Get to Know: Sir Campalot

Summer offers the best camping weather of the year and creates a great opportunity for longer camping trips and group gatherings. I usually go on road trips that involve camping with my friends in other states. It’s a great time to catch up with friends that share a common passion for the outdoors.

I usually always bring a 3-Unit IGT with Low Height Legs, Luxury Beach Chairs, Jikaro Table, and Bamboo Extensions to accommodate more people if needed. For larger group gatherings of 5-12 people, I like to bring a Kitchen Table paired with the Double Burner for cooking. It’s really essential to be able to cook multiple dishes at once and the Double Burner is perfect for accomplishing this task. The Takibi Hexa Set M or Octa Tarp is also necessary to keep everyone comfortably protected from the sun. One of my all time favorite Snow Peak items is the Takibi Fire and Grill. I love having it under a Takibi Tarp as I spend Takibi time with my family and friends. During the summer months that have more bugs, I like to bring the Mesh Shelter to keep bugs out while still being able to enjoy the view of nature. 

There’s nothing like enjoying good food with a beautiful view of nature! My favorite go to meal is grilled pork belly! It tastes best when grilled over charcoal with the Double BBQ Box. Pork belly could be enjoyed in various ways including wrapping with lettuce, with rice, and/or side dishes. I find it refreshing to drink a Sapporo on a hot summer day and hot sake for cool summer nights. With the hot summer days and cool summer nights in the PNW, I like to bring multiple light layers to swap in and out on camping trips. I love to wear Snow Peak’s Graphic T-Shirts during the daytime. Then I would layer on a Takibi Vest paired with Takibi Pants to sit around the fire in the evening for Takibi Time. Takibi spec clothing really helps protects the inner clothing layer from getting damage due to firewood splash. 

My go to summer set up is a 3-Unit IGT frame with a Jikaro Table and Takibi Fire & Grill when camping with 4 people or less. When there’s more than 4 people, I like to set up a Kitchen Table topped with a 4-Unit IGT frame to make cooking more comfortable. Bamboo extensions are added onto the Jikaro Table and Kitchen Table frame to make dining and hanging out comfortable for friends and family. My most used IGT height is Low Height (400). It gives a unique camping feel compared to sitting height.Standing height is my preferred height when cooking for more people. So, I always have a separate standing height cooking station when there’s a crowd. My IGT set up is usually under a Takibi Hexa Tarp of the Mesh Shelter for protection from sun and bugs.

The most overlooked Snow Peak shelter is the Mesh Shelter. Most people don’t realized this, but the Mesh Shelter is the best for grilling and cooking inside the shelter. The upper mesh ventilation on the ceiling makes a huge difference to vent out smoke while cooking with charcoal inside the shelter. A cooking item that is often overlooked is the No. 1 Kettle. It has a simple form but is the perfect size for boiling water to make coffee, cooking a simple meal for 1 person, or even using it to warm up a standard sized sake bottle for hot sake! It’s really versatile! Another versatile cooking gear is the Tramezzino. You can make sandwiches or cook about anything in it. It’s fun for the whole family as kids excitedly wait to get their share every time I use the Tramezzino. Last but not least, the Unit Gear Bag 220 is becoming one of my favorite items that I overlooked in previous years. It has compartments for me to keep all my smaller gear organized. It’s also padded so I don’t have to worry about my gear getting damaged.

I love to cook and entertain family and friends around the campfire. My camping trips revolve mostly around good food and good company! We spend a lot of time cooking and chatting with each other over Takibi. When I have time on solo camping trips, I like to roam with my dogs to explore the surrounding forest, rivers, and lakes. I feel restored when I’m immersed in nature’s silence.

The Snow Peak USA community enables me to make new friends and share my passion with a diverse group of individuals of different backgrounds. It has a small town feel where everyone knows each other and is welcoming towards people who want to be a part of the community. Although we come from different backgrounds, we all have a common interest that brings us together. It’s a great feeling to catch up with friends and make new friends at Campfield, SPW, and other camping community events. We all share a passion for the outdoors and have the same value in how we like to experience camping; Snow Peak style, or the Snow Peak Way!