up a couple of our AQ rashguards in our store and keep your skin safe from harmful UV-A and UV-B rays.
7. Reusable Steel Straw – $6.99
The ocean is full of plastic. In fact, scientists estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. Be the change you want to see in the world and ditch all those unnecessary plastic items like straws, cups, and plastic bags. Steel straws are a great stocking stuffer for the ocean lover on your list.
8. Eno Double Nest Hammock – $69.95
Sleeping on-deck each night during your voyage is one of the greatest small joys you’ll come to appreciate at ActionQuest. ENO Hammocks are a tried-and-true piece of summer camp gear that can be assembled in under 5 minutes – plus, they’re available in some suh-weeeet colors.
