Camping is about enjoying the outdoors, but that doesn’t mean leaving all your tech at home. The right gadgets can make a real difference out there, whether it’s keeping your devices charged, lighting up your campsite, or just making sure your morning coffee doesn’t taste terrible. And you’ll need things that are compact and lightweight, but rugged, and actually useful rather than just gimmicky. These are some of the best camping gadgets you can get right now.
RugOne Xever 7 series
Camping is all about getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But staying connected isn’t a bad thing, and the right device with the proper features can take your outdoor experience to the next level. RugOne is a new brand from Ulefone, and their first product is the Xever 7 series, a rugged smartphone line aimed at outdoor users who want something durable without the usual trade-offs in design or performance. The Pro version in particular stands out.
The Xever 7 Pro’s headline feature is the replaceable dual-battery system. It comes with two 5,550mAh batteries – one installed and one in the box – and you can swap them in under three minutes without rebooting the phone. If you spend a lot of time without access to power ports, say, during on-site work or weekend camping trips, this is a super useful feature to have.
A feature that’s exclusive to the Pro is an FLIR 3.5 thermal imaging camera, which isn’t something you see on many phones, regardless of the price point. It can detect heat signatures, making it useful for outdoor navigation, spotting animals at night, or checking equipment in the field.
The phone runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 chip with 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, and support for up to 12GB of dynamic RAM expansion. The display is a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s rated IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H for water, dust, and drop resistance, even though it’s lighter than most rugged phones in this category at just 325 g.
On the main camera side, you get a 50MP shooter with OIS, which is again something you rarely get with rugged phones. There’s also a 64MP night vision camera on the back and a 32MP front camera.
Other features include a built-in high-intensity flashlight called TorchX, eSIM support, a handful of AI tools (including a voice call summary and writing assistant), and a 4-in-1 charging station included in the box.
The standard Xever 7 covers most of the same ground but leaves out the thermal camera, so both are solid options depending on your needs. Until May 5, RugOne is offering discounts up to $80 on the Xever 7 series. This brings the Xever 7 Pro’s price down to just $579.99, while the regular Xever 7 is $459.99.
GRAYL GeoPress water purifier bottle
Drinking from a crystal-clear mountain stream might seem idyllic, but you don’t know whether it’s actually safe or not. The GRAY GeoPress water purifier bottle takes the guesswork out of the equation. It looks like a regular water bottle but hides a filtration system inside.
All you have to do is fill the outer cup from any freshwater source like a stream, lake, or river, insert the inner press, and push down. The bottle uses a process called electroadsorption to trap particles and remove pathogens, ensuring the water you get is free of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, heavy metals, microplastics, and most chemicals. It only takes around ten seconds, and you’ll have 710ml of purified water.
The bottle is BPA-free, rated for drop tests up to 6 feet, and each filtration cartridge handles around 350 presses or up to 250 liters (65 gallons) before it needs to be swapped. For camping trips where water sources are a question mark, this is one of the most reliable things you can carry.
The GRAYL GeoPress 24oz water purifier bottle is currently available for $100.
Anker SOLIX C300 DC portable power station
Power stations bring to mind images of big, bulky, and expensive units that are mostly impractical for actual backpacking and camping trips. But if you’re looking for a single device solution to keep everyone’s electronics and gadgets powered during a multi-day outdoor trip, the Anker SOLIX C300 DC is what you need. It’s about 30% smaller than comparable units and light enough to attach to a backpack while still providing plenty of power.
Unlike some other Anker power stations, this doesn’t have AC outlets. But that lends to a more compact form factor that’s perfect for powering phones, laptops, cameras, speakers, drone batteries, and even a car fridge. You get two 140W USB-C ports, a 120W car socket, and additional USB-C and USB-A ports for a total of seven charging options.
The C300 DC can also be charged pretty quickly, with 80% charge available after just an hour. And when off-grid, you can use a solar panel to keep it topped off. It’s the ideal companion for multi-day camping trips, and is currently priced at $170.
UGREEN Qi2 magnetic power bank (10,000mAh)
If you’re on a solo trip, aren’t carrying too many gadgets, and just need to keep your phone charged throughout the day, a portable power bank is more than enough. The UGREEN Qi2 magnetic power bank is a slim, pocket-friendly 10,000mAh battery that snaps directly onto the back of a compatible phone using N52 magnets.
The Qi2 standard means up to 15W wireless charging, and there’s also a built-in USB-C cable and a USB-C port that support up to 30W wired charging for phones without wireless charging. It handles simultaneous wired and wireless charging, so you can power two things at once if needed.
It’s slim enough to slip into a jacket pocket and barely adds any bulk. The 10,000mAh capacity gives you about two full charges for most smartphones. There’s also a 13-layer protection system that handles overheating, overcharging, and short-circuit protection.
You can get the UGREEN Qi2 magnetic power bank for $33 on Amazon right now.
SakerPlus Telescopic Camping Light
You don’t want to be left fumbling around in the dark because of an unplanned delay or late arrival at a campsite. Of course, you also don’t want to be carrying a big and bulky lighting setup everywhere you go. The SakerPlus telescopic camping light fits the bill perfectly, allowing you to light up a relatively large area with a single unit.
It features a telescoping pole that collapses to about 11 inches for packing, then extends to nearly 43 inches on a four-section pole with a built-in quad-leg base. Once set up, you get a free-standing camp light with 6,000 lumens at its brightest, providing coverage up to 538 sq. ft.
With multiple height and setup options available, there are various ways to use the SakerPlus camp light, apart from just sticking it in the ground. It can serve as a powerful, portable flashlight, backpack light, tent lamp, or table lamp. There are three brightness modes, plus a warm/cool light toggle and an SOS strobe mode for emergencies.
The 14,000mAh built-in battery can run the light for anywhere from 4 to 48 hours, depending on brightness. And it even doubles as a power bank for your other devices via a USB-C port.
A built-in magnet lets you attach the head to metal surfaces like the frame of a shelter or the side of a truck, and there are fixing pins in the base for staking it into soft ground. The body is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and ABS plastic with an IPX5 waterproof rating, so light rain won’t be a problem.
The SakerPlus portable camping light is available now for just $60.
AeroPress Go coffee maker
This definitely falls in the “want” category more than a “need.” But for anyone who refuses to compromise on their morning cup of coffee even when on a weekend-long camping trip, the AeroPress Go coffee maker is what you’re looking for.
It’s the compact travel version of an AeroPress, combining the methods of French press, pour-over, and espresso into one simple device. Simply pour hot water over your grounds, stir briefly, and press, and you’ll get a rich, smooth 8 oz cup of coffee in under two minutes with zero bitterness or grit. The whole unit fits inside a lightweight mug that doubles as the travel case and takes only about 10 seconds to pack.
You can dial in the grind size, water temperature, and steep time to suit your taste, which means the coffee you brew at your campsite can genuinely rival what you’d get from a good coffee shop.
The AeroPress Go portable coffee maker is priced at just $50.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.
