Campsite
Our military camping gear covers everything that makes a field site livable: where you sleep, how you cook, how you stay warm and how you find your way back. It is the kit soldiers, scouts and hunters have relied on for generations, with modern additions.
For sleeping, choose from the G.I. type poncho liner in solid and camo versions, European surplus style and rescue wool blankets, Polarshield survival blankets (including 2-person and sleeping bag styles), a jungle hammock, a foam sleeping pad with ties, and several folding cots, including a G.I. type oversized model. For cooking and eating there are 5-piece mess kits in aluminum and stainless steel, a Foreign Legion 11-in-1 chow set, a single burner folding stove, the Portable Commando Cooker, and the G.I. P-38 can opener.
Navigation and observation gear includes the Cammenga G.I. military phosphorescent lensatic compass, Rothco lensatic and marching compasses, Silva baseplate compasses, a pace counter, a map and document case, and binoculars from compact 8x21 to 8-24x50 zoom. Rounding it out are fire starters, waterproof match boxes, signal mirrors, insect repellent, mosquito head nets, tent stakes, bungee cords, sandbags, folding stools and a portable camp toilet.
A note for service members: when you're heading to a field exercise or school, your unit packing list is the authority on what to bring and in what color. Use these items to fill gaps or upgrade personal comfort, and confirm with your leadership before swapping a commercial item for issue gear.
How to Choose Military Camping Gear
Think in systems rather than single items: a sleep system, a cook kit, and a navigation kit. Each should work on its own and pack down small enough to carry. Weight adds up fast, so pick the lightest option that does the job for your season and terrain.
Sleep System: Poncho Liners, Blankets and Cots
The poncho liner, nicknamed the woobie, dates to the Vietnam War. It was designed to stay light for troops sleeping in jungle conditions, uses two nylon layers that dry quickly, and has tie cords so it can attach to a rain poncho. It works as a blanket, a sleeping bag liner or a pillow. Wool blankets are heavier but stay warm when damp and resist sparks near a fire. Polarshield survival blankets weigh almost nothing and reflect body heat, so they make a good emergency layer.
Off the ground, a folding cot keeps you dry and away from crawling insects at a fixed camp. A jungle hammock is lighter for wooded areas with good anchor points. On bare ground, a foam pad is the simplest insulation you can carry.
Camp Cooking and Mess Kits
A 5-piece mess kit gives you a pan, plate and cup that nest together. Stainless steel is more durable; aluminum is lighter. The single burner folding stove and Commando Cooker handle boiling water and heating rations. Keep a P-38 can opener on your key ring: the Army says it was developed in 30 days in the summer of 1942 at the Subsistence Research Laboratory in Chicago to open C-ration cans, and troops kept carrying it after MREs replaced canned rations.
Military Compasses and Navigation
A lensatic compass lets you sight a distant object through the lens and read a bearing, which is how land navigation is taught in the military. Phosphorescent markings glow after exposure to light for night use. A baseplate compass like the Silva Ranger is easier to use directly on a map. Pair either with a pace counter to track distance and a map case to keep paper dry.
Military Camping Gear for Field Training
If you're preparing for a field exercise or a military school, the packing list issued by your unit or course comes first. Typical lists include a sleep system and a poncho or liner, but the details vary by unit, season and course, so treat any list you find online as a guide only.
- Match colors to the list. Many units specify coyote, olive drab or a current camo pattern for anything visible.
- Pack personal comfort items, like a microfiber towel or a camp stool, only if the list allows extras.
- Label everything. Issue-style gear looks identical across a platoon.
- Don't bring this gear to basic training. Recruits are told to pack only the essentials on the recruiter's list.
Camping Gear for Hunters, Scouts and Preppers
Beyond the military, this campsite gear suits deer camp, scout outings, overlanding and emergency kits. Survival blankets, fire starters, a signal mirror and a whistle with compass can fit in a glovebox. Bungee cords, tent stakes and sandbags help when you need to secure a tarp or hold down a shelter in the wind.