With spring underway and summer fast approaching, I’m already drawing up a list of state parks I’d like to visit this camping season. If you’re doing the same, it’s probably also time to dust off your camping gear and make some upgrades now that REI’s sale on camping products is in full swing. As someone who’s camped for over 10 years, I know some of my gear is due for an upgrade.
Our favorite for easy setup is the Ozark Trail 8-Person Instant Cabin Tent with LED Lighted Poles and Bluetooth Speaker. Like the 12 person tent, it also comes with a T-style door, so you can move camping gear and furniture without having to fangle it through a small, D-style door. Cabin-style straight wall tent designs provide more lateral space, sure, but a dome tent is better against the wind. One could, in theory, purchase a new Ozark canopy every year (which they might need to!) and still come out ahead over the years vs. purchasing a more expensive alternative.
Both of the Grand Trunk Compass 360 Stools come in their own carry bags. That makes it easy to visualize how much more compact the UC ($100) is compared with the XT ($80). Despite the Renetto chair’s weight and bulk, our testers found it simple to set up and adjust. The TikTok version of the chair is adorably summer-themed, featuring nostalgia-inducing red, white, and blue popsicle designs all over the seat. There’s a cupholder on the right arm and a built-in cooler on the left that can hold a six-pack of drinks (or more, if you dare).
The sturdy yet simple Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon is what most people are probably looking for in a folding wagon—a versatile, easy-to-use, lighter wagon at a reasonable price. The Mac Sports Wagon weighs 22½ pounds and can hold up to 150 pounds of gear. Based on its listed interior dimensions, we calculated the storage to be ozark trail backpack about 3½ cubic feet. It has a solid frame, which remained durable throughout a battery of tests, including rolling the wagon down a hill while it was filled with equipment. Testers preferred the Coleman chair’s thoughtfully placed mesh storage pouch over those of its competitors. This pouch is big enough to stow gear like a phone, book, or tablet.
Right now, the retailer is taking up to 50% off bestselling products from Hydro Flask, MiiR, and more top brands. We’ve combed through for the best gear on sale, from a genius foldable pour-over coffee maker to a combination camping stove and grill, with deals starting at just $15. People used them as often and easily as the other chairs around camp. Although, we did muse that a built-in koozie could be a nice addition. The Compass 360 Stools, though, are exactly the kind of seat I actually use at a campsite.
The Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon has 9-inch wheels that are 4 inches wide. Yet it was less likely to tip over than other beach wagons we tested, and it didn’t sink into the sand, even when filled to capacity. We also like that this wagon has small, rivet-sized holes in its four internal corners that help let sand out (this is an unexpected-but-much-appreciated feature we didn’t find in other models).
We also don’t have suggestions for couch-style or loveseat chairs (we’d like to look at those someday, though). We were able to fix the problem, but a year of use has also led to scratches on the wheels and the plastic looking pretty shorn. One staffer who also owns the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart has also noticed scratches on the wheels. But the Seina offers just half the internal space, and its 4-inch wheels were more prone to tipping when packed with the same beach gear.
The REI Co-op chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on many other kids’ chairs. Compared with cheaper chairs of its kind (like those from Walmart), the REI Co-op chair functions better and will last much longer. We put the lightweight Cool Cabana pop up beach canopy to the test during an East Coast vacation. Coleman makes no dedicated footprints for its tents—the idea being that the polyethylene is tough enough not to need one.
Keep in mind that lightweight chairs won’t be nearly as comfortable as traditional camping chairs, so take the word comfortable with a grain of salt. Ozark Trail realtree wave fishing director’s chair is made from a durable powder-coated steel frame that is sure to stand up to whatever you throw at it. The chair’s adjustable legs will keep you in a comfortable position no matter the terrain.