17 Best Camping Accessories To Prepare In 2021

How do you prepare for a camping trip? Aside from your rooftop tent and enough food and water, you need certain accessories. They depend on the season and personal preference. How do you decide what to bring?

You need to consider comfort, safety, emergencies, and convenience. Some items are essential, like survival supplies. Others are luxury.  

Are you sure you know what not to leave at home this season? Read on to find out which camping accessories are an absolute must!

Best Camping Accessories

1. Lighting

a. Outdoor Lighting

This is essential for safety. At the least, make sure your rooftop tent ladder is well-lit so you don’t have to climb in the dark.

Use fixed lighting such as LED strips or strings. Otherwise, use flashlights, headlamps, or portable lanterns if you need to walk around camp at night for toilet trips or locating items.  

b. Indoor Lighting

This is not essential but takes the hassle out of fumbling around with torches. Some tents come with built-in lighting like the BuntuTec BunduTop hard shell tent. Otherwise, most tents have hooks for hanging lights on the ceiling. (Many lights have orange and white modes – orange is easier on the eye).

2. Fans

A fan is a must for summer camping. Not only will it keep you cool, but the added ventilation also prevents condensation. The BunduTop comes with a built-in fan.

There are plenty of solar-powered options and fans with rechargeable batteries. For convenience, why not try a fan and light combo which you can hang on the tent ceiling?

3. Power Supplies

A portable power station provides flexibility in case you need to charge laptops, camera batteries, and small appliances like fans and lighting.

Products like the Jackery Power Station are popular. You charge them via an AC outlet or solar panel. Power is output via USB ports, DC carport, or AC outlet.

Otherwise, install solar panels on your rooftop tent. At the very least, they will supplement your existing power supply. At best, you could rely on solar completely.  

4. Storage

No matter how luxurious your tent, you’re living in a small space. Having enough storage prevents the frustration that clutter brings in this situation.

Storage pouches - Many rooftop tents come with boot storage bags and other storage pockets. In some tents, you can attach extra pouches inside.  

Track hangers - Track hangers are super useful camping accessories for trucks and cars if your rooftop tent has a sidetrack. You slide the track hangers into the sidetrack for cheap, instant, off-ground storage.

It’s a handy way to keep items dry when the ground is wet. They provide easy access for items – instead of storing them in your vehicle.      

5. Bear Deterrents

Bright lights and horns (or anything that makes a loud noise) deter bears. Bring something like that with you when camping in bear territory. Use the bear spray as a last resort. Also, make sure you have bear cans for storing food, trash, and toiletries. 

6. Cooking Accessories

Whether you want a basic or comprehensive camping kitchen, you need some of these items: 

• Basics – pots, pans, cutlery, and so on.
• Portable stoves – some countries or regions don’t allow campfires because of wildfire risk or pollution. In this case, you need another way to cook. Some bans may still allow gas and propane stoves and grills. For more limited scenarios where no flames are allowed, electric stoves are available.
• Crockery – plates, bowls, and mugs designed for camping are often made from enamel. They’re durable - suitable for outdoor living.
• Insect screens – after preparing food, cover the finished product (or leftovers) and keep bugs away.
• Portable espresso machines – a luxury item for campers who like to indulge in a real cup of coffee, no matter how far into the wild they venture. 

7. Fridge-Freezer

Having a fridge or fridge-freezer combo makes your meal plan flexible. The largest units store 60 liters or more – around 7-10 days’ food for two adults. They give you greater temperature control than coolers and keep food fresh for longer. 

8. Camping Furniture

Camping furniture brings utility and comfort. Here’s how:

• Camping tables - they make it easier to prepare food. You’ll find foldable tables, table and chair sets, and tables that double up as a cupboard.  
• Chairs or hammocks - these options mean you don’t have to stay in your tent during downtime. You can continue to enjoy the fresh air and relax by the fire with comfort. Loungers and inflatable chairs are a couple of options.
• Storage units – these portable cupboards can hold your kitchen utensils and anything else. Perfect for long-term trips.

9. Fire Starters

Bring flint, matches, or lighters to get the fire going. To give things a boost, consider fire lighting pellets. 

To save time, gather some dry kindling before you set out. You never know what conditions may await you – having some dry leaves, twigs, and newspaper to hand will save your skin in wet weather.

10. Pocket Knife

Life outdoors without a pocket knife can be frustrating. They’re useful for so many tasks, such as:

• Cutting food if you’re travelling light and don’t want to bring utensils
• Cutting kindling
• Cutting the fishing line
• Cutting rope
• Opening containers
• Emergency first-aid if no other supplies are available
• Quickly tearing clothes for first-aid purposes

 Pack one and save yourself the hassle of finding workarounds. 

11. First Aid Kit

Minor cuts and blisters are likely after treks in the wild. Prevent infection by keeping a first aid kid with you. You can put one together yourself with items you already have. A basic kit should include:

• Antiseptic wipes
• Band-aids
• Bandages
• Gauze
• Adhesive tape
• Sterile, disinfected scissors

More comprehensive kits which you can buy may include:

• Painkillers
• Survival whistles
• Emergency hypothermia blankets
• Burn cream
• Butterfly wound closers
• Tweezers
• First aid guides

12. Rope

The rope is handy in all sorts of ways:

• Hanging beer cans
• Using as a clothesline
• Rescue situations
• Towing
• And much more 

13. Camping Toilets and Toilet Paper

Wanting to use real toilet paper instead of leaves doesn’t make you less of a nature enthusiast. For comfort and hygiene, bring some. (Even in campgrounds, it’s helpful to have extra). 

If you’re not at a campsite, you can take a trash bag for disposing of paper or use biodegradable paper. Also, consider getting a camping toilet.  It saves you digging holes 15 cm deep each time. 

14. Heaters

Winter camping might require extra heating along with your warm sleeping bags and insulation. Popular, safe choices include:

• Electric heaters with shut-off protection for milder temperatures.
• Catalytic propane heaters – use chemical reactions to create heat. The propane fuels the reactions but there’s no flame. These are best in more extreme cold. 

15. A Compass and Map or GPS

Use GPS with a reliable battery and make sure it’s fully charged before exploring. It’s wise to have a compass and map as a backup – it can be easy to get lost in remote areas and with nobody around to help, that’s not a situation to risk getting into. 

16. Water Purification

Of course, you’ll bring your own supply of freshwater, but you never know when you might need extra. If you run out, having a method for purifying water could save the day (and in some cases, your life).

Your options are:

• Water purification tablets
• Filters
• Portable purifiers 

17. Awnings

Awnings are camping accessories for car-top tents which give you covered outdoor space. For some trips, this is essential, providing much-needed shelter. They provide extra living space for cooking, relaxing, or eating.

To Sum Up

First aid kits, heaters, lighting, and bear deterrents – these items are crucial for safety. You could spare items like water purifying tablets on less risky trips, but it’s good to have some - just in case.

We looked at furniture, fridge-freezers, and portable toilets. They’re not life-saving but they make camp life much easier!

Finally - awnings. When you desperately need shelter from rain or scorching heat,  an awning comes to the rescue. Check out Eezi-Awn’s Manta 270 Awning for 100 square feet of shelter when that unexpected downpour hits!