4725mag's top 5 travel essentials: survive camping under the stars with a smile on your face


Home for the weekend // Marshall beach, Tomales bay, Point Reyes, Marin, California.

The only wildlife we usually consume is a quick jog around Lake Merritt which at its most challenging involves dodging an aggressive seagull or two. It's pretty safe to declare that we are far from being the "camping type" or game for rugged, outdoor activity. Though a few years of avoiding tents and sleeping bags gave us, the toughest/softest of city dweller's, an itch that only a night of remote beach camping could scratch.

Just think of it, soft sand between your toes, the faint taste of salt water on your lips, the intoxicating lure of a camp fire, bioluminescence sparkling in the night bay... it sounds good right? We've got you wanting to uncharacteristically rough it too, haven't we?

Well, the good news is you can do it. Just follow this simple guide to amplify your experience.

1 - Ocean Kayaks: the best/only way to observe sea lions, sea otters, the aforementioned bioluminescence and a plethora of sea birds in their natural environment.

2 - A serious, do-all jacket: make sure you stay warm and make sure you stay dry, you will get wetter than you think in a kayak and this thing has zippered pockets for days to store lip balms, your cell in a ziplock bag and hair ties galore. Not to mention, if you're a Californian by birth or relocation, you probably definitely own something like this anyway. Bring it, you will need it.

3 - Shoes that can get wet: it sounds simple, but really, it is just not the time to bust out those new to-die-for boots. While these are just plain ugly (we're only being honest), you will be oh-so-stoked that you're not trashing a pair of shoes with salt water and sand that you planned on ever wearing again.

4 - Skincare, lots of it: sunblock, lip-remedies, cleansers that you can remove with a tissue, body moisterizer - the works. Salt water is cool and all, but not worth getting all dried out like jerky for. Nothing is. Origins has a solid variety of travel sized products with a reasonable price-tag.

5 - Oysters, Clams and hot sauce to go: because, yah, it is camping but we still like our little luxuries.

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