Outdoor Vitals Shadowlight 60

Maybe the Bestselling Pocket Knife

Benchmade Bugout

A Timeless Classic for Less Than $20

Opinel No.08 Inox

Knife Expert Nick LeFort's Top Pick

Knafs Lander 2

A Really, Really Good Value

Kershaw Bel Air Pocket Knife

A Pocket Knife for Heavier Tasks

Benchmade Osborne 940bk-03 in MagnaCut

Best Multitool/Knife Combo

Victorinox Huntsman

Best Budget Pocket Knife

CIVIVI Yonder

A Heavy, Tough, Versatile Knife

Leatherman Glider

A Classic of the Modern Era

Spyderco Paramilitary 2

The Best Automatic Pocket Knife

Benchmade Auto Immunity

Best Tactical Pocketknife

DPx Gear HEST/F 4.0

A Nostalgic Classic

Case Trapper

Best-Dressed Pocket Knife

CRKT Crossbones

Nick LeFort's Favorite Automatic Knife

Benchmade CLA With MagnaCut

Benchmade Bugout

Read Review: Hiker’s Dream Knife: Benchmade Bugout Review

Benchmade crafts some of the best knives on the market, and the Bugout (starting at $180) is the top seller in the entire lineup. Any pocket knife list wouldn’t be complete without it. If you’re looking for a knife to be your trusted companion for the next decade, it should be high on your list, even if it is a bit cliché for those obsessed with knives from custom makers.

From an everyday carry standpoint, it’s one of the nicest carrying pocket knives available. It’s ridiculously light at 1.85 oz, and the handle is a mere 0.42″ inches wide. The knife slides into your pocket perfectly, and it’s easy to forget it’s there.

Despite the light weight, the knife isn’t too small for practical everyday use. The standard version is equipped with a 3.24-inch, drop-point, S30V stainless steel blade. Our tester used it to slice cord, cut food in camp, and do some carving, all without complaint. It’s a useful blade that maintains utility in a lightweight package.

And, with the popularity of the knife, Benchmade now allows you to customize the Bugout in virtually any way you want. Seriously, the options are limitless. Check it out here. You can upgrade steels, handles, put custom designs on the blade, you name it. If you want a high-performing, unique-to-you pocket knife to carry by your side every day, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option.

While testing, the lightweight, thin Grivory handle (which comes standard) did flex slightly under extreme pressure. But in reality, that was in situations a “pocket knife” isn’t really designed for. The thin, ultralight design is well worth the tradeoff, and the Bugout may be the quintessential, trusty pocket knife.

Opinel No.08 Inox

Nineteen bucks for a pocket knife? In today’s world? Surely, this has to be something from TEMU. But no, the Opinel No.08 Inox ($19) is actually from France, where it’s been manufactured for 135 years. People were relying on this knife as an everyday carry before humans had even taken flight.

The design has remained pretty much the same, hence the borderline criminal price. While not as fancy as some of the new knives at our disposal, it’s time-tested, and it clearly gets the job done. If it didn’t, it would have been discontinued in its more-than-a-century existence.

The blade is 3.28″ long and is made from Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. Is the Swedish steel going to blow your socks off? No, modern steels are much better for holding an edge, but again, its $19. Give it a quick, easy touch-up, and you’ll be back in action. As far as corrosion resistance goes, GearJunkie contributor Matt Jancer said he’s never had a single spot of rust pop up on his trusty Opinel No.08, despite not babying it.

One of the few updates this knife has received since its inception is the inclusion of a locking mechanism. In the tradition of a more old-timey aesthetic, it’s a simple feature without fancy springs or small parts. Just rotate the locking ring at the top (called Virobloc), and the blade is literally blocked from closing on your hands. While it is prone to getting gummed up with dirt, its easy enough to clean out and is an upgrade that was much needed.

The out-of-the-box sharpness surprised Jancer, and the factory edge is better than some more expensive knives. Whether you’re on a shoestring budget or are looking for a timeless classic to add to your collection for a minimal investment, the Opinel delivers time-tested performance.

Knafs Lander 2

The Knafs Lander 2 ($129) is the hardworking answer to Benchmade’s Bugout ($180). Where the Bugout has been touted for being lightweight, the tradeoff is that it’s only good for light to medium-duty work. By adding only an ounce more of weight, the folks at Knafs created a pocket knife that can be used and abused at your discretion for years to come.

Available now in a variety of handle scale options and blade finishes, the Lander 2 makes use of S35VN steel. S35VN is one of the most popular premium steels because it’s easy to maintain and staves off corrosion and abrasion like a champ. It also hosts the strongest lock mechanism on the market today, the Clutch Lock, a branded version of the crossbar lock that first climbed to fame through Benchmade as its Axis lock.

From LeFort: “One of four different Lander models, the Lander 2 gets my top pick award because the balance between materials, size, function, and weight is hard to match. Since writing the original article in January of this year, I have swapped out my Blue G10 carry for the Green Micarta ($140) version. However, if you plan on adding a Lander 2 to your pocket, I would recommend you look at the brand’s expanded lineup of custom handle scales — or consider making them yourself.”

Kershaw Bel Air Pocket Knife

While the listed price ($249) of the Kershaw Bel Air doesn’t scream value, the kicker is that this knife is often available for considerably less. At the time of this writing, it’s available for around $150 in most places, and certain colors are available for $115 on Amazon. And it’s a MagnaCut blade.

Yep, that’s right, you can see what the MagnaCut craze is all about without feeling like you’re blowing a ridiculous amount of cash on a pocket knife. It’s a premium steel at a middle-of-the-road knife price. That alone makes it a super cool pocket knife.

But the benefits of the Bel Air don’t stop at just the steel. The Reverse Tanto blade is thin, at a mere .09″, something that is usually reserved for much more expensive, or hard to get knives. While thick blades used to dominate the market, thinner, much “slicier” blades are now possible due to improvements in steel technology. The Bel Air gives you that at a reasonable, mass-produced knife price.

Our tester took only this knife on a vacation, and used it to cut up snacks for kids, open cardboard beer boxes, carve driftwood, and process lobster for dinner. The only wear the knife showed was a slight diminishment of the blackwash on the blade. While some may view that as a negative, it actually gives it a cool, “trusty, used tool” vibe.

The handle is aluminum with grippy scales and a Cerakote finish. Even after being taken to the beach, the knife was in great shape, although our tester did admit to babying it a bit around sand. That was due to the Duralock locking mechanism. It is quite literally a replica of the Benchmade mechanism (the patent expired), and it can certainly be trusted. But it does have a lot of moving parts that can get gummed up with extreme use.

Honestly, this U.S.-made pocket knife is a steal for just about anyone. But its an especially good grab for those who are considering dabbling in the premium pocketknife world, just to see what the hype is all about. There’s hardly anything not to love.

Benchmade Osborne 940bk-03 in MagnaCut

Many of the knives on this list stand out as subtle, thin, easy-to-carry pocket knives. While the Benchmade Osborne ($300 Magnacut, $240 S30V) isn’t a heavy or bulky carry, it is built to withstand heavier-duty tasks than other knives on this list. That gives it a good position for those who demand more than opening packages or cutting up the occasional snack from an everyday carry.

The unique blade design, which is the antithesis of modern thin blades, allows it to withstand tougher tasks. The spine is 2.92 mm thick, and the grind shape creates an aggressive wedge rather than an ultra-thin profile. It’s very angular and beefy, making it great for some things and not so great at others, like thinly slicing vegetables.

But it excels at tougher tasks, like hacking branches from trees, and it wouldn’t be ridiculous to use it for heavier-duty fire-making activities. And after cutting 50 1-foot slices through a cardboard box, Editorial Director Sean McCoy found the knife still sharp enough to slice through paper, although not as cleanly as it did out of the box.

Like many of the knives listed, you can find an Osborne in different steel types to fit your exact needs and budget. All of them look really good though, and the knife demands attention from onlookers with a modern but rustic look.

Victorinox Huntsman

Almost everyone we know got into knives because they were given a “Swiss Army Knife (SAK)” when they were a kid, if not at some other impactful time in their lives. That said, this list wouldn’t be complete without having something from Victorinox on it. Last year, we had Victorinox’s Hiker ($36) in this slot. But, after a year of testing and toiling, we feel that the best tool for this category is the Huntsman ($50).

For roughly the same amount of pocket real estate as the Hiker, you get the added benefit of scissors and a multipurpose hook. Yes, you do lose a dedicated Phillips screwdriver, but we’ve found that the small screwdriver on top of the can opener gets the job done.

With 15 onboard tools, the Huntsman is well-rounded without any bloat. Even though we would love to see the tools lock on a SAK, it’s something you learn to work around and keep yourself aware of. That said, even when using some of the more demanding tools like the saw and awl, there was never an instance where they closed in on our hands.

Aside from the tools and blades being made from stainless Swedish steel, the shining star of the Huntsman is the multipurpose hook. At 3mm, it allows you to do such things as remove a hot pot from a fire and pull tent stakes out of the ground.

The scissors also came in handy for cutting fishing lines and excess cordage leftover from making knots and loops. For those of you who love a nice glass of Pinot Grigio at camp, you’re going to love the corkscrew.

For those of you looking for something fancy out of your SAK, Victorinox offers the Huntsman Wood ($64), which has Walnut wood scales.

CIVIVI Yonder

The CIVIVI Yonder ($67) is a mid-size folder with Micarta handles and a 14C28N stainless steel spey point blade. It has a crossbar lock and caged ceramic ball bearings around the pivot for fluid opening and closing, and locks up reliably when in use.

With an overall length of 6.62 inches, the Yonder is compact but well-suited for people of all hand sizes. For those folks with really big paws, you’ll enjoy the ability to move your thumb up the spine of the blade onto the jimping and use the grip in a three-finger configuration, wrapping your pinky up around the butt of the knife.

14C28N is considered a value steel, and it’s become prolific in the knife world over the past year as more and more brands look for ways to cut costs but still use a quality, reliable knife. It’s stainless steel, so corrosion won’t be an issue, and its abrasion-resistant qualities are also impressive. In terms of edge retention, you should expect the Yonder to hold an edge for a decent amount of time, and resharpening will be a breeze.

The Yonder won “Blade Show Best Buy of the Year 2024” days after it debuted in the summer of 2024. I think it’s the kind of knife made for anyone looking for a dependable pocket knife for years to come.

Note: In the original review of the Yonder, LeFort listed one of the cons as the crossbar lock’s shorter pull. He wants to take that back — in the last few months, he’s gotten used to it and recognizes that the shorter pull allows for quicker deployment.

Leatherman Glider

Leatherman has been synonymous with practical, affordable pocket knives and multitools. With the introduction of the Glider ($300) and a few other knives, Gerber jumped into the highly competitive premium knife space. The execution was excellent, and this is one tough, yet versatile knife.

As one of the heaviest knives on this list, the Glider isn’t a great option for those who prefer minimalism over practicality. One of the first things you’ll notice when you pick up this industrial-feeling knife is the heft of the Cerakoted aluminum handle and MagnaCut, 3″ Sheepsfoot blade. Where the knife lacks in weight savings, it makes up for it in a durable, rock steady, fixed-blade knife feel.

After 2 months of testing without being sharpened, Sean McCoy found it held a very sharp edge after regular, hard use. The wide blade, while unique for an EDC, is great at performing a variety of tasks, from spreading peanut butter, cutting vegetables, and whittling, to opening packages. The patented compression wedge lock is solid, and there is no blade play in this folder. It’s stout and built for hard work.

It’s not perfect, and the thumb stud opening is good, not great. It has a tendency to hang up when halfway open. In hand, it’s also not the most ergonomic knife, and the metal, angular handle can dig into your hand a little while making hard, aggressive cuts.

People may also find it annoying that over time, the Cerakote finish will start to wear. However in our opinion, that gives the Glider a unique character and a cool, industrial look.

Spyderco Paramilitary 2

Read Review: Best Do-It-All Pocket Knife

The Spyderco Paramilitary 2 (starting at $199) was the premium pocket knife of the mid-2000s. It is still in production today, which makes it a timeless classic in the modern era. It feels like just yesterday that it was the knife you had to have. Yeah. You’re getting old.

But timeless classics are classics for a reason. Every once in a while, a brand stumbles on something that works and runs with it. That’s the case with this knife. In 2015, Editorial Director Sean McCoy labeled it as the “Best Do-It-All Pocket Knife,” and 10 years later, there’s still a case to be made for that statement.

The large thumbhole on the blade, while creating an unusual blade-handle ratio, is synonymous with Spyderco knives and creates an irresistible, “have to fiddle with” feel. It makes one-handed operation a breeze, and the compression lock is rock solid.

While the Benchmade Bugout can start to flex under pressure, the 3.44″ blade on the PM2 is built to handle tougher tasks, like cutting glued linoleum and thick tree branches. Yet it’s still thin enough to work as a passable kitchen knife in a bind.

With this knife being around so long, it’s hard to nail down an exact price. There are a ridiculous number of options available from S45VN steel with a G10 handle for around 200 bucks, up to a Maxamet version that often fetches over $400. Whichever you choose, though, you can trust the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 to be a lifelong companion.

Benchmade Auto Immunity

The Benchmade Auto Immunity ($325) was designed to meet or beat knife laws stating that knife blades on automatics must be under 2.5 inches to legally be carried. It’s also made from one of the best knife steels around. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in capability.

The steel we’re talking about here is one of the few ultra-premium, super steels: M4. On its own, M4 has very good corrosion and abrasion resistance. With the added Cerakoting found here on the Auto Immunity, it might be the best knife steel on the planet. It also holds a serious edge for a prolonged period of time.

This is good because, like S90V, it’s a beast to sharpen. Don’t worry, when the time comes, you can take advantage of Benchmade’s Lifesharp Guarantee, where they’ll resharpen it for you, for free.

In terms of overall size, some people might find the Auto Immunity a little small for more demanding tasks like kindling prep. However, due to its Wharncliffe-style blade, it’ll excel in precision tasks like carving, coring, and food prep.

In fact, after a couple of months of carry and use, our tester, Sean McCoy, didn’t even notice that it was an undersized knife. He stated, “It both carries and performs better than the venerable Bugout at a very similar weight. It has a much better and stiffer handle than the Bugout, and locks up stronger.”

The only thing keeping the Benchmade Auto Immunity from being closer to the top of this list is the fact that it’s going to run you $325 bones. But we couldn’t leave it off the list for proud pricing.

DPx Gear HEST/F 4.0

GearJunkie contributor Nick LeFort was a big fan of the show MacGyver growing up. The main character, and the show’s namesake, was always getting himself into bad situations and making contraptions to get out of them. The one tool he carried with him was a Swiss Army Knife. Now, the DPx Gear HEST/F 4.0 ($275) doesn’t offer the same variety of tools as a SAK as the Victorinox Huntsman, but it is built to get you out of a hostile environment. 

The HEST/F 4.0 is a knife that could be used and abused without having to worry about it getting wet, dirty, twisted, turned, torqued, or yelled at in an aggressive tone. With a 3/16-inch-thick MagnaCut drop point blade, titanium frame, and Micarta handle scale, all of which contribute to that. The flipper-style opening and caged ball bearings around the pivot are just an added benefit.

Aside from being a beefy knife that can pierce, cut, slice, shave, chop, and pry, the HEST/F 4.0 comes with a few other features that heighten its tactical ability. Built into the butt of the knife is both a glass breaker and a ¼ bit driver. Additionally, the spine jimping is sized for stripping electrical wire.

There’s also a notch on the spine in front of the thumb stud that’s designed to be a cap lifter and a means to lift a pot off a fire. To be the Best Tactical Pocket Knife on this list, you need to be ready for war. In making the HEST/F 4.0 (as well as its three predecessors), DPx Gear understood the assignment.

Case Trapper

The Case Trapper looks like the knife your grandpa, or maybe great-grandma, carried in the 1980s. And it still does everything today that it did back then.

It’s a beautiful, USA-made pocket knife that opens with a nail nick and is only held open with a detent. It’s a simple knife from a simpler time, drawing nostalgic references. It sits deep in the pocket with no clip, so it is a truly light EDC that won’t show on the outside of the pocket.

The trapper has been in continuous production for more than 100 years. And if that isn’t enough, it’s available in a huge variety of handle scales, from bone to chestnut wood to antlers. If you’re looking for a time-tested, yet timeless, design, the Case Trapper is a legend of a pocket knife that is instantly recognizable and perfect for light EDC tasks.

CRKT Crossbones

If you feel naked without a pocket knife but are unsure what to carry when wearing dress pants, look no further. The CRKT Crossbones is an excellent EDC knife that disappears into a pocket but still offers good performance with a spicy, thin blade.

The Crossbones is a very attractive, smooth-operating flipper. It’s very light at only 2.4 ounces, and has a deep carry that, coupled with the slim handle design, is barely noticeable even when carried in light fabrics of dressy clothing.

But the Crossbones still brings serious functionality. The 3.54-inch AUS-8 blade is great for everyday tasks like opening letters or boxes. But with an attractive satin finish and thin profile, it won’t freak people out when you flip it open to cut an apple at your office lunch.

It’s the ideal dress knife, with good looks and competent cutting power. Editor Sean McCoy grabs it when business-first attire is on call.

Benchmade CLA With MagnaCut

To be considered tactical, a pocket knife needs to have some features that aren’t necessarily found in other EDC pocket knives. In the case of the Benchmade CLA ($400), that feature is lightning-fast automatic deployment at the push of a button. That’s right — the CLA is an automatic knife, which makes this a restricted item in some states. But that doesn’t mean we can’t give it credit where credit is due. After all, in testing, all the CLA did was impress.

Considered a bridge between EDC knives and tactical knives, the CLA is composed of sculpted and contoured OD Green handle scales and a DLC-coated “Battlewashed” MagnaCut drop point blade. This color combination alone is stellar, but the materials used here make the CLA nearly indestructible. That’s not an exaggeration.

When the first version of the CLA launched almost 9 years ago, it was the first automatic knife from Benchmade with composite handle scales. The “Composite Lite Auto” became a very successful attempt to create an automatic knife for the people. It was less bulky and lighter than all of the other autos Benchmade had put out previously. This made the CLA a perfect fit for people looking for a reliable EDC knife.

This model of CLA is an upgrade from the previous model, which featured 154CM steel. The upgrade to MagnaCut became something of a theme for production knifemakers in 2025. For good reason, too — MagnaCut steel is probably the best EDC steel out there. This is due to its balance resistance qualities, edge retention, and ease of resharpening.

Best Overall Camping Lantern

BioLite AlpenGlow 500 Lantern

Best Budget Camping Lantern

Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Power Lantern

Best Solar-Powered Lantern

BioLite Luci Charge 360

Best Candle Lantern

UCO Original Candle Lantern

Best Camping Lantern for Overlanding

Goal Zero Skylight

Best String Lights

BioLite Luci 44′ Solar String Lights

Most Rugged Camping Lantern

Fenix CL27R

BioLite AlpenGlow 500 Lantern

BioLite didn’t miss when they brewed up the AlpenGlow 500 Lantern ($80), a light that’s as versatile in the backcountry as it is for car camping. There’s little we could come up with that we would have done differently, which easily landed it the title of best overall. If you’re after a straight-ahead camping light source that has a few tricks up its sleeve, the AlpenGlow is your lantern.

Need a quick burst of white light? One tap. Feeling a little more natural? Tap again. A third tap brings the color, and a fourth ignites color-changing ChromaReal LEDs. BioLite also incorporated a number of secondary modes to each, giving you the ability to limit the light to only one side of the lantern or imitate a candle flicker.

There’s even a third press option triggered by a quick shake of the lantern. While we do applaud the unique way of integrating an accelerometer, we found this to be a little hit-and-miss. Eventually, the lantern will catch on — it may just take an extra shake to get there. These different lighting options take a minute to memorize, but the tiered setup means you can blitz through them pretty quickly if you pass the one you’re after.

In addition to its impressive lighting capabilities (500 lumens is dang bright), the AlpenGlow incorporates a number of features we’ve come to expect in a lantern, such as an integrated 6,400 mAh power bank to charge your electronics (which, unfortunately, is USB-A output only for now).

Looking forward to the bright future of portable electronics, we’d love to see a pivot to USB-C here, which BioLite got right in the later offering of the AlpenGlow Mini. And for those looking for all the same functions in a middle-ground package, there’s the AlpenGlow 250.

Beyond the BioLite offerings, those after a generalist lantern like the AlpenGlow 500 with a few more mounting and lighting options would be well-served to consider the Black Diamond Orbiter 650 — a lantern that sports both tripod legs and a top-down mode to spot-illuminate your camp table at night.

Our decision to choose the AlpenGlow over the Orbiter for our top spot was difficult, but incredibly, it came down to light quality and color. Across the board, the ChromaReal LEDs in this lantern provide a richer and more pleasing light compared to the Black Diamond lantern.

Night after night, the AlpenGlow 500 puts out impressively natural-looking light, which we greatly appreciate. Anyone searching for an all-around powerhouse of a lantern would likely find it in the AlpenGlow.

Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Power Lantern

For $30, we’re willing to forgive the ‘surprise’ nature of the Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Power, which turns on at a full blast of 2,000 lumens. Get beyond that, and this is one excellent budget camp lighting option, with two separate ways to power it and just as many ways to charge it.

Editorial Director Sean McCoy tested the Tri-Power recently while base camped during an elk hunt, and found the little lantern could hang (and illuminate the interior of an entire 13-foot canvas tent). Unlike some camp lanterns (where feature bloat makes for a difficult-to-use light), the Tri-Power is simple: you have high, medium, and low power, as well as a flashing red light. That’s it.

But tech-trickle down has certainly improved this Duracell lantern, and we were pleased to see it sport both a solar panel and a USB-C port for charging the internal cells. The lantern will also run off of classic D batteries, which make for a great backup. We also used the USB-A output to keep our phones topped off, but wouldn’t count on getting multiple full charges out of it.

The Tri-Power isn’t perfect, and besides turning on at full bore, we find that solar panels are best suited to lower-output lanterns, like the BioLite Luci Charge 360. Even still, we found that the Tri-Power would recharge itself enough to run for a couple of hours on medium after sitting in the sun all day. The red light will also only flash and not stay steady, which isn’t great if you’re trying to use it to preserve your night vision.

For more than half of what our best overall pick will run you, the Tri-Power is an excellent budget lantern.

BioLite Luci Charge 360

While we plucked the BioLite Luci Charge 360 ($60) for this award, similar praise can be heaped on all of the inflatable Luci (formerly MPOWERD products, now BioLite) light offerings. All are supremely camp-able, and range from the lovable, petite Luci Candle, which is only $20 and flickers with mock candlelight, to the larger Luci Charge models, which can charge electronics via USB.

Regardless of the model, all Luci lights are lightweight, collapsible, come with a handle for hanging, and can be recharged in a day of sunlight. On road trips, we put ours on the dashboard, which keeps them topped off. One time, the novelty of them there even got us through Mexican customs more smoothly, thanks to a chatty border agent.

The Luci Charge 360 is a great do-everything light. Its 31 LEDs give off a total of 360 lumens, which is enough for backcountry cooking or taking a shower in a dark state park campground stall. It also has a battery level indicator, and that 3.5″ square solar panel is large enough to keep the lantern self-sufficient on longer trips (something smaller solar lanterns struggle with). The internal 4,000 mAh battery pack isn’t quite as big as the one in the AlpenGlow 500, but it still will charge our phones at least once.

If the Charge 360 is a bit too large for your backcountry trips, we also bring along the Luci Candle for a cozy ambiance. We use several of them in flicker mode to line walkways at night (but be warned, they look so convincing that they attracted a park ranger who thought we were violating the fire ban). They are smaller than the 360 and don’t last quite as long, but at 25 lumens, they’re dim enough that they don’t mess with your night vision.

BioLite claims its lights can withstand up to 150 pounds of pressure, and the waterproofing has held up when we’ve left them in the rain. But we’ve found that, in general, the Luci lights aren’t particularly durable. We’ve purchased more than a dozen of them over the years, in various models, and about half of them fail after a year or two of heavy use. Some tear, which isn’t a big deal because even if they don’t hold air, they still function.

Still, the Luci Charge 360 is our go-to solar-powered lantern for most situations. Some version of these lanterns have traveled with us for many years, miles and nights under the stars, and when we run into friends camping, they almost always want to show off their Luci lights, too.

UCO Original Candle Lantern

The little UCO Original Candle Lantern ($30) is a must-have for your emergency kit, bugout bag, or go-to camp kit. It’s extremely easy to use — just slide the glass down and light the candle for instant light. The included reflector clip directs the light where you need it most.

A single candle burns for nearly 9 hours, and the spring-loaded system keeps the flame at a consistent height. It does get hot, so use caution when extinguishing or moving. It packs down to 4.25 inches long and weighs just 6.4 ounces.

The neoprene case protects everything during transport and makes it a convenient addition to your camp kit. We’ve used one exclusively at camp when we wanted a classic, soft firelight. And it’s always in our chuck kit, just in case.

Need a little longer-burning light? UCO also sells natural beeswax candles that burn for an extended 12 hours. For those buggy summer nights, there are even citronella candles that’ll keep the skeeters at bay.

To be sure, this lantern is an ambiance-first option — don’t expect to use this as your only source of camp light. While the warm glow is an inviting one, there’s only so much of it, and trying to cook dinner by candlelight can feel a bit limiting when there are so many other electric options out there.

While many lanterns these days incorporate some type of ‘candlelight’ option, a great middle ground to consider is compact gas lanterns like the Snow Peak GigaPower or Mini Flame. These provide a warm glow that is adjustable and often brighter.

But for the real deal, it’s tough to beat the OG, and the UCO is certainly that. It’s also a top pick for emergency preparedness — whether you live in a hurricane zone or have frequent blizzard-induced power outages, it’s a good idea to have a backup light available. The Candle Lantern is an affordable, easy-to-use, reliable option for both camping and emergencies.

Goal Zero Skylight

With up to 6,000 lumens (!) and casting light a full 150 feet in every direction, the Goal Zero Skylight Portable Area Light ($300) is a portable sun for your next overlanding, basecamp, or outdoor group shindig. Utilizing our typical go-to for lighting up large campsites, we’d need whole spools of string lights to accomplish the same lighted area, but the Skylight does it with ease.

The design of the Skylight borrows from the world of worksite lights but puts a much more user-friendly bent on it with a warmer light profile (3250K) that casts a cozy glow across your entire campsite. The six LED-covered petals atop the light are all individually adjustable as well, meaning you can direct light where you need it (or away from neighboring camps).

The whole apparatus is planted atop a 12-foot telescoping pole that anchors itself securely with a broad tripod base. Being able to raise the light this high not only increases the spread but also keeps buzzing insects that might be attracted to it out of your orbit. During testing, even the sandy soils of the Northeast that typically give camp chairs trouble weren’t an issue for the Skylight, which incorporates staking holes in each leg to secure it.

The Skylight does sport an internal battery (of 33 Wh, or ~8 hours on low), but was designed to ideally be run off of an external battery source, such as Goal Zero’s Yeti Power Stations, or from a 12V cigarette lighter plug. When powered by one of these large battery banks, run time increases tremendously, up to 375 hours on low with the Yeti 1500X.

Rounded out with four different lighting levels — including a ‘boost’ option — the Skylight has become standard issue on our overlanding excursions where we need light for a broad area in between vehicles. Complemented with a few close-quarters lanterns like the Black Diamond Moji or Goal Zero Crush, you’ve got a backcountry lighting system to rival many rock concerts. 

BioLite Luci 44′ Solar String Lights

The BioLite Luci Solar String Lights ($100) are everything we loved about the old MPOWERD version of these twinkling stars, just with a new name. Twenty individual light pods are spread across 44 feet of braided nylon cord, allowing you to light up a large area. It’s all the camp ambiance you need in a neat package.

In practice, we were able to light up entire campsites with these string lights, stretching from tents to picnic tables and back again. You’ll need to get creative to secure the lights on either end (we quite like the Nite Ize Gear Ties for this), but once you’re set up, the lights will run a full 8 hours on high. At a more mellow ‘medium’ setting, we were able to get close to the full 24 hours of run time that the brand claims.

We particularly like the way these lights store in themselves. Simply wrap the string lights into the solar base and twist closed. Pro tip from our testing: Be sure to avoid too many overlapping bulbs or it will become too bulky to close.

Because of its small form factor, the integrated solar panel does struggle a bit to charge the lantern from flat dead (something we also noticed with other solar-powered lanterns). It charges fully in about 3-5 hours via USB-C or 16 hours via solar, so we recommend charging it up prior to camping and then using solar to keep it topped off throughout.

We’ve used these string lights nearly every day for many months, and they’re still going strong. The color is a pleasing, natural warm light, and we’ve been impressed with how bright it gets on the highest setting. The Luci Solar String Lights are a favorite option for adding a bit of camp ambiance or brightening up the backyard.

Fenix CL27R

Read Review: More Than One Way to Light a Campsite: 3 Fenix Lanterns Compared

Right out of the box, it’s easy to covet the Fenix CL27R ($85) because of its exceptionally sturdy feel. It has a rugged metal case and build that puts it head and shoulders above the other lanterns. On top of that, it’s also more compact than the previous CL30R lantern we’ve reviewed. If you want a camping lantern for the end of the world, this is it.

But the CL27R is more than just a tough face, and you can dial in the light not only in brightness but also in color temperature — a feature we haven’t seen in many other lanterns. These settings are step-less, meaning they progress as you turn a dial rather than change at incremental settings.

For temperature color, those ranges span from a charming 2,700K to a stark-white 6,500K. For brightness, it tops out at an alarmingly intense 1,600 lumens, which can cover a nearly 600-foot radius. It can also dim down to the more friendly glow of a soft candle. In spotlight mode, it has a narrow 14.5-degree beam, and in floodlight mode, a 105-degree beam. Spotlight and floodlight modes can be used together or independently.

Other stellar features of note are USB-C recharging, an IP66 waterproofing rating, and drop resistance to 1.5 meters. On the short end, it lasts nearly four hours (a claim we verified with testing). On the long end, it can eke out 285 hours on its lowest setting. It also has a red-light mode and recharges in about 2.5 hours. On our weight test, it came in at 10.5 ounces, which is actually slightly lighter than the company claims.

The Fenix CL27R also comes with a number of helpful and unique carrying and hanging options. Its handle rotates 360 degrees, which can prop up the beam at different angles, plus makes it easy to carry and hang. The handle is also magnetic and includes a tripod mount, which is particularly helpful for low-light filming and photography. Alternatively, you could couple it with a monopod to reenact your favorite Lord of the Ring scene — all fair game.

Jokes aside, camping with the CL27R really does give one a feeling of reassurance: it’s highly versatile and comforting, like that friend who’s always reliable no matter what hits the fan. And in a pinch, it has enough power to blind an intruder, and easily enough heft to knock out a rabid chupacabra.

Black Diamond Orbiter 650 Lantern

So bright you can see it from space — well, not quite, but at 650 lumens, the Black Diamond Orbiter 650 Lantern ($70) can still more than light up your next campout. With a hefty amount of smart functionality onboard, this lantern absolutely impressed in our testing. Compared to top lanterns like the BioLite AlpenGlow 500, its honestly neck-and-neck, and your choice will come down to a few slight differences.

Looking like it’s liable to blast off your camp table, the Orbiter lantern combines a number of different hanging and folding modes with six different lighting settings, each of which is dimmable or color-changing. The folding leg design is reminiscent of the Goal Zero Lighthouse lantern, but better executed, in our opinion, as it sports three legs to the two on the Lighthouse.

This design allows the lantern to be both propped up above cluttered picnic tables, as well as hung from above with the double-hook metal loops to attach to tent webbing loops or cordage around camp. An additional LED at the base of the lantern provides the illumination for this mode, and we found in our testing that it’s a targeted light that’s perfect for positioning over camp stoves or board games.

Moving through the lighting modes, the lantern offers up a bright white, along with the additional downward spotlight, the spotlight on its own, a flickering campfire mode, solid colors, and a color cycling mode. It’s the most feature-packed lantern we’ve encountered to date with this many modes, and they all can be dimmed to as low as 25 lumens and cranked to as high as 650.

Rounding out the Orbiter 650 is a forward-thinking USB-C charge-in port (recharge occurs in about 3.5 hours), as well as not one, but two options to recharge other devices: a USB-A port and a USB-C port. The 5200 mAh internal battery bank can be leveraged to recharge your electronics, and while it’s not quite as large as the 6,400mAh cell the BioLite AlpenGlow 500 sports, the additional charging options go well beyond that lantern.

BioLite Luci Original Clear

The BioLite Luci Lantern Original Clear ($30) is the inflatable lantern that everyone should own. While not quite as feature-packed as the Charge 360 model, this classic is affordable, bright enough, and has earned its keep around camp.

This little inflatable light source puts out up to 75 lumens. It keeps things simple with only four light modes: low, medium, high, and flashing. The cool white light is ideal for detail-oriented tasks like food prep, but if you need something a little softer, the lantern is also available in a matte finish that’s easier on the eyes.

The Luci Lantern’s solar charging has always been a big deal, mostly because it just works. Other cheaper lanterns might implement solar cells, but they are subpar and fail to recharge at a decent rate. The Luci Lantern will top off completely in 7 hours, meaning a full day of sun will keep you charged indefinitely. 

The Luci Lantern has changed much since it hit the market 10 years ago, but thankfully, its kept up with modern technology and integrated a USB-C charging port. This gives you a failsafe backup to recharge your lantern if the sun isn’t shining. 

Luci Lanterns aren’t bombproof, and our years of use have shown that they will eventually develop a hole or the hanging strap will rip off. Even still, we get a few solid years of use before this happens, and for the money, these are solid camping lanterns.

Snow Peak GigaPower Lantern Auto

The Snow Peak GigaPower ($87) is a little lantern that runs on isobutane (just like your favorite backpacking stove) and doesn’t take up much room. It weighs in at just 4.6 ounces and measures about 3.75 inches around and is the perfect addition to your camp table come dinner time.

We found the light output particularly pleasant during our testing, yet plenty bright to complete all our camp chores. It has a max output of ~400 lumens and will run for about 5 hours in warm conditions. Similar to stoves, the run time decreases in colder weather. The benefit of running on stove fuel, however, is that you can use your depleted canisters that are too low to bring along for cooking. Genius!

The body of this lantern is machined aluminum, coupled with brass fittings that ensure a smooth attachment to a gas canister. The glass globe is held in place by a stainless steel cage and houses the lantern mantle that will be needed to illuminate this lantern. This takes a little finesse the first time, but once it’s in place the lifespan should be many nights before it needs replacement.

An added bonus? Since it’s burning fuel, this little lantern will give off a bit of hand-warming heat, perfect for when the chill sets in. Just remember to let it cool down before stowing — something we were (painfully) reminded of during our initial use.

Compared to the gas lanterns of olden times (we’re looking at you, Coleman Deluxe), our allegiances have shifted to compact backpacking fuel lanterns like this one. They are simply easier to use, don’t require bulky green propane canisters, and put out enough light to count.

It began raining while we were using this lantern, but it never went out or had any issues. Being made of glass, it is susceptible to breaking if dropped. But the included hard carrying case will keep it safe when packed. For a portable warm glow, the GigaPower Lantern is our top choice.

Coast EAL22 Lantern

Talk about beam for your buck — the Coast EAL22 Lantern ($40) cranks up the lumens to a blistering 1,250 on high and does it while sliding in as one of the cheaper lanterns in our lineup. The lantern is styled as more of an emergency light source, but there’s nothing holding it back from illuminating your next camping trip.

The lantern lives up to the tough reputation that Coast has garnered for itself and is made from a bash-resistant nylon shell and polycarbonate diffuser that even after accidentally knocking off a camp table, we couldn’t ding. 

The run time of 225 hours is on the endurance side of the spectrum, with only the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 and Fenix CL30R besting it in total burn time. The five lighting modes begin with a soft white light that is perfect for gathering around for a card game, then pivots to a set of brighter white modes for really illuminating a campsite or outdoor kitchen. The final two modes are red and include a flashing option should you need to hail anyone or warn oncoming traffic.

Mounting options are also packed in, with two carabiner-style hanging hooks on top and bottom of the lantern, as well as a bail handle for walking around with. This flexibility even extends to the powering options on the EAL22, as it is a dual-power lantern that can run off D-cell batteries or a separate battery pack.

The ZITHION-X rechargeable battery pack is nigh-essential in our opinion, which does take a bit of the budget along with it as it costs as much as the lantern itself. You certainly can make do with D-cell batteries, but the ability to recharge other electronics with the lantern is a handy feature we wouldn’t want to leave home without.

This added cost keeps this lantern from finding itself higher on our lineup, as the light itself is a bit bulky and for the same price, you can snag a solid option like the Black Diamond Orbiter 650 or BioLite AlpenGlow 500.

Made to be stormproof, we didn’t fret over leaving the Coast EAL22 out on the picnic table in an overnight shower, and this is really the main selling point for this lantern. If you’re looking for a rough-and-tumble style lantern, consider the EAL22.

Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 Lantern

Leave it to solar-power guru Goal Zero to come up with a lantern that incorporates a number of smart charge and recharge features that turn the Lighthouse 600 Lantern ($80) into a light source you can trust to stay on when you need it.

With three methods of charging the lantern (solar panel, USB, or spinning the crank atop the unit), we never felt we’d see the flicker of this lantern running out of juice. When we tested the brand’s claim of 10 minutes of light for every minute of cranking, we found the numbers to be fairly accurate (and our wrists tired). It makes an excellent basecamp lantern, perched above a table or hung from the inside of a tent.

While the integrated charging USB cord is a handy touch, we do see this as a potential future failure point should the cable become snagged or kinked. A simple USB port with a cover would have been our preference.

Beyond this, there’s one Achilles heel to the Lighthouse that keeps it from ranking higher in our books, and that’s the diffuser — or the lack of one. With a clear plastic globe, the higher reaches of this lantern become too bright to look directly at, and multiple of our testers commented on this independently.

We also had some issues with the twin-leg design, which, unlike the three legs of the Black Diamond Orbiter 650, could be made to tip over when jostled.

Unlike some of the other lanterns on our list, the Lighthouse 600 doesn’t use an integrated solar panel to recharge from the sun. This means you’ll either need to already own a Goal Zero solar panel or purchase one (check out our favorite panels in our Buyer’s Guide). For those who use a panel regularly, the Lighthouse will be an obvious companion.

Ready for whatever, the Lighthouse 600 would make a great lantern for anyone who wants an all-in-one system for light and charging ability.

Coleman Deluxe Propane Lantern With Hardshell Case

No lantern review would be complete without this classic Coleman Deluxe Propane Lantern ($65). If you’ve never used a gas lantern, it’s important to make note of a few things. First, in lieu of light bulbs, it uses mantles that fill with fuel and burn brightly. The glass can become extremely hot, and caution should be used when handling it.

That said, it’s a solid lantern that will last for years. And it clocks in at just $65. The dual-mantle design pumps out 1,000 lumens on high, and it will run for nearly 7.5 hours on high before needing a new fuel canister. The green propane cylinders run about $10 for a single 1-pound canister. While this isn’t outrageously expensive, it does add up and should be a consideration when lantern shopping.

We found it easy to thread the light onto the propane cylinder and appreciated the footed base that prevents tipping. It’s worth noting that you will need a match to light this lantern. But once it’s up and running, it’s easily manageable for the entire evening. There’s even a plastic base that interfaces with the propane canister to ensure tipping won’t be an issue.

When it comes to versatility, the era of gas lanterns has largely moved away from propane-fueled options like this in favor of smaller, isobutane-fueled options like the Snow Peak GigaPower, in our opinion. That doesn’t mean that the Deluxe is lacking in any old-school charm, however (it’s got it in surplus), but that you should consider potentially having a few other lanterns on hand for more functional use. This lantern makes a killer place to gather around, and when supported by a few electric modern options, it’s a winner.

When you’re ready to turn the lights out, be sure to let the Coleman Deluxe cool down before disassembling. Thankfully, the lantern ships with a hardshell case to port it around in between camping trips.

Best Overall Flashlight

FENIX PD36R Pro

Best Budget Flashlight

Acebeam TAC 2AA

Best Pocket-Sized EDC Flashlight

Olight ArkPro Flashlight

Best EDC Flashlight

NITECORE EDC27

Best Flashlight for Mechanics

Klein Tools Rechargeable LED Flashlight With Worklight

Brightest Flashlight I've Tested

IMALENT SR32

FENIX PD36R Pro

The Fenix PD36R Pro ($120) is the latest evolution of our favorite overall flashlight on the market. A slightly upgraded model of the also-great PD36R, the PD36R Pro has one big improvement, and that is the dual tail switches. The system works like this: One larger tail switch turns the light on and off.

The other toggles through the five brightness modes, or, if the light is off, activates the strobe function for self-defense. In the dark or with gloves, it’s still incredibly easy to manipulate the switches and get the desired output in seconds.

If you prefer the lighting control mounted on the body of the light, the standard PD36R is still available. But I suspect most users will love the upgraded PRO model.

Beyond user experience, the runtime is phenomenal. With the new PD36R PRO in Eco (30 lumens) mode, you can achieve a solid 42 hours of runtime. If runtime is your primary concern, the non-PRO version of this light has a much longer runtime, but lower overall output.

For casual users (occasional camping trips and short bursts of high-output modes), that should amount to months between charges. Our tester has gone more than 2 months without recharging this flashlight with regular usage.

Speaking of modes, the PD36R PRO ranges from a low-end 30 lumens to a searingly bright 2,800 lumens. At that 2,800-lumen turbo mode, you can easily see objects at 1,247 feet. That’s more than enough for most use cases for outdoor recreation. And impressively, the PD36R PRO can maintain that brightness for 3.5 hours.

With an IP68 waterproof rating, it can withstand being underwater for 30 minutes at up to 6.5 feet. It’s also dustproof and shock-resistant. One feature I love is how easily you can manipulate between tactical (and strobe-enabling) functions.

Beyond the specs, this is a perfect hand-size flashlight (5.74 inches long, 1.04 inches in diameter) with user-friendly functions. Turn it on and off at the large tail switch, press the smaller tail switch to adjust power, and check the LED near the USB-C charging port when turning the light on for a battery-level indication.

Overall, the PD36R PRO is the best flashlight on the market today.

Acebeam TAC 2AA

This small, affordable flashlight is one of the best values in lighting. With a retail price of $50 (and usually available for about $30), the Acebeam TAC 2AA is powerful, reliable, and versatile. It’s the perfect flashlight to toss in your car, junk drawer, or backpack.

First, it produces a very bright, clear beam. At 1,600 lumens on turbo, it casts light up to 181 m. That is a very impressive performance for a light that’s about the size of a large pen. Dial that power down to medium, and it will run for 9.8 hours while producing a very useful 110 lumens. That’s enough light to navigate a house or campsite comfortably.

Next, this is a “dual-fuel” flashlight, meaning it runs on both an included USB-C rechargeable battery and any AA batteries you have around. In emergencies or long power outages, the ability to drop in AA batteries adds a lot of versatility while, in daily use, the rechargeable battery is much more efficient.

Finally, this light includes a couple of diffusers that add utility. Toss them over the end and you have a great signal light or lantern. It’s a little bonus that is so sweet for a budget light. Add in a deep pocket carry clip and a relatively easy user interface (that does take a little bit to learn), and you have a recipe for a super good deal.

If you need an affordable flashlight, just grab one. This light will do everything most people will ever need a flashlight to do.

Olight ArkPro Flashlight

The Olight ArkPro is far from the brightest light on this list, but it has incredible utility for the EDC user that elevates it above the competition. First, this small, flat flashlight fits wonderfully in a pocket. Indeed, it feels much like a nice pocket knife in a front pocket. It carries like a dream.

Next, the user interface is dialed, literally. A single button on/off and rotating dial gives access to a flood light, spot light, and UV light setting. Each of these is well executed, offering clarity and smooth light edge-to-edge. The spotlight offers a nice, bright center with good spill, making it useful for both outdoors and urban use.

It has good battery life, running for 13 hours with 100-lumen output and up to 72 hours on low 15-lumen output. Turbo only gives about four minutes before regulating down to 520 lumens for a remaining 140 minutes on flood mode.

The built-in UV light is a slick and useful feature for those who need to check cash for UV watermarks or look for other fluorescent objects. It’s plenty bright enough to illuminate UV ink from four feet away or more. And it certainly makes watch lume pop!

Finally, a green laser pointer functions with its own on/off switch on the side. For construction workers, contractors, or public speakers, it’s a great bonus tool that adds utility to an otherwise excellent EDC flashlight.

The ArkPro also happens to be Olight’s first EDC light that uses USB-C charging, which removes one of the significant cons from the brand’s lighting from the future.

After testing the ArkPro for a few weeks, it edged out the previous pocket-sized choice, the Nitecore EDC33, for its added UV light and laser pointer, as well as its excellent pocket-friendly shape. If you don’t need extremely bright light, the ArkPro’s 1,500 lumens should be excellent. If you need more, the EDC27, up next, might be a better choice.

NITECORE EDC27

Read Review: This Flashlight Could Be an EDC Dream: NITECORE EDC27

The NITECORE EDC27 ($90) first launched at SHOT Show 2023. This light dazzled folks with a wonderful design and massive light output. If you can get your hands on one (it’s still selling out quickly with every batch produced), this light is the latest and greatest EDC flashlight on the market. I expect it to be popular for a long time.

Let’s begin with the design. The NITECORE EDC27 is a flat flashlight with a pocket clip. That means it fits easily in your pocket. It will even fit in most knife pockets on pants, making it a dream to carry. To turn it on, press the large tail switch. Next to that switch is a smaller tail switch.

Once on, depress that smaller switch to flip between modes. Or, you can press the smaller tail switch when the light is off to fire the strobe or momentary on modes. For the EDC user who may need to use the light for self-defense, this is a slick interface that should result in never hitting the wrong button for the needed use.

A quick look at the specs reveals class-leading numbers. A top output of 3,000 lumens and a 200m range will serve all but the most dire search and rescue, hunting, or tactical needs. And a runtime of 37 hours on low provides a good, long life for the vast majority of uses.

Finally, the light has an easy-to-read OLED display. It reads run time and current lumen output. This takes the guesswork out of recharging the battery and lets the user know exactly what they can expect the light to do.

Overall, the EDC27 is an incredible new flashlight. I haven’t had enough time testing it to say it will outperform our current top pick, but it certainly should give Fenix a run for its money.

Klein Tools Rechargeable LED Flashlight With Worklight

Klein Tools makes some nice flashlights these days. Overall, the BBM6412 ($44) is an excellent upgrade to our previous top flashlight for mechanics.

At around the $40 range, this light packs in a ton of performance that makes it fit for both the garage and the wilderness. It has a top output of 500 lumens — while not super powerful, that’s certainly sufficient for use on the trail and around the campsite. And it’s more than enough power when working under the hood of your truck.

Where it really stands out is its magnetic base and side-throw lantern. This work light illuminates a larger area with soft, useful light at five brightness settings. In testing, it was the perfect companion while checking for loose wires under the hood of a truck in the dark. And it’s capable of big tasks, too. It’ll kick out 375 lumens for 10 hours in work light mode or 500 lumens for 7 hours in standard mode.

I loved the simple, common USB-C connection for fast recharging and the multicolor battery level indicator. Top it off with a glow-in-the-dark bezel that makes it easy to find in a center console in the dark, and you’re looking at a lot of flashlight for not much money.

IMALENT SR32

What’s the world’s brightest flashlight? Well for several years, it was this one, the Imalent SR32. Recently, Imalent updated its lineup with a new model that outshines the SR32’s 120,000 lumens with a ridiculous 200,000 lumens. I haven’t had my hands on the new version, called the MS32, yet, so I can’t recommend it. But the SR32 is still available and still has the longest throw of any flashlight on the market.

It’s overkill for most people, but I include it here as this was the benchmark until very recently, and I have had good experience. At 120,000 lumens, the Imalent SR32 is vastly more powerful than automobile headlamps and lights up a remarkable area. It has use cases for search and rescue or industry, but is far too much flashlight for most recreational users.

But here it is, the former brightest flashlight in the world, and still a very strong contender. If you need tremendous lighting, this is it. I’ll be testing the newer MS32 as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Nitecore EDC33

The Nitecore EDC33 ($70) was a new light for 2024, and it’s incredibly powerful yet very small. For context, this little light will fit in the palm of your hand and weighs a scant 4.48 ounces. It clips to the inside of your pocket, where it doesn’t take up very much real estate. But pull it out and push the tail switch, and wowsers!

The EDC33 packs incredible power, reaching a maximum of 4,000 lumens with a beam distance of almost five football fields. But even better, it has nice low and mid-output modes that are very usable at normal viewing distances of close proximity out to about 50 yards. And at that distance, this little powerhouse will burn and burn and burn, kicking out a very useful 300 lumens for nearly 7 hours straight.

The EDC33 has a bunch of other fabulous tech packed in the diminutive package. It has a great, physical lock to secure it in the off mode. Given the power of this light and the heat it creates, it’s very important. Fortunately, it’s easy to use.

The light packs a “Lumen Shield” mode, which it touts as a replacement for strobing self-defense. Call it what you will, but it’s a great, powerful floodlight. Finally, the light has a proximity sensor that automatically dials down the power when it’s too close for high output modes.

Now, for the negatives of a small, powerful flashlight. First, the battery is not removable. That means if the battery gets weak, the flashlight won’t perform as well. Given the quality of Nitecore batteries, I imagine you’ll get a long lifespan of multiple years from the light, but it’s worth considering, and a significant drawback for some buyers.

Next, note that this light will get very hot very quickly in high-power modes. So, if you need a powerful beam for longer than a few seconds at a time, get something bigger.

Overall, I love this light. Some folks don’t like the single-button tail switch, but it works well for me. And the light will tail stand! If you want a tiny light that has a lot of power, this one is worth considering. It’s also a heck of a good price for so many features.

NITECORE P20iX 4000 Lumen USB-C Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight

NITECORE discontinued one of our previous favorites (the i4000R) but replaced it with an even better, more powerful torch. A strong contender for the best overall flashlight, the new NITECORE P20IX ($120) is one of the best flashlights on the market in terms of overall performance.

It’s slightly larger than our winner from Fenix, however, so it’s less suitable for hikers, hunters, or others who value lightweight and small size.

That said, the new version shaves half an ounce and half an inch off the previous model, coming in at 4.06 ounces and 5.57 inches long. So, it’s edging closer and closer to a pocket-friendly size.

The P20IX punches through the darkness with 4,000 lumens on turbo mode for up to 30 minutes. That’s enough to light up objects 250 yards away, so it should be high on your list for performance alone. More importantly, it has four continuous and strobe modes, ranging all the way down to the 2-lumen ultralow mode that provides light for up to 350 hours.

It runs on a rechargeable battery that powers four CREE XP-L2 V6 LEDs. This setup provides exceptional versatility for everyone from campers and hunters to search-and-rescue and tactical uses. The user interface is great, providing easy access to toggle between modes (like its turbo output and strobe mode) through a dedicated button separate from the rear tail switch.

While this is a high-end flashlight, it’s absolutely worth the price for those who need a powerful, reliable flashlight with the potential to hold up to extremes.

ThruNite Archer 2A V3 Cool White

Read Review: Cheap Flashlight Faceoff

While the ThruNite Archer ($30) lacks a few of the higher-end features of other lights on this list, it comes in at an excellent price of just $30. For that, you get a quality CREE XP-L V6 LED light source with a maximum power of 500 lumens. While that number may not look impressive, it’s more than enough for most uses. Using two AA batteries, it has a runtime of up to 4 days on firefly mode and 11 hours on medium (75 lumens).

You heard that right — this flashlight does use AA batteries. That certainly brings down the price compared with high-end rechargeables and costs money to operate. Our team prefers rechargeable flashlights for several reasons I’ll get into below. But flashlights with disposable (or rechargeable) AA batteries are very easy to repower on backcountry trips — just bring a couple of extras.

A budget flashlight needs to have more than just a nice price. It must also be durable, so you won’t have to run out and buy another in a few months. I put the Archer through rigorous testing, including submersion and drop testing. It came through with flying colors, barely edging out the competition with the Coast G32. I loved the simple interface — particularly the side button to scroll through brightness settings.

For a budget flashlight, the ThruNite Archer is still the one to beat.

Coast G32

We put the Coast G32 ($25) in a head-to-head test against the ThruNite Archer, a historically popular budget choice. The competition was neck and neck. In the end, the ThruNite defeated the Coast in the drop test. The G32 failed a brutal drop from 10 feet to concrete onto the lens, while the ThruNite survived.

The G32 is a no-frills AA flashlight with two modes, but it provides excellent lighting. Zoomed out, it provides a wide, perfect circle with no halos, thanks to Coast’s Pure Beam focus. Then, zoom the lens for a bright light point with a 134-meter throw. The zoom motion is very simple and smooth. Grab the zooming head by the nice knurling and twist it. It zooms to a hard stop on wide and long throws.

For the money, the G32 is a solid, well-made flashlight that impressed me in use outdoors and around the house. It’s a bit long for EDC use but will work great around the campsite or at home. And, if you want to upgrade it, Coast offers its ZX555 ZITHION-X rechargeable battery (not included).

Check out our full head-to-head test here.

LEDLENSER MT10 Flashlight

The Ledlenser MT10 rechargeable flashlight ($90) competes well with the Fenix above, and on paper, it in some ways outshines the competition. The specs put these two top flashlight choices in similar categories, and I expect users will love them both.

One thing I love about the MT10 over the Fenix PD36R is the Ledlenser Advanced Focus System. This simply means you can adjust between a broad floodlight and a long-distance beam in an instant. Simply press the front bezel forward, and the light focuses tighter and tighter.

It works extremely well in the field. We’ve used it to find our way out of the woods while bushwhacking during elk hunts in the Rocky Mountains and appreciated the ability to scan far away hillsides for trails and landmarks with the max 1,000 lumens and 180 ms of throw.

The Ledlenser MT10 also gives a great usable low light, running up to 144 hours at 10 lumens. It has a mid-power setting, but the brand doesn’t share specs on it. But at its middle setting, you get nice light for hiking and good runtime. I’ve only charged this flashlight twice in about a year of testing.

Speaking of charging, this light charges off a micro-USB cable. I love that feature, as it’s a common size and doesn’t require you to carry an oddball cable on trips.

Overall, the MT10 is one of the best flashlights you can buy, with most of the features an outdoor user will require. It’s reasonably priced as well, given its strong power and battery. I also appreciate its simple user interface.

The only ding against this compared with the more expensive Fenix is the build feels a little less robust (it’s IP54-rated for dust and water splashes and rain but is not fully waterproof). I also liked the color rendering a bit better on the Fenix. But the Ledlenser MT10  still puts up a great fight.

Olight Prowess

The Olight Prowess ($140) is a unique entrée to our flashlight guide due to its charging system and the fact that it can be configured as a lantern. While we’re not crazy about the charging system, the lantern mode combined with its low light settings make it a very versatile light in emergencies.

Purely as a flashlight, the Prowess packs a powerful 5,000 lumens with a commendable beam distance of 245 m. Five levels of lighting allow you to dial in your preferred brightness-to-battery life ratio, with 10-hour runtime at 300 lumens. Not too shabby.

With the flick of a switch, the Prowess becomes a lantern, projecting a warm light, redirected toward the base of the flashlight. While resting in its detachable charging base, the light can sit on any flat surface, producing a cozy glow to read or work by. In its lowest moonlight setting, it can go for a continuous 20 days.

The charging platform and magnetic charging cable keep this light from reaching the top of our list. We love the ability to recharge any electronic device. It’s cost-effective, better for the environment, and you’ll never have to hunt through your drawers for batteries. The Prowess can be charged with a USB-C cable, via its detachable base, and it can also directly connect to an MCC3 cable for super-fast charging. 

However, if you lose the base and the MCC3 cable (they’ve got to be in a drawer somewhere with all those batteries), then you can’t charge with the ubiquitous USB-C, and you’ll need to buy another MCC3 cable, and the light is already on the pricey side. The USB-C is the current standard and should be the default method

Charging preferences aside, the prowess is compact, plenty powerful enough for most applications, and the lantern function is super useful in camp or whenever the power goes out.

Best Overall Camping Stove

Camp Chef Everest 2X

Best Budget Camping Stove

Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove

Best Compact Camping Stove

Primus Kinjia

Most Rough and Tumble Camping Stove

Camp Chef Mountaineer

Best Overlanding Stove

iKamper Disco Series Camping Grill

Best One-Burner Camping Stove

Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner

Best Large Group Camping Stove

Camp Chef Pro 14

Camp Chef Everest 2X

The Camp Chef Everest 2X ($230) replaced the older Mountain Series Summit model from this brand. The Everest is definitely as high-powered as its predecessor (if not more so), with two 20,000-BTU burners, an auto-igniter, and a redesigned burner area and exterior.

Although the Camp Chef Everest has some of the strongest burners we tested, it still simmers well. And with the new burner and surface design, you get a few more cubic inches of cooking space for the same weight.

Tester Mallory Paige lives in an off-grid cabin and has been using the Everest 2X as her family’s primary stove. After cooking up to three meals a day on it for over a year, the stove has held up impressively well.

The striker still works, and the mix of high output settings and good simmer control meets the demands of any cook. From quickly boiling water at high altitudes to carefully toasting pine nuts, it does it all. This stove roars to life for heavy-duty use, but is delicate enough for finer cooking. The only negative we could rustle up was the weight and bulk.

At 20,000 BTUs per burner, this stove has power to spare compared to standard ~10,000 BTU burners like the Primus Kinjia, and while we typically find this to be enough to cook more camp meals, we can’t complain about having more knob to turn if needed.

The build is stout, and some may consider the 10-pound Primus Alika to be a better all-arounder. For a stove that’ll do most anything, however, it’s hard to ding the Everest.

The previous contender for the best overall stove, the Camp Chef Summit 2-Burner Camp Stove model, also had impressive heat output, but we had issues with the striker (and the price tag). Now, after multiple years of unfailing service, we found the auto-igniter on the Everest 2X to be much more consistent, and the redesign adds features that make it our overall best camping stove.

Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove

The simplest option on the list is also one of my favorites. As a tried and true model that meets the basic demands of car camping, it’s been a go-to choice for our staff over the years.

The Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove ($130) might not have all the fancy features of the others on the list, but it’s hands down the most bang for your buck out of all camp stoves on the market. The windscreens do the job, and the flame pattern can be set from a simmer to a roar. It weighs just under 12 pounds, which isn’t much more than most more expensive options.

For as low as less than $100 on sale, you get two 10,000-BTU burners in a classic, trusted design. I’ve cooked up plenty of meals on the Coleman Cascade Classic and appreciate how simple it is. The cooking surface is a bit smaller than a stove like the Camp Chef Everest, but I found I could fit a cast iron skillet and pot for boiling water without a problem. The simmer control knob is a bit rough, which was one of the few downsides I could sniff out.

For the money, I reach for the Cascade Classic almost every time, but budget-hunters may also consider the GSI Selkirk 540+. That stove does bump up the output to 14,000 BTU burners but asks $50 more for it, and I found cooking performance to be close to the same. The windscreens on the Coleman do protect it a bit better, so consider where you’ll be cooking before deciding between the two.

If you’re camping on a budget, or want an extra two burners for large meals, the Cascade Classic would be a great addition to your outdoor kitchen setup.

Primus Kinjia

Read Review: Smaller Than the Best, Lighter Than the Rest: Primus Kinjia Camp Stove Review

Small but powerful — the Primus Kinjia Camping Stove ($230) brings a light footprint to your camp kitchen and is perfect for those who want a capable stove but don’t want to renovate their campsite in the process.

With a base area of 19” x 12”, the Kinjia slides into spots where other stoves in our testing simply couldn’t, and isn’t much the lesser of a stove for it. The twin 10,200 BTU burner heads are sized more similarly to those on backpacking stoves but still performed admirably in our cooking tests. Where the Kinjia really shines, we found, was in the detail work.

Simmering is a breeze with this stove, and making more delicate dishes like omelets, fish, or crêpes can be whipped up with ease. Camper Bergen Tjossem whipped up a dinner of creamy polenta that required low and slow work and found the Kinjia to be more than up to the task. There’s no ignoring that this is just one good-looking stove, too. The black stove body is accented with brass rivets and topped off with a wood-trimmed handle that adds a bit of class to your next cookout. 

When it comes to fueling, the Kinjia takes an interesting approach with a metal propane canister stand that stands alone from the rest of the stove. This holds the fuel bottle at what we imagine is the optimal angle, but in reality, it was just another loose piece we feared losing track of. Tjossem also lamented over the lack of windscreens, but has gotten pretty good at building up DIY walls instead.

The Kinjia is undeniably a compact stove, but there are a few others to consider when camp kitchen real estate is in high demand. For $70 more, the unique Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove System folds both burners together to cut down on space, but has slightly less powerful 10,000 BTU burner heads.

Single-burner options like the Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner are a good bit cheaper at $120. However, you do miss out on the ability to cook two things at once. Most lightweight camp stoves leave out windscreens, and we certainly did miss them on this stove when things got blustery.

It’s tough to deny the packed size of the Kinjia, however, and if you don’t need the overbuilt quality of something like the Camp Chef Everest 2X, the Primus Kinjia is an excellent solution. Vanlifers — this is your stove.

Camp Chef Mountaineer

The Camp Chef Mountaineer ($470) may as well come equipped with a chow bell — this is one burly cook station that’s primed to feed the whole wagon train. The Mountaineer is ideal as an overlanding, river rafting, and base camping stove, and is a perfect option for those who cook outdoors often — and seriously. 

Sporting the same dual 20K BTU burners as our favorite Everest 2X stove, this stove has firepower to spare, and I love the integrated burner-head windscreens that help direct heat up toward your cookery. The major difference between the two comes in the fueling, and while the Everest ports up to your average green 1 lb. propane bottles, the Mountaineer sports a remote hose and regulator for 5-pound canisters. 

The build is also noticeably different between the two stoves, with the Mountaineer decked out in an all-aluminum body that helps to keep the weight down on this larger stove. The cooking surface is a larger 302 square inches and easily accommodates two 12” cast iron pans. During truck-assisted camping in Washington state, I used the Mountaineer to whip up Dutch oven nachos, kebabs, and salmon.

I tested the Mountaineer with the add-on leg kit ($44), and as the saying goes, if you have the means, we highly recommend picking them up. The height is just about perfect, and each of the legs is adjustable to hit the perfect balance. The stove performs equally well on a camp table; however, just be sure to remember the larger footprint it takes up.

The stove has its tradeoffs, one of which is the need for 5-pound propane tanks. An adapter is available to run the stove on more camp-friendly 1-pound bottles, but you’ll have to get your mitts on it separately. The 20,000 BTU burner strength is also hot to trot, and while the stove dials down nicely, I still suggest using slow-heating cookware like cast-iron skillets.

Finally, $470 is not a small amount to ask (the stove jumped in price late summer of 2025), but with no steel to rust out and high-quality burner heads, I’ve little doubt that the Mountaineer could last a decade or more. The price is exactly the same as what you’ll pay for a Partner Steel 18″ 2-Burner Stove, the all-aluminum stoves that Grand Canyon guides adore. With the Mountaineer being easier to snag, I think it’s the one to aim for.

Compared to other large-group stoves like the Camp Chef Pro 14, this stove is much more versatile with its option to be used on a table or freestanding, and while I loved the iKamper Disco for overlanding, those who want a more familiar cooking set-up would be well-served by the Camp Chef Mountaineer. Its rugged build will shrug off being jostled around in the back of a pickup and won’t blink at whipping up food for entire families.

iKamper Disco Series Camping Grill

If car-based adventuring is your jam, you’re going to need a camping stove that’s dialed in for the task. And while I’ve tried many, none have made an impression more than the iKamper Disco Series Stove ($515) — an uber-modular cooking system that’s primed for van life, overlanding, or gathering around with friends.

Let’s start with the obvious: what’s the deal with the satellite dish? Traditionally made from plow discs, discada cookers are native to the American Southwest and Mexico and utilized by farmhands who need to cook up lunch quickly. The “cowboy wok” on the Disco stove is a 16” cast iron skillet that comes pre-seasoned, and I found it to be perfect for butter-basting steaks, cooking up chilaquiles, and making classic discada tacos.

Powering the Disco stove is a Kovea-made 8,455-BTU burner that nests solidly into the tripod stand — an impressive structure in its own right. The burner also sports collapsible feet, allowing it to be fired up on a camp table or tailgate. It runs off your standard-issue isobutane canisters. When coupled with the heat retention of the cast iron discada, this stove has enough power to shallow fry and can also be dialed back to keep things like tortillas warm. 

The tripod is really where the modularity of the Disco stove shines. Adjustable in height, the stove is meant to be used standing up, providing a real community cooking feeling. A slick little table rides side-saddle and keeps all of your utensils, spices, and beer at close hand. And the real hat trick: the discada can be suspended beneath the tripod and over a campfire, turning this stove into a dual-fuel cooker with built-in entertainment. Get your cowboy TV roaring and lower the skillet to the correct level with the built-in chain and pulley system. Genius. 

Other overlanding-style stoves to consider are the Camp Chef Mountaineer, a rough-and-tumble all-aluminum traditional stove that will pump out more BTUs than the Disco, but with a much larger — and less modular — footprint. The Primus Kinjia takes a different tack that will appeal more to car campers who are strapped for space, but ends up being just about the same packed size as the Disco, and that’s without the built-in cooking surface. 

It’s hard to overstate just how enjoyable this stove system is to use, and that’s not just my opinion. While testing, I fielded questions from almost everyone who passed by camp. Yes, this stove system commands a pretty penny (and became $25 more expensive in 2025), but in use, I struggled to identify any potential failure point that would keep the Disco Series Stove from lasting long into the future. Overlanders rejoice, your ideal stove has arrived.

Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner

While full-fledged stove systems might get all the glory, counting out a good single burner would be foolish, and the Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner ($120) is just that: one heckuva good single burner. 

The utility of a single burner is that it can be used as either a cooking solution for a couple of campers, or added into a camp kitchen as an additional burner for more dishes. During my testing, I did this often, and to great applause — nothing is better than having all your food come out hot at the same time.

Simply open the top, slide out the legs, and engage the locking pin to swivel the burner out onto any surface. Then, slide in a butane gas canister. While minimal, I didn’t experience any durability issues and would expect this stove to hold up well to extensive use.

This is one of the only butane-fueled stoves on our list, highlighting propane’s relative supremacy on the camping stove scene. While it’s not difficult to get, it may not be as universal as going with a propane stove. Compared to single burners like the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp, the Snow Peak exhibits origami-like collapsibility, making it easily the most compact on our list.

At such a small size, the Home & Camp Burner is ideal for in-vehicle cooking (just please ventilate accordingly). With no included attachments, you’ll need to add your own windscreen in blustery weather. If you ride solo often or are looking for a quality camping stove that’s equally capable and compact, look no further.

Camp Chef Pro 14

While the less-refined Explorer 14 has been our go-to get-together cooker for some years now, it was only a few minutes of using the Camp Chef Pro 14 ($380) before reckoning that the title had just been wrestled away. This three-burner 30,000 BTU brute has all the afterburner to boil stock pots of Dungies and whip up the sides — all at once.

The Pro 14 (which, we’ll note, is a name pivot from the previous Pro 60X — same stove) is Camp Chef’s flag bearer and is tricked out with all the bells and whistles you’d expect. All revolves around two huge burner heads that rival commercial units in size and churn out enough heat to get skillets ripping hot. During all of our testing, we never wanted more output.

Those burners are set inside a 14-by-32-inch cooking surface, which, in practice, we could fit two 8-quart stock pots atop. Protected by an ample windscreen and flanked by two folding side shelves that are stable enough for light prep work, the Pro 14 is the cookout battle station of choice for anyone looking to feed a lot of people. 

One of the biggest draws of the Pro 14 for most folks is going to be the suite of other Camp Chef 14-inch accessories that can be mated up to the stove. There are pizza ovens, grill boxes, and griddles, and since the Pro 14 is a two-burner stove, you can use a few simultaneously. Editor Will Brendza used the whole spread while testing, and found the 14-inch Pizza Oven to be the gotta-have-it accessory for the Pro 14. It gets hot quick, and turns out perfect pies.

At around 50 pounds, the Pro 14 is closer to portable grills than some of the lighter camping stoves on our list. However, that weight packs up admirably well and stows with a folding leg design (a definite upgrade from the screw-on legs on the Explorer series). Still, consider that this stove takes some considerable space to move, and plan accordingly.

For family get-togethers or simply aiming to feed a large number of people, the Camp Chef Pro 14 is the stove to do it with.

Primus Alika Camp Stove

If looks were the main consideration, the Primus Alika ($330) would take top honors with its sleek powder-coated lid, oak laths, and brass accents. But I also particularly like this stove because it hosts a number of unusual features, including a removable lid, which allows for larger pots and nimble cooking from all sides.

In Primus-land, aka Sweden (this stove is actually made in Europe), they envision the lid-off scene as a “360˚ gathering spot, and a place to connect over drinks and a steaming plate of food.” Needless to say, the company has embraced some new technology since then, and this stove is (almost) entirely well thought out.

A long, flexible fuel hose means you’re not married to canister placement. The regulator also stows neatly underneath, in a spring-action lock. It has a comfy webbing handle and two exterior locks for transport, which means it doesn’t rattle furiously in the car. It’s versatile, too, with an included butane adaptor kit. Oh, and those pretty oak laths aren’t just for show: with the lid removed, they function as a hot plate.

This stove also sports stout grates and two burner sizes: 10,200 BTUs and 13,300 BTUs. Both boil and simmer very well, though with a bit less overall BTU oomph than the Camp Chef Mountaineer or GSI Outdoors Selkirk. The Primus Alika is not as compact as the minimalist Primus Kinjia, but at 24” x 10.7” x 3”, it is a touch smaller and more streamlined than other two-burner models. It’s also easy to clean, thanks to a removable drip tray.

The windscreens work well, but could benefit from smaller gaps at the bottom, and the metal hooks that hold them in place are a rather chintzy design for such an otherwise superbly thought-out stove. Also, although Primus touts its snazzy piezo ignition, camper Karuna Eberl had little luck getting it to work well consistently. Finally, this stove is on the expensive side, though still considerably cheaper than the Camp Chef Mountaineer.

If you’re someone who likes to buy upper-end gear that will last a lifetime, the Alika is your stove. It’s highly innovative, and clearly a lot of thought went into the details of the design.

Coleman Cascade 328

If you’ve been feeling cramped on your current two-burner setup, the Coleman Cascade 328 ($260) might be the beast for you. It has two standard burners on either side, then a rectangular one in the middle. All in all, you can nestle in three 8-inch or two 12-inch pots. It’s also deeper than typical two-burner models, which means it can handle a large cast-iron pan or spaghetti pot.

Otherwise, the Cascade 328 offers a fairly typical setup, kind of like a Coleman Cascade Classic on steroids. It has an attractive, burlier look and feel, with a beefed-up base and lid. More significantly, it has nicer grates that hold pots and pans a slight bit higher off the flames, which makes simmering more precise. Those grates also have a circular shape, which makes it obvious if the pot is not centered over the flame.

The windscreens work well and are decently tall, with only a small gap at the bottom. The burners are also amply recessed, but that design does create a large gap between the flame and the pot, causing water to boil more slowly. Overall, this stove feels like it can take a beating (like most Coleman stoves).

The knobs have a solid, quality feel to them, plus the whole kaboodle comes with rubber feet, so it can be slightly elevated. Also note that the ignition requires an AA battery. It comes with it, but it would be wise to bring a spare along.

On the downside, those three burners take up space and add weight. It’s more than seven inches deeper than the skinniest stoves we tested and weighs 18 pounds. Luckily, it includes a sturdy handle, which is handy for lugging it around. Otherwise, the only annoying bit is that it’s rattly when transported (stuff some towels inside to help fix that).

On that note, be sure to store the regulator in a camp towel, or it’s liable to roll into the ignitors and break them. Also, if you’re going to be using it with full guns-a-blazin’, bring extra propane canisters, as you’ll blow through your first one in about an hour when all three burners are on high.

Overall, for the price, the Cascade 328 is a great stove, especially for families or those cooking for a larger crew. Like all of the Coleman stoves we’ve used, it’s not particularly fancy, but it will likely be durable enough to be handed down through at least a generation or two.

GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540+

Newly updated, the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540+ Camp Stove ($150) bumps up the BTUs from an original 10,000 to 14,000, greatly improving this stove’s performance in my cooking tests.

While it doesn’t blow any other stove out of the water, the Selkirk 540+ does its job admirably — easily boiling water or sautéing veggies for any camp meal you can dream up. Twin metering knobs provide a smooth output and twist a full 720 degrees, offering up great fidelity to fine-tuning your perfect stir-fry, and the piezo ignition was strong right out of the box.

MY testing has shown that higher BTU output is connected to worse fuel efficiency, however. Indeed, the Selkirk was thirstier than the typical 10,000 BTU stoves like the Coleman Cascade Classic. This was the main reason the stove didn’t find itself higher in the line-up.

I also greatly appreciated the stainless steel stove basin and easy-to-remove grate for when the time came to clean up. After a few quick swipes, the stove was clean and ready to be put away. Some stoves harbor more nooks and crannies, but there’s no such issue here.

The windscreens, while of ample height, unfortunately, leave a bit of a gap between the base of the stove and the grill supports, meaning that wind had a pesky tendency to skirt around these walls and interfere with the flame pattern. Careful setup can help alleviate this, and it’s something to be mindful of when arranging your camp kitchen.

A jack-of-all-trades type of stove, the Selkirk 540+ hit the high points in our testing and would make an excellent stove for anyone who needs a stove that just plain works.

Coleman 3-in-1 Stove

Read Review: The Classic Camp Stove Gets a Modern Makeover: Coleman 1900 3-in-1 Review

This camping stove comes with not one but two cast iron attachments for grilling and cooking on a griddle. Trust me, the Coleman 3-in-1 ($275) aspect is awesome. Thanks to the versatility, you can use two burners like any other camp stove, or one burner and a grill, or one burner and a griddle.

What I loved most about this stove in testing was its durability, heat output, and simmer control. The windscreens were even adequate for 20-30 mph winds. All of the features offer a quality feel, and it can cook just about anything.

The quality of the cast iron was also on par with more expensive options (though the cast iron components do make the stove fairly heavy). Still, the Coleman 3-in-1 (a two-burner stove, grill top, and griddle) weighs less than the only other camp griddle we tested, the Camp Chef Versatop.

One somewhat glaring error, however, was the short windscreens that this stove incorporates. Not only do taller windscreens limit heat loss, but they also cut down on the grease splatter that a griddle can emit. Build up those walls, Coleman!

Hybrid stoves like the 3-in-1 generally lag behind straight-ahead camp stoves in popularity, but can be an excellent way to divide up cooking space for a number of dishes. The main tradeoff comes when sharing cooking space with multiple pots or pans and not being able to remove griddle attachments, such as on the Camp Chef Rainier 2X.

Thankfully, the Coleman is modular, and while the Rainier is a bit cheaper, this ability, plus hotter burners, keeps the Coleman 3-in-1 in the top dog spot for hybrid stove options.

If you’re a fan of cast iron, or simply want an all-in-one option that performs well in every category, the 3-in-1 is one of the best camping stoves you can buy.

Camp Chef VersaTop

While not technically a stove, a griddle can bring a lot of joy and simplicity to outdoor cooking. The Camp Chef VersaTop ($190) has a nonstick cooking surface with a wide 18,000-BTU burner underneath, plus a grill accessory.

The unique part about the VersaTop is its versatile design. With separate attachments, you can cook on a flat top, grill, or even bake bread inside. You just pull off the cooking surface, place it on another, and start cooking.

While quite heavy (24 pounds), the size and weight make you feel like a real chef. During a previous GearJunkie campout, our editors had a blast cooking breakfasts, sandwiches, and large helpings of stir fry on this stove. The 17″ x 18″ cooktop of the VersaTop is much more spacious compared to other hybrid camp stove options, including the Coleman 3-in-1’s twin 13″ x 11″ griddles, and Camp Chef Rainier 2X’s 14″ x 9″ aluminum top, and we found the raised backsplash of the VersaTop better suited for piling on food and cutting down on splatter.

Of course, going with a dedicated griddle will mean that you’ll need to lean on another single burner for any of your boiling needs, but we’ve found that adding the Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner to the kitchen when cooking on the VersaTop makes for a perfect duo. You’ll also need to take care of the flattop as your cooking surface is integrated into the stove body, and scorching can be a real pain to get rid of.

At $190, you’ll need to calculate how many killer breakfasts you’ll need to turn out to justify the expense, but if you’re a griddle savant and don’t mind the extra weight in your rig, the VersaTop might be the best camping stove for you. We find that most folks are better served by a classic two burner, but as a breakfast powerhouse, this stove reigns.

Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove System

Read Review: Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove System Review: The Benchmark of Car Camping Stoves

The Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove ($450) brings one of the more novel (if not genius) designs to the classic camping stove. It functions with a clamshell design that unfolds to display the cooking surface. And, underneath each burner is a place to chain additional burners.

“Where the Genesis really shows through is its simmering ability. The burner knob can be spun in four full rotations from the lowest to the highest setting, and each slight movement of the knob makes fractional adjustments to the flame,” we wrote in our full-length Jetboil Genesis review.

This stove system packs up small, and with the ability to chain additional burners, you can turn this system into a full-fledged kitchen for large groups at a fraction of the packed size. It’s quite expensive, but the technology backs it up, and it also comes with a lightweight pot and pan.

It’s that price, however, that keeps us from signing the praises of the Genesis at full volume, as $400 can net you the Camp Chef Mountaineer, easily a more durable and capable stove unit. While the compact nature of the Jetboil stove is one of the highpoints, we actually end up leaning on the Primus Kinjia more often for the slightly hotter burners and low-profile design that slides into camping bins with ease.

If you’re cramped on space or want to tote a two-burner system into the backcountry, the Genesis could be the best camping stove for you. While the foldability isn’t necessary for the average car camper, it’s truly one of the most versatile setups we’ve tested.