The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word RIDGEPOLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
I
D
G
E
P
O
L
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "item of camping gear" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case item of camping gear = ridgepole.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RIDGEPOLE mean?
RIDGEPOLE noun- A beam along the ridge of a roof to which the rafters are attached.
- A horizontal pole that supports the roof of a ridge tent