Backpackers are good at improvising creative solutions to problems, especially when it comes to gear. When you鈥檙e carrying your life on your back, relying on quick fixes and is the name of the game. We also love gadgets and any piece of gear that simplifies time spent on the trail or in camp. So it鈥檚 no surprise that the internet abounds with 3D-printed models, designed by hikers, aiming to solve all kinds of backpacking dilemmas. While we haven鈥檛 yet tested any of the following, here are ten designs we think deserve a place in our backpacks.

Don鈥檛 have a 3D printer at home? Many libraries, makers workshops, and other creative spaces have printers available for use by the public.

Cord Tensioners

Sure, a will do when it comes to perfecting our tent pitch or hanging a clothesline, but we love cord tensioners that automatically lock into place when you slide them along a line鈥攏o tying required. Some tent and tarp guylines come pre-fitted with tensioning devices, but you can retrofit all of your lines and shelters with .

Bear Canister Key

Ever tried to open a BearVault with freezing fingers? Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be . Thankfully, one ingenious backpacker designed to aid in the process. You could use a credit card, but this device even comes with an attachment for your canister鈥檚 lid so it鈥檚 always on hand.

Pocket-Sized Games

Card games are fun, but who says your favorite board games can鈥檛 be ultralight? Only a smidge larger than a Snickers bar (though you can scale the design to any size you like), this is compact and packable. This fits inside an Altoid tin. Whatever game you love, there鈥檚 likely a mini 3D-printed model out there.

Toothpaste Transfer Tube

Ounce-counters love sample-size mini toothpaste tubes (the ones that are even smaller than travel-sized toothpaste). But buying a new tube for every hike is wasteful. One resourceful backpacker invented for refilling miniature toothpaste tubes from full-sized ones.

Two-in-One Whistle/Tick Remover

Ultralight backpackers love any item that serves multiple functions. There are countless designs for tick-removal tools and safety whistles online, but combines the two into one keychain-compatible gizmo.

Fuel Stand

Some backpacking stoves come with fuel canister stands to keep your whole setup level on uneven ground. If yours didn鈥檛, you can print your own foldable stand with . If you鈥檝e got an engineer鈥檚 mind, you can modify the design to suit your needs.

Stake Pushers

I鈥檝e bent and broken countless tent stakes by hammering them with a large rock, but never have I considered that there may be a solution out there. These fit on top of a tent stake (there are loads of designs to fit different shapes and sizes) to protect your hand or shoe while driving the stake, or provide a flat surface upon which to hammer.

Trekking Pole Tip Protectors

Last time I had to , I wrapped the tips in paper towels to prevent them from damaging my bag or anything inside it. Instead, you can print , , and even for your poles. There are plenty of designs compatible with various models and brands so you can find your perfect fit.

Water Filter End Cap

Here鈥檚 a really niche one. Picture this: You鈥檙e expecting a cold night in camp, and you don鈥檛 want your water filter to freeze. The solution? Put it in your sleeping bag. But residual water can leak out while you sleep. Why use a plastic bag when you can simply screw on , specifically designed for Sawyer water filters? Just like that, no more leaks.

Sleeping Pad Pump Adapter

Battery-powered sleeping pad pumps are among our favorite recent backpacking innovations. But these pumps aren鈥檛 compatible with every brand of sleeping pad on the market. Luckily, a exist for adapting pumps for specific sleeping pads.

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Picture this: You roll into camp late Friday night after a long work week. Your car headlights illuminate your chosen patch of dirt at the campsite as the last of the sunlight dips below the trees. It鈥檚 a full-on race to unload the car, wrangle the tent poles, wrestle with the rainfly, and stake everything down before darkness swallows the site. Sound familiar?

As enjoyable as car camping is, there鈥檚 no denying that setting everything up can be a hassle, especially with kids and a dog (or two) thrown into the mix. The more you pack, the more you have to unpack, organize, and assemble. It鈥檚 a ritual every car camper knows too well: the delicate dance between convenience and chaos.

That鈥檚 why I鈥檝e started looking for gear that takes the headache out of setup without sacrificing comfort. And I think I might鈥檝e found the ultimate car camping luxury: the Thule Outset.

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My weather app is full of it, I grumbled to myself as minutes turned to anxiety-inducing hours beneath thick clouds鈥攏ot the clear skies my phone had promised.

I鈥檓 not new to meteorological mind games. As an astrophotographer and night-sky enthusiast, I鈥檝e endured my fair share of inaccurate weather forecasts. But this one-night-only trip to Pennsylvania鈥檚 Cherry Springs State Park鈥攐ne of the darkest spots in the eastern U.S.鈥攚as testing my patience.

Luckily, my clear-skies gamble paid off around midnight, when bright Vega began to sparkle overhead. More stars followed, then came the Milky Way. After four hours of killing time, I saw for myself why East Coast astrotourists rave about this dark-sky oasis.

And it鈥檚 just one of dozens upon dozens of stargazing trips I鈥檝e plotted for night-sky photography in recent years. I鈥檝e chased aurora up and down Greenland鈥檚 west coast, snapped the stars in Chile鈥檚 Atacama Desert, and slept beneath the cosmos on a salt pan in Botswana. In this article, I鈥檓 sharing 12 staples in my stargazing gear kit. All are portable, functional, and beginner-friendly鈥攂ecause watching the stars doesn鈥檛 require expensive equipment or intimidating gear. It鈥檚 all about stepping outside to look up. Here鈥檚 how.

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Beautiful places are a constant source of inspiration for Indie singer-songwriter . High on the beauty list: America鈥檚 national parks. 鈥淚鈥檝e had such amazing experiences at national parks,鈥� he says, guitar in hand, while standing below a giant sequoia tree. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 where I feel the most myself, and the way that nature and music connect makes you feel like you鈥檙e floating when you鈥檙e playing.鈥�

Miller towed his Intech Dol Horizon Rover into Sequoia National Park with excitement and anticipation. The park, well-known for its groves of towering giant sequoias鈥攊ncluding the famous General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume鈥攑romises a moment of awe for all who explore it. And with over 400,000 acres of wilderness, deep canyons, granite peaks, and ancient trees, Miller knew he was entering an artist鈥檚 dream landscape.

Watch how Miller experiences music and creativity in Sequoia National Park, and then somewhere beautiful.

Wander Like Holden Miller

The Ultimate Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Road Trip

Distance: 280 miles

Recommended Time: 4鈥�5 days

Begin in Fresno and head east to Grant Grove Village, in the northwestern section of Kings Canyon National Park, where you鈥檒l stand beneath towering sequoias, including the famed General Grant Tree. Continue along winding mountain roads deeper into the Sierra, where the scenic byway to Roads End offers access to trailheads and peaceful campsites along the South Fork of the Kings River. Retrace your route via Highway 180 and make your way south into Sequoia National Park, stopping for panoramic views and hikes along the way. Don鈥檛 miss the short trail to the General Sherman Tree, the largest living tree on Earth, or the granite ascent to Moro Rock, where you鈥檒l be rewarded with sweeping views of the park. Whether you’re hiking among ancient giants, stargazing from camp, or soaking in the alpine scenery, this road trip offers a rare and restorative blend of stillness and scale.

Hospital Rock to Wolverton Road Junction: This section is not recommended for vehicles longer than 22′. Learn more about road conditions in before visiting.

聽 is the consumer-facing voice of the RV industry with a mission to inspire potential RVers, spark curiosity, and raise awareness about the benefits and accessibility of RVing through rich, authentic, and diverse storytelling.

Park Sessions

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Backpacking stoves solve a basic problem: You鈥檝e just hiked several miles into the woods, you鈥檙e tired and hungry, and if you don’t have a hot meal you鈥檒l throw a tantrum like a toddler who doesn鈥檛 get ice cream at the fair. Jetboil and MSR have a long history of addressing this predicament and both companies make iconic backpacking stoves. set the standard for quiet, lightweight stoves in the 鈥�80s, while Jetboil reinvented the 鈥減ersonal cooking system鈥� with an emphasis on efficiency when they introduced their first stove in the early 2000s.

Both iconic brands recently introduced new stoves designed for the backcountry鈥攖he Jetboil Zip and the MSR Switch鈥攕o I decided to pit them against each other in a head-to-head test.

Jetboil Zip vs. MSR Switch: What You Need to Know

Both stoves are designed to be lightweight, compact cooktops for the backcountry, but they take slightly different approaches to accomplish the job. While they have similar aesthetics, the specs and features vary enough that you need to think about your priorities and how you like to cook while you鈥檙e backpacking before you make a purchase.

Neither the Zip or Switch would be considered ultralight by purists standards, but they鈥檙e plenty light and compact for backpackers who aren鈥檛 shaving the handles off of their toothbrushes. And both stoves are very packable, with a design that allows you to stack all of the parts, even the gas canisters, inside the main cooking pot. It鈥檚 a convenient approach that keeps everything you need for dinner in one spot. They鈥檙e also both easy to use thanks to intuitive systems that even beginner backpackers would have no problem understanding. Although, I did have a friend ruin a Jetboil once because he didn鈥檛 take the plastic protector off the bottom of the pot before trying to boil water. So make sure you do that.

Jetboil Zip: Straightforward, Efficient, But Not Versatile

The Jetboil Zip is basically the little brother to the popular Jetboil Flash cooking system. Instead of the Flash鈥檚 1-liter volume, the Zip gives you a slightly more demure .8-liter volume, so it鈥檚 designed for a single backpacker cooking for themself. Like all Jetboils, the Zip is a water-boiling device, with a stove that鈥檚 designed specifically to be used with the pot.

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REI just doesn鈥檛 take a break when it comes to serving up some of the best deals in the outdoor biz. After last weekend鈥檚 huge members-only sale, the Seattle-based retailer is dropping prices on a ton of gear in its by 40 percent or more this weekend.

With temperatures cooling down, leaf-peeping season in full swing, and optimal outdoor time on the horizon, this sale is the perfect place to pick up some gear to make your autumnal adventures that much more fun. We found everything from star-gazing-worthy camp chairs and headlamps as bright as the sun to tough-as-nails duffels and microplastic-filtering water bottles.

Read on to see a few of our favorite picks or head to to shop the full sale yourself. Just don鈥檛 wait鈥攖he sale ends on Sunday night.

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Everything tastes better when you鈥檙e camping鈥攖hat鈥檚 just a fact. Unless, of course, you char the pancakes over an overenthusiastic stove, or the milk curdles in a cut-rate cooler, or you impale yourself on a flimsy, dull knife. You get the picture鈥攈azards abound. Invest in a smart camp kitchen, and you鈥檒l eat better, spend less time scrubbing, and keep all ten fingers intact.

Luckily, our fearless team of 14 testers put more than 60 pieces of camp kitchen gear on the chopping block to bring you the 16 best outdoor cooking gear we could find.

Updated September 2025: We鈥檝e added three new picks鈥攖he Opinel Nomad Cooking Kit, Drip EZ Prep Tub, and Yeti Three Course Bowl Set鈥攖o complete your camp kitchen setup. Other product and price info has also been updated.聽

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The first was patented in 1953. It was a big, insulated box that looked a lot like a Yeti, but without the handles. Early versions of the cooler were called a 鈥淟eisure Chest鈥� (great name) and promised cold groceries out in the wild, as long as you loaded them down with ice.

In the 75 years since, cooler design hasn鈥檛 changed all that much. Ice retention has certainly improved, but even with the best, most insulated coolers, you鈥檒l still need to restock it with ice over the course of a weekend camping trip. Then you have to try to keep your food out of the melting ice so it doesn鈥檛 get soggy. And when you get home, you have to dump the water, wipe down the cooler, and leave it open to dry out so it doesn鈥檛 get moldy. It鈥檚 all a hassle, and yet I鈥檝e been loyal to the old technology for decades, even when others insisted that an electric cooler was the superior option.

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Early this summer, I decided it was high time that my husband and I take our 2-year-old and 9-month old camping. Why? Because Instagram. Momfluencers filled my feed with dreamy reels of family camping trips, babies included. After two summers stuck at home, either pregnant or recovering, I was desperate for the woods and convinced camping with a baby and a toddler was doable.

So one Thursday night in June, after wrangling bedtime, my husband and I pulled off the most intense pack job of our lives. Two years out of practice, we had to first track down the basics鈥攖ent, camp kitchen gear, propane, sleeping pads, bedding, chairs, water jug鈥攖hen pile on the baby essentials: pack-n-play, bottles, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, puffy jackets, toys, books, etc.

Packing (and even unpacking) all of this crap would actually prove the easiest part of camping with a baby and a toddler. The real challenges came at camp: Setting up a tent with a baby crawling around in the woods, stuffing pine needles into her mouth; wrestling kids into bed at 7 p.m. while the sun blazed until 9; and praying they鈥檇 sleep past 5 a.m. sunrise.

We lasted exactly one night. Shocker: The baby didn鈥檛 sleep, so neither did we. After a new kind of dawn patrol to remove our tired but awake鈥攁nd vocal鈥攌ids from the innocents in the campsites around us, my husband and I called uncle. We were home by 11 a.m., exhausted and defeated. Was it worth it? If you go by time invested versus time enjoyed, no. No it was not. But I鈥檓 still glad we did it. The trip was a crash course in family camping. We learned we weren鈥檛 quite ready emotionally or mentally, but on the bright side, our camp setup was solid. For anyone bold (or crazy) enough to try camping with babies, here鈥檚 the family camping gear that can save your sanity.

7 Family Camping Essentials

• Family Tent:
• Queen-Size Sleeping Pad:
• Baby Seat:
• Baby Sleeping Bag:
• Reliable Camp Stove:
• Comfy Camp Chair:
• Portable Sound Machine:

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Sleeping outdoors does not need to be uncomfortable. With the right gear, and a considered approach, lying under the stars can be just as nice as staying home. And no piece of gear is more important to comfort than your sleeping pad. Drawing from the 11 years and hundreds of nights I鈥檝e spent sleeping on luxury pads, here鈥檚 how to find the right ones for your unique preferences, budget, and environment.

I bought my first luxury sleeping pad way back in 2014, as I was recovering physically and financially from a really bad motorcycle crash. That justified its $390 price not only because it supported and cushioned my sore bones like nothing else, but also because it allowed me to turn camping trips into third dates.

Originally launched in 2011, the Exped Megamat was the first in this new generation of luxury sleeping pads. By housing pressurized air inside four inches of memory foam underneath a totally flat surface covered in a stretchy material that allowed the entire mattress to conform to your body鈥檚 shape, it delivered a level of comfort that was hitherto unprecedented outdoors. And, by blowing it up extra firm, then using the valve to 鈥渂urp鈥� air out of it as you laid on top, you could achieve a perfect, tailored level of support and cushion each and every night.

I鈥檓 not the only person whose enjoyment of the outdoors was transformed by the Megamat. As in all other successful product categories, rivals showed up promising new features and approaches.

perforated the interior foam and added a pad coupling system. Together, those changes reduced packed size and made it possible to draw two one-person (1P) pads tightly together to form a unified sleep surface for two people.

The brought lower price points by cutting out middlemen.

And Therm-a-Rest brought made-in-America production to the category, along with high-flow valves, with .

Put 鈥渓uxury sleeping pad鈥� into the search bar on Amazon and you鈥檒l find a bunch of pads that look similar from discount brands no one鈥檚 ever heard of.

All of the above follow the same basic formula: Like the original Exped Megamat, they鈥檙e about four-inches thick, contain both foam and air, and feature totally-flat sleep surfaces, vertical sidewalls, and stretchy sleep surfaces. R-values (a measure of insulation) for all of those exceed 6.0 and they sleep in utter silence. All are also big and heavy, limiting them to car camping trips. While they鈥檙e all extremely comfortable, there was still room for alternative approaches.

Exped itself did that by offering and 聽versions, plus . I鈥檝e tried all of them, and still find myself going back to the original (now called the , available in multiple lengths and widths for both one and two sleepers) for a just-right answer to most nights.

Last year, Therm-a-Rest aimed to bring equivalent comfort to backpacking with the launch of . Its inflated size and shape replicate those of the luxury car camping pads, but it ditches the heavy, bulky foam insulation for the same crinkly foil used in the brand鈥檚 ultralight pads. It鈥檚 more comfortable than any other backpacking pad, but at 30 ounces, it’s also more than twice the weight of something like , itself already very comfortable. That outweighs (har) the other benefits to my mind, at least for true backpacking, but the NeoLoft is so much smaller than other luxury pads when packed鈥攁bout the size of a basketball鈥攖hat it opens up means of transport like canoe, bush plane, or motorcycle, with more comfort than you could have taken along on those adventures previously.

HEST, a new brand based in Seattle, launched in 2019 with exactly the opposite approach. ditches the air in favor of all-foam construction. And that鈥檚 remarkable, given that it doesn鈥檛 pack down any larger than one of the original luxury pads with the same dimensions. The four-inch thick memory foam is split into two densities. The one on top is soft, conforming to your body, while the firmer one underneath provides support. The foam is then encased in a shell that鈥檚 rugged and waterproof on the bottom, and stretchy and breathable on top. While foam will never puncture or lose air, it can鈥檛 achieve the same degree of firmness as one of the inflatables.

Which Luxury Pad Is Right for You?

All of the pads I’ve highlighted so far are available in multiple dimensions, with most also available in at least one size suitable for two sleepers. The ability to precisely size a pad to your body, preference, shelter, or surface (Exped even makes ) is a major advantage offered across this category. Before cross shopping price, consider first the dimensions, and any special use you want to prioritize. Exped鈥檚 MegaMat ranges from $170 to $520, and most of the competitors are within that ballpark too.

While all of these pads offer impressive comfort, there are some major differences as you dive into the specifications. The Nemo Roamer, for instance, has an R-Value of 6.0, the lowest of the air-and-foam pads, due to the perforations in its foam. It packs considerably smaller as a result, but is most applicable to camping in temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. In contrast, the Exped Megamat Max鈥檚 six-inches of foam delivers an R-Value of 11.0, meaning that, paired with the correct clothing and sleeping bags, it could keep you comfortable down to a positively ridiculous -76 degrees Fahrenheit.

When investing in comfort, it鈥檚 also worth considering warranties. Therm-a-Rest, with its factory in Seattle, Washington, is famously able to offer a generous lifetime warranty for all of its sleeping pads. Nemo offers the same. Exped and HEST offer five years. REI allows members to return products up to one year from the date of purchase.

I can speak somewhat to the longevity of these pads. That original 2P Exped I bought way back in 2014 is, with the exception of a large hole I tore in it and repaired in early 2016, still as good as new. I鈥檝e gotten two years of use on a one-person Therm-a-Rest Mondoking, and managed to kill a Nemo Roamer after three years by melting it on a hot ATV exhaust pipe, which was no fault of the pad鈥檚. I think expecting a decade out of any of these pads is reasonable.

Accessorize for Comfort, Durability, Convenience

Within the context of a decade full of newly-comfortable camping trips, you’ll want to get the most from these pads. Their popularity has created a market for dedicated accessories, while their size means they pair well with some common home goods, too.

One item I now consider essential is the , which starts at $420 and is sized for 25-inch wide pads. It鈥檚 made from an extremely robust, hand-stitched fabric that protects your sleep system from weather, dust, and punctures. Stuart Born, the company鈥檚 founder, tells me that in the company鈥檚 eight-year history, he鈥檚 never heard of a mattress being punctured inside one of these shells. In addition to protection, the Badger Bed helps unify your sheets and insulation layers into a single unit that rolls and unrolls altogether, for easy storage and transportation.

The premise here isn鈥檛 necessarily insurance for your pad, which probably costs less money than the shell, but rather the ability to rely on its comfort while traveling and camping. With the Badger Bed you can sleep on even the bare ground without worrying about sharp rocks, sticks, creepy crawlies, burrs, or dirt damaging or invading your sleep system. The Badger Bed fits any 25-by-78-inch or 30-by-82-inch pad鈥攐r anything smaller than those dimensions.

You may also want to take advantage of the pads’ generous dimensions by ditching your sleeping bag. and both make fitted sheets that fit these pads, which boost comfort and help keep them clean. On top of those, blankets and quilts can be stacked to achieve the desired level of both insulation and flexibility. , , and all make their own puffy quilts sized just to these pads, and there are many options on the market. I like to run a Born top sheet, followed by a heavyweight fleece blanket I bought years ago at a Bed, Bath, and Beyond, then a down quilt. By using Born items, I can attach them to toggles within the shell, so they don鈥檛 get rucked up or moved out of the way while I sleep.

If you choose one of the inflatable options, you鈥檙e also going to need to blow it up, and these things鈥攅specially the 2P options鈥攈old a lot of air. Recent innovations in battery density have resulted in electric pumps that are smaller than a soda can, and which will save your lungs a lot of effort. I鈥檝e by no means conducted exhaustive testing across every pump out there, but holds enough juice to inflate and deflate a 1P Megamat ten times, and ships with adaptors that have connected it to every mattress I鈥檝e ever tried. Note the deflation thing. By sucking the air out of the foam inside these pads, you can get a drastically smaller packed size. this is no small feat if truck or truck-bed space is tight.

It鈥檚 also nice to get off of the ground. All of these accessories work on appropriately sized cots as well as they do on the ground. Back in 2018, I asked myself why I wouldn鈥檛 want to take advantage of how flat and stable the pads are and use a real bed frame. perfectly matched the dimensions of my Megamat Duo, elevating that 14 inches off the floor of the giant canvas tent I put up for hunting camp each fall. That way, warm air from the wood stove is free to circulate around me, I get bed-like comfort, and I don鈥檛 have to lower or raise my sore muscles all the way to the ground or back up. As a bonus, it splits in half, into two 25-inch wide bed frames that are just the right size for a 1P pad (the smallest stand alone size, twin, is 39 inches wide), so now a buddy and I both get one.

And that鈥檚 how I鈥檒l be sleeping most nights this fall, way out in the mountains. I鈥檝e got my new HEST Foamy all wrapped up in a Badger Bed, complete with fitted sheets, and a cozy insulation layers, ready to ride in my truck up there, where the bed frame is already waiting from last year.

Is my setup excessive? Yes. But talk to me when you鈥檝e just leapt out of bed after a full, restful night鈥檚 sleep, fully recharged and ready to tackle another challenging day in the mountains. Or as you鈥檙e hiking back to camp after dark, totally exhausted, but feeling reassured in the knowledge that you have the most comfortable bed possible waiting for you to collapse into it.

Wes Siler, our longtime outdoor lifestyle columnist, is a total wimp who obsessively pursues comfort in extreme environments. You can ask him for help dialing in your own system, or with anything else , where he helps readers lead more exciting lives outdoors.聽

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