c/camping-gear-reviews

Warning: My old sleeping bag almost got me in trouble on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula last week.

I packed my 3 year old bag for a quick overnight, thinking it was still good. The temperature dropped to about 40 degrees and I woke up shivering around 2 AM. The fill had clearly lost its loft and wasn't trapping heat like it used to. I ended up having to layer all my clothes on top just to get back to sleep. Has anyone else had a bag fail on them faster than they expected?

My cheap headlamp almost got me lost in the dark

Bought a $15 no-name headlamp for a trip to the Adirondacks. The battery door popped open on the trail, leaving me with just my phone light. Anyone have a reliable brand under $50?

My tent zipper gave out during a storm in the Smokies

I was camping near Gatlinburg last fall when a heavy rain rolled in overnight. The main door zipper on my old two person tent just jammed and then the pull tab came off in my hand. I had to use a piece of paracord and a carabiner to tie the door shut from the inside to keep the water out. It worked, but I spent a cold, damp night listening to that zipper tape flap. What's the best way to fix a busted tent zipper, or is it just time for a new one?

Got roasted for my 'ultralight' tarp setup in a Colorado storm

A guy at a trailhead near Boulder saw my 8x10 silnylon tarp and said, 'That's a wind sail, not a shelter.' He was right. During a sudden hailstorm, my pitch collapsed because I used only four stakes on uneven ground. I switched to a hexagonal tarp with six tie-out points and carry two extra stakes now. What's your go-to method for securing a tarp in bad weather?

Met a guy at Crater Lake who changed how I pack a tent

I was trying to stuff my old two person tent back into its bag at the campground, getting more and more mad about it. This older guy from the next site over just watched for a minute, then walked over and said, 'You're fighting it. Roll it, don't stuff it.' He showed me his method: lay it flat, fold it in thirds lengthwise, then roll it tight around the poles from one end. It took me about 90 seconds and it slid right into the bag with room to spare. I've used that trick for three years now on every trip. It sounds small, but it saves me so much hassle at the end of a long day. Anyone else have a simple piece of camping advice that just clicked for you?

Serious question, my buddy in Denver said he sleeps better in a bivy than a tent now

We were talking about a trip to the Maroon Bells and he said his old 2 pound bivy sack lets him hear the creek all night and he wakes up with the sun. I always thought they were just for hardcore mountaineers, but he said it changed his whole idea of comfort from big shelter to simple connection. Anyone else made that switch and found you actually prefer it for certain trips?

Shoutout to the cheap foam pad I used for years before I finally got an inflatable one

I slept on that blue roll-up mat for a decade, but after a cold night in the White Mountains where I could feel every root, I spent $80 on a Thermarest. The difference in warmth and comfort is insane, and I'm kicking myself for not switching sooner. Anyone else hold onto a piece of gear way past its prime because it 'worked fine'?

Question about using a tarp for shelter instead of a tent

I used to always bring a heavy 4-person tent for solo trips, but after a 3-day hike in the Smokies where my tent pole snapped, I had to rig a shelter with my rain fly and some cord. Now I just pack a 10x12 silnylon tarp and some stakes, which saves me over 5 pounds. Anyone else make this switch and find it better, or do you still think a full tent is worth the weight for the bug protection?

Had to pick between a 0 degree bag and a 20 degree with a liner for a cold trip

Went with the 20 degree Marmot Trestles and a Sea to Summit Reactor liner for a trip to the Adirondacks. It worked okay, but my feet got cold around 3 AM when it hit 15 degrees. Anyone have a better trick for those borderline cold nights?

I was convinced my $300 sleeping bag was the best until a guy at the REI in Boulder showed me his

Warning: My old sleeping bag's fill weight was way off the spec sheet

I was cleaning out my gear closet last weekend and decided to weigh my old down sleeping bag on a kitchen scale. The tag said it had 24 ounces of 650 fill power down. When I put it on the scale, it came in at just over 19 ounces. I was pretty surprised, so I looked it up and found a whole thread on Backpacking Light where people were testing their own gear. Turns out, a lot of manufacturers use something called 'total fill weight' which includes the down plus the tiny bit of fabric dust and oil that's always in it. The actual 'clean fill weight' can be 15% less. I never knew that difference existed, and it explains why my bag never felt as warm as its rating promised. Has anyone else weighed their bag and found a big gap like that?

My cheap tent vs. my buddy's decent one in a Wyoming storm

We both camped in the Wind River Range last fall. I had a $50 tent from a big box store, he had a $200 one from a real outdoor brand. A surprise storm rolled in with 40 mph winds and heavy rain. My tent poles bent and the rain fly leaked like a sieve, everything inside got soaked. His tent held firm and stayed bone dry. It wasn't about being fancy, it was about basic materials and stitching that actually work. Anyone have a solid 3-season tent recommendation that won't break the bank but also won't fail in a pinch?

My old camping stove just hit 500 meals cooked

I was cleaning my trusty WhisperLite International last night and saw the tally marks I've been making on the fuel bottle sleeve. I started it back in 2012 for a trip in the White Mountains, and it just crossed 500 meals. It's been through everything from snow in Montana to rain in Oregon and still lights on the first try. What's the oldest piece of gear you're still using every season?

Appreciation post: My old canvas tent versus a new silpoly one

I finally swapped my heavy 8-pound canvas tent for a 2-pound silpoly one after a rainy weekend in the Adirondacks. The difference wasn't just weight, the silpoly didn't soak up water and stayed dry inside during a sudden downpour. Anyone have tips for making the switch to lighter gear without breaking the bank?

Vent: Everyone says you need a 0 degree bag for winter camping, but my 20 degree bag with a liner worked fine

I camped in the White Mountains last January where it hit 15 degrees at night. Everyone online says you need a bag rated for the lowest possible temp, but I only had my old 20 degree Marmot bag. I added a cheap fleece liner from Amazon, wore a base layer, and slept on a good pad. I was warm all night and saved over $200 on a new bag. Has anyone else pushed the rating on their sleep system and been okay?

I found out my sleeping bag's temperature rating is basically a guess

I was reading the fine print on my old Marmot Trestles 30 bag last night, prepping for a trip to the White Mountains. Buried in the manual online, it said the 'comfort' rating is based on a standard test with a mannequin wearing a base layer, on a pad, in a calm, dry shelter. It doesn't account for wind, ground cold, or if you're a cold sleeper like me. So that '30 degrees' feels more like 40 in real use. Does anyone else add like 10 degrees to the rating for a true comfort zone?

My buddy swore by a cheap tarp for wind, but it ripped on my trip to the Rockies.

He said a $20 poly tarp was fine for high winds, but a gust tore it after two nights. Should you always invest in a proper shelter, or are budget options sometimes worth the risk?

Why does nobody talk about the 'all-season' sleeping pad that fails in the cold?

I bought a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite last fall for a November trip to the Adirondacks, trusting the 'R-value 4.2' rating. It felt like sleeping on a bag of cold air below 30 degrees, and I barely slept for two nights. What's a real winter pad that won't leave me shivering?

My dad's old canvas tent from the 80s is still in the garage

I was helping him clean out the garage yesterday and saw his old green canvas tent, the one he used on our fishing trips. He said it weighs about 25 pounds and you had to treat it with something every year. It made me think about how my new tent is half the weight and pops up in a minute. Do you guys ever miss the old, heavy gear, or is it just me?

My brother said my old tent from 2012 is a 'safety hazard' now

He pointed out the degraded seam tape and said 'that's not gear, that's a plan to get wet.' Has anyone else had a piece of kit age out without you noticing?

My $40 inflatable pillow was the best gear buy of the year, no question

It completely changed my sleep on a 5-day Boundary Waters trip, no more waking up with a stiff neck. Anyone have a good trick for keeping these things from sliding off a sleeping pad?

TIL my old sleeping bag was way too heavy for summer in Yosemite

My buddy's pack was half my weight and he pulled out a tiny bag rated for 40 degrees. Anyone else used a winter bag in July?

Kids these days don't know the joy of trading gear with strangers at the campground

We used to swap tips and even lend out our stuff to folks we just met. Now everyone's got their own high-tech kit and keeps to themselves.

My stove quit on me in the middle of nowhere Alaska

I was on a solo trip deep in Alaska last summer when my portable stove suddenly died. Trying to heat food in freezing temps without it was a nightmare. Now I think relying on budget cooking gear is just asking for trouble. That failure changed how I prep for remote camps. Always test your essentials before heading out.

Backorder blues: when your new camping gear takes forever to arrive

I ordered a new backpacking tent online last spring, with a promised ship time of four weeks. Four weeks passed, then six. I called customer service, but they just said it was delayed. After two months, I had to cancel my first hiking trip of the season, so a friend lent me his old tent for another outing. The tent finally showed up in mid-summer. I used it on a quick overnight trip, and it worked fine. However, the wait made me appreciate checking local stock first.