Dollar Tree Stocking Stuffers Camping Enthusiasts Will Love

As the holiday rolls around, many of us are making lists, checking them twice, and hunting for the perfect gifts for people we love. Ever since "A Visit from St. Nicholas" popularized the idea of "stockings hung by the chimney with care" in the early 1800s, filling stockings with small gifts and surprises has become one of the most charming — and sometimes most challenging — American Christmas traditions. While many people still enjoy hunting for small, meaningful surprises to tuck into mantel-hung socks, those little items can add up quickly. If you're stuffing a stocking for someone who'd rather be under the stars than under the chimney, you're in luck: Dollar Tree has plenty of camping-friendly goodies that make thoughtful, affordable holiday surprises.

With more than 9,000 stores across the U.S., Dollar Tree is an accessible stop for many shoppers, and even simple finds can turn into essential travel hacks. Although inventory varies by location and season, most stores reliably offer an array of essentials — from home goods to party supplies — along with a surprising number of items suited for outdoors enthusiasts. While prices have risen in recent years (most items now start at $1.50 and some cost more), Dollar Tree remains a budget-friendly option for delightful stocking stuffers.

We've done some legwork — both in stores and online — to round up the best Dollar Tree finds for the campers and outdoor lovers in your life. Since stockings can hold quite a bit, our picks are grouped into categories that campers appreciate. From camp-kitchen tools to campfire essentials, first-aid basics and toiletries, DIY tools and gear, and organizational items, this list should spark plenty of ideas for fun and affordable stocking additions (Dollar Tree even carries the stockings themselves!).

Cooking outdoors over open flames or on tabletop burners is a culinary craft all its own, and few things work up an appetite like a day spent in the great outdoors. But camping without kitchen conveniences can be challenging, and there's nothing worse than realizing you forgot an essential — like something to light the fire with or seasoning for those campfire burgers. For the culinary-minded camper in your life, start in the kitchen supplies aisle at Dollar Tree, where you can often find tools and accessories that make outdoor cooking easier. Aluminum foil, collapsible bowls, a small cutting board, zip-top freezer baggies, utensils, trash bags, vinyl tablecloths, and hand towels all come in handy at the campsite and tuck easily into a stocking. You can also pick up a small food storage container and fill it with a few of these items for a tidy, practical bundle.

Dry goods are another reliable Dollar Tree find, and spices in particular make useful additions to a camper's stocking. Grab some steak or rib rub, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or even some basic salt and pepper — small, lightweight items that make a big difference in camp cooking.

Dollar Tree is also a convenient place to stock up on snacks. Trail mix, small bags of nuts, Slim Jim beef jerky, and granola bars are well-suited for long hikes, mountain biking, or fueling up between campsites. Granola bars often come in boxes of individually wrapped pieces, which can be tucked neatly into the empty spaces in a stocking. You can also find boxes of hot cocoa packets, instant oatmeal, cup noodles, or other instant meals (just add hot water!) — compact, comforting staples that make wilderness meals a little easier and warmer.

Technically, matches and lighters could fall under camp-kitchen essentials, but in reality, they're foundational to almost every part of camp life. Dollar Tree usually stocks strike-on-the-box matches — often in single 300-count boxes or in packs of 10 small 32-count boxes, the latter of which can double as tidy stocking stuffers. You can also waterproof match heads by dipping them in clear nail polish (also usually sold at Dollar Tree), though this trick works best with strike-anywhere matches. Long utility lighters and, in a pinch, small pocket lighters, are also commonly available and make practical additions to a Christmas stocking. One camper on Reddit even noted that Dollar Tree's Flamin' Hot Doritos-style chips can work as an impromptu firestarter (as can marshmallows), a fun twist to the campfire stocking toolkit, and yet another indispensable DIY Reddit hack.

Of course, sitting around the campfire is one of the hallmarks of camping, and Dollar Tree carries plenty of items that can make those evenings more enjoyable. Playing cards, dice, and other easy-to-pack games travel well and help pass the time between s'mores rounds. Many stores also carry s'mores staples, from barbecue forks to graham crackers, which can also make great stocking stuffers. You can also find non-fireside campsite activities, such as balls and off-brand flying discs, to round things out.

Whether you're car camping close to home or heading to some of America's best national parks for camping, tools and small accessories always come in handy. At Dollar Tree, you can often find the basics à la carte, including screwdrivers, scissors, and simple repair kits. Other less-obvious camp toolkit essentials include duct tape and painter's tape. Duct tape can patch almost anything, fix zippers, reinforce trekking-pole grips, or even assist with minor first-aid needs, and campers on Reddit swear by it for quick fixes. REI sells small rolls totaling under 3 yards for about $7 as of this writing, while Dollar Tree typically offers 10-yard rolls for around $1.50, plus fun colors and even reflective options. Painter's tape, meanwhile, is lightweight and handy for labeling gear or securing small items. Dollar Tree also commonly sells super glue, a versatile water- and weather-resistant repair staple.

You can often find headlamps at Dollar Tree, an underrated tool that becomes indispensable at a dark campsite, whether you're pitching a tent after sunset or trying to locate the bathrooms. Reddit users cite them as their favorite stocking stuffers, and comparable versions usually cost more elsewhere. In the same vein, a compact LED lantern can be a smart pick, and if it takes up too much space in a stocking, just hang it from the same hook on the outside.

Another versatile addition is a weatherproof tarp, paired with a few bungee cords for good measure. For around $3 at Dollar Tree, an 8-by-10-foot sheet can serve as a protective cover for food, gear, or tents; provide shade on hot days; act as a ground layer to help keep your campsite or tent clean and dry; and even function as an emergency shelter when the weather turns.

Dollar Tree stocks a variety of toiletries, from travel-sized plastic containers to full-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bar soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, and antibacterial wipes. Some locations also carry travel-sized versions of well-known brands, though these tend to sell out quickly. The same goes for insect repellent and sunscreen, which are worth checking for but not always guaranteed. When it comes to travel-size toiletries, it's often a better value to buy full-sized products and use Dollar Tree's small, leakproof, refillable containers to create a compact camping kit. Many stores sometimes carry flip flops, a handy addition for campers who plan to use public bathrooms.

Dollar Tree also offers strong value on first-aid essentials and over-the-counter medications, making it easy to assemble a trail-ready stocking stuffer bundle. Choose from plentiful basic pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, plus anti-motion tablets, allergy relief pills, and antacids. Slim hot/cold muscle and joint relief packs are also useful additions that easily tuck into a stocking and can feel especially welcome after long days on the trail or hours setting up camp.

Round out a kit with first-aid kit staples like bandages and waterproof bandages, sterile gauze, medical tape, hydrocortisone cream, hand sanitizer, alcohol pads, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, pain relief balm, and even cough drops. For campers, these items are especially helpful for managing everyday scrapes, bug bites, minor irritations, and general discomforts that come with outdoor life. You can build an entire kit from this aisle, or mix and match from other camper-friendly categories for a practical, theme-ready stocking. Consider packing everything in a small zip pouch or dry bag so the stocking doubles as a ready-to-go toiletry kit.

Laundry can pile up quickly when you're on the road and far from a washing machine, but Dollar Tree carries a few stocking-stuffer-friendly items that can help manage the load. A mesh laundry bag, collapsible hamper, or lightweight laundry hammock can be useful for airing out damp towels, keeping dirty clothes separate from clean gear, or simply getting camp clothing up off the ground. Liquid laundry detergent is also commonly available at Dollar Tree. A small bottle fits neatly into a stocking and works well for hand-washing clothes at camp (though regular bar soap will also work in a pinch and can be found in the toiletries aisle!). Clothespins and a clothesline are helpful to have on hand as well, not just for hang-drying swimsuits and towels, but also for fastening tarps, securing food bags, and other campsite tasks. You can usually find multipacks in the crafts section of many stores.

Travel-friendly cleaning supplies are equally practical. Packs of disinfecting wipes, scrub sponges, and microfiber towels are affordable options for general campsite cleanup, from wiping down tables and tidying up the camp kitchen to cleaning gear and washing dishes.

To round up the best stocking stuffers for the camping enthusiasts in your life, we consulted a wide range of online lists and public forums, covering everything from general "best stocking stuffers," to "best budget gifts" to "best gifts for campers," to "best finds from Dollar Tree." From there, we identified several themed categories of practical, campsite-friendly gifts (because who doesn't love a good theme?). We also visited multiple Dollar Tree locations in Southern California to check pricing and availability in person. As Dollar Tree notes on its own website, inventory varies by store and new items appear frequently. While you can order through services like Instacart, visiting a store in person gives you the best sense of what's actually in stock — and often reveals surprise gems you wouldn't have found otherwise.

If all else fails, Dollar Tree also sells gift cards, primarily for chain restaurants and fast-food places. These may not be much help deep in the boonies, but they can certainly fuel a road trip to the mountains. After all, how else will you get to the wilderness? Of course, any curated list like this is inherently subjective, but we hope this research provides a solid starting point and sparks plenty of ideas for building a fun, practical, and budget-friendly stocking for a soon-to-be happy camper.