Shopping for outdoorsy campers and backpackers might seem like an easy task at first. But when you walk into an REI or start perusing a site like Backcountry, the sheer volume of brands and products can be overwhelming, even paralyzing. And the constant flow of new designs and types of products is hard to keep up with.
That’s what we’re here for, though. We’ve been keeping tabs, taking notes, and reviewing the best camping gear on the market all year. This curated list is a guide to some of our favorite camping and backpacking gift ideas — the ones that we’ll be buying for friends and family who enjoy getting outside as much as we do.
Be sure to check out all of our gift guides for more ideas to suit every adventurer on your list!
The Best Camping Gifts of 2024
REI Co-op Flexlite Print Camp Chair: $80
Compact yet sturdy, the Flexlite Print Camp Chair has been a favorite among campers, according to REI Co-op. The pole-and-hub aluminum frame with a four-leg base borrows its design from lightweight tents, making it portable, simple to set up, and incredibly stable.
The hammock-style seat is crafted from durable, abrasion-resistant ripstop polyester with a DWR finish to resist moisture and stains. Slide the frame poles into the large pole pockets on each seat corner for a speedy setup. When not in use, the chair packs down into the included drawstring bag for easy storage and carrying.
Gerber ComplEat Camp Cookset: $200
Everything you need to cook and serve food unpacks from this tidy bundle. This 16-piece cookset includes a pot, a sauté pan, two lids (that fit both), four plates, four bowls, a mixing bowl, a rubber hot pad, a detachable handle for the sauté pan, and a carrying case.
In his ComplEat Camp Cookset review, our camp editor said, “My car camping kitchen has never looked or cooked better.”
Crazy Creek AirCliner: $125
Crazy Creeks are one of the most widely used non-chair chairs in the world. They’re always at campsites, soccer games, park BBQs, concerts, beaches, by rivers, and anywhere people want to sit down.
The new AirCliner is the brand’s first foray into the inflatable space. With just three big breaths, it inflates, and you’ve got a comfortable sit pad. Or unbuckle the supports and lay it flat for a napping pad or sitting space for two.
Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft Sleeping Pad: $240
Usually, backpackers have to settle for less comfortable lower R-value sleeping pads. But not anymore. The NeoLoft sleeping pad from Therm-a-Rest is an insanely comfortable pad that packs down to slightly larger than the size of a Nalgene and weighs just 30 ounces.
The NeoLoft has an R-value of 4.7 (which means it’s well insulated) and comes in regular, regular-wide, and long sizes. This is a very comfortable and warm all-season backpacking sleeping pad. It looks (and also feels) more like an air mattress.
Nite Ize Radiant StarLit Rechargeable Lantern + String Light: $50
Take campsite aesthetics to the next level with the two-in-one Radiant StarLit Lantern + String Light. This rechargeable set includes a 200-lumen bright white lantern and a 23-foot string light with 70 LED bulbs on a flexible cord that wraps around tree branches or tent poles for a full campsite display.
Both lights feature Nite Ize’s Disc-O technology, which has five solid color options and four “playful Disc-O” modes to put on a mesmerizing light show. Use the lantern and string lights in tandem, separately, or even set the string light for a colorful internal glow while wound inside the lantern.
Together, the set has a 3-hour runtime. On its own, the can string light can stay illuminated for up to 6.5 hours. Designed with adventures in mind, both lights are water-resistant and pack down to 4.3 inches in diameter to fit in with the rest of your gear.
Grand Trunk Compass Stool: $100
Comfy camp chairs don’t have to be big and bulky. The Compass Stools pack down compact, making them ideal for backpacking or car camping. Never go seatless again. See our full review for more.
PACT Outdoors Pack Out Kit (12-Pack): $33
The PACT Pack Out kit is a great stocking stuffer for the backcountry pooper in your life. The Pack It Out Bathroom kit includes a durable outer bag for transporting your poop safely, a large inner bag to poop in, and “poop powder” to deodorize and dehydrate poop and make transport easy. It even has PACT Wipes to get you clean below and antiseptic hand wipes.
PACT came on the scene with its fungi magic that could help break down things left behind in a cat hole, and then created this kit for times when packing it out is necessary — which seems to be a growing trend. You can also check out the PACT Lite Bathroom Kit, which has a trowel that doubles as a container for PACT’s fungi tablets and wipes.
Hele Outdoors Hele Box: $399
If you want van lifestyle camping but don’t have a van, fear not. Hele Outdoors’ Hele Box is a packable, easy-to-assemble sleep platform that fits in most SUVs and trucks. It allows you to store things neatly in its case, which slides beneath it. You can buy just the platform or the platform and HeleOutdoors’ branded sleeping pad together.
See why one of our testers wrote, “The Hele Box elevates car camping to a new level of comfort” in our full review.
NEMO Endless Promise Coda Sleeping Bag: $450
This bag is ultralight for backpackers, uses hydrophobic down, DWR-treated materials, and is part of NEMO’s Endless Promise Line — meaning it can be fully recycled at the end of its useful life. The Allied down can be removed and reused, and the synthetic materials that make up the rest of it can be turned into polyurethane yarn to make other products. It’s NEMO’s first fully recyclable down sleeping bag.
For a real-world take, read our full review.
Jetboil MiniMo: $170
The Jetboil MiniMo has all the attributes people love about the original Jetboil. It heats up water wicked fast. It’s light enough for backpacking. And now, it’s also squatter and wider, so you can eat out of it more easily when you’re on the trail.
HydraPak Seeker 6L Gravity Filter: $80
Gravity filters are one of the most passive means of purifying your water. There’s no pumping, no squeezing, no sucking. You just fill it up, hang it, and let the forces of physics work for you.
HydraPak’s Inline filter uses 0.2-micron hollow fiber filter threads that filter out 99.9999% of common waterborne bacteria (such as E. coli), paracytic cysts, and microplastics. HydraPak says its Inline filter is good for 1,500 L of water — which comes out to 250 full reservoir fills.
However, the most useful feature of this gravity filter is its handles. HydraPak designed the bladder with numerous handles welded to the TPU material. Those make it much easier to hang, grab, and hold this filter.
Sea to Summit Ikos Tent: $449
This tent exemplifies why Sea to Summit has quickly become one of this camping editor’s favorite camping brands. The versatile tent can be set up in six different ways and is packed with design features that make it a true pleasure to use. It gets additional praise for its roomy interior and ventilation.
It’s a high-quality and comfort-minded tent that’s slightly lighter than most dedicated car camping tents. That makes it a great option for a couple sharing a tent on backpacking trips and car camping trips alike. Our reviewer said, “The Ikos TR3 might just represent the future of lightweight family camping shelters.”
Gregory Zulu & Jade Backpacks: From $170
Gregory’s Jade and Zulu (women’s and men’s) backpacks utilize a FreeFloat dynamic hip-belt that allows the packs to pivot and flex with the wearer’s natural gait for a far more comfortable, energy-saving experience. It also has a suspended, adjustable back panel offering plenty of ventilation that can be sized specifically to your torso length.
It has six external pockets, front and bottom access zippers, a sunglasses “QuickStow” loop on the shoulder, adjustable attachment loops, upper shock locks for trekking poles or ice axes, and more. Our full review has more details.
Gregory also makes these packs in a range of volumes for men and women — from as small as 28 L to as large as 65 L. So, no matter what size Zulu you need, Gregory has you covered.
AeroPress Premium: $150
When it was released in 2005, the AeroPress was a coffee sensation. It became a favorite among campers and coffee snobs, both of whom found the nifty little plastic invention ideal for making delicious single cups of coffee.
Well, now the brand is introducing its AeroPress premium. It has the same design, yet it’s made of metal and glass. Read our full review here.
EXPED MegaMat Auto: $400
EXPED is known for making technically designed, high-quality sleeping pads of all kinds, sizes, weights, and warmth. But the MegaMat Auto is easily a favorite. It is 4 inches thick, has an R-value of 8.1, and is rated at -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Most importantly, though, it’s built for use in a vehicle.
This pad fits perfectly inside compact SUVs, station wagons, and midsize trucks when inflated. When deflated, it rolls up (to 27.6 x 11.8 inches) and fits inside an included carry bag. The MegaMat Auto ($400) can live in the back of your vehicle for camping. Or, you could conceivably travel with it on an airplane and turn any vehicle you rent into a hotel room on wheels.
MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe: $85
Time-tested and backpacker-approved, the MSR Pocket Rocket stove is one of the best backpacking gifts money can buy. It won’t break the bank at $85, and it’s insanely useful.
These little jet engines take up less space than a granola bar in your backpack, weigh just 2.6 ounces, and can boil a liter of water in just 3.5 minutes. It also has a nifty piezo igniter, so you don’t have to fuss with a light or match to get a flame.
GearJunkie reviewed the Pocket Rocket Deluxe in 2019. Our tester said, “The PocketRocket Deluxe presents a solid buy for three-season campers.”
Heat It Insect Bite Treatment: $40
When GearJunkie tested the Heat It insect bite and sting treatment device, our tester was surprised by its effectiveness. For targeted relief, this techy little accessory plugs into your phone and heats up to over 100 degrees F.
When that heating element is pressed against the skin on a bug bite, your cells are presented with a “counter-irritant” that confuses your brain and relieves the itchiness. And it’s small enough to hang on your keychain or backpack easily.
KEEN Zionic Waterproof Hiking Boots and Shoes — Men’s & Women’s: From $128
Designed to be light on the foot and agile on the trail, KEEN’s Zionic waterproof hiking boots and shoes work to bounce between time on the trail and hanging back at camp.
The Zionic line has an aggressive, studded lug pattern for better ground contact on any terrain. An athletic profile targets better support when moving fast, while the under-foot stability plate and high-energy foam work to create a springboard effect.
With recycled ripstop uppers, durable overlays, and PFAS-Free waterproof protection, Zionic Waterproof Hiking Boots and Shoes are built to stand up to the elements. Choose from two designs: a classic hiking boot and a low-profile hiking shoe — each with multiple color options for men and women.
How to Shop for the Best Gifts for Camping
As with any gift, when you’re shopping for the best gifts for camping, you should consider what the person you’re buying it for likes to do. Do they go on long backpacking trips? Or do they car camp more often? Are they overlanders? Do they spend a lot of time outside somewhere it’s consistently rainy? Or do they like to explore hot, dry deserts more often?
The answers to questions like those will help direct you to the right section of the store or website.
The great thing about gifts for people who camp is that most of them are multifunctional. A rain jacket can be used hiking, biking, skiing, and around town. Folding tables are useful for campsites, tailgate parties, and picnics, as well as workstations for cooking, cleaning, or building things.
A sleeping bag will come in handy on backpacking trips, camping trips, hut trips, and (for kids) sleepovers. And binoculars are handy anywhere you take them. These are very functional, versatile gifts.
A quick Google search of a product never hurts, either. Gear reviews (like ours, which are linked throughout this guide) or discussion forums (like Reddit) will have a lot of extra information on any given item. It also never hurts to ask someone if you’re at a physical store.
Why You Can Trust Us
Our camping editor has been camping and backpacking since they were too small to walk and has been writing about the outdoors for over half a decade. The same is true for many of our contributors.
And still, every single year, we struggle to come up with gift ideas when it comes time for the holidays. Even we rely on guides like these for direction and inspiration — especially for less familiar activities or products.
With that in mind, the gifts included in this guide have been tested and loved by GearJunkie editors and testers alike. None of these were random inclusions. The aim was to round up a mix of products that are functional, multiuse, and spanned price ranges to include something for every budget. Generally, we just packed this guide with cool products we would be stoked to receive as gifts.
And even if you don’t find the perfect gift listed here, hopefully, there are a lot of ideas to get you started shopping for the best gifts for camping.
Want more gift ideas? Check out our other gift guides and buying guides.
