Camping Equipment product of the Year shortlist

1

Coleman Twist+ 300 lantern

The Coleman Twist 300+ is a chunky twist activated LED camping lantern. The weather-resistant, multipurpose light has three light outputs - 300/120/50 lumens - and provides up to 75 hours of light on its lowest setting or nine hours when set to maximum brightness. The light can also double up as a USB charging unit, which makes it useful for a phone, tablet or GPS.

Designed for outdoor use, the LED lantern features a bulky plastic case and can survive light knocks and drops. It is also rated IPX4 for water resistance, which means it can be used in wet weather, while the built-in hook makes it easy to hang the light outside a camper van or inside a tent. It's one of the best camping lights you can get, but it’s also twice as expensive as some of its rivals.  If USB charging is a necessity for you, however, then this lantern will quickly become camping essential.

>> Read the full review

3

Campingaz Camp Bistro 2

The Campingaz Camp Bistro 2 is a simple one burner stove. It comes with its own plastic carry case and includes piezo ignition (no matches needed here) and a gas cartridge safety locking system to ensure the gas canister is fitted correctly every time. Aimed more at occasional campers rather than backpackers, it's not the smallest single burner around but it does have an enamelled pan support designed to be easy to clean and provide stable support for pans and kettles.

If you want a simple to use stove for camping, the Bistro 2 is ideal - it takes a few seconds to set-up, lights first time and heats quickly, plus it's very stable which is ideal if you're using larger saucepans. There are plenty of very similar one burner stoves around - and at a cheaper price than the Campingaz version - but these aren't built to the same quality. We think it's worth spending a few extra quid to get a brand you recognise, especially when you're dealing with something that runs on gas.

>> Read the full review

5

SUAOKI 150Wh Portable Power Generator

The Suaoki Portable power station features one AC outlet (max 100W, peak power 150W), four DC ports (15A / max 180W), one Quick-Charging 3.0 USB-A port (max 18W) and three USB-A ports with a max 10.5W power output. In short, this means you can charge a laptop in 2-3 hours, a mobile phone up to 10 times and things like coolers, cameras and small appliances while on a camping trip.

The reasonably lightweight unit is 1.3kg and there are two handles to make carrying it around easier, too. It can be recharged by connecting it to a solar panel, plugging it into mains power or plugging it into your car's 12V socket (car charger included). There's also a helpful torch on the side of the unit, which can be put in flashing mode, too.