Campground Camping Essentials For 2024
If you’re sleeping where you parked, these gear recs and pro tips are for you.
We can’t argue with the ease of rolling up to our campsite, spreading out our gear, and immediately proceeding to take it easy. Whether you’re heading to an a National Park, a State Forest, or a KOA campground, these gear picks have a parking pad, picnic table, and nearby pit toilet or restroom facility in mind.
Sleep
We don’t worry about weight when choosing gear for a weekend at a campground. Instead, we pack tents and sleep systems that are exceedingly comfortable and loaded with extra features.
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.
Best Tent
Snow Peak 2-In-1 Vault Tent
Weekenders, party of four! One of the many reasons we love Snow Peak’s camp gear is the thoughtful versatility baked into each item. The Vault 4-person tent is no exception.
This spacious 170-square-foot shelter meets our snooze needs with ease whether we’re laying out two double pads or three singles. Internal storage pockets keep the interior mess-free, and a large vestibule gives us space to store packs and shoes. We especially love that the rain-fly doubles as a sunshade. We like to pitch it alone for daytime cookouts at the campground.