11 Pieces Of Camping Gear Worth Buying From Tractor Supply (And 3 To Skip)

From its humble beginnings of selling tractor parts in 1938, Tractor Supply has transformed into one of the biggest retail chains for pet lovers, landowners, and people who love living life in the wild. From valuable hardware tools to critical products for home improvement, you'll find a lot of useful tools in Tractor Supply, especially if you prefer DIY solutions instead of calling a handyman for the most basic of repairs.

If you love camping and exploring the outdoors, you'll find a bunch of quality camping gear worth buying at Tractor Supply to help you reconnect with nature easily. From all-terrain boots to gear specifically designed to help you feel comfortable, some of the camping products and accessories on Tractor Supply are must-haves. However, not every product listed on the site is a home run, with some pieces of camping gear being better off avoided no matter how popular they may be on the site.

Most people don't want to go through the arduous process of gathering kindling and using flint stones to start a fire. There's nothing wrong with carrying portable cooking gear that can be set up on the fly to let you enjoy tasty meals in the outdoors. For $199.99, the Blackstone Camping Griddle and Side Burner is highly recommended in this regard. It's one of the best portable gadgets that's perfect for your next camping trip.

The unit comes with a handle to make it easy to carry, and its latching cover protects both the griddle and burner from getting dirty or damaged. Both these units work independently, so you can easily heat up some coffee on the burner while making a tasty grilled meal on the griddle. You can't expect to find a flat surface to place this grill on all the time — unless you have a foldable table or a similar camping gadget in your collection — so the leveling feet will be a very useful inclusion, letting you adjust this contraption so that it remains stable on irregular surfaces. On top of all this, there's a grease cup at the rear where you can push most of the grime from the grill, which helps you easily dispose of oils or food scraps.

Good footwear is a must for anyone who wants to go camping across rugged terrain. Sticking to the same shoes you wear in the city or suburbs will lead to you slipping and sliding all over the place as you struggle for grip. Do yourself a favor and get some shoes suitable for camping, such as the Ariat Terrain Hiking Boots for men and women. They cost $109.99 and $104.99, respectively, with many users showering these boots with praise on Tractor Supply.

Duratread outsoles and insoles with all-day cushioning make it clear that comfort is a major priority for these boots. Further hammering this is Ariat's exclusive advanced torque stability (ATS) tech, which uses a gel-cushioned footbed and a light, ergonomic forked shank to help your feet relax. All of this comes with a full-grain leather look that's complemented with either Cordura or print details, ensuring that these boots both look and feel amazing.

For people who love cool beverages and want to keep their drinks colder for as long as possible, the Yeti Ice Sheet is perfect for all your needs. Some may argue that $18 is a bit on the pricey side, but people who want their coolers to be effective for multiple hours will find this ice sheet a piece of camping gear very much worth buying. It's made of strong plastic that retains the cold and freezes in just around nine hours. Don't worry about putting too many heavy things on the ice sheet or dropping it from a height, since it's pretty durable and can withstand a fair bit of rough use.

Easily the most impressive part about the Yeti Ice Sheet is how effective it is. It can keep your beverages cold for six hours or more, depending on the weather. If your camping trip is a long one, you can put some ice along with this sheet to lengthen the cooling period. People anticipating a soggy mess at the bottom of their coolers will love this ice sheet's anti-condensation properties, making the cleaning process less arduous when the trip is done.

Hydration is key when you're at home or on the road. However, while you have access to all the water you'd need in the comfort of your house, camping trips necessitate judicious water use so that people aren't desperate to slake their thirst because they forgot to carry enough water. Short of finding a natural stream nearby that provides you with all the water you need — which is an extremely rare occurrence and not something we recommend seeking out — a far better solution is to make your current source of hydration as effective as possible. This is where the $9.99 DripDrop Hydration Zero Sugar Plus comes into the picture.

Instead of gulping down bottles of water, take a Hydration Zero Sugar Plus sachet and put it into your water bottle. Each packet contains six electrolytes and 15 nutrients and minerals — including B-complex vitamins, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, calcium, and zinc — to hydrate your body and give it the energy it needs when camping out in the wild. These variety packs include flavors like watermelon, tangerine, raspberry lemonade, and tropical punch, and all of these manage to taste great without including any sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Any person who has explored the outdoors while the sun is out knows how bad a sunburn can get — what should be a relaxing affair in the arms of Mother Nature becomes a lesson in agony. Instead of struggling to find some shade every step of the way, just do the logical thing and apply some sunscreen before heading out. However, this layer of protection wears off after a while, and using a cream-based sunscreen over and over again throughout the day can be annoying.

Instead, a far better solution is to use the $16.99 Blue Lizard Sport SPF 50 Spray. People who prefer mineral sunscreens over their invasive chemical counterparts will prefer carrying this on their camping trips. Not only does it protect you from UV rays, but it also sports a water resistance of almost one and a half hours. This makes it perfect for camping near a water body, where you can cool off in the sun without putting your skin at risk... provided you are diligent about reapplying this sunscreen from time to time.

If you're looking to buy a practical camping chair that won't burn a hole in your wallet, take a look at the GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker. These folding chairs come in several colors for people who want variety, and deploying or packing them up is easy. Just push down on the handles to unfold this chair in just two seconds. To fold it back, just pull on the handle at the right-hand side of this rocker.

Portability is further enhanced by a paltry weight of 11 pounds, making it trivial to carry and place these chairs around the campsite. The pair of shocks installed at the back of the seat function as its rear legs while also enabling a rocking motion, and the mesh backrest enhances this chair's comfort factor. For $80, the build quality of these chairs is astounding. The powder-coated steel frame is sturdy enough to handle weights of up to 250 pounds. All these perks make it clear that a few GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rockers will make your camping trip more relaxing than ever.

We've already spoken about the sheer torture of using flint stones to try and ignite a fire. It's an arduous, time-consuming process that only people who love the rustic camping experience would want to go through. For people who don't want their kindling to become completely useless the moment there's a bit of moisture in the air, the Rutland Safe Lite Fire Starter Squares are the way to go. You can get a pack of 144 squares for $26.99, which can last for several camping trips.

Made of recycled materials like wood chips, wax, and paper fiber, these squares are a great non-toxic solution to get some respite from the cold or heat your food. As the name would suggest, these squares catch fire pretty easily. Just use a flame source at the edge of these squares, and they'll stay lit up for anywhere between eight and 10 minutes. Even if these fire starter squares are a bit wet, they should still light up and keep a fire going... provided you've set up a makeshift solution to prevent any rain from dousing the blaze you've spent so much effort igniting.

Yeti is probably one of the best brands to peruse for all your on-the-go cooling-related solutions, and the $325 Yeti Tundra 45 Hard-Sided Cooler is no exception. Build quality is exceptional, with its rotomolded construction and 3 inches of PermaFrost Insulation meaning that this cooler can handle a fair bit of rough use — something to expect in the rugged outdoors — while also keeping your drinks and food cold for a long, long time. Tests have shown that the Yeti Tundra can keep your ice intact for four days, which is simply outstanding and beats its competition comfortably.

The T-Rex lid latches and an interlocking two-pin hinge system further guarantees that your cooler won't pop open for no reason or break if too much pressure is put on the hinges, although that doesn't mean you should go out of your way to try and break this cooler. As a bonus, an included dry basket ensures that any ice doesn't turn your dry food items into mush. While a weight of over 30 pounds isn't ideal for a portable cooler, it shouldn't be too heavy to lug around for a single person. The side handles should make it easy for another person to help you out if need be, making your camping trips more relaxing than ever as your drinks are kept ice-cold for a long, long time.

It doesn't matter if you're camping for a few hours or days — insect repellent is a must. Mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, and other creepy crawlies can make your outdoor experience miserable, especially if you're trying to catch a wink of sleep while being feasted on. Instead of using insect-warding creams or repellents with a strong smell, your camping trip will benefit from the Off! Clean Feel Aerosol. For just $7.99, you'll get a spray-based insect repellent that is totally odorless and doesn't stick to your skin like other annoying repellents.

The formula consists of 20% picaridin and will ward off insects for eight hours. As is the case with any spray-based skin coating, reapplying this repellent is very straightforward, although Off! has clarified that this spray should only be used twice per day on adults and once on children. It also recommends spraying over clothing, and you should never use it on cuts, sensitive skin, or sunburned areas.

Remember the griddle and burner we've mentioned before on this list? It needs fuel to operate — namely, gas supplied from a propane fuel cylinder. This requirement stretches to pretty much any cooking solution that you think of, with the only exception being induction stoves that use solar energy — a solution that requires a lot of waiting time and is totally dependent on how much power your portable solar power source can generate. If you'd prefer cooking using gas, then carrying a BernzOmatic All-Purpose Propane Fuel Cylinder is a prudent decision.

For just $12.99, you can get a pack of two propane cylinders that will provide you with all the gas you need to cook delicious meals and make your camping experience memorable. Each cylinder contains around 16 ounces of gas and will last for two hours of continuous use. Since each cylinder is pretty compact and weighs only 2 pounds, carrying both of these bad boys on your camping trip is a no-brainer. In fact, we'll recommend carrying a few more if your camping trip is going to last a few days. It uses a CGA 600 connection, which is the standard across most cooking appliances.

Of course, these fuel cylinders aren't just useful for cooking. You can also attach it to torches to spark a quick fire or use it in tandem with some of the best camping lanterns you can get your hands on for a reliable light source.

Anyone who wants something water-resistant and comfortable out in the wild should check out the Merrell Jungle Moc Water-Resistant Boots. These suede leather so-called "dad boots" feature a mesh lining and footbed to enhance the comfort factor. Aiding in this department are the air cushions installed in the heel and the light EVA foam midsoles, providing enough padding to make walking and hiking less strenuous for your feet. The slip-on design is also perfect for people who hate fiddling with laces.

The Cleansport NXT-lined footbed is also great for anyone worried about foul odors. The basic Merrell boots are priced at $110, but you can also opt for variants of this shoe that are designed for wider feet, totally waterproof, or suitable for daily work. These versions cost slightly more, but might be worth it if you need a shoe tailored to your needs.

If you're seeking out a great portable light source for your camping endeavors, we suggest giving the Stanley FatMax LED Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Spotlight a wide berth. The brightness of 2,200 lumens — supplied by a 10-watt LED bulb — and a battery life of 10 hours are all decent perks. A collapsible stand also allows for hands-free operation, letting you pivot the light on this base and lock it in place as and when required. In terms of build quality, the polymer housing minimizes any impact damage and the rubber bezel can stand some serious wear and tear.

However, despite all these perks, this $64.99 portable spotlight doesn't have the greatest reviews on Tractor Supply. Most negative reviews focus on this product's abysmal reliability, with some copies of this spotlight conking out after just a few weeks or months of use. Either avoid spending money on this camping gear altogether... or carry an alternate light source in case this one fizzles out at the worst possible moment.

The ShelterLogic Max AP 3-in-1 Backyard Canopy Pack seems like a great multi-purpose product that is useful for more than just camping. Depending on how you set it up, it can either turn into a proper tent, provide some protection to your car, or give you some much-needed shade for your picnics. At a glance, the steel frame, triple-layer polyethylene fabric, and ShelterLogic's Twist-Tite tensioning make it seem like this canopy pack is as sturdy as they come... but reviews say otherwise.

The setting-up process is supposed to be simple, but many users have faced issues trying to prop this canopy up. In fact, there are instances where this product hasn't even shipped with all the parts needed to set it up in the first place! It's also not suited for adverse weather conditions — too much snow can cause the roof to collapse, rain can pool on the top, and strong winds can knock the entire canopy off balance. Depending on the weather conditions and the region where you're camping, the ShelterLogic Max AP 3-in-1 Backyard Canopy Pack can either be slightly useful... or an absolute nightmare to deal with. The latter is totally unacceptable for a product that costs $289.99.

After seeing so much praise heaped onto Yeti, seeing one of it products as skippable may seem odd, but there's a catch. The 30-ounce Yeti Rambler Travel Mug doesn't have great reviews, but the 20-ounce variant is one of the most popular and highly rated products on the site. 

Other Yeti products with a 30-ounce capacity like the Yeti Rambler Tumbler have far better reviews, which begs the question: why did Tractor Supply users find the 30-ounce Yeti Rambler Travel Mug to so bad? It's certainly not the double-insulated design that keeps your drinks hot or cold for a long time. Neither is the stainless steel frame to blame here, which protects the tumbler from any dents or scratches... for the most part. No, it's the revamped lid design that Yeti fans find very annoying to use.

The leak-resistant Stronghold lid is made exclusively for the 30-ounce Rambler Mug and is apparently pretty inconvenient to use. Fill this tumbler a bit too close to the top, and it'll start leaking even after fitting the lid on it. It doesn't help that this Stronghold lid is also a pain to align and incompatible with straws.

All recommended products from Tractor Supply cover a diverse range of camping requirements and have ratings of 4.5 stars or higher across hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews. Meanwhile, any camping gear that should be skipped has ratings of 3.9 stars or lower across a similar sample pool.