Camping can take you far from civilization, so a single storm or injury could wreck your trip and your budget. Camping insurance protects the money you’ve invested in your trip and can secure emergency medical help if something goes wrong in the backcountry. Here’s what it actually covers, what it costs, and how to pick the right plan for your next camping trip.
Key takeaways
- Camping trip insurance bundles coverage for medical treatment, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation or interruption, and gear loss.
- Compare policies to find one with coverage caps that make sense for your itinerary.
- Make sure any adventure activities you have lined up aren’t excluded from coverage.
What is camping insurance?
Camping insurance is a type of travel insurance designed for trips involving tents, RVs, backcountry sites, or remote campgrounds. It reimburses your prepaid, nonrefundable costs if you need to cancel for a covered reason, and it can pay for medical care and evacuation if your trip doesn’t go to plan.
To find the best camping travel insurance, use our quote tool and select the “camping” filter under “covered activities.” From there, you can choose a plan that includes the coverage and limits that are important to you. In this guide, we’ll tell you what to look for.
What does camping insurance cover?
Camping trip insurance
Most camping travel insurance includes these core benefits.
- Trip cancellation and interruption: Reimburses your nonrefundable prepaid costs, such as flights, RV rentals, and campsite fees, if you cancel or cut your trip short for a covered reason like illness, injury, or severe weather.
- Travel medical: Pays for treatment if you get sick or hurt on your trip. Look for a plan where this coverage is primary, meaning you can use it without filing a claim with your health insurance provider first.
- Medical evacuation: Covers transport from a remote site to the nearest hospital. Helicopter rescue in backcountry terrain can cost thousands of dollars, so this benefit matters more for camping trips than for most other vacations.
- Baggage insurance: Reimburses you for camping gear that’s lost, stolen, or damaged, usually with per-item and overall trip limits.
- Travel delay: Covers meals, lodging, and other costs if bad weather or a mechanical breakdown delays your trip for several hours.
Many plans also include optional add-ons, such as:
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR). Lets you cancel for a reason your standard policy doesn’t cover, usually reimbursing 50% to 75% of your prepaid trip cost. You typically have to buy this upgrade within 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment.
- Search and rescue. Pays for the cost of an organized search and rescue operation, up to the policy limit, if you get lost, injured, or stranded. Some plans include this option, while others offer it for an additional premium.
- Sports equipment rental. Covers the cost to rent replacement gear if yours is lost, delayed, or damaged. This isn’t available with all plans, so look for this benefit if it’s important to you.
- Rental car damage coverage. Covers collision or theft damage to a rental car, RV, or camper. You might already have this benefit through a credit card, so check your existing coverage before paying extra for it.
What does camping travel insurance cost?
You can expect to pay 4% to 10% of your total trip cost for camping trip insurance. On a $3,000 camping trip, that’s roughly $120 to $300.
Your price depends on:
- How long your trip is and whether you’re traveling internationally
- Your total nonrefundable costs, including flights, gear rentals, campsite fees, and RV deposits
- Your age and the ages of everyone else on the policy
- The coverage level and any optional upgrades you add, like CFAR or higher medical limits
Compare quotes side by side before you buy. Cost and coverage limits might differ more between insurers than you expect. Optional upgrades, like CFAR, can also make a big difference in price.
When should you buy travel insurance for camping?
Buy your policy within 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment.
Plans often offer time-sensitive benefits, such as:
- A pre-existing condition waiver, which covers medical conditions you had before you bought the policy.
- Cancel for any reason coverage, which most insurers only sell during this same early window.
Buying early also means you’re covered for a longer period of time before you leave. This could be helpful if, for example, a wildfire starts near your campsite and you want to cancel your trip. Once the wildfire starts, it’s too late to buy coverage for it, since travel insurance only covers unforeseeable events.
How to find the best camping insurance plan
The right plan depends on where you’re going, how remote your campsite is, and how much risk you want to insure against.
Ask yourself these questions before you compare quotes:
- Are you camping somewhere remote or international? If so, prioritize high medical and evacuation limits.
- Are you worried about getting lost or injured off-trail? Look for a plan with search and rescue coverage.
- Do you want the flexibility to cancel for personal reasons? Look for a CFAR upgrade, and buy your plan soon after making your first trip deposit.
- Are you renting an RV or a car? Find a plan that includes rental car damage and theft coverage, and look for any limitations on the vehicle’s suggested retail price. Some plans exclude coverage for vehicles above a certain value, such as $75,000.
How camping insurance plans compare
Coverage limits vary widely by insurer and plan tier. Here’s a general look at what budget, mid-range, and premium plans might offer.
| Coverage | Budget-friendly plan | Mid-range plan | Premium plan |
| Trip cancellation | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost |
| Trip interruption | 100% of trip cost | 125% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost |
| Emergency medical expense | $50,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| Medical evacuation | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Search and rescue | Not available | Available as add-on | $100,000 |
| Baggage and gear | $1,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Travel delay | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| Cancel for any reason | Not included | Optional upgrade, 50% of trip cost | Optional upgrade, 75% of trip cost |
Tip: In our quote tool, open each plan’s details and view the policy certificate to understand exactly what’s covered and what’s excluded. Many plans have unique benefits, such as hospital of choice and cancel for work reasons — you can find those in the “included benefits” section of the details view.
Frequently asked questions
Does regular travel insurance cover camping?
A comprehensive travel insurance plan covers general camping risks, like trip cancellation due to illness or injury. But you’ll want to buy a plan that matches your specific trip. If you’re headed somewhere remote, for example, look for higher limits on medical evacuation and search and rescue.
Is camping gear covered by travel insurance?
Most plans cover lost, stolen, or damaged camping gear under baggage protection, but the details vary by policy. Check the per-item limit and the overall maximum limit before you buy, since expensive gear like tents or optics might exceed a low per-item cap.
Do you need travel insurance for domestic camping trips?
Yes, especially if you have high prepaid, nonrefundable costs or you’re heading somewhere far from medical care. Even with a U.S. health insurance plan, you might benefit from a travel insurance plan with robust emergency evacuation coverage.
What does medical evacuation cover for campers?
Medical evacuation covers emergency transport from a remote campsite or wilderness area to the nearest hospital capable of treating you. For backcountry campers, that can mean a helicopter rescue, which could cost thousands of dollars.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
