c/camping-gear-reviews

Overheard a guy at the trailhead say his $400 ultralight tent was a waste

He was complaining it was too cramped and the fabric felt flimsy. I've used a basic 4-person Coleman for years, and it's survived some serious wind in the White Mountains. Are we maybe overthinking the whole 'grams per ounce' thing for casual weekend trips?

My $300 sleeping bag nearly got me hypothermia in the Colorado Rockies last month

I bought this fancy down bag rated to 20 degrees, thinking the price tag meant I was set for anything. Took it up to a spot near Leadville last month, elevation around 11,000 feet. The first night, the temp dropped to maybe 25 and I was shivering so hard my teeth chattered. The baffles felt thin and cold spots formed right under my hips. I ended up wearing every layer I had, including my puffy jacket, and still barely slept. It taught me that a brand's temperature rating is just a guess, not a guarantee. Has anyone else had a high-end bag fail them when it actually mattered?

Heated my freeze dried meal in the bag and it turned into a mess

I tried to save time on a trip to the White Mountains by boiling water and pouring it directly into the pouch of a Mountain House breakfast skillet. The bag seam split after about two minutes and I lost half my food into the pot. Has anyone else had this happen with a specific brand or is it just a bad idea in general?

Hot take: I spent $80 on a 'stormproof' lighter that failed in a light drizzle on the Appalachian Trail.

It was supposed to be a backup for my stove, but now I'm looking for a truly reliable fire starter that won't let me down when it's damp, any solid suggestions?

Trying to fix a broken tent pole in the dark was a nightmare

On a trip in the White Mountains, a pole snapped at a joint after a gust of wind. I thought I had a repair sleeve, but it was the wrong size. I spent over an hour trying to rig it with duct tape and a stick from the woods before it finally held. What's the best actual pole repair kit you guys keep in your pack?

My five year old nephew asked why my tent has a 'raincoat' but I don't

We were setting up my new two-person tent in the backyard last weekend when he pointed at the rain fly and said that. I had to explain it was to keep us dry, and he just said 'But you get wet too, that's silly.' Honestly, it made me question why I've never bought a proper high-end rain jacket for myself, only ever focusing on gear for the campsite. What's the one piece of personal gear you own that you actually skimp on?

Setting up a new tent in the dark took me two hours when it should have been twenty minutes

I got to the campsite at Lake Tahoe just as the sun was going down. I was tired and just wanted to get my new 4-person dome tent up fast. The instructions were a single sheet with tiny pictures, and my headlamp battery was dying. I spent forever trying to figure out which pole was which, and the color-coded clips were impossible to see. I had the whole thing inside out for a solid thirty minutes before I realized my mistake. By the time I finally got it staked down, it was completely dark and I was just done. Who designs tent instructions you can't use at night when you actually need to set up? Has anyone found a good, simple light-up guide or a better method for this?

Trying to fix a broken tent pole on a trip in the Adirondacks took me 3 hours

I snapped a section of my Kelty Trail Ridge 2 pole on the first night. The repair sleeve in the kit was useless, so I had to improvise a splint with a stick and a ton of duct tape. It held, but the whole ordeal ate up most of my evening. Anyone have a better field fix for a clean break in a tent pole?

My old 20 degree sleeping bag just hit 100 nights out and it's still going strong

My new sleeping pad popped on a rock in the Wind River Range

I was setting up camp near Island Lake and heard a sharp hiss. I had to patch it with the kit and sleep on a folded up rain jacket for two nights. What's the most durable pad you've used for rough ground?

Why does nobody talk about how bad those cheap camp stoves are?

I bought a $25 single burner stove from a big box store before a trip to the Red River Gorge. It worked fine for maybe two boils of water, then the flame got weak and yellow. By morning, it wouldn't light at all, leaving me with cold coffee. I see so many reviews saying they're fine for the price, but being stuck without a working stove isn't fine. Has anyone found a truly reliable budget option that doesn't quit after one use?

After my sleeping bag soaked through on a rainy Oregon coast trip, I realized most reviews don't mention how long a tent's rainfly really takes to dry.

I spent a miserable morning in a damp, 45-degree fog because my 'quick-dry' fly was still heavy with dew after 4 hours, which made me check the seams on all my gear.

Update: I was wrong about needing a zero degree bag for fall camping in the Rockies

I always thought you needed a super cold rated sleeping bag for mountain trips, even in early fall. I used a zero degree bag on a trip near Aspen last October and ended up sweating most of the night, which is just as bad as being cold. I looked up the average low temps for that area and month, and it was only around 35 degrees. A 20 or 30 degree bag would have been perfect and saved me from carrying all that extra bulk and weight. I found this info on a weather history site, not a gear review, and it made me rethink my whole packing list. Now I check actual historical temps for the exact place and dates before I pick a bag. Does anyone else think we over-rely on bag ratings without checking the real numbers first?

Bought a cheap 'ultralight' stove that melted my pot handle.

Lost $40 on that thing and a decent pot. It flared up and warped the whole side. Anyone know a good stove that actually works in the wind?

Can we talk about the time it took me to properly season my new cast iron skillet over a campfire?

I thought it would be a quick 30-minute job, but getting the oil layer perfect without burning it off took me almost three hours and two failed attempts last weekend at Lake Tahoe.

Overheard a guy at the REI return counter call his new sleeping pad 'a noisy betrayal'

I was waiting in line in Portland last month and the guy in front of me was returning a fancy inflatable pad. He told the clerk, 'Every time I moved, it sounded like a bag of chips getting murdered. I felt like I was sleeping on a giant whoopee cushion.' It made me realize I never check reviews for noise. Now I'm paranoid my own gear sounds like a symphony of crinkles. Has anyone else had a tent item that was just way too loud?

Just realized most people are setting up their tent's rainfly wrong after a soggy weekend in the Smokies

I saw so many folks with the fly touching the inner tent wall, which totally kills the waterproofing by letting condensation soak through, so now I always leave a full inch of air gap.

Bought a cheap camp stove fuel pump for $15 and it ruined a trip

Last fall I went car camping in the White Mountains. My old stove started to sputter, so I grabbed a new fuel pump from a discount bin. It worked okay for about ten minutes before it completely failed, leaving me with cold food. I had to drive forty minutes to the nearest town to get a proper replacement. Has anyone found a decent budget pump that actually holds up?

People keep buying the wrong size sleeping bag for the weather

I was on a group trip in the White Mountains last October and three people had 40-degree bags when it dropped to 28 at night. They were miserable and had to layer all their clothes, which defeats the whole point. The tag's 'comfort rating' is often way off, and you need to check the actual lower limit or EN rating. Has anyone found a brand that's honest about their temperature numbers?

My tent collapsed in a Yellowstone storm and I'm done with ultralight poles

Everyone says to cut weight, but my trekking pole tent folded in half during a sudden hailstorm near Old Faithful. I spent the night in a pit toilet building. What's a good two-person tent with real poles that can handle wind?

My new 'ultra-light' sleeping pad turned into a pool float on the Buffalo River

I was so excited to test my new Klymit Static V2 on a weekend trip in Arkansas, but it started losing air around 2 AM. I woke up floating in a puddle inside my tent! The valve just wouldn't seal right. Has anyone else had a pad fail spectacularly on the first night out?

Hot take: I stopped buying expensive waterproofing spray for my tent

Honestly, I got tired of paying $25 a can for that stuff that never seemed to last. After a wet trip to the Blue Ridge, I tried a trick from an old hiker: a mix of silicone sealant and mineral spirits brushed on the rainfly. It held up through a solid week of rain in Oregon. Anyone else got a cheap fix that actually works?

Pro tip: A cheap plastic shower cap saved my sleeping bag last week in the Smokies

Got caught in a steady drizzle while packing up camp near Clingmans Dome. My sleeping bag was dry but my pack's outside pocket isn't waterproof. Grabbed a hotel shower cap from my toiletries bag and stretched it over the stuff sack. It kept the bag bone dry for the whole 2-mile hike back to the car. Anyone else have a weird little item that's become essential gear?

My buddy in Bend roasted my 'emergency' tarp setup after a surprise downpour soaked my gear.

He pointed out that my cheap 5x7 poly tarp, which I'd had for years, was way too small for proper coverage and its grommets were tearing, so I finally upgraded to a proper 8x10 silnylon one with reinforced tie-outs after that trip.

Overheard a guy at the trailhead say his new sleeping bag was 'too warm' for summer

I was packing up my car at the Mount Rainier trailhead last Saturday when I heard a guy complaining to his buddy. He said he bought a fancy zero-degree bag for a summer trip because he 'didn't want to be cold' and spent over $300. He said he was sweating all night and had to unzip it completely, which kind of defeated the point. It made me think about how I almost did the same thing a couple years ago, just grabbing the warmest rating I could find without checking the actual expected temps. Now I always look at the forecast and pick a bag rated for about 10 degrees warmer than the low. It saves weight and money, and you actually sleep better. Has anyone else had a similar experience with buying gear that was totally wrong for the season?