The best camping gadgets reviewed (2023)

Getting among the outdoors is all about simplicity. Make your outdoor adventures more comfortable with these simple and genius gadgets.

Wild camping at dawn, cooking with camping gadgets

by Chris Williams |

Adding one or two small modern camping gadgets into your hiking pack can enhance your hiking or camping experience rather than taint it. A large part of the appeal of camping is minimalism. But a couple of compact comforts is a far cry from glamping. Don't feel guilty.

Some of our recommendations, like the LifeSaver Wayfarer water filter, are, to us, pretty essential for backcountry adventures. Another example is a camping stove. They offer high functionality that cannot be missed and simplicity of execution that makes them an absolute pleasure to use.

On the other hand, we have also included what you would definitely consider luxuries, such as the AeroPress Original Coffee Maker and Alpkit Soundbite. They are not required items by any stretch of the imagination, but they always succeed in making us smile at the end of a long day.

Our shortlist:

AeroPress Original Coffee Maker - Best portable coffee maker

SOTO Windmaster Portable Stove - Best lightweight camping stove

RUGD. Power Brick - Best power bank for hiking

Sea To Summit The Clothesline - Best way to dry clothes

Having used and tested countless camping and hiking gadgets over the years, we've got a keen sense of what's good and what isn't. So, below, you'll find our shortlist of essential, non-essential, but all very effective camping gadgets.

The best camping gadgets in detail

1. LifeSaver Wayfarer

Best way to clean water

Description

It only takes a dead sheep or the thoughtless toileting of a fellow wild camper upstream to make

Pros

  • Extremely effective water filtration
  • Simple operation

Cons

  • Other filters are lighter and more compact
LifeSaver Wayfarer

Best camping food container

Hydro Flask Food Jar
Price: £38.39
Amazon

Description

Avoiding single-use plastic containers – such as expedition meal pouches or supermarket pasta pots

Pros

  • Three volumes available
  • For hot or cold food
  • Reliable leak proofing

Cons

  • Possibly a bit heavy for ultralight hiking
Hydro Flask Food Jar

3. AeroPress Original Coffee Maker

Best portable coffee maker

Description

Just because you're sleeping in a tent doesn't mean you have to tolerate bad coffee. The AeroPress

Pros

  • No battery/electricity need
  • Portable
  • So much better than instant coffee

Cons

  • A tad bulky
AeroPress Original Coffee Maker

4. Optimus Sliding Long Spoon

Best camping cutlery

Description

To save on carrying kitchenware (and washing up), it's the norm to eat camping meals directly from

Pros

  • Space-saving
  • BPA-free

Cons

  • Nothing - it's brilliant
Optimus Sliding Long Spoon

5. SOTO Windmaster Portable Stove

Best lightweight camping stove

Description

The Windmaster currently stands as [our champion camping

Pros

  • Withstands strong wind
  • Four support arms
  • Wide 4.5cm burner

Cons

  • Slightly heavier than some others
SOTO Windmaster Portable Stove

6. Compostable Firepot Meals

Best camping food

Description

Firepot's expedition meals are as tasty as camping cuisine gets, and now they are more

Pros

  • Compostable packaging
  • Very tasty for camping meals

Cons

  • A little bit more expensive than other pouch meals
Compostable Firepot Meals

Best solar panel for hiking

Goal Zero Nomad 10 Solar Panel

Rrp: £99.99

Price: £94
AmazonAmazon Prime

Description

Goal Zero is a very cool company that delivers not only brilliant power solutions but is itself

Pros

  • Built-in kickstand
  • Lightweight design
  • Durable

Cons

  • Slow charging compared to power bank
Goal Zero Nomad 10 Solar Panel

8. Alpkit Soundbite

Best camping lantern

Description

With this Alpkit Soundbite rechargeable lantern, you not only get 5 hours of 120-lumen light, but

Pros

  • Great value
  • IP64 rating
  • Magnetic clip

Cons

  • Not the brightest lantern
Alpkit Soundbite

Best power bank for hiking

RUGD. Power Brick

Rrp: £49.99

Price: £40
AmazonAmazon Prime

Description

You might like disconnecting when off on a hike, and that's fair enough. But equally, you might

Pros

  • Tough
  • Built-in light
  • Compact

Cons

  • Others have a larger battery capacity
RUGD. Power Brick

10. what3words - Free App

Best location app

Description

What3words is one of the most powerful safety tools you can access, and it's free. The app has

Pros

  • Navigate to an exact spot easily
  • Able to use voice recognition

Cons

  • Not all features work without a phone signal
what3words, free safety app

11. Sea To Summit Clothesline

Best way to dry clothes

Description

Draping wet clothes or travel towels over your tent isn't an effective means of drying garments,

Pros

  • Lightweight and compact
  • 3.5m long
  • Reflective decals

Cons

  • No stand
Sea To Summit Clothesline

12. Forclaz Inflatable Pillow

Best camping pillow

Description

While it's entirely possible to form an acceptable pillow out of a dry bag and some spare

Pros

  • Great value
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • There are even lighter options around
Forclaz Inflatable Pillow

13. Helinox Table One Hard Top

Best camping table

Description

Fitting all your camping comforts into your car can be tricky, but if you're staying for a while,

Pros

  • Incredibly impressive design
  • Very lightweight and compact

Cons

  • Still a bit bulky for lightweight hiking trips
Helinox Table One Hard Top

Best lightweight shovel

Gerber Folding Spade Shovel
Price: £24.99
AmazonAmazon Prime

Description

The Gerber Folding Shovel is a great tool to have on hand at camp, allowing you to stoke fires,

Pros

  • Easy-to-use 
  • Compact size great for camping

Cons

  • Doesn't have an overly sharp edge
Gerber Folding Spade Shovel

15. Sea To Summit Pocket Shower

Best portable shower

Description

Some solar showers are alright, but this is better and even less complicated. It's essentially a

Pros

  • Compact
  • 6-metre cord
  • Doubles as a dry bag

Cons

  • Some other portable showers offer better pressure
Sea To Summit Pocket Shower

16. Sea to Summit Tap Pack

Best water storage

Description

Instead of traipsing to and from the campsite tap, have running water ready to go with this

Pros

  • Three volumes available
  • Food safe

Cons

  • Can be tricky to clean
Sea to Summit Tap Pack

17. Lifesystems Camping First Aid Kit

Best camping first aid kit

Description

Accidental stove or hot water burns are common in camp kitchens, so be prepared with a first aid

Pros

  • Excellent collection of contents
  • Compact enough for hikers...

Cons

  • But you can get more compact first aid kits
Lifesystems Camping First Aid Kit

Best lightweight blanket

Matador Pocket Blanket 2.0 – Red
Price: £37.99
AmazonAmazon Prime

Description

The ground is a damp and chilly place to sit without protection, but carrying a big old picnic

Pros

  • Waterproof seating for 2-4 adults
  • Three colours to choose from

Cons

  • Tricky to fold back up
Matador Pocket Blanket 2.0 – Red

19. Helinox Chair Zero

Best lightweight camping chair

Description

The task of a chair is normally relegated to a log or patch of dry grass when hiking. Chairs

Pros

  • Fast set up 
  • Super compact pack size for a chair
  • Very well made

Cons

  • Can easily tip backwards
Helinox Chair Zero

20. Thermacell MR300 Mosquito and Midge Protector

Best campsite insect repellent

Description

With no flame and no harmful chemicals, the MR300 will successfully repel flying insects like

Pros

  • A large area of protection
  • Two colours to choose
  • Scent-free

Cons

  • Doesn't last long
Thermacell MR300 Mosquito & Midge Protector

Best Petzl accessory

Petzl Noctilight Headlamp Case
Price: £15.69
Amazon

Description

If you've got a Petzl headtorch, then you'll want the Noctilight.

A headtorch, headband and

Pros

  • Bright light
  • Easy to carry and compact

Cons

  • The battery can get quite hot
Petzl Noctilight Headlamp Case

22. Nebo Newton 500 Torch

Best camping hand torch

Description

The old-school hand torch is still an important gadget for convenience and safety. This

Pros

  • Four lighting modes
  • Detachable lanyard
  • IP67 rated

Cons

  • Slightly heavy
Nebo Newton 500 Torch

Types of camping gadgets

Because there are exactly 6,326,849 different types of camping gadgets, we're going to put them into two broad camps: essential and non-essential.

Essential camping gadgets tend to concern food, hygiene, and shelter. This obviously includes items like a stove but also extends to items like tent pegs and cutlery. These are all items we consider to be extremely important to basic comfort and welfare when camping.

To us, non-essential camping gadgets include purely luxurious items, which can include camping chairs and portable showers, for example. You have to use your common sense a bit here because perhaps someone with stiff joints might see a camping chair as a necessity. It's quite subjective.

What you shouldn't bring camping

Stores, especially online stores, are awash with useless and low-quality gimmicks, often labelled amazing or revolutionary. These include beanies with built-in headlamps and cheap multitools. Use your common sense to filter out the good from the bad and the useful from the gimmick.

The other key consideration is to try and avoid heavy or bulky items. What might be a campsite nicety could be an annoyance to carry with you. Is that luxury worth the extra bulk in your pack?

Choosing the right camping gadgets for you

Let's come back to that term 'subjective' again. Things like your budget and how you like to camp will influence what you take. Once you have the basics covered and avoid the gimmicks, it's up to you to decide what you want to take.

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