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Better Trail Sponsored Kits

The REI Co-op Camping Kit

We’ve put together a top-notch camping kit from REI’s robust offerings. Shop online or head to your nearest store, and don’t forget to use that dividend (or get a head start on next year).
REI Co-op x Better Trail Camping Kit

ByBetter Trail Staff
Jul 09, 2026
REI has sponsored this kit in partnership with Better Trail, but the product selections have been made independently, and the field notes and takeaways are based on our team’s collective experience with the gear. When you buy through our links, we may receive a commission.

REI’s got range with its camping selection, making it easy to piece together a quality kit. That’s just what we’ve done here, compiling our current favorite camping products available from the Co-op. In framing the task, we set out to balance long-lasting quality with comfort, ease of use, and functionality. The resulting kit is, in our humble opinion, a strong mix of practicality, fun, and value that will work well for everything from big family campouts to smaller groups.

Camping Kit: REI Co-op 1/13
REI Co-op Westward 6 Camping TentREI Co-op Westward 6 ($549)
REI Co-op Westward Dreamer Camping Mattress LWREI Co-op Westward Dreamer ($199)
REI Co-op Siesta Hooded Camping Sleeping BagREI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 ($149)
Hest Camp PillowHest Camp Pillow ($79)
Nemo Stargaze Evo-X Camping ChairNemo Stargaze Evo-X ($180)
REI Co-op Westward Padded Folding Camping ChairREI Co-op Westward Padded ($130)
Yeti Roadie 60 Wheeled CoolerYeti Roadie 60 ($475)
Zempire Stealth-Jet Wide Camp StoveZempire Stealth-Jet Wide Camp Stove ($210)
Zempire Kitpac Pro Large Camping TableZempire Kitpac Pro Large ($180)
Camp Snap Screen-Free Digital CameraCamp Snap Screen-Free Digital Camera ($70)
Rolla Roaster Roasting ForksRolla Roaster Roasting Forks ($22)
REI Co-op Kindercamp 40 BagREI Co-op Kindercamp 40 ($70)
REI Co-op Kindercamp PadREI Co-op Kindercamp Pad ($55)
View All Camping Kits

REI Co-op Westward 6 ($549)

The Westward 6 is all about big-time, easy-going camp living. Its huge front vestibule offers a covered porch for hanging out or gear storage, the spacious interior easily sleeps families or groups of three to five campers, and the duffel-style stuff sack makes it simple to store and haul. It’s one of our 2026 Editors’ Picks for good reason.

Field Notes:
Space & Livability

Space & Livability

4.5/5
Storage

Storage

4.5/5
Weather Protection

Weather Protection

3.5/5
Durability & Quality

Durability & Quality

4/5
Ease of Use

Ease of Use

4/5
Sustainability

Sustainability

3.7/5
Massive vestibule and roomy interior make this a proper two-room base camp. I’ve stored camp chairs, a cooler, a table, and even a mountain bike inside the vestibule.
A proper four-person setup: You can fit four 25-inch-wide REI Co-op Westward Dreamer mats inside and still have room for other gear.
Quality parts abound. Sturdy poles, burly steel stakes, and tough floor fabric have all stood up well.

REI Co-op Westward Dreamer ($199)

REI Co-op products are synonymous with value, but with the Westward Dreamer, you also get legitimate, top-tier quality. At a mid-grade price, there are luxury features like thick, 4-inch construction, vertical side walls (so a fully flat sleeping surface), and cushy padding. And like its tent counterpart, the included duffel-style storage bag makes packing up incredibly easy.

Field Notes:
Comfort

Comfort

4/5
Warmth

Warmth

4/5
Durability

Durability

4/5
Ease of Use

Ease of Use

5/5
Weight & Packability

Weight & Packability

3.5/5
Sustainability

Sustainability

4/5
No risk of bottoming out, even sleeping on your side, thanks to the supportive foam and 4-inch thickness.
The self-inflating design reached 80% inflation on its own, and it was just 1.5 bags full from the included large inflation bag to fill it.
I only needed a single roll to push out enough air for it to fit into the generously sized stuff sack, which features a wide, L-zip opening.

REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 ($149)

The Siesta 20 Hooded is an easy bag to recommend—in fact, it currently sits atop the rankings of our favorite camping sleeping bags. Better than anything else out there, the rectangular-shaped Siesta balances comfort, spaciousness, features, and warmth. The fact that it’s affordable is the cherry on top.

Field Notes:
Warmth

Warmth

4.5/5
Comfort

Comfort

5/5
Durability & Quality

Durability & Quality

4.5/5
Features

Features

4.5/5
Weight & Packed Size

Weight & Packed Size

2/5
Sustainability

Sustainability

4.1/5
On cold nights dipping into the low 30s, I zipped the bag fully, pulled the hood tight, and tucked in the draft collar. This is a proper 3-season bag.
The most comfortable car camping bag I’ve slept in, period. The roomy rectangular shape is great for an active sleeper like me, and soft-touch fabrics abound.
Oversized hood easily swallowed my pillow and kept it securely in place.

Hest Camp Pillow ($79)

Sure, you could bring your pillow from home. But what if your camp pillow was actually an upgrade? Hest’s Camp Pillow nails that soft-yet-supportive nexus with a premium memory foam filling and a stretchy outer fabric. Impressively, it also packs down and zips into its own built-in cover for easy transport.

Field Notes:
A luxury item worth springing for! Serious upgrade over more basic alternatives that lack the Hest’s level of quality and support.
Woven shell won’t leave you sweating in the heat, nor slippery and chilled if the overnight temps drop.
The design's packability makes it viable for air travel, camping, road trips, and plenty more.

Nemo Stargaze Evo-X ($180)

We’re long-time fans of the original Stargaze chair, but the Stargaze Evo-X addresses its biggest shortcoming: a tedious setup and takedown process. With the Evo-X, you get all the reclining and swinging benefits of the OG in a folding design that goes from stored to sitting-ready in 10 seconds or less.

Field Notes:
Comfort

Comfort

4.5/5
Stability

Stability

4/5
Durability

Durability

4.5/5
Ease of Use

Ease of Use

4.5/5
Portability

Portability

2/5
Sustainability

Sustainability

4.2/5
Some chairs recline, but this one reclines! Prop your feet up on a stump or rock, and you have a proper stargazing (or napping) setup.
Confidence-inspiring build with a thick metal frame and substantial seat fabric.
The chair came with us everywhere, from camping trips and weekend state park hangouts to kids’ sports games, and the feedback on comfort was overwhelmingly positive.

REI Co-op Westward Padded ($130)

A folding camp chair with a touch of class, the Westward Padded marries ease of use with a comfy seat. It’s a quality lounger through and through, including real wood armrests and an impressive amount of foam cushioning. And when it’s time to pack up, the backpack-style straps keep your hands free for hauling additional gear.

Field Notes:
Comfort

Comfort

5/5
Stability

Stability

3.5/5
Durability

Durability

3.5/5
Ease of Use

Ease of Use

5/5
Portability

Portability

3/5
Sustainability

Sustainability

4.7/5
Plush foam padding is supportive and extremely comfortable—a major upgrade from traditional camp chairs. Surprisingly, the foam doesn’t absorb much moisture and dries quickly.
Another unexpected perk: I proudly pulled this good-looking chair out onto my balcony for dinner parties.
Setup is really truly as simple as it gets. Unhook it from its folded position, open it up, and sit down.

Yeti Roadie 60 ($475)

Wheeled coolers are incredibly helpful for easing access to everything from campsites, beaches, tailgates, and boats. Yeti’s entry is our favorite on the market, with its manageable dimensions, smooth-rolling design, and user-friendly latch and features. It’ll keep your items cold for days on end—and its premium build will withstand years of heavy use.

Field Notes:
Best latches in the biz. The large plastic clamps “cathunk” securely in place yet are easy to use one-handed.
Guess what? It’s a Yeti: quality and ice retention are top-of-class. Prep it properly, and you’ll get days on days of cold insulation.
Solid handle doesn’t wiggle, and premium wheels roll over curbs, roots, rocks, and more without issue.
Love the removable dry-goods basket. It’s a great size for items you want to keep separate (and not wet), and the clear plastic is easy to clean.

Zempire Stealth-Jet Wide Camp Stove ($210)

This New Zealand-based brand is on the rise, and their latest Stealth-Jet Wide stove is a winner. Featuring a super-slim profile, precise temperature controls, and a roomy cooking area, the Stealth-Jet combines solid performance in an easy-to-carry package. Its adjustable feet also nicely adapt to uneven surfaces.

Field Notes:
We tested the “Wide” variation, and the cooking surface is downright spacious, stretching roughly 22 inches in length.
10,000 BTUs are great for blasting heat, but the fact that the stove performs well at lower temperatures is the real deal. Impressively precise control from the dials.
Talk about a slim stove! Folded and stored, it’s only 2 inches tall. Plus, the integrated handle makes it a cinch to carry.

Zempire Kitpac Pro Large ($180)

For campsites without a picnic table, or simply when you need a little extra space, a portable camp table is beyond functional. Zempire’s Kitpac Pro is a sturdy tabletop with a few tricks up its sleeve, including a food-safe, durable bamboo top, folding and adjustable legs, and even a built-in bottle opener.

Field Notes:
Tall and spacious enough for the camp chef(s) to both prep and cook a meal with a standard two-burner stove.
Bamboo topper is both good-looking and practical. It won’t warp or get damaged from hot items, and it cleans easily.
Tabletop folds in half twice, resulting in a manageable packed size.
Prefer a smaller design that can serve as a bedside table in your tent? Go for the “Standard” model instead.

Camp Snap Screen-Free Digital Camera ($70)

Camp Snap brings disposable cameras to the modern age. Reusable and rechargeable, this compact setup is kid-friendly, intuitive, and fun with six built-in filters. Most importantly, its lack of a screen means it’s a complement to your adventures—and not the focus.

Field Notes:
Pass it around camp—kids included. Super easy to use in its base settings, and up to 500 shots on a single charge.
Filters range from B&W to multiple “vintage” options to really turn up the nostalgia.
Such a great way to guarantee phones/devices stay completely away on a camp trip.

Rolla Roaster Roasting Forks ($22)

A stick can do the trick, but the Rolla Roaster seriously upgrades your mallo game. With a twisting dial right at the top of the handle that spins the fork, plus an extendable length, you can go full rotisserie over the open flame. The quality is also high, with a solid wooden handle and sturdy metal fork.

Field Notes:
The perfect gift! I received a set for my wedding, and after (nearly) 15 years of use, they’re still in great shape.
You can get quite far away from the heat of the flame—nice for kids—utilizing its full 42-inch extension.
Consistently rotating the fork leads to impressively even cooking. Great for hot dogs, marshmallows, Starbursts (you’ll thank me later), and more.

REI Co-op Kindercamp 40 ($70)

Camping with kids? This sleeping bag checks all the boxes with a spacious rectangular shape, a full-length zipper that lets it double as a blanket, and plenty of warmth for summertime fun. But as any parent knows, the playful color options are the real selling point.

Field Notes:
Five distinct colorways with printed graphics along the inside give these bags tons of personality.
Stuff sack is attached to the bag—a lifesaver to keep it from getting lost—and spacious enough to be easy for kids to do the work themselves.
On colder nights, the collar can be cinched to help trap heat.
Smooth-operating zipper! No issues with snagging, even when adjusting in the dark.

REI Co-op Kindercamp Pad ($55)

The perfect pairing for the Kindercamp Bag, the Kindercamp Pad is user-friendly thanks to its self-inflating design and clearly labeled inflate and deflate valves. It’s also built to last with quality foam and a durable shell that can withstand typical kid use and abuse.

Field Notes:
At 60 inches in length, this pad will work for most tots through preteens.
Thick enough to cushion kids on uneven ground, yet small enough to pack down for easy carry.
4.5 R-value offers plenty of insulation from the cold ground for above-freezing trips.
Flat valves don’t get in the way when sleeping.

Car Camping Gear at REI Co-op

Most of us have camping goals for this summer that are aligned: Get outside with family and friends, with as little friction as possible, without breaking the bank, while finding the right gear that fits our desired purposes. For many years we’ve used REI’s robust line of in-house camping gear, so this partnership is a natural one. You can use the custom kit above to hit all of the major categories in one fell swoop, and below we offer more context to help you ideate further. Don’t be intimidated, and do get out there because you’ll be glad that you did.

It’s good to have options, and that certainly is the case with REI’s camping offerings. The Westward collection was released for the spring of 2026, building on its popular Kingdom and Wonderland camping lines. Positioned above the approachable Campwell, Westward products offer a premium look and performance at a competitive price point.

We’ve had a chance to test most of the gear, from the flagship six-person tent to the camping mat and padded folding chair. By and large, we’ve been very impressed with both the quality of the products, which match up well with the luxury end of the market, and their ease of use. Below is a breakdown of the Westward line as it currently stands:

Westward Tent: A premium, spacious car-camping tent available in four- and six-person capacities. The larger variation includes a massive front vestibule, which effectively creates a two-room base camp. The Westward 6 is a Better Trail Editors’ Pick for its well-rounded performance.
Westward Shelter: For camping in buggy regions (i.e., most summertime adventures), this mesh-sided, floorless canopy can offer a welcome reprieve from pests. Place the Westward Shelter over a picnic table or arrange your chairs inside for a good balance of peace and nature.
Westward Camp Tarp: Comes with everything you need to create a raised sun shelter (or to block some light rain). Two poles create a tall peak height (90 in.), while guylines and stakes keep the Westward Tarp solidly in place.
Westward Dreamer Self-Inflating Bed: Made in single or two-person models, this cushy camping mat prioritizes comfort with a thick 4-inch height. Undercutting most alternatives by $50 or more, it offers serious value for a high-end mat.
Westward Chair and Padded Chair: Two premium chairs featuring solid bases, cupholders, wood armrests, and spacious seats. The standard model has a supportive polyester seat and back, while the Westward Padded ups the luxury with substantial cushioning. The latter design’s standout comfort earned it our Better Trail Editors’ Pick distinction for 2026.

Based in the outdoor dreamscape of New Zealand, Zempire first came on the Better Trail team’s radar with its radical air tents. These innovative designs forgo traditional aluminum or fiberglass pole structures in favor of fortified air tubes. More than a gimmick, the designs proved to have tangible benefits—our tester of the Zempire Aerospeed tent described its solid structure as “bunker-like.” Zempire has since rapidly taken hold in the US market with a comprehensive collection of products, ranging from stoves and tables to chairs, mattresses, and a massive selection of air tents. At the time of publishing, a search for Zempire products on REI returns over 100 products. Now that’s serious camping coverage.

We’ve featured their new Stealth-Jet line of stoves in the kit above, along with a high-quality, oversized camp table. Without exception, in our testing of the brand’s products thus far, we’ve found them to be thoughtfully made with small but noticeable upgrades over standard camping gear. Their Stealth-Jet Stove is crazy compact—only 2 inches when folded—while still delivering great cooking performance, and the Kitpac Pro camp table has a sturdy, premium bamboo topper yet packs down easily.

If you’re like us, you run into REI Co-op kid camp gear everywhere, from national park campgrounds to sleepovers. And it’s for good reason: it’s quality gear that works great for little ones without costing an arm and a leg. The Kindercamp and Kindercone sleeping bags are prime examples: they're sized right (the Kindercone 25 even has a cinch feature that lets it expand as a child grows), and kids love them for their playful color options and graphics. The same can be said for the Kindercamp sleeping pad and Co-op-brand camp chair, which are essentially smaller versions of the adult products. The quality and functionality are there, but at smaller dimensions and lower prices.

The kid-oriented selection isn’t limited to REI brand products. We featured a couple of fun items in our kit that have serious kid (and parent) appeal. From our experience, the Rolla Roaster (great company name, by the way) has a perfect approval rating for cooking marshmallows or hot dogs. The rotating and expansion features are super slick, and they make an already fun activity all the more enjoyable. The same goes for a screenless camera, the Camp Snap, which lets the whole crew capture memories without taking the focus away from the fun. In addition to the kids’ items included in the kit above, there are a few additional products worth having on your radar. Here’s a quick list:

Shopping at REI Co-op: Membership and Brick-and-Mortar Stores

We’ve covered the benefits of an REI membership on a number of occasions, including a dedicated article on the subject, but the high-level summary is that we think it’s worth the $30 one-time investment in nearly all cases. Joining the 26-million-member Co-op grants you real, tangible benefits: 10% back on full-priced items (often paying for the membership with a single purchase), access to 20%-off coupons a few times a year (we use these for our biggest seasonal purchases), free shipping with no minimum order required, and a one-year return policy (compared with 90 days for non-members). Again, it’s an open-and-shut case for casual and serious outdoorists alike.

Finally, we’d also be remiss not to call out the benefits of REI’s brick-and-mortar presence. Even with the best outdoor gear reviews, sometimes it can be hard to wrap your mind around a product's fit and feel, and with nearly 200 stores, there’s a decent chance you’re not far from an REI. Most are located in or near major population centers, making it easy to ship and pick up items in store, return gear that hasn’t worked out, or get a first-hand look at the latest and greatest outdoor gear. In the end, REI’s many brick-and-mortar stores are a source of inspiration and convenience, and we often find a reason to swing by.