Seasoned Campers Swear By These Top-Tier Outdoor Gadgets From Costco For Winter Adventures

If you're someone who loves spending time outdoors, winter can sometimes seem like a bit of a bummer. Since the days are shorter, it may feel as though there's less time to enjoy the activities you love, and the lower temperatures can get in the way of spending tons of time outside. After the first snowfall loses its magic, you may find yourself with a bad case of cabin fever. But with the right gear, there's no need to spend the entirety of the colder months bingeing Netflix on the couch when you'd rather be outside. If you're hoping to plan some epic winter adventures, you may want to plan a Costco shopping spree.

At Costco's popular membership-based warehouse stores in the United States, you can buy pretty much anything: Food, home appliances, personal-care products, cleaning supplies, clothing, and electronics are just a few things you might find while browsing through the massive warehouses. Costco is also well-known among outdoor enthusiasts as being an awesome place to shop for items that will improve your camping experience.

Some Costco camping essentials have received a lot of social media hype, and plenty of customers enjoyed thrilling summer vacations with the fun outdoor items they purchased during the warmer months. Now the aisles are stocked with epic gadgets for enjoying the great outdoors all winter long, and seasoned campers are big fans. We scoured Costco's website for top-tier outdoor gadgets and read hundreds of customer reviews to bring you the best options for winter adventures.

If you're planning on enjoying adventurous outdoor activities like hiking, sledding, backcountry skiing, or camping during the colder months, then you're going to need a nice warm meal to keep your energy up. Nothing tastes better than a warm meal when you've spent hours outside in the cold. The ThermoFlask Insulated Food Jars at Costco are great to have on hand for the next time you want to pack a warm picnic lunch.

On Costco's website, the ThermoFlasks have a 4.5-star rating, based on over 200 customer reviews. "I bought these this week and just tried them for fun tonight with some hot food, and I know it's impossible but I swear the food got hotter," a customer named Nicole wrote in a review.

Imagine warming your bones with a nice hot bowl of chili after a long hike, or sipping on some nutritious bone broth after a particularly challenging climb. According to the product listing, the food jars can keep food warm for up to 12 hours. It also says they're completely leakproof (if you secure the lid properly), so they'll be easy to throw in your backpack. The food jars come in sets of two and you can choose between a variety of fun colors. They have a 20-ounce capacity, so you can definitely fit a good amount of food for lunch or dinner. The regular price on Costco's website is $33, but at the time of writing they were on sale for $23.

An LED beanie hat might sound like something frivolous, but according to reviewers, you won't regret purchasing one. The convenience of a headlamp mixed with the warmth of a beanie hat is something that could really come in handy if you're camping during the winter months. The Panther Vision Rechargeable Powercap LED Lighted Beanie comes in a 2-pack at Costco, and they have an average of 4.5 stars based on over 170 reviews.

"With the sun going down earlier and it is getting colder, the warmth of the beanie and comfort is perfect. The light seems to point in just the right location to keep the path easily flooded with light," a customer called LuvBoldCoffee wrote on Costco's website. They added that the hats make excellent holiday gifts.

According to one reviewer, they're perfect for serious outdoor adventures. "I bought a set of these hats for a trip to the Grand Canyon and had to come back for more. They are lightweight, warm, and provide clear light," Samantha said in a review on the website. A pack of two costs $35 at Costco. The lights are rechargeable and a single charge lasts between four and 10 hours, depending on which setting you use. Multiple customers mentioned that the lights were very bright. 

Hiking in the ice and snow can be tough, which is why snowshoeing has become a popular alternative during the winter months. Historians believe snowshoes were invented in Central Asia thousands of years ago, sometime around the year 4,000 BCE. The unique type of winter footwear is designed so that you won't sink down into thick layers of ice and snow. They have a wide surface area that helps to evenly distribute your body weight. In the 1800s, athletes began to participate in winter races with snowshoes, which has prompted modern snowshoes to become more lightweight and wearable. Snowshoeing is also a great way to get some exercise and maintain your fitness during the winter months.

Snowshoes can cost up to around $400, but the Alptrek Pro Spin Snowshoe Kit only costs $130 at Costco. It comes with everything you'll need to get started, including snowshoes, trekking poles, accessories, and a carrying bag.

The Alptrek Pro Spin Snowshoe Kit has an average rating of 4.5 stars, based on over 120 reviews on Costco's website. People who purchased the kit felt that it was an "amazing value" and that the snowshoes were easy to use. "Tested this past weekend on Elk Mountain in the Oregon Coast Range over 4 miles with elevation changes. Shoes performed well without any issues," wrote Hood Hiker. "I would recommend these as they work as well as the higher priced shoes in the $200-$300 range after one use."

If you're going to spend extended periods of time outdoors when the weather is cold, it's crucial that you have a good pair of gloves. Our hands are one of the first parts of our bodies to feel the cold, and our fingers are one of the first places where frostbite can occur during extremely cold temperatures. Frostbite is a serious condition that can lead to hospitalization, so protecting your limbs is super important during winter adventures.

There are plenty of warm gloves on the market, but if you really want to stay cozy, consider purchasing the Fieldsheer Mobile Warming Heated Gloves from Costco. The ultra-warm gloves are equipped with an electric heating mechanism that runs on a rechargeable battery. There are four different heat settings so your hands can stay warm on the most frigid winter days. A single charge lasts for around 8 hours (on low heat), so you can enjoy an entire day outside before you need to plug them back in. The outer shell of the gloves is crafted from a durable waterproof material, and they're lined with soft fleece for insulation.

The regular price for the Fieldsheer Mobile Warming Heated Gloves is about $100 at Costco, but at the time of writing they were on sale for $80. They come in multiple sizes for an ideal fit. Based on more than 50 customer reviews, the gloves have an average rating of 4.1 stars. One customer named WetinWashington called the gloves life-changing. "Bought a pair of these gloves in January kinda pricey, but since it's Costco, [I] figured I'm worth it. Wow! Wow! Never thought a pair of gloves could make my winter so much better!" they wrote on Costco's website.

Some hikers feel that trekking poles are unnecessary, while others argue that the popular gear can instantly upgrade your outdoor excursions. Poles can provide extra stability, which can make hiking long distances gentler on the joints. Trekking poles can also help with balance on uneven terrain and make carrying heavy gear a lot easier. If you're ascending up a mountain or a large hill, they can make it seem like less of a slog. Additionally, some argue that using poles makes hiking a better workout since they engage the upper body.

The Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles from Costco have a cult following among experienced hikers. They're more affordable than comparable options, and people who have purchased them are impressed with the quality. Two sets of trekking poles costs about $82 at Costco, so you can keep one set for yourself and give the other as a gift, or keep the second set as a spare.

The viral Cascade Mountain trekking poles have an average rating of 4.7 stars on Costco's website, with more than a thousand 5-star reviews. "The price of these carbon fiber trekking poles are excellent. Way cheaper than anywhere else. The quality is great. Very easy to adjust, very light, and does not slip at all," reviewer KRJH wrote. Reviewer Spokes also appreciated their quality and price. "The build quality is fabulous, the cork handles are premium, and so lightweight," they wrote, adding, "I consider these the best bang for the buck for carbon fiber poles."

To formulate our list of top-tier outdoor gadgets from Costco for winter adventures, we browsed through dozens of products on the company's website. We narrowed down our search by only including products that had an average rating of at least four stars. We further narrowed things down by eliminating options with fewer than 50 reviews posted. Finally, we sorted through hundreds of reviews from real customers to understand what made each item worth purchasing.