Do you love camping in spring and fall, but have a hard time keeping warm? Or maybe those cooler summer nights in the mountains give you a chill that’s hard to shake. Even avid winter time campers aren’t opposed to bringing in some reinforcements, so why not bring along something that will make a huge difference in your comfort levels?
We’ve assembled a list of all the best heated camping gear that use either battery packs or propane to radiate heat and warm you from the outside in. Whether it’s a item of clothing, a piece of gear, or a little gadget, there’s lots of different options currently on the market for non-electric heated products. No outlet nearby is no problem because everything is cordless.
As a plus, a lot of this camping gear can be used to keep you warm in other situations and not just camping. For example, the heated camping chair can be used at a sports game or tailgating with your friends, the heated socks can be worn around the house and skiing, and the chair pad can be used on the bleachers or on your front porch. Use them at every opportunity so you can get your money’s worth out of each product.
Heated Camping Chair
One of the best pieces of heated camping gear you could purchase is a heated camping chair. They’re just like a regular camping chair, but are made of heavy duty aluminum and use a thick fabric to make a quality, weatherproof, and long-lasting chair. Heated camping chairs have heat elements built right into the fabric, and these heat zones warm your backside for hours at a time.
Related Post: Best Heated Camping Chair for Cozy Adventures in 2022
Gobi Heat Terrain Heated Camping Chair
This folding camping chair has two heating zones built into the fabric – one on the seat and one on the back. They give off warmth by using power from a portable battery pack, which is included with this Gobi Heat heated camping chair, and provides up to 9 hours of heat. The chair folds down into a carrying case, has a durable steel frame that supports up to 325 pounds, and thick fabric on the seat. There’s three heat levels, so you can choose your temperature, and it’s also wind and water resistant.
Read our full review of the Gobi Heat Terrain Heated Camping Chair.
Heated Blanket
Pair your heated camping chair with a heated blanket, and you will have warmth radiating to your front and back. These heated blankets have coils built into the fabric and are made of materials that are meant to spread the heat throughout the entirety of the blanket. This is easily the comfiest way to stay warm when it’s chilly outside – just wrap yourself in a big cozy blanket.
Related Post: Best Battery Operated Heated Blanket for Camping
Zen Portable Heated Blanket
Gobi Heat is one of the leading brands in the heated gear and clothing industry, and they’ve made a really awesome portable heated blanket.
The Zen blanket is quite large in size, measuring 70 x 50 inches, and it warms up to 136°F. The included battery pack allows it to run for up to 6 hours, but carrying an additional battery would greatly extend that amount of time. When you’re at home, the included cord allows you to plug this portable blanket right into the wall.
The heat zones are surrounded by a conductive thread technology that’s meant to warm the entire blanket with just three heat zones.
Heated Sleeping Bag
For cold weather camping gear, a heated sleeping bag would be an awesome addition to your gear closet. They use several heat coils spread throughout the entire sleeping bag to warm different areas, spacing them out from your chest to your feet. They’re a little heavier than a regular sleeping bag, but would be worth transporting them around for the warmth boost they provide. They’re especially great for pre-heating your sleeping bag before you crawl in, and giving you supplemental heat during the night.
Antarctica Gear Heated Sleeping Bag
This Antarctica Gear heated sleeping bag is the highest rated one on Amazon and a personal favorite of ours. It has five heating areas and they vary in size, with the largest area being at your feet and slightly smaller coils in other places. There’s three different heat levels, so you can pick your desired temperature. The battery is included!
It’s a roomy, over-sized sleeping bag that weighs only 4.4 pounds and is machine washable. It’s water-resistant as well, and is rated for 3-4 seasons so you could use it most of the year depending on the type of weather you typically encounter.
Read our full review of the Antarctica Gear Heated Sleeping Bag
Heated Sleeping Bag Liner
While there’s not many heated sleeping bag liners currently on the market (and even fewer that are decently rated), there is one that could add a lot of comfort to a night outside in a tent. It’s a single layer that you lay on top of, and it has heat coils spread out throughout the fabric just like the sleeping bag above. Simply slide the heated liner into your sleeping bag, or use it in combination with a heated sleeping bag from above, and it will provide warmth to your back while the sleeping bag radiates warmth to your front.
Related Post: Best Heated Sleeping Bag Liner
Mantuole Heated Sleeping Bag Liner
This heated sleeping bag liner by Mantuole has five heat zones throughout the entire pad, and they have three different heat settings. It runs off a regular portable battery, but it doesn’t come with one so you would need to either use your own or purchase one separately.
It’s made of soft flannel filled with polyester and covered with a waterproof oxford shell on the back. It measures 6.5 x 3 feet, so it fits in most adult sized sleeping bags and it can also be used as a heated sleeping pad or seat cushion.
Read our full review of the Mantuole Heated Sleeping Bag Liner
Tent Heater
When it comes to staying warm while camping, one of the most straight forward options is to use a tent heater. While it’s possible to use an electric heater if you have a hook-up, propane heaters don’t require electricity and may be a better alternative.
Some people are skeptical about the safety of propane heaters, but ‘indoor-safe’ options do exist, and a perfect example is the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater below. As long as you follow the proper safety steps and don’t leave it to run unattended (which includes while you’re sleeping), then these heaters should be safe to use.
Even if you don’t plan on using the propane heater inside your tent, it could be a great option to have around camp for outside use. Just having it running near you while you prep food or sit in your camping chair would make a big difference in your comfort levels.
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Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater
The Portable Buddy Heater by Mr. Heater connects directly to a 1 lb. propane cylinder that you can find at almost every sports and outdoors store. Or if you carry large propane canisters, it does come with a converter that allows you to connect it to a hose. It uses an integrated sparking mechanism to turn on, and offers high and low heat settings so you can pick your warmth.
As a safety feature, this heater comes with an oxygen depletion sensor and accidental tip-over safety shut-off. It the unit detects low oxygen or any shaking, tipping, or bouncing, the unit will automatically shut off. These features make it rated safe for ‘indoor use’, but it would still work well if you only felt comfortable using it outside.
Rechargeable Hand Warmers
Instead of packing disposable (and wasteful) hand warmers, bring along rechargeable hand warmers. They’re designed to be small and compact, so they can fit in your pockets and hands comfortably, while still providing ample heat for several hours. They’re essentially small battery packs that heat up quickly and consistently, giving your digits extra heat for several hours. Plus, they would be cheaper in the long run since you wouldn’t have to purchase large amount of disposable hand warmers. Simply recharge them and you’re ready to go again.
Zippo HeatBank 3
Zippo is one of the leading brands when it comes to rechargeable hand warmers, and we really like their HeatBank 3. It’s a small battery unit that measures only 3.63 x 1.63 x .59 inches and fits easily into the palm of your hand and various sizes of pockets.
It cranks out dual-sided heat and offers high and low settings. It can run for up to three hours at a time and it uses a small lights display to show power and heat levels.
Heated Socks
When your body starts getting cold, it pulls blood and heat into your core as part of a survival mechanism. This leaves your appendages feeling the effects of the cold first, so having heated socks (and gloves – see below) would vastly increase your comfort levels in chilly temperatures. Heated socks use small heating elements located in the toes and arch of the foot to warm your feet, and they get power from small battery pack that tucks into a pocket near the top of the sock.
Rechargeable Battery Operated Heated Socks
These socks are machine washable, one size fits most, and they make the perfect gift because of their wide variety of applications. There’s three temperature settings that range from 122-149°F, and they use a 4,000 mAh battery on each foot to provide warmth for up to 8 hours.
As a bonus, they’re extremely highly rated on Amazon, so you can be sure you’re getting a good pair of heated socks that will last for many adventures to come.
Heated Scarf
A heated scarf is more of a neck wrap than what I would call a traditional scarf, but it’s still a cool (no pun intended) piece of camping gear that has some great warming applications. It’s the only product on this list that provides warmth specifically to your neck, which is good for feeling warm but can also be used for pain relief at home.
Joytek Heated Scarf
This heated scarf comes with a 5,000mAh battery pack that can give you up to 9 hours of warmth on the lowest heat setting. There’s also a medium and high heat temperature mode, so you can adjust based on weather conditions. The battery pack slides into a pocket on the bottom of the scarf for easy storage.
The fabric is waterproof and windproof and it’s easily one of the coolest graphics we’ve seen on any of these heated products.
Heated Hat
A battery powered hat is one of the first things I think of for heated camping gear, and it would be an excellent heated wearable for a wide variety of activities. We already wear beanies when we’re camping, so why not add a heating element that helps you stay even warmer. Whether you’re camping, hiking, cheering on a sports team, or are working outside in the cold, wearing a heated hat could be a great addition to your outfit.
Heated Fleece Beanie
We love this heated fleece beanie that has built in heat coils around the middle of the hat. It uses three different heat settings to provide warmth no matter where you are. The included battery heats for up to 6-7 hours on low heat, 4-5 hours on medium, and 3-4 hours on high heat. It also comes in three designs with different stitching so you can pick your favorite.
Heated Gloves
As we’ve already pointed out above, your hands and feet are some of the first parts of your body to feel the effects of being cold. That’s why these pieces of clothing, although small, could make some of the biggest difference in your comfort level.
Gloves are a great thing to bring along on chilly camping trips, and heated gloves are even better. While some heated gloves are heavier and meant for winter sports, there are some gloves that are thinner and meant for hanging out around the campsite. They would still let you use your hands around camp, while the thicker skiing gloves would limit your dexterity.
Savior Heat Gloves
Just like a lot of the heated gear we’ve featured so far, these gloves run on small batteries that slide into a pocket built into the item. They have three different heat settings that range from 100-150°F, and the batteries can provide up to 7-8 hours of heat on the lower setting. They’re water-resistant and wind-proof, and they use a sensitive touch screen material on the fingertip and thumb so you can still use your phone while wearing them.
Heated Chair Pad
A heated chair pad would be perfect for someone who already has their favorite camping chair and doesn’t want to purchase a new chair with built in heat coils like the Gobi Heat above. They’re also multi-functional and can be used on the bleachers at soccer games and at the office in your desk chair.
Aceletiqs Heated Chair Pad
Weighing only 2.5 lbs., this portable heated chair pad has a water-proof, rubber, no-slip bottom and water-resistant construction so it can even be used when your seat is a bit wet. It has three heat settings that heat up to 115°F, and it does come with a battery.
If you prefer a seat pad that includes a heated back, this chair from the same brand would be a great option. It’s essentially the same chair pad but it has an attached back that also has heat coils.
Little Buddy Heater
A small portable heater is a great option for at the picnic table or around camp, but it can also be used inside your tent. Just like the Portable Buddy Heater above, this Little Buddy Heater is rated as ‘indoor safe,’ meaning it can be used inside if you follow the instructions. This means providing some ventilation and only running it when you’re alert and observing it. For more information about safety, see the related post below:
Related Post: Can You Safely Put a Mr. Buddy Heater in a Tent?
This Little Buddy Heater is a smaller version of the Portable Buddy Heater above. It’s a good option for smaller tents and also works well as a personal heating device outside the tent. Think of it like having a little space heater at your feet at home. It uses a 1 lb. propane cylinder that you can get at pretty much any sports store, so fuel is easy and the warmth is awesome.
Read our full review of the Little Buddy Heater
Conclusion
These products vary greatly in price, size, and their intended heating area. We’ve purposely selected options that heat you from heat to toe, and everything in between. Obviously having all this heated gear would be awesome, but we recommend starting out by just picking what is most important to you. What would make the biggest difference to your personally? What’s the body part that get the coldest, or what do you do around the campsite that leaves you the coldest?
Overall, each of these products have lots of uses outside the campground, so you could also think about other activities in your life that would benefit from having heated camping gear. I could definitely think of some!
If you purchase something that’s battery powered, consider adding on additional battery packs when possible. They are quite affordable, and they greatly increase the amount of warming time. Plus, they could also be used to charge your phone on the go.
No matter what you decide on, we hope that your heated product(s) bring you lots of comfort and joy as you adventure into the outdoors.
About the Author
Ashley Vitiello
Ashley is an adventurous soul who loves all things nature, especially warm sunshine, hiking, wildflowers, and mushrooms. If she isn’t writing content for Know Nothing Nomads, she’s probably in a forest looking at big mountain views and tiny pieces of moss on the side of the trail.
