The Best Camping Gear for Your Next Outdoor Adventure

Snow Peak is known for making high-end camping gear that’s inspired by Japanese design, and the Alpha Breeze tent is no exception. This full-featured tent is roomy enough to sleep four or serve as a veritable cabin in the woods for two discerning campers. Four zippered doors, interior mesh pockets, and a waterproof vestibule awning ensure enough creature comforts for a long weekend of camping in comfort.

Built with the avid backpacker in mind, the Copper Spur UL2 weighs in at a featherlight three pounds. It boasts a peak height of 40 inches, so taller campers won’t have to slouch, and it boasts 9-square-feet of vestibule area on either side, so you and your bestie can stash your packs and boots out of the rain.

This two-person tent is both budget-friendly and spacious. It is designed with taller campers in mind and offers extra floor space and two large vestibules for storing gear.

The Decathlon Quechua 2 Seconds pop-up tent is an ideal choice for first-time campers. Simply remove it from the bag, push the side buttons, and it pops open with mechanics similar to an umbrella.

Toasty enough for a subfreezing night of sleeping under the stars, Therm-a-Rest’s Boost 650 20F sleeping bag is a godsend for those of us who sleep on our sides or stomachs. It offers the option of a narrow mummy bag, or campers can unzip the center zipper and expand the bag into a roomy, “boosted” style. Two zippered arm holes along the sides also make for snuggly reading before bed.

If you’re not ready to invest in something heavy-duty, Kelty’s Campground Kit offers a great inexpensive option that’ll make those first few camping trips a whole lot more comfortable. The bundle comes with a sleeping bag built for temperatures down to 40 degrees, plus a self-inflating air pad to layer underneath. Both pack up into a shared duffel for easy storage, and weigh 5.6 pounds altogether.

Sea to Summit’s sleeping bag is an uber-warm option that can handle the toughest cold weather camping (or simply keep those of us who run cold toasty). This baby is filled with high-quality, 750-fill-power UltraDry Down (certified to the Responsible Down Standard) that provides excellent insulation and compressibility, and it has a water-repellent coating that protects it from moisture.

The Teton Sports Celsius sleeping bag features a soft poly-flannel lining so you’ll stay warm and comfy. Its double-layer construction locks heat in and keeps cold air out. The half-circle hood protects your pillow and it unzips on each side for easy opening and closing.

Sure, they say sleeping on the ground can be good for your posture—but that doesn’t mean you need to feel every pebble and twig underneath you. No matter where you’re camping, throw a sleeping pad under your sleeping bag and it’ll be that much easier to fall asleep. While inflatable versions raise you off the ground, they can be bulky and costly, and an accidental puncture can ruin your trip. Consider a lay-flat pad, like the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol.

New to the scene in 2025 is Therm-a-Rest’s comfortable NeoLoft sleeping pad, which straddles the line between a car camping and backpacking sleeping pad. It boasts the width and thickness of a rectangular car camping sleep setup, but weighs a scant 1.89 pounds for a size regular. Plus, it boasts a quiet stretch-knit fabric that’ll remind you of your bed at home.

Since sleeping bags are tested for their temperature ratings alongside sleeping pads with a warmth rating of R5, it makes sense to grab one that’s able to maximize the warmth of your trusty down sack. Exped’s Ultra 5R Sleeping pad is a lightweight (and toasty) marvel for backpackers who sleep cold or like to venture out on chilly shoulder season treks. Want something even more robust for car camping? Check out the brand’s best-selling MegaMat.

We get it, not everyone wants to invest in a tent when they could just fold down their car’s rear seats and plop down for some rest. Luno’s Air Vehicle Mattress is specially designed to fit into the back of most passenger vehicles, inflate using the 12V power source and give users some sincerely sweet dreams. Pair with a car privacy curtain, and you’ll be all set.

Coleman is the grandaddy of camping stove purveyors, and this Cascade 222 stove offers just about everything you’ll need to fix up a feast in the woods. A match-free ignition switch helps power it up, and two wind guards help shield the stove’s flames from the elements. Just don’t forget the camp fuel (not included).

Looking for something a bit smaller and more portable? The MSR PocketRocket 2 mini stove kit is a great option for ounce-counting backpackers. Not only does it come complete with a .75-liter aluminum pot, the kit weighs just 9.8 ounces, keeping your overall pack weight light. Pair with a canister of MSR IsoPro Fuel, and you’ll be making backcountry mac and cheese in no time.

An upgraded pick, for grillers and hardcore camp chefs, Zempire’s 2-Burner DLX Grill Stove offers more wind protection than the average camp cooking platform. It also includes a 4,500 BTU lower grill, so you can roast meats or veggies while keeping the upper burners going.

Jetboil makes a wide variety of lightweight, space-saving cooking solutions for backpackers. The Flash Cooking System features an insulated 1-liter pot, a push-button igniter and a bowl with measuring cup markings. Grab a can of IsoPro Fuel, and your backcountry kitchen is complete.

Whether you’re spending a night at your local river and just want to keep your six-pack cold, or need to refrigerate essentials on a multi-day stay at a national park, Yeti’s Tundra line will do the trick. These durable coolers are heavily insulated, and have a freezer-quality gasket and form-fitting lock system to seal it completely shut, keeping out even triple-digit heat.

Coleman makes loads of well-reviewed, affordable coolers for those who like to camp, but maybe aren’t out every weekend. This 45-quart hard shell cooler can hold up to 74 cans (without ice), plus it sports two easy-carry handles and a handy drain spout.

For the weekend camper who struggles to find space to fit everything into their trunk, the Oyster Tempo cooler is an amazing space-saving solution. The company claims that this petite cooler can keep 36 cans of soda cool (with ice packs) just as well as a 55-quart traditional cooler with ice, and it’s got the user reviews to back it up. You’ll never want to lug around a huge ice chest again.

If you’re an avid picnicker or are just heading out on a quick overnight, there’s no need to go ham on a massive, hard-sided cooler. Yeti’s Flip 18 soft cooler can fit up to 20 cans (without ice packs) and is the ideal size for small essentials and snacks that you’d like to keep cool, like cheese slices, eggs, and LaCroixs.

Rather than grabbing silverware and pepper grinders from your kitchen, pack a ready-made kitchen set with all the essentials you need as part of your camping gear. This GSI Destination kit has 24 pieces, and is designed to work for a family of four. You’ll find folding tools, like a spatula and serving spoon, prepware like a cutting board and cheese grater, two condiment containers, salt and pepper sakers, and four full cutlery sets.

Of course, you’ll need a table to put all your cooking doodads onto, and this Camp Roll table by REI is a cost-conscious option that packs down small and offers a clean surface for meal prep. It’s also got a 100-pound weight capacity, so your favorite water jug and stove can sit comfortably.

Feed a family of four with this one-stop-shop cookset from Gerber. It comes complete with a sauté pan and a 5.6-quart stock pot, so you can make your mom’s famous chili with ease. The pot’s lid also doubles as a pasta strainer, so there’s no need to bog down your trunk with a colander.

No camp meal is complete without silverware, and this handy three-piece titanium set by Toaks ensures you’ll have everything you need when the dinner bell rings. Plus, these utensils can be clipped to the back of a pack using a carabiner, so your dishes can dry while you hike.

One of the perks of car camping: You can really recreate the comfort of your own backyard out in the woods. Case in point: Kelty’s mega-popular camp furniture. The two-seater rolls up into a fairly compact padded storage bag and weighs about 15.5 pounds, with a weight capacity of 400. Each side has its own armrest and cup holder, too.

For campouts at home and on the road, a good packable chair is essential. And whether you use them to sit around the fire and tell stories, or simply unwind in after a long day of hitting the trails, you’re also going to need one per person (everyone will tire of sitting on the ground or perching on sleeping bags sooner or later). For a good mix of comfort and durability—and the prerequisite of an attached cupholder for your water bottle or beer—pick up a few Coleman camp chairs.

For backpackers who adore creature comforts and car campers who are short on trunk space, Helinox’s Chair Zero is here to save the day. This petite and portable throne weighs only a pound and packs down a bit larger than your 32-ounce Nalgene bottle.

This award-winning chair has been a fan favorite for years. The Nemo Stargaze combines the soothing rocking and layback of a hammock with the portability of a camp chair. Curl up with a good book after pitching your tent or stay up late to watch the Perseid meteor shower–the Stargaze has got your back, literally.

Offering 300 lumens of bright white light, the Astro 300-R is an easy-to-recharge headlamp option for car campers and backpackers alike. Fumbling through your car for loose batteries will be a thing of the past—the Astro 300-R can be plugged in using a simple micro-USB cable for up to 140 hours of use.

Whether you’re a festival goer who loves a light-up rainbow tent beacon or a car camper who just wants a great, rechargeable table light, the Biolite Alpenglow 500 Lantern offers both in spades. Choose between a variety of brilliant LED color settings or a warm white light, and transform your camp from blah to beautiful.

There’s nothing like the cozy flicker of a campfire, but sometimes you need a little more light. For middle-of-the-night bathroom trips or better visibility for after-dinner card games, pack a portable lantern the whole family can use. The Goal Zero Crush is a winner in our book for two reasons: It’s solar-powered, so you can leave the batteries at home and feel better about your carbon footprint, and it collapses into a flat disk when not in use for easy packing.

Camping string lights are really having a moment, and this rechargeable lantern from Nite Ize provides users with both a lantern and a 23-foot span of color-changing string lights. Wrap them around your tent or picnic table, and let the good vibes follow.

It’s too easy to forget a camping pillow when throwing your sleeping bag and pad in the trunk. But on a multi-night getaway, scrunching a sweatshirt behind your head gets old fast. The compressible pillow from Therm-a-Rest, made of soft foam padding, packs nice and compact but expands for full-size comfort once you’ve set up camp.

Let’s face it: Even the most seasoned hikers and campers like to charge their cameras on the go or curl up in their tent with a Kindle or iPhone movie binge. Goal Zero makes harnessing solar energy to keep your devices charged and at the ready a cinch, with no noise and no harmful fumes. Full of diverse port options (think 12V, USB-C, and wall-style plugs) and a charge controller to help protect your precious electronics, the Yeti 500X can charge most laptops 10 times, most smartphones 42 times, and keep string lights powered on for days.

Patagonia’s best-selling Black Hole MLC line (which is the maximum legal carry-on size for those of you who don’t constantly fret over airline restrictions) is the perfect, one-size-fits-all duffel that doubles as a backpack. Worried about organizing your delicates? The 45-liter MLC boasts enough pockets to keep even the most type-A traveler satisfied, no packing cubes needed.

Every home should have a first-aid kit, and every camper should have one that’s ready to take on the go. The Adventure Medical Kit, designed for two adults for two days, is an upgrade on your basic Band-Aid and Neosporin, in an easy-to-tote, compartmentalized bag. Inside, you’ll find everything you need for cuts, scrapes, and blisters, alongside a first aid book that is crammed with information on treating outdoor-related injuries.

Going to the bathroom outdoors can be tricky, even for the most adventurous among us. Thankfully, Pact has created an easy-to-use, all-in-one kit for when you’ve got to use the loo. It comes complete with a trowel, hand sanitizer, and expanding toilet paper tablets (just add water).

As climate change continues to ravage our public lands, it’s likely that more and more parks will implement campfire bans during the summer and fall season. If you’d still like a safe option for warming your hands or roasting s’mores with the kiddos, take a look at Solo Stove’s Bonfire firepit. It’s portable, compact, and smoke-free. (Just call your local ranger station to check on specific fire ban rules before heading out.)