c/camping-gear-reviews

Stopped buying expensive camp pillows after a disaster last trip

My inflatable pillow popped on night two in Shenandoah and I spent the rest of the trip using a stuff sack stuffed with my fleece jacket. It worked so well I haven't bought a camping pillow since. Anyone else found a random item that beats the gear you already own?

Overpaid for a tent footprint I didn't need

Last weekend I was at REI in Denver and heard a guy tell his friend you absolutely have to buy the brand specific footprint for your tent or you'll ruin the floor. I bought one for my Big Agnes a few years ago and it cost like $50. Then I realized a piece of Tyvek cut to size does the exact same thing for under $10. I even tested both side by side on a gravel site last month and my homemade one worked better because it's tougher. Has anyone else just made their own instead of buying the overpriced one?

My buddy's tent story made me rethink how I pack

I was talking to my friend Dave last weekend after a trip up near Lake Tahoe. He told me he spent 20 minutes looking for his rain fly in the dark because he just shoved everything in his bag without a system. It hit me that I do the same thing (just hoping I remember where stuff is) and that's not really a plan. Has anyone else had a moment where a simple conversation made you change your whole packing system?

Tried a whisper fan in my tent and it sounded like a jet engine all night

Picked up this little battery fan last summer before a trip up to the Dolly Sods area. The packaging had a picture of a quiet campsite and this fan promising barely a hum. First night I set it on low and it made this high pitched whine that cut through everything. I thought maybe it was defective so I tried the medium setting and it got worse. My buddy in the next tent texted me asking if I was running some kind of generator. Tossed it in the trash the next morning and just used a bandana to catch the breeze from the tent flap. Did I just buy a cheap model or do all these little fans make that racket?

Got into it with my brother over MSR vs Big Agnes tent quality after a rainy trip in the Smokies

Last October me and my brother did a 4 day trip in the Smokies near Clingmans Dome. First night a steady rain started around 2 AM and lasted till dawn. I had my MSR Hubba Hubba and stayed bone dry. He had a Big Agnes Copper Spur and woke up with a wet sleeping bag and puddles along the seam tapes. He blamed the site for being too sloped but I saw water dripping from his inner wall. I told him the Copper Spur is fine for fair weather but not for real rain. He got defensive and said I just got lucky and his tent has never leaked before. So now I'm wondering if I'm being too harsh on Big Agnes or if he just got a bad one that day. Anyone else had a similar experience with either tent after a solid night of rain?

Is a heavier tent really more durable or are we just making excuses for bad gear choices?

I keep seeing people in forums say you need a heavier tent to get something that lasts, like 4+ pounds for a 2-person. But I owned a $150 Alps Mountaineering Mystique tent that was 5 pounds and it ripped a seam after 8 nights in the Adirondacks. Meanwhile my buddy's lighter Big Agnes Copper Spur at 3 pounds has held up for 40+ trips. Am I wrong for thinking weight doesn't automatically mean quality here? What's your experience with that trade off?

Is spending $600 on a high-end camping stove really worth it or just showing off?

I dropped $600 on a fancy jet-boil style stove system last year for a weeklong trip in the Rockies. It boiled water in under two minutes and saved me a ton of fuel, which felt great. But my buddy brought a $30 Coleman propane stove and his setup worked fine for the same meals we cooked. On one rainy night, my expensive stove failed to ignite because the igniter cord got wet and I had to use a lighter anyway. His cheap stove lit right up with a match every time. That made me wonder if the extra cost is just for bragging rights at the campsite. Has anyone else seen a big difference between budget and premium stoves in real conditions?

Sleeping pad gave out at 2am on a rainy night in Shenandoah

Used to just grab whatever foam pad was cheapest at Walmart and call it good. Last fall I woke up flat on the ground at 2am with rain seeping through my tent floor. That inflatable pad had been fine for 3 trips but the valve just quit. Now I carry a closed cell foam pad as backup and only use inflatables rated for at least 4 inches thick. Has anyone else had a mid trip sleeping system failure that made you rethink your whole setup?

The $5 tarp trick I'd been doing backwards for 5 years

Last rainstorm I finally realized I was putting my tarp under the tent instead of over the rainfly, which explained why I was always waking up damp. What made it click was watching a neighbor at Big Bear set up their site in like 10 minutes while I was still wrestling with soggy fabric.

My $30 Therm-a-Rest mattress patch kit saved my trip last weekend

I was up at Lake Tahoe and woke up to a slow leak in my sleeping pad. All I had was this tiny patch kit I'd tossed in my bag years ago but never used. Turns out the glue works better if you rough up the surface with sandpaper first, and you gotta let it dry for a full 10 minutes before peeling the backing off. I fixed a quarter-inch puncture in 15 minutes and slept fine the rest of the night. Anyone else carry a patch kit they've never tested until they actually need it?

Unpopular opinion: my dad's ancient coleman stove still outperforms my new jetboil

I mean, I was dead set that the new gear was just better, but after a wet weekend in the Smokies where my jetboil fizzled and that old green stove fired right up, I started wondering how much 'upgrade' hype is real. Has anyone else found an old piece of kit that just works better than the modern version?

I finally stopped ignoring the rainfly advice after one wet night

Last summer I skipped staking down my rainfly on a trip to Yosemite because I thought it looked calm, then a 3 AM gust dumped a liter of water into my tent. A guy at the REI return counter told me "if you don't seal the corners, you're basically sleeping in a bathtub" and I switched to using guylines on every pitch since. Anyone else learn that lesson the hard way or have a rainfly setup they swear by?

Finally picked a hammock over a tent after 4 wet trips in Oregon

Wool blanket weight difference blew my mind

Grabbed my old army surplus wool blanket and a fancy new one back to back at a shop last week. The surplus one weighed almost 4 pounds and the new one was barely 2. Even new one was supposed to be warmer. How do they lose that much weight without losing insulation? Found a review site that broke down wool types and that explained the whole thing. Anyone else notice big weight swings in their gear?

A guy at a campground in Maine showed me my sleeping pad was killing my sleep quality

I always thought a good sleeping bag was all I needed for comfort. But after 3 miserable nights on the AT, a hiker named Bob pointed out my pad was too thin for side sleeping. He let me try his inflatable pad for one night and I woke up without any hip pain. Now I'm looking at upgrading to a thicker model. Has anyone else had a similar wake-up call about their sleeping pad?

That $45 'rain fly' was just a tarp with extra seams

Picked up an off-brand rain fly for my tent from a discount outdoor store last month. First night out at Lake Lanier, it started misting around 2am and my sleeping bag was damp by morning. The seams weren't sealed at all and the material felt like a cheap shower curtain. Has anyone else had luck waterproofing one of these yourself or is it better to just buy the name brand?

Setting up camp in the dark took me 3 hours last weekend

I pulled into the campsite at 9pm after a long drive and spent forever fumbling with tent poles and a headlamp that kept dying. What do you use for lighting when you arrive late and need to get set up fast?

Spent $80 on a 'waterproof' tent that leaked like a sieve in a drizzle

That cheapo tent from the big box store looked fine on the rack but after one night of light rain I woke up in a puddle. Anyone else fall for those cut-rate tents and learn the hard way to just save up for something decent?

Debate: sleeping bag vs. quilt for backpacking this season

I took a 15 degree down quilt on a 3 night trip last month and it saved me a pound of pack weight, but my buddy swears his mummy bag keeps him warmer in wind. What's your take for shoulder season trips where temps drop below freezing at night?

Hot take: my $8 pool float mattress outperformed my fancy sleeping pad

I got tired of my sleeping pad losing air by 3 AM every trip, so last summer at a lake in Michigan I just grabbed a cheap pool float from the gas station. That thing stayed fully inflated all night, was way softer than my pad, and cost less than a bag of charcoal. I still use my normal gear for backpacking but for car camping at state parks I'm never going back to the expensive stuff. Has anyone else tried using something goofy like an inflatable couch or kids mattress on a real camping trip?

My $8 dry bag fix outlasted my friend's $65 Sea to Summit

I was setting up camp in Yosemite last fall and realized my old dry bag had a hole. Instead of buying a new one, I grabbed a tube of Aquaseal and some spare nylon from a repair kit. That patch has held through three river crossings and a week of rain so far. My buddy's expensive bag already has a seam leak after half the trips. Anyone else ever fix gear instead of replacing it and have it work out better?

Switched from a heavy tent to a tarp setup and actually liked it

I always thought tarps were for ultralight weirdos. Used my 6 pound dome tent for years. Then I did a 3 day trip in the Smokies and my back was killing me after the first mile. Tried a simple 8x10 tarp with some paracord and stakes. Setting it up took 15 minutes after watching one YouTube video. No bugs got in because I pitched it low to the ground. Weighed under 2 pounds total. Has anyone else made the switch and found a brand of stakes that work best for rocky ground?

Rant: That Coleman tent I bought last month leaked in the first rain

Picked up a Coleman Sundome 4-person from the Walmart in Flagstaff on the way to a trip last week. First night out near Oak Creek Canyon, it poured around 2 AM. Woke up with a puddle right under my sleeping bag. The rainfly was on tight, no gaps. Checked the seams and they looked fine when I set it up. Anyone else have bad luck with these tents lately or did I just get a lemon?

Shoutout to the guy who fixed my tent zipper with a pencil

My rainfly zipper kept jamming on a trip in the Sierras last month. A stranger walked over, rubbed a pencil tip along the teeth, and it slid smooth after that. Why do brands sell expensive zipper lube when graphite from a #2 pencil works better?

Ditched my cheap sleeping bag for a quilt after freezing in 40 degree weather

I was dead set on a mummy bag until I spent a night shivering near Lake Tahoe last fall. Switched to a 20 degree Enlightened Equipment quilt and I sleep way better now. Anyone else made the switch from bags to quilts?