Best camping gadgets: Must-have gear for your next trip

Do you need a Wee Banshee in your life? Probably not, but as we discovered, once you’ve used this lightweight micro air pump to inflate your air bed, sleeping mat, or camping pillow, you’ll never want to use your lungs again.

This USB rechargeable and highly portable pump comes with various adapters to pump up a range of inflatables, and can also be used for deflation too. It also has a built-in light, and who doesn’t love a multi-purpose camping device? We certainly think it’s great, even if it does scream like a wee banshee when inflating!

Check out our video on the Wee Banshee in use

It only takes a dead sheep or the thoughtless toileting of a fellow wild camper upstream to make the purity of wild water a gamble. Grayl’s GeoPress purifier water bottle removes bacteria, viruses, protozoa, particulates (like microplastics), chemicals (like PFAS and chlorine), and heavy metals (lead, chromium and arsenic), making water safer and removing unpleasant tastes. 

We’ve used it on hiking trips in the UK and in Vietnam and it performed brilliantly.

Read our full Grayl Geopress review.

With a capacity of 24W, this solar charger is noticeably speedy – even faster than my phone charger. On test, it took just under an hour of mostly direct sunlight to top up my phone by 20%, so that’s a rate of 1% per three minutes (and that’s in the relatively weak autumnal sun). 

At 618g on my scales, it’s not the lightest option for backpacking. But it folds up to less than A4, so can easily fit into a backpack. It’s also resistant to light rain, so can be confidently carried on the outside of a backpack. It comes with two carabiners to attach to your rucksack, but I’ve found they’re not very durable. 

Features-wise, the zipped pocket on the underside is helpful for storing your phone, and you get two USB ports. There’s no integrated battery pack, but you can use the second port to charge up your own. Unlike other solar chargers I’ve tested, this one has an in-built stand, which you can use to angle it towards the sun. 

Is it worth buying? If you’re ultralight backpacking, you might be fine with a less powerful – and heavy – alternative. And on the flipside, if weight isn’t important to you, you can get much more powerful solar panels with up to 100W, for a similar price. 

But if you like to adventure off-grid, and need a powerful yet portable solar charger that can charge multiple devices at a time, then the PV Logic 24W is unlikely to let you down – as long as you can handle the extra weight.

This one is less of a camping gadget, more of a camping accessory. It always feels unnecessary when packing up a large bottle of shampoo or shower gel for a weekend of camping.

Enter these flatpack toiletry bottles. They take 90ml of liquid (making them ideal for hand luggage on planes, too) each, which is plenty for a few days on a campsite, yet take up hardly any room.

They’re easy to fill up via the screw-top opening, have a hanging loop for practicality when showering and are made of tough, welded Cordura for longevity. Available as a single bottle or as a three-pack, as featured here.

We’ve loved using Vango’s Superstar 500 Recharge USB as a camping lantern. Although it’s a bit big for hikers to stuff in their backpacks (it’s about 18cm tall and 13cm across), there’s little else to fault.

There are three brightness levels (50, 200, and 500 lumens) and even on the highest setting we still got several hours of use (Vango claims 10 hours on High).

We liked how it doubled as a power bank (there are USB-C and USB-A ports on its underside) and how the Superstar 500 Recharge USB’s rotating hook makes it a hanging lantern too (although at 400g it needs to hang from something reasonably sturdy.

This nifty glow marker attaches basically anywhere; it can be used for route marking, or attached to your pack or tent. It comes with a carabiner and an adjustable strap, both of which seem durable. On our scales, it weighs 40g. 

There’s three different colour settings – red, white and green – which can be easily switched between by twisting the body of the glow marker. It comes with one AAA battery (Energizer Max, supposed to last 10 hours). To change the battery, you simply unscrew it. 

The Intensity Glow Marker has 20 lumens of brightness; it’s enough to add some ambiance to a tent, but not really enough for two people to read by. For context, budget campsite head torches have at least 100 lumens.

Overall, the Intensity Glow Marker is a well-made piece of kit. It’s perhaps not necessary for casual camping (especially if you already have a lantern or head torch), but if you need it for something specific, then it’s unlikely to disappoint.

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

It’s ridiculously simple to use. It comes with full instructions and there’s a helpful YouTube tutorial. The AeroPress is also super easy to clean, as the components are simple to separate then rinse. You also get a stirrer and a scoop.

It uses gentle air pressure from the plunger to push hot water through the ground coffee, resulting in a smooth, rich flavour. There’s a distinctive hissing sound at the end of the plunge, which is oddly satisfying.

There’s a micro filter to prevent grit from passing through, but I only wish it came with somewhere to keep the filter papers. It should be noted that you can only fill one cup at a time.

The AeroPress weighs 273g on my scales – potentially worth it for backpackers who value their coffee hit over backpack weight. Compared to a cafetière, it saves a lot of space, so it’s definitely a good option for camping with a car.

Back in 2023, the Windmaster was our champion camping stove – and it’s stood the test of time.

It’s a reliable, affordable canister-top stove with good stability and excellent wind protection, with the beneficial bonus of a fast boil time (4 minutes for one litre).

The Windmaster weighs in at just under 100g. There are lighter ones around, but in return for the slight extra heft, you get four support arms, rather than the usual three, and a wider 4.5cm burner.

This ensures better stability when cooking and a broader heat base for easier cooking. The burner head is also concave to help with wind protection and works wonders.

Read our full SOTO Windmaster Portable Stove reviewhere.

Goal Zero is a very cool company that delivers not only brilliant power solutions but is itself powered by a great ethos. The Nomad 10 provides 10 Watts of power and weighs a mere 0.51kg. It is foldable, and you can easily attach it to your pack, so it charges devices as you hike.

When it comes to making camp, the Nomad 10 also has a kickstand to use if you need it. It’s no fragile thing either – the Nomad 10 is durable and designed specifically to cope with hiking conditions. Go off-grid without losing the convenience of smartphones and GPS navigators.

Read our full Goal Zero Nomad 10 review

With this Pure Woodland Glow rechargeable speaker and lantern, you not only get up to 9 hours of light, but you can also play your tunes for up to 14 hours through it via a 5.3 Bluetooth or AUX connection.

Power is supplied via a 5200mAh rechargeable battery, and it is water-resistant with an IPX6 rating.

To save on carrying kitchenware (and washing up), it’s the norm to eat camping meals directly from the pack. But your average spork is only just long enough, resulting in missed morsels and food-filled fingernails.

This Optimus extending spoon solves both problems, easily reaching the corners of the pack while keeping your fingers well away from the contents.

Firepot’s expedition meals are as tasty as camping cuisine gets, and now they are more eco-friendly than ever. The Dorset-based brand has developed compostable eco-packing as an alternative to its yellow plastic pouches.

Made from bio-based sources, including sugar cane, the pouches disintegrate within a year in compost – a great sustainability innovation. The bio meals are cooked in a pan, not in the pouch.

Avoiding single-use plastic containers – such as expedition meal pouches or supermarket pasta pots – is vital for the planet. Hydro Flask’s excellent food jars enable you to do this, providing a double-wall, vacuum-insulated container for your home-cooked meals.

Whether your meal of choice is porridge, noodles, soup, rice or casserole, these colourful, leakproof, wide-mouthed jars will keep your food hot for hours. Available in multiple volumes.

We’ve been using this camping table for a number of years and love it. There are many models that look like this one, with the four corner seats and folding design. But this is one reigns supreme for us because it has a nice bamboo tabletop and a aluminium frame that feels more sturdy than many others we’ve tried.

It weighs just over 10kg and measures 85 x 34 x 10.5 cm when packed away. Each seat has a weight limit of 85kg and the table has a limit of 30kg.

What3words is one of the most powerful safety tools you can access, and it’s free. The app has broken down the entire world into 3 x 3-meter squares, each tagged with a unique three-word combination.

In the case of an accident, these words can be passed on to emergency services, allowing your location to be told with extreme accuracy. This allows you to avoid having to repeat complex coordinates in high-stress situations.

For example, the peak of Ben Nevis becomes “marble.messaging.hacksaw” rather than 56.7969° N, 5.0036° W. Do note that your smartphone will require activated GPS/Location to work with this app. For direct, mobile network-free communication, going old school with walkie-talkies can be very effective.

Draping wet clothes or travel towels over your tent isn’t an effective means of drying garments, but when off on treks, it’s all one can do. Or hang things over a branch. This problem is addressed with this micro-sized clothesline.

It really is micro. It weighs 25 grams and is the size of a small tape measure, so even if you’re packing light, there will be room for it. The cord is 3.5 metres long, which is more than enough, and is reflective so you don’t strangle yourself when it’s dark.

There are also beads on the cord so you can secure things from blowing away.

While it’s entirely possible to form an acceptable pillow out of a dry bag and some spare clothing, it’ll never be quite as comfortable as a proper pillow.

The Forclaz Inflatable Pillow from Decathlon comes closer to the real thing. It adds a surprising boost of overnight comfort and is so light (170g) and compact (0.7 litres) that you’ll barely even notice it in your rucksack.

Fitting all your camping comforts into your car can be tricky, but if you’re staying for a while, you’ll need a table to make life easier. This ultralight and sturdy mini table from lightweight chair experts, Helinox is just the ticket.

Weighing less than a kilo, the tabletop measures 39 x 60cm, it stands 39cm high, and it packs down to an incredible 40 x 12cm. It might be on the expensive side, but it’s made to last and comes with a five-year warranty.

The Gerber Folding Shovel is a great tool to have on hand at camp, allowing you to stoke fires, clear debris, and dig latrines (aka. toilet holes) in more rural locations. Camping is all about being economical, so anything that has more than one function is a winner.

This shovel’s steelhead and nylon handle (with rubberised grip) make it robust enough for years of use. Fold the head back, and there is a small hammerhead for dealing with tent pegs. Plus, it comes with a stow bag. It weighs 794g and folded away, it measures 23.4cm.

Some solar showers are alright, but this is better and even less complicated. It’s essentially a 10-litre dry bag with a small shower head at one end and an opening at the other.

Sling it overhead and enjoy about seven minutes of showering. You can use hot or cold water and even adjust the flow by turning the shower head. When not in use, it’s a durable dry bag made from 70D fabric.

Instead of traipsing to and from the campsite tap, have running water ready to go with this ingenious tap pack. It comes in 4- or 6- or 10-litre volumes and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Lash points allow you to hang the pack, while a gravity-fed onehanded tap dispenses the water where you want it. Weighing just 114g for the 4-litre or 193g for the 10-litre, it’s just as useful for backcountry wild camps.

Accidental stove or hot water burns are common in camp kitchens, so be prepared with a first aid kit designed specifically for accidents that happen under canvas. You get all the usual kit for cuts, grazes and blisters, plus burn gel and a thermometer.

The ground is a damp and chilly place to sit without protection, but carrying a big old picnic blanket is a waste of space. Thankfully, the Matador Pocket Blanket is here, offering a pocket-friendly, lightweight, and waterproof nylon blanket for any situation.

When it’s unfolded, it’ll comfortably seat two people. Four corner pockets allow for the use of natural anchors like sand or pebbles, and there are also some small tethering pegs included.

The task of a chair is normally relegated to a log or patch of dry grass when hiking. Chairs themselves are just too bulky to carry around. Except for this one.

The Helinox Chair Zero incorporates light but very strong aluminium tubes to build the frame of the chair. The seat itself sits very close to the ground, which also helps to reduce the amount of material needed in the construction.

The result is an item that folds down to a small, hike-friendly package (10 x 35cm) and weighs only 510g yet can hold up to 120kg. It’s one of the best camping chairs available and comes with a five-year warranty.

With no flame and no harmful chemicals, the MR300 will successfully repel flying insects like mosquitos, gnats, and midges, preventing them from becoming a blight to your camp.

The gadget uses a small butane cartridge to heat a pad dowsed in an odourless natural insect repellent found in chrysanthemums. The area that’s affected is around 4.5m by 4.5m. It’ll run for 12 hours and can be connected to a pack if required.