The 14 Best Car Camping Gifts of 2018

These gifts will make your frontcountry basecamp so comfortable you’ll never want to leave.

Author:: Lisa Jhung
Updated:: Nov 21, 2018
Original:: Nov 17, 2018

Super lightweight, packable, and easy to set up and break down, this camp table offers an extra surface for card games, food prep and eating at camp. Its 22.5” height works best with low camp chairs.Buy Eddie Bauer Packable Camp Table Now

Super lightweight, packable, and easy to set up and break down, this camp table offers an extra surface for card games, food prep and eating at camp. Its 22.5” height works best with low camp chairs.Buy Eddie Bauer Packable Camp Table Now

We fell in love with this compact grill that can work simultaneously with your regular camp stove. A two-sided cast iron cook surface (griddle on one side, grill on the other) easily comes off to reveal a stove grate for regular cooking as well.Buy Eureka Gonzo Grill Now

Hydrophobic, 650-fill down fluffs up this uber-cozy quilt that falls somewhere between a sleeping bag and a blanket. An elasticized, insulated footbox can wrap around the bottom of a double air mattress (like a fitted sheet) or around feet when you’re using for stargazing. Big enough for two people.Buy Thermarest Vela Double Quilt Now

This duffel’s multiple organizing pockets let easily find your beanie, headlamp, socks, gloves, and toiletries. Additional compartments fit dirty clothes as well. The Hauler’s waterproof sailcloth material is both durable and lightweight.Buy Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Special Edition 60L Now

With its vintage color and styling, this cooler is a beaut. It can hold 54 cans or 2-liter bottles (it’s tall enough), and it has a bottle opener built in. It also keeps ice cold for four days.Buy Coleman Vintage Steel Belted Portable Cooler with Bottle Opener Now

Give the gift of easy set-up (read: no huffing and puffing) and comfy nights in camp. This deluxe sleeping pad meant for two inflates with just a few squeezes of the included pump, and is made of extremely plush, supportive foam.Buy Exped MegaMat Duo 10 LW+ Now

No more making due with your pocket knife for every kitchen session. This Japanese-style set comes with a 4-inch paring knife, a 6-inch chef’s knife, and a 6-inch bread knife (plus a cutting board, non-abrasive dish cloth, and small plastic bottle), all safely encased protective covers.Buy GSI Santoku Knife Set Now

Using the same materials as Yeti’s famous coolers, the bomber Silo 6g keeps camp water cold for hours on on hot days. Bonus: it’s sturdy and can take a beating.Buy Yeti Silo 6g Now

A felted, seamless wool upper tops an anatomical cork sole and footbed to create the most supportive camp shoe you’ll ever wear. And when you’re back in town, it looks good enough to double as a shoe to wear around the house.Buy Stegmann Original 108 Clog Now

We love the wide-mouth opening of this soft-sided cooler, which makes it easy to view contents instead of fishing around in ice for a drink. A solid base keeps the Trooper from tipping over, and padded shoulder straps mean you can take it on short picnic hikes.Buy Otterbox Trooper 20 Soft Cooler Now

Two particularly cool things about this four-person tent: the external pole design means it can be set up as a just a sunshade, and it comes with an internal string lighting system. Tip: You’ll need to buy an extra vestibule for use in wet weather, as the fly/sunshade only covers three sides.Buy Big Agnes Titan 4 mtnGlo Tent Now

This versatile little light has multiple color settings and clips on to a tent interior, so you can throw a disco party without leaving your sleeping back. It also charges via solar power or USB, props up easily on a table, or can be held in-hand on night hikes.Buy BioLite SunLight Now

Is your trip a cold-weather adventure? Super-soft fleece and PrimaLoft insulation combine with a rubber outsole to create these cozy shoes that are right at home in a hut by the fire. Bonus: they’re water resistant.Buy The North Face Thermoball Traction Mules IV Now

Space isn’t at as much of a premium during car camping, but the collapsibility of this container is still a plus. Its 2-quart size makes it great for storing leftovers from a camp meal, and the polypropylene lid keeps liquids from leaking.Buy Otterbox Collapsible Storage Container Now

Eddie Bauer Packable Camp Table — $50

Super lightweight, packable, and easy to set up and break down, this camp table offers an extra surface for card games, food prep and eating at camp. Its 22.5” height works best with low camp chairs.

Buy Eddie Bauer Packable Camp Table Now

Whether you're going on a family campout, setting up a peakbagging basecamp, or just plain feel like it, car camping is a casual way to up your comfort. Make the most of it with gear and gizmos made for the frontcountry.

72274I-540

Keeping kids happy and comfortable on the trail can be as much of an adventure as the hike itself. These gifts will make the outdoors a little more child-friendly (and children a little more outdoor-friendly).

*sac a dos ultra compact 10l bleu - 001 --- Expires on 24-02-2021

Have a toothbrush-cutting, ounce-counting hiker in your life? These 15 gifts weigh less than eight pounds altogether.

gifts-montage

From craft beverages to do-anything shoes to a cooler that fits on your back, these are our favorite presents of the season.

luxury gear

Family Tent Reviews

These auto- and boat-friendly luxuries are your ticket to outdoor family fun.

12_RedingtonRod

Skip the video games and give them something they can use on the trail, or just in the park.

dry pack

Get mom a gift that helps her hit the trail.

MH500 Mid Mens Hiking_blueorange

Diving into backpacking can be a daunting process. But get the novice hiker in your life some gifts from this list, and they’ll be on the right path.

Screen Shot 2018-11-22 at 11.09.33 AM

Want to shop like a BACKPACKER editor? Here's your list.

Black Diamond HiLight

Want to get outside this season? These 13 products can help you do it more comfortably and safely than ever before.