Our Favorite Camping Gear at Outdoor Retailer

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Our gear editors scoured the floor of Summer Outdoor Retailer 2018 for the most interesting camping and hiking products. Here’s what they found.

Sure, you could have a bowl of oatmeal every morning while camping. But why not make something that would put a restaurant to shame? This might be the best backpacking meal I’ve ever had. Yes, the pancakes really do taste like carrot cake, and unlike a lot of gluten-free products, they don’t come out gritty or crumbly. I can’t wait to have them again.

—Abbey Gingras, social media editorial assistant

These days I frequently find myself trading in my lightweight backpacking gear for plusher car-camping stuff. That’s why I’m stoked on the Quick Set cot, which boosts you two feet off the ground and makes sleeping outside far more comfortable than a traditional pad. With a handle activated by a simple pull, the entire thing folds up in seconds.

—Ben Fox, affiliate reviews manager

The classic two-liter camping pot has its place for preparing big meals, but sometimes all you want is a few cups of instant coffee or a bowl of oatmeal. MSR’s Pika aluminum teapot holds a liter of water, just enough for it to serve as your sole fast and light backpacking pot.

—Ariella Gintzler, assistant editor

The Trail Runner is my ultralight dream. The collapsible bowl stuffs into its own pocket and packs down to the size of a walnut. It’s fully seam sealed and holds a liter of water.

—Emily Reed, assistant editor

I’ve been using GCI’s Freestyle Rocker for about a year now, and it’s hands down the most comfortable camping chair in existence. You could argue that shocks on the back legs are excessive, but I’d reply to the contrary: that they’re not quite enough. The one thing that’d make it better? A sun shade, an addition that GCI conveniently unveiled this week at Outdoor Retailer.

—Will Egensteiner, senior editor