Camping
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The less you carry, the more fun you'll have. Cut down your weight with these easy ideas.
From the floor of the world's biggest outdoor industry meetup, we bring you the up-and-coming companies and products that caught our eye
I'm looking to swap out my mass-manufactured camping gear for the latest handmade designs. What are your favorite custom options?
Don’t let a minor malfunction ruin your big trek. Learn to patch a sleeping bag, glue together a boot, and make four more simple repairs that everyone should master before setting foot on the trail.
Hoping to share a family meal by the campfire this summer? This camp-friendly high chair will give your kids a seat at the adults’ table.
In the past month, I’ve camped at the Wildflower Triathlons, and at the Deuces Wild Triathlon festival. Both times it felt like my sleeping bag wasn’t as warm as it used to be. Do sleeping bags expire?
I know beer cans are easiest to pack in and out of the camp site. But I’ve heard rumblings of new can designs to make it taste better. Is there anything to it?
The Ignite DriDown offers water-resistant down filling at a great price
Introducing an ultra-high-end, ultra-light mountaineering tent that's also great for flush thru-hikers, backpackers with fat wallets, and adventure racers with generous corporate sponsors
I'm looking for a sleeping bag for extreme cold temperatures. I'm talking Arctic. What's my best option?
I love to grill—steaks, veggies, sausages, anything. How can I bring my grill camping with me?
I'm looking for a good, stable lantern to light up my campsite. What do you recommend?
I want to go beyond normal camp food for my next trip. I'm talking cobbler, cornbread, even pizza. What should I do?
Can I use my three-season tent in the snow? Or should I cough up the money for a four-season model?
First things first: your pack will be heavier. You’ll be packing more food, fuel, and layers. As for shelter, if you’re not expecting high winds or heavy snowfall, you probably don’t need to upgrade to a four-season tent; a sturdy (read: not ultralight or mostly mesh) three-season model should see you through.
The Klean Kanteen Classic is a water bottle that's solid, simple, and easy to drink from—and that's what counts
I heard about the BioLite stove, which supposedly makes electricity from wood. Does it work?
The ShedRain WindJammer is the best umbrella for your money
We're going for an epic, cross-country road trip. Weight isn’t an issue, so we're excited to load up on gear that we normally wouldn't have in the backcountry. What are three pieces of gear that you think really make for a great car-camping trip?
I'm in the market for a small, light backpacking tent that won't break the bank.
Alite Designs cofounder Tae Kim at the Ranger Station library. Photo: Mary Catherine O'Connor Tae Kim grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where, he says, “your crazy uncle teaches you how to go camping.” (His crazy uncle really did teach him how to go camping.) But…
Making a good tent requires compromise. In line with the old business adage “Good, fast, cheap: pick two,” tent designers generally aspire to two properties from their own list: light, roomy, and sturdy. Other trade-offs include the convenience of two doors and vestibules for the weight of the extra zippers and fly fabric.
Sleeping bags keep getting lighter thanks to thinner fabrics and ever finer and fluffier grades of down. Which is a good thing, except when it isn’t. A couple of the bags we tested didn’t make the cut because, though the bags met their rating in the European Norm lab tests, those tests don’t account for air movement in real-life conditions.
Your sleeping bag is only as good as the pad underneath it. We recommend either of these two: the Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core, which employs both horizontal and vertical baffles, resulting in a comfier pad you're less likely to slide off in the middle of the night, or the lighter and warmer Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite.
Who says you can't eat, drink, and sleep in your car as well as you do at home? These products, from the three-gallon Nemo Helio portable shower to the low-profile, synthetically-insulated Montbell U.L. Therma-wrap to the 16-pound, 55-inch long REI Camp Table XL, are all about upping the comfort factor.
Headlamps, flashlights, and lanterns keep getting lighter, brighter, and smarter. Here are our picks for everything from bike commuting to car camping, including the 75-lumen Black Diamond Sprinter with a USB-chargeable lithium battery, the 200-lumen Apex headlamp, and the simple 130-lumen Energizer High Intensity LED flashlight.
Rhode Island School of Design student Cam Brensinger came up with the idea for NEMO (New England Mountain Equipment) and his college senior project, high on the flanks of New Hampshire's Mount Washington. One weekend Cam went camping and got caught in gale force winds. Cam recalls:…
The Minnow has landed! Texas is so vast it makes New Mexico feel as crowded as wall-to-wall suburbs back in Jersey. Two hours after leaving Truth or Consequences, we crossed the state line north of El Paso and saw a sign: “Beaumont: 831 miles.”…
I need a tent that will protect me from dust storms while I'm camping in the high desert. (I admit it—I'm a long-time burner). Should I go for a single-wall tent? My mesh tent with a rain fly doesn't keep the dust out.
What's the best lightweight gear for a weekend backpacking trip?
I'm in the market for a new chair for car camping. I'm open to anything from a Crazy Creek to a folding frame, as long as it's comfortable and durable.
Okay guys: It's time to stop procrastinating, and start shopping. Stuck on what to get the outdoorsy lady in your life? Here's what we recommend: Kelty Supernova 30 Three-In-One Sleeping Bag: Zipping in together makes camping more fun. The Supenova 30° is made for spring and summer outtings.
I'm planning a snow-cave camping trip with some friends. What gear do I need to build the cave?
My reliable (but old) headlamp just quit, and I need to find a good replacement for nighttime runs. What do you suggest?
What are the best adventure gifts for a shopper on a budget?
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the CAMP Xenon Trek pole.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Pole.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Exped Explorer 120 trekking pole.
I'm going hiking in Bolivia, and I'm thinking about using an emergency blanket instead of a sleeping bag. Thoughts? Any recommendations on a liner or material?
Spontaneity means traveling light but also being prepared. The gear you bring—bikes, boats, ’biners—depends on where you’re going. The rest? Pack no more than the Black Diamond Equipment Apollo.
Spontaneity means traveling light but also being prepared. The gear you bring—bikes, boats, ’biners—depends on where you’re going. The rest? Pack no more than the Kelty BaseCamp Kitchen.
Spontaneity means traveling light but also being prepared. The gear you bring—bikes, boats, ’biners—depends on where you’re going. The rest? Pack no more than the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core.
I'm hiking the Wonderland Trail, the loop around Mount Rainier, in mid-September. I've decided to bring a canister stove to save weight. For two people, which models are best for a long-distance backpacking trip?
I'm going on a multi-country, 10-month, round-the-world trip, from Patagonia to the Himalayas. What lightweight, 10- to 15-degree sleeping bag should I bring?
We had a food question a few weeks ago from someone embarking on a long canoe trip, and my answer was pretty much “learn to cook.”’ Maybe that was snarky. But it’s true: With the right ingredients and tools you can make just about anything you want. Backpacking is a…
An affordable zero-degree bag that our testers agreed was the warmest zero-degree bag yet. $219…
Alite built the two-legged Monarch chair built for camping. $59…
Vertical baffles keep the down inside this Big Agnes bag from shifting. $290…
The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2, our favorite ultralight tent.
Our favorite car camping tent this year features 90 square feet of floor space.
A versatile Killer Value that can handle backpacking or car camping.
Our Gear of the Year winner packs small and sleeps comfortably.
Our favorite ultralight tent weighs less than four pounds.
A 15-degree bag made from completely recycled material.
A revolutionary design–spiral, elastic baffles–not only allows you to twist and turn at night, but also holds the insulation against you for fewer cold spots. Our Gear of the Year winner. $379…
Our Gear of the Year winning bag offers comfort and warmth down to 15 degrees, and it weighs less than 2 pounds.
The lightest down bag on the market, this 15-degree, 850-fill sleeping bag won't weigh down your pack at just 1.4 pounds. $439…
Take your finest wine into the backcountry with this budget gift. $10…
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Nemo Cosmo Air camping pad.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Princeton Tec Byte headlamp.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Brunton RL 6 headlamp.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Surefire G2X Tactical flashlight.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Light and Motion Solite 150 headlamp.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Energizer Triple Beam LED.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Jetboil Sol Ti stove.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Poles.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Black Diamond Storm headlamp.
I having trouble finding a skillet that is lightweight yet will not burn. I using a Primus canister stove and able to adjust the heat low enough. I use my equipment for bike touring, backpacking, and canoeing, so I looking for something that is both small and light. Brad Rantoul, Illinois
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Byer of Maine Trilite Wash Station.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Eureka! Catskill Table.