Camping and Road Trip Gear Guide: Glove compartment, backpack or trunk

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Spring is the perfect time to start thinking about ways to de-clutter your ride. These ideas for smaller, multipurpose accessories easily stow in a glove compartment, backpack or trunk will help you pack lighter on your next vacation.

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Camping and Road Trip Gear Guide: Glove compartment, backpack or trunk Back to video

Bindle Bottle

Coming off of a successful Kickstarter launch in 2017, Bindle Bottle is one of those ‘why didn’t we think of that’ finds: a well-designed water bottle with an integrated storage compartment that makes it an every-day essential. Designed using 18/8 food-grade stainless steel and BPA-free polypropylene, Bindle Bottle holds 24 ounces of liquid, along with items like car keys or lip balm in its separate a 450-cu-cm bottom compartment that you unscrew to store valuables. Each bottle is dual-walled and vacuum-sealed keeping liquids colder, longer, and the compartment is both waterproof and scent-proof.

Bindle Bottle, $39USD www.bindlebottle.com

MSR Pika 1 L Teapot and smart stowage

Featherweight and compact, Mountain Safety Research’s new Pika 1 L Teapot in hard-anodized aluminum offers precision pouring and works as a stowage tin for small items as well, making it a great multi-functional appliance for overlanding, moto-touring and camping adventures. Weighing in at just 142 g (5 oz), Pika 1 L’s small spout controls the pour exactly, and its secure-fit lid won’t pop open. Even with an ultra-compact footprint, the teapot has enough space to store tea and coffee supplies, a lighter, and either the new MSR PocketRocket 2 portable camp stove with its case, or the new PocketRocket Deluxe version.

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MSR Pika 1 L Teapot and smart stowage, $32, www.msrgear.com

OttoLock Cinch Lock

Rugged and tested in extreme environments, DesignWorks’ OttoLock Cinch Lock (shown in Special Edition camo ) comes in two lengths – 30 inches and 60 – and features a resettable three-dial combination and discreet new outdoor pattern. Three layers of stainless steel wrapped in Kevlar make this lock stronger than traditional cable models and harder to cut, and at 3 inches coiled, and just 175 or 255 grams, it’s easy to stow away. Use OttoLock Cinch Lock to secure camping or hunting or fishing gear, tools, coolers and generators in your truck bed, the deck chairs at the cottage, or larger items such as kayaks, motorcycles, mountain bikes and ATVs. OttoLock products are available at Canadian outdoor retailers including MEC.

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OttoLock, $78.00 – $109.00, www.mec.ca

Dyson V7 Car + Boat Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Take it from experience; no annual family road trip should be without a cord-free mini vac! This 3.8-pound Dyson V7 Car+Boat vacuum will suck up just about any debris that ingenious youngsters could think to toss around the SUV. And – bonus – it works for boats, too! The vacuum comes with an in-car charger that fits into a standard 12V socket, its suction lasts for up to 30 minutes on a single charge, and a host of included accessories will reach into every nook and cranny. These comprise a mini-motorized tool to vacuum up hair and dirt, a stiff-bristle brush to lift dried stuff, a crevice tool (great for those impossible-to-reach Goldfish or Cheerios), a soft dusting brush meant for flat surfaces like the dash, a convertible debris-nozzle/brush tool for sucking debris from vents, and a flexible extension hose that can find even the inevitable rotting bits that’ve somehow ended up way-underneath the kiddos’ seats.

Dyson V7 Car+Boat Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, $349.99, www.dysoncanada.ca