Gear Question
What gear purchase(s) changed your camping/hiking experience for the best?
I love car camping with my kids and I feel like I've made several key purchases that have improved our experience, but I'd love to hear what items you swear by.
A bigger tent, a Thermacell mosquito annihilator, and those cheap fire starter bricks have been my MVPs so far.
hammock with a bug net. this was the single piece of gear that started my camping journey as an adult. before that, the thought of sleeping in a hot, buggy tent on the ground just held no appeal at all.
For me it was an 11 foot hammock from Dutch and a Cave Creek Pet Palace for my dog. This spot is a 90 min hike in with no the camp site within earshot, no lights visible, no road noise within earshot.
Most hammock campers use a bug net around the hammock. This bug net is made for the dog to sleep on the floor. It’s a very unusual set up. My dog is way too big and hot blooded to sleep with me in the hammock, plus she gets way too dirty.
I'm going to agree with a bug net, bug spray and incense only work as much as they can against the flying pests. I feel for spraying bugs tho.. I have to not hurt the poor spiders..
Rechargeable fan. Just bought one at REI that is also a light. Quiet fan even on high. Helps not only for cooling but also for white noise. Very quiet fan.
Yep, I got a cheap USB-C rechargeable fan from Amazon a few years ago. It's small and light enough to hang over the bed in our tent pointing directly down and the thing will give a good 6 hours on a charge at the low fan setting which has been more than enough for 3 nights of camping. You only need to run it for half an hour at bed time to circulate the air and cool things off. Makes a huge difference. It has a remote too so if you wake up in the night and it's too hot you can just switch it on for a few minutes more.
I'm past the point where I'm interested in anything that takes old-school batteries.
I’m in the same boat on single use batteries. I’m slowly replacing everything with rechargeable items. Bought some rechargeable batteries for home use as well.
The power tool companies make fans, lights, radios, and even usb adaptors for their batteries. Really handy if you already have the batteries. Dewalt, etc.
I recently bought the usb adaptor to recharge my phone on a camping trip and it worked great. I already have multiple batteries. Likely higher quality than a random battery pack you’d get off Amazon too
For anyone here who doesn't own cordless power tools and doesn't want to spend power tool money on a fan and battery, go check out the options at Harbor Freight. Thank me later.
I found a couple cheap rechargeable fans at a liquidation store and they make a huge difference. Mine can either stand on a table or clip on to something.
Getting the air moving around the tent makes a huge difference, even if it is still stiflingly hot in the tent.
They're fine. Walmart has a knockoff that's "only" twice the weight and like $35. Aliexpress has some nice ones too for ~$20. If you're doing ultralight you're not gonna bring a damn chair anyway so might as well keep the weight in your wallet too.
My wife has the REI version of this chair. I don’t feel that’s it’s as stable as the Helinox. I think it has a wider seat though. I highly recommend the chair leg balls to prevent sinking into soft soils.
Mine's Terralite, but yeah. It's a meaningful amount of extra weight and bulk (about two pounds, I strap mine to the top of my pack) but having a chair to sit on meaningfully improves my enjoyment of camping.
I decided a few years back that when it comes down to it, it's worth carrying the extra stuff if I'm benefiting from it enough, and that's been a decision I've been glad of. Efficiency needs to be framed in terms of what you actually want to do.
For us it’s a lot of small things we’ve added over the years. Things like hammocks, a tablecloth, a rolled up square of AstroTurf we use as a porch for the tent, and books to help us identify birds and trees in our area. We typically camp for days at a time, so we’ve also acquired a propane hose so we can attach a (refillable) 20# propane cylinder to the stove instead of burning through the little green canisters.
We got a few of those refillable 1lb cylinders and saved a ton instead of disposable green cylinder. It came out to 1$ a fill-up. I usually need about 3-4 per trip so they’re easy to pack
Hammocks are also a must for us now too. So comfortable and relaxing, especially for star gazing at night, reading during the day or a backup bed situation.
Tablecloth clips to keep them on the table. My mom had them when I was a kid, and I've finally bought some of my own. Absolutely worth it, plus they're cheap.
5 lb propane tank. No more single use bottles running out mid cook and way cheaper to refill. Scepter water containers usually enough water for a day or two so fewer trips to a faucet or town and I know it’s not going to spontaneously leak.
Those green one pounders aren’t designed for multiple fillings. If you compare them to actual refillable ones they are of lower quality and aren’t certified.
Be careful not to overfill. I had a tank safety valve start releasing in the back of my SUv in the middle of the desert once. I had to hit a rest stop and burn off quite a bit of propane while it was over 100F out to get it to stop.
I switched back to a white gas stove after that trip.
I should do this. I always end up with a couple of almost empty canisters on the shelf because I don't want to start a meal when I know it will run out before I finish, and then when I pack for the next trip it seems like a waste of space to pack an almost empty canister.
I've started trying to remember to use those ones for boiling water for dishes and such, but it's still kind of annoying lol.
I see a lot of people saying this about propane. I just switched back to my old Coleman white gas stove, instead. I also refurbished my white gas lantern because it works better than any of the rechargable ones I've owned.
We have public springs here and there (usually a pull off with a pipe coming out of a hillside and a drain below it), and I'll fill up a couple of 6 gallon containers. My dogs can go through a lot in one day, even if I only take one dog like I did this weekend.
My sleep system is a Toyota Tacoma 4WD pickup with a waterproof camper shell and a couple old gym pads, a foam pad on that, a thin 50 degree bag to lie on, an old zero degree bag over me like a blanket, and a couple pillows. If it's rainy I rig a 10'x12' tarp from the hatch out to tie off to trees which makes a nice living area. I also rigged mosquito netting to the roof by the hatch which drapes down over the opening. This gets me off the ground, out of the wind, and reasonably safe from critters and pests.
Ozark Trail zipper cot is low price, comfortable, setup and takedown is near instantaneous, and the packed size and weight are less than other cots. I also like how the cot feet are rounded and it’s impossible for them to puncture a tent floor. Second, a high quality sleeping pad. I bought the Ampex Bertin pad as it’s about 4” thick and works for me as a side sleeper, and because it’s a thick foam core it is high R value insulation. I’ve slept on that in 25F temps with no problems. Third, a sleeping bag for the given temps + liner (I use a double size sheet stitched together) + a throw blanket or down comforter. This way I can layer up or down as I am sensitive to temperature changes at night. You don’t have to buy expensive items, bedding from Walmart plus a stuff sack to compress for travel work just fine. But do spend money on the sleeping pad, you won’t regret that!
Definitely a sleeping pad. I used to sleep on the ground and I hated camping. The pad makes me enjoy it so much more. I'm investing in a cot at the end of this season to improve on my sleeping experience.
I have a Set power cooler/ freezer plugged into an Ecoflow battery and a harbor freight suitcase style solar panel.
The chair i don't remember the brand, it weighs about a pound, and collapses down to about the size of a nalgene bottle. I got it at REI 3-4 years ago.
Thank you! I really want an electric cooler but the prices have been a deterrent. What size did you get and did u happen to find any deal or tip on getting a good price? I think the Set cooler would be great!
We do wilderness canoe camping and adding a Gravityworks water filtration system was the best add to our gear. No hand pumping, no chemical drops, no boiling water. Fill a dirty bag, clip on the filter and tubes to the clean water bag, let gravity to the work.
Do they work on insects other than mosquitos? Their website seems to only use the word "mosquito" in their descriptions of items, and other flies can be a nuisance too. Right now I have bites all over and we don't have lots of mosquitos in the UK
They absolutely do. The active ingredient is the same marketed as fly spray for horse owners. I can't speak to all flying things, but in the PNW US they keep most flying things away.
Car camping with kids, the two things that increased our enjoyment were replacing the Intex type air mattresses that always fail with self inflating mats, and buying a screenhouse because mosquitoes can just kill the joy out of a nice trip.
Some of the things I got that really made a positive impact...
- A rechargeable fan for the tent
- an aluminum folding wind block for around the one-burner butane stove I use. Makes an enormous difference in terms of efficiency! We just got back from a 3 night trip and cooked a couple frypan breakfasts and boiled water for coffee every morning and one evening on that little stove and it didn't even empty one butane cannister.
- a 5 X 7 foot roll up ground matt that we put outside the tent entrance. It's really nice to have a large area that is not muddy and dirty to walk around on. It's a mesh thing that allows water to basically flow right through.
- a couple nice slingshots. Hang a few tin cans or water bottles around the campsite and whenever you're just chilling you can plink 'em! lol. Of course you'll want to get some biodegradeable clay pellets as well.
- some tarps. I ALWAYS put a tarp up over and one under the tent. Even if there's no rain in the forecast. I don't want to have to set that up in the rain. Also it's great to keep the tent itself shaded a bit from the direct sun. Both for coolness but also it helps prolong the tent's lifespan. Direct sun destroys the fabric. A couple extra tarps can also come in real handy. We used one as a table cloth on the picnic table this past week because that's one of the things we forgot to bring. Along with pillows! ouch! lol...
- paracord. Lots and lots of paracord.
- Oh, and a 5lb propane tank. I take a portable BBQ camping and the 5lb tank is much easier to deal with than a bunch of the green ones.
- AND, couple of extentable tarp poles! Critical, because you can't always count on a perfect array of use-able trees to run paracord to.
I purchased a propane fire put that is very portable (fire bans are routine where I live). Love it! We even cook on it. Never have to worry about whether or not fire are safe or legal if we have it with us.
Yes, I LOVE mine! Not cheap but worth it. I have the Fire Can, but I absolutely love it! I find volcanic rocks to put inside to help radiate the heat. It's small, but perfect for my husband and I. Especially where I live... almost constant fire bans.
So, we have two. A bigger round one that we also sometimes cook on. But beware, it gets very dirty. That one is called Camp Chef, or something similar. I use the Fire Can mostly for warmth and light when I'm solo camping. But in a pinch, u could definitely cook with it.
I have a small camp chef brand pit and place a cast iron frying pan directly on the lava rock over very low flame. Maybe not manufacturer approved but worked so far!
I don't like mine as much as a wood fire, but I'm also in an area with burn bans. I found some skull "bricks" for the propane one that make it a lot more fun.
Witch hazel and 70% ethanol spray. Witch hazel and a towel/paper towel cleans body parts way better than wipes; cheaper, better for skin. 70% ethanol sanitizes cooking/eating paraphernalia without the need for copious amounts of water. Everclear diluted to 70% is food contact sanitizer spray and wipe efficient.
If we're getting to the campground later in the day we will usually plan to pick up a pizza on the way and then sit down and eat that before setting up camp. It makes the setup much less stressful.
Big agree here. If I must cook in camp it’s opening a can or boiling water. I prefer to eat out on our way back to camp after anctivites and then do smores around the fire. Cooking is such a big part of my daily routine at home it’s the last thing I want to do while camping.
It's the getting down onto ground level that's difficult with the vehicle it's higher up easy to get in and out of. Plus don't have to worry about weather or bugs or animals
For boat/truck camping, a cot was the biggest game-changer. Add a solid tent that I can walk around in and even fit a chair and a small table. I inow this sounds more like “glamping”, but When I go camping, I’m on vacation, so I want to be comfortable and the cot makes a huge difference in my comfort and sleep quality.
The two five way junctions at the bottom that connect all the poles. Glad to hear it hasn’t been a problem I’ve been considering these chairs but I’m a bigger guy so I don’t want to spend that $$$ then have it break. The packed size of the updated design is just too bulky.
-Cots.
*Disco Bed has bunkbeds for kids&adults
-Cabin size tent.
*Coleman has a few models/ 6’4 ceilings are 👌🏾
-Portable toilet (for overnight use)
-Thick picnic table cloths
*buy x3 -use one on each seat/tabletop. Gives you a wipeable surface in cases of spills/reusable
-Bikes/Scooters/Kayaks
-plastic grocery bags.
*collect these -ask in your local groups/churches ect they make for great garbages that can be taken out after meals/day
-YETI coolers. Prechill 24hrs before adding foods. We have needed to top up with ice on day 6 of a 10 day trip…and its just because I am particular about it needing to be kept cold enough.
We do car camping and everyone likes to be comfortable. We got cots with air mattresses, a 12 person tent for extra room and it is very easy to set up and breakdown, and a Jackery power source for travel fridge, fan, lights, phone charging etc. such a great investment for how we like to do it.
We also upgraded to a cot with an air mattress this year and it’s been amazing! We also got an exped mat to put under the fitted sheet - it protects the mattress from the dog’s nails and it’s way warmer to sleep on when it’s cold out.
For glamping with my wife (her first time ever) I used a solar panel and battery also for the first time ever. Ran a work fan in the tent all night and half the day, kept all devices charged no problem over a 5 day weekend.
i would just learn to start a fire better instead of fire starter brick . those are full of not the best chemicals. if you learn how to start a fire and keep practicing it’s actually a really rewarding and soul nourishing practice. starting and tending to a fire is primal it’s a big part of the experience for me
I don’t understand why people are struggling to start fires, we can start them in western washington. If I can start a fire here with basic materials found around the campsite anyone can.
ExPed camping pad, Roadie window tent, backpack with comfortable hip belt, using trail running shoes for hiking, and GSI Halulite 1.8 qt tea kettle. I don’t know why, but if I have my favorite tea in the morning I’m pretty ok with everything else.
I never leave without a good (made for real camping) tarp like MSR RendezVous Wing tarp. Yess it’s expensive but comes with poles and I get a set of paracord lengths and pegs to finalize any set-up possible (trees or not)
I think the one purchase that made the most difference was a folding camp kitchen stand. It makes cooking a lot more enjoyable when you don't have to set up the stove on the end of a picnic table.
As a kid, my parents never splurged on camping stuff and our gear consisted of anything from WalMart. I always remembered being fricken cold. Damn their air mattresses and sleeping bags.
Wife is from another country and fell in love with camping in the US, and so I decided to see if I could make it a better experience.
Ended up spending money on a good sleep system and that is a game changer.
Nemo HiRise Tent and cots. I was struggling with a standard height tent and air mattress cramping up getting in and out. 6 foot high tent and camping cots have solved the problem. Much more comfortable changing clothes and moving about
+1 to the blanket instead of the sleeping bag. Depending on the temps this can be waaaayyyy more comfortable than locking up you hips and feet in a sleeping bag. Especially for me as I move around a lot at night.
I always take a compass, my combat knife and bear spray. Even if I’m camping at a site. I tent to go on hikes for the day. Had a cougar come within a few inches of my sleeping spot!
A good sleeping pad for tent camping can make all the difference, even for kids. Our family has loved the Exped sleeping mats , like the medium wide Ultra 5R-- we've even taken ours backpacking and on road trips when we need an extra bed on the floor. The best thing about Exped is they have fantastic customer service and they have fixed small issues on our 6 different pads over the years and returned to them in a timely manner. They like to fix things versus people just throwing them in the landfills.
I scrolled quite a ways and haven't seen a good folding table. we have had several kinds like THESE. gives you more space at provided table if the site has one, and somewhere off the ground to prep cook and clean if there isn't a table on site.
Get some cheap sling shots for you and the kids (if they are responsible and old enough). Cheap fun and it increases hand eye coordination. Time spent picking up small rocks to use as ammo and setting up cans for targets keeps 'em busy. I'm 51 and my husband and I did this on our last camping trip last weekend. That was my first time! Strengthens your muscles too.
We have a little solar powered inflatable camp light. It's cool bc there are like 6 different colors. At night when cooking or eating, if I don't want a really bright light, I'll turn it to red. It deflates in a second and is light and easy to pack. Can be fun to play around with to at night.
Luggable loo! Kept in the vestibule of our tent for nighttime use. Little bit of cat litter in the bottom and tp hanging from a loose bungee cord from the tent frame-no more scary forays to the campground toilet in the middle of the night!
My wife and I used to sleep on an air mattress, but as we got older, it got harder to get up. We bought cots 10 years ago and was a game changer for us
We got a Stanley cook set a few years back and it's a game changer (the Wildfare Core Full Serve Cook Set, 26 piece set, 4qt). It's helpful because the plates, bowls and pot are all there and break down into the single pot.
Headlight and small propane burner for cooking outside when the RV is too hot. We RV camp now because 60 yr olds in tents are a comedy in the making and we don't want a grizzly to eat us.
A collapsible metal tube to blow air into specific spots to get the fire going well. It's called a pocket bellows. I got mine at daiso for $1.50.
Insulated sleeping pads are worlds better.
Sturdy camp chairs with rockers instead of those cheap ones that come in bags.
A really decent mess kit with lids that double as strainers.
Labelled bins to organize everything in and shelves to put the bins on, so everything has a place to live.
The chuckbox I built for my camp stove that holds all my utensils, dishes, spices, mess kit, stove, castille soap, dish scraper, dish rag, towel, a funnel, and a 1 gallon can of fuel. It's a bit heavy, but it's grab and go. I know I have everything I need every time.
A much larger tent with a screened porch area that's actually easier to set up by myself than my 4 person tent was.
A usb powered heated throw blanket I use to warm up the lower half of my sleeping bag before I go to bed on cold nights.
Portable wind screens that stake down to keep the wind from blowing embers around.
It's an 8 man I got on sale from Sportsman's Warehouse. It's in my shipping container I use for storage on my property up North, so I don't have the bag nearby to check, but here's a picture if that helps:
Our Trail Life troop bought a bunch of the Alps Meramac 2-person tents for the troop. After a while I decided I liked the tent, but just wanted more room. So got the Taurus 4 person tent. Also switch from an air mattress to a cot. Now my back is happy, and because of the bigger tent, my head and feet are not poking into the sides of the tent.
6ft aluminum folding table (might be 4ft?) rolls up for easy tear down. The extra space has made all the difference.
Canopy- something where the water will not pool in the sides. There was a recent post for this. Use a shower curtain to create sides.
Headlamp & lantern for the table. Use the headlamp at night in your tent for ambient light. Wrap it backwards around a gallon water jug.
Small rug for outside the tent & old towel inside the doorway. I’d love a vestibule! Power strip in the tent for longer trips. Jackery Ecoflow for weekends.
Quality cooler: Blue or Coleman 7day, anything w bearproof closures to keep the varmits out. I also slide it under the table bench at night.
Hot pot to boil water & collapsible sink, also dedicated quick dry scrubby. A dishcloth just didn’t have the scrubbing power for pans.
Organized totes for grab/go. We have two- a gear tote and a kitchen tote. We use reusable plates, silverware, but everyone has their own system. Sleeping bags/towels/sleeping pads, etc live in the basement. Totes, tents, stove, chairs are in the garage.
Tablecloth clamps. We reuse plastic tablecloths from parties, etc
For car camping, buying two Coleman inflatable mattresses (the 2 foot thick ones) made sleep just as good as at home. Honestly… sometimes better.
For backpacking, a super light chair (Helinox or REI’s competitor, whichever you can find cheaper) went from a luxury I never considered buying early on to a must have for every single trip (also great for day hikes and concerts)
Car camping:
Portable LED string lights
Easy up.
Nemo Stargazer chairs…they’re the best.
Bluettie power bank with solar kit.
Small rechargeable fan for the tent.
The first was a cot is a low one that fits in all my tents, then I got everyone in the family one. then a bernzomatic torch for easy fires. Then I got my kids their own tent!
Iso butane camp stove. I got the Ozark Trails, came with piezo lighter and a coleman adapter. Now I dont have to lug a big heavy burner or oversized tank for a cup or coffee or reheating a Chunky soup deer hunting.
I even take it on vacation as a back up in case power goes out, you never know around the Gulf Coast.
Headlamps for everyone! Seriously, it makes camping easier in every way. Just put one on when it starts to get dark and you will be able to find all your stuff when you go to bed. Also if you need to visit the "facilities" in the dark. Hands free for dog walking, etc.
Jetboil, Hammock, air mattress for my old bones, fun decorative lights for tent. Folding table makes cooking easier. Foldable dishwashing bucket with separate compartments for washing and rinsing.
I have just bought mosquito netting that goes over my chair. I have a chair with an attached awning. Netting goes right over and am bug free. I do have a Thermocell but didn’t break it out yet. I added a Jackery this year and ran a fan. Lovely. And the telescoping portable toilet was a life saver one night.
Car campers here. Cot plus LostHorizon 4.5 inch sleeping pad plus an old-school canvas and flannel sleeping bag plus our pillows from home. So comfortable! Also...our nighttime pee bucket which is just a hardware store bucket with a snap on toilet seat lid. We put in a kitchen trash liner with several scoops of horse litter pellets. It works great and is so much better than trying to get dressed and stumble out into the dark.
A solar shower. Just the cheap ones on Amazon. I always thought it was unnecessary but we have two younger kids and being able to wash their hands easily with soap in camp (and their dirty feet and faces at the end of the day) has been super nice!
It’s also just super convenient to have it there and keep clean. Highly recommend grabbing a cheap one if you can. Takes up very minimal space packing and made a world of difference for us.
Totally with you on the bigger tent and fire starter bricks. A few things that have made a big difference for us are headlamps for everyone, especially the kids, since it frees up hands at night and keeps them excited about camp chores. A foldable camp kitchen or even just a dedicated table for food prep helps keep things organized and less stressful around mealtime. We also bring a cheap outdoor rug to set outside the tent to keep dirt and sand from getting tracked in. Lastly, having a few lightweight hammocks has been great for downtime and gives the kids a place to chill or read. Little comforts can make the whole trip smoother.
We got a Stanley french press gifted to us, and the difference that makes in a good cup of coffee in the morning is unmatched. We were using an old percolator, but this makes MUCH better coffee, and it stays warm for 3-4 hours.
It sounds silly, but I started taking a machete with me. It's a standard machete with saw teeth on the back side. The saw teeth sold me. It is infinitely helpful for gathering wood for campfires. My ax was great, but this seems to be more efficient in doing what I needed to do. The main difference is that instead of using my ax to hammer in the tent pegs, I just use a rock.
Patagonia Houdini jacket…very lightweight, but the perfect layer when the temp starts dropping, mosquitos start flying, need a very packable layer just in case, and more.
Its the day I started shopping at military surplus stores for hunting gear. Military clothes/boots are made for tough conditions, tools are multi purpose
I got a hammock that folds up to around the size of a soft ball, super light weight and easy to bring around. Only downside is it always tempts me to sleep in it and I always fall for it and end up waking up freezing in the middle of the night.
Still, worth it to see the stars and watch the trees (!!only on a clear night!!) as you fall asleep
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u/dedrack1 Jul 13 '25
For car camping, cots. As far a backpacking goes, a hammock with a built in bug net.