11 brilliant camping products the experts always take with them

Glastonbury may be off this year, but if you’re heading to a festival or swapping your holiday abroad for a UK camping break, you may be looking for some new gear. Research from Green Flag last year found as many as 10.4 million happy campers were set to take advantage of the sunny UK weather by sleeping outdoors. Staycations have surged in recent years and it appears that camping is growing in popularity, with 73 per cent more Brits planning a trip this year compared to last.

When it comes to kit, it’s difficult to know where to start, with even seemingly simple items such as tents and sleeping bags becoming increasingly more sophisticated and complex in recent years. We spoke to experienced campers, each with at least 20 years of sleeping under the stars, about the camping gear they can’t live without.

Alpkit Ordos 3 lightweight tent

£239.99, Alpkit

Megan Lomax and her partner Guy Eaton have been camping regularly since 1990, with one of their first weekends away together spent in a tent. They regularly camp all around the UK and abroad, either in tents or in their camper van. Their love of the outdoors led them to create PACMAT, a lightweight picnic rug with a soft microfibre top, quick-dry top, and a waterproof base that they now take on every trip.

Lomax loves this lightweight, three-person tent that packs down to the size of a 2-litre drinks bottle and weighs less than 2kg. Colour-coded webbing makes the single hub design even simpler to pitch; a pre-attached rear guy rope means it’s field-ready straight out of the box. As Lomax says, “It’s light, easy to put up and has room enough for three. But it’s slightly more comfortable with two people and bags.”

Berghaus Indulge Sleeping Bag

£66, Blacks

James Anderson, an outdoor education teacher and ex-soldier, says sleeping bag choice is incredibly individual and depends on a number of factors, including the time of year you’ll be camping and how far you need to carry it. He recommends this entry-level sleeping bag from Berghaus, which is suitable for summer and early autumn camping.

“There are some great comfort features such as an in-built pillow, cotton flannel lining and padded draught excluding collar, and the generous width feels similar to being in a single bed rather than a sleeping bag,” Anderson says. “The price you pay for comfort is weight and bulk, though, it’s best suited to campers who are taking their car, and don’t have far to carry their kit.”

Cloud Base Inflatable Sleeping Mat

£57.99, Amazon

Once you’ve got your shelter worked out, you need to think about what you’re going to sleep on. Lomax highly rates this lightweight, inflatable camping mat, which is ideal for uneven ground. Made from recycled material and weighing just 410g, these mats are comfortable but pack small. The 5cm thick air pockets that guarantee a good night’s sleep. “These are amazingly small and light, easy to puff up and put away and surprisingly comfortable, as long as you’re not on a slope, they are a bit slippy,” says Lomax.

Outwell Alder Lake camping chairs

£80, Outwell

You can pick up camping chairs cheaply, but Gemma Coe, a sleep specialist who had been camping her whole life, even spending some time as a Eurocamp rep in France, says, “As we’ve moved into our mid forties, comfortable chairs have become non-negotiable. These are much sturdier, padded and more supportive than basic supermarket fold-out camping chairs, so they work properly for both meals at the table and chilling in the evening. They do take up more boot space, but we genuinely think they’re worth sacrificing the room for.”

Raaco Solid Box 3 Transporter Case

£25, Raaco

These large and sturdy kit boxes are great for storing gear. They are made of polypropylene, with two click locks and an integrated handle that can also be secured with a padlock. “When we are camping, these go under the van,” Lomax says. “They keep everything sealed and are so strong, and they can also be used as a table or seat.”

Trangia 27-1 GB Stove Alloy pans with Gas Burner

£54.95, liGo

Made from ultralight aluminium, the Trangia stove systems spread heat quickly and evenly. The hard surface means that the systems are very resistant to scratching and wear. This set is ideal for cooking for one to two people. “This is such a versatile bit of kit, we’ve had ours for decades,” says Lomax. “Take only the pans you need to save weight. And it’s also possible to use bioethanol, a safe, clean-burning, and eco-friendly option for camping stoves with this.”

BioLite Headlamp 330

£47.99 Godfreys

Eamonn Turley, camping and RV travel expert at Road Smiles, says that many headlamps are heavy or unbalanced, so they begin to be uncomfortable within an hour or two of use (especially when trying to set up a campsite). “This is an extremely lightweight headlamp that is very evenly weighted, with a battery life that can last through multiple days of travel,” says Turley. “In addition, the ability to adjust the brightness/dimming and the red mode options makes this an ideal headlamp for campsites where other campers may be sensitive to light at night-time.”

Sea to Summit X-Pot Kettle

£48, Hillmalaya

If a cuppa is the only way you can start the day, Lomax loves this kettle, which she believes is worth the money. “We’ve tried many cheaper brands, but this one lasts. It collapses small, it’s sturdy and it lasts. We couldn’t be without it.”

Coleman Pro Cooler

£125, Amazon

Anderson would never camp without this heavy-duty cooler, which he regularly takes away for three-day trips. “I once took this to a festival, and I was still able to drink the milk for my coffee on day four, even after the ice had melted. I love how sturdy it is, too. You can easily use it as a seat, and the adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry.”

Exped Fold Dry Bag Bright 4pk

£48, Bath Outdoors

One thing about camping, even in the summer, is that you need to prepare to keep your belongings dry. Lomax says these are dry bags to keep your possessions safe are expensive but worth the money. “It’s good to have different sizes and colours for different items. They are also good for dirty washing and we have a small one as a snack bag to take picnic bits out and about.”

Bivvy Loo

£59.99, Amazon

Stuart Davis, co-founder of sustainable footwear brand Dubs, has been camping for decades and couldn’t live without his Bivvy Loo. “Every camper knows that having to go to the loo in the middle of the night is a pain in the butt. But this has changed the way we camp. No more traipsing across cold, wet and windy fields to get to the nearest loo,” he says.