Gear up for your summer camping trip with Decathlon
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If there’s one place where you can buy most of your camping gear, it is definitely Decathlon. This post will tell you why and show you the best picks, tested by many happy campers. There is equipment for all your camping needs: car tents, camping furniture, cooking and sleeping gear. And hobby and sports gear for the time in between :).
We don’t like having to go to five different stores to buy a bunch of things for camping. With Decathlon, you no longer need to. Here are the top car camping equipment categories or items that will make your camping trip memorable, all under one roof. Should anything go wrong, it is easy to return the items or get them serviced. Aside from all the items below, you’ll find plenty more camping, hobby and sports equipment or clothing at Decathlon.
Now on to the top things you can find at Decathlon that will make your camping trip more enjoyable, comfortable or memorable.
In this article:
Sleeping bags and mattresses
A good night’s sleep is key to everything you plan to do on your camping trip – I’ve tested various car mattresses and can confirm, that a good self-inflating camping mattress is a great low-priced, but comfortable, yet small and easy-to-store option. Top it up with a good sleeping bag and your favourite pillow and you’ll wake up refreshed for the adventures ahead!
SELF-INFLATING CAMPING MATTRESS – BASIC 60 CM – 1 PERSON
very lightweight and compact • durable (not as easy to puncture as a conventional air mattress) • comfortable • much better insulation than thick conventional air mattresses (less air to heat up) • better stability (too much air makes a mattress bounce all over the place)
I have been using it for several years now – it is enough on its own, but it can be easily coupled with a thinner foam sheet in the car for a longer camping trip and additional comfort.
CAMPING SLEEPING BAG – ARPENAZ 10°
Comfort temperature 10°C | Limit temperature: 5°C – perfect for spring-summer-autumn • machine washable
You don’t need a hardcore sleeping bag to sleep in the car from spring to autumn. The car protects you enough and this sleeping bag is all you need.
Camping cool boxes and fridges
After a good lie-in, it’s time for a chilled drink! Here’s how you can keep your drinks and food cooler – in your car or on foot, at a festival or trekking:
Camping Flexible Cooler – 35 L – Preserves Cold for 17 Hours
Keeps food fresh for 17 hours without ice packs – Large zip opening | 3 storage pockets | Outer net pocket | 1 divider • Lightweight: 1.6 kg • Stores away neatly | Deflate after use
Isothermal Backpack 20 L – NH100 Ice Compact
Keeps food fresh for 7 hours without an ice pack • 2 mesh pockets on the sides | 2 zipped pockets to secure your belongings • Volume: 20 litres | Weight: 485 g | Dimensions: 29 x 19 x 42 cm
Camping kitchen equipment, chairs and tables
You can sleep in your car, but if you don’t have a camping box fitted with a table – you’ll want some flat surface to put your coffee/tea/beer on. And breakfast, lunch, dinner. And cards or any other table game. And your portable cooker. Well – there’s plenty of need for a camping table + chairs. Make sure it’s a foldable one!
I have bought this one – it’s the smallest I’ve found (including 4 chairs) and pretty light. Works well for 2 and I’d say even more people. The chairs are basic – no backrest, I’m probably going to buy 2 bigger ones. But the table is still great – you won’t find any better at this price.
FOLDING CAMPING TABLE – 4 STOOLS – 4 TO 6 PEOPLE
Small, foldable and sits 4 with plenty of space for food preparation
Table and chairs in one compact package
Folding Camping Kitchen Unit
Aluminium frame | Countertop withstands up to 50 kg
Height : 84 cm | Countertop: 94 x 46 cm | 2 zip cupboard doors | 5 shelves

Camping Folding Armchair
A camping chair that is both compact and comfortable. An essential item for those who love frequent camping.
Includes an essential cup holder.
Car tents, roof tents
Yep, Decathlon now does roof tents too. And you can use many of their bigger tents with any car – as you can see in my Arpenaz base M review – it is a perfect starter car tent for a tailgate, barn doors or the side door. You can’t go wrong with it, there are hundreds of happy owners in many camping forums, just search for “Arpenaz base m” and you’ll see: Small Vehicle Campers, Microcamper (DE), Minicamper Tipps & Tricks (DE), Self build campervans.
I bought one myself too 🙂 I go camping with my girlfriend and a dog, and this tent is more than enough.
There are three ways how you can fit it over your tailgate or side door:
Read more about the top three Decathlon car tents.
Camping headlamps and lanterns
There are never enough lights when camping :D. Especially when you need to find something around the car.
I bought this headtorch years ago – and it’s still working just fine after all these years. Lightweight, small and durable, not to mention it’s a bargain!
It takes standard AAA batteries, I’d recommend getting rechargeable ones + a charger and you’ll have always some spare ones somewhere in the car.
For general light in the car, I find the red light option of the standard Camping Lamp very useful – doesn’t bother your eyes and still allows you to function normally and see things. Not enough for reading of course, but enough to find your beer opener! It is also very easy to hang anywhere thanks to its long strap – a tree branch, tent, inside the car (handles), or you can just leave it standing on top of the table. Especially in the red light mode, as it doesn’t bother your eyes even if it’s in front of you.
Battery Head Torch – 30 lumen – ONNIGHT 50
25 hours. Works with 2 x LR03-AAA batteries (provided) • Wide beam (30 lm) with 15 m range: general use
CAMPING LAMP 100 LUMENS BL100
3 modes: 20 lumens (red) -50 lumens -100 lumens| Effective lighting for 2 people • 26h at 100 lumens | 60h at 50 lumens | 130h in red mode • works on 4 LR6 AA batteries

And here’s a must for the festival season:
I100 Women’s Short Wellies – Green
Lightweight wellies which are easy to put on and pull off. The non-slip sole with lugs provides a good grip on muddy ground, and they can be washed inside and out. They dry quickly too. Available for men as well.
You might find these handy too:
Head over to Decathlon.co.uk for even more items


Lukas
Founder of NimbleCamper.com, avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast. Car camping and microcamping allows me to keep traveling and exploring with a much greater level of freedom & privacy – to go anywhere and sleep anywhere. I didn’t have 30K to buy a VW Multivan, so found my way to the world of everyday car camping conversions. Here I share my experiences and what I learn.
Check out my thoughts on a balanced life: sensimism.com