c/camping-gear-reviews

I bought a cheap 'ultralight' sleeping pad and woke up in a puddle

It was a $25 pad from a random online store, and the baffles gave out after two nights. I learned that saving a few ounces isn't worth a cold, wet night. Anyone have a solid budget pad that actually holds air?

My kid asked why we bring a separate water filter when the campsite has a pump. It made me realize I've been overpacking for years.

Question about fixing a broken tent pole on a trip

I was out near Lake Tahoe last fall and a wind gust snapped one of my tent's fiberglass poles clean in half. I thought I could just use the repair sleeve from my kit and be done in ten minutes. It took me almost two hours to get it right because the broken ends kept slipping and I couldn't get the tension right. Has anyone else had a pole repair turn into a whole project like that?

Warning: The 'universal' tent pole splint in my repair kit didn't fit my old Kelty

It took me about an hour of fiddling and a trip to the hardware store to find the right diameter aluminum tube. Anyone else have a go-to fix for mismatched pole sections?

That time my old Coleman stove saved a rainy weekend at Lake Wenatchee

Got caught in a total downpour last fall, and my fancy new camp stove just quit. Pulled out my dad's old green Coleman 425 from the 80s, fired it up with a match, and it boiled water like a champ. We ate hot soup while everything else was soaked. Anyone else have a piece of gear that just refuses to die?

Tried a $25 solar lantern from Harbor Freight on a 3-day trip, and it completely died on night two.

Question about those cheap foam sleeping pads

I was sure my old $25 Therm-a-Rest Z Lite knockoff from Walmart would be junk for a real trip, but I used it for three nights in the White Mountains last fall and slept fine. The cold ground never got through and it packs up small, so I was totally wrong. Has anyone else had a cheap piece of gear surprise them like that?

Shoutout to the guy at the Lake Tahoe campground who showed me his tarp setup

He had this simple ridgeline between two trees with a 10x12 tarp pitched steep, and it handled a surprise downpour way better than my dome tent ever has. Now I always pack a basic tarp and 50 feet of cord, no matter the forecast. Anyone else made a simple switch like that after seeing someone else's gear in action?

My old tent finally gave up after a surprise storm in the Smokies

I was on a quick overnight trip near Gatlinburg last weekend when a pop-up thunderstorm hit. I've had this same two-person tent for about eight years, and it's been through a lot, but this was the first time I saw water actually start to drip through the fly seam right above my face. I spent the rest of the night with my headlamp on, holding a bandana up to catch the slow leak. It wasn't a disaster, but it was a clear sign. The funny thing is, I've been looking at new tents online for months but couldn't pull the trigger until this happened. Now I'm finally shopping for a real upgrade. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail in a way that finally made you replace it, instead of just thinking about it?

My brand new tent pole snapped in half during a windstorm in the Sawtooths last weekend!

My new sleeping pad popped on the first night of a Boundary Waters trip

I saved up for a fancy inflatable pad, the kind that packs down super small. The box said it was tough and could handle rough ground. I was so excited to use it on a canoe trip up in Minnesota last month. Got it all set up on a clear spot by the lake, went to sleep, and woke up on the hard ground. A tiny pine needle must have poked a hole right through it. I spent the rest of the night on my folded-up rain jacket. Learned that 'lightweight' sometimes just means 'thin and easy to break'. What's a good, truly tough pad that won't leave me sore?

Setting up my new tent in the backyard took three hours longer than the box said

The instructions said it was a '5 minute setup' but I spent over 3 hours just figuring out the pole structure. It was a 4-person dome tent from a big brand, and the poles kept getting stuck in the wrong sleeves. I finally got it after watching a YouTube video from a guy in Denver who had the same model. Has anyone else found that the setup time on the packaging is totally wrong for their gear? What tent actually sets up fast for real?

Vent: That $300 'ultra-light' sleeping pad from TrailBlaze Gear was a total joke

I took it on a weekend trip to the White Mountains and it popped on a flat rock the first night. The company's warranty process took 6 weeks and they sent me the same flawed model back. Has anyone found a truly tough pad that doesn't weigh a ton?

My new sleeping pad gave up on me at 3 AM in the Sawtooths

I was on a solo trip in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains last fall, testing out a fancy new inflatable pad I'd just bought. Around three in the morning, I woke up on cold, hard ground. The pad had a slow leak right along a seam. I spent the next hour trying to find the hole with my headlamp, but it was too small to see. I ended up blowing it up every 45 minutes just to get a little cushion until sunrise. It turned a great night's sleep into a long, shivering mess. The pad was supposed to be a top brand, but it failed on its first real trip. Has anyone else had a brand new piece of gear just quit like that? What did you do to fix it, or did you just return it?

The night my new ultralight tent decided to become a kite

I was testing a fancy new single-person tent on a ridge in the White Mountains last fall, a spot I've camped at a dozen times. The wind picked up around midnight, and I woke up because my face was getting wet. The whole tent was bending over me, the poles flexing like crazy, and then one corner just lifted off the ground. I had to scramble out in my boxers and sit on the tent flap with my whole pack on top of it for like an hour while the storm blew through. The tent itself was fine, but the stakes it came with were these tiny little things that just pulled right out of the soft ground. I ended up tying the guy lines to some big rocks. Has anyone else had a tent try to fly away, and what do you actually look for in good stakes for windy places?

Just blew $80 on a 'universal' tent repair kit that fixed nothing

My old rainfly got a small tear during a trip to the Red River Gorge, so I grabbed this kit with patches and glue. The adhesive wouldn't set in the damp air and the whole patch peeled off overnight, letting water right in. What's a repair method that actually works in wet conditions?

Hot take: I saw a guy at the North Cascades campsite using a carabiner for everything but climbing

He clipped his water bottle to his pack, hung his lantern, and even used one as a pot handle. It made me rethink my whole gear kit and how many single-use items I carry. What's the most clever multi-use piece of gear you've seen someone bring?

Pro tip: The $12 emergency blanket from the gas station is not a joke

I laughed when my buddy packed one for a trip to the White Mountains, but it saved our butts when a freak cold snap hit. We wrapped up in that crinkly silver thing and it actually held heat through a 40-degree night. Anyone have a better compact backup for sudden weather changes?

My Coleman lantern was leaking fuel until I tried a trick with a zip tie

Honestly, I was about to toss my old Coleman dual-fuel lantern after it started leaking from the pump assembly. Tbh, I saw a video where a guy cut a small piece of a plastic zip tie and used it as a replacement O-ring. I tried it last weekend, and it sealed right up. Has anyone else fixed gear with random stuff from their pack?

Can we talk about how people pack their sleeping bags?

I was at a trailhead in Bend last weekend and saw three different people just shoving their bags into their packs, no stuff sack at all. My old guide in Colorado always said that ruins the loft over time, and my own 20 degree bag lost warmth after a season of me doing the same thing. What's the best way you've found to keep a bag packed right without adding a ton of weight?

Question about those cheap foam sleeping pads

I bought a $15 one from a store in Bend last summer for a quick trip. It was fine for one night, but on day two I woke up with a sore hip and the ground felt way colder. I used it again last week in my backyard just to test it, and the foam had gotten even thinner. Has anyone found a good cheap pad that actually lasts more than a few trips?

My old camp stove finally gave up on me during a trip to the Red River Gorge

It was a basic two-burner Coleman I've had since high school, and the regulator valve just snapped clean off when I tried to light it. We were about to make dinner and had to cook everything over the fire instead, which took forever. I guess after fifteen years of use, some things just wear out. Has anyone found a good, simple replacement that won't break the bank?

Vent: My old tent finally gave out during a storm in the Smokies

So I was camping near Gatlinburg last spring when a huge thunderstorm rolled in. My trusty old two-person tent, which I'd had for like eight years, just gave up. The pole snapped and the rain fly leaked. I was soaked. When I got home, I had to pick between getting a new three-person dome tent for around $150 or a heavier four-season one for over $300. I went with the cheaper dome tent because I mostly do summer trips. It worked great on my next trip, held up in some wind, and was way easier to set up. But now I'm wondering if I should have spent more for something tougher. Has anyone else had a tent fail and regretted their replacement pick?

My old sleeping bag finally gave up after 15 years, so I tried a quilt instead

I had a heavy synthetic mummy bag I bought for a trip to the Adirondacks back in 2009. It was fine, but I always felt a bit trapped and would wake up sweaty. Last fall, the zipper broke for good, so I got a 30 degree down quilt on a friend's advice. The first night with it was weird, I kept expecting to feel a draft. But after three trips, I realized I wasn't waking up tangled or overheated anymore. I can actually move my legs, and it packs down to the size of a football. The weight difference is about two pounds less in my pack. Has anyone else made the switch from a bag to a quilt and had a similar adjustment period?

Honestly thought my old camp stove was bulletproof until a trip last month

The fuel line cracked on the second night near Lake Tahoe, leaving us with cold food. I had to patch it with some tape from a first aid kit, which was a real pain. Anyone have a good stove they've used for years without issues?