Top 20 Camping Influencers to Follow for Outdoor Inspiration
- Why Follow Camping Influencers?
-
Top 20 Camping Influencers to Follow
- 1. Renee Hahnel (@reneeroaming)
- 2. Erin Sullivan (@erinoutdoors)
- 3. Shawn James – “My Self Reliance”
- 4. Brooke Willson
- 5. Survival Lilly
- 6. Dan Becker
- 7. Joe Robinet
- 8. TA Outdoors
- 9. Chris Burkard
- 10. Miranda Goes Outside
- 11. Homemade Wanderlust
- 12. Darwin On The Trail
- 13. The Outdoor Gear Review
- 14. Overland Bound
- 15. Eamon & Bec
- 16. Adventure Archives
- 17. Outdoor Boys
- 18. BackpackingTV
- 19. Amanda Outside
- 20. Fresh Off The Grid
- Find Camping Influencers with Collabstr
The rise of outdoor adventures has turned camping into more than just a weekend activity. Thanks to social media platforms, camping influencers have emerged as the go-to guides for all things related to the great outdoors, from backpacking and glamping to bushcraft and van life. These content creators inspire followers to explore the outdoors, learn practical skills, and embrace a more outdoorsy way of living.
By sharing gear reviews, survival tips, scenic hikes, and creative campsite setups, influencers influence how their followers pack, travel, and even where they go. In this article, we highlight 20 of the most inspiring camping influencers who are redefining modern outdoor adventure. You'll learn about the kind of content they produce, how they build communities, and how brands can partner with them.
Why Follow Camping Influencers?
Camping influencers are valuable resources for both outdoor enthusiasts and brands. They offer practical insights, like how to choose the right tent, what meals to cook on the trail, or how to navigate backcountry routes. They also inspire followers through beautiful imagery and personal stories, fueling the desire to disconnect from city life and reconnect with nature.
Many of these influencers produce gear hauls, campsite walkthroughs, hiking tutorials, and in-depth reviews across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. With the rise of niche interests like bushcraft, glamping, and off-grid living, their content caters to both casual campers and hardcore survivalists.
Top 20 Camping Influencers to Follow
These camping influencers span a range of niches, from rugged bushcraft survivalists to luxury glamping gurus. Here are 20 creators worth following:
1. Renee Hahnel (@reneeroaming)
Platform(s): Instagram, YouTube, Blog
Type of Content: US national park itineraries, solo female backpacking guides, van life & glamping inspiration
Follower Count: 939K on Instagram
Hahnel has photographed all 63 U.S. national parks, co-authored the coffee table bestseller, Roaming America, and turned her lens on everything from treehouse stays in Scotland to backcountry bivies in Alaska. Her posts marry art-grade imagery with practical carousel tips: packing lists, permit reminders, leave-no-trace checklists enabling followers to replicate the adventures, not just admire them. Frequent brand work with REI, Sony Alpha, and AllTrails shows her reach converts aspirational scrolls into booked trips and gear sales, making her a high-ROI partner for outdoor and travel companies.
2. Erin Sullivan (@erinoutdoors)
Platform(s): Instagram, Blog
Type of Content: minimalist camping, mental health essays, accessibility advocacy
Follower Count: 238K on Instagram
Sullivan blends art-quality photography with candid writing about anxiety and body image, framing wilderness time as a mental-health tool rather than an extreme sport. Her Outside Magazine features and ongoing partnership with L.L.Bean prove her ability to convert authentic storytelling into measurable brand lift, especially with audiences seeking welcoming first steps into the outdoors.
3. Shawn James – “My Self Reliance”
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: log cabin builds, off-grid homesteading, Canadian bushcraft expeditions
Follower Count: 2.2M on YouTube
James films, in real time, every notch, dovetail, and winter storm involved in hand-building and living inside his own log cabins deep in Ontario’s boreal forest. The long-form, mostly wordless videos let natural sounds carry the story, turning each episode into both a skills tutorial and a meditative escape. Brands from axe makers to solar-panel startups regularly see inventory spikes after his gear call-outs—proof that his audience trusts recommendations field-tested through months of sub-zero use.
4. Brooke Willson
Platform(s): Instagram
Type of Content: van-life road trips, glamping inspiration, dog-friendly campsite ideas
Follower Count: 178K on Instagram
Willson’s feed bridges rugged landscapes with accessible comforts. Think rooftop-tent rigs, sunrise trail runs, and campfire charcuterie boards shared with her husky Timber. Features in Women’s Health and regular brand shoots for Arc’teryx and Fjällräven underline her ability to sell the “approachable adventure” dream, a sweet spot for gear makers targeting first-time campers.
5. Survival Lilly
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: bushcraft shelters, survival-skills tutorials, extreme gear tests
Follower Count: 1.16M on YouTube
One of the most-watched survival creators on the platform, Lilly turns dense topics—like bow-drill fire or winter debris huts—into clear, step-by-step demos filmed solo in Austria’s forests. Her hands-on credibility (she sleeps in what she builds) and best-selling field guide make her a trusted authority for brands launching knives, axes, or ultralight shelters that must prove durability under real-world stress.
6. Dan Becker
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: ultralight-backpacking gear reviews, backcountry skills tutorials, Midwest trail vlogs
Follower Count: 469K on YouTube
Becker’s no-nonsense gear tests—he weighs, measures, and field-tests every item—help viewers build lighter, safer kits without wasting cash on hype. His approachable style and Midwest trip reports also remind new backpackers that great campsites exist far from marquee national parks.
7. Joe Robinet
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: bushcraft camps, long-distance canoe trips, DIY shelter builds
Follower Count: 1.54M on YouTube
Robinet spends weeks in the Canadian backcountry building log shelters with hand tools, filming every triumph and mishap. The authenticity of his trips—and the fact that he sleeps in what he builds—has turned his channel into a reference library for campers who prefer spruce boughs to synthetic floors.
8. TA Outdoors
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: British bushcraft, historical shelter recreations, campfire cooking
Follower Count: 2.45M on YouTube
From Saxon long-houses to Viking pit shelters, Mike Pullen recreates historical camps with modern-day practicality. His step-by-step builds show viewers how to marry traditional craft with leave-no-trace principles—knowledge that translates to sturdier tarp pitches and safer winter camps.
9. Chris Burkard
Platform(s): Instagram, YouTube
Type of Content: expedition photography, cold-water surf trips, overland storytelling
Follower Count: 4M on Instagram
Burkard’s glacier-lit bivy shots and storm-lashed surf camps have become visual shorthand for extreme yet responsible adventure. His feed blends art-grade imagery with pragmatic captions on gear, safety, and stewardship, making him a go-to muse for photographers and campers alike.
10. Miranda Goes Outside
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: beginner backpacking advice, gear myth-busting, high-energy trip vlogs
Follower Count: 173K on YouTube
A former REI host, Miranda balances humor with hard skills—think caffeine-fuelled rants against overpacking followed by clear demos of bear-hang knots. Her channel is a confidence boost for newcomers who want instruction minus the jargon.
11. Homemade Wanderlust
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: thru-hiking logistics, trail food hacks, gear durability reviews
Follower Count: 444K on YouTube
Triple-crown hiker Jessica “Dixie” Mills documents everything from freezer bag cooking to foot-care triage during five-month treks. Her honest gear post-mortems—filmed after thousands of trail miles—save viewers time, weight, and blisters.
12. Darwin On The Trail
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: gear philosophy, minimalist bike-packing, public-lands advocacy
Follower Count: 341K on YouTube
Darwin pairs ultralight experimentation with candid talks about mental health on the trails. By showing both the miles that click and the plans that fail, he champions an ethic of continuous learning rather than one-size-fits-all kits.
13. The Outdoor Gear Review
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: four-season shelter tests, real-time weather stress tests, budget gear breakdowns
Follower Count: 717K on YouTube
Host Luke Richard camps through hurricanes, heat waves, and ice storms so viewers can see exactly how gear performs at the edge of its spec sheet—footage that brand press releases rarely show.
14. Overland Bound
Platform(s): Instagram, YouTube
Type of Content: vehicle-supported camping, route planning, community meet-ups
Follower Count: 334K on Instagram
Founded on the motto “Adventure is necessary,” Overland Bound turns 4×4 rigs into mobile basecamps and shares detailed load-outs, trail etiquette, and conservation practices, connecting thousands of road warriors under a shared code.
15. Eamon & Bec
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: van-life build series, off-grid cooking, international road trips
Follower Count: 1.28M on YouTube
Their candid look at remote work, solar setups, and border crossings—plus plenty of coffee-fuelled bloopers—makes full-time van living feel attainable rather than curated. Brands tap the duo when they need long-form storytelling that blends gear, food, and lifestyle.
16. Adventure Archives
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: cinematic backpacking films, trail histories, seasonal gear rotations
Follower Count: 232K on YouTube
Shot on tripods instead of selfie sticks, each episode feels like a micro-documentary—complete with naturalhistory voiceovers and original music—offering a slower, reflective counterpoint to fast-cut vlogs.
17. Outdoor Boys
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: family bushcraft, campfire cooking, survival gaming for kids
Follower Count: 16.2M on YouTube
Luke Nichols turns wilderness skills into family bonding, building epic log rafts and tree-house camps with his three sons. The mix of practical instruction and child-centred adventure has made the channel a juggernaut for brands that want to speak to multi-generational campers.
18. BackpackingTV
Platform(s): YouTube
Type of Content: destination guides, skills clinics, gear-lab comparisons
Follower Count: 144K on YouTube
Host Eric Hanson blends pro cinematography with nuts-and-bolts instruction: expect summit drone shots followed by clear demos of bear-bag hangs and map-and-compass triangulation—content ideal for viewers graduating from day hikes to multi-day routes.
19. Amanda Outside
Platform(s): YouTube, Instagram
Type of Content: camp kitchen recipes, solo-female backpacking, beginner tips
Follower Count: 130K on YouTube
Amanda’s channel is a masterclass in backcountry food creativity: from gourmet foil-pack dinners to homemade energy bites, she proves you can eat well at 10 000 feet without hauling cast iron.
20. Fresh Off The Grid
Platform(s): Instagram, Blog
Type of Content: car-camp cooking, dehydrated-meal recipes, road-trip planning
Follower Count: 99K on Instagram
Run by Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet, Fresh Off The Grid delivers step-by-step photo recipes, printable meal plans, and stove buying guides—resources that help campers trade freeze-dried monotony for restaurant-worthy meals under the stars.
Find Camping Influencers with Collabstr
Looking to collaborate with camping influencers? Collabstr is the go-to platform for brands who want to connect with creators in the outdoor adventure space.
With Collabstr, you can filter influencers by niche (like bushcraft, glamping, hiking), search by platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), view media kits and engagement stats and pay securely through the platform.
Whether you’re launching a new camping product or growing your outdoorsy brand, Collabstr makes influencer marketing simple and scalable.
Ready to find the perfect camping influencer for your next campaign? Start your search on Collabstr today!