Originally published on May 29, 2015 on autoTRADER.ca

Hey, Winter, screw you! We’ve had it with your crap. Our best pal Summer is here chilling out, and we’re going camping to enjoy our tents, consume beverages, cook questionable meats on an open fire, and fend off swarms of hungry skitters with smiles on our faces, because it’s not 30-below and dumping snow.

Of course, we’ll be taking our favorite rides along for the trip, as well as our favorite features and accessories – all of which will help us do an even better job of celebrating the fact that you’re not around to make us question why we don’t live in Florida.

Summer time is camping time, and here’s a look at some rides, features and accessories that help make camping a little easier, a little more convenient, and a little less stressful on us Canadians trying to forget about winter for a while.

Favorite Camping Rides

Honda Ridgeline

This handy-as-heck pickup rides like a big car, has passenger space on par with a minivan’s two front rows, and packs a handy in-bed trunk that’s big and weatherproof and drainable, meaning you can load it full of ice and beverages, soggy towels, sandy beach gear, or any other sort of stuff that you’d rather keep locked out of sight – and then park your dirt-bike on top of all of that. Plus, Ridgeline’s lockable four-wheel drive allows it to tackle light to moderate trails, there’s at-hand storage galore in the cabin to help keep organized, and the flip-up rear seats leave a monster cargo hold in back with a flat floor, making a perfect lounge area for your canines, a place to store your bike, or a heap of room to keep your sleeping and cooking gear out of the rain. When it comes to absolute all-around flexibility, the Ridgeline is an all-around superstar.

Subaru Outback

What beats the Subaru Outback for all-around confidence, traction and heaps of cargo space to haul you, the special someone, the offspring, and a load of camping stuff around? Almost nothing, that’s what. This crossover-ute-wagon-thingy, however defined, offers great manners, a ton of space, and proves a fantastic middle-ground that does everything related to camping well, while driving great on the highway and around town the other 350 days a year. Add in the tremendous aftermarket support for accessories and gear to tailor the Outback to any lifestyle or outdoor sport, and a gleaming reputation for long-haul reliability and residual values, and you’ve got a camping-ready family  hauler that’s packed with the warm and fuzzy stuff that sensible shoppers love.

Connect with Autos.ca