Camping? Check. Cooking? Of course. Ultralight and trustworthy gear for everything from overlanding in the Rockies to bikepacking across California? Better believe it. Sea to Summit has been our trusted partner for nearly everything outdoors, and we’ve helped them launch, feature and test products in the world’s toughest environments.
Telos — full potential or inherent purpose or objective of a person or thing. That’s what Sea to Summit set out to create with their new Telos tent, and our launch shoot in the twisting canyonlands of Moab, Utah captured the apogee of portable shelter. With a few classic desert vistas in mind, we packed up in a hurry, forgetting only one thing: the weather forecast. Fortunately, the Telos was more than up to the task, and we documented the new tent in its natural habitat, keeping us warm and cozy against the backdrop of red vistas and flurrying snow.
This ain’t summer camp. But it might as well have been, with all the fun we were having. Only this time, we upgraded the amenities, swapping MREs for cast-iron Chilaquiles, hot chocolate for hot chocolate with bourbon, and chunky cotton sleeping bags for Sea to Summit’s ultralight, ultra right sleep setups. We’ve taken Sea to Summit’s camping and sleep gear to 10+ states and 5 countries, and it hasn't let us down yet (besides that one time in Reno, but we’ll call that user error).
When you head into the unknown in your truck, you have to know one thing: your gear won’t let you down. Sea to Summit threw some prototypes and featured gear into our rig, and we took it up to the ceiling of the Rockies, crossing the subranges of Northern Colorado on the snow-plastered passes of the Continental Divide.
On the first morning, we hid from the rain and made pancakes on the new Alpha cookset, stealing Jonny’s Grandma’s buttermilk recipe and washing it down with coffee from the X-Brew. As soon as the skies cleared, we dropped the truck into 4Lo and crawled up Argentine Pass, hopping out at the top for a quick summit run to the prominent Front Range 14ers Grays and Torreys. Back at the truck, we rinsed off with the Watercell X and busted out the stove again, heating up hot chocolate and watching the afternoon storms roll in.
The next day was a mirror. Breakfast. Off-road. Run. Laugh and retreat from the storms. Sip whiskey at camp and cozy up in the Tanami quilt. After 4 days of semi-civilized meandering, we crested Rabbit Ears Pass and looked out over the plains of Eastern Colorado. We cooked up our last meal in the Alpha skillet, sitting on the tailgate savoring the views before packing up our roadside kitchen. It was time to drive home.