Dropshipping Outdoor, Camping & Survival Gear 2025

Finding the right niche is one of the most important tasks when you start your dropshipping business. The niche choice defines, how much competitors you will have, how easy it will be to attract customers and eventually what profits you will make. You can find many promising niches for 2025 in our other article and establish a store, and here is one more idea: outdoor gear dropshipping. This category includes multiple types of goods from various pricing brackets, so you can combine different marketing strategies to find out, what is the most effective at the moment. There are multiple examples of successful stories of tactical gear wholesale dropshippers or dropshippers who sale camping goods.

Why dropshipping outdoor gear profitable?

To dropship camping gear is often considered seasonal goods because they are expected to rise in demand in summer or shortly before it, but it is actually not true. There are several subcategories withing this niche, and many of them are bought actively throughout the year. There are many people who prefer to spend time outdoors no matter what time of the year is it. Moreover, some products in this category are useful not only for hikers or campers, but for much wider audience – those, who like to spend some time in the nature or have a walk in the part.

As we look towards 2025, it’s crucial to consider the evolving dynamics within the camping supplies dropshipping market, especially when addressing the question often posed by skeptics about whether is dropshipping dead. The pandemic reshaped many industries, and even as the world stabilizes, certain trends established during that period continue to influence consumer behavior. Adapting to these trends can significantly boost your store’s profitability. Here are some updated insights from 2023-2024 that can guide you in refining your outdoor dropshipping strategy:

• Remote work remains a key factor influencing camping habits. In 2023, nearly 30% of campers indicated they worked remotely from campsites, blending leisure with productivity. This ‘workation’ trend shows no signs of slowing down, presenting opportunities for dropshippers to offer products that cater to remote working campers, such as portable solar chargers and compact ergonomic chairs.
• The camping season has expanded even further, with off-peak camping (winter and spring) seeing a 50% growth in 2023 compared to previous years. Although July still marks the peak in sales, your inventory should reflect the need for all-season camping gear, including items suitable for colder climates. 
• The rise in pet adoption has continued into 2024, and camping with pets is now mainstream among outdoor enthusiasts. Offering a variety of pet-friendly camping gear, such as portable pet tents and eco-friendly pet bowls, can help capture this growing market segment.
• An influx of new, younger campers, driven by Millennials and Gen Z, is reshaping the demographics of outdoor activities. These groups are not only keen on traditional camping but are also exploring innovative forms of camping, such as glamping and sustainable camping. Tailoring your inventory to cater to their unique preferences, such as eco-friendly gear and Instagrammable camping setups, can set your store apart.
• Consumers in 2024 continue to rely heavily on online reviews and digital recommendations when purchasing camping gear. Winning trust in specialized online communities and leveraging platforms like Google Trends and TikTok can pinpoint popular items and emerging interest areas. Focus on building a strong online presence and engaging with potential customers through meaningful content and influencers within the camping niche.

By aligning your dropshipping business with these modern trends and preferences, you ensure not just the survival but the thriving of your business in the competitive landscape of 2025.

Top items for dropshipping outdoors gear

So, what items are the most popular and have to be considered first while creating a dropshipping business dedicated to outdoor gear? Here is the list of the goods to dropship outdoor gear, that attract big quantities of customers, open various multiple marketing opportunities and are highly profitable. 

• Backpacks. Offering backpacks is a sure-fire option when you dropship survival gear, as they are bought both for casual campers and seasoned enthusiasts. Do not forget to add backpacks of various sizes, as well as accessories for them. 
• Hydration bladders. These are items that are used to keep a necessary amount of water during a hike or a cycling trip. You can offer them as the addition for matching backpacks while dropshipping outdoor products. 
• Rain ponchos. Camping and hiking often involves travelling during heavy rains or snow. Rain poncho protects a traveler from the elements and does not take much space in the backpack. 
• Camping with pets. As we have already mentioned above, camping with pets got more popular. Consequently, add to your inventory specialized backpacks for carrying pets or small backpacks that can be put on a dog’s back. 
• Kitchen gear for camping. Everyone who goes camping needs some means to kook proper food. So, specialized utensils are always in demand. Consider various types of cookware, including travel mugs, folding pots, vacuum bottles and flatware. Do not forget about camping stoves. 
• Clothes. Outdoor closhing dropshippers also make good profits throughout the whole year. 
• Cooler bags. If one goes on a picnic in the summer, they often want to keep food and drinks cool. Cooler bags solve this task. You can also offer stainless steel ice cubes as a useful accessory. 
• Lights and lanterns. To stay safe in the night, a traveler will need a reliable light source, and you can provide them with it. Lights and lanterns are also useful at home, so campers will not be the only customers. 
• Safety and survival. This category for dropshipping camping equipment is important for everyone who plans to go on a camping trip. The items are small, but can be very helpful in difficult situations. Among them are GPS trackers, first aid kits, safety whistles and multitools. Tactical gear dropshipping is also a related category you can base your inventory on. 

More useful ideas

You also have to consider some general advice, that will help you to run your store more effectively, especially if you plan to develop it in the area of outdoor gear dropshipping. 

• Thoroughly study the features of your chosen products and their qualities, while you are choosing wholesale camping gear or wholesalte tents. Pay special attention to the materials they are made from and they durability. They need to be long-lasting even if used in difficult weather or under a high stress. Often you can find several variation of similar items: cheaper for casual users, more expensive and more durable for customers with higher demands. 
• Pay attention to reputation and reviews when choosing outdoor dropshipping suppliers. Everyone who wants to dropship camping and outdoor gear should understand, that in some situations people’s health or even life will depend on the quality of the item you sell. 
• Pay attention to delivery rules in the countries you ship to. Outdoor gear includes some categories, that often are forbidden for shipping or will not pass customs. Wholesale camping gear dropshippers may face problems when they sell knives and other sharp objects, lighters, flammable fluids. Consider shipping rules when planning the inventory of your store. 

Use the ideas from the article as well as other dropshipping ideas to your advantage, so your store thrives and attracts new customers. Build your inventory based on the list above or explore current trends to find more opportunities, so your store becomes a sustainable source of profit. There are a lot of successful tactical gear distributors dropship stores, and your eCommerce project can be one of them.