Welcome to Our BigTent
Come on in!
Camping should feel warmer, easier, and more welcoming.
BigTent exists to solve the small problems that can ruin a trip: cold nights, wet mornings, frustrating setup, bad sleep, and meals that feel harder than they should.
We curate thoughtful camping gear from specialist makers around the world, then explain it in plain language so you can choose with confidence.
Less fiddling with gear. More time outside together.
Our Story
We love the Canadian wild—mountains, mud, Type 2 fun, stories you earn the hard way.
But we also love the softer side of camping: good food, real rest, and being comfortable enough to slow down and actually enjoy it—even when conditions get rough.
Our founder, Kevin Gong, experienced another camping culture in Korea where the trip isn’t just about the trail—it’s about the table: meals, laughter, and time together.
For a long time, it felt like you had to choose—shiver through it or stay home.
We built BigTent for people who want both.
It Didn’t Start in a Boardroom
BigTent started because Kevin was trying to bring camping back into his family’s life.
Kevin immigrated to Vancouver as a teenager, and the outdoors naturally became part of everyday life.
Later, while living in South Korea during the country’s first major camping boom, he saw something different: small specialist makers obsessing over the details that big companies rarely have time for, because those details are what actually makes a difference to your trip.
Many of these makers were manufacturing for global brands, but their own names stayed hidden behind someone else’s logo.
The Moment Everything Changed
In 2016, Kevin returned to BC with his family to start over.
Life was expensive. Work was relentless. Camping, something he loved, quietly disappeared from their lives.
Then one day, his daughter asked:
“Dad, why don’t we go camping anymore?”
Kevin went to the largest outdoor equipment store in Vancouver, hoping to gear up and recreate the warm camping trips he remembered.
He walked out empty-handed. Not because the gear was bad, but because it didn’t help create the kind of experience he wanted for his family.
On the drive home, the thought landed clearly:
If the gear that solves everyday camping problems isn’t available here…
he would bring it.
2017
A Garage to a Big Tent
Kevin heard the term “big tent”—an inclusive coalition where different people and ideas belong together. It clicked.
So in 2017, BigTent began in a garage as Big Tent Camping: small batches, late nights, and boxes packed by hand.
The goal was simple: make camping better, especially for families.
That’s still what we’re building today. A home where specialist makers can stand under their own names, and where campers of all kinds feel welcome.
Because the outdoors should feel like a Big Tent—with room for everyone inside.
2019
Our First Showroom
We officially became BigTent Outdoor Equipment Ltd. and opened our first showroom.
We started building a small team, learning how to support customers face-to-face, and translating gear details into real-life advice.
For the first time, people could walk in, touch the gear, compare setups, ask honest questions, and leave feeling confident.
The showroom also became the beginning of our community: conversations, recommendations, and a lot of “wait… where did you find this?”
2021
Coquitlam Home Base
We moved into our three-story space in Coquitlam where warehouse, showroom, and office sits under one roof.
It gave us room to grow our selection, improve fulfillment, and test more gear in real conditions, especially in the kind of weather BC loves to surprise you with.
We also grew our team and our systems, but kept the same approach: be honest about tradeoffs, help without gatekeeping, and focus on what actually makes a trip better: warmth, food, sleep, and ease.
2025
A Bigger Tent
2025 was a big year, and a busy one.
We expanded operations across North America and Asia with a Korea office and an LA warehouse, became a major Snow Peak partner in Canada, and launched a global fulfillment model that ships by air from Korea to customers worldwide.
We also expanded categories and brand partnerships—and got outside with the community at Under The BigTent, because at the end of the day, this is what it’s all about.
Our Future
Our Vision
We’re building BigTent into the most trusted place to get set up for camping—where specialist gear is easy to understand, choose, and love.
That means more great partners, better guidance, and a welcoming community through education, events, and a showroom that feels like a friend’s campsite—because the best camping isn’t just gear, it’s who you share it with.
More comfort. Less friction. More time outside together—because the best camping isn’t just about gear. It’s about who you share it with.
What We Do
We search the continent for category specialists. We look for the small brands, original manufactures, heritage makers, and obsessive engineers to bring that gear to North America.
We translate the geeky details into real-life benefits:
Will it keep you warm when the weather turns?
Will dinner be easier (and actually enjoyable)?
Will you sleep well enough to want another night out?
Will setup feel smooth instead of stressful?
If something has a tradeoff, we’ll tell you—plain and simple.
We’ll explain what you gain, what you give up, and whether it’s worth it for your kind of camping. No gatekeeping. No jargon. Just honest help, because we’ve made the same mistakes and learned the hard way.
We test what we carry the way you actually use it: In the rain. In the sun. On real trips. While cooking dinner (non-negotiable). If we wouldn’t use it with our own families, we won’t put it on our shelves. That’s our quiet standard.
…and most importantly, we go out. We camp, cook, talk, and spend real time outside, because the best solutions come from real trips.
What We Do
We search the continent for category specialists. We look for the small brands, original manufactures, heritage makers, and obsessive engineers to bring that gear to North America.
We translate the geeky details into real-life benefits:
Will it keep you warm when the weather turns?
Will dinner be easier (and actually enjoyable)?
Will you sleep well enough to want another night out?
Will setup feel smooth instead of stressful?
If something has a tradeoff, we’ll tell you—plain and simple.
We’ll explain what you gain, what you give up, and whether it’s worth it for your kind of camping. No gatekeeping. No jargon. Just honest help, because we’ve made the same mistakes and learned the hard way.
We test what we carry the way you actually use it: In the rain. In the sun. On real trips. While cooking dinner (non-negotiable). If we wouldn’t use it with our own families, we won’t put it on our shelves. That’s our quiet standard.
…and most importantly, we go out. We camp, cook, talk, and spend real time outside, because the best solutions come from real trips.
Meet The Team
We’re a small, family-operated team based in Coquitlam, BC. Some of us grew up in Korea, some in Vancouver, some in different parts of the world, but we all meet around the same campfire.
Our Promise
Whether you drive a fully built overland rig or a family van packed like Tetris, we want the outdoors to feel open, warm, and shared. Because we believe“outsiders” should not exist in the outdoors.
BigTent exists to bring different outdoor cultures together by making camping more comfortable.
We imagine a campsite where a rugged overlanding vehicle parks next to a family enjoying a cozy evening, simply with a shared love for the outdoors.
No outdoor ego. No “you’re doing it wrong.” If you love being outside, you belong in our big tent.
Welcome to the family.
Let’s go outside, together.
Bigtent Outdoors
Store Address
904 Sherwood Ave, Coquitlam, BC V3K 1A6, Canada
Store hours
10:00am - 7:00pm (PST)
Tuesday to Saturday
Sunday & Monday Closed
Contact Us
Chat with us
+1 (604) 277-0100