How to Choose Outdoor Gear That Actually Gets Used

Outdoor Gear Buying Guide 101

I know what you’re thinking: “Another outdoor gear buying guide that tells me nothing.” But that’s not what this is trying to be.

Buying outdoor gear sounds simple until you actually start shopping. Suddenly, there are endless options, feature lists, and opinions—most of which don’t help you decide what will actually get used in real life.

This guide isn’t about the “best” gear on paper. It’s about choosing outdoor gear that fits normal routines, limited time, and real-world use.

Start with how you’ll actually use it

Before looking at brands or features, ask one basic question:

How often will I realistically use this?

Gear that’s used weekly should prioritize:

durability
ease of setup
low maintenance

Gear that’s used occasionally should prioritize:

simplicity
storage
reasonable price

If something requires a learning curve or constant upkeep, it’s far less likely to become part of your routine.

I go car camping about twice a year. It’s me, my wife, and our son, and we like to be comfortable. That means gear that gives us enough room for real air mattresses, bedding, and the little things that make sleeping outside feel manageable.

We definitely bring a lot of stuff. I won’t pretend otherwise. But that’s how we’re able to camp for three to five nights without turning into sleep-deprived, hungry maniacs. Comfort matters if you want to actually enjoy the trip.

Over the years, we’ve tried a handful of tents, mostly from Coleman and REI. Eventually, we landed on a 6-person Coleman tent, and it’s been our go-to for the last three years or so. That said, our first outing with it was not exactly confidence-inspiring.

Our son was two, and it was his first time camping. The weekend started out perfect. Late summer, cool evenings, one of those trips that feels ideal before anything has gone wrong. We were in the Appalachian Mountains, which are basically a rainforest whether the forecast admits it or not. Storms roll in fast, especially if you’re not glued to a weather radio.

Sure enough, a storm hit hard. A full deluge. It became obvious very quickly that the tent had not been factory waterproofed particularly well. Water was coming in, and not in a minor way.

So there I was at about 10 p.m., crawling out of the tent in a downpour, trying to stay quiet enough not to wake a sleeping toddler. If you know, you know. I ended up repurposing every tarp we had into an improvised rain cover.

To add insult to injury, the rain stopped about ten minutes after I finished. But better safe than sorry. The important part was that my son slept through the night, the tent stopped flooding, and the cool, damp air actually helped us fall back asleep.

The next week, I bought multiple cans of waterproofing spray and thoroughly coated the tent. Since then, it’s been solid. No leaks, no drama, and no late-night tarp engineering required.

It is also worth noting this amazing Intex air mattress for our son. We take it everywhere we stay; camping, hotels, BnBs, etc. I’ve even slept in it before when our kid took over our bed. It’s got sidewalls to keep them contained, it’s rather comfortable, and it’s sizable for toddlers. Seriously, if you have kids, buy one.

Avoid overbuilt features

A lot of outdoor products are designed to look impressive rather than be practical.

Extra features often mean:

more parts to break
longer setup time
more things to store

In most cases, simpler gear lasts longer and gets used more.

I should also talk about the King Koil air mattress I use. I did a lot of research before buying it, and overall it’s a solid mattress, but there are a few real-world things worth knowing.

For home use, it’s great. The built-in pump plugs into a wall outlet and inflates fast with almost no effort. If you’re hosting guests or using it indoors, it’s hard to beat.

For car camping, it’s usable, but not ideal. You can run it off a power inverter or a vehicle outlet, but it puts a noticeable strain on the car battery. Because of that, I usually inflate it using my Milwaukee compact blower. It works, but the valve design on the mattress makes it more awkward than it should be. Between the built-in pump components and the valve layout, it’s just not a clean process.

If I were buying again specifically for camping, I’d probably skip the built-in pump and go with a simpler air mattress that’s easier to inflate manually or with a blower.

That blower, by the way, is worth owning on its own. If you like floating rivers like I do, get one. Seriously. Pair it with some Intex floats and go hit the water.

My friends and I have been using those floats for close to ten years now, and they’ve held up better than anything else we’ve tried. They’re durable, inflate quickly, and when you’re done, you just squish them down and toss them in the trunk.

And honestly, when it’s over 90 degrees out, I’d much rather be in a tube than in a kayak. Tubes make it easy to get in and out of the water, you actually feel the current, and they handle river rocks surprisingly well. Just avoid the extra sharp ones when you can.

If you go with a double-rider tube and have a small kid, they fit perfectly in the middle. If you don’t, a 24-pack fits just as nicely. Use that information responsibly. 😉