49 best camping gear products

Sleep like a baby

This cushy setup gives new meaning to sleeping “on the ground.”

• Tall and roomy tent. The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ tent has a 6-foot ceiling and 117 square feet of floor space, with mesh panels that make it feel even bigger. $360; mountainsmith.com
• Rugged welcome mat. Made of mouse­pad material, the tough but welcoming Domestic Construction Mat helps keep you from tracking dirt inside. $105; plasticashop.com
• Super-comfy sleeping pad. The MegaMat self-inflates, can be tethered to another one to create a queen-size bed, and rivals any “real” mattress for comfort. $219; exped.com
• Retro-cute lantern. An update on the camp classic, the 8D Retro Family-Size Lantern provides up to 30 hours of bright light at a stretch (and has a night-light setting too). $35; coleman.com
• Cozy-tough camp shoes. A fleece lining for comfort and no-slip rubber soles for navigating the forest floor make Patagonia’s Advocate Lace shoes the perfect camp slippers. $75; patagonia.com
• Chic extras. Stripe sheet set in lotus pink (queen size $79; westelm.com); Malou duvet cover (queen size $40; ikea-usa.com); lambswool throw (spread out; $255; alderandcoshop.com); striped wool blanket in charcoal with natural (bottom of stack; $180; coyuchi.com); Soho throw (top of stack; $130; alderandcoshop.com).

Cook like a pro

With gear like this, you’ll want to be the first one up in camp.

• Soft-sided coolers. The Folding Coolers chill almost as well as the old Coleman, but collapse for easy storage. From $46; kelty.com
• Quick-setup workstand. REI’s Camp Kitchen snaps together in minutes, with space for cooking and storing. $149; rei.com
• Stove with firepower. The Primus Firehole 100 has 2 powerful burners, match-free ignition, and an easy-clean design. $139; rei.com
• Quick-boil kettle. Tea lovers can get to steeping quickly with a fast-boil, ultralight Halulite tea kettle. $23; gsioutdoors.com
• No-space bowl. Collapsible bowls squish for easy transport. $20/set of 3; containerstore.com
• Quality knife & board. The Chopping Board Set’s chef’s knife nestles into a cutting-board case with no-slip corners. From $40; snowpeak.com
• Handy extras. Forest tea towel (on table; $28; makelike.com); 12-in. seasoned cast-iron skillet ($37; lodgemfg.com); Hanna tea towel (on shelf; $24; shop.leahduncan.com); 8D Retro Family-Size Lantern (see previous slide).

Get off the ground

The best way to make camp feel luxurious? An air mattress, like the Coleman Quickbed ($193; coleman.com) with built-in pump (use an adapter for your car’s power outlet). The REI Kingdom 4 Tent ($389; rei.com) easily fits the bed.

Use comfort touches from home

Wake up in your own sheets to birdsong and mountain views—if only home were this spectacular. The alpaca throw ($169; crateandbarrel.com) adds warmth.

Treat your feet

An indoor-outdoor throw rug (similar rugs from $49; vivaterra.com) or a pair of slippers makes you forget your floor is dirt.

Bring a chair with a back

No one wants to sit slumped at a picnic table after a day of hiking. Instead, relax in style. Caligata deck chair: $420; gallantandjones.com; teak folding stool: $310; dwr.com

Create mood lighting

Once you’re done cooking, there’s no need to blind each other with headlamps or flashlights. Lanterns from $15 at worldmarket.com

Do the dishes

The collapsible Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink stands on its own when full, and lets you keep up your beauty routine. $25/10-liter size; seatosummit.com

Snuggle up in slippers

Timberland Radler Trail Camp shoes are fleece-lined with lugged rubber treads, and zip up for packing. $65; timberland.com

Dim the lights

The Snow Peak Hozuki LED lantern has a continuous dimmer and a candle mode, which flickers in the breeze. $90; snowpeak.com

Set up your screen

Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone acts as a tripod for travel photos ... or stabilizes your screen in case you can’t go a night without your favorite show. $40; joby.com

Kick up your heels

Set up the Eagles Nest DoubleNest in two minutes using the company’s Slap Straps ($20). Then lounge away until the dinner bell rings. $65; eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com

Get cooking

The Camp Chef Everest stove has nearly twice the BTUs of standard models and is big enough for a 10-inch frying pan and dutch oven side-by-side. $117; campchef.com

Get back to the grind

The GSI Outdoors JavaGrind adjustable burr grinder takes a bit of work, but results are impressive. $25; gsioutdoors.com

Spice up your meals

How to store camp spices in a post–film canister world? In a compact 6-compartment GSI Outdoors Spice Missile. $10; gsioutdoors.com

Sip in style

Camp cups are for cocoa. The base of the GSI Outdoors Glacier wineglass unscrews and nests into the rim for storage. $15; gsioutdoors.com

Don't sacrifice your espresso

The Presso manual espresso maker is for the obsessive who can’t go a few days without a proper pressurized shot. $150; presso.us

More gear for comfy nights at camp

• Solera +15F Women's Sleeping Bag. This comfy bag’s hourglass shape gives women extra wiggle room around the torso and hips, and piles on insulation in the hood, upper torso, and foot box. $100; slumberjack.com for retailers
• Eureka Rapidair Mat. Dual valves mean you won’t have to fiddle with a cap in the race against time when inflating and deflating this luxuriously cushy pad. Three different thicknesses, $70–$175; eurekatent.com
• Coleman LED Quad Lantern. Four mini LED flashlights snap together to create this four-in-one lantern. So while the main lantern’s in use, you can pop out a panel to take with you to, say, the latrine. $70; coleman.com
• REI Quarter Dome T2 Tent. The mesh roof on this lightweight, easy-to-assemble, three-season, two-person tent makes it perfect for stargazing. $269; rei.com
• Century 4680 Matchless Stove. You can ignite this lightweight two-burner stove with the push of a button. $62; centurycamping.com for retailers
• MSR Flex  4 System. These pots, plates, and mugs for four are color-coded and easy to pack. $160; msrgear.com

More great camp cooking gear

• Coleman Party Stacker Cooler. Keep like foods with like foods with a couple of these stacking coolers. Ideal for the organized camp cook. Three sizes, $18–$25; coleman.com
• REI Double Shot Press Mug. Join an insulated mug with a built-in plunger and―voilà!―it’s a French press. $29; rei.com
• Jetboil Personal Cooking System. This ultracompact and fuel-efficient unit is hot and fast―it boils two cups of water in two minutes. $100; jetboil.com
• Freeplay Energy Indigo Lantern. It’s an area light, flashlight-style directional light, and―with the flip of the dimmer switch―a night-light, all in one. Bonus: The crank handle’s fun to play with. $42; freeplayenergy.com