c/camping-gear-reviews

The pack weight stat that completely changed my gear setup

I always thought my 35 pound base weight was fine since I'm not a hardcore ultralight hiker. Then last month I saw a post breaking down how every extra pound on your back adds roughly 8 pounds of force on your knees per mile. I did the math for a 10 mile day and realized I was putting an extra 2,400 pounds of shock through my joints every single hike. That number from a biomechanics study linked in the comments made me swap out my old tent and sleeping bag within a week. Has anyone else found one random stat that made them totally redo their pack?

Trusted a forum dude about sleeping bags and froze my tail off

Some guy on a hiking sub swore the $40 synthetic bag from a random brand was fine for 35 degree nights. Took it up to the Sierras last March and woke up at 2 AM shivering so bad I couldn't even zip my jacket. Checked the tag after I got home, it was rated for 40 degrees but the fill was all bunched up after one use. I should've just spent the extra $60 on a decent down bag. Anybody else get burned by cheap gear advice from strangers online?

My uncle told me to skip the sleeping pad, just use a yoga mat instead

Honestly, I believed him because he'd been camping since the 80s. So I went on a 3 night trip to the Smokies with just a thin yoga mat under my bag. First night was rough, second night I barely slept, third night I gave up and slept in the car. Tbh that was 4 years ago and my back still remembers it. I should have just spent the $40 on a basic foam pad. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a well meaning relative about gear?

Rant: A guy at a Cabela's in Denver told me my tent stakes were pointless and switched me to snow pegs for car camping

I always used cheap aluminum spikes until he showed me how his stakes bent in wind at a site outside Boulder, so now I use 10-inch MSR Groundhogs even in summer, has anyone else had a random stranger change their whole setup?

Bought a cheap sleeping pad off Amazon and 3 nights in the Smokies showed me why you shouldn't

I grabbed a $30 inflatable pad for a trip in Great Smoky Mountains National Park last spring. By night 2, I was waking up on the ground every 2 hours because the thing kept losing air. My buddy's $120 Therm-a-Rest stayed totally solid the whole time. Has anyone else had a budget sleeping pad fail on them mid-trip?

Spent 2 hours trying to light a camp stove before I found the gas valve was off.

I was so frustrated, thinking the igniter was busted or the propane was empty, until my buddy just reached over and flipped the valve. Has anyone else done something that simple that wasted a ton of time?

Just checked the weight on my old coleman stove vs a new one and wow

I was packing for a trip up to the Sierras this weekend and grabbed my old dual burner coleman stove from like 2006. Out of curiosity I weighed it on my bathroom scale and it came in at 12 pounds even. Then I looked up the spec on a newer version of the same model online and it said 7.2 pounds. That's almost 5 pounds lighter for basically the same burner output (I think they both put out like 20,000 BTUs). I had no idea materials had changed that much in 15 years. Has anyone else noticed how much lighter newer two-burner stoves are now?

Got caught in a downpour last month at Big Bend and my 'waterproof' bag let me down hard

I was hiking the Outer Mountain Loop trail in Big Bend National Park last month, about 6 miles from the car, and a storm rolled in out of nowhere. I had this cheap dry bag I bought off Amazon for like $25, figured it would hold up for a day hike. Well, after 20 minutes of rain, everything inside was soaked, including my sleeping bag liner. I had to cut the trip short because I couldn't dry stuff out. Now I'm looking at real dry bags, like the SealLine ones, but they cost $60 or more. Has anyone else had a cheap bag fail on them in a bad spot? What brand do you trust for actual waterproofing?

Appreciation post: a conversation with my nephew about tent stakes

My nephew came along on a trip to Yosemite last weekend and asked why I still use heavy steel tent stakes when everyone else has those lightweight aluminum ones. I explained that I bought my stakes in 1998 and they have never bent or broke on me, even in rocky soil. He told me his aluminum set cost $35 and the tips curled up after three uses. That got me thinking about how gear used to be built with the idea that you would own it for decades, not just one season. I wonder if durability is something we have given up for lighter weight. Has anyone else held onto old gear that works better than the new stuff?

Hit 50 nights camped this year and I still can't decide if a hammock or tent is better for my back

Tbh I switched to a hammock after night 30 hoping to fix my stiff mornings, but now I'm waking up with a weird soreness in my shoulders instead, so which setup actually gives you a solid sleep after a long hike?

Got burned by a cheap sleeping pad, spend the extra money next time

I bought a no-name inflatable sleeping pad off Amazon for about 25 bucks before a trip to the Smokies last fall. First night was fine, but the second night I woke up on the ground at 2am because it had a slow leak. I spent the rest of the trip sleeping on a folded blanket and my back hated me. Now I'm looking at getting something like a Therm-a-Rest or a Nemo, but those run like 100 to 150 dollars. Is it really worth spending that much more for a pad that won't pop on me? Has anyone else had a cheap pad fail and switch to a pricier brand?

Last Saturday my tent flooded at 3am and I learned why silicone sealant matters

I was camping at Lake Allatoona and woke up to water pooling under my sleeping pad. Turns out the seam tape on my old REI tent had peeled off maybe 6 months ago and I just ignored it. That night taught me more about tent maintenance than any YouTube video ever did. Anyone else ever skip checking their gear before a trip and pay for it?

Is a $20 tarp just as good as a $100 tent footprint? My buddy thinks so

So I was out at Yosemite last weekend with my friend Dave, and he rolls up with this beat up blue tarp from Home Depot under his tent. I laughed at first because I spent like $60 on a proper footprint from REI. But he said to me 'dude, it's just a piece of fabric to stop rocks poking through, why pay more?' And honestly I couldn't argue with that. His tarp has lasted 4 years and mine already has a tiny tear near the edge. It got me thinking about where we draw the line on 'camping gear tax' versus just using regular stuff. Like are branded tent footprints actually better or are we just paying for the name? I'm not saying skimp on your sleeping bag or rain jacket but for ground protection maybe Dave has a point. Has anyone else tested cheap tarps against fancy footprints over multiple trips? Did you notice any real difference in wear or tent floor protection?

Why does nobody talk about breaking down camp in the rain?

Last Friday I spent 45 minutes packing up a wet tent at Lake Apache, and the inside of my bag is still damp three days later. I've seen a thousand reviews on dry bags and tent materials, but nothing about the actual strategy of packing wet gear without ruining the rest of your stuff. Is it better to just air everything out and risk a late checkout, or do you all have a go-to system for this mess?

Pro tip: a fellow camper told me my tent stake method was wrong

Was at a site near Moab last spring and this older guy walks over after watching me try to hammer a stake into hard dirt for like 10 minutes. He says 'you're fighting the ground, not working with it.' Showed me to start the stake at an angle facing away from the tent, then push it in as I tilt it straight. Sounds dumb but it works way better. No more bent stakes or swearing. Anyone else learn a basic trick way later than they should have?

Why does nobody talk about how sleeping bag ratings are totally off?

I spent three nights in the Smokies last October with a 20 degree bag and froze my butt off at 35 degrees. Turns out those ratings are based on survival, not comfort, and I never knew that until a ranger at Clingmans Dome told me. So are we all just supposed to add 15 degrees to the rating or is there a better way to pick a bag? Has anyone else figured this out the hard way?

I switched from a cheap tarp to a polycro groundsheet after a soggy trip in the Smokies last fall

I used to use a heavy blue tarp under my tent and it always felt like I was wrestling a sail every time the wind picked up. Then I borrowed my buddy's polycro sheet on a trip to the Smokies last November where it rained for two straight days. That thing weighed like 4 ounces and rolled up smaller than my water bottle, plus no water seeped through at all. My old tarp would have been a muddy mess, but this stuff dried off with a quick shake. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a big difference in pack weight?

Talked to a SAR guy at REI who said my first aid kit is basically useless

Was grabbing some fuel canisters last Saturday and got chatting with this guy who does search and rescue in the Smokies. He looked at my prepacked trauma kit and just laughed. Said 90% of what's in those pre-made kits is just band aids and blister pads that won't help with real backcountry accidents. He told me to ditch it and build my own with a tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, and a chest seal - stuff that actually stops bleeding. Made me realize I've been carrying around a false sense of security for like 3 years of trips. Anyone else ever had a pro call out your gear like that?

A random hiker told me my tent stake angles were all wrong and I got defensive at first...

Tried a $12 tarp from Walmart instead of my expensive tent footprint

Last weekend I went camping up at Lake George and forgot my tent footprint at home. Panicked a bit but stopped at a Walmart on the way and grabbed a cheap blue tarp for like 12 bucks. Figured it would get me through one night. Turns out that thing worked better than my $40 branded footprint. It was bigger so my whole tent stayed dry, no water seeped through like my old one does sometimes. I even used it as a sun shade the next day by tying it to some trees. Now I'm wondering if I've been overpaying for gear this whole time. Anyone else ditch the fancy stuff for a plain tarp or am I just lucky it didn't rain hard?

Used a cheap tarp once and it shredded after one trip to White Mountain

I always thought a tarp is a tarp, but after my $8 blue tarp ripped apart in a moderate breeze near North Conway, I switched to a 10x10 Kelty. The fabric is way thicker and the grommets haven't torn out yet. Has anyone else found that paying $30 or more for a tarp is actually worth it?

Just found out my camp stove fuel canister has a hidden expiry date

I was packing for a trip last weekend to Shenandoah and noticed a tiny stamp on my isobutane canister that said it expired 2 years ago. Looked it up online and apparently the seals degrade over time, so it's not just a suggestion. Has anyone else run into a dud canister from old stock?

Vent: That old timer who showed me how to patch a tent in the rain

Back in 2018 I was stuck at a campground near Flagstaff during a freak storm. My tent had a tear and I was about to just pack up and head home. This guy in his 70s rolled up, saw me struggling, and handed me a tube of seam sealer and a patch kit from his truck. He said 'stop fighting the wet gear and just fix it, kid.' He didn't even ask for my name, just showed me how to dry the fabric with his lighter and tape it up from the inside. I still carry that same patch kit in my bag today. Has anyone else had a stranger just bail them out with a random piece of gear?

Hit 500 nights in my hammock and my tent still looks brand new

I just crossed 500 nights sleeping in my hammock setup over the last 4 years. My old tent barely has 20 nights on it since I switched. Kinda crazy how much gear you end up not using once you find what works. Anyone else got a piece of gear that's been sitting in the closet for years?

That $10 tarp I bought at a gas station actually held up better than my $80 Kelty one

I was dead set that cheap tarps are garbage until a thunderstorm hit my site in the Smokies last June. The gas station tarp didn't rip or leak, while my fancy Kelty one had a grommet fail after 3 uses. Anyone else find random gear that outlasts the expensive stuff?