c/camping-gear-reviews

Overheard a guy at the gas station in Bend say his new $400 sleeping pad was 'just okay'... what are we even doing?

My old sleeping bag just hit 200 nights out and I'm honestly shocked it's still warm

Rant: My new tent's rain fly took me two hours to figure out

I bought a new two-person backpacking tent for a trip to the White Mountains, and I was so sure I could set it up fast. I've been camping for years, right? The main tent went up in five minutes, no problem. Then I got to the rain fly. The clips were in weird spots and the guy lines had these little plastic adjusters I'd never seen before. I kept trying to hook it one way, but it was always too tight on one side and loose on the other. I must have taken it off and put it back on four times. What I thought would be a ten-minute job turned into a full two hours of fiddling in my backyard. I finally saw a tiny diagram sewn into the stuff sack that showed the right order. It was so simple once I saw it, but I felt pretty silly. Has anyone else had a simple piece of gear stump them for way too long?

PSA: I picked a cheap tarp over a pricey tent for a weekend in the Adirondacks.

Got caught in a downpour for two hours and stayed bone dry, which my buddy in his tent did not. Now I'm a total tarp convert for solo trips. Anyone have a good knot guide for setting one up fast?

I just hit 100 nights in my old tent and it made me think

I was cleaning out my gear closet and found the log I keep in my tent bag. I've had this basic two-person tent for years, and I never added up the nights until now. It's been to state parks all over Michigan, a few rainy trips in the Smokies, and even a windy weekend on Lake Superior. Seeing that '100' written down hit me. I always wanted a newer, lighter model, but this one has never let me down, not even in a downpour last May. Has anyone else kept a tent way past when you thought you'd replace it, just because it works?

Vent: I thought those $15 emergency blankets were just cheap foil junk.

Got caught in a surprise cold snap near Sedona last fall and my sleeping bag just wasn't cutting it, so I dug the blanket out of my first aid kit as a last resort. Wrapping it around my bag added a crazy amount of heat and actually got me through the night without shivering. Has anyone else been saved by a piece of gear they totally wrote off before?

My $120 'ultra-compact' camp stove was a total flop

I bought this fancy titanium stove last fall for a backpacking trip in the Smokies, thinking it would be a space saver. The thing was so light it kept tipping over with my smallest pot, and the flame control was awful, either a tiny sputter or a full-on jet engine. I ended up burning half my dinner and nearly singeing my eyebrows. It's been sitting in my gear closet ever since. Has anyone found a good, stable backpacking stove that actually works as advertised?

I used a car sunshade as a makeshift ground tarp during a surprise downpour in the Rockies

My actual tarp was buried deep in my pack, so I grabbed the reflective shield from my windshield and it kept my sleeping area totally dry for two hours. Has anyone else MacGyvered a piece of non-camping gear into something useful out there?

Question about the real weight of 'lightweight' tents

I was looking at a new two-person tent online, and the specs said it weighed 4 pounds 2 ounces. That seemed fine. But then I dug into the actual product page on the manufacturer's site. The fine print said that weight was 'minimum trail weight,' which only includes the tent body, rainfly, and poles. The 'packaged weight,' with stuff sacks, stakes, and guylines, was actually 5 pounds 11 ounces. That's over a pound and a half more than the big number they lead with. It feels a bit sneaky. Do you think brands should be forced to list the full packaged weight first, or is it on us to always check the details?

Just hit 100 nights in my trusty old tent

I was cleaning it out after a trip to the Red River Gorge and noticed the little tally marks I've been making inside the stuff sack. I bought this tent for a big trip five years ago and it's been through everything from desert heat to mountain rain. It feels like a real win that a piece of gear I use so hard has held up this long without a single major issue. Has anyone else had a tent last this many nights, and what did you do when it finally gave out?

Overheard a guy at the trailhead say his $400 tent is 'bombproof' after one trip

I was packing up at the Mount Hood trailhead last weekend and this guy was telling his buddy his new tent was the best thing ever, no issues. He'd only used it once on a clear, dry night. I've had that same model for two seasons now, and after a real storm in the Gifford Pinchot last fall, I found three small leaks. It's a good tent, but calling anything bombproof after a single easy trip is just asking for trouble. How many trips do you all think you need to really trust a piece of gear?

Tried a cheap foam sleeping pad from a gas station on a quick overnight trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Woke up at 2 AM shivering on the cold ground because the R-value was basically zero, so I learned the hard way that a good sleeping pad is non-negotiable for insulation, not just comfort.

Tested a cheap foam pad against a proper inflatable for a cold night in the Adirondacks

I used to think any sleeping pad would work until a trip last October. I brought my old blue foam pad, the kind that rolls up, and my buddy had a new inflatable one. The temperature dropped to 35 degrees that night. The foam pad was thin and I could feel every little rock under me, plus the cold just came right up through it. The inflatable pad was only about 2.5 inches thick, but it kept me off the ground and warm all night. The big difference wasn't just comfort, it was insulation. That air space in the inflatable stopped the cold ground from sucking the heat right out of me. I was shivering by 2 AM on the foam pad. Has anyone else found a specific temperature where a foam pad just stops working for them?

Got caught in a surprise downpour on the Lost Coast Trail and my 'waterproof' pack liner failed completely.

Everything inside was soaked, including my sleeping bag, which made for a miserable 40-degree night. Anyone have a liner brand that actually holds up to a full day of heavy rain?

Warning: I spent $80 on a 'universal' tent repair kit that fixed nothing

My tent got a small tear on a trip to the Red River Gorge, so I grabbed this kit that promised to fix any fabric. The glue was like water and the patches wouldn't stick to the silnylon at all. I wasted a whole afternoon trying to make it work before the rain started. Ended up using duct tape from my car, which held for the rest of the weekend. That kit is still sitting in my garage, totally useless. Has anyone found a GOOD repair kit that actually works on different tent materials?

Vent: My old canvas tent is still better than my buddy's new high-tech one

I used my 15 year old canvas tent on a rainy trip to the Olympic Peninsula last month, while my friend brought his new $400 ultralight model. After two days of steady rain, his gear was damp inside from condensation, but my old tent was bone dry and warm. Am I crazy for thinking the old, heavy gear sometimes just works better?

That $30 Sawyer Squeeze water filter saved my trip in the Gifford Pinchot last weekend

I was on a three day loop and my old pump filter clogged for good on day one. The Squeeze was a backup I almost didn't pack. It got me clean water in under a minute, no pumping. I'm never going out without a backup filter again. Anyone have a good lightweight backup method they use?

My new sleeping bag liner ripped after one night in the Sierras

Bought a silk liner for my 20-degree bag to add a bit of warmth. Woke up with a huge tear along the seam after a night on granite. Are these things just too delicate for real backpacking?

Went back to the Wallowa Mountains after 15 years and the gear people carry now is totally different.

Rant: I packed my tent wet for years and never knew the damage I was doing

Got home from a rainy trip to the Smokies last month and just threw my soggy tent in the garage like always. My buddy saw it a few days later and said, 'You know that's basically mold city in there, right?' I let it dry out fully for the first time ever and the musty smell was gone. Has anyone else had a tent get ruined from packing it away damp?

I bought a $40 single-wall titanium mug because everyone said it was the best, and I burned my hand the first time I used it.

All the reviews talked about how light it was and how fast it boiled water. They were right about that, but nobody mentioned you literally cannot touch the thing without a glove once it's hot. I was making coffee at a site in the White Mountains and went to move it off the stove. Big mistake. Had to wrap my bandana around it just to pick it up. Learned that 'ultralight' sometimes just means 'missing a handle'. What do you guys use for a hot drink that you can actually hold?

Tried a cheap foam pad versus my old Therm-a-Rest last weekend

Went up to the White Mountains with both. The foam one was only $15 but I froze. The Therm-a-Rest kept me warm all night. The difference was the R-value, the foam one was basically zero. Anyone have a good budget pad that actually works?

My camp stove's fuel line cracked at 9,000 feet in the Sierra last fall.

Had to MacGyver a fix with some electrical tape and a pen spring I had in my pack. Anyone have a more reliable stove brand they'd trust for high-altitude trips?

My brother told me to skip the expensive tent and just use a tarp.

He said it was all I needed for a weekend in the Smokies last fall. I listened, and it poured for two straight nights. I spent both of them cold, wet, and fighting off a puddle in my sleeping bag. That $30 tarp cost me way more in misery. Now I own a proper three-season tent and sleep dry. Anyone else have a piece of 'simple' gear advice that totally backfired on them?

TIL my old wool blanket beats a fancy sleeping bag for car camping

I was packing for a trip to the Red River Gorge and had to pick between my heavy wool blanket or a new 20-degree mummy bag. I went with the blanket because I knew I'd be moving around a lot in the truck bed. It was perfect, stayed warm even when damp from morning fog, and I could wrap up by the fire. Anyone else have a simple piece of gear they keep going back to?