9 Pieces Of Camping Gear Worth Buying From Lowe's (And 3 To Skip)

Camping without the right equipment can quickly bring some nightmare scenarios into your adventure. If your tent isn't capable of handling a peppering of rain, for instance, you're bound to have a rough night's sleep. Similarly, without fire lighting gear or robust cooking equipment, feeding yourself can become a much more involved task that sets the whole trip off on the wrong foot. Investing in quality camping gear that's built for the unknowns of the world outside your front door is crucial ahead of even a short trip. There are lots of outlets that can help in this task, including places like Harbor Freight, carrying a fairly extensive camping section.

Lowe's is naturally another prime example of a home improvement and DIY support outlet that offers an abundance of camping tools and equipment. The retailer frequently features solid deals, and the brand is also unique in the fact that none of its products tagged with the camping label have earned average ratings below 4 stars with the exception of a few that have garnered single-digit rating figures from buyers, standing as outliers as a result. These nine pieces of camping gear are among some of the highest rated options from Lowe's, and each one offers plenty of value in establishing or upgrading a complete set of camping equipment to support your next trip. In addition, there are three other pieces of gear carried by Lowe's that still tend to get good ratings but are priced too high in comparison to competing models. They appear to offer good experiences for users, but their value when considering the financial side is a little skewed.

Every camping kit needs something to sleep on centered within its packing list. The Klymit Static V Lightweight Inflatable Sleeping Pad is a highly rated option listed for $68. It's a one person camping cot that inflates to its full size in just 10 to 15 breaths. The sleeping pad is made from 75D polyester fabric that's durable enough to use repeatedly on excursions, and its packed size weighs in at a little under 19 oz. with an 8-by-3-inch dimension when folded down.

The pad features a 2.5-inch depth with an integrated V-groove shape for comfort and consistent air distribution throughout the mattress when it's inflated. This layout allows the pad to contour to your body shape while minimizing the amount of air loss you experience overnight. A sleeping pad will allow you to get a good night's rest even deep in the woods or on hard ground surfaces. The result is frequently a great start to the next day and plenty of energy to tackle hiking, fishing, or other pursuits you might want to chase while out in nature.

A $90 purchase at Lowe's, the GCI Outdoor Polyester Folding Camping Chair packs down flat for easy storage and transportation. It features a patented opening and closing mechanism that makes setting up or breaking down the chair fast and easy. It also offers a weight capacity of 250 pounds while clocking in just under 12 pounds itself. Depending on the distance you'll travel from your car to the campsite, this may not always be the best choice considering its own weight. But if you have the ability to carry it along, you'll enjoy expanded comfort with this folding chair thanks to its robust steel frame and spring loaded shocks that allow for a rocking action to really sink into the relaxation aspect of your trip.

Naturally, the chair is a highly rated option and has been assessed by more than 2,000 Lowe's buyers. It comes with a carrying strap and features a handle on the side of its frame to make mobility easier. The chair also features some nice enhancements like a durable polyester fabric build and integrated cup holder to round out the comfort level you'll experience while away from home.

The HotHands 10-Pack Hand Warmers is a product that needs no introduction for many people living in northern regions. These hand warmers are a staple of outdoor sporting events during the winter and outdoor life more broadly. They naturally play a crucial role in all kinds of camping and hiking adventures when the mercury starts to dip, too. Even during the warmer months, a long day and night spent completely outside can quickly become chilly to a body used to all the hallmarks of indoor protection. This 10-pack is listed at Lowe's for $8 and has been rated by plenty of previous buyers.

These hand warmers each offer more than 10 hours of warmth and feature a 4-year shelf life, meaning you can invest in a pack today and rely on it long into the future if you only go camping occasionally. The hand warmers feature air activation, making them easy to use; additionally, they're made in the United States, hitting another highlight that plenty of buyers looking to support domestic brands will want to prioritize. They're also small in size, meaning they can easily be slipped into a pair of gloves or elsewhere to keep you warm while out on the trail.

Another folding chair worth considering, the Coleman Nylon Red Folding Camping Chair is a basic option that includes a strap and handle and can be found at Lowe's for $40. This follows in the classic design language of the outdoor folding chair, and it features the cross section legs that fold in and up to create a rectangular tube shape when compacted into its storage orientation. The chair gets great ratings from buyers and it offers a 250-pound weight capacity with a comfortable 21.3-inch seat. The product weighs roughly half that the more expensive GCI model, coming out at 6.5 pounds. It utilizes nylon fabric with a mesh back for solid air flow and comfort.

Another unique feature of this seat is its compatibility with Coleman's OneSource batteries. To be clear, the chair does not come with any batteries included with the purchase but offers a 2-port quick charging station built into its design to offer fast charging for your portable electronic devices when a battery is connected. Rounding things out, the seat offers a 1-year limited warranty and comes with the carrying bag included.

Every camper requires supplies to make the most of their trips out into the nature that surrounds their community. Even a short camping trip requires some basic sleeping and shelter gear, and that typically starts with your tent. There are countless options available on the market, but a selection from Lowe's that has a high rating from buyers is the Coleman 6-Person Sundome Camping Tent. It offers space for up to six people to sleep within its sheltered dimensions. The tent also features a durable, weatherproof construction with patented, welded corners and inverted seams to keep the worst of wet weather out of your sleeping area for a comfortable escape from the elements at all times.

There are large windows and a ground vent built into its construction too, creating a natural flow of air through its interior space to keep sleeping area cool and comfortable. This is a big deal, especially with as many as six bodies generating heat throughout the night. The tent features a 6-foot center height that allows most people to stand inside the unit without having to bend and it features a fast set up function that requires just a few minutes of effort to prepare the tent for an evening. It's available at Lowe's for $162.

Craftsman is a consistently highly rated brand, and the manufacturer has long offered excellent warranty coverage on its hand tools, specifically. Lowe's carries the Craftsman 13.5-Inch Digging Shovel for $17 and notes that it comes with a 15-year limited warranty. Many people approaching a tool like this might initially think of it among Craftsman's key yard tool offerings rather than something to support a camping trip. However, a short digging shovel is easy to add to a packing list and similarly unencumbering to bring along to a campsite. It also offers a significant upgrade over other limited duty hand tools you might use to dig a latrine or prepare a fire pit while setting up camp for an evening or weekend away.

The tool utilizes a tempered steel blade with an ergonomic D-grip handle and a hardwood shaft, offering solid durability and plenty leverage and versatility even while digging in tight spaces. The tool can be a solid addition to an emergency readiness kit or added to the gear you leave in the back of your car to help dig out of muddy or snowy conditions in a pinch. The shovel weighs just a hair over 1.5 pounds, offering a small and mobile digging option that won't bog you down as you haul your gear into the wilderness.

Lighting elements are another important point of focus for anyone building a packing list ahead of their next camping trip. If you don't already have at least one camping lantern or another outdoor lighting solution, investing in it a tool like the Kobalt 1,500 Lumen 4-Mode LED Rechargeable Camping Lantern is essential. This is a highly rated option listed at Lowe's for $33. Kobalt is a generally highly rated toolmaker, and it's a brand owned by Lowe's, making it a consistent sight in the home improvement store and one that the retailer is incentivized to maintain as a high quality option. The result is a tool that's been proven as reliable through owner feedback while also delivering a cost effective choice to support a range of illumination needs.

This lantern features four modes, offering a maximum 1,500 lumen output in its high mode. In its low setting, the lantern delivers up to 24 hours of runtime, and it also operates in a night light function to help support visibility around your campsite without disturbing others in your group. The tool comes with a lifetime warranty and features both a 1-meter impact resistance rating and an IP4X water resistance. It can operate as a rechargeable tool with its included USB charging cable, or it can be powered by four D batteries or a solar collection solution. This versatility gives campers plenty of choices to continue running the lantern even when their first port of call may not be available.

Every camper needs the ability to cook for themselves, and carrying a small profile solution like the Coleman 1-Burner Butane Electronic Outdoor Stove is a great option to bring some of the control and comforts of home out into your group's campsite. The tool is listed at Lowe's for $48 and it features a straightforward design with a single burner to reduce complexity and weight. It operates via butane fuel and produces up to 7,650 total BTUs of peak cooking power.

The single burner stove offers precision temperature control and an Instastart push button ignition that allows you to light the burner without requiring matches or other support tools. This is critically important for those who may be camping in wet or otherwise difficult conditions and might otherwise experience trouble in this regard. Lowe's carries a wide range of other outdoor stoves from Coleman, but this single burner option is a low frills, straightforward choice for those who don't want to overcomplicate their cooking tasks and packing lists.

Maintaining a connection to the outside world is always important while camping. Keeping up to date with news that impacts you isn't a requirement that stops when you unplug the weekend, and modern campers will typically bring their phone along for the journey, giving them a tether to civilization if an emergency arises. But a radio is another key piece of equipment that plays a role in this preparedness narrative. The WeatherX Hand Crank Weatherband AM/FM Radio is a tool that gives you consistent reception ability even on a longer trip than might otherwise see batteries go dead with extended use. Receiving news about updates in your area, including weather warnings, is important; this $40 hand crank radio can serve in that role admirably.

The tool is also ideal for delivering a bit of entertainment around the campsite. Tuning into your favorite station gives you plenty of music and conversation to help pass the time in style. The radio also features an emergency siren with weather warnings over the WB frequency, and it includes an aux-in port to play music directly from your personal devices. It includes an LED flashlight and lantern built into the tool as well as alternative power options to support a more traditional usage scenario, including an AC/DC power adapter and the ability to operate with three AA batteries.

Based on ratings from buyers at Lowe's, you'll have a hard time finding a Coleman outdoor stove that does a bad job of managing your cooking needs while camping. However, one of the brand's larger models, the Coleman 3-Burner Propane Electronic Outdoor Stove, is listed for $190 and features a much larger build than many of the company's other options. This is an expensive tool that ultimately introduces a bit of overkill into the conversation surrounding how you'll feed yourself while out on the trail. There's no need to lug around a huge stove in almost all circumstances.

By all accounts, this is a good tool, but it goes far beyond the needs of a typical camper just looking to get out for the weekend and explore their natural surroundings. The stove offers up to 28,000 total BTUs of cooking power with the ability to support two 12-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. These are great figures when thinking about cooking more broadly, but remembering that you have to drag this tool out into the wilderness and then back again puts a definitive dampener on the situation. In most instances, opting for a smaller camping stove that will save you money while also reducing aches in your back is the better approach.

As mentioned previously, there are many camping tents available at Lowe's, but the outlet's most expensive option exceeds the typical price you'll pay for one of these by several orders of magnitude. The Coody Polyester 4-Person Tent is listed for an astounding $2,900. It features 183 square feet of open interior space with an interior height that maxes out in the center at 8 feet. This makes it possible for virtually anyone to stand up straight within the tent. It also includes large windows in all directions and multiple entry points to produce plenty of natural lighting and an inviting feeling that offers plenty of comfort within its setup.

The price tag is obviously something that's a non-starter for almost all campers. There's just no need to spend this much money on a tent. The product is also extremely heavy, clocking a carry weight of 156.5 pounds. As a result, it's really not feasible for a single person (or perhaps even two people) to carry this tent to a campsite. When the strength of multiple campers is required to move and set up a tent that sleeps a notably smaller number of campers then many other options — many of which are easier to move and build while being vastly cheaper — no amount of head room is worth it.

Gerber is a well known brand in the budget bladed instrument department. Gerber makes plenty of hand tools that can be found at Lowe's and elsewhere; some of them are rated lower than 4 stars by reviewers, though many don't have a high volume of ratings to smooth out potential outlier issues. However, the Gerber 15-Piece Suspension NXT Butterfly Multi-Tool is not one of them, sporting a 4.2 start average rating and lots of feedback from buyers. However, low to moderate scores appear to be fairly standard for the brand. It's also worth noting that while this multi-tool isn't particularly expensive priced at $42, there are better options on the market for similar or even more advantageous prices.

This is a decent option that offers lots of integrated tools to support a wealth of needs that may arise while away from the more comprehensive selection in your home toolbox. However, it's not going to represent a leader in either price or functionality; it can certainly be reliable, but it's not going to blow anyone's expectations out of the water. Saving a bit of money and opting for an alternative multi-tool like the Gordon 20-in-1 from Harbor Freight or the Amazon Basics 15-in-1 (both options on our own list of solid multi-tools that outshine Leatherman in price and features) can provide a better experience than this Gerber model in many regards.

All of these pieces of camping gear listed as potentially valuable additions have received at least a 4.3 star rating from over 100 buyers on Lowe's. The three camping tools and pieces of equipment noted as better avoided are all fairly (or extremely) expensive when considering the functionality they bring to your setup. There are better options available both at Lowe's and elsewhere, and with notably lower prices, that either beat or match their functionality.