Rating Our Camping Gear out of 10: What’s Worth Packing (and What’s Not)

Camping gear, it can make or break your outdoor adventure. Over the years, we’ve learned what gear is essential, what’s just nice-to-have, and what’s honestly more hassle than it’s worth. So, we decided to break it all down with our own honest ratings from 1 to 10.

William made this video so you can have a visual of everything, but below are links and more explanation of each item. If you have questions or if you would be up for sharing suggestions of what you find to be the best camp essentials please drop us a message!

Camping Gear: The Essentials

Most of what we have has been honed in and paired down over years! We try not to bring too much junk with us so while the ratings might be harsh, we still aren't leaving for backcountry camping without any of the items on this list.

This list is specifically made for car camping or overlanding. Backpacking is a whole different story and we will make a blog for that soon!

Ok now for the list!

The FSR Gas Stove in Action!

• FSR Camp Stove – 7.2/10 (wife rates it a 9/10 but she is not as harsh of a critic) Compact, folds up easily, and cooks food. It’s solid, reliable, and gets the job done without taking up too much space. It has a detachable griddle option and we use that thing every time we camp. Its my favorite camp stove we have owned so far.

  
  

  We actually have 3 other camping stoves: the Coleman Double Burner 7/10 (great but not as compact as the FSR and griddle option is huge and heavy), Stoke Voltaics Electric Camp Cook Set 3/10 (toxic non-stick coating is no for me), and the MSR Whisperlight 5/10 (its just tough to use, but it is ultra-light! I would get the pocket rocket next time).

Camping Espresso Being Made in a Classic Percolator (that we bought at a thrift store for $1)

• Coffee Percolator – 10/10 As coffee snobs, espresso is non-negotiable. This setup is a game-changer for early mornings in the wild. We got this little guy for $1 at a thrift store. I’ve never been able to bring myself to spend lots of money on a camping coffee setup, but I’m open to suggestions.

Electric Camping Fan. We've loved ours I'm sure there are loads of other good brands out there too though.

• Nitecore Camp Fan – 9/10 You don’t realize you need one until it’s 95°F outside. Trust us, this is a life-saver. This one is fully wireless, its rechargeable via USB. Plus it has an LED ring light built in.

• Axe – 9/10 If you know, you know. A solid axe is always worth bringing along. 

  
  

• Portal Outdoors Chairs – 10/10 These swing, let you stare at the stars, and make your campsite instantly more relaxing. This company actually has a heated swing chair option too and we love those for chilly fall and winter camping. Just a solid, comfortable chair that lasts.

Using the Heated Swing Chairs in the Winter.

• Camping Bidet – 10/10 Yes, it’s a thing, and yes, you’ll thank us later.

• Dometic CFX Series Cooler – 9/10 Never dealing with ice again? Yes, please.

Electric Cooler means no ice! No Ice is amazing but you do need electricity to power it. Hence the solar powered battery setup. Its expensive, but worth it.

• FSR Rooftop Tent – 8/10 Comfortable and spacious, though setup takes a little patience. Setup is probably the only bad thing about this tent though. It has a king sized bed and memory foam mattress. he tent fully blacks out and is insulated for all-season camping. Its comfortable and warm, but has good ventilation in the summer. Its taken us everywhere.

• FSR Awning – 10/10 When you need shade or protection from rain, nothing else comes close. Super easy to setup and breakdown as well!

This Rooftop tent has taken us everywhere. It has a king size bed and memory foam mattress, plus its rated for all seasons.

Nice-to-Haves That Are Worth Considering

• Camp Table – 7.5/10 Slightly annoying to set up, but makes meal prep and campsite organization so much easier. You can't always count on campgrounds having picnic tables.

Camping table and our old Coleman Double Burner Stove. This is before we had the camping Mat and used a cute blanket instead.

• Anywhere Camping Mat – 6/10 Not necessary, but it’s kind of awesome to have. It makes the campsite feel like a living room, but things like pine needles do get stuck to it and getting it back into its bag is a pain.

• Battery Pack + Solar Panel – 7.5/10 Not essential, but definitely convenient if you want to keep devices charged or run lights without a generator.

Our organization could use some work....

• Electric Kettle – 7/10 Perfect when it’s windy and stoves don’t cut it, but definitely optional.

• Twinkly Lights – 5/10 or 10/10 depending on which member of the fmaily you ask.  Husband don’t care much, but daughter and wife rate this a 10/10 for the cozy vibes.

Twinkly Camping Lights add all the vibes without taking up much space. Plus they are solar powered. Whats not to love?

The Must-Have You Can’t Forget

• Water Jug – 10/10 It might seem simple, but staying hydrated is non-negotiable. Bring it.

  
  

Hopping out to fill up a jug with fresh mountain spring water!

Camping gear can feel overwhelming with so many options out there, but this list breaks down what’s truly worth packing and what you can skip. Our rule? Buy the stuff you love, make your campsite comfy, and go outside.

Happy camping!