c/camping-gear-reviews

2

wrenstone•16h ago

Am I the only one who thinks a cheap tarp beats a fancy footprint every time?

I got tired of paying $40 for site-specific footprints so I grabbed a $8 blue tarp from Home Depot, cut it to size with scissors, and after 30 nights out it's held up better than the brand name one my buddy uses.

30

anthony127•1d ago

A old timer at a REI parking lot told me to ditch my inflatable pad for a closed cell foam one

I spent three nights shivering on a CCF pad at 9,000 feet in Colorado before I admitted he was right and got a thicker inflatable one with an R-value over 4, anyone else get gear advice from a stranger that actually worked out?

8

wade558•2d ago

After a decade of cheap tents, I finally bought a MSR last spring and the difference in setup time was like night and day.

My old Coleman took 20 minutes with bending poles and fighting rainflies, but this one popped up in under 5 minutes flat on a windy ridge near Boone last October; anyone else notice how much better the newer designs are or am I just late to the party?

2

the_dylan•3d ago

Appreciation post: my tent stake broke in a storm and I learned a lesson about cheap gear

I was camping in the Smokies last October when a sudden wind gust snapped my $5 stake at midnight, and I had to wedge a rock under the corner of my tent to keep it from flying away, has anyone else had to MacGyver a fix like that?

27

faithjones•3d ago

Stumbled on a trick to dry wet firewood in 10 minutes flat

Was on a trip in the Adirondacks last fall and my wood got soaked in a sudden downpour. I tried putting it near the fire but it just smoked, so I stuck a few logs in my empty camp stove pot and closed the lid. The heat from the pot dried them out fast enough to get a real fire going. Anyone else got a weird hack for wet wood?

27

elliotc10•4d ago

Switched to a quilt setup for summer camping and it clicked

For years I used a heavy sleeping bag on every trip, even when it was 80 degrees at night. I'd just unzip it and use it like a blanket, which meant I was carrying 3 extra pounds for no reason. Last July on a trip up near Lake Tahoe, I finally swapped to a 40 degree quilt from a brand I'd been ignoring. It packs down to the size of a football and weighs barely over a pound. The first night I realized I wasn't fighting with zippers or getting tangled up. Now I only bring the bag for winter or high alpine trips. Has anyone else made the switch and found it works better for warm weather?

12

jordan653•6d ago

Overheard a guy at REI say something about sleeping pads that got me thinking

I was in the sleeping bag aisle last Saturday and heard a guy tell his friend that inflatable pads are basically just fancy air mattresses and not worth the money. He was saying foam pads are just as good and way cheaper. But has anyone actually compared comfort on a 3-night trip where temps drop below 40 degrees?

17

matthew_owens9•7d ago

Had to pick between a cheap tent and a heavy one for a trip to Yellowstone, chose wrong

Last summer I was packing for a 5 day solo hike near Yellowstone and couldn't decide between my old 8 pound canvas tent or a 40 dollar walmart special that weighed nothing. I went with the cheap one to save my back on the trail. First night a storm rolled in around 2am and the poles snapped like twigs, soaked everything I owned. Anyone else ever gamble on a budget tent and regret it?

28

tarab54•7d ago

My tent went from bone dry to soaked through in one season

Had a 3-year-old tent that never leaked until last spring. I didn't do any maintenance on it, just stuffed it wet after a rainy trip in April. Pulled it out in June for a trip to Lake Tahoe and woke up in a puddle. The seam tape was peeling off on the inside and the fly coating looked cracked. Pretty sure storing it damp for 2 months killed the waterproofing. Anybody had luck re-coating a fly or is it just time for a new tent?

16

anthony_fox90•8d ago

My old coleman stove finally gave out after 15 years

I took my old Coleman two burner stove on a trip up to Lake Tahoe last weekend and it just wouldn't light no matter what I did. Cleaned the jets, replaced the fuel bottle, still nothing. That thing survived a dozen rainy trips and being dropped off a tailgate once. Anybody have a good modern replacement that doesn't break after two seasons?

26

derek939•10d ago

Bought a cheap coleman sleeping bag and changed my mind after a rainy night

Ngl I was pretty skeptical about spending under $30 on a sleeping bag, thought it would be trash. But last weekend it poured rain at Shenandoah and my bag stayed bone dry inside while my buddy's fancy down bag got soaked. Anyone else have a cheap piece of gear that surprised them?

10

wren_smith44•10d ago

Rant: Picked a titanium spork over a plastic one. Huge mistake on a 4 day trip.

Headed up to the Adirondacks last month for a 4 day hike. Decided to be all lightweight and cool. Grabbed a titanium spork from a gear shop. Thought I was being smart. First night, eating chili. That thing is like a little metal shovel. Burns your lips if the food is hot. And the edges? Sharp. Scraped my gum bad on day two. Plastic fork would've been way easier. Plus, I could've just bent it back if I needed to. Who else has ditched fancy gear for simple stuff mid trip?

13

palmer.henry•10d ago

I used to pack for every weather condition like the book says

For years I followed the standard advice and carried a rain jacket, puffy, base layers, and a spare set of clothes for every single trip. It made my pack weigh about 45 pounds even for a weekend in the Smokies. Last summer I did a 3 day hike on the AT in Virginia and decided to leave the rain pants and extra fleece at home. I brought just a light shell, one insulating layer, and a t-shirt for sleeping. It rained hard on day 2 and I just hiked through it wet then dried out at camp. I got back and realized I never needed half the stuff I was carrying for the last 10 years. Anyone else tried cutting down their kit and found it works better?

34

jackson.sarah•12d ago

Why does nobody talk about using a cheap windshield sun shade as a tent floor saver?

I tried it last summer after ruining a tent floor on sharp rocks, and the $5 reflective shade actually stopped punctures and kept the floor cooler, but now I'm wondering if it traps moisture underneath has anyone else tested this trick or am I just asking for mold?

2

nancy275•12d ago

After getting soaked at Yosemite last summer, I finally get why people hate those cheap rain flies

My $40 rain fly from Amazon basically turned into a sprinkler system during a storm at Upper Pines campground, drenching my whole tent at 3am. Has anyone else had better luck with those mid-range Sierra Designs flies or should I just accept that you gotta spend $100+ for something that actually works?

3

rose_hart31•14d ago

Warning: My new sleeping pad lost HALF its insulation in 3 months

I bought this inflatable sleeping pad back in September for a 5 day trip in the Smokies. The R-value was rated at 4.5 when new so I figured I was set for fall camping. After just 3 months of maybe 12 nights total, I noticed I was waking up cold on the ground side. I took a closer look and the internal synthetic insulation had clumped up into little balls in like 6 different spots. There was basically NO insulation left where I lay my hips and shoulders. I called the company and they said "that's normal wear and tear" which is just crap for a $160 pad. Anyone else have a pad that lost its warmth way faster than you expected?

25

the_vera•15d ago

Hit 50 campsites on my check-in app last weekend and it made me realize I've been buying the wrong tent stakes this whole time

I counted up 47 trips where I fought with cheap plastic stakes before finally switching to some 8-inch steel ones from a hardware store in Flagstaff for $12 and now I can set up in under 10 minutes even on rocky ground, anyone else learn a basic gear lesson way later than they should have?

1

willow732•17d ago

Got told my tent setup was wasting time, so I changed my method completely

Last year on a trip to Shenandoah, a guy walked past my campsite while I was staking down my 6-person tent and said I was doing it backwards. He pointed out that I was anchoring the corners first instead of getting the poles fully seated and the rainfly clipped on before staking. I was skeptical at first, but he explained it cuts down on flapping and keeps the inner tent off the ground better in wet weather. I tried it his way on my next trip to a rainy spot in Ohio, and it saved me about 15 minutes of fiddling with loose fabric. Now I always do poles and fly first, then stakes last. Has anyone else had a stranger's advice completely change their routine like that?

22

the_zara•17d ago

Rant: Just found out my fancy lightweight tent poles cost more than my first car

I was looking up why my Big Agnes tent pole snapped on the third trip (just below the mid ferrule, classic spot). Found some forum deep dive where a guy broke down the cost of DAC Featherlite poles versus the standard ones. Figured it was a tiny markup for the weight savings. Nope. It's like 3 times the price per section. My beater Honda Civic from 1998 cost me 800 bucks. These replacement poles are going to run me $240 for a full set. I could buy a whole other tent for that. Anyone else feel like the ultralight tax is getting out of hand?

12

william917•17d ago

Hot take: I used to think a cheaper sleeping pad was fine

Talked to a guy at REI last weekend who had the same inflatable pad I do but the 4-inch thick version. He said after one bad night on gravel he'd rather haul the extra pound. I tried his setup for 5 minutes in the store and yeah, I get it now. Anybody else switch to the thicker pads after a rough night?

6

grant_palmer•18d ago

My camp stove regulator gave out halfway through breakfast last weekend

I was making coffee and eggs at Grayson Highlands when the flame started sputtering and just died - turns out the regulator had rusted inside from a rainy trip two years ago. Has anyone else had a stove part fail unexpectedly on a trip and what did you do to finish cooking?

5

the_anna•18d ago

Rant: I heard a group of hikers at REI saying 'you don't need a footprint under your tent' and I almost lost it

I was browsing the clearance section at the REI in Denver last Saturday and overheard these three guys telling a new camper that tent footprints are a scam for saving money. I mean, maybe it's just me but I spent $35 on a generic footprint for my tent and it saved my floor from a sharp rock on my second trip out near Estes Park. That guy's advice would have shredded a $200 tent floor over a cheap piece of Tyvek. Has anyone else had to bite their tongue listening to bad gear advice from know-it-alls in the store?

23

coleman.jade•18d ago

Debate: Is a heavy canvas tent actually better than a cheap nylon one? I switched and here's what happened

I spent the last 2 years using a cheap nylon dome tent from Walmart that cost me like $60. It worked fine for car camping but last summer in the Smoky Mountains a storm rolled in and the thing started leaking at the seams and the poles felt like they were gonna snap. So I finally bit the bullet and bought a 10x10 canvas bell tent from a guy on Craigslist for $300. First trip out with it was this past spring and I gotta say the thing was a beast. No leaks, stayed warm inside, and felt solid in the wind. But man it weighs like 70 pounds and took me 20 minutes to set up alone. The nylon one took 5 minutes and I could carry it with one hand. So which side wins? The canvas is clearly tougher and more comfortable in bad weather but the nylon is way easier to haul and pitch. Has anyone else switched from one to the other and regretted it or been happy with the change? I'm curious where people land on this.

3

jamesmason•19d ago

My old two-burner stove finally gave out after 12 years, switched to a canister stove for a week trip.

I used the same Coleman propane stove since 2012 and it served me well through dozens of trips. Last month on a trip to Shenandoah, one of the burners started sputtering and the other wouldn't light at all. I picked up a simple single-burner canister stove for about $30 to finish the trip. The difference in boil time was shocking, it brought water to a rolling boil in under 2 minutes compared to 5 or 6 with the old one. Has anyone else noticed a big jump in performance switching to these smaller stoves?

30

the_henry•21d ago

Just switched from a foam pad to an inflatable after 10 years

I used to swear by my closed-cell foam pad, thought inflatables were fragile and overpriced. Then I borrowed my buddy's Therm-a-Rest at Borrowdale last month during a rainy trip, woke up actually rested for the first time in years. Anyone else make the switch and find it harder to go back than they expected?