Allie Pape

Get a little closer in the Sexy Hotness sleeping bag, designed for couples.

With so many great natural spots within an hour or two of driving, the Bay Area is a camper's paradise. But even as we pack our organic local edibles, throw on our Timbuk2 backpacks, and cover up with a locally-designed raincoat, the gear we take with us is pretty much the same as the rest of the country's: blandly designed, more functional than fun. That's why we were excited to see the new spring product line from Alite, a Mission-based manufacturer of outdoor gear.

A civilized St. Patty's starts with an Irish coffee.

jrodmanjr at Flickr

Green beer, car bombs, pinching strangers: St. Patrick's Day, the old-fashioned way, can be plenty of fun. But if your memories of last year's hangover are still painful, or you can't stomach the antics of a holiday bartenders not-so-lovingly refer to as "Amateur Night," there are still plenty of ways to enjoy St.

Oola la: $1 oysters join $5 glasses of wine at Friday happy hour.

Bunrab.com

Each week, we bring you our top picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in SF.

Tippling alongside your toddler? Be aware of the ground rules.

San Francisco has plenty of ultra-hip parents these days, and with the encroachment of rock shows and art events for the younger set, a new locale is emerging as the Final Frontier of family fun: the local watering hole. Buoyed by recent memories of their salad days and recession-induced frustration at dropping a boatload of cash on a babysitter, parents are bringing their babies into locales that were once their meat markets.

McTeague's Saloon is one of four competitors in Thrillist's Bar Madness.

The art of running a good sports bar is slightly different from that of running a good bar. As more and more high-class palaces of mixology open in SF, it's important to remember that sports bars, too, deserve love. While sipping on that perfectly balanced $10 martini might make you look good, the best sports bars are all about comfort-- in food, in beverage, in seating, and in neck angle.

5 years in business means $5 glasses of wine at Luella.

Each week, we bring you our top picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in SF.

Your first drink is on Tweservation when you hit Coda this Wednesday.

1. Half-Off at Bar 888 Tonight: Social networking is apparently so popular at Bar 888 that they slash their prices at the mere mention of it. Name-drop Twitter or Facebook and get 50% off your entire bar bill: drinks, bites, the works. It's like a big, Silicon Valley-shaped hug. (Tonight, Thursday, February 25, 11 am-12 am, at Bar 888, Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard St., SOMA.)

The "little" singer has had a big impact on the jazz world.

Jazz legend Jimmy Scott is rolling through town this week, with two shows at Yoshi's in the Fillmore. Scott, the favorite singer of artists ranging from Billie Holiday to Nancy Wilson, is renowned for his high, pure contralto singing voice. Legendary in his time, he gained new fans after appearing on the final episode of David Lynch's Twin Peaks (adding an extra hint of creepiness to the show's famously spooky Black Lodge).

We assume this is how Delica will look after you hit their new happy hour.

Each week, we bring you our picks for the best places to booze on the cheap in San Francisco.

Watch strangers get married as you sip free champagne at UrbanDaddy's pop-up chapel.

1. UrbanDaddy's Pop-Up Wedding: We knew that the guys at UrbanDaddy liked typical guy stuff (sports, meat, booze), so we have to admit some surprise that they're turning Valentine's into an all-out celebration of matrimony. Couples can have an impulsive wedding, renew existing vows, or join the singles sipping on free champagne and fighting for the giveaway vibrators from Jimmyjane. Ah, love. RSVP here. (Sunday, February 14, 4-7 pm, at W Hotel, 181 3rd St., SOMA.)