The best backpacking and camping gear for dads

We’ve finally fully emerged from winter and dad might be feeling a little cooped

We’ve finally fully emerged from winter and dad might be feeling a little cooped up. (I know I am, at least.) Now that the days are getting longer, they’re probably itching to get outside ASAP. If your dad or father figure is the type to wander off into the woods — perhaps for days at a time — we’ve got some suggestions for Father's Day gifts. Whether they’re an ultra-light backpacking maniac or a car-camping comfort seeker, or maybe they dabble in a little bit of both, we’ve got just the thing.

The Jetboil Flash is basically inescapable on the trail. Its lightweight, easily packable design and fast boil times make it attractive to backpackers. But the MiniMo is worth the extra money and weight. It's only one ounce heavier, but the MiniMo's wider, shorter cook cup is easier to handle. Plus it can actually simmer things, unlike the Flash. And let me tell you, dehydrated eggs are bad enough as is, even without burning them in what amounts to a coffee tumbler mounted on a jet engine. Trust me, this is one of the best upgrades you can make to your dad's setup.

The Leatherman Free series has been a staple of Engadget buying guides ever since it debuted in 2019, and the Free series was a serious game-changer with its one-handed access to every tool.

The Leatherman Free series has been a staple of Engadget buying guides ever since it debuted in 2019. There are plenty of options out there when it comes to multitools, and many of them are great. But, the Free series was a serious game-changer with its one-handed access to every tool. Plus everything, including the knife, locks into place so you’re less likely to pinch or cut yourself. It even requires less regular maintenance and cleaning than older Leatherman like the Juice series which, while great, tended to collect lint and dust in every nook and cranny at an alarming rate. Your dad might not need every tool while hiking the Appalachian, but he’ll appreciate having options other than a knife or a rock.

This headlamp lasts significantly longer than the model's we recommended in the past: you get up to 60 hours of illumination on low and four hours on high.

After food, water and shelter, the next most essential thing on the trail is light. This year we’re recommending the Biolite Headlamp 425. It's similar to the Headlamp 330 we’ve recommended in the past. It's ever so slightly bigger and heavier, at 10 millimeters thick and 79 grams, but it also lasts significantly longer. You get up to 60 hours of illumination on low and four hours on high. That's up from just 40 hours on low and 3.5 hours on high with the Headlamp 330. The 425 is also quite a bit brighter – hitting 425 lumens as the name suggests.

The rear battery pack now has a red light on it, with both solid and strobe modes, so that your father's hiking companions can easily spot him if it starts to get dark. And Biolite has finally ditched MicroUSB for USB-C. All the same basic features and modes are still here that you’d expect on any decent headlamp too, including spot, flood and strobe modes, plus eye-sight-saving red light.

Sea to Summit's X-Mug with cool grip promises to protect your little fingies from your boiling hot beverage. Plus, it collapses into a neat little puck for easy storage.

I love my old-school enameled steel camp mug. It's indestructible and has an undeniable classic look. But, it also conducts heat like nobody's business. I’ve burned my hands and lips on enough white hot cups of instant coffee to know they’re just not that practical. Sea to Summit's X-Mug with cool grip promises to protect your little fingies from your boiling hot beverage. Plus, it collapses into a neat little puck for easy storage. Admittedly, I have not tried the Cool Grip model yet, but I’ve been using the company's collapsible bowl for over a decade. And my hiking buddy uses the regular X-Mug, so I’m pretty confident in recommending Sea to Summit's gear.

I skipped a sleeping pad on my first backpacking trip. I regretted it immediately. Therm-a-Rest pads are the industry standard. And the NeoAir XLite is pretty much smack in the middle of their backpacking lineup. It's not the lightest or the warmest, but it's probably the most versatile. The R-value (a measurement of insulating power) of 4.2 is good enough for three-season camping. And it packs down to about the size of a water bottle. This particular model has been around for a long time, and it will probably continue to be a staple of Therm-a-Rest's lineup for years to come.

Full disclosure: I haven't tested the Enduro. Nor has anyone else at Engadget. But, we’re big enough fans of Garmin's sports watches to feel comfortable recommending it. But why pick this particular one? Simple: battery life. Garmin says it lasts up to 80 hours in GPS mode, which is frankly absurd. If your dad likes to quantify everything in his life, including multi-day hikes, this is a pretty great way to do it. It not only has a giant battery, but also a built-in solar charger. Plus VO2 max estimates for trail runners, heat and altitude acclimation tools for the parent that's into mountain climbing or desert hiking, and even navigation features to keep him from getting lost. And, once he's found his way back to civilization he can snag a coffee at Starbucks using Garmin Pay.

Water is essential on the trail, but dad can't just go drinking from streams and ponds, nor can he carry enough with him for a multi-day trip. That's where the Sawyer Squeeze filter comes in handy.

More than even food or shelter, water is essential on the trail. But, dad can't just go drinking from streams and ponds, nor can he carry enough with him for a multi-day trip. That's where the Sawyer Squeeze filter comes in handy. There are tons of different ways to purify water, from old-school iodine tablets to boiling to pump filters. But a squeeze filter system is often the fastest and easiest to use. Sawyer's are probably the best known for good reason — you can fill up the pouch and drink straight from the filter or use the to fill up a reservoir or water bottle. They’re not ideal for places where dad might be reduced to getting water out of shallow muddy springs or where viral pathogens are a concern. But they’re perfect for more developed and regularly trafficked trails.

An Ultralite PackTowl is an absolute must-have for backpacking dads. They’re incredibly small and lightweight, yet seem to have unlimited absorption power.

Your dad will need a towel on the trail. Trust me. Maybe he’ll be lucky enough to find a shower. Or perhaps he’ll go for a dip in a lake. Or, maybe like me, he just sweats enough to drown a small animal. Regardless, an Ultralite PackTowl is an absolute must-have. They’re incredibly small and lightweight, yet seem to have unlimited absorption power. I’m pretty sure they’re actually a portal to another dimension where the water is stored. I have two that I take with me on every trip: one body-sized and the other a face towel that stays clipped to my shoulder strap for when I need to mop my brow.

Utensils are important on the trail, and this titanium spork is a practical space saver. Snow Peak makes a ton of great gear, but this simple and indestructible essential is probably my favorite.

This should go without saying, but your dad needs a utensil to eat. Yes, even on the trail. And there's nothing better than a good old fashioned spork to save space and weight. I’m a big fan of this titanium model from Snow Peak. The company makes a ton of great gear, but this simple and indestructible essential is probably my favorite. Plus, it comes in a handful of fun shades like blue, green and purple in case your dad is known for his colorful personality.

If your dad would prefer to burn his lips on real coffee, consider getting him an AeroPress for his adventures. This is, admittedly, a luxury when you’re backpacking. But, I’ve tried instant coffee, coffee "tea" bags, mesh coffee steeping contraptions, camping french presses and honestly, nothing makes better coffee with less cleanup than an AeroPress. You could go for the full-size model, but the Go version shaves off a few precious ounces, which could be crucial when trying to cut weight for a long trip. But, I actually bring the full-size version when I hit the trail and have had no problems.

Not every dad wants to strap days worth of gear to his back and walk off into the woods. Some are perfectly content driving up to a campsite, pitching a tent and building a fire. For them the Lighthouse 600 is a great gift.

Not every dad wants to strap three days worth of gear to his back and walk off into the woods. Some are perfectly content driving up to a campsite, pitching a tent and building a fire. For them the Lighthouse 600 is a great gift. It is, first and foremost, an LED lantern perfect for food prep, reading or even playing cards around camp. But, he can also use its 5200mAh battery to charge his phone or headlamp. And, if he does happen to sap all its juice it has a hand crank for recharging through manual labor, and an optional solar panel.

Joby's unique GorillaPod tripods are perfect for the outdoors, and the affordable Action Kit is pretty flexible.

Obviously, part of the reason dad disappears into the wilderness is to escape from technology and enjoy nature. But I’m sure he wants to capture at least some of it for posterity. Dragging a DSLR or even a mirrorless camera into the woods is overkill, especially when he's probably got a pretty good camera with him already: his cellphone. Joby's unique GorillaPod tripods are perfect for the outdoors. And the affordable Action Kit is pretty flexible. It comes with a Bluetooth remote, it can hold most phones or even a GoPro camera, and it has a cold shoe adapter for a light or microphone.

The 14-inch cast iron Cook-it-All from Lodge is the perfect campfire companion. It can be a dutch oven, a griddle or a skillet — and you can even bake a pizza inside it.

Look, if he's driving up to the campsite anyway, there's no need to fight with alarmingly thin steel pans or tiny fuel canister stoves. The 14-inch cast iron Cook-it-All from Lodge is the perfect campfire companion. It can be a dutch oven, a griddle or a skillet. You can even bake a pizza inside it. ( I’ll admit, though, that I’ve never considered baking a pizza while camping.) Cast iron is heavy and bulky, but it's also damn near indestructible and holds on to heat for a long time, which is good when you’re dealing with a finicky campfire. Plus, if seasoned properly and treated with care, cast iron is reasonably nonstick. So, dad might even be able to make some sunny-side-up eggs for breakfast.

There are a few lightweight and packable chairs out there, but the Helinox Chair Zero is the most highly recommended, and it's easy to see why. It's durable, reasonably comfortable, not to mention ridiculously small and light.

Had you asked me ten years ago, I’d have said there's no way I would drag a chair backpacking with me. But, as age (and fatherhood) have started to catch up with me, I’m ready to at least consider giving my poor broken body some respite while I’m on the trail. There are a few lightweight and packable options out there, but the Helinox Chair Zero is the most highly recommended, and it's easy to see why. It's durable, reasonably comfortable, not to mention ridiculously small and light.

At just one pound for the Zero and one pound, seven ounces for the Zero L, it's one of the few chairs – and I mean actual chairs, not one of those foam mats you put on the ground – that someone would want to take on a multiday hike. They also pack down small enough that your dad might not mind sacrificing valuable pack space to them. The Chair Zero fits in a stuff sack just 13.8 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches, while the L is a little larger at 14 x 4.5 x 4 inches. The difference between the two is that the L is wider and taller and can support up to 320 pounds for big and tall types.

Paracord is one of the most useful things dad can bring on any camping trip, whether it's from the comfort of a car or thru hiking the Appalachian.

Paracord is one of the most useful things dad can bring on any camping trip, whether it's from the comfort of a car or thru hiking the Appalachian. The medium-duty stuff is good enough for tying down tents, hanging food bags or replacing boot laces. It can even be split open and the inner threads used as a fishing line, but hopefully your father never finds themselves in a situation that desperate. This isn't a flashy gift, but it might get more use than anything else on this list.

One of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers makes an excellent camping companion. The StormBox Micro 2's twelve-hour battery should be more than enough for casually unwinding around a fire after a day of hiking. And its IP67 rating means it should be able to take a solid beating without giving up the ghost. Add to that a strap that makes it easy to clip to a backpack or just hang from a nail in a lean-to and the ability to act as a battery bank in case you need to top up your phone in an emergency, and this is a versatile little speaker for dad to keep in their hiking bag. The sound isn't going to blow anyone away, but it's good enough, especially at just $60.

Last year we recommended Osprey's Atmos AG 65 for anyone looking to be as comfortable as possible while backpacking. This year, we’re doing the same, just with some updated Osprey designs. The Atmos has been given a minor face lift, but the bigger deal is that it's now made with 100-percent recycled materials. You still get an integrated rain cover, Anti-Gravity suspension and fit-on-the-fly adjustment system. It's just now more eco friendly.

As part of the redesign, the capacity has been increased to better reflect the pack's name. Before, if you bought the Atmos 65 in a small, you actually only got 62 liters of storage. Now the small is a full 65 liters. The one downside is that the new materials and carrying capacity have led to a slight increase in weight too, with the S/M Atmos AG 65 coming in at four pounds, 10 ounces.

The women's equivalent of the Atmos is the Aura AG 65, which is slightly smaller and lighter, but has the same suspension system and similar lugging capacity. And if you’re on a tight budget this year, you can still find the older model available in some places at a steep discount.

Obviously, one of the most important pieces of camping equipment is a tent. Not everyone's dad wants to spend their nights in a lean-to. But their needs will dictate what kind of tent to buy. If your giftee is an avid backpacker who needs something ultra light to take on the trail, I heartily recommend Big Agnes’ Tiger Wall UL 2. It's not their lightest offering, but it strikes a great balance between weight and convenience. It can sleep two, and has two vestibules for stowing gear, but as a single person tent it's borderline luxurious. Even with the optional footprint (which I highly recommend for any tent), the pack weight weighs under three pounds, and the mtnGLO light system means no fussing with a lantern or headlamp to read and sort gear after dark.

If unabashed luxury is more your dad's thing, consider REI's Wonderland 6. At $599, this is no casual investment, but it should last quite some time. The walls are nearly vertical and it reaches a height of six and a half feet in the middle, meaning all but the tallest of humans should be able to stand upright inside. The 83-square feet of floor space is plenty of room for a family of six to sleep in, and it has large ventilation windows to keep the inside cool during the hottest months. The one caveat is that, if you happen to do most of your camping in rainy environments, you might want to shop around for something with fewer windows and better rainfly coverage.

Neither the Wonderland, nor the Tiger Wall are cheap. So if budget is an important factor, or if dad is just looking to dabble in the world of car camping, consider the Coleman Skydome 6. Coleman gear is nothing fancy. You can find it in practically any Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods across the country. But it's so ubiquitous because of its rock solid reliability and reasonable prices. The Skydome 6 is nearly the same size as the Wonderland, but comes in at just $130 (or $199 if you opt for the Darkroom model). The ceiling is shorter, and the walls more angled, but if you’re only using the tent to sleep in, that shouldn't be a major concern.

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The best backpacking and camping gear for dads