C.J. Braden • 4 Minute Read

Fun Camping & Beach Gear + KoolTunes & icybreeze

We love being outdoors and having fun, so we wanted to share our love of our BEST FUN OUTDOOR gear with others that are like-minded. Whenever we see fun outdoor items that we would actually use and actually need, we love to spread the love of the product and brand. Here are our current favorite fun camping gadgets, RV, lake days, beach gear or outdoor use items.

Igloo KoolTunes Cooler

I LOVE my igloo KoolTunes Cooler. I use it poolside, at the beach and on biking picnic adventures. It gives me the best of everything I love: fun retro vibes, it keeps my summer snacks and drinks cool, and plays my favorite summer jams via a bluetooth connection to my phone. It’s a MUST HAVE summer entertainment hack that brings joy to all. I even use it indoors sometimes because it’s just that cute!

Carolyn Braden’s feature in the SheKnows digital summer issue

See my full feature where I discuss my love of the igloo KoolTunes cooler in the SheKnows summer digital issue with Giada De Laurentiis on the cover by clicking here.

See some of our featured items in use in real life in our YouTube video below or via our channel @carolynjbraden:

The igloo Kooltunes cooler fits on the back of a bike easily

We love how it fits easily on the back of our bikes. We strap it on with some bungee cords so it doesn’t slip around.

I also adore the igloo 90’s colorful fanny pack cooler. I use it to hold my phone when we are biking, but have also used it to hold my camera gear when at the beach. It’s slightly cushioned, making it perfect for tech gear. I purchased both items myself and have not regretted it one bit.

Everlasting Comfort Beach Blanket

We tested the Everlasting Comfort Beach Blanket on wet sand on our local Sanibel beaches, and we can attest, it is waterproof! We ride our bikes to the beach and sometimes only take a backpack with us. It’s extremely lightweight, making it a great option for many events.

Making memories with sunsets and soft beach blankets

The beach blanket rolls right up and packs easily so we can grab it on the go. When we return home from the beach (or it would work well on sporting events and so much more!), I throw it in the washer and it washes up perfectly. It’s soft to sit on too, which is better than gritty sand!

Broccoli Bay Doormat

The amazing and sweet women owned company, Broccoli Bay, sent us their cute doormat to test, as we had the perfect use for it…outside our RV door. If you’ve ever lived in a small house, apartment or traveled in an RV, you understand how even the tiniest amount of dirt piles up fast. We tested it on a weekend travel to a farm KOA RV park which was dry, dusty and rocky.

We placed the mat outside our RV and used it to wipe our feet and I am proud to say, it’s an incredible doormat. The Broccoli Bay mat is not just any doormat either, as it’s made of eco-friendly natural rubber, making it a better choice for the environment. Dirt easily shook off, but it can be hosed off if it’s particularly dirty.

Jellyfish Solar Lights

We first saw these jellyfish solar lights at a cabin we rented in Georgia. They had them out by the hot tub and I just became even happier when they lit up at night. They change colors and are just a fab addition to any outdoor space.

I lit our house up in green for the month of March

Color Changing Bulbs

We adore our LED flood lights. I wanted a light that I could change colors according to the season. We found the Smart LED Light Bulbs and placed them in floodlight stakes.

A floodlight displays our water fountain at night

I hid the cords under our tropical seashell landscaping, and enjoy picking out colors each month. We bought two and they just made our house even happier. They even survived our major Hurricane Ian flooding somehow.

The LED rope lights look great with our RV

Colorful Rope Lights

We purchased a roll of colorful LED rope lights to place around our RV. It just jazzes up our campsite a bit more. I liked them so much that I got a second roll and use it on our porch area.

The LED lights looked great around a fire pit too

Our porch is very dark at night and the rope lights help guide us if our dogs need to go out late at night. They would make any outdoor space a little more brighter.

Sunsail

We love the brand and the owner of Sunsailshades.com and their no fail beach tent product called the Sunsail. When you come across a company that is as supportive as them, you want to support them too.

Check out our full review of the Sunsail Shade, which has changed the way we “beach” forever. In the article, we also discuss our love of a CoolCabana too.

Trekking

The game Trekking is an amazingly inspirational and educational gift that all game lovers should add to their collection. It was founded by a couple who traveled to all 63 National Parks and wanted to partner with their board game designer son to marry the two loves. You will be strategic in playing, but it’s easy to learn. The game cards allow you to learn all about the National Parks in a group setting.

Being a former teacher, I know that learning is better if you are having fun or enjoyment while doing it. It’s also a Mensa Select award (Mensa is the High IQ society), and you can understand why while playing because Trekking is an awesome challenge for your brain and any of those kiddos (It’s aimed at ages 10+) in your life that need and love a challenge. It has been featured in GQ, NYT, and many other major outlets

Sloggers

When was in need of a quick grab and comfy shoe to continue our Hurricane Ian cleanup roof debris, I saw the cute prints of Sloggers and the good reviews and decided to give them a try. Sloggers are waterproof garden shoes that are truly comfy and cute. I always say that cleaning is more fun when you have cute gear!

The exterior is 100% waterproof and the fabric lining actually prevented my feet from sweating. They have been featured in Women’s Wear Daily, Better Homes and Garden, Country Living and more!

I wear a 6.5 or a 7 on a medium width foot with a high arch, and the 7 fit me perfectly. These shoes come in whole sizes, but for half sizes, they sell a separate insole. The brand has a helpful sizing guide on their Amazon listing.

We ended up buying two of the icybreeze coolers

Icybreeze Cooler/Portable Air Conditioner

We purchased our Icybreeze Cooler/Portable Air Conditioner with our own money because we were fascinated at the concept. Our 1995 American Dream motor home was having some problems with the dash air, which is not fun to drive in 95-degree heat of Southwest Florida. We learned this when we found ourselves without a quick fix on a recent trip.

The icybreeze cooler and it’s attachments

We got our A/C fixed, but decided we still needed a backup and when we saw Icybreeze, we knew it was the product for us. It’s a cooler and a portable air conditioner and is great for RV’s, camping, beach days, lake days and more.

Check out our quick video explaining how it works below or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:

FunBoy Pool Floats

Sometimes you just want to float in a pool and not get wet. At least that’s how my sister-in-law and I feel. I purchased a fun pink retro convertible float for myself and a retro phone raft for my sister-in-law and we both love them.

The FunBoy pool float held both my husband and myself

They are well made and we hope they last more than one season. If you have kids, you’ll probably need the included patch kit. We used a small air compressor to blow ours up. The retro pink car held my husband and I easily and it even has a place to put drinks and ice!

Hero Travel Supply

An on-the-go microfiber towel that I will be grabbing each time we head out for another outdoor adventure is one from Hero Travel Supply. After testing it for a weekend of poolside adventures, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. It is super lightweight and packable, it’s absorbent of sweat and water, and it’s soft on the skin.

Here’s the towel come to life in my 15 second movie called “I Need A Hero” via my video below or on my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:

We will take the towel with us in our RV travels

Mine came with a bonus washcloth, which is made of the same material as the towel. I love the anti-bacterial component of both as I greatly dislike the smell that many low-quality towels or washcloths gets after a short while. An anti-bacterial towel is a perfect solution to keeping the smells at bay for a longer period of time.

Each towel comes with a lifetime replacement guarantee and the brand was created and is run by The Fergusson family, who have backed the brand with excellent customer service. They were highly communicative with me, so their customer service has been proven!

If you love this article, we know you’ll love this one too: Ways We Used Haint Blue to Paint Stairs + Porches

C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.

This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.

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