Electrifying your fall camping experience
Accessorizing four wheels for a weekend in nature's colour show
Fall camping is tranquil and electrifying. It's like spending the weekend in a Group of Seven painting surrounded by warm bursts of orange, bright yellows, and red leaves. The cooler air in the morning is crisp and refreshing, the sun is shining without driving up humidity, and the glow of a campfire accompanies the early evenings without visits from dreaded mosquitoes. The only thing buzzing in your ear is your family asking to make this a tradition.
Across Canada, this year's transition from summer to fall is slower than typical. Throughout most of the country, the seasonal fall forecast calls for above-normal temperatures. Still, cooler nights and stormy weather are inevitable as the season progresses. Preparing for the unexpected is important if you plan to take advantage of the extended camping season. This includes a vehicle that is like a sidekick, doing more than getting you from home to nature.
Getting There
You're starting on an adventure when you hit the road with the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GT S-AWC. It handles the full spectrum of fall weather conditions safely and comfortably by design. The vehicle's Super All-Wheel Control system allows you to take the road less travelled—off the beaten path—and tackle rugged terrain. Loose gravel roads? Switch the vehicle into gravel mode. Muddy back roads? The control system's mud mode handles it so you can focus on the journey, not the obstacles.
Pairing the onboard Super All-Wheel Control with Fastco wheels fitted with Yokohama all-terrain tires makes the vehicle more reliable even when the weather isn't. The tire's design improves tread life, while the deep grooves increase hydroplaning resistance on waterlogged roads. It can handle snow and ice for those rare fall camping trips where Jack Frost shows up unexpectedly.
But this plug-in hybrid electric vehicle offers more than a reliable ride that grips the colourful kaleidoscope of fall weather roads. It's also a convenient sidekick for when you arrive. The PHEV GT S-AWC has a built-in 20kwh battery that not only provides 61km of all-electric range, but it also powers a 1,500-watt inverter. This allows you to plug small appliances like coolers, coffee makers, toasters, and extra lighting into a pair of 110-volt outlets in the trunk and behind the front seats.
Stylish Outlander Camping Accessories
The Outlander's spacious back allows you to bring all the comforts of home on your weekend getaway. (Pictured: Mark Robinson, a meteorologist and storm chaser with The Weather Network)
Beyond a cup of hot coffee in the morning, the experienced fall camper knows you must also pack for the unexpected. One challenge with fall camping is staying warm and dry. More wardrobe changes than a Taylor Swift concert accompany the fluctuating temperatures from morning into the evening. With the Outlander's spacious cargo capacity, there is plenty of room for extra clothing and gear. Even with the second row of seating in place and the third row folded down, the back is spacious enough to pack everything to bring the conveniences of home on your weekend getaway.
This particular Outlander PHEV has camping options and add-ons that can be neatly tucked and stowed away. For the gourmet, a Nomad Kitchen Co. kit can convert your trunk into an accessible pullout kitchen. Plug-in coolers plugged into the rear outlet will keep your food and ingredients chilled until they're ready to sizzle on the included camping stove.
For the adventurous, outfitting the car with stylish Mitsubishi OEM Roof Crossbars is a breeze for safely and securely mounting extra luggage or bicycles on the car's roof. When the windows are down, the aerodynamic racks are designed to reduce wind noise as you drive. With its dual-position design, the Thule Hull-a-Port XTR Kayak Mount makes it easy and quick to strap up kayaks to the roof.
Nature Is Your Weekend Living Room
A lightweight Thule OutLand Awning easily attaches to the roof, rolling out into a high-strength fabric that offers shade on bright days or shelter if the rain clouds roll in. When the weather isn't cooperating, those days of cutting your camping trip short or hiding in your tent are over. It takes one person with a user-friendly push-button system that allows you to adjust the height of the legs to match the terrain with an option to stake it to the ground for added stability. The awning's rails support extra accessories such as panels, converting the exterior of your car into a living room in the middle of nature.
The Weather Network's Mark Robinson pictured camping with ease alongside his 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GT S-AWC. (The Weather Network)
Fall camping is one of the underrated joys of the season. Whether you intend to rough it or make weekend camping feel more like home, it doesn't end at Labour Day. The utility of the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GT S-AWC allows you to extend your camping further into the season, experiencing life and nature to the fullest.
