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Oct 16, 2024

The Best Camping Gear and Accessories (2024)

Bags, tools, and little extras to make camp feel like your home away from home New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running

Bags, tools, and little extras to make camp feel like your home away from home

New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}">Subscribe today →.

If backpacking is a minimalistic pursuit, car camping is a celebration of excess. Thanks to trunk space and truck beds, racks and rails, campers have room for all the essentials—plus some luxurious extras. For outdoor enthusiasts with outsized toy collections, there’s no better way to travel.

Whether you’re chasing swell, singletrack, steelhead, or some other white rabbit, this top-rated, thoroughly-tested gear will ensure that you feel right at home no matter where you choose to park it.

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

$170-220 at REI $170-220 at Nemo

Weight: 3.1 lbs (55L)Sizes: 30L, 55L, 70L, 100L

Pros and Cons⊕ Multiple carry options⊕ Wide range of sizes⊕ Durable recycled polyurethane-coated nylon fabric⊕ Mesh pockets helpful for smart camp storage⊗ Soft-sided storage isn’t ideal for electronics

We tested plenty of gear boxes and bags last summer and fall, but Nemo’s Double Haul Duffel was a shoo-in favorite thanks to its brilliant design that transforms this bag from duffel to pack to tote.

“The options are outrageous,” commented tester and outdoor photographer Katie Botwin, who chucked her camera gear, clothes, watercolor supplies, and hiking essentials in the 100-liter version for a three-day trip in the Sierra and still had volume to spare. Her personal favorite hauling configuration was backpack mode: the comfy, cushioned straps made hauling the heavy pack a breeze and simultaneously freed up her hands. Her adventure partner, category manager Drew Zieff, preferred to unzip and prop the Double Haul open, converting it into a massive, rectangularly-mouthed tote. “Thanks to the rigid trusses incorporated into the lid of the bag, the Double Haul stays open and doesn’t flap in transit, allowing you to pack heaps of gear in this thing when it’s in tote mode,” he raved.

Zieff was also appreciative of the interior and exterior organizational mesh pockets and included zippered storage sack, which doubles as a gear organizer for smaller essentials otherwise destined to disappear in a 100-liter duffel. The couple agreed that the ability to sling the Double Haul over the shoulder like a traditional duffel or grab the reinforced handles when loading the rig only increased its utility for serious expedition use. “I’d happily use this for backyard car camping trips, international mountaineering trips, and everything in between,” summed up Botwin.

The Bluesign-approved, polyurethane-coated recycled nylon fabric was durable and weatherproof, according to Utah overlander and aircraft mechanic Emerson Bowling, who tested the 55 liter version on trips to Wyoming, Montana, and throughout his home state: “It got rained on for about eight hours when I left the bag outside overnight after a few too many campfire beers with some friends. Luckily, everything inside was completely dry after my dumb mistake.”

Testers unanimously agreed that the Double Haul isn’t just ideal for camping adventures, but also day trips to the crag, ski resort, or even the gym. “It’s perfect for any outdoor junkie looking for a robust bag to haul their gear to and from their adventures,” Bowling concluded.

$150 at Backcountry $150 at Huckberry

Weight: 1.2 lbsVolume: 25L

Pros and Cons⊕ Inner liner unfurls into a roll-top dry bag⊕ Heavy-duty⊕ Waterproof⊗ Expensive

At first glance, Rux’s Waterproof Bag looks like an overpriced tote. But this sack is burly, crafted from a waterproof, resilient, 840-denier TPU-coated nylon, and sports sturdy handles and lash points. The best feature? A hidden liner that unfurls into a roll-top dry bag, boosting carrying capacity, increasing camping utility, and justifying the price tag. “If James Bond had a tote bag this would be it, said Crested Butte, Colorado-based angler and all-around river rat Scotty Prior. “Technical yet simple, rugged yet sophisticated, shaken not stirred.”

Impressed by the two-in-one bag’s durability and waterproofing, two testers separately used this bag for the same messy task: hauling wet surf gear. “Never went to the river surf wave without it,” commented Prior. He appreciated that he could count on the bag to keep his change of clothes and personal effects dry while he was surfing, then stash his wet gear on the way home. Tahoe-based test director Drew Zieff echoed the sentiment after stuffing wetsuits and booties into the Rux on surf trips down Highway 1 on the California coast. “It’s ideal for vanlifers, car campers, and everyday adventurers—you can use it tote-style to haul groceries one day and as a dry bag the next.”

$129 at Radius Outfitters

Weight: 2.5 lbs

Pros and Cons⊕ Construction is rugged, easy to clean⊕ A variety of pockets and sleeves⊕ Cinching straps ensure any tool stays put

The Radius Outfitters Tool Roll is “a great way to keep your vehicle tools organized,” according to Utah overlander and aircraft mechanic Emerson Bowling. “You can carry a surprising amount of tools for how small this packs,” he reported, noting that if you do carry a smaller kit, the roll’s cinching straps still allow you to batten down the hatches and ensure a rattle-free ride. That said, Bowling filled it to the brim, and he was subsequently appreciative of the three stacks of tool sleeves–his go-to for stashing wrenches, adjustable wrenches, a ratchet, and a pipe wrench that he joked doubles as his hammer. He also loved the multiple zippered pockets: In the two narrower pockets, he carries a screwdriver with interchangeable apex tips, sockets, wire stripper-crimper tool, and hex key set, while the massive main zippered compartment holds consumables like wiring, connectors, duct tape, and other bits and bobs.

Although the simple yet well-executed design earned two thumbs up from Bowling, it’s the roll’s construction that makes the piece worthy of trailhead show-and-tell with fellow off-road-trippers. “The materials they choose for this are top-notch,” said Bowling, referencing a durable Cordura exterior fabric and easy-to-clean PVC interior. “They’re nice to the touch yet hold up well to heavy use, and tools don’t mar up the inside at all.”

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Whether you’re preparing lunch or pitching your tent, you can get access to icy-cool AC in just seconds. The COOLiFY Cyber is a personal neck air conditioner that’s ideal for camping in hot climates. With three speed settings and seven air outlets, this lightweight, go-anywhere tool provides high-speed airflow and customizable temperature control for a personalized cooling experience. For warmth on cooler days, use the TORRAS app to adjust your comfort settings and turn up the heat. Integrated temperature control also regulates the cooling or heating process based on the ambient temperature. And with a 0- to 80-percent charge in just an hour, you can easily keep the COOLiFY Cyber powered for up to 15.5 hours of cool while car camping.

$250 at REI $250 at Gregory

Weight: 28.8 lbsVolume: 140L

Pros and Cons⊕ Collapsible construction⊕ Heavy-duty build and 8-inch wheels⊕ Can handle 250-lb load⊗ Can get bogged down on sand⊗ Pricey

While Gregory is best known for its backpacks, its new Alpaca Gear Collection of totes, gear boxes, and storage solutions is a slam-dunk. Our favorite piece of Gregory camping gear? The collapsible 140-liter Gear Wagon, which sits on beefy, eight-inch, all-terrain wheels, can haul 250 pounds of gear, and folds up to fit in a relatively easy-to-store carrying case. “It collapses small enough that we can easily pack it car camping in our Subaru Outback,” noted outdoor photographer Katie Botwin.

While recovering from back-to-back shoulder and knee injuries, Botwin relied on the wagon heavily, whether she was packing for a camping trip, unloading groceries, or organizing equipment for a photo shoot. “My PT would be proud of me for using it as much as I have,” she half-joked. It makes camping easier for everyone else, too. “If you’re tent camping, and the site is a short walk from the car, or you’re heading to the beach for a picnic, the wagon will save you time and energy–and maybe save you from an injury of your own,” said category manager Drew Zieff, who appreciated this wagon’s ability to navigate especially rugged terrain. Testers’ sole complaint was that the wheels could be overwhelmed in deep sand, especially when the wagon load was imbalanced toward the rear.

$80 at REI $80 at Therm-a-Rest

Weight: 11.5 oz

Pros and Cons⊕ Comes in kids-specific sizing⊕ Available in rad colors and animal prints⊗ Expect it to get covered in sticky s’mores

Last year, we included the adult version of Therm-A-Rest’s Honcho Poncho Down—a campfire cloak that’s admittedly silly, but extremely comfortable. This year, the brand released a kid’s version that’s stuffed with synthetic, hollow-fiber insulation and designed to fit most five to 10-year-olds. If our adult testers loved the Honcho Poncho, our kid testers were borderline elated.

According to Bend-based tester Annie Fast, her 7-year-old kiddo, Flint, loved the snug, warm poncho during afternoon thunderstorms and late-night meteor showers on a road trip to Montana. “It was uncharacteristically cold and wet in southwest Montana, so this poncho got more use than expected,” reported Fast. “We probably wouldn’t have stayed up to see the Perseids meteor shower if it wasn’t for this poncho—it added the warmth and fun factor needed to stay up late.” Mom’s one gripe? The Poncho’s “billowy sleeves” will inevitably get spattered with s’mores. “After a few weeks of use, we definitely have several marshmallow goo stains.”

$200 at Amazon $200 at UCO

Weight: 14.9 lbs

Pros and Cons⊕ Rugged construction⊕ Packs flat, easy to store⊕ Firepit doubles as a grill⊗ Sharp metal can cut your fingers

This is a packable, multi-purpose fire pit primed for any car camper or vanlifer who enjoys a contained campfire, has limited trunk space, and prefers an open-flame char.“It’s perfect for sunset beach hangs with friends,” raved Cody Buccholz, a vanlifer and gourmet chef who took the UCO Flatpack Smokeless Firepit & Grill on a circuitous California-to-Colorado road trip. Buccholz loved that the flat-packing design was easy to set up, take down, store, and clean.

Durability was excellent, which Buccholz vetted by chucking the firepit off a 40-foot cliff at San Onofre, confirming “it’s still sturdy as a rock” after retrieving it from the ravine. The chef happily noted that the pit fit several full-sized logs, and nerded out over the double-wall construction and smoke-siphoning air channels. “The design allows the sediment to flow down and not accumulate, and there’s good airflow, which is ideal for the burn,” he reported.

$70 at Amazon $70 at Luno

Weight: 2.8 lbs

Pros and Cons⊕ Comfy⊕ Compressible⊕ Easy-to-clean, two-sided pillowcase⊗ Pricey⊗ Smaller than your pillow at home

Smaller and more compressible than your average pillow at home, at 24-by-13-by-6.5 inches (flat), Luno’s Packable Camp Pillow is a worthy addition to any camping setup. “I was asleep within six minutes of unboxing,” reported Chris Cloyd, a Sierra hut keeper, snowboard guide, and sleep enthusiast. It’s “soft and lofty,” according to Cloyd, courtesy of a shredded memory foam filling; those scraps are also removable, enabling campers to customize firmness to taste. The pillow also comes with an easy-to-clean two-sided pillowcase: one side is a polyester jersey blend meant for warmer weather, and the other is a polyester spandex blend best employed on chilly nights.

Cloyd’s one complaint: It’s so comfy that it’s a source of conflict between Cloyd and his wife, who regularly steals the pillow for herself.

$100 at Amazon $100 at Dometic

Weight: 1.2 lbs

Pros and Cons⊕ Area light, hanging lantern, or flashlight⊕ Color and brightness settings help find lost gear, set the mood, or banish bugs⊕ Removable, replaceable light diffuser⊗ Pricey⊗ Bulky

This 400-lumen lantern sports four brightness settings, eight color settings (including an amber option that doesn’t attract bugs), and a hook and handle combo for a multitude of carry and campground possibilities. Category manager Drew Zieff, who took the Area Camp Light on a van trip down Highway 1, loved the misted plastic light diffuser, which softens and spreads the otherwise brilliant bare light. “When I’m trying to keep a low-profile camping in a residential neighborhood, the diffused glow comes in clutch–plus, it’s easy on the eyes, whether you’re having dinner at camp, reading before bed, or putzing around at dawn, looking for a bar of surf wax while your partner sleeps in,” reported Zieff.

Danny Kern, a Tahoe-based videographer, took the lantern on a climbing trip in the Sierra and offered similar praise. He loved the vibe-enhancing color settings, “soft and pleasant” dimmable light, long-lasting battery life, and USB output. “If your speaker or phone is running low on juice, you can plug into the lamp and charge up,” Kern reported.

$300 at Yeti $300 on Amazon

Weight: 17.2 lbs

Pros and Cons⊕ Removable divider and caddy⊕ Built-in pockets in the lid⊕ Durable⊗ Expensive⊗ Few included accessories

Yeti is famous for its bombproof coolers. But if you’re storing gear instead of beer, the uninsulated Loadout GoBox 60 Gear Case is cooler than any cooler. The cargo box is pricey (who’s surprised?), but our testers found the cost to be worth it. For one thing, the GoBox comes with multiple zippered storage pockets integrated into the lid, a removable divider, and a partitioned caddy. That made it easy to stay organized both in camp and on the road.

On a surf road trip from Canada to California, we filled the box with bulky gear like ratchet straps, a massage roller, and tools, and we organized smaller items—like fin screws, fin keys, and wax—in the compartmentalized pockets and caddy. Testers loved the organization system, but they did wish the GoBox 60 came with multiple caddies and dividers rather than just the one each. That said, you can always accessorize further by tacking on more pricey extras at checkout. (An extra divider is $15, a caddy, $20.)

Testers found the hard plastic box quite durable. It meets IP65 and IP67 ratings—meaning it’s dust-proof and submersible to one meter for up to 30 minutes. It’s also quite sturdy. “A couple of days after filling the tub with tools, I found myself using those tools (and the GoBox as a step-stool) for an hour to fix a broken surf rack on the van,” reported category manager Drew Zieff. He appreciated that the build was sturdy enough to hold his 155-pound frame, though later research revealed Yeti doesn’t recommend standing on the GoBox—perhaps because heavier folks can max out the plastic lid. It’s not a bad suggestion: the longer, skinnier dimensions of the box feel a little tippy, so it’s generally best deployed as a camp stool rather than a casting platform while fly fishing. But in our experience, the impact-resistant plastic was sturdy enough to take a bit of beating and show no worse for wear.

$150 at Nocs Provisions $150 at Backcountry

Weight: 8 oz.

Pros and Cons⊕ Easy to use⊕ Compact⊕ Focus dial is smooth and intuitive⊗ Too big or bulky for certain ultralight adventures⊗ Pricey

The Nocs Provisions Field Tube is the definition of big fun in a small package. The fog- and waterproof monocular is five inches long with a 32-millimeter front lens, making it packable for road trips, day hikes, and car camping adventures. The simple, one-handed design is intuitive, too—just look through the eyecup, aim, and roll the smooth, outsized focus wheel to dial in sharpness and clarity through the multi-coated lenses.

The monocular boosts vision with either 8x or 10x magnification, depending on the version you choose, and provides crisp visuals. We found it handy for everything from scoping potential campsites to spontaneous bird- and whale-watching outings, although dedicated birders may prefer the Pro Issue 8x42mm Binoculars, which we also tested and appreciated. But for its price and convenience for most in-camp uses, the monocular won out. “I could watch fish rise from way down river in California, and check out waves from way up the beach on the Oregon coast,” gushed category manager Drew Zieff. “It’s one of those rare pieces of gear that will add a lot of joy and utility to anyone’s car camping kit,” he said.

$105 at Backcountry $105 at Steep and Cheap

Weight: 4.1 lbs

Pros and Cons⊕ Sets up and packs down quickly⊕ Folds flat for efficient storage⊕ Duffle-style grab handles⊕ Multiple compartments for smaller gear⊗ Doesn’t hold as much weight as hard-sided storage cubes

From hauling ski boots to organizing climbing gear, The North Face’s Base Camp Gear Bins are infinitely useful. (We tested the 65-liter medium size, but the Base Camp is also available in a 90-liter large for $175 and a 52.5-liter small for $99.) “It’s like a picnic basket—but for gear,” joked outdoor photographer and gear tester Katie Botwin. She added that she loved the multiple carry options. When loads are light, the ergonomic, duffle-style carry handles enable one-handed hauling from trunk to campsite. When you’ve got more cargo, the reinforced grab handles on all four sides of the box come in handy: they let us carry up to 45 pounds without issue

The Base Camp sports four internal mesh pockets, which let us organize small items like headlamps or sunscreen, and the water- and abrasion-resistant, TPU-coated polyester fabric features a transparent window so you can remember what you’ve stashed inside. The lid and base of the box are both padded, inspiring one tester to flip the empty box open and use it as a changing mat in gravel and concrete parking lots. Aside from a trace of dirt and grime, the fabric is no worse for wear. The soft-sided box retains its shape thanks to a pair of foldable metal kickstands, which pop up or stow away in seconds. The resulting structure is sturdy enough to stack gear on top, though not sturdy enough to stand on. “It’s so lightning-fast to set up, and so slim when it pancakes flat,” said category manager Drew Zieff after deploying the Base Camp for everything from storing wetsuits on a three-week Pacific coast road trip, to loading with snacks on a massive Trader Joe’s run. “It’s the ultimate utility player for car campers and vanlifers.”

To find the best camping gear and accessories of the year, we enlisted a diverse crew of road-tripping testers, ranging from a wildfire-chasing podcaster in the Pacific Northwest, to outdoor photographers in California, to a Utah-based aircraft mechanic who works on his overland rig in Utah’s Uintas.

Road-tripping and car-camping rigs were similarly diverse. They ranged from the two-door Nissan Versa—an atypical adventure mobile that only turns heads when it’s putzing along in your blind spot—to a handful of double-take-worthy machines, including a well-loved 2000 Toyota Tundra with a platform camper bed; a 2006 Chevy Express with 30-inch topper and wood stove; a custom-built 2008 Sprinter 3500; a powerful 2021 GMC Canyon Diesel with a camper shell; a 2023 Ford Bronco Badlands; and more. One even included a Sprinter van made famous on the hit Netflix show “How to Build a Sex Room.”

We asked this squad to hit the road, put 42 products to the test, and report back. After road trips, surf chases, bike journeys, camping weekends, and more, they filled out review forms. Testers rated gear on a quantitative scale for aspects like durability and practicality, and dove deep on qualitative feedback, discussing everything from pros and cons to installation woes and favorite features. Finally, our category manager, Drew Zieff, sifted through these review forms, picked winning products, then penned the reviews on this page.

Drew Zieff is a Tahoe-based freelancer who writes for Backcountry Magazine, REI, Gear Junkie, and Forbes, among others. A regular Outside contributor, he heads our snowboard gear coverage in the winter. A few years back, he and his partner turned a plumbing van into their dream adventure mobile. After a couple years of vanlife, the highlight of which was surfing from Canada to Mexico, the couple put roots down in Tahoe, though they still take van trips to the coast when there’s swell. Familiar with the needs of both weekend warriors and full-time road trippers, Zieff happily directs our camping accessories and camping kitchen coverage each summer.

Amanda Monthei is a writer, public information officer on wildfires, and the host of the Life With Fire podcast. A former wildland firefighter herself, she applies knowledge gleaned from the front lines to educate the public. She’s written about wildfires and natural disasters for Outside as well as NBC, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. She’s also an avid angler, surfer, and skier, and she pens stories on a range of outdoor subjects. Monthei tested gear while camping for business and pleasure in her 2000 Tundra throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Cody Buccholz is a professional chef who enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and adventuring in his 2008 high-top Sprinter with his pup, Jefecito. Even when he’s not slinging gourmet grub, you can often find Buccholz posted up in a beach or trailhead parking lot, whipping up savory meals for new and old friends. He tested a small mountain of gear while on a long, detour-filled road trip from California to Colorado.

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