Essential Gear for Camping with Teenagers

I love family camping. Even when my teenage boys are fighting over dumb things and throwing rocks way too close to where I’m sitting, I just lean back in my camp chair and take a giant whiff of pine trees and smile at the chipmunks.

My family car camps, and—even as an Outside writer—I feel absolutely no shame in that. Sure, backpacking deep into the wild would be great. It’s physically demanding and pure. But car camping is a much easier way to get our family of four on board. It requires fewer logistics, so we’re far more likely to do it, and it’s immediately fun for all, maximizing the limited time we have available.

Life is busy with two teenagers and all of our individual pursuits—sports, social lives, work. But for the 24 hours or so that the four of us spend car camping, we’re together. Outside. In the dirt, under the open sky. My sons know we have at least two mandatory family camping trips every summer, and while they may gripe a little, I know they secretly look forward to fresh air, and s’mores, and listening to their parents play hippie songs on the guitar.

We started car camping with our boys when they were toddlers. With my sons now 18 and 14, I love few things more than waking up in a tent with all of us together, including the dog, snug and cozy under one nylon roof.

Here’s the gear that makes our family car camping low on hassle and high on reward. Some are evergreen standbys while others we’ve added as our boys became teenagers and their gear needs changed.

6-Person Tent

Marmot Limestone 6

We have an old 6-person tent similar to this one from Marmot. I’m a big fan of the 6-person size for a family of four plus a yellow lab. We have plenty of room to sleep and can even hang out and play games in the tent during a rainstorm. Luxurious in space but heavy and bulky, this kind of tent is the opposite of a backpacking tent, but it works great as a car camping home base. It’s easy to set up and has interior corner pockets for items like headlamps and car keys.

2-Person Sleeping Pads

Exped MegaMat Duo

We use two Exped MegaMat Duo sleeping pads for the four of us. They’re extremely comfortable, large enough for two adults or two teenage boys, and fairly simple to inflate and deflate. (Even easier now that we’ve added the Exped MegaPump.) The pads are made from recycled materials, and pack down relatively small considering their large size. The folded-up mats also have welded handles for easy transport.

2-Burner Stove

GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540+ Camp Stove

We’ve been camp cooking with the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540+ Camp Stove and love its simplicity, functionality, and power. The stove is relatively lightweight, and packs down flat and compact for traveling—with the propane connecting attachment safely inside. Once at camp, we simply attach a 1-lb. propane canister, turn a burner knob, and hit the ignite switch. There’s no need for matches, and the butane instantly creates a powerful flame. Quick heating for hungry families at camp is a relief, and the double-burner is a must. The easy-to-prop-up lid also blocks wind effectively.

11-Piece Cook Tools

GSI Outdoors Gourmet Kitchen Set 11

Instead of having to forage through our kitchen every time we go camping to find a spatula, large spoon, cutting board, etc., we keep a GSI Outdoors Gourmet Kitchen Set 11 in our camping bin. It stores and transports all the cooking tools we need to whip up tacos, scrambled eggs, or nearly any meal we can think of in a single zip-up container.

2-Person Chairs

Kelty Low Loveseat

We have two, two-person Kelty Low Loveseats, and, well, we love them. It’s easier to load and unload two chairs than four, and they keep us close. I have fond memories of sitting next to each of my boys at different stages in their lives, watching the fire and roasting marshmallows. (We also use these chairs for spectating at youth soccer games.)

Fishing Poles

Ugly Stick Elite Spinning Combo

As my boys have gotten older and less interested in climbing rocks and playing games around camp, I’ve relied on fishing to keep them entertained. My 14-year-old, who fishes often, uses an Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Combo—he likes it for its sensitivity and its clear tip that fish can’t see when it’s in the water. My 18-year-old just started using an Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Combo and says he appreciates its reliability. Both rods are durable and easy to use.

Giant Rooftop Carrier.

Thule Force 3 XXL

Since my teenagers are tall and we camp with our dog, plus bring all the gear listed above—and a guitar—we rely on a rooftop carrier. We use the Thule Force 3 XXL to fit everything. The box locks shut and the side-access design makes it easy to load and unload. It’s also simple to slide on and off roof racks and secures with simple clamp attachments. It sits on the roof of our old Toyota 4Runner for camping and ski trips, and leans against a shed in the yard when we don’t need it. But when we do need it, the box is the most convenient way to pack everything we need and want for successful family camping trips with teenagers.

Camp Shoes

Teva Aventrail R2T Trail Running Sandals

I’m a big fan of camp shoes, lightweight, easy on-and-off footwear to wear when spending nights outside. The Teva Aventrail R2T Trail Running Sandals have surprised me with how well they worked for camping, especially near water. I wore them wading in a mud-mucky lakeshore before Stand Up Paddleboarding. After, they dried quickly enough to be comfortable when worn around camp with socks. And they’ve proven easy to slip into in the middle of the night when taking my dog out of the tent to pee. (It’s always me who gets up.)