Cool Camping Gear and Gadgets for Families

Camping with your family should be fun, comfortable, and hassle-free. As experienced National Park adventurers and parents, we’ve tried and tested countless amounts of gear and gadgets to find what truly works for families. From keeping everyone entertained at night to ensuring safety and convenience in the great outdoors, we’re here to share our expert insights on the cool camping gear and gadgets we’ve come across. With our recommendations, you can gear up for a memorable and stress-free family adventure!

Getting There

Our National Park hiking and camping adventures start at home. Packing efficiently makes the whole trip better because when you can find your things right away, you get to spend more time having fun! With this cool gear, we stay organized and our gadgets stay secure.

Outdoorsy

The most important part of the trip is having a place to stay! If you have ever wondered if there was something like VRBO or Airbnb, but for motorhomes or other recreational vehicles, yes there is, and we like Outdoorsy. We used Outdoorsy for the first time when we rented a camper van for our Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods and Crater Lake National Park trip. It was super user friendly and allowed for easy viewing of expenses. You can search by state, city, even the National Park you are planning on visiting. There may be other ways to rent RVs, but we will be using Outdoorsy for our future RV rental needs.

Pelican 1626 Air Case

As our adventures became more adventure-y and further from home, a way to consistently pack our cool camping gear in a single space became a priority. Garrett had researched many different types of gear boxes and the Pelican 1626 Air Case fit our needs the best.

The one we chose has exterior dimensions (LxWxD) of 31.12in x 17.05in x 13.33in with interior dimensions 28.14in x 14.10in x 11.72in. At 61.5 total linear inches, this box falls under the 62 total linear inch requirement of most major domestic carriers. These specific dimensions were important to us as they allowed our collapsed trekking poles to be easily included with all of our gear, instead of needing packed (and remembered) separately.

An empty weight of 14.65 pounds means you can pack [read: cram] a ton of gear before hitting most airline’s weight limits for overage fees. If you aren’t flying with it, pack as strong as you are feeling.

There are wheels on one end with an extendable handle on the other to easily pull around. We have loved ours so much we now have a second one for our travels. They protect our gear very well, no worries about how they get bounced around, and the contents stay dust free.

Coupled with a pair of TSA approved travel locks, the safety of our supplies is never compromised. An added bonus is once we get home and get our gear cleaned up, we store it back in these boxes so we never have to search the house when we need any of it and it is inherently ready for our next trip. I cannot recommend this box enough. Without it, our family adventures do not exist.

Travel Case Locks

We needed a way to keep our gear cases locked, but meeting a few specific needs – TSA approved combination, not a traditional lock, or cable lock (so they would be more difficult for someone to attempt to cut them off). These locks fit all our requirements. They have been easy to use and helped maintain security of our gear with no issues multiple times through TSA security screenings.

Check your gear’s requirements to be sure they would work. If these fit your needs, we highly recommend them.

Monos Luggage

Whoa! This luggage! We had looked and looked at a variety of hard sided luggage and Monos was new to the game. Not only do we love the look of the luggage, we also love their functionality.

We have two of the Carry-On Pro and two of the Check-In Medium suitcases. We have also gotten the Metro Duffel to complete our luggage needs for our family. If or when we need another piece of luggage, it will be Monos. No questions asked. 

Luggage Scale

If you travel by air, you will need to weigh your luggage at some point. Get this luggage scale. It is compact enough to easily travel with you and it is very accurate. Whatever weight is listed on the screen, round up to the next whole pound, and that is what has shown as the weight at the airline counters nearly every time.

I have never had to rearrange items within our luggage since getting this scale. It has been instrumental in ensuring our gear boxes are not over packed when flying with them. 

Yakima EXO Rack System

When considering adding a cargo management system to your vehicle to carry all your cool camping gear, overall height quickly becomes a consideration as most are rooftop accessories. If you have a receiver hitch on your vehicle, Yakima has wonderfully solved this problem with the EXO system, including that it swings away from the back of your vehicle to open the rear hatch.

The system is comprised of a base with a top shelf added on to maximize storage ability. Adding the light kit moves your tail lights and license plate to the rear of the system for improved visibility.

Once you have the base and the top shelf, your options for cargo management are almost limitless. We use the cargo box and basket. We have used them in combination as well as independently without the top shelf attached. When using in combination, we tend to have the cargo box on the bottom and the basket on the top with our Yeti Tundra 35 and 65 Coolers, locked on, of course.

When the whole system is swung away from your vehicle, the top shelf also then swings away from the base so you can easily access both at the same time.

We initially took this on our Big Five trip in spring of 2022. Since then, it has been all over including soccer matches and holidays with our families. Having had a couple of different roof boxes previously, we absolutely love this system!

Yeti Tundra 35

I got Garrett a Tundra 35 for Father’s Day after our second child was born. He had talked about getting one for years, but never did. He says this has honestly been one of the best coolers he’s ever had, tied with the other Tundra he got a few years later.

It has been durable and helped to keep food cold traveling through numerous deserts. Sometimes we throw it in the back of our SUV for a weekend trip or soccer matches, but we often have it locked down to the basket of our Yakima EXO system.

Yeti Tundra 65

We got tired of always having to stop at a restaurant, for fast food, or having to wait until we got to our destination to be able to cook a meal while on our travels, so we started taking food allowing us to have a variety of picnics along the way. Couple this with venturing into more remote regions of the U.S. and we needed another Yeti Tundra to keep our food cold and safe (think bears and bacteria). We picked up the Tundra 65 to complement the 35 we already had.

Both fit very nicely in the basket of our Yakima EXO system. It also fits in the back of my SUV for those long soccer weekends away as well. Bottom line, we LOVE our Yetis and would purchase them all over again.

Shoe Bags

These are probably not a must have by any means, but we use them a lot. For both storage of our hiking shoes and to prevent dirty hiking shoes from getting other cool camping gear from getting messy. They completely fulfill the purpose we need them for. Bonus: the colored zippers help you identify which pair of shoes is stored away. 

Waterproof Shoe Bags

This is another item that is probably not a must have, but we sure have used them a lot, primarily because we end up using our water shoes (men’s, women’s) more than we ever imagined. These waterproof shoe bags are designed to keep water off your shoes. However, we use them in the reverse – to keep our wet water shoes from getting our other cool gear wet!

Around the Fire

After a long day hiking, this is what I look forward to! I love sitting around the fire, cooking dinner, making s’mores, and making memories. This cool camping gear helps make it just a little more special.

Fire Poker with Blower

Sure we have used a variety of good sized sticks “that will work just fine” to stoke our campfire and get those logs in just the right spot. And of course we have blown some air into the fire to really get it roaring while inhaling an exponentially greater amount of smoke, like every other camper trying to get their fire just right. But since we subscribe to work harder not smarter and are always looking for cool camping gear that will make life a little easier, we found this fire poker with blower.

We went with the 46 inch model that breaks down into three pieces. This fire poker performs wonderfully. The hook is far enough from the end that you can effectively stoke the coals or push logs around without getting caught up. The hook is also long enough to sturdily grab logs and pull them into place. The hollow design allows you to blow air right where you want to from a safe distance from the flames.

It’s very portable and easily fits into our gear packs. I cannot believe we never searched for something like this sooner than we did. 

Fire Tongs

In solving the problem of not having to inhale smoke while trying to stoke the fire, we also solved the how to safely place logs on the fire problem before it ever became one. Garrett found these tongs when searching for the fire poker and they seemed like another cool camping tool to have around.

We have used them far more times than I ever expected. They are an accordion design with a 42 inch reach. The accordion design allows them to fold into a very compact size allowing them to be easily packed with our other gear, right next to the fire poker. 

Ferro Rod

Garrett came across this ferro rod when shopping for Texas Bushcraft’s paracord bracelet. He was looking for a ferro rod around the same time and the dual purchase seemed to make sense. This is not an add-on that he regrets. When you strike it, showers of sparks are thrown at whatever fire starter you are using. We typically use a wax coated fire starter, but any tinder will do. We have not used any of the attached paracord that includes waxed cotton tinder yet, but it is there if we ever need it. It has been great to use, more reliable than a match, and it has been a great experience helping to teach our kids how to start a campfire with it. 

Wood Shaving Fire Starters

Ease of starting fires is a constantly sought endeavor. We’ve tried oil or petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls, dryer lint and scavenged tinder. We feel like the first two did not have the reproducible consistency we desired and the latter was affected by the weather conditions. These waxed wood shaving fire starters qualify as another cool camping gear addition. They are easily kept dry and have a combination of quick starting ability as well as some longevity of burn with their wood composition. The spark shower from a ferro rod easily ignites these and you are left with plenty of burn time to add kindling on and have your roaring fire started in no time. 

Camp Chairs

We have had a variety of camp chairs and these have been our absolute favorite! The seat sits a bit higher than others so you don’t feel like you are getting up off the ground each time you stand up. The seats are a good width so you can sit comfortably with a coat on or wrapped up in a blanket.

There are two different sized cup holders built in, which is very helpful. These are not one of the styles out there that has a cupholder for cups with handles though. The side pocket has gotten more use than I ever thought, even if only as a trashcan at times.

Not only do we take them on our outdoor adventures, we also use them for our kid’s soccer matches and in our friend’s backyards. We love these chairs so much we now have one for each of us and a couple extra for when our parents come to visit. 

Rumpl Blankets

I honestly do not even know where to begin with these. We have four of them now and have not regretted it for even a second. You will never think twice about throwing this blanket on the ground or wrapping up with it in a chair by the fire as you almost have to work to get them dirty. And when they are dirty, they wash up very well.

They roll up nicely into a provided bag and pack well for the trail. They make a great blanket to toss down for a picnic lunch.

The sherpa puffy blanket adds an additional layer of cozy if that is something you are looking for. Our youngest takes our Rumpl Sherpa Puffy blanket everywhere. She has claimed it as “hers”. Yes, they are a bit pricy, but worth every penny. Ultimately, buy the blanket, buy multiples. You won’t be disappointed, unless you only buy one.

Camp Lights on a Spool

This cool camping gear is a fun way to decorate your campsite that doesn’t take up much space or weigh much when packing so it is an easy thing to bring along. The string of lights is 39.4’ long with a hook on one and and the other is its magnetic base giving many options for stringing. There are multiple light modes including all white, color and flashing. It can also serve as a power bank if needing to charge your phone and has quick charge ability itself when its charge runs out. We don’t decorate our campsites like some do, but we have these. They are fun and add that little extra that is just needed sometimes. 

Marshmallow Roasting Sticks

We have roasted many a marshmallow on a good old fashioned stick. We have also been in places where, despite the forest around, the only thing thing that seemed readily available to roast a marshmallow on was some pine needles, which did not seem like the best of ideas. So in order to not have to cut a branch off a tree within our National Parks, we added marshmallow roasting sticks to our cool camping gear. The kit includes four sticks, perfect for our family. They are long enough to keep our little ones safely away from the flames, but also condense into a packable size. S’mores are a go-to for us in the evenings and these help us accomplish that goal.

JoGo Straws

This one is for the morning before that fire gets going. We love coffee and we love a fresh ground, fresh brewed cup of it. Unfortunately, this is not always possible to accomplish on our expeditions when space can be at a premium.

Before trying to find a collapsible pour over or stovetop espresso maker we decided to give JoGo straws a try. They occupy the space of a straw, are super easy to store, and they worked like a champ! We grind our coffee before we leave home, scoop some into our mug with some hot water and let it brew. Once it has brewed for a little while, prepare it however you like, then pop the straw in and enjoy.

This type of coffee is no where near the quality of your favorite pour over. But for packing only a straw to have your coffee, it is absolutely worth it, in both value and function.

Keeping the Kids (and Grownups!) Entertained

I’m sure we aren’t the only family that needs to keep the kiddos entertained on a camping adventure. This cool camping gear also work for the grownups, especially if you’re stuck inside.

National Park Trivial Pursuit

National Parks and trivia, two of our favorite things. At the end of a long day of hiking and exploring, we like to sit by the fire or around a table and play a game as a family or work on a puzzle. This is bonus family time during our vacation that we all look forward to. The National Parks Trivial Pursuit game allows us to all hone our trivia skills and learn some facts about the parks we didn’t know. It is highly portable and included on all our adventures.

National Park Yahtzee

Ironically enough, we had not really played Yahtzee as a family until getting this set. It was one of those “we need this to keep existing as beings” purchases from a National Park Visitor Center and since the kids were asking for a game we could play together as a family instead of something they were going to set aside and forget about in a half hour, we indulged. This game opened the door to competitiveness for our youngest. We have had a ton of fun rolling the dice together and working out the best possible combinations. Since you need a solid surface of some kind to play, picnic tables, dining table and even the coffee tables in the lobby at Crater Lake Lodge have worked wonderfully. 

National Park Cards

Again, games that can be played as a family are a high priority for us. We have taught and played card games of all types with our kids from when they were little. The cards are pretty versatile because you can play anything from Go Fish, Slap Jack, or War all the way to more complicated games that our kids love like Oh Pshaw. We have the Retro Ranger deck and love them, but any deck of cards will do. Pair a deck of cards with a carrying case and you can have multiple options on the go.

National Park Monopoly

Who doesn’t love a good ole game of Monopoly that can take three days to complete? Even better if it is the National Park version of Monopoly right?! Plan this for a trip when you have several days in one place!

UNO Go!

This was our first travel version of a game or set of cards. We chose it first as by that point we had played hours and hours of UNO together, and we knew it was our kids’ absolute favorite card game. The small cards of UNO Go! are easy to pack along wherever we go, and you’ll find them along side a few other decks of cards in our carrying case.

We have played this small version enough times now that the cards have the wear like that of the deck in the desk drawer at Grandma’s house, except we are miraculously not missing any cards yet. The belly laughs and competition this game brings out are like no other.

Skip-Bo

Skip-Bo is a great game to help kids work on number patterns, counting and strategy. This is another game none of us had played until we picked it up on an impulse buy. It goes on all trips with us as it is packed in our playing card carrying case. This is a card game we some times talk about looking forward to playing later when we are sitting back and relaxing after a day of exploring.

Phase 10

The was the last deck added into our carrying case of cards (because we’ve ran out of space!). We laughed SO hard playing this game with our great friends on a dual family adventure to Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks. Trying to play this while captaining your houseboat is a whole added level of difficulty. Phase 10 is another great game to teach kids about numbers, patterns and game strategy. 

Travel Checkers

You’ve probably gathered that we are a family who loves adventure and games. Teaching our kids to play checkers, watching them grasp the strategy of the game, and developing their own playing styles has been exceptionally fun. This travel checkers set is incredibly easy to pack as the board is fabric and only 12” x 12”, even on airplanes, and lets our kids easily play the game essentially wherever we are.

Portable Fishing Rods

OK, so this one isn’t for when you are stuck inside, but they are a staple for our entertainment.

Our kids have loved fishing since the height of the pandemic when we began going to the little pond down our street to fish for bluegill. They both would help dig for worms and then hurry off to go fish. They both have been non-stop fishermen since. When we were traveling to Isle Royale and Voyageurs, we wanted to be sure they had the opportunity to easily fish so Garrett began searching for portable fishing rods for them to take, goal being they fit in our Pelican boxes when collapsed. 

Ease of ability to fish was important for Garrett as well when we traveled to Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks. He didn’t have a fishing rod that was conducive for traveling though. He picked up a portable fishing rod for himself as well and it was well worth it. Very portable and it functioned well. He caught a few northern pike, smallmouth bass and coaster brook trout while on our trip. 

Solar Charger

Even though our first truly off the grid adventure had power banks for us to use back at camp, we wanted to get a portable solar charger to have as we honestly didn’t know what to expect. I have mentioned before, and will do so again here, our goals for these types of trips are to disconnect and be unreachable, however we do like having the safety net of being able to use our phones in an emergency if need be, thus wanting to have some solar charging capability on our person. Portable and effective solar charging is what we have gotten with this, exactly what we were looking for. 

Bottom Line: Cool Camping Gear and Gadgets for Families

With the right cool camping gear and gadgets, family trips can be both fun and stress-free. From arriving with your gear intact and organized to hanging out around the fire to keeping everyone entertained and comfortable, this cool gear makes outdoor adventures more enjoyable for all ages. As you prepare for your next camping trip, remember that the right tools can turn any outing into a memorable experience. Happy camping!