The best camping gadgets for your next outdoor adventure

Camping gadgets are designed to make your trip to the great outdoors better in every way. They make life easier, they allow you to dive deeper into nature, and they help you avoid a few common camping pitfalls. We’ve gathered some of the best and most useful gadgets from around the net to make your trip outdoors oh, so much better. 

This is a broad subject and, admittedly, a fun one to approach. Not every gadget will be for everyone, and if you packed it all, you’d learn those ounces equal pounds real quick. However, even just one or two of our best camping gadgets can give you a new experience or convenience you didn’t know you needed.

• Best Overall: PowerLix Sleeping Pad 
• Best for Cooking: BioLite Campstove 2 
• Best Tool: Leatherman Signal
• Best for Car Camping: MoonShade 
• Best for Keeping Cool: SmartDevil Camping Fan
• Best Coffee Maker: AeroPress Go Portable Travel Coffee Press
• Best for Night Viewing: Bushnell Equinox Z2 
• Best for Kids: Olight Obulb

Best Overall

PowerLix Sleeping Pad

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Pros

• Weighs only 1.32 pounds
• Increases comfort and warmth
• Waterproof
• Multipurpose inflating bag eliminates the need to blow

Cons

• Tall campers will have hanging feet
• No built-in pillow

Product Specs

• Lightweight and compact
• Inflates easily
• Two inches thick inflated
• Hexagon design for superior support

Why It Made The Cut

• Unless you’re committed to sleeping on the cold hard ground, the PowerLix Sleeping Pad is a must-have. It’s easy to store and set up, and will help you stay warm.

Best for Cooking

BioLite Campstove 2

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Pros

• Compact design
• Super efficient
• Dual-purpose tool
• Super handy for high-tech campers

Cons

• Somewhat heavy
• Dependent on finding dry fuels
• Not as efficient as gas-powered options

Product Specs

• 3,200 mAh battery for electronics charging
• LED dashboard provides instant feedback
• Weighs 2.06 pounds
• Can burn sticks, bark, or pellets
• Smokeless design Packs down to the size of a 32-ounce
• Nalgene bottle
• Modular by design

Why It Made The Cut

• Cooking smores while charging your phone is exclusive to the BioLite CampStove 2. It’s tiny, portable, easy to use, and powered by the heat from your fire.

Best Tool

Leatherman Signal

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Pros

• Camping-specific tools
• One-handed opening design
• Small parts are replaceable
• Works with other Leatherman accessories

Cons

• Internal tools lack protection when folded into tool

Product Specs

• Sports 19 tools
• Tools all lock
• Operates with ease
• Compact and lightweight

Why It Made The Cut

• Designed from the ground up for campers and adventurers, the Leatherman Signal packs 19 tools, and it’s rugged, reliable, and compact enough to fit in your pocket.

Best for Car Camping

MoonShade

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Pros

• Stores easily
• All-in-one awning solution
• Mounts to nearly anything SUV-height

Cons

• Seams are not waterproof

Product Specs

• Provides 9 x 7 feet of coverage
• Uses removable anchors
• Made from 420D ripstop polyester
• Provides UV protection externally
• Provides a reflective inner coating for night use

Why It Made The Cut

• The simple MoonShade awning system will attach to most standard vehicles. It’s a non-permanent attachment that weighs eight pounds and provides everything you need for 63 square feet of coverage.

Best for Keeping Cool

SmartDevil Portable Camping Fan

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Pros

• Long-lasting battery
• Multifunction
• Swivels 180 degrees
• Can be positioned almost anywhere

Cons

• Suited only for individual use

Product Specs

• Equipped with rechargeable battery
• Works as a power bank for small electronics
• Three air circulation settings
• Pulls double-duty as a light
• Easy to position

Why It Made The Cut

• The SmartDevil Portable Camping Fan beats back the heat, circulates air, and even acts as a multipurpose camping tool. It’s simple, effective, and helps keep your tiny tent cool.

Best Coffee Maker

AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Maker

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Pros

• Takes about a minute to make a cup
• Makes multiple coffee types
• Entire press packs into an eight-ounce mug

Cons

• Coffee for one person only

Product Specs

• Provides quick, tasty coffee
• Budget-friendly
• Compact and lightweight package
• All-in-one kit

Why It Made The Cut

• Is there anything better than kicking up your feet in nature while sipping a fresh cup of coffee? Nope. Why suffer instant coffee when the AeroPress Go exists?

Best for Night Viewing

Bushnell Equinox Z2

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Pros

• Affordable
• Easy to use
• Powerful included IR illuminator
• A ton of fun

Cons

• Chews through batteries
• Only designed for stationary observation

Product Specs

• Multiple magnification options
• Streams to mobile devices
• Can capture images and video
• Works in the day or night

Why It Made The Cut

• The Bushnell Equinox Z2 is a simple digital night vision monocular that’s affordable and perfect for nature-watching. Watch and record with clarity and ease.

Best for Kids

Olight Obulb

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Pros

• Fully recharges in two hours
• Long battery life
• Seven-lumen mode makes a perfect nightlight

Cons

• Not very useful (outside of fun for kids)

Product Specs

• Four modes
• White and red light
• Magnetic mounting
• Modular and fun

Why It Made The Cut

• The Obulb is a simple 55-lumen little dot that’s fun, easy, and can make the dark a little less scary. It’s also cheap and rechargeable.

Things to consider before buying a camping gadget 

Size and weight 

Unless you have a massive RV, then space is probably a prime consideration. The more primal you go in your camping, the more important size and weight become. Trimming the fat varies, but typically, the more compact and lightweight a gadget is, the better. You still want whatever it is to be efficient, useful, and versatile, but it can’t hog up too much room in your pack, car, or tent. 

Versatility 

I like camping gadgets that can be used for a multitude of purposes. This helps excuse and make up for the weight and size of the device if it can do multiple things. This is why a multitool might be better than a dedicated pocket knife for camping. This is why a big focus was put on items that can serve multiple purposes throughout this list.

Usefulness 

How useful an item can be is a bit subjective to your personal uses. The best camping gadgets are typically not essentials when we see essentials as food, water, and protection from exposure. Yet, they can still provide a reasonable degree of usefulness to increase the enjoyment of your experience. Don’t get me wrong, hardcore campers enjoy the misery, but most of us prefer to have a good, relaxing time when camping, and if a gadget can improve that, then it’s quite useful.  

Durability 

You are taking these gadgets camping and likely traveling with them, hiking with them, and exposing them to nature. They need to be somewhat resistant to outdoor environments. A basic ingress protection, or IP, rating goes a long way, as does a durable design. It’s smart to look for gadgets purposefully made for outdoor use and for camping. I love my juicer, but I’m not taking it camping with me. 

FAQs about camping gadgets

Q: What am I forgetting to pack for camping?

A: You probably packed all the actual camping supplies. Most people forget the basics like a toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper, and extra batteries. 

Q: What are fun things to bring camping?

A: Depending on how you like to camp, this can vary. I like to bring a Bluetooth speaker, a simple game like Cards Against Humanity, something to make coffee, and something to enhance my enjoyment of nature. 

Q: What is the most popular camping purchase?

A: Probably a flashlight or a lighter, followed by some form of blanket or sleeping bag. A tent might rank high, but so many people camp in cars, RVs, and campers that it might not be that dominant. 

Q: What camping essentials are best?

A: Depending on where you’re camping, this answer will vary, but you’ll need proper clothes for the weather, as well as a proper sleeping bag and essentials like drinkable water and a place to sleep.

Q: How do I make my campsite cool?

A: First, get some lighting so people can see. Second, some music, third, make sure you have a legit campfire or something to make s’mores or cook hotdogs over. Have a nice area with places to sit and relax, and a cooler full of your favorite adult beverage helps. 

Q: What is the most important gear to bring on a camping trip?

A: A means to call for aid, if required, is pretty dang important. Second is the necessities to stay warm and dry like a tent, sleeping bag, tarp, etc. 

Final thoughts 

The idea of a camping gadget is likely to make some campers roll their eyes. These admittedly aren’t for the hardcore camper who enjoys that misery more than they enjoy relaxing. That’s fine, but for the rest of us, these gadgets can make the campsite fun, cool, and more enjoyable. The gadgets themselves can be a great source of entertainment, from cooking s’mores safely over the BioLite Campstove 2 to watching deer through the Equinox Z2 monocular at night. Camping should be your definition of fun, and gadgets can be plenty of fun. 

Methodology

Gadgets can be a lot of different things, and for camping in particular, we wanted to select gadgets that would enhance your experience with the wonderful world of the great outdoors. We looked for gadgets that would be both useful and entertaining, while at the same time allowing you to enjoy the reason you are camping.

Past that, we went with companies that had good reputations and designed its products specifically around camping. This way, we’d know the product’s intent would match the hell we planned to put it through when we tossed in our rucksack and hit the trail. For more information on our process, check out the Task & Purpose review guidelines.