17 Old-School Camping Gear That’s No Longer Used
Here's a nostalgic look at 17 pieces of old-school camping gear that have been phased out by smarter, lighter, and more practical modern alternatives.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Camping gear has evolved dramatically over the decades, shedding the bulky, fragile, and high-maintenance tools of yesteryear for more efficient and user-friendly options. This list revisits once-essential items that many outdoor lovers used to pack, from canvas tents and enamel dishes to crank flashlights and coffee percolators. While they may stir fond memories, today’s innovations prove that sometimes lighter, faster, and more compact really is better.
1. Canvas A-Frame Tents
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These heavy canvas tents were once the standard for family camping trips. Setting one up was a full-body workout, especially if the ground was rocky and the stakes refused to cooperate. They smelled like mildew and summer adventures, but today’s lightweight synthetic tents have taken their place.
2. Steel Frame Backpacks
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Clunky and unforgiving, external steel frame packs rattled with every step. They were built for durability, not comfort, and made you feel like you were lugging around a folding chair on your back. Internal frame designs now offer better weight distribution and far less bruising.
3. Hand-Crank Flashlights
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You’d crank for a full minute just to get thirty seconds of weak yellow light. They were more of a novelty than a reliable source of illumination, especially when your hands were freezing. LED headlamps and solar-powered lanterns have rendered them nearly obsolete.
4. Enamelware Dish Sets
Annie Spratt from Unsplash
Camping dishes once meant clanking blue enamelware with white speckles that chipped as easily as your patience after a long hike. They were practically indestructible until they weren’t, and then they left sharp edges behind. These days, collapsible silicone bowls and lightweight plastic are easier on the pack and your fingers.
5. Propane Lanterns with Glass Globes
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Carrying one felt like protecting a baby chick from a thunderstorm. They were bright but fragile, and replacing a broken globe in the middle of nowhere wasn’t ideal. Today’s campers prefer compact LED lanterns with no fire hazard or delicate parts.
6. Canvas Sleeping Bags
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Stuffing one of these into a car trunk felt like moving furniture. They were bulky, took forever to dry, and somehow always smelled a bit like wet wool. Modern sleeping bags are warmer, lighter, and pack down to the size of a loaf of bread.
7. Wood-Framed Camp Chairs
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Before the era of pop-open folding chairs, you had to assemble a chair like you were building a log cabin. They were stiff, squeaky, and not exactly built for lounging by the fire. Now, chairs come with cup holders and lumbar support.
8. Hand-Pumped Water Filters
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Filtering water used to mean endless pumping, aching wrists, and the sound of bubbles gurgling through plastic tubes. It was effective, but painfully slow, especially when you were thirsty and impatient. Gravity filters and UV pens have made hydration much easier.
9. Coffee Percolators
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Percolators brewed coffee by bubbling it endlessly until it was either too weak or tasted burnt. They were charming in a retro kind of way but often took forever to heat on a campfire. Now, lightweight pour-over kits and instant coffee packets are the go-to caffeine fix.
10. Tin Foil Solar Ovens
Emilie from Unsplash
These DIY contraptions involved layers of cardboard, foil, and patience. If the sun wasn’t cooperating, you were stuck with lukewarm beans and disappointment. Portable gas stoves have taken over with their reliability and speed.
11. Campfire Popcorn Poppers
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These long-handled wire baskets were used to make popcorn over open flames. Half the kernels stayed unpopped while the rest either burned or flew into the fire. Snack time is easier now with pre-packaged trail mix or compact stoves.
12. Heavy Canvas Rucksacks
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Before nylon and polyester made bags lightweight and waterproof, you had rugged canvas rucksacks that soaked up rain like a sponge. They looked cool, but once wet, they weighed twice as much and took days to dry. Modern packs are built for function and comfort, not just looks.
13. Charcoal Hand Warmers
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These were metal boxes with a burning charcoal stick inside, meant to be slipped into your pockets. The heat was slow to start and hard to regulate, and they often smelled faintly of a barbecue. Rechargeable electric warmers have taken their place.
14. Wind-Up Radios
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Before smartphones and Bluetooth speakers, campers brought radios that you had to wind up like a toy. The sound was tinny, and the winding never lasted as long as you wanted. Music and weather updates now come from a sleek device in your pocket.
15. Whistle Kettles
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These steel kettles screamed when the water was ready, startling wildlife and humans alike. They took forever to boil and often turned black with soot from the fire. Modern collapsible kettles and Jet-Boil systems are faster and more compact.
16. Campfire Irons for Sandwiches
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They clamped together over the fire to make grilled cheese or pies, but they were heavy and took up too much space. They also got ridiculously hot and were hard to clean. Today’s campers lean toward lightweight stoves and compact cookware.
17. Signal Mirrors
Inga Gezalian from Unsplash
Once an essential for wilderness survival, these mirrors were used to reflect sunlight and signal rescuers. In theory, they were brilliant. In practice, most people never figured out how to use them properly and just hoped they wouldn’t need to.