Some camping gear sounds unnecessary right up until the moment you’re cold, uncomfortable, tired, or trying to cook dinner in the dark.
The gear we use isn’t always the most impressive or expensive stuff. It’s the things that make trips easier and more comfortable. This is especially true for weekend trips, when we’re trying to maximize time spent outside.
These are the camping and backpacking items that consistently earned permanent space in our setup.
Camp Chair
We resisted buying extra camp chairs for way too long because it felt unnecessary. Then we realized how much time we actually spend sitting around camp drinking coffee in the morning, cooking dinner, or just resting after a hike.
A comfortable chair can change the entire feel of camp. It makes you want to stay outside longer, rather than immediately retreat into the tent once you stop moving. We like these REI Co-op chairs because they’re lightweight and compact. We even use them at home to take to our son’s baseball games.
Smartwool Base Layer
A lot of our trips involve temperature swings, especially in the mountains or desert, so good base layers end up getting used way more than we expected. They’re great for cold mornings, easy to layer throughout the day, and are useful far beyond just winter camping. The merino long-sleeve base layer top is all-season so we keep it ready to go for every trip.
Tent
We splurged on the extra weight of this three-person tent from REI so we could sleep together and fit our gear inside. It’s extra weight, but for my first few backpacking trips, it made me feel better to not have to sleep alone. We have since bought single tents as well. A good tent with easy setup helps you feel dry, warm, and protected during bad weather and can completely change how enjoyable a trip feels.
One of my favorite (or most terrifying) memories in this tent was on a trip to Cumberland Island, where wild horses roam. I woke up in the middle of the night to what sounded like a horse in our campsite. I peeked out of the tent to see that the horse was in the meadow across from our site. After that I kept imagining that a pack of horses was going to trample us overnight.
Headlamp
A headlamp is one of the least exciting pieces of camping gear until you actually need it. Everything is harder the second you’re trying to cook, organize gear, set up camp, or walk around in the dark while holding a flashlight in your mouth. We love this one because its rechargeable.
Stove
The PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit makes meals and coffee quickly, with minimal effort and cleanup. Having a simple cooking setup makes it easier to relax instead of turning every meal into a big effort. If you only need the stove, PocketRocket 2 Stove is also sold separately.
Camp Mug
Just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have things that are part of your everyday ritual. Sitting outside with a warm drink becomes part of the rhythm of camping trips. A good mug and a spork aren’t exactly exciting gear, but they’re small essentials that are useful. These might be the least glamorous items on this list, but they’re both lightweight making them perfect for backpacking trips.
If you’re looking for our RV and van-friendly camping and hiking gear recommendations, we share some of our faves here.
Find all of our tried and true favorites here.