1. REI^® Igneo: This sleeping bag won over our hearts first by the two things it didn’t have: extra weight and a high price tag. As a 19-degree rated bag, this sleeping unit will get you through any kind of summer night you can imagine, and with the new waterproof coating designed by Toyota_®, you can stay dry in all conditions without having to deal with the annoyances of a crinkling water shell. Sporting a full zipper as well, this is a high performance bag that will do all it can to give you quality without breaking the bank.

2. Easton_® Kilo 3: You know you’re onto something good when the company making your tent is also manufacturing its own carbon-fiber poles. Keeping its production in-house, Easton can charge the same price for carbon fiber as others charge for aluminum, giving you a great bargain on a tent that can stand strong in 40mph winds. Packing a very livable 43 square feet inside, this tent is feather-like in weight and will barely tip the scales at 3 pounds. It may lack a few of the features of more elaborate tents, like interior pockets, but the performance to price ratio is just too good to have any complaints.

3. Baladeo 37 Gram: No wise man would ever be caught venturing into the outdoors without a quality knife on hand, and the new Baladeo 37 Gram gives you all the performance you could want with none of the extra weight that makes carrying it a burden. A four-inch blade weighing in at just 37 grams (1.3 U.S. ounces), you’ll hardly notice you have it until you need it. And when called into action, this well balanced, French Special Forces designed blade will perform admirably.

4. Wild Things Apparel Custom Insulight Jacket: Are you someone who likes things custom built? And someone who appreciates high quality craftsmanship made here in the USA? If so, you’re in luck, because the new Wild Things Apparel Custom Insulight Jacket gives you the ability to choose just about every spec you want and put together a jacket that fits your exact needs. From insulation levels to stretch to color, there is almost no part of the jacket you can’t customize, and coming in at a modest price, picking this for your new summer evening outerwear is as easy a decision as it gets.

5. Fenix HL-10 Headlamp/Flashlight Torch Combo: When it comes to the headlamps vs. flashlight argument, some of us keep coming to the same conclusion: we want both. And while having both makes life outdoors easier, until now, it’s always seemed a little excessive to pack multiple light sources on a short trip. Enter the Fenix HL-10, however, and you have a perfectly good headlamp, which detaches to become a handheld flashlight. It’s the best of both worlds in one easy package and will only cost you $30 to own. Not to mention you can pair it with a Garmin eTrex 20 GPS unit to help illuminate the prize when engaging in some after-work geocaching with the family.

 TIP: Use WD-40® Multi-Use Product to help remove sap and gunk from your knife blade after it sees action in the outdoors while also protecting it from rust and corrosion.

1. Starting Shallow: While common thought says that the biggest fish are going to be caught in deeper water, you may end up chasing unicorns if you head into the deep end your first time out. Not only are there plenty of good fish in the shallows, but also they are easier to catch, making it a perfect starting point for the beginning fisherman.

2.  Studying the Water: Sure the body of water may be the same, but the conditions beneath the surface are going to change each time you head out, and things like visibility can have a big impact on how you should forge a strategy. As a rule of thumb, when the water is clear, use smaller lures and lines, and when the water is murky, ramp up the size and color of your tackle.

3. Quality Choices: Just because you’re new to the sport, the sport is no excuse for not committing to quality products. With fishing, the quality of the experience is usually reflected by the quality of your gear, and no one likes to hook the first bass just to lose it by snapping cheap line. Without breaking the bank, educate yourself on gear and find a good match of quality and price. 

4. Object minded: When searching for certain fish like bass, the key is to remember that the fish are object minded. Be it a tree stump, a dock post, or any object at all, casting in that direction is going to greatly increase your chances of successfully catching the fish. Just keep in mind that fishing in no-man’s land is a sure fire way to get skunked.

5. Do Your Homework: From magazines to blogs to YouTube videos, educating yourself about the ins and outs of fishing basics has never been easier. The best part about the wealth of information? Most of it won’t cost you a penny and will allow you to skip the hassle of learning things the hard way on the water. 

6. Switching the Bait: It’s an easy trap to fall into. Growing fond of a lucky lure can be tempting for even the most seasoned fisherman, but it’s a trap you want to avoid if you want the best odds of consistently bagging fish. Your choice of lures should rotate, not just based on the condition of the water. It should be based on whether you’re fishing shallow or deep, quickly or slowly, and even on the fish’s preference of pattern. 

7.  Quick to Arms: Having a variable set of lures is a great start, but what’s even better is having a variable set of lures rigged on different rods, which are ready to go at a moments notice. Being able to switch set-ups on the fly will help you adapt to your surrounding and give the fish what they want, when they want it. As a beginner, you may not have multiple rods to start with so this is something you can build over time.

8. Staying Sharp: A detail of tackle that too often gets overlooked, keeping your hooks sharp is key to consistently snagging fish. Whether that means sharpening them or keeping new ones on hand, the only thing that matters is that the dull hooks stay in the bottom of the box.

9. Last to Leave: While always making sure you have the right gear to do it safely, staying out as the sun begins to set can be a great time to bag big bass. Though summer night fishing is not a good idea for beginning anglers, fishing at dusk can be a great entryway into the heat escaping hours of summer on the water. 

10. Consulting the Elders: You can learn a lot by reading. You can learn a lot by watching videos. You can learn a lot through trial and error. But the quickest way to understand what does and doesn’t work is to bring a veteran who can share his accumulated knowledge and show you first-hand just what it takes to hook a real trophy fish.

TIP: WD-40® Multi-Use Product is great for keeping fishing equipment rust free. 

New 8- and 12-ounce WD-40 Smart Straw cans at select retailers include the special packaging and are available for a limited time, while supplies last!

It's the tale of two cooling systems--one that dates back to the days of pyramids and pharaohs and another which has seen its popularity boom since its invention in the early 20th century. The fact that they've both been around for over a century means that they must be doing something right, though the debate about which is a better option for fending off the sweltering heat of summertime has been a longtime topic of dinner-table debate. Though there may be a clear favorite in producing end results, the way we pick the logical winner includes a number of key factors, and we're here to hash out the pros and cons of both in order to give you a well rounded picture of just what weapons you'll be armed with when you go to battle against the rising mercury.

1. Dollars and Sense: The crux of the debate for many people comes down to pure economics: which device is going to give you the most bang for your buck? And while air conditioners may seem like a good option for their quick results, there is no doubt that the fan is the clear victor in the dollars and cents column. An air conditioner can cost around 36 cents an hour to operate--a hefty price if added up over the course of the summer. A ceiling fan on the other hand? A penny an hour is the common cost to keep those blades spinning. So if financial impact is a consideration, try keeping the AC use to a minimum in favor of the more budget-friendly fan. 
2. Real results: When it comes down to it, all of the savings in the world won't matter if you can't keep yourself cool enough to enjoy the indoors during the warmer months. Fans may be cost-effective and a good go-to for those milder days, but when things really begin to steam up, it's hard to keep the finger away from that AC dial. What’s the big difference between the two? Fans simply circulate air, making you feel cooler as moisture evaporates more rapidly from your skin, but they do nothing to lower the actual temperature of the room. Leaving a fan on while you’re out of the house, for example, would leave you with the exact same temperature dwelling when you returned. AC, on the other hand, treats the air, causing the actual temperature of the space to drop, and so if results are the measure of success, AC takes home the gold in a unanimous decision.
3. Starting Cost: Besides just running costs when outfitting a new space, it's worth looking at the initial cost of purchase as well. Installation should be free if you're doing the handiwork yourself, but the unit is going to cost you anywhere from $120-$600 for a good window or portable AC unit and $40-$160 for a good ceiling fan. Considering that you usually get what you pay for, the top of the line ceiling fan is going to hurt your wallet a good deal less than a top of the line AC unit. If you already have a central HVAC, purchasing and installing a fan can still save you money by helping you cut down on AC usage. The fact that the AC unit costs so much more to run moves the fan even further ahead as your number one choice for saving cash and having more to spend on other summer projects.

TIP: Using WD-40® Multi-Use Product is an easy way to keep that ceiling fan from squeaking. 

1. Pit Stops: Like the old adage goes, "It's not the destination, but the journey that counts." And needing to get directly from point A to point Z is a mistake that a lot of type-A road trippers make. The best part about any road trip lies in the ability to be flexible and experience some fun along the way, so implementing a few breaks and side trips en-route is key for making sure you get the authentic experience. Plan in advance, and use sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp to find out what highly rated attractions there are in areas you'll be passing through. From restaurants to scenic viewpoints to local museums, the possibilities are endless, and exploring them will give you an exciting way to enjoy so much more than you’d see from the freeway alone. 
2. The Reliable Ride: When you're out on the open road, almost nothing is more important than the vehicle you're riding in, and if that thing breaks down it can not only put a big dent in your day, but in your entire trip. That being the case, you don’t need to be an expert car technician to take an hour to give the car a solid check-up before you load up the family and venture out. Fluid levels, tire pressure, and drive belts are all small things to check that can have big risks if unattended, and packing an additional roadside emergency kit can end up working wonders if you’re called upon to take on an urgent repair on the fly. 
3. In-Flight Entertainment: Though many of the most memorable moments will come from outside of the vehicle, the fact of the matter is that any road trip involves a solid amount of time spent between those cozy four doors, and whether that time is embraced or resisted by the kids will have a lot to do with your planning in advance. Hand held gaming systems and phone games are an easy way to get the kids to pass time on their own, but this won't get the family involved and won't add any unique memories to the trip. Instead of just trying to kill time, adopt some road trip specific games that require everyone to pitch in and will keep both the kids and adults entertained. This list of road trip games dives deep into the classics and will ensure your kids grow up reaping the rewards of age-old favorites like "20 Questions" and "I Spy." 

TIP: Having a can of WD-40® Multi-Use Product on-hand during a long road trip can help you loosen any stuck parts should you need to make repairs on the go.