Cool Camping Gadgets For Any Outdoor Adventure 2022

The Benchmade Bugout is my go-to EDC knife and it’s a welcome companion when camping too. The stainless steel blade has yet to dull after nearly three years in my possession. I keep this knife handy at all times. While this knife ends up cutting boxes more than anything, it has come in exceptionally handy when I’m out camping. Whether I need to cut cord, prep food, or do any other camp task, this utility knife is always at the ready.

I love the blue grivory handle, it’s never slipped out of my hands and with a closed length of 4.22 inches, it fits well in my pocket and never feels too bulky. Read the in-depth review here.

While emergency radios are a great emergency preparedness tool, they can also make an excellent piece of camping equipment. If you must have tunes or simply need an easy-to-power flashlight, the Kaito KA5000 Emergency Radio is a great option. Wind-up emergency radios get their power with a crank, meaning you don’t have to rely on the sun on, or electricity to get it going, making them perfect for camping.

This emergency radio features AM/FM radio channels, NOAA weather channels, a phone charger, a reading light, a flashlight and more. This radio is also impact-resistant and features a build of water-resistant ABS materials so it is durable enough for nearly any adventure. Read the in-depth review here.

A camp mug is perfect for sitting around the fire pit and sipping on cocoa, enjoying your morning coffee by the river, or an afternoon cup of tea. A cup that isn’t heat resistant or insulated will either be too hot to hold or lose heat and leave you with a cold drink. Single-use items are terrible for the environment, so it’s time to make the switch to reusable options like the Klean Kanteen Camp Mug. This camp mug features vacuum insulation and 90% post-consumer recycled stainless steel, ensuring the durability of this product and keeping your drinks warm or hot. I usually use this mug for my morning tea or evening hot cocoa, it’s also been an excellent foraging container in a pinch since there is an included lid!

I’ve never found this mug too hot to hold, and on chilly nights in the great outdoors, my cocoa has never gotten cold. A quality camp mug is easily overlooked but it should certainly be on your camping gear list!

Just because you’re in the great outdoors doesn’t mean you need to skip out on freshly ground coffee. Morning rituals are good, and many love their morning cup of joe and rely on it to get the day going. The VSSL Java is a manual coffee grinder with more than 50 grind settings so that you can enjoy a truly fresh cup of coffee no matter where your outdoor adventures take you.

While I am not a coffee drinker, my partner is and he was really tired of instant coffee. But now he can take coffee beans and make a wonderful cup of morning coffee with ease so this has become a must-have item for any overnights in the van. He loves the heft in hand and intuitive coarseness indicators on the bottom. He has yet to find the burr getting caught. Lastly, without fail, every single time he uses this coffee grinder, he finds the operation so smooth that he thinks he’s done but really is nowhere near finished when he opens the hopper.

While I have two small fold-down tables on my van doors, I knew that I’d want a better space for cooking and preparing food, especially for larger groups, but I needed an option that packed slim enough to slide under my bed in my van. After some searching, I found the GCI Outdoor Slim-Fold Cook Station. I’ve found this cook station easy to clean, easy to fold and unfold and it comes with a handful of handy features for stability. I’ve popped this camping table open to cook on snowy mornings before skiing, it’s been stationary for a week outdoors at camp while on a climbing trip, it’s been used on beaches, near rivers, and more.

My favorite feature is a tie between the garbage bag holders and the center lower rack which I have used to hold drinks, let dishes drain, and hold extra propane canisters. I find the center area is perfect for a camp stove while the upper fold-out surfaces are perfect for food prep. The lower side tables are great for storage, especially when using this table as a more stationary object for a week or two. When I’m done using this table, I wipe it down, fold all the pieces down and then slide it underneath my bed. It stacks perfectly with my camp chairs and cook stove.

A wash basin is an excellent way to save water or to carry dirty dishes to the wash station or well. Pop-out wash stations can also double as catch-alls for any number of items. I also love using them when low on water or when I just need to save it. For these and more reasons, the SOL Flat Pack Sink 16L is an excellent addition to anyone’s camping gear.

When camping with large groups, dishes really start to pile up. The designated dish washers for the night can either stack everything and juggle it to the station, or load all the dishes into a wash basin and call it a day. The SOL Flat Pack Sink is really easy to use. To get going, pop it up, add your dishes, water and soap and it’s time to wash. I also found this sink handy when collecting fire kindling and as a foraging container when mushroom hunting.

One of my best friends insists on showering every day of a camping trip and would usually heat up water and take a sponge bath if a proper shower was unavailable. So naturally, I started my hunt for the best camping shower as a Christmas gift. While I was researching, I decided that I wanted a camp shower to add to my camping gear too. In the end, I ended up purchasing the Extremus Rainbow Falls Camping Shower for both me and my friend. I’ve found this cool camping gadget to be the perfect companion on longer trips and for adding quite a bit of camping comfort. This model is also great for cleaning dirty gear, or humans.

The water reservoir holds six gallons of water and is easy to hang in a tree. If you want hot water, the built-in solar panel helps heat the water, offering you a nice, hot shower. The exterior also holds the tubing when not in use and prevents water waste. Overall, this is a compact, easy-to-use and affordable piece of cool camping gear that I can highly recommend to campers, backpackers, and all outdoors lovers.

The UCO Camping Utensils Set is a cool piece of camping gear that shines for its packability and ease of use. Instead of paper and plastic or hauling dishes from home, it’s much easier to have a set of camp utensils handy. There are tons of camping utensils available and you can mix and match your way through your trip, or opt for an all-in-one set that packs down small.

In the UCO Set, there is a mug, fork, knife, spoon, plate and bowl all in one. A silicone gear tie holds the whole package together but I’ve found that it stays put pretty easily even without. Rubberized grips help the plate and bowl stay put on slippery surfaces and my favorite is probably the fold-out mug. Many camp mugs are small and I need a big cup of tea in the morning.

Forget the string lights and that really small solar lantern with short battery life; one of the newest cool camping items is the NiteIze ShineLine. With it, you can create the right mood and ambiance without the bugs and without the bright lights. The NiteIze Shineline is a rechargeable LED light source that provides a soft light at camp, in your van, while car camping and anywhere you so choose to put it. While cheap, the Shineline is one of the best camping accessories out there and is sure to wow your friends and fellow campers.

The ShineLine weighs a mere 4.2 ounces and can be attached to trees, camping equipment, tents, your vehicle or whatever your creative mind can come up with at your campsite. I like to add this to trees and my van with the included reusable gear ties. If you lose light while out camping, you can use a portable power bank like a Jackery for a recharge and the pass-through power will keep your light functioning while charging.

Hauling firewood back to camp to add to your fire starter can prove to be quite the task, and there’s almost always a risk of splinters or a bug that’s been hiding in the wood to pop out. I loved having this log carrier handy so that I didn’t have to come back to the fire between every single log. It works great when you need to send the kids off to gather wood or kindling. These fold flat so they don’t take up much space and come in several colors and shapes. Aside from being cool camping gear, if you have a wood-burning stove, the White Duck Outdoors Log Carrier can be an incredibly helpful tool for hauling in firewood from outside and means fewer trips into the cold, and if you live in the PNW, the wet.

These carriers are crafted of a durable 21-ounce heavy-duty canvas, a significantly heavier duty product than what I use for painting. The cross-stitch web handle that connects via velcro makes carrying wood over your shoulder or at your side a piece of cake, or as easy as it can be – it’s still hauling wood at the end of the day. Additionally, this tool can also be great for hauling other camping gear quickly, small items, and cleaning up around the house. When you’re all done, dust it off and fold it down for easy storage.

We’re not going to list the statistics of mosquito bites and illnesses, because it sucks. Instead, we’ll just tell you that you really, really want to keep them off of you, and that this is the best way we’ve found so far. With a Thermacell Portable Mosquito Repeller, you get a fifteen-foot range of protection from those little pests and an included refill.

No odors, vapors, or smoke – just turn it on, and mosquitos immediately begin to disappear. Thermacell guarantees their repeller to work or your money back. We used this on a weekend camping trip with friends to Quartzville Creek in Oregon and no one went home with any mosquito bites! Thermacell Mosquito Repeller is also ultra-compact and fits into an EDC kit (which could be an awesome addition for the daily) and protects you from the harmful bites of the world’s least-favorite insect. A must-have if you want to enjoy a good night’s sleep under the stars.

The ICEMULE Jaunt 15L Cooler quickly earned a spot in my heart and my van. I originally tried out this model while looking for the best soft coolers and this model won me over with its ice retention, fun colors and excellent features. With 24-hour ice retention, this model beats out a lot of its competition. I love this option for car camping and found it to keep things cool for more than a day if you’re in colder weather. I also love the padded straps for easy carrying, dry bag-style rolltop closure, and waterproof exterior for paddleboarding and lake days.

Another stand out of this model is the accessories if you want to take a single bag, the pro pack and dry bag offer options to protect valuable or dry goods without weighing you down with extra luggage. There’s also a nearly hidden front pocket for small valuables. All in all, this is a rad piece of camping gear worthy of adding to your collection.

A more recent addition to my collection of cool camping gear is the SOL Fire Lite Fuel Free Lighter. I love how easy this is to use, and the lack of flame gives me peace of mind in the summer months here in the PNW when the wind loves to take advantage of any amount of flame.

This lighter is really easy to use: a quick charge via the included USB charging cable gets you ready to rumble. All you have to do is simply open the lighter and press the power button and dual arcs will ignite anything they touch. Given that I spend a lot of time at altitude, it helps that this device is wind and waterproof while remaining functional at any altitude. I also appreciate the fact that it comes with a LED light and three different light settings (low, high, and strobe).

When working remotely, having a Jackery Exploreer 240 on hand means you can work from anywhere. Given that I can work entirely remotely, I love extending my weekend trips into the work week and giving myself more time to play outside. The variety of plug options makes it easy to charge a camera, phones, laptops and more. I can even recharge other camp gadgets like my plasma lighter, mosquito repeller and ShineLine, or other camping lanterns. To recharge my Jackery, I can charge it on a drive or at home before heading out. My partner and I usually split drives so one of us can work on the way there and another on the way back from our camping trip or outdoor adventures and our laptops are always plugged into the Jackery while we work.

Whether you’re a remote worker who wants more time outside or has a teen who just can’t part from their phone, the Jackery Explorer 240 is one of the best camping gadgets out there and a game-changer for many. There are other Jackery models with more power and you can pair this model or any other model with a solar panel and charge it using solar power too. All in all, this gadget has enough power to recharge your phone 24 times, a camera ten times, a tablet five times, or a laptop twice.

Nobody can argue with the need for clear, clean drinking water. If you’ve run out of your spring water supply in a “roughing it” scenario, and you’re in need of some clean, fresh water, the LifeStraw is a lifesaver. This compact water filter is an essential tool for hikers and campers who want to keep themselves safe and well-hydrated out on their adventure. Just bear in mind that while the LifeStraw is great for filtering water quickly, it isn’t a substitute for a backpacking water pump or filtering system.

You can filter up to 1,000 gallons of liquid before this microbiological filter would need to be thrown out – basically, it’s good for life, even if you’re weekend camping every chance you get. The filter comes in a sealed bag for preservation, so you’ll be able to pop one right in your bug-out bag without worry. This product surpasses the EPA filter standards, making it excellent for traveling when you don’t trust the water of the country you’re headed to. Alternatively, want to drink out of that mountain stream? This will let you do that with no fear.

I’m an over-packer and generally always prepared for anything, which is one of the reasons I love the VSSL Camp Supplies. This awesome kit packs almost anything you might need when you venture off the beaten path into one small handy tube. I was mostly worried about not being able to pack everything back into its respective container well but it proved to be a non-issue. Additionally, every container is labeled, making it easy to find what you need, even in an emergency.

Included in this kit are a compass and flashlight on the ends of the tube, a first aid kit, a candle, cord, bamboo cloths, a water bag, a variety of tools, fishing items and a saw, all wrapped up in a durable, waterproof military-grade aluminum canister. My only wish is that you could order refill supplies more individually. If you want to be ready for anything, this is one of the best camping accessories out there and is a must-have for your next camping trip.

Inexpensive survival tools are hard to come by – SE MT908 11-Way Multi-tool is something you can add to your normal EDC, but you especially need one while you’re out on the hiking trail or at the campsite. Crafted completely of stainless steel and boasting the miniature size of a credit card, this multifunctional tool will allow you to pack light while giving you the following uses: a four-direction wrench, knife-edge, ruler, keychain hole, bottle opener, butterfly screw wrench, saw blade, screwdriver, and more.

If you’re hitting the trail with friends, you can upgrade to a 3-pack or 5-pack. These are great tools for EDC, bug-out bags, your workbench in the garage, and the emergency kit in the car.

Yes, you can now cook on BioLite Wood Burning & USB Charging Camp stove while charging your cell phone. Get your cookware set and pop it up over the fire. Electricity is generated from the heat, and a convenient LED dashboard shows fire strength, power output and fan speed settings. Plugin your GPS system, cell phone, laptop, or anything else you can imagine that can be powered via a USB port.

An internal fire starter makes ignition a breeze. Four fan speeds allow you to control the combustion, and stove heating speed (for cooking and boiling water), while the LED dashboard gives you information regarding the fire’s power. The whole thing is portable and made for travel – lightweight aluminum legs fold up easily for storage. Perfect for tossing in the trunk, or in your camping/survival backpack.

Coleman has been the king of the outdoors for ages, and for good reason. We can’t seem to make a single trip without a Coleman product of some sort sneaking in. My personal camp stove is a Coleman that was my mother’s and is now mine. My stove is as old as I am and still working great, a testament to the longevity of Coleman products. This particular grill stove is the perfect alternative for those who don’t want multiple pots and pans to clean up and stow away. Two-in-one design function allows you to grill and use the stove feature at the same time.

You get 130 square inches of grilling space, and 20,000 BTUs of cooking power for quick sears on meats and rapid water boiling in a pinch. The largest pan you should fit on Coleman Perfect Flow Grill Stove is 10-inches in diameter. Reap the rewards of three trademarked Coleman features, including wind protection, and cook without boundaries while you’re on the campsite.

When you have some business to attend to, mum’s the word. Reliance Portable Loo gets straight to the point, weighing three pounds and sporting a five-gallon capacity, making it optimal for multiple campers if need be. There are no gimmicks or specialties to this – it’s a must-have item for fishing trips, hunting trips, extended weekends (you know, the ones where you don’t want to come back to the nine-to-five,) and a fantastic addition to your disaster or fallout items/bug out bags.

Simple snap-on lid, and that’s all there is to it. You will want to add wag bags for each user and be sure to dispose of all of your waste appropriately. While this portable camping toilet makes your camping adventure more comfortable, it does not relieve you of your duty to abide by leave no trace principles.