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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
Best for Cooking
BioLite Campstove 2
Best Tool
Leatherman Signal
Best for Car Camping
MoonShade
Best for Keeping Cool
SmartDevil Portable Camping Fan
Best Coffee Maker
AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Maker
Best for Night Viewing
Bushnell Equinox Z2
Best for Kids
Olight Obulb
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.