Looking for the best camping gear in 2018?
Bill and I love going on camping trips, so we decided to ask 18 expert campers what their must-have camping accessories are!
We wanted to skip the research and just find the best camping essentials right from the people who use them all the time.
Looking for something in particular? Below is an overview for easy navigation.
Or just scroll through at your leisure till something catches your eye!

Note: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This doesn't cost you any more than normal. Read our disclaimer for more info.
Best Camping Gear 2018
Here's the best hiking & camping gear of 2018, as told by the experts! I'd like to start with our two favorites.
Our Personal Top 2 Picks
Kayla and I personally use and love these two camping supplies:
RECOMMENDED

Solo Stove Portable Campfire
RECOMMENDED

Nomatic Travel Backpack
Now - onto the other campers!
1. Joey from Cool of the Wild
Joey and her partner are mad about gear and camping. They’re always willing to try new things, go new places, and generally have endless enthusiasm for any excuse to get out there and enjoy the outdoor world (sounds like they’re living the life!).
Joey recommends the following camping equipment:
RECOMMENDED

Cafetiere Camping Mug
RECOMMENDED

Merino Wool Multi-functional Head-wear
RECOMMENDED

Swiss Army Knife
2. Ewan from Wild About Scotland
Ewan may be passionate about camping, but as the name of his website suggests, he’s wild for Scotland. Trespass Blog Awards voted his website “Best UK Camping Blog” in both 2014 and 2016.
His recommends bringing this camping gear:
RECOMMENDED

A Spork
RECOMMENDED

Merino Wool Long-sleeved Top
RECOMMENDED

Inflatable Solar Lantern
3. Kim from Camping for Foodies
Kim is a camping, hiking, and cooking fanatic! She’s a frequent contributor to AZ Outdoor Magazine and even has her own cooking segment on the Great Food Good Neighbors TV show.
She recently shared her top three must-have camping accessories to bring along with you during your trip, including cook equipment and sleeping accessories:
RECOMMENDED

Flexible Camping Mats
RECOMMENDED

Cocktail Shaker
RECOMMENDED

Hammock
4. Shanti from Hike it Baby
Back in 2013, Shanti started casually hiking with some family friends. When more people wanted to join in, Shanti decided to turn Hike it Baby into a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families around the US.
She also just wrote a book about hiking with babies and toddlers called "Hike It Baby: 100 Awesome Outdoor Adventures with Babies and Toddlers"!
Shanti's favorite camping gear are all perfect for your families camping trip, with plenty of camping furniture!
RECOMMENDED

Foldable Highchair
RECOMMENDED

Pop'N'Play Enclosure
RECOMMENDED

Outdoor Children's Mat
5. Shell from Camping with Style
Meet Shell! A full time marketing consultant and the editor of Camping with Style. Starting her blog helped her stay on track after breaking her back due to a snowboarding accident in 2014 while promoting a healthier lifestyle.
Shell recommends the following camping equipment:
RECOMMENDED

Solar Charger
RECOMMENDED

Robens Crevasse II Sleeping Bag
RECOMMENDED

Collapsible 2-in-1 Water Carrier & Bucket
Related Reading: 30 RV Experts Reveal Their Must-Have Camper Accessories
6. Kate from Adventures of Kate
Kate is an award winning outdoor and adventure blogger and absolutely loves being near the mountains and the sea. She also shares her bucket list on her blog, which is insanely awesome (she's done quite a lot)!
Kate recommends bringing these camping accessories:
RECOMMENDED

Jetboil Sumo Stove
RECOMMENDED

Hunka Bivvy Sacks
RECOMMENDED

Water-to-go Bottle
7. Michael from Fresh Off the Grid
Michael and his partner Megan first started Fresh Off the Grid back in 2015 as a resource for outdoor enthusiasts. They came to realize that their home cooked meals were a bit too complicated to make outdoors and that most camping meals are "unhealthy".
With a bit of determination, they were able to turn their website into a kick ass recipe blog.
Michael recommends bringing this camping gear:
RECOMMENDED

Cast Iron Dutch Oven
RECOMMENDED

Vacuum Insulated Beer Growler
RECOMMENDED

Kermit Chairs Camping Furniture
8. Thomas from The Armchair Mountaineer
Thomas is an Entrepreneur, Blogger, Mountain Enthusiast and Bibliophile. Back in 2016, he realized he was burnt out from the constant rat race and completely redesigned his life.
He now blogs about all things outdoors (and even has some awesome gear reviews to check out!).
Here's what Thomas told us was the best camping gear:
RECOMMENDED

Solar Charging Power Port
RECOMMENDED

Water-to-go Bottle
9. Sarah from Inspired Camping
Sarah wears a lot of hats - she's a Performance Coach, consultant, trainer, freelance writer, glamping business coach, inspirational speaker and Book Producer (holy smokes!).
Through her blog, you'll find expert advice on camping as well as a "Glamping" business course to get your glamp on yourself!
She recommends bringing the following camping supplies:
RECOMMENDED

Inflatable Sofa
RECOMMENDED

Waterproof Speaker
RECOMMENDED

Campfire Frying Pan
Related Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Living In An RV
10. Luna from Hiker Track
Luna graduated from college with a degree in business and became an office worker the moment after she graduated. After realizing she wanted to see more than four walls, she and her best friends decided to travel to new destinations while sharing what they've learned (in hopes of helping others).
Luna recommends bringing these camping supplies:
RECOMMENDED

Coleman 4-Person Instant Cabin
RECOMMENDED

TETON Sports Celsius Sleeping Bag
RECOMMENDED

High Performance Backpack
11. Gav from Get Out With the Kids
Gav is a father of three and loves getting out and about (whether it's hiking, running, camping, cycling, canoeing, etc.).
He co-founded Get Out With the Kids in hopes of helping other parents enjoy the great outdoors with their families!
Gav recommends bringing:
RECOMMENDED

Robens Field Station
RECOMMENDED

Robens Bighorn
RECOMMENDED

Outwell Dreamboat
12. Jen from Outdoor Families Magazine
Jen is the writer/editor at Outdoor Family Magazine (she also oversees the overall design, aesthetic and content direction of the magazine).
She also writes about her families travels and multi-cultural living.
Jen recommends bringing:
RECOMMENDED

Scrabble-to-go
RECOMMENDED

TETON Sports Pillow
RECOMMENDED

Glow Sticks
13. Jamie from Hiking Girl with Dog
Jamie is the creator, writer, and photographer of Hiking Girl with Dog and absolutely loves the outdoors.
More than that, though, she loves hiking with her pup, Xena (who is one of the cutest hiking dogs we've ever seen).
Jamie recommends bringing:
RECOMMENDED

Collapsible Pet Bowl
Bonus: Best Hiking Gear 2018
Because camping and hiking are so similar (and usually go hand-in-hand) we decided to reach out to some awesome hiking experts to get their input, too!
14. Adam from Hiking the Trail
Adam is an avid hiker (and backpacker) who find himself on the trail when he’s not working. He first started his blog as a journal to prepare his hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail back in 2013.
Now, he shares his outdoor life through trip reports, travel, gear reviews, and more.
Adam recommends bringing:
RECOMMENDED

A Compass
RECOMMENDED

BPA-Free Water Bottle
15. Derek from The Ultimate Hang
Derek is a lightweight backpacker, former Scoutmaster, and refers to himself as a “hammock enthusiast”.
He loves all things related to hammocks and was kind enough to share his top two recommendations:
RECOMMENDED

Jungle Hammock
RECOMMENDED

Python Hammock Tree Straps
16. Brad from Bike Hike Safari
Brad is an Australian biker, hiker, photographer, and all-around nature lover. He aims to live by his dreams and takes each day as it comes.
P.S. The hiking boots he recommends also make great cycling shoes!
Brad recommends bringing:
RECOMMENDED

Darn Tough Socks
RECOMMENDED

Nemo Hornet Ultralight Backpacking Tent
RECOMMENDED

Hiking Shoes
17. Carol from Hiking Lady
Hiking Lady is an online publication dedicated to helping women embrace the outdoors. They provide answers to questions you should know the answer to, but probably don't (such as how to properly prevent blisters and how many calories you burn while hiking).
We were lucky to get Carol to give us her top two recommendations, which are:
RECOMMENDED

Trekking Poles
RECOMMENDED

Compression Stuff Pack
18. Lucy from Two Blondes Walking
Lucy and her partner Fi (also known as blonde one and blonde two) love to walk all over. However, they say there's nothing better than throwing their rucksacks on, getting their map and compass out, and setting out across the moor.
Lucy recommends bringing:
RECOMMENDED

Meindl Hiking Boots
RECOMMENDED

Hunka Bivvy Bag
RECOMMENDED

Bivvy Emergency Survival Sleeping Bag
19. Jason from Feed the Habit
Feed the Habit is known as the original back-country blog (mainly because it was around before blogs were even invented!). We were lucky to get Jason to give us his top three accessories for hiking trips.
Here's Jason's best hiking gear:
RECOMMENDED

Outdoor Research Jacket
RECOMMENDED

Lightweight Hiking Travel Backpack
RECOMMENDED

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad
20. Tom from Two-Heel Drive
Tom is a seasoned hiker, B2B Content Marketer, and also runs a technology marketing blog! With how busy he may be, he was more than welcome to share his top three accessories to bring along on a hiking trip.
Such as:
RECOMMENDED

Garmin Vivoactive HR
RECOMMENDED

Zip-N-Go Pants
RECOMMENDED

Camelbak Podium Ice Water Bottles
21. Kayla and Bill from The Wandering RV
Bill and I also have three hiking gear recommendations for you! (Don't forget the insect repellent!)
Whether we're enjoying some outdoor recreation, we always bring:
RECOMMENDED

Canon G7 X Mark II
RECOMMENDED

Deet-Free Bug Spray
RECOMMENDED

Inflatable Kayak
Other Cool Camping & Hiking Gear
The following camping & hiking equipment weren't recommended by anyone, but we wanted this to be a complete list, so we're recommending them based on extensive research. Enjoy!
RECOMMENDED

Fittin Razerback
Sports Bra
RECOMMENDED

Campark Action Cameras
RECOMMENDED

Tray-Style Bike Racks
RECOMMENDED

Water Treatment Tablets
Wow!
We're so thankful for everyone who participated in this massive guide to the best camping gear - we couldn't have written it without you! Now we want all the Amazon gift cards so we can binge shop!
Over to you: If you have camp tools, cook equipment, RV accessories, or sleeping gear you bring along with you while camping and hiking and want to be featured in this post, feel free to send us your top three recommendations! Leave them in the comments below.
Know someone that would love this post? Feel free to share it!
And as always, thanks for reading! Happy Hiking 🙂