No Campfire, No Hookups: 7 Thanksgiving Camping Essentials

Why: Two 20,000 BTU burners (40,000 total), matchless ignition, a folding lid that doubles as a windscreen, and 215 square inches of cooking space for two pans (Amazon listing). That’s enough to run the potatoes and the gravy at the same time.

Best for: Anyone cooking a real holiday dinner at a site with a fire ban.

Watch out for: At full output, it goes through 1 lb propane cylinders quickly. Bring spares, or an adapter hose and a bulk tank.

Why: Insulation in the lid and body keeps ice for up to 5 days in temperatures as high as 90°F, it holds up to 100 cans, and the lid works as a seat that holds up to 250 lb (Amazon listing). There’s room for a turkey breast, the sides and the pies.

Best for: Long holiday weekends, families and anyone camping away from a store.

Watch out for: It’s big and heavy once it’s full. On Cumberland Island you haul everything about ½ mile from the dock to Sea Camp (NPS Cumberland Island), so pack a smaller cooler for the ferry.

Why: A 243Wh LiFePO4 battery with AC outlets and USB-C, rated for 3,000 cycles to 80% capacity. It weighs 7.7 lb and recharges from a wall outlet in about an hour (Amazon listing). It keeps phones and lights charged quietly, with no generator hours to watch.

Best for: Tent and van campers at Pinnacles, and anyone in Organ Pipe’s no-generator loops.

Watch out for: At 243Wh, it won’t run a space heater, a coffee maker or an electric skillet for long. It’s for small electronics.

Why: Rigid 7-gallon jugs with a molded grip, a screw-on vent and a hideaway spigot, and a five-year warranty (Amazon listing). Padre Island has no water hookups, but there’s a freshwater fill station by the Malaquite Campground entrance (NPS Padre Island). Fill up there before you head down the beach.

Best for: Beach campers on Padre Island, and RVers who boondock.

Watch out for: Seven gallons of water weighs close to 60 lb. Reliance also warns that long sun exposure makes the plastic brittle, so keep the jugs in the shade (Amazon listing).

Why: A 4,000 or 9,000 BTU radiant propane heater, approved for indoor and outdoor use, with an emergency low-oxygen shutoff. It heats about 225 square feet and runs 5.4 hours on low from a 1 lb cylinder (Amazon listing).

Best for: Taking the chill off a camper, cabin or roomy tent before bed.

Watch out for: The Consumer Product Safety Commission says to follow the maker’s ventilation instructions and turn any camping heater off before you go to sleep (CPSC). Never bring a camp stove inside to stay warm (CDC).

Why: An electrochemical CO sensor, an 85-decibel alarm and an end-of-life chirp, all on batteries, so it works in a tent or camper with no outlet (Amazon listing). People die every year from CO from camping heaters, lanterns and stoves used inside tents, campers and vehicles (CPSC). Pack one with any fuel-burning heater.

Best for: Everyone who brings a propane heater or stove on the trip.

Watch out for: It’s built for homes, so test it before you leave and pack spare batteries. An alarm isn’t a reason to run a heater overnight.

Why: Up to 400 lumens with dimming, a red night-vision mode and a lock mode, a built-in rechargeable battery, and an IP67 rating for up to 30 minutes underwater (Amazon listing). It’s dark well before dinner in late November, and you’ll be cooking by headlamp.

Best for: Cooking after sunset, and the walk to the restroom.

Watch out for: It charges by micro-USB, not USB-C, so pack the right cable or top it up from the power station.