Industry Trends
In 2024, overall camping gear trends have been all about sustainability and versatility. Manufacturers and designers are focusing heavily on creating products made from environment-friendly materials that allow us to enjoy the great outdoors and minimize our footprint. Also trending when it comes to gear are items that have multiple functions, and can collapse for storage in compact spaces.
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Though price tags on camping gear marketed as “environmentally friendly” or “sustainable” can be a bit steeper than items that are not made of the same materials, but companies are experiencing high sales regardless. Consumers value the mission behind upcycled, recycled, and repurposed gear and materials– making a purchase they know will not harm the environment or leave a mark on the earth is a far more conscionable decision, and worth the extra cash.
Here’s our crash course on the latest and greatest in eco-friendly, tech-savvy camping gadgets and gear to impress your crew and make your next camping trip a smashing success.
Eco-Friendly Gear & Accessories
2024 trends have been rapidly evolving in the direction of eco-friendliness–down to the smallest details. New-and-improved camping utensils, for example, are made from plants that decompose once discarded. Modern tents, fly sheets, tarps, and other materials are woven from recycled cotton canvas fibers or sustainable fabrics like hemp or bamboo. This not only moves gear toward greater biodegradability, but also serves as a conservation effort during the actual manufacturing process– very few materials go to waste!
Though companies are designing gear and camping accessories with sustainability in mind, they haven’t ditched durability. To create camping gear that wore out or unraveled quickly would negate the entire point of sustainable gear practices. The idea is that even recycled or repurposed tents, backpacks, tools and utensils will hold up for years and keep consumers from engaging in wasteful patterns.
Not only will you never have to sacrifice durability, but you won’t find yourself any less comfy and cozy when you choose eco-friendly gear. Outdoor manufacturers are constantly coming up with new and improved ways of keeping warm and comfortable while not harming the environment. Sustainable sleeping bags are a popular item, made of repurposed materials like polyester, or recycled shell fabric and insulation. We’re steering away from down feathers, harmful dyes, and synthetic linings.
Lifestyle Integration
Camping and outdoor gear does not simply begin and end with tents, bedding and cooking utensils. It’s also incredibly important to ensure that your person is properly dressed, which is why the outdoor clothing and athleisure industry has consistently blurred the lines between everyday dress and nature-appropriate apparel. Consumers are increasingly seeking and purchasing apparel that easily transitions from outdoor adventures to everyday streetwear, which means that outdoor brands are producing stylish, trend-savvy apparel faster than ever.
Reusables
Gear that can be used for many purposes, and items that can be washed and used more than once are gaining more and more traction amongst campers.
Such items include reusable water bottles–not a new invention, as we all know, but significantly advancing in their insulation and purification technologies. Yes, some newfangled reusable water bottles emerging on the scene come with their very own built-in water filter.
Far less glamorous but equally useful: the antimicrobial, washable wipe cloth. This is a relatively new item on the scene, especially useful for women when spending time in the woods, for whom bathroom breaks can get a little tricky and unhygienic very quickly. Other reusable personal care items on the horizon are bamboo toothbrushes and plastic-free toothpaste tablets! Toothpaste tabs are a relatively new creation– this saves you from having to cart around a plastic bottle and potentially waste toothpaste that you can’t possibly squeeze from the bottom. Not to mention that it is a much simpler, cleaner way of brushing your teeth while camping.
Reusable ziploc bags, foldable bamboo or stainless steel cutlery and plates, and cleaning sponges/brushes are becoming increasingly popular as a way to mitigate garbage generation while cooking at camp. We’ve all been there–you come with a cooler full of food and drinks, and leave with three garbage bags filled to the brim with paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, and plastic forks, spoons, and knives. No more scattered litter, and far less hassle.
Solar-Powered Gadgets
Since it is a renewable, limitless energy source that does not leave a carbon footprint, manufacturers and campers alike are capitalizing on readily available energy from the sun.
Tents equipped with solar panels are trickling into the market, and come with perks such as indoor LED lighting, and in the fanciest of cases, built-in charging ports for campers’ electronic devices. Look forward to greater convenience and comfort in the near future with widespread availability of solar-powered camping gear.
Portable solar panels are more widely available for purchase than ever before, coming in many different sizes depending upon your camping style and needs. 300 watts of solar energy will generously power lanterns/lights, fans, a small refrigerator, your phone, tablet, and a wifi hotspot. You may find that you do not even need 300 watts to comfortably power your camp, meaning that your solar setup will require even less space and storage.
Solar generators are a cornerstone piece of camping equipment as well, and are versatile, functioning either as a backup power source or a mainstay. Solar camping stoves are becoming more and more popular as campers move away from using propane as a main fuel source at camp. If you find yourself drawn to camp in extreme weather areas, check out solar air conditioning, solar fans, and solar heating gadgets. Never skip a shower again with solar powered water pumps and solar showers arriving on the scene!
Tech Advancements
Technology is advancing rapidly, and the outdoor industry is reaping the benefits just as heavily as the rest. Most of us already spend our days working at a computer, staring at a screen– so we can certainly appreciate the need to unplug from time to time. However, there is simply no denying the convenience and luxury of having fancy gadgets that make for a more smoothly functioning trip. Not to mention the fact that technology can serve as crucial lifesavers (quite literally) in unexpected circumstances. We’re no strangers to the fact that being one with nature comes with its risks, too.
As far as increased luxury and convenience goes, the rapid integration of smart technology into camp dwellings is becoming a more popular practice for manufacturers across the board. Such advances in smart tech offer campers optimized comfort in the form of climate control for inside your four-season tent, adjustable smart lighting, and wifi capabilities for using GPS and other electronic devices no matter where you are.
Some of our best recommendations for technologically advanced safety gadgets include health monitoring watches, personal locator beacons, and GPS devices that double as satellite messengers. Two way radios are certainly not a bad idea when it comes to camping, hiking, or ATV riding with large groups or children.
Hikers and campers can easily face physiological issues when engaging in strenuous outdoor activities–a frequent occurrence when you adopt an exploratory lifestyle. Even if you believe yourself to be in the greatest health, it’s never a bad idea to monitor your heart rate, breath, or blood pressure when exposed to the elements. Smart health monitors can be lifesavers when out in the wilderness, because they will warn you of potential problems in the early stages.
Though our cell phones typically serve as our main navigation tools on a day-to-day basis, you should never rely solely on your smartphone when hiking or camping. It is very likely that you will enter a dead zone in which you will be completely unable to send or receive communications– this is when a personal locator beacon or satellite GPS messenger quickly goes from a fancy tech tool to an essential safety device.
Off the Beaten Path: Customizable Gear
Campers are looking for personalized gear that meets their needs, and it’s been predicted that customized gear demands will be on the rise as time goes on. Personalized embroidery, colors, and optimized designs are popular amongst campers who have their camping routines down to a science and need gear that fits seamlessly into their process. In the past, customization was limited to small mom-and-pop shops and extremely expensive. Now, with increased demand, personalization is becoming a more widespread practice and has even been adopted as an option when consumers place orders with some large manufacturers.
Final Thoughts
The outdoor industry is ever-evolving and always finding ways to improve the consumer experience. Current trends are the beginning of an era of environmental consciousness, with manufacturing companies taking the “leave it better than you found it” slogan more seriously than ever. With outdoor hobbies and excursions seeing a rise in popularity after 2020, the impact of more people seeking experiences in nature has to be mitigated somehow. Experts predict a continued market trend in the direction of eco-friendliness for years to come.
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