Camping Is Booming — Here’s the Data Behind It

Camping is not a niche hobby anymore, and the numbers back that up. Multiple market research reports published this week put real figures behind what a lot of us have felt anecdotally: more people are camping, and they are spending more to do it comfortably.

Photo: Cliford Mervil

The Actual Numbers

The global camping equipment market was valued at $21.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to nearly double to $39.4 billion by 2035, according to a market outlook report released this week. A separate report on camping furniture specifically — tents, chairs, cots, and the like — projects growth from $5.4 billion to $9.9 billion over the same window. Both point to the same underlying drivers: more disposable income going toward outdoor recreation, and a growing wellness-focused push toward nature-based leisure over the last few years.

Comfort Is the Real Growth Story

What stands out in these reports is not just that camping is growing, but which part of it is growing fastest. Analysts specifically call out demand for lightweight, durable gear and comfort-focused products — not just bare-bones survival equipment. That tracks with what we have been seeing across the brands we cover here: the biggest investment right now is in gear that makes camping feel less like roughing it and more like an actual vacation.

Coleman shows up by name in more than one of these reports as one of the established players positioned to benefit from that shift, alongside brands like The North Face and Decathlon. If you have been on the fence about investing in a few real comfort upgrades — a proper cot, a wheeled cooler, actual shelter you are not fighting with — we rounded up a few Coleman picks worth a look.

The Bottom Line

None of this changes how you camp tomorrow, but it is a good data point if you have ever wondered whether investing in better gear is worth it. The market is voting with real money that it is.