What to Pack for Camping Trips With Kids

Spacious and easy to pitch, this dome tent also has other features most families need: two large doors, roomy vestibules, and an affordable price. The tradeoffs: bulky fiberglass poles and flimsy stakes.

A large vestibule, a full rainfly, and a storm-ready pole structure make this the best choice for campers who consider intense weather part of the fun.

This simple dome-style tent is for people who don’t want to spend more than $100 on a tent but also don’t want to buy another one next year.

This versatile, affordable bag comes in several colors, lasts from toddler to tween, and has a convenient attached stuff sack.

This rectangular bag is rugged, but it’s not as warm as our top pick. It lies flat when unzipped, so it can double as a compact comforter at camp or at home.

With a slide-in sleeping pad pocket for added warmth and comfort, this mummy bag is the best choice for nighttime lows in the 30s and below. (The pad is sold separately.)

The Little Red is a smaller version of the Wolverine and earns backcountry cred among campers under 4-foot-five.

Basic but absolutely reliable, our budget pick works for backpackers, car campers, and kids.

The 3-inch-thick, notably warm Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap is as comfortable as any similar pad—and it’s easier to inflate, deflate, roll, and store.

Our kid testers loved this colorful, reliable kids headlamp.

Bright, durable, and long-running, the Spot offers the best mix of the most important features at an attainable price.

This lantern is brighter and more rugged than any we’ve tested. It can give you a dim glow for reading or light an entire campsite.

The 30-Day Duro is just as hardy and versatile as the 60-Day model. Plus, it’s smaller and lighter (if a bit less bright), so it’s more portable. Its 700 lumens are still plenty for most campsites.

The Moji fits in the palm of your hand and has two fold-up handles for hanging. Powered by three AAA batteries, it casts a strong, cool-white glow.

An easy-to-clean straw bottle, the insulated Thermos Funtainer is the easiest for younger kids to open and close by themselves, and it was the least likely to leak of all the bottles we tested. It also keeps drinks cold for hours.

The insulated Takeya Actives Kids holds a little more liquid, has a faster-flowing spout, and looks a bit more grown-up than our other picks, making it a good choice for older kids.

The CamelBak Eddy+ Kids is a straw bottle that’s a breeze to take apart for cleaning and simple for young kids to use, but it can leak if the spout is in the wrong position.

With its compact layout, clearly labeled pockets, and high-quality supplies, this is our favorite first aid kit for hiking. It contains enough supplies for two to four people for up to four days.

Although its components aren’t as high-quality as those of our top pick, this kit is chock-full of bandages and cleaning supplies suitable for minor incidents.

If a special bandage will lift your kid’s spirits after a cut or scrape (or help them stop scratching a bug bite), Welly’s latex-free bandages could help bring a smile back to their face with their cheerful prints, including a camping-themed set.

Our favorite canopy tent is a simply designed, comfortable shelter that offers protection from bugs, sun, and light rain.

A lower roof makes this shelter feel notably smaller than our top pick, but it’s also durably made and ready to pair with a superior rainfly (sold separately).

The Quick-Set Escape is a tougher, heavier shelter, and it sets up in a snap.

Available in a host of colors, this breathable, quick-drying nylon hammock is small enough to take anywhere but durable enough to last for years.

At an affordable price, this durable, ultralight option makes a great starter hammock.

The Coleman camping chair is big and durable, and of all the upright chairs that our panel of campers tested, it was the most comfortable.

A functional cup holder, a convenient carry strap, and durable fabric distinguish REI’s kids chair from similar seats.

The Renetto’s big, heavy canopy provides ample sun protection at a campsite or cookout and doubles as a backpack-strap-equipped carrying case.

The Everywhere chair was the most comfortable low-profile chair we tested. It folds up quickly, is easy to carry, and can be adjusted for uneven ground.

REI’s reasonably priced daypacks offer a comfortable fit and all the features a kid needs for day hikes and other adventures.

This bigger REI daypack has an 18-liter capacity and a padded hip belt.

This comfortably-padded backpack caters to the serious trekker tyke. It comes with a water bladder and has superior venting between back and bag.

This pack for bigger kids also has an external bladder pocket and excellent venting between back and bag, but it does not come with a bladder.

This tiny pack intended for mountain biking comes equipped with a water bladder and just enough space for a jacket and snacks.

This thin camp towel is soft yet durable, dries quickly, and packs down small in a breathable pouch.

This plush camp towel is softer and more comfortable—but heftier— than other packable towels.

If the roughly 26-by-52 inch “body” sized camp towels are too skimpy, this colorful turkish towel is lighter, dries faster and packs smaller than traditional bath or beach towels.

This budget camp towel is comfortable and absorbent. Some adult testers found the “Large” size a bit too small, which may not be an issue for smaller kids.

This blanket offers the greatest warmth and durability for the lowest relative weight, price, and size.

This is a slightly heavier and stiffer blanket, but for less money and with more style options.

This blanket offers fewer durability features and less insulation than our top pick but still wears great.

Canyon instant coffee tasted the most like freshly brewed coffee in our tests, with a nice medium-roast flavor. But its single serving packets are pricey.

This instant coffee tastes like decent diner coffee. It’s less expensive and more widely available than other, fancier instant coffees we like.

This pop-up coffee dripper packs flat, clips onto most mugs, pots, or thermoses, and doesn’t require any paper filters.

The AeroPress Go has a slightly smaller capacity than the classic Aeropress. Both are beloved among coffee aficionados and backpackers, but the Go’s accessories seamlessly pack into its (included) travel cup.