Six camping essentials

Erin Neil,  NY Times -  I like the idea of camping more than I like camping itself. But even if I were a fan of spending a weekend entirely outdoors, I’m dissuaded by having to figure out what I’d do with the equipment for the 51 other weekends not spent sleeping under the stars. After all, my boyfriend and I share a small apartment with only one closet between us.

However, my outdoorsy (or outdoorsy-ish) colleagues recently shared a whole bunch of ways they use their camping and hiking gear, even when they’re not actually camping or hiking. I found it inspiring enough to add a couple items to my cart. (I’ll figure out where to put them later.)

Hiking shoes are unsurprisingly exceptional walking-around-anywhere shoes. Writer Caroline Mullen wore her Salomons gallivanting around Japan for two weeks. “They’re the most comfortable and easy-to-slip-on sneakers I own,” she says. And head of newsletters Sofia Sokolove lives by the “wrong shoe theory,” styling her gorp-y hiking sandals with super girly tops and dresses in the summer.

Headlamps received a resounding endorsement from quite a few people. Deputy editor Annemarie Conte says she uses them “for all sorts of annoying DIY tasks that require peering in dark corners,” like when her husband needed to peek inside a particularly finnicky doorknob. Pets expert Mel Plaut recommends it as a hands-free way to light up nighttime dog walks. And writer Evan Dent reminds us of another way it can come in handy, “Two words: Night. Grilling.”

Mel also told us that their multitool — which is specifically built for the wilderness — never actually sees the outdoors. “It lives in the center console of my Kia,” they admit, “and is very useful right where it is, cutting random stuff and screwing random screws.”

Carabiners aren’t just for mountaineers. Editor Rory Evans says, “My entire life is pretty much held together with a long chain of carabiners and hook thingamabobbers.” As a gift, she recently received a real-deal version that can hold up to 350 pounds. And editor Katie Okamoto uses a sleek mini carabiner to hang her keys. (And, for the record, so do I.)

We’re also big fans of keeping packable camping chairs nearby at all times — even if we’re never leaving the city. Social media editor Hali Potters loves that her tiny, lightweight seat breaks down small enough to fit inside a standard tote. “Having a tiny chair on me at any given time changed my life,” she says.