C.C. Weiss
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Articles by C.C. Weiss
Sneaky telescoping capsule camper triples into 8-person vacation cabin Original
French innovator Beauer has blown up the internet a couple times over the years with clever telescopic campers that condense to within the width of the tow vehicle before expanding nearly double or triple the size at camp. Previously, its largest expandable camper slept up to six people inside a 300-sq ft floor plan. This year, it reshuffles its lineup with a new model that offers even more capacity, sleeping a total of eight people.
Inflatable exo-tent airs into 10-person base camp command center Original
Parisian tent maker Exod pursues product design with the objective of "reshaping how humanity conquers the most remote corners of the Earth." So far, it's been chipping away at that objective one to four people at a time, with modestly sized offerings for tree and ground. With the all-new Base-01 tent, it takes a bigger bite out of "humanity, expanding out into full group camping territory.
Inflatable exo-tent airs into 10-person base camp command center
Catherine, Princess of Wales 15 hours ago Kate Middleton Shares New Photo with Prince William and Their 3 Children After Completing Intense Mountain Climbing Challenge People - Escher Walcott • 15h Kate Middleton has shared a new family photo in honor of Mountain Rescue Awareness Day. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the Princess of Wales, 44, posted a snapshot on Instagram of herself with her husband, Prince William, and their three children — Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8 …
30-sec Unbounder X camper canopy sucks in a private sleeper pod Original
Traditional truck camper canopies tend not to include interior living space so much as space for appliances and gear. More and more, though, we're seeing camper canopies that do incorporate livable space inside, whether that's simply a small floor for changing clothes and jumping up into bed or a larger interior with slide-out or drop-down bedroom areas.
Slim magnetic multi-driver stows full magazine of swappable bits Original
How many times do you pull out the screwdrivers on your multitool only to find they're all too small or large for the task at hand? A bit holder allows you to swap in different sizes, but a multitool rarely has much space for extra bits. So you're either stuck with whatever the multitool, or you're walking around with a handful of bits rattling in your pocket.
Thor's cheap B+ camper upsizes van life to mini-motorhome proportions Original
Since 2019, Thor Industries has been the world's largest RV manufacturer thanks in no small part to its purchase of European giant Erwin Hymer Group. Following the lead of its acquired European brands (not to mention American market trends), Thor has spent much of that same time period expanding out its lineup of camper vans, sold under its eponymous motor coach brand and other group marques.
2-oz German EDC pliers make short work of near-impossible torque tasks
Built to handle small but problematic DIY jobs that make you want to call it quits, the new TwinGrip XS from German specialist Knipex is a go-anywhere pocket plier made for tearing through to-do lists. The adjustable pliers feature three sides of hard-toothed jaw-clamping power meant to loosen stripped bolts, hold hardware securely in place, work in cramped spaces, and otherwise take care of the grabbing, gripping and torquing challenges that might disrupt your daily handiwork.
2-oz German EDC pliers make short work of near-impossible torque tasks
Built to handle small but problematic DIY jobs that make you want to call it quits, the new TwinGrip XS from German specialist Knipex is a go-anywhere pocket plier made for tearing through to-do lists. The adjustable pliers feature three sides of hard-toothed jaw-clamping power meant to loosen stripped bolts, hold hardware securely in place, work in cramped spaces, and otherwise take care of the grabbing, gripping and torquing challenges that might disrupt your daily handiwork.
Pint-sized Leatherman is the go-to for gourmet meals in the wild
We’ve had some commenters wonder aloud recently why new multitools tend not to incorporate a corkscrew. Well this one’s for those commenters and any other vino lovers who demand a corkscrew in their pocket. Leatherman’s latest Garage-developed limited edition, the new Picnic tool lives up to its name with a proper waiter-style leveraged corkscrew and five additional tools designed for picnics, tailgates, camp cookouts and other culinary affairs held away from home in the great outdoors.
Pint-sized Leatherman is the go-to for gourmet meals in the wild
We’ve had some commenters wonder aloud recently why new multitools tend not to incorporate a corkscrew. Well this one’s for those commenters and any other vino lovers who demand a corkscrew in their pocket. Leatherman’s latest Garage-developed limited edition, the new Picnic tool lives up to its name with a proper waiter-style leveraged corkscrew and five additional tools designed for picnics, tailgates, camp cookouts and other culinary affairs held away from home in the great outdoors.
Shape-shifting camper van makes space for shop's worth of action gear Original
Last time we looked, Storyteller was launching one of the best adventure camping trucks of 2026. And that was mere months after putting together the first fully integrated Ineos Grenadier 4x4 micro-camper. Now the ever-busy slammin' Alabamians are back with yet another piece of RV innovation.
1.6-lb triple-pitch tiny tent aims to be your go-anywhere Goldilocks
Backpacking gear startup FLFQ-Aloner broke into the game in late 2025 year with an inflatable hammock-tent built for fast setup and serious weather. This time around, it's deflating its tent construction into an ultralight, modestly priced solo tent that shrinks down as small as possible. The company aims to create the absolute sweet spot in terms of an affordable, featherlight, roomy and convenient solo tent for rigorous backpacking, kayak camping, bikepacking and more.
1.6-lb triple-pitch tiny tent aims to be your go-anywhere Goldilocks
Backpacking gear startup FLFQ-Aloner broke into the game in late 2025 year with an inflatable hammock-tent built for fast setup and serious weather. This time around, it's deflating its tent construction into an ultralight, modestly priced solo tent that shrinks down as small as possible. The company aims to create the absolute sweet spot in terms of an affordable, featherlight, roomy and convenient solo tent for rigorous backpacking, kayak camping, bikepacking and more.
1.6-lb triple-pitch tiny tent aims to be your go-anywhere Goldilocks
14 Habits Long-Distance Walkers Keep That Weekend Hikers Never Learn Read all the way to the end – we save the one detail most people never think about for last. Stick with us to the end: one simple daily habit …
Slimmed cooler is flat enough to sleep atop at camp or tiny home Original
The folded rear seats of a vehicle can make a very comfortable place to camp the night. But a big cooler is one guest that can really crash and burn the party – a hard, bulky nuisance that's uncomfortable on or near the bed and unsecure outside the vehicle. This remains true even if you have an elevated bed system like Hele Outdoors' camper-in-a-duffel Box. Recognizing the issue, Hele presents a creative solution: a dual-zone cooler that's slimmed and flattened enough to slide neatly under the bed.
Electro camper trunk beams into a 2-story livable pickup truck mullet Original
The new Pickupmate Trunk from Chinese car camping specialist Wild Land is an impressive piece of truck camping kit that fuses several different products into one. It's not quite a rooftop tent, not quite a pickup camping topper and not quite a basic truck cap. Instead, it's all three in one, delivering a remote controlled dual-level camping experience like no other.
Pocket piston 2.0 updates the art of combusting fire out of thin air
The Aviator's Ember proved one of the more unexpected pieces of outdoor kit we looked at in 2025. Based on timeless, inalterable concepts of physics, the portable little piston allows users to start a fire with nothing more than tinder, air and a quick smack of the hand, relying on the immediate compression of air to deliver the heat that fires up the tinder.
Pocket piston 2.0 updates the art of combusting fire out of thin air
The Aviator's Ember proved one of the more unexpected pieces of outdoor kit we looked at in 2025. Based on timeless, inalterable concepts of physics, the portable little piston allows users to start a fire with nothing more than tinder, air and a quick smack of the hand, relying on the immediate compression of air to deliver the heat that fires up the tinder.
Ford e-MPV camper van strikes a blow at Kia's flourishing camper biz Original
Ford has established itself as a leading badge in plug-in hybrid camper vans, both in-house and via third-party conversions, but it hasn't shown the same level of juice in all-electric campers, despite having a very solid base van for the purpose. Polish conversion shop Wavecamper looks to change that with the Flex E-Line, a convincing battery-driven mini-camper with over 200 miles of range built into Ford's E-Transit Custom. Will it take a big bite out of Kia's electric camper van success?
Ford minibus camper lives XL via pop-and-drop Murphy bed theater Original
Canadian motorhome builder Leisure Travel Vans is always trying to squeeze more usable space out of its shuttle bus-sized Class C motorhomes. The last time we looked, it was designing a floor plan around a wide, cavernous double-door garage for loading up all kinds of gear and extras. Months later and now it's introducing a new Ford Transit motorhome that combines a slide-out wall with a split-recliner Murphy lounge that folds its way into a super-queen-size bed.
200-year seesaw tweezer delivers near-microscopic precision
While Leatherman and Victorinox have established themselves as the pillars of multitool design, a much newer name has quietly worked its way into the thrown of stylish, meticulously engineered single-purpose tools. Since 2019, British workshop Metmo has impressed with a highly focused lineup of small pocket tools built to perform specific tasks with singular precision ... for 200 years a pop.
200-year seesaw tweezer delivers near-microscopic precision
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Rugged milk crate is actually an undercover self-rescue multitool Original
A handy multifunctional contraption for camping, 4x4ing and overlanding, the RT700 Traction Crate from Colorado's Rock Tamers looks simply at first to be a new milk crate design complete with flip-open lid. It's rugged, capable of carrying just over 35 liters of gear, ready to work as a makeshift seat, and designed to stack up into a handy table for camp or garage.
Rugged milk crate is actually an undercover self-rescue multitool
Now The radical design is eye-catching, but the real draws are this new compact SUV’s larger interior and additional features, plus the hybrid model’s mpg. Hyundai’s new 2027 Tucson made a splash when we first saw photos of its boxy design, and now we have the full specifications on the redesigned …
30-sec camping trailer is the lightest and tiniest of towable A-frames Original
Just a few weeks ago, we checked out a compact A-frame that looked like it might be about the simplest on wheels. The trailerable tiny home was little more than peak-to-ground roofing, a single rustic room, a door and a big triangular picture window. But now, we have a newly debuted towable A-frame that's even smaller, lighter and simpler. The all-new 2027 Alite brings back a renowned nameplate in the lineup of American tiny trailer builder Aliner.
Genre-torching RV is a sleeker breed of hybrid camper bus for the USA Original
The all-new Origin motorhome from Coachmen blows up the existing motorhome classification system and welds the pieces together into something new. It's a Class A that incorporates a heavy dose of Class C, with a weighty sprinkle of Class B for good measure. While it was conceived in the US, it also draws heavily from European RV design. And yet, it transcends all those classifications and "origins" and just looks like a place in which we'd like to spend time.
Genre-torching RV is a sleeker breed of hybrid camper bus for the USA
2 hours ago Catching Up on the Homestead // Cozy Fall Days www.youtube.com on YouTube • 2h Thanks to BetterHelp for sponsoring! Head to https://betterhelp.com/linnea to get 10% off your first month. Better is personal. Therapy should be too. I've been gone so much this September for archery elk season, so most of my time lately has been about getting cozy, and getting back into the rhythm of things.
10-in-1 black-out multitool is a Japanese Leatherman rethink Original
A spin on the classic plier-based multitool design originated by Leatherman, the all-new Blackjaw from Tsuchioto Works features a carefully curated selection of implements packaged into a single body. The tool is designed to bridge daily life, DIY projects and the great outdoors. Tsuchioto prides itself on including only tools it believes will find work on a regular basis, securing them all into a tight, compact EDC package.
Adaptable tent camper mods from bedroom-on-wheels to family base camp Original
A very different take on premium Dutch trailer camping from the Lume Ranger we looked at last week, the new Campanero blends safari-style tent luxury with fast, simple setup and the ability to grow with your family and needs. From solo escapes to six-person group campouts, the Campanero trailer is built from the ground up to serve as a modular platform for comfortable overnighting. And no matter how many people it's holding, the trailer stays light enough to tow with a small electric car.
Palm-sized pocket axe brings its own fire starter to the pit
An axe so tiny, you could actually fit it in a pants pocket, the Axvant looks at first to be some kind of model or novelty toy. Surely it's made out of foam or wood, painted to look like a real axe? That's a negative. It is an actual axe (or tiny hatchet, at least), and while it won't be felling any spruces or processing cords of firewood, it can handle more modest tasks around camp and yard. Plus, it's actually a multitool, working as its own fire-starting kit, mallet and bottle opener.
Palm-sized pocket axe brings its own fire starter to the pit
An axe so tiny, you could actually fit it in a pants pocket, the Axvant looks at first to be some kind of model or novelty toy. Surely it's made out of foam or wood, painted to look like a real axe? That's a negative. It is an actual axe (or tiny hatchet, at least), and while it won't be felling any spruces or processing cords of firewood, it can handle more modest tasks around camp and yard. Plus, it's actually a multitool, working as its own fire-starting kit, mallet and bottle opener.
Gorgeous leather-trimmed camper breaks out of its aluminum cube Original
Like something of a squarer Dutch answer to the ageless Airstream, Lume emerged in 2018 with a very stylish aluminum-shelled trailer of its own. Its riveted, rounded-corner Traveler box trailer featured the unique distinction of working as a convertible, using a retractable fabric roof panel to open its cabin to the sky above.
16-sec stackable camp box jumping-jacks into a solo or group cookery Original
Nearly two years ago, we took a look at the Brio Kitchen Box that was running on Kickstarter at the time. We hadn't heard much about the project since, but then the full-blown production model showed up at Overland Expo Mountain West. Only it wasn't called the Brio – it was rebranded the Chuk Box. Happily, the name seems to be the only major change, as the box brings the same stackable portability and modular performance to car and camp.
Sleeked Ford camper van is the best Nugget of all ... and VW will join Original
Toward the end of 2025, German Ford camper van specialist Nugget Schmiede began previewing the high-roofed Nugget Twin it was preparing for a big 2026 launch. The van's neatly swept fiberglass roof looked smoother all around than even the version Ford itself came up with. That roof and the Nugget Twin it tops have officially launched to give Nugget buyers a new winter-ready camper van option with four solid walls and space for four people.
BIC-size mini flashlight carries its own blade & swappable driver Original
A spinoff of the Olight flashlight brand, Oknife creates similar pocket tools but from the starting point of blades and implements instead of lighting. But the brand's relationship with Olight, a fast-growing global lighting specialist, means it can also do a torch pretty well. Its latest launch, the new MK 3-in-1 tool is a bit of both – a tiny multi-beam magnetic flashlight firing out up to 300 lumens and a streamlined pocket knife with blade and multi-driver.
Genius Kia iCamper affirms it really is the most versatile PV5 RV yet Original
When we took a look at the whimsically named Kia iCamper from Wellhouse Leisure just a few weeks ago, it was still under construction and not quite ready for launch. Now, Wellhouse has completed the first iCamper and officially launched its first take on all-electric PV5 van life.
Unstoppable Toyota 4x4 mini-RV screams out, 'BEST IN SHOW!!' Original
Toward the end of each summer, the annual Düsseldorf Caravan Salon showcases the most diverse selection of camping vehicles you're likely to ever see gathered in one place – from beautiful classics to cutting-edge concepts and prototypes, and from tiny, featherlight trailers to massive tundra-roving 8-wheelers. It's never easy to pick out a favorite vehicle from that deep fleet, so we don't usually try.
Unstoppable Toyota 4x4 mini-RV screams out, 'BEST IN SHOW!!'
6 hours ago CONCRETE POUR FOR MY HOUSE // And the last weeks with Akela www.youtube.com on YouTube • 6h Huge thanks to LMNT for sponsoring. Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at http://drinklmnt.com/Linnea I've been working toward this day since November. Months of foundation prep, digging footers, framing, plumbing, radiant floor, vapor barrier, foam insulation, rebar. All of it done solo, by me. And then finally, the concrete pour.
4-min turbo-inflatable cubic camp castle is now available in the USA Original
One of the more impressive tent innovations to emerge from 2025, Cube Air Tent debuted as a spinoff of South African inflatable tent trailer brand Alphago. The brand quickly took on a life of its own, and while it always offered to ship globally, it's now made an official US launch, stocking its big, blow-up tents locally for faster, easier delivery at a lower price.
$4,500 wheel-less camper pod gets cubed and stacked into double-decker
Originally called the Tusca HitchHiker before getting bought out and rebranded, the Freedom Camper has proven a very interesting development at the entry-level end of the RV market. It's an ultralight, hard-sided wheel-less camping pod that you can do with what you like. Strap it down to a utility trailer and you have a cheap squaredrop camping trailer. Load it into your truck bed and it's a no-frills pickup camper.
Freedom Campers cubes & stacks $4,500 tiny living pod into a two-story
Originally called the Tusca HitchHiker before getting bought out and rebranded, the Freedom Camper has proven a very interesting development at the entry-level end of the RV market. It's an ultralight, hard-sided wheel-less camping pod that you can do with what you like. Strap it down to a utility trailer and you have a cheap squaredrop camping trailer. Load it into your truck bed and it's a no-frills pickup camper.
Flatpack camping pod explodes a tiny van into a big camper van Original
Believe it or not, the Cubivan Camping System wasn't the only multi-component camper pod system at this year's Caravan Salon built to slide out and camp outside the van itself. The Ebicos Happy Dreamer isn't quite as extreme a setup, but it is a similar concept with simpler execution. The main sleeper pod packs down small to store easily at home, then loads neatly into small and midsize vans only to burst out the tailgate at camp and create an instant bedroom.
Kia just made camper vans much cooler (again) Original
The Kia PV5 has already set itself apart from the pack in terms of smart, capable, stylish camper vans and is proving to be the first really desirable camper base van of the electric era. Now it's being joined by the larger, roomier PV7, a modular e-van platform that promises to pave the way for more comfortable, flexible camper vans. And there's already confirmation of the first PV7 camper in the works.
Tiny, sub-$10K camper pod builds rep as world's cutest teardrop Original
Ever since we first laid eyes on it in 2022, the Kleox trailer has been one of our all time favorite teardrops. It pairs a beautifully arched fiberglass body with an exceptionally simple design meant to keep price down well under €10,000. And with a starting weight of under 500 lb, it doesn't require much vehicle to tow it.
Tiny, sub-$10K camper pod builds rep as world's cutest teardrop
4 hours ago Known as the “sultan of sequins,” Mackie dressed some of Hollywood’s biggest names over more than 50 years. Legendary fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie, whose sequined gowns for Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and other stars dazzled red carpets for decades, has sewn his final stitch. Mackie died …
Sub-500-lb camper pod builds rep as world's cutest (cheap) teardrop
A floating RV that appeared on the Nicomekl River on Friday quickly became the talk of South Surrey this week, drawing attention from curious …
Luxurious Chinese SUV carries a micro-camping secret ... and much more
A few weeks back, we took a look at the SkyNomad N90, a large SUV that's a critical product launch for the Chinese electronics and autos maker Xiaomi. Beyond being a high-spec, versatile family hauler, the SkyNomad N90 has also been designed to work as a stock micro-camper thanks to a built-in folding bed, swivel seats, fridge and table. However, it originally lacked one feature that could have really raised its van life profile: a pop-up roof.
Genre-shattering SUV micro-camper gains boost it desperately needed
A few weeks back, we took a look at the SkyNomad N90, a large SUV that's a critical product launch for the Chinese electronics and autos maker Xiaomi. Beyond being a high-spec, versatile family hauler, the SkyNomad N90 has also been designed to work as a stock micro-camper thanks to a built-in folding bed, swivel seats, fridge and table. However, it originally lacked one feature that could have really raised its van life profile: a pop-up roof.
World's largest e-motorhome targets 1,000 km per charge ... for a price Original
Prior to this week, the terms "world's largest electric motorhome" and "1,000-km range" could have led to only one conclusion: one of China's latest high-mileage extended range electric vehicle (EREV) platforms got outfitted with a big motorhome box. But the most massive electric motorhome we spotted at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon wasn't a range-extender, and it wasn't Chinese.
Wild origami camper cube seizes command of your van to make it livable Original
When we first spotted the Italian brand "Cubivan" at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon this past weekend, we assumed it was another in the burgeoning market of complete in-van camper pods, or maybe a boxy camper module built to go on top of a van chassis. Both guesses were kind of right, but neither quite prepared us for what the system really is.
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