c/camping-gear-reviews

21

evahenderson•1d ago

Talked to a guy who had camped in Alaska for 30 years and he said sleeping bags are a waste of money if you have the right layering system

He told me he just uses a wool blanket and a bivy sack even in 10 degree weather and now I am wondering if all these $400 bags are actually overkill or if he was just a tough old timer, has anyone else tried ditching the sleeping bag for a different setup?

16

drew_hart4•2d ago

I swore by expensive sleeping pads until a $40 foam pad changed my nights

Had terrible back pain after 3 trips using a high end inflatable pad, woke up every 2 hours to re pump it. Grabbed a $40 closed cell foam pad from Walmart on a whim before a trip to Shenandoah last fall and slept through the night for the first time in years. Anyone else find that expensive gear actually made their camping worse?

18

samk77•2d ago

Question about those fancy titanium sporks I saw all over YouTube

I was sure those $25 titanium sporks were just hype from influencers trying to sell stuff, but after breaking my third plastic one on a trip to Shenandoah last month, I finally caved and bought one. Honestly, it's held up through 8 meals so far without a scratch, which is way more than I expected from such a light piece of gear. Has anyone else found a piece of gear that actually lived up to the online hype?

2

blair_nguyen•3d ago

Picked a tarp over a tent for a 3 night trip in the Smokies...

I was planning a trip to the Smokies last month and had to decide between my usual tent and a simple tarp setup. I went with the tarp because it's lighter and I wanted to see if I could sleep under just that. First night was okay but the second night it rained hard from 2am to 6am and I got a little damp around the edges. The third night I moved to a spot with more tree cover and slept way better. Honestly I think I prefer tents still but the tarp taught me a lot about picking campsites. Has anyone else tried switching from a tent to a tarp and stuck with it?

18

phoenix_lewis•4d ago

That time my tent pole snapped in a thunderstorm at 2am

I was camped at Dale Hollow Lake last spring when a storm rolled in around 1am. My three year old cheap tent pole just gave up and snapped, leaving the whole thing sagging on my face. Had to tape it with duct tape and hold it up with my trekking pole for the rest of the night. Anyone else had a tent fail on them in bad weather and had to MacGyver a fix?

7

davidkim•4d ago

TIL my $10 emergency poncho was basically a trash bag with a hood

Bought a cheap poncho for a hike in Olympic National Park last spring, and within 15 minutes of rain it ripped right down the middle. Lesson learned - is there actually a sub-$30 poncho that doesn't fall apart after one use?

7

sethfoster•6d ago

My stove fuel canister failed on a solo trip near Yosemite last fall

I was 8 miles in and the propane valve just wouldn't seal right, leaking gas everywhere. Had to pack up and hike out early before dark. Has anyone else run into bad canisters from the same batch?

5

blairc90•7d ago

Overheard a guy at REI last weekend say Jetboil is the only stove worth buying for backpacking

After 60 miles on the Appalachian Trail with a $30 BRS stove that weighs half as much and still boils water in under 3 minutes, I think the fanboys are missing the point on what actually matters for long hikes.

17

nancyjones•7d ago

Klymit sleeping pads are actually decent after 20 nights

I know everyone on here swears by Therm-a-Rest and makes fun of Klymit like they're Walmart junk. I bought a used Klymit Static V for 30 bucks off Craigslist 8 months ago just to have a backup. Took it to a 4 night trip in the Ozarks last June and honestly slept fine on rocky ground. The thing inflates in like 10 breaths and packs down smaller than a Nalgene. I kept waiting to wake up sore or cold but it just worked. So I brought it on a 12 night Colorado trail section hike and same deal - no leaks, no complaints. Still use my Therm-a-Rest for car camping but for backpacking I grab the Klymit every time now. Anyone else try one of these after hating on them and change their mind?

25

smith.nancy•9d ago

That tent pole repair tip from a guy in Yosemite saved my whole trip

He said to carry a spare piece of aluminum tubing and just sleeve the break instead of trying to bend it back. I snapped a pole on day 2 and had it fixed in 10 minutes. Has anyone else found a random piece of advice that saved a campout?

15

gavin365•11d ago

That time a park ranger told me my dry bag was useless

Was packing for a 4 day trip in Olympic National Park and a ranger walked by and said 'you really gonna trust that seam seal?' Had to go buy a new one right there at the visitor center for $35. Anyone else been called out like that before a trip?

10

wyatt135•11d ago

Spent 6 months with a whisperlite then switched to a pocket rocket for a week in the Smokies

The whisperlite was bulletproof but took forever to boil, so I grabbed a pocket rocket for my last trip and honestly the extra speed was worth trading some durability, has anyone else found one stove type just fits their style better?

17

shane_park92•12d ago

Overheard a guy at REI say his $5 Walmart tarp lasted longer than my $40 one

I was checking out tent stakes and this older dude told the clerk he's been using the same blue tarp from Walmart for 8 seasons while my fancy coated one got a hole after two trips. Has anyone else found cheap gear that actually outperforms the pricey stuff?

4

charles640•13d ago

My $50 tarp failed in a storm in Zion

Camped at Watchman Campground last October. Woke up at 3am to rain pouring through my setup. The cheap tarp I bought at a big box store tore right at the grommet. Had to pack up wet gear in the dark and sleep in my car. Now I only buy silnylon tarps with reinforced corners. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?

12

ross.lily•14d ago

My $20 tarp vs my friend's $150 tent in a downpour

Last weekend we camped up near Lake George and a storm rolled in around 2am. I was under my cheap blue tarp with paracord and stakes, he had a fancy tent with a rainfly. His tent leaked at the seams, mine stayed bone dry. What's your best budget gear hack that held up better than the expensive stuff?

21

sage_moore37•15d ago

Shoutout to the guy who told me about drying tents inside a pillowcase

I always just stuffed my damp tent back in the sack and hoped for the best. But last week after a rainy trip up near Algonquin Park, a old timer at the campsite told me to throw it in a big cotton pillowcase first before storing it. Apparently it stops mildew by letting the fabric breathe. Tried it and my tent actually smells fresh for once. Has anyone else got a random tip from a stranger that actually worked?

3

owens.anthony•15d ago

My buddy the park ranger told me my tent was too heavy and it got me thinking

I was packing for a 3 day trip to Harriman State Park last month and my friend who works as a ranger out west saw my setup. He pointed out my tent weighs about 7 pounds and said I could cut that in half for under a hundred bucks if I switched to a trekking pole style. I never really thought about weight before because I always car camp close to the lot. But he made a solid point about how much easier the hike in would be if I wasn't sweating through my shirt before I even set up. Has anyone else made the switch from a big cabin tent to a lighter backpacking option? Was it worth the trade off in space?

18

bennett.harper•16d ago

That influencer's 'waterproof' tent recommendation failed me hard

Some guy on YouTube with 500k subs said the Big Agnes Copper Spur would handle a storm no problem, and I bought it based on that. Last weekend in the Smokies, rain got through the seams at 2 AM and soaked my sleeping bag. What tent actually holds up under heavy rain that's not $600?

26

faith_shah88•17d ago

My trusty camp stove died halfway through a trip last weekend

I was at Big Bear Lake trying to make dinner Friday night and the Coleman two-burner just stopped putting out gas. The valve got stuck and I couldn't get it to light no matter what I tried. Ended up eating cold canned chili and granola bars for the rest of the trip. Has anyone else had their stove fail on them like that?

10

rileygarcia•1mo ago

My tent pole snapped on day two of a week long trip in the Smokies

I was on a solo hike near Gatlinburg and a big gust of wind bent my main aluminum pole so bad it cracked. Tried using duct tape and a stick but it just sagged and collapsed again around 2am. It took me over an hour the next morning to find a repair sleeve at a ranger station. Has anyone else had to fix a broken pole on the trail and what got you through the night?

6

logan525•1mo ago

Hot take: those fancy camp stoves are overrated now that I've tried the old school method

I spent $80 on a new propane stove last year and it kept failing in wind. Then my buddy brought out his dad's 1970s Coleman two-burner that runs on white gas, and it cooked our bacon in a rainstorm at Lake Tahoe. That thing is 45 years old and still works better than anything modern I've tried. Anyone else gone back to the old stuff after getting burned by new gear?

32

amy_west•1mo ago

That week in Yosemite when my $40 tent nearly ruined everything

Last July I drove out to Yosemite for a 5 day solo trip. I had this cheap Coleman tent I grabbed on sale, figured it would hold up fine. First night was okay, second night the zipper started sticking. By night 3 the rain fly tore right where it attaches to the pole. Woke up at 3am with water dripping on my face, had to pack everything wet and hike out early. I get that you don't need top gear for everything, but a decent tent is worth the money. What's the worst gear failure you've dealt with where you had to cut a trip short?

23

river952•1mo ago

Tried a budget sleeping pad from Walmart and woke up on the ground at 3 AM

I grabbed a $30 Ozark Trail inflatable pad for a weekend trip to Shenandoah last month, thinking it'd be fine for car camping. By 3 AM the air was gone and I was flat on the dirt, shivering through the rest of the night. Learned my lesson that cheap pads just don't hold up even for mild weather, anyone got a recommendation for something under $100 that actually works?

7

grant478•1mo ago

I finally gave in and bought a used MSR stove after my buddy swore by it for years

My friend Dave kept telling me his MSR WhisperLite was the best thing since sliced bread for backcountry cooking. I always thought my old Coleman was just fine, even if it weighed a ton and took forever to boil water. Last month on a trip up near Mount Rainier, my Coleman crapped out on day two and Dave loaned me his spare. That thing boiled two cups of water in like 90 seconds flat, even with a breeze. I found a used one on Craigslist for $40 the next week and it works perfect. Anyone else have a piece of gear they were stubborn about until a friend proved them wrong?

30

blairc90•1mo ago

My $30 Ozark Trail tent lasted longer in a storm than my buddy's $200 North Face one

We were camping up near Lake Placid last September and a nasty squall came through around midnight. His fancy tent had a pole snap in the wind and the rain fly ripped. My cheap blue dome from Walmart just sat there soaking wet but totally fine. Makes me wonder if we're all just paying for brand names or what. Anyone else have a budget piece of gear that outlasted the expensive stuff?