Ready to get out of town and head into nature? Get away from the distractions and plan your next camping trip. Whether you are an experienced camper that enjoys long backcountry hikes, or you just want to try something new with the family in the great outdoors, we have all the camping equipment you need. Choose from a variety of quality, top-branded sleeping bags, tents and outdoor cooking supplies. Stay comfortable throughout the night with sleeping pads, air mattresses and cots. Be prepared for anything with camping essentials like flashlights, knives and bug spray.
We stock everything you could possibly need at brilliant prices, from tents that sleep as many as ten people, to all the necessary equipment including groundsheets, cosy sleeping bags, camping furniture and air beds. What is more, you can choose from a great selection of cooking equipment, meaning you’ll be able to whip up delicious meals as darkness descends around your tent.
From mountain trails to afternoons at the lake, pack up for the journey with camping and outdoor gear make the most of your next excursion.
Enjoy the outdoors with top-rated gear for your next adventure. Find shelter in camping tents designed for hassle-free set-up and protection from the elements. Rest peacefully with plush camping cots, sleeping bags and air mattresses that keep you cozy when temperatures delve.
Gather around the campfire or the tailgate with outdoor furniture, cooking equipment, outdoor grills, coolers and more.
Take on the trek with hiking backpacks and daypacks perfect for stowing away your essentials, like water bottles, hydration gear, backpacking tents and more. Pick up hunting knives, flashlights and camping electronics – outdoor gear that prepares you for anything Mother Nature throws your way.
Find everything you need for your next camping adventure right here at Sportsman’s Guide. We proudly carry the top brand names in Camping Gear & Supplies at awesome low prices. Shop our huge collection discount outdoor hiking and survival equipment and camping essentials!
Looking for a Tent? We’ve got all types and all sizes. Popup, Teepee, Dome, Backpacking, Cabin, Sportsman’s Guide has what you need at amazingly low prices. Take your pick from our huge selection of Sleeping Bags in either Mummy or Rectangle. Sportsman’s Guide also has Sleeping Bags made for winter camping that are constructed to take on frigid temperatures. From warm summer to -40 degrees, you’ll find a Sleeping Bag to handle your needs. We even have Sleeping Bags built for two! Don’t forget your Flashlights & Lanterns! Headlamps or Spotlights – you name it, it’s here. And, if you’re the camp chef, be sure to check out the latest Camp Kitchen, including Stoves, Grills and Propane Stoves too. Plus, don’t miss the Coolers, Dutch Ovens, Cast Iron Pans, Cookware, Utensils and other Camping Supplies. Haul all your essential gear with convenient and comfortable Backpacks & Bags. Looking to complete your tent or campsite or set up around the fire? Sportsman’s Guide has Cots, Camping Chairs, Hammocks, Cooking Station Tables and more. All here, and all for less.
The Basics: Essential Camping and Hiking Equipment
Let’s start with the most obvious camping-specific equipment: Tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and all that other stuff that immediately comes to mind when you think of camping. This is all the expensive gear you’ve been putting off buying until you really needed it. Thankfully, you can get by with a lot less you think.
Tents, Tarps, Poles, Tie Downs, and Stakes: You’ll need something to sleep in, so a tent should be at the top of your priority list. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all tent though. Tents come in a variety of sizes and in a variety of types. Some ultralight tents are best suited for backpacking, while other, heavier tents come with spacious luxuries best suited for hanging out near a car. To confuse matters more, most tents come in two varieties: three-season and four-season. Three-season tents are good for just about anything but the deep of winter, while four-season tents have more durable fabric that can handle snowdrifts. Good news though, as our friends over at The Wirecutter point out, most tents in the $200-$300 range are pretty good nowadays, so you pretty much can’t go wrong. They suggest the now discontinued Big Agnes Blacktail 3 person tent, but you can still snag it as new-old-stock for around $230. If you want to dig into the specifics of the differences between tent types, Backcountry walks you through the different types of backpacking tents, what to look for in weight, and how to choose the right seasonal variety for you. You’ll also usually want a footprint to place beneath your tent to block out water. Any of these will do the job.
Sleeping Bags and Sleeping Pads: Like tents, sleeping bags come in different weights and handle different temperatures, so you have to do some research to find the one best suited for you, where you plan to camp, and when. Outside Magazine’s best sleeping bags or the Wirecutter’s picks are good places to start. Wirecutter’s a fan of the $200 REI Radiant Sleeping Bag as a good all-around bag. Outside Magazine’s top recommendation is the Marmot Electrum, which you can usually track down for under $160. You will probably spend around $150-$200 for a decent sleeping bag. On top of that, most people will also want a sleeping pad, an air-filled pad that sits between your sleeping bag and the ground so you can get a little more comfortable. Our friends over at Indefinitely Wild have a rundown of the best sleeping pads for various budgets and uses. Which is best for you depends on your size, but I’m personally a fan of the $80 Therma-Rest Prolite.
Backpacks: Backpacks are an area where the distinction between camping and backpacking matters. If you’re camping, you arguably don’t need a backpack at all (though you want a good day pack if you’re planning on small hikes). In the backpack world, there are three main distinctions for sizes: day packs, overnight, and long haul. Which you need depends completely on what you plan on doing. Outside Magazine has a great rundown of some of the best packs for each type, but if you’re new to backpacking and don’t want to dish out a ton of cash, Indefinitely Wild has a cheapskate guide that keeps things as budget-friendly as possible. They suggest the Kelty Redwing for $140 as a solid but cheap bag that’ll hold what you need and won’t kill your back.
Headlamps, Lanterns, and Flashlights: Surprise! It gets dark in the woods, so you want something to help you see at night. Any cheap flashlight A sturdy, reliable flashlight will work here (LED is best, something like this $8 Mini CREE LED flashlight will do the job for most people), but having some extra gear is helpful too. A lantern like the Black Diamond Apollo Lantern for $44 is super useful for camping so you can make your way around the campsite and your tent easily in the dark, but it’s far too bulky for backpacking. For that, a headlamp like the $30 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp is surprisingly useful, especially when you’re trying to set up a tent after dark.
Water Filtration Systems and(or?) Treatment Tablets: If you’re camping, you can (and should) bring along as much water as you’d possibly need in your car, so it’s easily accessible. Some campsites even have fresh water available, but you should bring some anyway. If you’re backpacking however, that’s not an option, so you’ll need a water filtration system. For something on the cheap end, the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System filters water and only costs $20 at Amazon. For a slightly more portable solution, Iodine tablets like these $6 Potable Aqua Treatment Tablets work too.
Hiking Boots or Shoes: Depending on the type of trip you’re taking, you’ll want to grab some hiking boots or shoes. Your sneakers will do just fine in many places, but if you’re planning on going for a longer backpacking trip, dedicated shoes are much more comfortable since they offer more support, padding, and stability for your ankles as your cross rough terrain. Of course, like everything else here, you have a million choices. In this case, your selection breaks down to boots, trail runners, approach shoes, and hiking shoes. Boots are clunkier but sturdier, so they’re good for people who like a lot of grip in their shoes and who like to jump into mud piles. Trail runners are light but have no real traction or ankle support, so they’re best for the nimble-footed who prefer to jump around. Hiking shoes are the goldilocks of each of those, they are lightweight, have good traction, and solid durability. They also tend to have low longevity. Approach shoes are meant mostly for climbing but sit somewhere in-between boots and runners. If this was an RPG, boots are for your tank, trail runners are for your high DEX character, and approach or hiking shoes are for your basic all around character. Each has their own list of merits and best use-cases, and Gizmodo compared the pros and cons of each type. For most people, they land on approach shoes as a suggestion, but more general all-around hiking shoes like any of these will do the job too.
Paper Maps: Regardless of whether you’re camping or backpacking, there’s a good chance you will not have cell phone service. Get a map of wherever you’re going before you get out there, then learn how to read it and not to rely on GPS, even if you bring a stand-alone satellite GPS unit. You can typically find a map from the ranger station near any park entrance, or you can print them online. Either way, make sure you have one.
First Aid Kit: It shouldn’t be a surprise that you need a first aid kit for camping. Include the usual aspirins, bandages, and gauze here, but also toss in some hiking-specific stuff like moleskin for blisters, bug sprays, and aloe vera for burns. Indefinitely Wild has a guide to put together your own kit, and the Washington Trails Association has a great checklist as well.
There are thousands of other gadgets, knick-knacks, and other gear available for camping, but most people don’t need more than what’s listed here when it comes to the essentials.
