Sneak Preview: Hot new camping and outdoor gear for 2018

For a few days every summer, the sleepy German town of Friedrichshafen on the banks of Lake Constance becomes the capital of the outdoor gear world. Twelve enormous halls are filled with brand new products, as manufacturers show off all the camping and outdoor kit they've lined up for the following year. Then a few weeks later, the cream of the British manufacturers do the same at the Outdoor Trade Show at Stoneleigh Park.

Unfortunately the general public aren’t allowed in to either of these events, but luckily the Camping team did get an invite and on your behalf we looked at hundreds of new products, from tents to torches and everything in between.

Read on as editor Iain Duff reveals six of our favourite new products that will be in the shops in 2018. Look out for a full round-up of all next year’s new gear from the likes of Coleman, Outwell, Vango, Kampa and many more in the Autumn 2017 issue of Camping magazine.

VANGO PHOTON HEADTORCH

The compact and lightweight Photon headtorch produces up to 150 lumens of light from the main LED, using a special lens to provide long distance illumination while maintaining a soft peripheral light. The re-chargeable torch can be easily removed from the headband and clipped onto your clothes or rucksack.

PRIMUS KUCHOMA

Made using a combination of high quality, sustainable materials (stainless steel, brass and oak) the new Primus Kuchoma is a small, lightweight grill that’s compact, powerful, energy efficient and portable. It’s easy to use and remains stable on uneven ground, the grill gives both direct and indirect heat to cook food accurately. The grill is powered by small camping gas canisters or can be run via refillable cylinders using an adaptor kit.

SNUGPAK BASECAMP AIR MAT

Sit down and have a beer while you inflate your bed! The Basecamp air mat has a built-in footpump, a first for the UK. The sponge-like pump has a two way valve to allow air to enter when pressed down with your foot, but not escape when you release your foot.

JACK WOLFSKIN JUNGLE GYM KIDS’ SHOES

Kids love to climb trees and that’s the thinking behind these new shoes from  Jack Wolfskin. The Jungle Gym has a non-slip sole with special climbing and balance zones, all while keeping the toes protected with the high rubber outsole.  The colours and patterns are all inspired by the animal kingdom.

FJALLRAVEN KANKEN GREENLAND

The Kanken backpack is already a cult classic and this new special edition version has been introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of Fjallraven’s iconic Greenland range. The new pack retains the stylish look of the original design with new features, including a seat pad, two side pockets and front compartment. The silver-finish tension locks on the shoulder straps give it a classy look

LIFESAVER EXPLORER BOTTLE

LifeSaver’s water filtration system already saves lives in humanitarian crises around the world, and now the same award-winning technology is available for outdoor explorers. As well as having a filter that can get rid of pretty much every nasty thing you’ll find in stream water, it also has an innovative new inline pump feature.