All the Essential Camping Gear You Need This Summer (and Some Non-Essentials You’ll Want)

If your idea of “going camping” involves a solo trek far off the beaten path to get in touch with primal survival, I’ll see you when you get home. My camping vibe is the opposite of “roughing it”—life is rough enough. So I’ve put together this gear guide to making your next camping trip as comfortable as possible.

I recently took a comfort-focused camping trip and tested all the products recommended below, and it was a game-changer: I’m usually over camping after a couple of days, but with this gear, I could happily spend much more time in the woods.

The best tents for your camping adventure

If you’re a backpacker and/or adventurers, maybe you prefer a light survival tent like this OneTigris Backwoods Bushcraft Shelter. Have at it. Me, I like my tents as large as possible, and after testing out a 12-foot Teton Sports Canvas tent, I’m never going back to cramped nylon. This thing is like a portable hotel room—it sleeps 10 people. A tent this size is obviously too heavy for backpacking, but if you’re loading it in the car, or going to a festival or something, I highly recommend it.

While it’s not hard to set up a large tent like the Teton, it’s fairly time-consuming—there are a lot of pegs to hammer into the ground. If you want something easier (and you have only a few people), check out this Gazelle T4. We timed the setup: It took 90 seconds to go from bag to finished tent, and another five minutes to hammer in a few pegs. Bonus: It’s a tall tent, so no hunching over.

Another excellent choice is this Skydome Tent from Coleman (the portable stove people). It sets up easily and is six feet tall at its highest point. It’s designed to block out 90% of light, so you can sleep in or take a nap in the middle of the day.

Check out these cots and sleeping pads for camping

Credit: Stephen Johnson

I need a frame and some support to sleep, so I was psyched to test out this Teton cot. Paired with a foam sleeping pad, it’s nearly as comfortable as my actual bed, and the coldness from the ground doesn’t seep into your bones like it would with an air mattress. No notes. My camping companion, David, swears by the Exped MegaMat. It’s pricey but ridiculously comfortable, even when laid directly on the floor of your tent.

Hot take: The best sleeping bag for summertime camping is no sleeping bag. For car-camping, since and weight and space don’t matter, opt for a cot or a mat. They’re constricting, claustrophobic, and often too hot for summertime camping, so I just bring some old blankets from home. I’d rather be able to control the temperature and avoid feeling locked in.

Miscellaneous essentials you’ll absolutely need for camping

You need a camp stove, and this UCO Flatpack Smokeless Firepit and Grill is a nice one. I have a battered old Coleman camp stove that suits all my needs, but I tested out this Jetboil Flash Camping Stove, and the thing boils water in less than two minutes. Amazing.

Next, bug repellent. Throw away your citronella candles and those horrible coil things; they don’t really work. All you need for full mosquito protection is a Thermacell diffuser: It’s the final word on keeping mosquitos away. As for personal bug protection, if you want a DEET-free insect spray, try the Tongo brand insect repellent—I tested it and highly recommend. Not only did it keep all bugs off my skin, it smells great.

And you must bring a first aid kit. You don’t need anything fancy; this one, for instance, is lightweight, waterproof, and features hospital-grade first aid treatments for cuts, scrapes, fractures, headaches, and more.

That’s not all. Here’s a short list of items you wouldn’t think are essential—but absolutely are:

• Welding gloves: A pair of welding gloves are an essential part of my camping pack, because being able to manually rearrange hot logs leads to optimal campfires.

• Flashlight gloves: These LED-powered gloves are better than a flashlight, because you don’t have to hold them. You’ll find them useful at home too, for all kinds of low-light, detail-oriented work. 

• Headlamp: Like LED gloves, headlamps are better than flashlights because they let you keep your hands free. I absolutely love this Biolite Range 400. It’s waterproof, charges fast, and is very bright.

• Booze: My favorite camping tipple is Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock & Rye, a delicious mix of rye whiskey, rock candy, oranges, and honey that’s strong enough to matter—but mellow, too.

• Toilet paper tablets: These individually packaged, compact little “pills” contain disposable personal towels for all your business; throw some in the glovebox in case they didn’t refill the TP at the campground. 

• Guyline cord adjusters: Throw some cord adjusters in with the tent stakes. Whether you’re setting up a tent or a hammock, cord adjusters will take the place of knots. They’re the kind of thing you never knew you always needed.  

This camping gear is less essential but nice to have

The above equipment is all you need for basic survival, but who wants to settle for basic?

• Body cleansing spray: Just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you have to be gross. I really like Pristine’s body cleansing spray. It feels amazing going on, and the Oakmoss and Aloe scent is tops. The company also makes toilet paper spray, which also works great—even if the sharks on Shark Tank didn’t see it that way.

• Trail shoes: An old pair of Converse is perfectly acceptable for car camping, but if you’re doing any hiking, consider trail shoes. These from Hoka aim for the sweet spot between heavy hiking boots and running shoes. They’re a great solution for more casual hiking.

• An e-bike: If you have a rack, throw a Lectric Peak X 2 e-bike on the back of the SUV so you can get around the campground in style, or even do a little all-terrain riding. Read my full review here.

Camping gear that’s strictly for the glamping crowd

Credit: Stephen Johnson

So you’ve straightened out the basic survival, and you’ve got a way to clean and feed yourself. But is that enough? Don’t you want to take your camping trip to a new level of comfort? If so, the gear below will turn your camping trip into a glamping trip.

• Camping espresso maker: Just because you’re outside doesn’t mean your coffee should suck. I tested out a Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker, and waking up to high-end coffee is seriously the best.

• An air conditioner/heater: Being able to control the temperature inside your tent is game-changing. This Ecoflow Wave 3 air conditioner/heater, paired with the add-on battery, kept my tent chilly during the day and warm at night— and my tent is huge.

• Karaoke machine: If you want camping entertainment, you can’t do better than karaoke. The Ikarao Break X2 karaoke machine is portable, with enough battery power to keep campers caterwauling into the campground’s quiet hours. Check out my full review here.

• Bass guitar and drum machines: Breaking out an acoustic guitar and singing “Kumbaya” is for hippies. Instead, turn your local KOA into Burning Man by plugging a Roland AIRA T-8 Beat Machine, a Yamaha Seqtrak, and a Fender bass into your karaoke machine, and make 1990s techno. (Seriously, do this. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a camping trip.)

So this summer, if you see someone rolling up to the campsite on an e-bike, with espresso in hand, blaring techno, come say hi. I’ll be the one sleeping like a baby in a climate-controlled circus tent.