c/camping-gear-reviews

Down sleeping bag vs synthetic... I finally made the switch after a wet trip

Last fall I took my 20 degree down bag on a 4 day trip in the Adirondacks and got caught in a heavy rain on day two. Even with a tent fly, the humidity soaked through and my bag lost almost all its loft. I spent two cold nights pretending I was warm. After that I bought a synthetic bag rated for 15 degrees from REI for $180. It's heavier by about a pound and takes up more space in my pack, but it kept me warm even when it got damp on the next trip. I'm not saying down is bad for dry climates, but for the wet northeast I think synthetic is the smarter choice. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted losing the packability?

PSA: My Therm-a-Rest pad lost half its R-value after 2 years of use

I bought a NeoAir XTherm in 2022, rated at R-6.9, and it was a toasty dream for winter trips around Flagstaff. Now after two seasons of regular use, I wake up feeling the ground cold through it way faster than before. Has anyone else noticed their inflatable pad's insulation degrading this quickly?

Broke my favorite camp stove burner on a trip to Moab last spring, now I always carry a spare fuel line.

I finally saw the difference after 2 nights in my new hammock setup near Asheville

Switched from a tent to an underquilt hammock and after 2 rainy nights in Pisgah National Forest I woke up dry and warm for the first time ever has anyone else made the switch and noticed a huge change in sleep quality?

That influencer review of the $80 camping pillow was way off base

I actually bought that pillow they hyped up and after 3 nights in the Smokies last month, my neck was wrecked, so has anyone else found a decent inflatable pillow that doesn't cost a fortune or feel like a rock?

Rant: Realized I was setting up my tent in the worst spots for 5 years straight

Last weekend I camped at a spot in the Smokies and my neighbor walked over after dinner. He asked why I was pitching my tent at the bottom of a slight dip. I said it seemed flat enough and he just laughed. He explained that any rain would pool right under me and that I should aim for higher ground, even a few feet up. I've been camping for 5 years and never thought about it. Has anyone else had a basic camping rule that took way too long to click?

Stumbled on a stat about tent waterproofing failure rates that surprised me

I was reading through some lab test results from a gear testing site and found out that over 30% of budget tents lose their waterproof coating after just 2 years of regular use. Has anyone else noticed their tent getting leaky way faster than expected?

PSA: That $50 tarp from Amazon failed me in a downpour near Mount Rainier last June

I was camped at Cougar Rock campground when a steady rain turned into a full-on storm at 2am. My cheap blue tarp ripped at the grommet seam and dumped water right into my sleeping bag, soaked everything before I could grab my headlamp. The quick fix was tying a knot in the corner to salvage the ridgeline, but now I'm debating between a silnylon tarp for $120 or a heavier poly one half the price. Anyone else had a budget tarp let you down in a real storm, or am I just unlucky?

Finally stopped buying those cheap sleeping pads after freezing in Big Bend

I used to think a $30 foam pad was fine for warmth. Took a trip to Big Bend last February, ground temp dropped to 28 degrees. Woke up shivering at 3am, couldn't get back to sleep. Swapped for a Therm-a-Rest with an R-value of 4.2 and it made all the difference. Anyone else made that mistake before upgrading?

Lost $140 on a self-inflating pad that died after 3 trips

Bought one of those fancy self-inflating sleeping pads for $140 and by the third night out it wouldn't hold air past midnight. Woke up on the ground in 45 degree weather. Anyone else swear off those things and just stick with foam pads?

Took me 3 hours to set up a tent I'd slept in 50 times before

I've got a Kelty Grand Mesa 4 that I've used for years. I know that tent inside and out. Last weekend I drove up to Green River State Park and it was pouring rain when I got there. I was sopping wet and trying to rush, and I ended up threading the poles wrong three times. Three hours I was out there in the rain, cussing at a tent I've set up in the dark before. Finally got it up and everything inside was already damp. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they know turn into a total disaster in bad weather?

Was skeptical about those $30 tarp shelters but now I use one every trip

I used to think ground tarps were just for under your tent, not for sleeping under them directly. About 2 years ago my buddy brought a cheap blue tarp setup to a campsite in the Smokies and I laughed at him. Then a storm rolled in at 3am and his shelter held solid while my tent leaked like crazy. He paid $28 for the tarp and some paracord, my tent was $200. Now I bring a silnylon tarp on most trips when the weather looks iffy. Has anyone else gone back to basics with gear and ended up liking it more?

I finally get why people spend $400 on sleeping pads after one dumb night

Honestly, I always thought spending more than $50 on a sleeping pad was ridiculous. Then last month I camped at Big Bend and my buddy let me try his Therm-a-Rest NeoAir for one night. I woke up actually rested for the first time on a trip. My cheap foam pad left me tossing on rocks all night and I got maybe 3 hours of sleep. He told me he bought it 6 years ago and it's still going strong, which makes the cost per trip pretty low. Now I'm looking at used ones on FB marketplace because I can't justify full price but I can't go back to that foam nonsense either. Has anyone else had a piece of gear ruin your whole trip and make you rethink your budget?

Bumped into a guy on the Appalachian Trail who ranted about his broken tent pole for 20 minutes

He was using a $50 tent from a big box store and said 'I should have just bought the expensive one' but then asked me if I knew where to find a replacement pole for free, so where do you even draw the line with that logic?

Swapped my inflatable pad for a closed cell foam one after a freezing night in the Alleghenies

I woke up shivering at 2 AM with my Therm-a-Rest deflated from a tiny leak I couldn't find in the dark. Has anyone else gone back to the old foam pads for reliability even if they're bulkier?

Swapped my coleman stove for a white gas model after a rainy week in the Smokies

I had this old propane stove that worked fine in my backyard but totally let me down during a 5 day trip near Gatlinburg last spring. It was cold and drizzling and the propane just couldn't keep pressure. I was waiting forever for water to boil. My buddy had a white gas stove and his setup was roaring in like 2 minutes. I picked up a used MSR WhisperLite for $40 and the difference is huge. Way more consistent in bad weather and the fuel is cheaper per ounce. Has anyone else switched and regretted going back to propane?

Was skeptical of those $80 collapsible camp chairs until a 3-day trip in the rain

I've always just grabbed a cheap folding chair from the hardware store for camping, figured spending more was a waste. Then last month up at Lake Arrowhead it poured for two days straight and my old chair's legs kept sinking into the mud. My buddy had one of those compact ones with the wide feet and it stayed solid the whole time, plus it packed down way smaller. Anyone else have a piece of gear they thought was overpriced that ended up saving a trip?

PSA: Stop using those cheap propane adapters on camp stoves

I nearly melted my face off last weekend at Yosemite because I thought a $8 brass adapter from Amazon would work fine with my Coleman stove. The thing started leaking gas after 10 minutes of cooking bacon. A buddy who works at REI told me those adapters aren't rated for the pressure from standard propane tanks, they're made for those little green cans. I switched to a $25 steel adapter from a local hardware store and it's been solid for 3 trips now. Has anyone else had one of those cheap adapters fail on them?

Found my old camp stove after 8 years in the garage and it fired right up

I pulled out my old Coleman Peak1 from 2016 that had been sitting in a damp garage through two moves. Cleaned the generator tube with a paperclip and sprayed some carb cleaner through the jets and it lit on the first try. I honestly expected the seals to be shot or something rusted solid. Has anyone else had luck reviving old white gas stoves that sat for years without any maintenance?

I finally got caught in a lightning storm on the trail near Mt. Whitney last June

Halfway up the switchbacks I had to ditch my aluminum poles and crouch under a boulder while thunder cracked right above me, now I'm torn between carrying a lightweight umbrella for sun vs. a proper emergency shelter that adds extra weight. Do you lean toward ultralight gear that's useless in bad weather or do you pack for the worst case even if it slows you down?

That cheap tarp shelter I set up last weekend nearly ripped my tent apart

I bought a 10x12 blue tarp for 8 bucks at a hardware store near Lake Placid, thinking I'd rig it as a rain fly over my tent. I used some paracord and cheap stakes I had laying around, but I didn't secure it tight enough. A gust of wind came through around 2 AM and the tarp started flapping like crazy, then it tore loose and slammed into my tent poles. One of the grommets ripped right out and the pole bent a little. I learned that you really need to buy the heavier duty tarps with reinforced edges, plus take time to tie them down right with proper knots. Anyone else had a cheap tarp fail on them in rough weather?

That ultralight sleeping pad lost 2 inches of air over 3 nights in Yosemite

I used my new inflatable pad on a trip last month, and by the third morning I was waking up with my hips touching the ground. I'm wondering if I should try a closed-cell foam pad instead for longer trips. Has anyone else had this deflation problem with ultralight pads?

Finally got my tent to dry out fast after a rainy trip in Vermont

I always had trouble getting my tent fully dry before packing up on the last morning. But a guy at the campsite showed me this trick of using a microfiber camp towel to wipe down the inside before you even take it down, and it cut the drying time by like half. Has anyone else tried this or do you just deal with wet gear?

Had to pick between a cheap coleman and a pricey MSR tent for a trip in Oregon

I was heading out for a 5 day trip in the Columbia River Gorge last spring and needed a new tent. My old one finally gave out after a zipper broke in the rain. I had it narrowed down to a basic Coleman dome tent for $80 or an MSR Hubba Hubba for $450. I went with the MSR because the weather forecast looked rough and I didn't want to deal with leaks or broken poles. First night a storm came through with 30 mph wind gusts and the thing held solid, no sagging or pooling water. My buddy brought a cheap tent and spent half the night trying to keep his rainfly from flapping off. Was that difference in price actually worth it for you guys or did I just get lucky?

Finally figured out the tarp ridge line trick for rainy trips

Last month I was out at Lake George and it started pouring around 2 AM. My tent stayed dry but everything outside got soaked because I just had my tarp thrown over a rope. On the third morning I tried something different. I tied a tight ridge line between two trees and draped the tarp over it like an A frame. Then I staked the corners out at an angle so water actually runs off instead of pooling. That little change kept my camp kitchen gear bone dry through a whole day of drizzle. I used cheap paracord too, nothing fancy. Has anyone else found a simple tweak that made a big difference in wet weather?