Tents, camping gear and portable stoves

• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EU) 2016/426 — Gas Appliances for stoves
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 — Batteries for lanterns
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — REACH for flame retardants and coatings

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing camping equipment on the EU market. Gas stoves and lanterns are gas appliances requiring notified body involvement, which is a heavier route than the rest of the category.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Gas appliances have no self-declaration route at any size or price.

What must appear on the label

Manufacturer and responsible person details with an EU address, batch identification, and use warnings. Tents require the flammability information and the warning not to use fuel-burning appliances inside. Gas stoves carry CE marking with the notified body number, the gas category and the supply pressure.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces check the responsible person, and gas stoves without a notified body number are removed. Carbon monoxide incidents in tents have driven warning requirements that inspectors check.

Documentation you must hold

Technical documentation and risk analysis. For textiles, flammability test reports and REACH evidence for water-repellent treatments, which is where per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances arise. For gas appliances, the EU type-examination certificate and the full technical file.

Standards and testing

EN 5912 for camping tents including flammability, EN 13537 for sleeping bag temperature ratings, the applicable gas appliance standards for stoves, and REACH screening for PFAS and flame retardants in coatings.

Language requirements

Warnings and instructions in the language of each member state, in particular the carbon monoxide and fuel warnings.

When it applies

Before placing on the market.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and Safety Gate alerts, and for gas equipment immediate recall where a carbon monoxide risk exists. PFAS restrictions are tightening and affect existing stock.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, gas safety bodies, notified bodies and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Sleeping bag temperature ratings are a substantiable claim under EN 13537, not marketing. And a gas stove sold with a tent turns the order into two regimes, one of which requires a notified body.

Questions we are asked

Do tents need flammability testing?

Yes, EN 5912 sets the flammability requirements for camping tents, and the corresponding warning is mandatory.

Can a gas stove be self-declared?

No. Gas appliances always require EU type-examination by a notified body.