Shoutout to the guy at Bass Pro who told me my tent stakes were 'more for picnics than storms'

After he said that last spring during a trip to Gatlinburg, I switched to 6 inch MSR Groundhogs and my tent didn't budge during a 40 mph gust on the Blue Ridge Parkway, has anyone else had a stranger's random advice totally fix their setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna7171d ago

Wait, did he actually say that to you out of nowhere or were you chatting about camping gear? I love how Bass Pro employees sometimes just drop wisdom like that, no filter. I had a guy at REI tell me my sleeping pad was "fine for summer naps but not for real nights out." He was right though, I swapped to a Therm-a-Rest and stopped waking up with sore hips. It's wild how a random stranger can spot a weak link in your setup faster than you ever noticed.

the_robin1d ago

Yeah, that REI guy nailed it. I've seen a dozen people at campsites struggling with thin pads and blaming it on "rough ground" when really they just needed something with actual R-value and support. A lot of folks don't realize that 2 inches of foam isn't enough to keep your hips off the dirt after 4 hours. I switched to a Nemo Tensor after borrowing a friend's and it was like sleeping on a different planet. That random advice at the store saved me from three more seasons of sore mornings and bad sleep.

knight.uma1d ago

omg yeah, I swapped to an Exped and suddenly my back didn't hate me after two nights.