"Camping can range from setting up a tent in the backyard to car camping to a light hike into a meadow off a trail, " says Michele Orr, REI's director of merchandising, whose company sells all the gear and gadgets a camper could desire.

CNN: Camping: Horror or bliss?

His goal is to test camping equipment without compromising on quality, even while traveling light and demanding durability.

FORBES: Intense Interning: Camping in Manhattan's Heat Wave