(Tentsile)
The long, hot days of summer are upon us, but if you’re not careful, they’ll soon be gone. It’s all too easy to keep putting off plans and let the summer slip through your fingers. To make sure you seize the season, here are eight great buys that will help you get the most out of it.
Tentsile Tent Hammock: Combining the free-swinging comfort of a hammock with the freedom of camping in the great outdoors, the Tentsile Tent Hammock is a tent that you pitch in the trees. By taking your camping trip airborne, you avoid the misery of sleeping on a cold, hard ground, and give yourself a whole new perspective on your nature-bound excursion. The company makes the tents in three sizes and the largest is big enough to fit the whole family. So whether you want to make your backyard into a floating campground, or hike out into the woods and live atop the trees, the Tentsile Hammock Tent transforms camping into an entirely new adventure.
Blast Chiller: Nothing ruins a backyard barbecue quicker than running out of cold drinks. That’s why LG’s newest fridge comes equipped with a blast chiller than can turn a warm soda into an icy beverage in five minutes and frost up a bottle of white wine in eight minutes. While it’s a neat feature, most people aren’t willing to shell out for a whole new fridge just to avoid drinking a warm beer. Fortunately, there are cheaper options out there. The Cooper Cooler is an electric blast chiller that can ice a can in a minute, and a bottle of wine in three and a half minutes. And at $80, it’s a bargain compared to LG’s fridge.
Hamilton Beach Thermal Cooler Plus Blender: If you prefer daiquiris and margaritas to chilled sodas, Hamilton Beach’s Thermal Cooler Plus Blender ($30) might be more your speed. The blender’s carafe is an insulated cooler, so you can just dump in your ingredients, hit blend and then hit the beach. And if you’d prefer to make frozen cocktails poolside or on the road, Margaritaville’s Explorer ($259) is a battery powered blender that lets you whip up a batch wherever you are.
Propane Deck Heater: While the temperatures might be heating up, early summer days occasionally give way to cool nights. If you’d like to make the most of your deck and not be driven indoors by an unseasonably chilly evening, invest in a propane heater. Capable of pumping out 31,500 BTUs of warmth, the TorchFire Patio Heater ($900) will keep you warm on even the coldest summer nights. Unlike many propane heaters that blast you from above, the TorchFire has a glass tube that distributes heat evenly, allowing you to stay warm without frying your head.
Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Lemonade stands are so passé. Set the kids up with their very own ice cream stand this summer with Cuisinart’s Soft Serve Maker ($100). Simply dump in a few ingredients and you’ll be enjoying great soft serve in 20 minutes. The machine also packs in compartments for all the fixings, so you can dispense sprinkles, ground nuts, chocolate chips or whatever else you like on your ice cream.
Adirondack Chair: Maybe all you’re looking for is a little sun, a good book and a comfortable deck chair. While many have tried, there’s no improving on perfection. An Adirondack chair is cheap, solid and comfortable. So lean back, kick your feet up and bask in the sun. There’s no better way to waste a summer’s day.