c/camping-gear-reviews

My neighbor's comment about his old tent made me rethink gear upgrades

I was helping him clean his garage last weekend and saw his old Coleman tent from 2008. He said, 'This thing has been through 30 trips and still keeps the rain out. I see no reason to replace it.' I've always felt pressure to get the newest, lightest gear, but his simple statement hit different. My own 3-person tent is only four years old and I was already looking at a $300 upgrade. Maybe the best gear is the stuff that just works, even if it's not fancy. Has anyone else stuck with a piece of gear for way longer than the reviews suggest you should?

Got caught in a surprise downpour at Lake Chelan and my old tent failed

I was camping at Lake Chelan last spring when a storm rolled in fast, and my old two-person dome tent started leaking at the seams within 20 minutes. I had to bail and sleep in my car, which was a real mess. Has anyone found a truly waterproof tent that can handle a Pacific Northwest soaking?

My old tent hit 100 nights in the field and I'm not sure what to do with it.

The zipper's getting stiff and the floor is thin, but it's never actually leaked. Part of me says to retire it before it fails, another part says to run it until it rips. What's your personal cutoff for replacing a piece of gear that's just worn, not broken?

My new sleeping pad deflated on a cold night in the White Mountains

I bought a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite last month for a backpacking trip. The first night out, the temperature dropped to 28 degrees. I woke up at 3 AM on the hard ground because the pad had lost almost all its air. I learned that some pads need a few breaths of air added after they cool down at night. Has anyone else had this happen with an inflatable pad in the cold?

TIL my $35 camp pillow was worth every penny (I used to just stuff a jacket in a sack)

PSA: Setting up my new tent in the rain took me almost 90 minutes

Got a new 3-person backpacking tent last week and was super excited to try it. The first real test was this past Saturday at a site near Lake Tahoe, and of course it started pouring right as we pulled in. I figured I could get it up fast, but the rain fly was way more confusing than the pictures showed. The clips and poles didn't match up like I thought, and the instructions got soaked and fell apart. I was fumbling in the mud, trying to keep the inner tent dry, for what felt like forever. My buddy timed it, and it was 87 minutes from pulling it out of the bag to finally being sealed up. I was cold, wet, and totally beat. Anyone have tips for a faster pitch in bad weather, or is it just practice?

I bought a cheap solar lantern for $15 and it was a total waste

I picked up one of those foldable solar lanterns from a discount store before a trip to the Red River Gorge. It charged fine in the sun, but the first night out, the light was so dim I could barely see my hands. The plastic felt flimsy and the switch got stuck after turning it on twice. I ended up using my headlamp the whole time and the lantern just took up space in my pack. For the same price, I could have gotten a much better battery powered light. It really showed me that with some gear, the lowest price point is just throwing money away. Has anyone found a good solar light that actually works well for under $30?

I finally figured out why my tent was always damp in the mornings

For years, I'd pack my old North Face Stormbreak 2 with the rainfly rolled inside the tent body, thinking I was saving space. Last fall, camping near Lake Tahoe, I woke up to that familiar cold dampness and a friend pointed out my mistake. I was trapping all the moisture from the day before inside the packed tent, and it never had a chance to dry out before I set it up again. Has anyone else had a gear storage habit that was actually causing a problem?

I finally gave up on my old camp stove after a wet weekend in the Smokies

I've been using the same basic two-burner propane stove for about eight years. Last fall, a buddy brought his newer model with a built-in windshield on a trip. It poured rain the whole time, and my flame kept sputtering out while his boiled water in under four minutes. The difference was just that extra piece of metal around the burners. I'm looking at getting a new one before my next trip. Anyone have a good stove recommendation that handles wind well?

Met a guy at a trailhead in the Adirondacks who said my $400 tent was a 'waste of money' and honestly, he was right.

My $90 titanium spork snapped in half on a trip to the Sawtooths last week.

Honestly, I spent $80 on a solar shower bag for a trip to Joshua Tree and it was a total waste.

My new ultralight tent turned into a kite in a Wyoming windstorm last month.

I was camping near Pinedale and a gust ripped the stakes right out, sending the whole thing tumbling 50 feet into a creek. I spent the night in my car, which was way less fun. Has anyone else had a tent completely fail in bad weather?

Found my old camping stove from a trip to the Redwoods in 2019. It's a tiny, simple thing. Took it out last weekend and it just worked, no fuss. Makes me wonder if we overcomplicate things now.

My new 3-person tent's main pole snapped on the first night in the Adirondacks

It was a super calm night, no wind at all, so the failure was just bad materials. Anyone have a good fix or a tent brand that actually holds up?

I always thought a cheap tarp was fine until a surprise storm in the Smokies

I used a basic 8x10 foot poly tarp for years, thinking the fancy ones were a waste. Last month, a heavy rain rolled in fast during a trip near Gatlinburg, and the thing ripped right at a grommet after about 20 minutes of wind. I swapped to a friend's silnylon tarp, which is way lighter and packs smaller, and it held up perfectly. The real trick was learning to pitch it with a 'storm' or 'plow point' setup, using a trekking pole to create a steep angle that sheds water and wind way better. It's been three trips since, and that setup has kept me bone dry through some nasty weather. Anyone have a favorite knot or pitching method for really windy spots?

Rant: My old tent's waterproofing gave out after only two seasons

I used my Big Agnes Copper Spur on maybe 15 trips total, and after the second year, it started leaking badly in a light rain at Starved Rock State Park. The difference was crazy, from bone dry to a real mess. I checked the seam tape and it was totally peeling off in big sections, which was the cause. I called the company and they said the tape can fail if you store the tent rolled up tight when it's damp (which I might have done once). Has anyone else had this happen and found a good way to re-seal the seams yourself?

PSA: My $40 camp pillow was a total game changer for my back

I used to just stuff clothes in a sack for a pillow and my neck was always sore by morning. Last spring, I finally bought a proper inflatable camp pillow for about forty bucks. The first night I used it in the Adirondacks, I slept like a rock and woke up with zero stiffness. It packs down to the size of a soda can, so it's not a space hog at all. I wish I hadn't waited so long to get one. Has anyone else found a small piece of gear that made a huge difference in comfort?

I finally tried that 'instant fire' gel everyone talks about for wet wood

Used it on some damp oak in the Smokies last fall, and it just smoked for ten minutes without a real flame. I learned a good ferro rod and some birch bark still beats a fancy bottle. Has anyone else had a product totally fail when you needed it most?

My old $20 camp stove from a garage sale finally gave out after 15 years, so I bought a new one with a supposed 'better' simmer control.

After burning my dinner twice with the new one, I dug the old one out of the trash, cleaned the jet, and it still simmers perfectly, proving that sometimes the simpler, cheaper gear just works better.

The night my old sleeping bag almost ruined a trip to the Red River Gorge

We had a perfect spot by a creek, but the temperature dropped way more than forecasted, hitting the low 40s. My 20-year-old bag, which I'd always trusted, just didn't cut it and I spent the whole night shivering. The next morning, my friend let me borrow his newer, properly rated bag, and the difference was like night and day. I'm finally in the market for a serious upgrade, but there are so many options. For those who camp in similar spring conditions, what's a reliable 15-degree bag you'd actually stake a night on?

Found a tent at a yard sale in Flagstaff that was basically a giant potato chip bag

I was driving through Flagstaff last month and stopped at a yard sale. They had a tent for ten bucks, so I picked it up. Got it home and set it up in the yard to check it out. The rain fly was made of this shiny silver material that crinkled like a snack bag with every gust of wind. Has anyone else ever seen a tent that sounds like you're sleeping inside a bag of chips?

I just realized my old sleeping bag has been on 200 trips

I was patching a small tear and counted all the faded park permit tags still sewn to the stuff sack. Anyone else have a piece of gear that just refuses to quit?

My old canvas tent versus a new nylon one from a trip in the Rockies

I took my grandpa's heavy canvas tent on a hike near Estes Park and spent an hour setting it up in the rain, then borrowed a friend's modern nylon tent the next weekend. The nylon one was up in maybe ten minutes and stayed bone dry inside, which really showed me how much gear has improved. Anyone have a favorite lightweight tent they've used for a few seasons?

Just realized my old sleeping pad was costing me a ton of sleep

I used a basic foam pad for years and always woke up cold and stiff. Last month on a trip to the White Mountains, a buddy let me try his insulated inflatable pad for one night. The difference was huge. I slept straight through a 40 degree night and felt great in the morning. Has anyone else made a switch like that and been surprised by how much it helped?