From car camping with your family to base camping at the foot of your next serious adventure, you’ll want to have the right gear for the occasion. Below, the Switchback Travel staff breaks down the best camping gear of the year, from tents and sleeping bags to cookware and chairs. Because weight and packability aren’t nearly as much of a concern as they are with backpacking, camping gear provides much more in the way of creature comforts and features. The sleeping pads are plush, the tents spacious, and the cooking experience much more gourmet than you would have deep in the backcountry where you have to carry everything in on your back. Enjoy!


Camping Gear | In-Depth Reviews | Learning Center

Camping Gear

Camping tent (exiting REI Wonderland in desert)

Best Camping Tents of 2024

Spacious, user-friendly, and feature-rich camping tents are made to facilitate a relatively luxurious experience in the outdoors. Many of these behemoths offer enough room to set up cots or even chairs and a table for card games on a rainy day. For car...
Roofnest Sparrow Eye at viewpoint

Best Rooftop Tents of 2024

Rooftop tents have never been more popular, and it’s easy to see why. Rather than having to meticulously stake out and assemble your tent and sleep system once you arrive at camp, rooftop designs pop up or fold out from the top of your vehicle and come...
4-season tents (The North Face VE 25 at Denali basecamp)

Best 4-Season Tents of 2024

From backcountry ski tours to mountaineering in some of the most brutal weather on Earth, a 4-season tent is the last line of defense between you and the elements. Accordingly, these tents are much stronger than their 3-season counterparts with less...
Camping chair (sitting in Nemo Moonlight at camp)

Best Camping Chairs of 2024

Thoughts of camping chairs may conjure up images of $10 specials out front a big-box retailer, but let’s reorient ourselves to a slightly higher standard. We expect a proper car camping chair to not only fold up for easy transport, but to be...
Camping stove (Camp Chef Everest 2X on picnic table)

Best Camping Stoves of 2024

If you think camping in the great outdoors means sacrificing a proper home-cooked meal, think again. Today's camping stoves can bring a whole new level of gourmet to your car camping and basecamping adventures. With a modern, quality design, you can...
Camping mats (setting in front of tent)

Best Camping Mattresses of 2024

Well-versed campers are comfort experts, and one item they often don’t compromise on is a sleeping mattress. Unlike backpacking, where weight and packed size are limitations, car camping mats emphasize plush cushioning and support with thick foam and...
Unzipping The North Face Trail Eco Bed sleeping bag

Best Camping Sleeping Bags of 2024

No matter where your travels take you, from national parks to backwoods to back porches, a camping sleeping bag can be a trusty companion. Since space and weight are not at a premium when you can drive to your destination, the comfort dial can get...
Camping and backpacking pillows (lined up on sleeping bag)

Best Camping and Backpacking Pillows of 2024

While small and relatively unassuming, a quality outdoor pillow can go a long way toward improving your sleep, whether you’re spending the night at your local state park or trekking miles into the...
Camping blankets (Therm-a-Rest and Kelty blankets by the campfire)

Best Camping Blankets of 2024

Comfort is the number one consideration for many campers (ourselves included), and a quality camping blanket can go a long way toward keeping you warm and cozy in the wilderness. These simple yet endlessly versatile items typically feature a durable...
Cooler (Yeti Tundra on tailgate)

Best Coolers of 2024

Whether you’re headed to the beach, tailgating before your favorite sporting event, or camping in the wild, there's a good chance you'll want to keep your food and drinks cold. Thankfully, the market is packed with high-quality coolers that excel at...
Wheeled coolers (walking with Orca 65 on trail)

Best Wheeled Coolers of 2024

If your cooler must-haves include easy portability, large capacity, and maximum ice retention, a wheeled cooler is the way to go. Like standard hard-sided models, many of today’s top wheeled coolers can keep ice frozen for several days with the added...
Soft coolers (lined up in front of tent)

Best Soft Coolers of 2024

Traditional hard-sided coolers lead the charge in ice retention and durability, but for those who don’t need a week’s worth of cold food and drinks, a soft-sided cooler can be a viable alternative. Compared to hard models, soft coolers are considerably...
Backpack coolers (lined up on rock)

Best Backpack Coolers of 2024

Backpack coolers offer the ultimate in portability for covering longer distances, whether you’re headed to a campsite deep in the woods or hiking in for an afternoon paddle at your favorite lake. While a step down from traditional hard-sided coolers in...
Camping lantern (hanging Black Diamond Apollo inside tent)

Best Camping Lanterns of 2024

Camping lanterns have come a long way since their inception. Nowadays, the market is flush with modern options that combine impressive brightness alongside fun features like multicolor lighting modes, USB ports for powering your electronics, and even...
Headlamp (drinking tea at night)

Best Headlamps of 2024

If you've ever gone camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing, mountain biking, trail running, or nearly anything else in the outdoors, chances are you've used a headlamp. While this handy piece of technology requires little introduction (everyone knows...
Rooftop cargo boxes (storing skis in Yakima SkyBox)

Best Rooftop Cargo Boxes of 2024

Whether you drive a small hatchback or a large SUV, adding a cargo box to your vehicle’s rooftop can go a long way toward improving organization, carrying capacity, and comfort. These boxes come in a range of sizes to accommodate your gear (including...
Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler and Patagonia Black Hole duffel bags in Tofino

Best Duffel Bags of 2024

Whether you’re traveling by air, driving up to a cabin for the weekend, or venturing across the world on an expedition, you’ll likely be using a duffel bag to get your gear from one place to the next. Duffels are popular among all kinds of travelers...
Inflatable Paddle Board (Standing on Boardworks SHUBU Raven)

Best Stand Up Paddle Boards of 2024

Stand up paddle boards (SUPs, for short) are taking the boating scene by storm, and it’s easy to see why. These compact vessels are easy to transport (no car rack required for inflatables), surprisingly durable, stable and efficient on the water, and...
Packrafting out of mountains with skis

Best Packrafts of 2024

Packrafts are an impressive feat of modern engineering: They’re incredibly durable and capable, yet many pack up small enough to fit into a backpack or bike bag. As a result, packrafts have become popular additions to all manner of human-powered...
Best Camping Gear (setting up camp at Lake Wenatchee)

Best Camping Gear of 2024

Shopping for camping gear is no small feat, whether you’re a first-time camper or a seasoned veteran. But once you set up your tent, lay out your sleeping bag, and settle in by the campfire, the effort is well worth it. After researching and testing...

In-Depth Reviews

The North Face Wawona 6 camping tent (setting up in forest)

The North Face Wawona 6 Tent Review

The North Face may have more of a reputation for its rugged backcountry offerings than its luxury camping wares, but the palatial Wawona 6 is a shining example of the brand’s varied expertise. The tent...
Yakima SkyBox NX 16 roof box (putting snowboard in box)

Yakima SkyBox NX 16 Review

The roof box market is a pretty stagnant space, so it’s notable when a big-time product gets a revamp. And that’s just what happened with the Skybox NX, which effectively replaces the Carbonite model in Yakima’s lineup. Offered in 16- and 18-cubic-foot...
Marmot Tungsten 4P camping tent (standing next to tent)

Marmot Tungsten 4P Tent Review

California-based Marmot has been in the outdoor gear game for more than half a century and is a particularly strong player in the tent market. Their Tungsten slots in as a versatile option for car camping and short backpacking trips, with a practical...
RovR RollR 45 (pulling wine off ice)

RovR RollR 45 Wheeled Cooler Review

Although RovR is a relative newcomer to the cooler market, they've grown to quick popularity thanks to their expertly built RollR series. Available in 45, 60, and 80-quart capacities, we recently put the smallest version to the test on a multi-day...
Nemo Aurora Highrise 6P (exiting through massive door)

Nemo Aurora Highrise 6P Tent Review

Nemo makes some of our favorite backpacking tents but has been a relatively small player in the car camping market for some time. That’s changed with the Aurora Highrise, which lands in the heart of the very competitive premium tent space. We tested...
Yeti Roadie 24 cooler (lifting out of canoe)

Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler Review

The Yeti name carries a lot of weight in the cooler market: Their coolers are impressively effective insulators, hold up very well over the long term, and boast the brand’s laudable polished look. Their smallest hard-sided offering is the Roadie 24...
Coleman Skydome 6P camping tent (set up without fly)

Coleman Skydome 6P Tent Review

With more than a century of experience under their belt, perhaps no brand is more synonymous with camping on a budget than Coleman. With a lineup of tents that cost hundreds of dollars less than the competition, we were curious how their spacious and...
REI Co-op Wonderland 4 Tent (pitched in Utah desert)

REI Co-op Wonderland Tent Review

In a surprising move, REI replaced their popular Kingdom series with the Wonderland line last year. We’ve had a chance to test both the four- and six-person versions (note: The photos below are of the Wonderland 4), and we have to admit that the new...
Exped MegaMat Duo 10 sleeping pad

Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Review

Sitting towards the top of the premium camping mattress market is Exped’s MegaMat Duo 10. This double-wide, luxurious pad easily sleeps two, and its generous cushioning and high R-value make it a great companion for year-round adventures. After...
Nemo Aurora 3P tent (sitting outside tent with dog)

Nemo Aurora 3P Tent Review

New Hampshire-based Nemo is a strong player in the premium backpacking tent space, but their Aurora takes aim at those looking to maximize livability without breaking the bank. Recently updated with more sustainable materials and a stronger...
​​REI Co-op Skyward 4 camping tent (zipping up door)

REI Co-op Skyward 4 Tent Review

REI gave their camping tent collection a shakeup for 2022, including replacing their mid-range Grand Hut series with the all-new Skyward. Offered in four- and six-person capacities, we brought the smaller version to Moab for testing this spring and...
Thule Motion XT XL Roof Box (loading Paddle)

Thule Motion XT XL Review

Thule’s rooftop cargo box collection is undeniably extensive, from luxurious designs with felt-lined interiors and built-in lighting to soft-sided models for cheap and compact storage. The Motion slots in as their premium all-rounder ...
Big Agnes Big House 6 camping tent (sitting in tent with dog)

Big Agnes Big House 6 Tent Review

Big Agnes makes some of our favorite camping and backpacking tents on the market, and their aptly named Big House slots in as an impressively tall and livable option for families and larger groups...
Nemo Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair (setting up at camp)

Nemo Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair Review

Camping chairs are a fairly static category with few noteworthy innovations each year, but New Hampshire-based Nemo came up with a very intriguing design in their Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair. Now in its second iteration, the Stargaze offers a hammock...
REI Co-op Base Camp 6 (setting up camp)

REI Co-op Base Camp 6 Tent Review

Featuring high-quality materials and a traditional dome shape, REI Co-op’s Base Camp has been a long-time staple in their tent lineup. Offered in four- and six-person capacities, the car camping-focused model is a top choice among those looking to...
Coleman Sundome 6 tent (at campsite)

Coleman Sundome 6 Tent Review

A popular choice among car campers and festival-goers for years, Coleman’s Sundome 6 (also known simply as “the Coleman Dome Tent”) is offered at a bargain-basement price that is tough to match. With enough floor area to fit two queen-sized mattresses...
Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite Cargo Roof Box (removing snowboard)

Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite Review

Yakima has been a leader in the cargo roof box game for some time, and their core and arguably most versatile product is the SkyBox Carbonite. We’ve had the 16-cubic-foot model on the top of our vehicle for a few years now and have found it to be...

Camping Gear Learning Center

Campsite scene (group prepping meal)

Camping Checklist

Whether it’s your first time car camping or you’ve been at it for years, it never hurts to have a good checklist. To help you get out of the house with all of the essentials in tow, we’ve outlined everything you need including campsite and sleeping...
Camping stove (cooking by creek)

How to Choose a Camping Stove

There are quite a few factors to consider when choosing which camping stove is right for you. How many people are you cooking for? Do you like to make intricate meals? How far will you have to shuttle your gear from the car to the campground? To help...
Camping gear (sitting around campfire)

Good Camping Gear on a Budget

Most top-of-the-line camping gear is loaded with luxuries and features that mimic the comforts of home. But unless you're getting out every weekend or like to “glamp” (a glamorous version of camping), the latest and greatest technology isn’t a...
Tent brands (setting up REI Flash Air 2)

Best Tent Brands of 2024

Whether you’re car camping at your local state park for the week or venturing deep into the backcountry, you’ll need a quality shelter that’s spacious enough for your group, reasonably weather-worthy for the conditions, and able to withstand regular...
Roofnest Sparrow Eye rooftop tent (climbing ladder and dog)

Best Rooftop Tent Brands of 2024

Rooftop tents have come a long way since their dusty beginnings in the wild outback of Africa and Australia. Originally designed for overlanders with rugged off-roading vehicles, they’re now popular among campers and casual weekenders worldwide. And...
Outdoor gear

Best Sites to Buy Outdoor Gear

For those who love the outdoors, the options for buying gear and clothing online continue to expand. Below we’ve picked the best sites to buy outdoor gear in 2019, from the mega stores to top discount and used gear sites. Along with a detailed...