How We Choose A Tent

Here’s what we expect from the perfect campground tent:
Comfort: Our favorite tents have generous floor plans and taller standing heights. When deciding size, we use the n+1 rule, which gives each individual a bit more personal space. For example, if we have 3 people in our group, we’ll pick a 4-person tent.

Extra features: Does the tent have multiple entrances? Is there a loop to hang a lantern from or storage pockets on the side walls for a phone, book, or headlamp? How about windows or a mesh top to sleep under the stars on clear nights?

Ease of setup: If assembly is a struggle, we start looking for a different tent.

Here’s what we DON’T worry too much about:
Weight: This isn’t backpacking. The farthest we carry a campground tent is the 20-foot distance from where we park to where we pitch. That means we’ll pack a heavier tent that’s both larger and (typically) less expensive.

How We Choose A Sleeping Bag

We recommend picking a sleeping bag based on your height, fill-type, and the temperature where you’ll be camping.

Height: Pick a bag that is slightly longer than you are tall. A too long bag will leave you with cold feet. Meanwhile, a too-short bag won’t cover your head and shoulders and will feel constricting.

Fill: Durable, lofty, and warm, down fill is a more expensive option and doesn’t insulate well if it gets wet. Meanwhile, synthetic fill is less expensive than down and is our preferred choice for wet conditions.

Temperature: We like to choose a sleeping bag based on our campsite’s likely lowest temperature. Note, however, that a bag’s temperature ratings are not comfort ratings.

• A 30 degree bag will keep you alive in temperatures freezing or warmer.
• We generally recommend 30+ degree bags for summer use, though a cooler-rated bag is appropriate if you’re camping in colder places.
• Meanwhile, 15–20 degree bags are appropriate for 3-season camping (spring, summer, and fall).
• For winter camping, we choose a 0- or –15-degree sleeping bag.

How We Choose A Sleeping Pad

Unlike your mattress at home, one sleeping pad likely won't serve all your camping needs. And in this case, we aren’t talking about how squishy a pad is (in fact, all our favorites will put at least a few inches of foam and air between you and the cold, hard ground). You’ll get better sleep on average by packing the right sleeping pad for the season and location based on its R-value.

R-value is a measurement of thermal resistance, which tells you how well a sleeping pad slows transfer of your body heat to the ground beneath you. Higher R-values stall heat loss in the coldest conditions, while lower R-values make most sense when it’s warmer. A common misconception is that high R-values are only for cold weather. However, thermal resistance doesn’t heat you up—it just prevents heat loss. This means that a pad with a high R-value can be used year-round, so long as it doesn’t have any heat reflecting properties.

How We Choose A Camp Stove

You can certainly roast weenies over an open flame, but a camp stove simplifies just about every other type of meal prep. For campground cooking, we like a setup with multiple propane burners for cooking more complex dishes (or multitasking!). We also look for sensitive dials and high-BTU outputs (10k is a great place to start), so we can simmer a pot of chili all evening or sear a hamburger in a flash.

How We Choose A Cooler

Over the years, we’ve tried a lot of coolers, from mini mart Styrofoam numbers to trendy hard-shell ice chests. For environmental reasons, we avoid single-use coolers or chests that won’t stand up to a full year of use. When it comes to durable hard-shell options, we’re always on the hunt for a cooler with a secure seal and lengthy insulation duration to keep food fresh longer. Added bonuses include organizing trays, split cooling zones for sorting food from fire-side beverages, and tech innovations (battery-powered, for example) from our wildest dreams.

How We Choose Water Storage

Most campgrounds have water that’s safe to drink available, and just about any large water tank with a spigot, air release valve, and handle works well for refills at the communal spout. If you ever dabble in dispersed camping or overlanding, then you know that potable water isn’t so readily available. Our top pick for hydration knocks it out of the park for all three types of camping. It holds plenty of water—and it’s a top-notch filtration system, too.