5 Camping Essentials To Score At Costco For Under $50

If your idea of the perfect vacation involves being surrounded by nature, stargazing, hiking on unfamiliar trails, and spending hours chatting with your loved ones around a campfire, then you should definitely check out Costco's affordable camping essentials. Whether you live somewhere with comfortable camping weather year-round or you're in a part of the world where the first warm spring days leave you itching to go outdoors, it's a good idea to stock up on some camping essentials so that you're ready whenever you hear the call of the wild.

After you invest in some gear, camping is one of the best budget-friendly ways to travel. It's possible to find free camping in the most beautiful national forests in America, and there are even apps for finding free campsites all around the world. That being said, it's only free to camp if you already have the equipment you need, and luxury camping gear and gadgets for outdoor adventures can be extremely expensive. For those of us who aren't trying to break the bank, Costco has some awesome items that will improve your camping experience for under $50.

Costco is a popular membership warehouse store based in the United States. Shoppers can find a little bit of everything from fresh organic produce to outdoor items for thrilling summer vacations. If you're looking for affordable camping essentials under $50, check out the stainless steel coffee set, the portable butane stove, LED lanterns, camp lights, and the super comfy camp chairs that all cost under $50 on Costco's website.

If you're someone who doesn't feel like you can start the day until you've sipped on a cup of steaming hot coffee (or three), then you're definitely going to want to learn the best methods to brew a cup on your next camping excursion. The Alpine Mountain Gear Stainless Steel Coffee Set could help make the process easier.

The set comes with a percolator coffee pot that allows you to brew a strong batch of coffee directly on the fire or camp stove. It has the capacity to make nine cups of coffee at once. The set also comes with four stainless steel mugs with attached carabiners so you can hook them to your camping backpack.

The entire Alpine Mountain Gear Stainless Steel Coffee Set costs just $29.99 on Costco's website, which makes it a budget-friendly addition to any camp kitchen. Some of the reviews do mention that there were issues with the carabiners on the mugs. Other customers thought the quality of the set was great for the price. "This coffee maker works great. Follow the instructions and you will be successful. Make sure you have a coarse grind on your coffee, as a fine grind will pass through into your coffee. I got this on sale and mainly purchased [it] for the coffee pot, but the cups are an added bonus," a customer named Mike wrote on Costco's website.

A portable camp stove is something that every seasoned outdoor enthusiast should have in their arsenal. It's definitely possible to survive for a few days on trail mix and protein bars, but a delicious warm meal can really improve the entire experience and make your campsite feel like a home away from home.

Cooking delicious meals outdoors under the stars is super special, but if you're trying to light a complicated charcoal grill or cook over the fire without getting ash and dirt in your food, it can become kind of a hassle. A portable butane camping stove keeps things simple and allows you to prepare all sorts of delicious meals. The Cuisinart Camping Stove from Costco is a great budget-friendly choice. It's made from rust-resistant aluminum, according to the product listing, which means it should last for years. It costs $39.99 on the Costco website. At other online retailers the same model costs around $60.

The camp stove has some excellent reviews on Costco's website. "I loved cooking on this gas stove! The water boiled quickly, and heating was efficient. Set up was very simple," a customer named Tera wrote in a review posted on Costco's website.

Flashlights are something that I'm always wishing I had more of while camping. Somehow, when it comes time to depart on a wild camping excursion, it seems like my flashlights and headlamps always go missing. If I do manage to find them, the batteries are dead. The Lepro LED Camping Lantern from Costco would be the perfect way to solve that problem because it comes with two detachable flashlights. It's also rechargeable.

The Lepro Camping Lantern costs $38.99 on Costco's website, and elsewhere it's nearly twice as expensive. It has four different brightness levels, so you can choose what works best for your campsite. It's made from water-resistant materials, according to the product listing.

The brightest level is 1000 lumens, which would provide ample light for a small campsite. It can last for up to twelve hours. The two flashlights detach from the base of the lantern, which is convenient when you need to run to the campground office or use the bathroom at night.

You may think that camp chairs are unnecessary luxuries. It can be very tempting to forgo hauling the extra weight and opt to sit on a log or rock at camp instead, but you'll be super jealous of the other campers in their ultra-comfy folding camp chairs. After a long day of hiking and exploring the outdoors, it feels great to simply sit back and relax around the fire. The Cascade Mountain Tech Padded Camp Chair costs $49.99 on Costco's website, making it an affordable option.

Camp chairs come in all shapes and sizes. There are ultra-lightweight options for backpackers and super bulky loungers for those that prefer more comfort. The Cascade Mountain Tech Padded Camp Chair falls somewhere in the middle. It comes with a carrying bag, and when it's packed up, it measures 8.661 inches wide, 7.48 inches long, and 33.86 inches high. It weighs about 11 pounds. The frame is made from steel, and according to the product listing, it is durable.

The armrests of the chair are cushioned, and so is the chair itself. According to reviews, they are very comfortable. "This chair costs half of similar chairs, so I didn't know what to expect, but I'm so glad I got it. It's so comfy! I can sit in it for 2 hours straight without any discomfort," a reviewer called NYCmom wrote.

Some extra lighting can quickly help transform your basic campsite into a luxury glamping experience. It can also help kids (and kids at heart) feel a bit more comfortable when the sun sets and the unfamiliar nighttime sounds make things feel a bit spooky. The Lepro LED Rechargeable Camping Hanging Light Bulbs will have your campsite feeling like home in no time.

The Lepro hanging lights are shaped like lightbulbs. A set of four costs $38.99 on Costco's website. They have six different light modes, including three white light modes and three color modes, including blue, green, and red. The hook on the back serves multiple purposes and can be hung at the campsite, propped up on a table for visibility, or carried as a handheld flashlight. Perfect for late-night cooking or creating a cozy ambience inside your tent.

To formulate our list of camping essentials to score from Costco for under $50, we went straight to Costco's website. Our writer was able to log in through her personal membership and browse through dozens of camping items listed online. Although there were some super cool camping items that cost slightly over $50 that would fit the criteria if they went on sale, we decided to only include items that were under $50 at the time of writing. We chose not to include any items that were temporarily out of stock at the time of writing. Each item we chose is created for outdoor use and comes in handy at any campsite.