Every camping trip I take starts the same way, with a pile of gear in the driveway and the question of what actually goes in the truck. Some of it has been riding along for years. Some of it is new, either because I bought it or because a brand sent it my way to try.
This post is the new stuff. Two flashlights, a power bank, an action camera, a camp light, a magnetic phone tripod and a camp table. None of it is fancy, but all of it has been used, and I’ll tell you what I’d buy again and what didn’t quite live up to what I pictured when I ordered it.
It has been a productive camping season so far. Our annual trip to Moab, a road trip to the Grand Tetons with camping along the way and the usual haunts around the Midwest.
Heads up before we start: Victoper and Gidues sent me their products free to review. Nobody paid to be in this post, nobody saw it before it went live, and the verdicts are mine, good or bad. The GoPro, the ouTask light, the CORE table and the MOSENVKA tripod I bought myself. Every product link in this post is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Here’s my full affiliate disclosure.
How I tested: Goods I’ve received for review typically get a couple nights in the wild as well as some testing at home. Goods I’ve purchased generally were specific purchases and stay with me until they get replaced or reach end of life.
Quick Picks
| Item | What it’s for | Verdict | How I got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoper A1200T (2-pack) | Pocket and glovebox light | Keeper | Sent free |
| Gidues M2 Portable Charger (pink) | Phone top-ups | Keeper (it got adopted) | Sent free |
| GoPro Mission 1 Pro | Trail and camp footage, stills | Keeper | Bought it |
| ouTask TD1 Telescopic Camp Light | Lighting the campsite | Keeper (if you value design) | Bought it |
| CORE FlexRail Prep & Cook Table | Camp kitchen | Situational | Bought it |
| MOSENVKA Dual Magnetic Phone Tripod | Night photos at camp | Keeper | Bought it |
Victoper A1200T Flashlight (2-Pack): Keeper
Victoper sent me this 2-pack free to review. They didn’t see this before it went live.
These are small rechargeable flashlights, and you get two in the box. Each one has five modes: three steady (low, medium and high) and two strobes (fast and slow). The head pushes and pulls to change the beam, from a tight spot when you want to see down the trail to a wide flood when you’re digging around the campsite.
Short version: they’re a good deal for the price. They worked right out of the box, no fiddling. Charging is easy with the USB-A to USB-C cables that come with them.
Two things I’d change. The batteries aren’t replaceable, so when they’re done, the light is done. I don’t love that, but it’s how most small lights are made now, so I can’t hold it against Victoper too much. And at some point USB-C to USB-C cables would make more sense than USB-A, since that’s what most of us are plugging into these days. I understand why they went with USB-A for now, though.
If you want a cheap pair of lights to split between the glovebox and the camp bin, these do the job.
Get the Victoper A1200T 2-pack on Amazon
Gidues M2 Portable Charger: Keeper
Gidues sent me this charger free to review. They didn’t see this before it went live.
The Gidues M2 is a 20,000mAh power bank with a USB-C cable built right into it (that’s per the listing, which also rates it at 35W for fast charging). Mine is the pink one.
It worked as advertised, which is really all I ask of a power bank. The built-in cable is the part I liked most. There’s no separate cord to forget at home or dig out of the bottom of a bag, and if you’ve ever pulled out a charged-up battery pack only to realize the cable is back in the truck, you know why that matters.
It also didn’t stay mine for long. The pink caught my daughter’s eye, and it’s now a permanent part of her backpack at college. I’m counting that as a pretty strong review. When a college kid claims your gear, it’s doing something right.
For more on why a charged power bank belongs in your kit beyond camping, I wrote about using camping gear during emergencies.
Get the Gidues M2 Portable Charger (pink) on Amazon
GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Keeper
The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is a fantastic new camera. The listing pitches it as a compact cinema camera with a 1-inch sensor and 8K video, and the latest firmware updates have improved the photo settings, which is great to see.
We all carry phones, and for most snapshots that’s enough. But lately my two go-to cameras on the road have been my Ricoh GR IIIx and the Mission 1 Pro. The phone still comes out plenty.
I’ve been a GoPro fan for a long time (you can read my older GoPro HERO11 Black review), and I hope the company’s recent acquisition keeps the brand around for years to come.
The GoPro has been with me on a flight to Las Vegas, the camp trip to Moab and the road trip to the Grand Tetons. I also have it handy with me throughout the day and it captures the backyard life of my two Mini Australian Shepherd puppies.
Side note on the grip: mine came as the Grip Edition, but I don’t use the grip. It just didn’t do anything for me. If you’re buying, I’d skip it and get the camera on its own, which is what the link below goes to.
Update: I also ordered the GoPro M1 Pro ILS and I’m looking forward to rocking my MFT lenses.
Get the GoPro Mission 1 Pro (camera only) on Amazon
ouTask TD1 Telescopic Camp Light: Keeper, if you value design. Skip it if you are price conscious.
The ouTask TD1 is a camp light on a telescoping pole that folds down small and stands on its own tripod base. It’s magnetic, and the head rotates so you can aim the light where you need it. Mine is the orange one.
According to ouTask, the TD1 tops out at 500 lumens and can run for 65 hours at 40 lumens. It has both warm (3000K) and white (6500K) light, and the pole extends to 930 mm, a little over three feet. There’s a 12,000mAh battery inside, with USB-A and USB-C outputs, so it can double as a power bank.
I bought this before the Moab trip after seeing it in a couple YouTube videos that hit my feed. I’m a sucker for well-designed tech, and this is. Probably a little pricey for some folks at around $140. The colors are also great and as the proud owner of many Yeti products in King Crab Orange and my orange iPhone 17 Pro, this fit right in.
Get the ouTask TD1 (orange) on Amazon
CORE FlexRail Prep & Cook Table: Situational (the One That Almost Didn’t)
Quick note on sizes first. Mine is the 5 ft version, and as far as I can tell that was a Costco thing. The one you’ll find on Amazon is the 4 ft. It’s the same FlexRail prep and cook design, just shorter, and it doesn’t come with the utility basket that sits under the top on mine. Everything below is from my 5 ft, so factor in a little less room.
I’ve had it out camping once so far, and it pulled double duty with prep on one side and cooking on the other. One meal was on the propane stove, another on the tabletop Blackstone griddle.
Here’s the honest part. I thought I’d use this table more than I do. It’s heavy and solid (CORE lists mine at 40 lb, and the 4 ft is listed at 29 lb), and that cuts both ways. It feels sturdy once it’s set up, but it’s a lot of table to haul around. I’ll throw it in the truck for a regular camping trip, but it’s too bulky for overlanding, where every bit of space counts.
What’s surprised me is where it’s ended up. Lately it lives on my deck next to my grill and smoker as a prep station. It’s built for outdoor use, and so far it’s sat through rain and sun with no issues. I’ll try to give it some snow time this winter and report back. We’ve also packed it for a couple football tailgate sessions this year already and it works well in that situation.
So it made the list, but barely. If you car camp with a full camp kitchen, or you want a prep table at home that can come along on trips, it’s worth a look. If you pack tight, skip it. I also happened to pick mine up the weekend Costco discounted it to $99 close out pricing, and it was an impulse purchase.
If you’re building out a camp kitchen, my post on car camping cooking gear has the stoves and cookware I’d pair with it.
Get the CORE 4 ft FlexRail Prep & Cook Table on Amazon
MOSENVKA Dual Magnetic Phone Tripod: Keeper
A full-size tripod is one more bulky thing to pack, and for most of my night shots at camp I don’t need one. This little magnetic tripod has been my answer for a few months now, and it’s become one of the things I reach for most once the sun goes down.
The magnets are the reason it works. They grab the phone hard, which is what you want when it’s pointed up at the night sky and you need it to stay put. When I’m done, the legs fold up and it drops into a jacket pocket.
It also isn’t a one-trick tool. Legs out, it’s a tripod. Folded, it’s a stand. And the magnetic base lets it stick to metal, which opens up spots like the truck itself. Per the listing, the legs fold into an Arca-compatible quick-release plate, there are 1/4-inch threaded holes, and a metal ring comes in the box for phones or cases without built-in magnets. Mine is the grey one.
Between trips it doesn’t get packed away. It holds my iPhone on my desk as a webcam for video calls, using Apple’s Continuity Camera. A camping gadget that earns its keep at home too is fine by me.
I also still use an old ULANZI MA23 magnetic mount (see the above comet photo), but it’s discontinued, so I won’t send you hunting for it.
Check the listing before you buy. It often has a clickable coupon.
Get the MOSENVKA Dual Magnetic Phone Tripod on Amazon
How They Fit Into My Car Camping Setup
None of these replaces the basics, but together they cover a lot of the small stuff that makes a road trip easier. The table handles the camp kitchen. The ouTask lights up the site. One of the Victopers rides in the glovebox or my truck and the other ended up in the utility drawer in the kitchen (yeah, don’t judge, you all have one of those drawers). The power bank keeps phones topped up. The GoPro and the MOSENVKA handle the photos, from the drive in to the stars after dinner.
What Stays Packed
Most of this list stays. The Victoper lights, the GoPro and the MOSENVKA tripod are in the truck every trip, and the Gidues power bank found an even better home in my daughter’s backpack. The CORE table is the one that almost didn’t make it. It’s a great prep station, just not a great passenger when space is tight. I love the way the ouTask lights up the camp site facing down, limiting the light pollution.
If you’re getting ready for your first trip, here’s my first car camping trip packing list. And if you need somewhere to try all this out, start with my picks for car camping in Nebraska or car camping spots in Utah.
