If you’re an experienced camper or a novice planning your first family camping trip, it is crucial to invest in top-notch camping gear for a enjoyable experience.
To ensure a smooth and budget-friendly outdoor vacation, our product experts suggest bringing essential items like a durable camping tent, sleeping essentials, kitchen gear, and electronic accessories. This is because a weeklong camping trip with kids differs from visiting a family-friendly all-inclusive resort. Our experts have narrowed down the best camping gear and equipment needed for preparation.
Best Camping Tent: Eureka Jade Canyon X4
In tests, we discovered that this camping tent is exceptionally easy to set up and take down, resulting in high scores for its performance. It may not be suitable for backpacking due to its weight, but it is the ideal size for couples or a small family of four who are planning a mountain adventure. According to one tester, switching from a two-person tent to this one feels like transitioning to a luxurious hotel room.
One reason we are fond of the tent is because it can reach a notable height of seven feet, ensuring taller campers do not have to stoop while inside. Additionally, it boasts a spacious 64-square-foot footprint, providing plenty of space for sleeping and storing necessary items. According to a tester, the tent also includes mesh nets at the top for conveniently stashing miscellaneous items needed during the night. The material of the tent itself feels robust and effectively shields against strong winds. Furthermore, the well-placed vents permit a generous amount of airflow throughout the day.
Best Camping Chair: NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair
If you are tired of hours spent sitting on uncomfortable pebbles, consider investing in a top-notch camping chair to enhance your relaxation around the campfire. This NEMO pick, loved by campers, offers a swinging seat similar to a hammock and a rocking feature that allows you to recline and enjoy stargazing with utmost comfort.
We appreciate that it has a cushioned headrest and two cup holders for drinks, as well as a carrying case for easy transportation. However, bear in mind that this chair weighs eight pounds, which will increase the overall weight you’ll be carrying.
Best Camping Hammock: Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock
Do you want the opportunity to rest and unwind after a lengthy hike? Then consider this highly portable hammock by Wise Owl. Weighing under two pounds, it has gained popularity on Amazon with almost 50,000 customer reviews. This hammock is known for its comfort and compactness. Additionally, it comes with two tree straps that are nine feet long, along with carabiners, facilitating quick and effective setup between two trees.
According to Jessica Teich, Deputy Editor of the Good Housekeeping Institute, the attachments are strong and its small size makes it ideal for camping or hiking. Additionally, our product analysts appreciate its assortment of vibrant colors which are reasonably priced, ensuring it won’t exceed your camping budget.
Best Pillow: Honeydew Scrumptious Travel Pillow
This pillow, recommended by our product experts for any type of travel, including camping, is a winner of GH Family Travel Awards. It has received high praise from some consumer testers who even used it after returning home from their trip. We value its compact size of 21″ x 12″ and the inclusion of a pillowcase and carrying bag for easy portability. Although it weighs three pounds, slightly heavier than desired for backpacking adventures, its plush memory foam texture compensates for it. Additionally, we appreciate its supportive, curved shape, which aids in promoting proper alignment.
Best Towel: PackTowl UltraLite Hand Towel
This soft, absorbent, and quick drying hand towel is ultralight. Although a towel may appear unnecessary when backpacking, it becomes a necessity when it occupies very little space and weighs less than 2 ounces. It is perfect for quickly drying yourself after swimming in an alpine lake, wiping off the condensation from your tent, or drying a pot. Unlike certain microfiber towels, it does not feel rough and its construction, consisting of 70 percent polyester and 20 percent nylon, is anti-pill for both durability and comfort.
One way to ensure your towel dries quickly during a hike is by using the snap button hang loop located at the end of the towel, allowing you to attach it to the outside of your pack. This way, you can avoid the inconvenience of carrying a damp towel in your bag. In addition, this towel does not take much time to dry and will be ready for use again by lunchtime. Its compact size and rapid drying capabilities also make it an excellent choice for car camping and travel purposes.
Best Campfire Accessory: Solo Stove Campfire Gear Kit
These days, it appears that almost every household owns a Solo Stove or a similar variation of it. This one is a smaller and more portable model, weighing slightly more than 2 pounds. Therefore, it is a convenient item to carry from the car to any campsite.
I appreciate the fact that all I need are a few smaller branches and sticks to create a small fire. This is for the purpose of warding off insects and enhancing the atmosphere while dining outside.
The two pots, one with a capacity of 3L and the other with a capacity of 1.5L, are ideal for preparing meals. Additionally, the robust tripod enables convenient hanging and cooking.
Best Tote Bag: Yeti Camino 35 Carryall
Upon initially purchasing this 35-liter bag, I was hesitant due to its high price. Nevertheless, I soon came to understand that the price corresponded to the exceptional quality and renown of Yeti products. Throughout several years, I have continuously utilized and subjected this bag to various strenuous conditions – amounting to hundreds of instances – and have personally confirmed its remarkable endurance.
Despite weighing 3.1 pounds, the bag has a remarkable capacity to handle a weight of 1,500 pounds. Additionally, the handles of the bag are convenient and easy to grasp. The bag features a large top opening, along with a smaller zippered pocket inside that can be securely shut using a straightforward latch. It is important to note that this bag is not designed to function as a cooler.
The rigid sides ensure the food you pack in remains protected as they stand up straight. The bomb-proof quality of this item comes from its welded construction and thick, durable waterproof material. Furthermore, cleaning is made effortless due to its ability to be wiped down inside and outside.
Best Multi Tool: Gerber Stake Out
This is one of Gerber’s latest tools, and I really appreciate some of its distinctive characteristics and the multitude of tools it contains, all neatly fitted into a 3.3-ounce package. The package as a whole comes with a gate clip carabiner that can easily attach to your bag, belt, or any other item of your choice.
The blade of the knife, measuring 2.2 inches and featuring a liner lock, offers a seamless fit in my hand and is capable of tackling various tasks at the campground. As for ease of use, I find it incredibly convenient to open the knife with just one hand. In addition, the scissors possess impressive strength, allowing them to effortlessly cut through sturdy materials like hard plastic, such as a zip tie. Along with these features, the knife also includes additional tools such as an awl, ruler, ferro rod, sharp saw, and file.
All tweezer multi tools are dark and prone to being lost on the ground. However, this specific tool has a vibrant orange handle, making it easily visible when placed down. The tweezers are attached to a carabiner on the tool for storage, but the orange handle allows for quick locating when needed. Additionally, these tweezers are exceptionally sturdy and capable of safely removing numerous rose bush thorns during bush-whacking in Alaska.
and it is specifically designed to grip and remove tent stakes effortlessly. Unlike other multitools I’ve seen, this particular feature is unique and highly useful when dealing with camping equipment. It completely changed my approach to removing tent stakes and made the whole process much easier and efficient.
Best Lantern: BioLite Alpenglow 500
Looking for some illumination while cooking or playing cards before bedtime? Our experts recommend the BioLite lantern, offering various light modes such as warm white, candle flicker, multicolor, and more. One consumer tester assures that the emitted light is gentle on the eyes during nighttime and provides sufficient brightness. Additionally, the lantern can be effortlessly charged through Micro USB (although USB-C would have been preferable), and it can also serve as a power source for your cell phone via USB-A in case you forgot your power bank.
We are fond of the fact that the design is lightweight and compact, weighing less than a pound. Additionally, it has the ability to provide illumination for up to five hours on high or 200 hours on low. Despite our desire for a quicker charging time of less than three hours and complete water resistance, the numerous lighting choices offered are difficult to surpass. According to one tester, there are several color options available, including a multicolored party mode. Furthermore, the lantern’s matte texture sets it apart from the traditional camping lanterns we are accustomed to.
