The Bronze Medal goes to the person that invented drain spouts on coolers.
I made the mistake of taking a smaller cooler camping last weekend since it was just me and Princess. The cooler did not have a spout! I was so annoyed. I vowed to go directly to the store and get a new mid-sized cooler that has a drain spout. Guess what - couldn’t find one! Seriously! Have they stopped putting drain spouts on coolers smaller than a bazillion quarts? I make a plea to the cooler makers to please please please return drain spouts to any cooler that is too large to strap over your shoulder.
The Silver Medal goes to the person that invented Headlamps.
There are many items we take camping, but if we forget our headlamps, ACK! Walking with a dog on a leash in one hand and a flashlight in the other is not so much fun in a dark campground where puppy feels the need to check out everything! Having 2 hands available is awesome! And the bathrooms . . . vault bathrooms are DARK - and if you have to set the flashlight down, well you’ve defeated the purpose of taking a flashlight to the bathroom. Putting the flashlight in your mouth to hold it is no fun either. Headlamps, on the other hand, require no hands, have multiple brightness settings, and can be angled wherever you need them to be to see best. Kudos to the Headlamp Woman!
And the Gold Medal goes to the person that thought up pocket meals!
Yes it’s a crazy little thing . . . but any food that you can mix up at home, wrap up in foil, freeze, use as ice in the cooler, throw in the fire to cook without preparation at the campsite, and eat without dirtying more than a fork is awesome in my book! And the kiddos like to eat anything called Cowboys and Indians 
Dinners, breakfasts . . . we’ve tried it and we love it . . . so yay to the Foil Pocket Dinner Maker Upper Person!