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Apr 11, 2023

Essentials For Camping 2023

Gear can make or break a camping trip. Whether your weekend in the woods results

Gear can make or break a camping trip. Whether your weekend in the woods results in fond memories or PTSD (in this case, Post-Tent Stress Disorder) largely depends on your essential equipment. Does your tent withstand wind and rain or crumple at first flurry? Does your sleeping bag keep you warm and cozy or leave you shivering? Does your stove fire up reliably or break down every other meal? Regardless of your destination or itinerary, one thing is for certain: Essentials for camping are durable and dependable.

Invest in the bare necessities to make the most of every camping trip.

Below, you’ll find just that–our team's favorite camping essentials, ranging from an exceptionally livable 6-person tent (The North Face Wawona) and a ridiculously comfortable sleeping pad (the Exped DeepSleep Duo) to a tried-and-true stove (the Camp Chef Everest 2x) and a sleek, practical lantern from stylish Snow Peak.

If you’re on the hunt for camping gear in the thick of summer, be sure to revisit this guide. Our team of gearheads is constantly researching new products, analyzing equipment in the field and updating articles like this one. It's also worth noting that our team consists of gear-testing experts who have researched thousands of camping essentials and tested hundreds over the past decade.

The North Face

Capacity: 6 | Fly: 75D polyester, 1200 millimeter PU coating | Canopy: 75D polyester, 1200 millimeter PU coating | Mesh: 40D polyester mesh | Floor: 150D polyester, 1500 millimeter PU coating| Total weight: 20.94 pounds | Floor area: 86.11 square feet | Stuffsack size: 10 x 27 inches

Mom, dad, kids, dog–there's room for all in The North Face's critically acclaimed Wawona 6 Tent. This campground crusher is highly livable thanks to its high ceiling, a dome with a peak height of 76 inches scaffolded by sturdy, criss-crossing DAC poles. Families will love the steep sidewalls, too, which maximize the livability of the 86.11-square-foot footprint. Our favorite aspect of the tent, though, is the massive, exceptionally versatile front vestibule, which boosts living space by an additional 44.7 square feet (there's also a rear vestibule that's 21 square feet). The front vestibule has two doors, and it can serve as a spacious gear garage, a covered porch perfect for catching drizzly sunsets or a partially enclosed camp kitchen if you’re cooking up a storm in the midst of a storm.

It's worth noting that The North Face recently updated the Wawona from a single-wall to a hybrid double-wall construction. The tent itself has a mesh upper dome, enabling you to stargaze while keeping out buzzing mosquitos on clear nights. If precipitation or colder temps are in the forecast, simply tack on the included rainfly for increased protection from the elements.

REI

Valve: Self-inflating | Insulation: Open-cell foam | R-value: 9 |Packed size: 11 x 22 inches | Pad thickness: 3 inches | Dimensions: 72 x 40.9 x 3 inches| Weight: 7.25 pounds

Forget counting sheep. Sleep struggles dissipate as soon as you inflate the Exped DeepSleep Duo. This two-person camp pad is three inches thick and exceptionally comfortable. "You can lay it on uneven ground or rocks and roots and not feel a thing," commented one impressed Tahoe tester.

Where's all that comfort come from? Exped built the mattress using the same body-cradling 3D tech as the brand's ground-breaking, award-winning Mega Mat 15. While the six-inch-thick Mega Mat 15 is a smart pick for frequent campers and folks who prize comfort above all else, the DeepSleep Duo is nearly half the price and much more packable, making it a top pick for campers who drive sedans, station wagons, crossovers and smaller SUVs and trucks. It's also highly durable, crafted from a 75D polyester fabric equipped with a TPU film laminate in high-friction zones. Last but not least, the robust valve is easy to inflate with Exped's cordless Widget pump (sold separately), although deflating does require a little bit of elbow grease in order to fit the mattress into the stuff sack.

Rolling solo? Check out Exped's DeepSleep Mat.

REI

Temperature rating (F): 15, 30, 50 degrees | Weight: 8.81 pounds (Regular) | Sizes: Regular, long | Insulation: Synthetic fill, polyester fibers (30% post-consumer recycled fibers)

If you’re trying to cuddle while camping, a double sleeping bag is the way to go, and The North Face's Dolomite One Duo Sleeping Bag is the most versatile double sleeping bag we’ve ever tested. That claim comes courtesy of a simple yet ingenious three-in-one design.

The sleeping bag has three pieces: a bottom navy layer, yellow mid layer and top light blue layer. When you’re using all three pieces, the Dolomite keeps sleepers comfortable in temperatures down to a sub-freezing 15 degrees (F). Shed the light blue top layer, and the Dolomite is rated to 30 degrees (F). For warmer summer camping trips, just utilize the light blue layer and jettison the yellow layer and the Dolomite is comfortable down to a balmy 50 degrees (F). All temps considered, this double sleeping bag comes in handy damn near year round, overwhelmed only by extreme heat and extreme cold.

If you don't want to break the bank on a down bag, you’ll be pleased to note that the Dolomite One Duo is remarkably affordable thanks to its polyester fiber insulation. This synthetic insulation both keeps cost down and ensures the bag remains warm when wet. The downside? The bag is extremely heavy and doesn't pack remotely well. However, it's not as if you’re going to be backpacking with this XXL sleeping bag, so as long as you have the trunk space, we highly recommend this durable duvet from The North Face.

REI

Dimensions: 25.2 x 12.7 x 5.6 inches | Burners: 2 | Heat: 20,000 BTUs | Weight: 12 pounds

Powerful, rugged and reliable, Camp Chef's two-burner Everest 2X is everything we’re looking for in a camp stove. The unit runs off of a one-pound propane cylinder, and the ignition system is quick, easy and painless, sparking up two high-pressure burners that each fire out 20,000 BTUs of sausage-sizzling, coffee-percolating heat. Everything is built with durability in mind, from the aluminum burners and the nickel-plated steel grate to the stainless steel drip tray and locking lid. While this Camp Chef is tough, it's well-suited to delicate camp cooking, too, thanks to its simmer-ready temp controls.

REI Co-op

Bulb type: LED | Max output: 400 lumens | Average run time: 23 hours | Dimensions: 9.8 x 4.8 inches | Weight: 1.6 pounds

Usually, the lanterns our gear team tests are out of place outside of a campground setting. Not so for the aptly named Snow Peak Home and Camp Lantern, a simple yet striking camp essential that's perfect for the backyard, too. Expertly engineered to balance form and function—an achievement in line with this Japanese brand's design ethos—this LED lantern comes with a sleek stand that serves as a charging dock. The lantern can also be charged via a USB-C cord, a welcome feature as we usually leave the stand at home on camping trips. Speaking of versatility, testers also dug that the lantern handle can flip up or down, increasing carry options. Still, our favorite aspect of the lantern was the warm, dimmable light itself. Even at max output, the 400-lumen lantern isn't blinding thanks to the white, frosted globe.

BioLite

Light output: High: 325 lumens; low: 5 lumens | Max beam distance: 75 meters | Average run time: High: 3 hours; low: 40 hours | Dimensions: 100 x 78 x 62 millimeters | Weight: 0.11 pounds

There are brighter headlamps on the market, sure. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that's as bright, lightweight and low-profile as the BioLite HeadLamp 325. A stretchy band and broader front strap ensure comfort during extended adventures, and the ultra-slim electronics keeps weight to a shockingly low 50 grams (which is about the equivalent of 10 nickels). At that weight, you might assume the 325-lumen light is exceptionally basic, but that's not the case. Au contrair, as the HeadLamp 325's front panel tilts freely, making it suited for running one minute and reading the next. The headlamp also boasts a dimmable white light, dimmable red light and red and white strobes. Rechargeable via micro-USB, this mini headlamp provides maximum utility—don't camp without it.

LifeStraw Water Filters & Purifiers

Weight: Dirty water bag: 1.19 pounds, Safe storage bag: 0.95 pounds | Dimensions: Dirty water bag: 14 x 23.5 inches, Safe storage bag: 14 x 23.5 inches | Hose length: 47 inches

Water is critical to sustain life, especially at camp. Stay hydrated and healthy with LifeStraw's Peak Series Gravity Water Filter, an easy-to-use, gravity-powered filtration system. This filter is ideal for families and bigger groups, as it cranks out eight-liter batches of fresh, potable water in a matter of minutes. Simply fill the dirty water bladder (which is crafted from a leak-resistant 840D double-TPU-laminated material), hang it up, and water passes through the integrated membrane micro-filter and into the clean water bladder. The semi-permeable filter has a pore size of .2 microns, and according to LifeStraw, it protects parched campers from "99.999999% of bacteria, 99.999% of parasites, and 99.999% of microplastics, silt, sand, and cloudiness."

Moosejaw

Total weight: 1.5 pounds | Dimensions: 15.5 x 5 x 1.5 inches | Materials: Corrosion resistant stainless steel head, anodized aluminum shaft, stainless steel rivets, TPU blade cover and grip

Big Agnes’ Stake Hammer is a mountain man's multi-tool. The stainless steel hatchet blade is well-suited to chopping small logs into kindling, while the flat-backed side of the head is ideal for bashing tent stakes into firm earth. Furthering campground utility, the cutout sections allow campers to yank stubborn tent stakes out of the ground without throwing out their backs in the backcountry. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the hammer sports a bottle opener, just in case getting hammered also happens to be on the menu. Factor in an anodized aluminum shaft replete with an ergonomic TPU grip, and this hammer/hatchet is a multi-tasking camp essential worth hanging on to.