Must Have Camping Gear of 2026

Talk to any avid camper and they'll have at least one piece of new camping gear that they want to talk to you about. So we went to the source and chatted with the ladies of Houston Women's Hiking to hear all about their favorite gear.

This list includes some of our tried and true items, a few of our favorite new things, and many of the items our Houston Women's Hiking ladies recommended.

Bungee Camping Clothesline

This is a tried and true piece of gear that was also recommended over and over again by the women of Houston Women's hiking. You can hang this bungee camping clothesline just about anywhere and comes in handy over and over again.

Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent

Repel Plant-Based Insect Repellent

On a recent trip the mosquitos were particularly bad. I tried about 5 different brands of insect repellent and this plant based repellent from Repel was the only thing that worked.

Camping Hammock

Everyone needs a camping hammock and you cannot convince me otherwise. These come with straps so you can easily hang your hammock between two trees without hurting the tree.

Inflatable Solar Camping Lantern

Bright, portable, solar, and easy to use...you can't go wrong. This inflatable solar camping lantern was recommended multiple times.

Electric Cooler

Many of the ladies in my hiking group have this (or a very similar) electric cooler. As long as you have power, you won't need to get ice or deal with soggy food ever again.

USB LED Lightbulb

These USB LED Lightbulbs are powered by being plugged in to direct power, OR you can use a battery power bank like what you'd use to charge a phone.

Collapsable Campfire Tongs

We LOVE these! Need to turn a log, stoke the fire, this is the way. They fold down small for storage but can hold the heaviest log. collapsable campfire tongs are a must have.

THIS Coleman 8 Person Tent

Real door (no need to zip every time), closet, and wall to separate the space, need we say more. We've had this tent for about 7 years and have used it countless times. Highly recommend this 8 person tent from Coleman.

Air & Foam Camping Mattress

This air and foam camping mattress came highly recommended. With products like these, there's no need to sleep directly on the ground. I always say camping does not have to be uncomfortable.