c/camping-gear-reviews

Ran into an old timer at Glacier Basin who made me question my whole tent setup

I was at Glacier Basin campground last weekend and this guy in his 70s walks over while I'm struggling with my fancy new 4-season tent. He just says "son, I've slept under a tarp for 40 years and never woke up wet once." Made me wonder if I'm overcomplicating things with all this gear. Has anyone else had a veteran camper make them rethink their whole kit?

2 comments

valh32•12d ago

Hit 50 nights in my tent last year and it sorta snuck up on me

I was going through my gear log from last season and noticed I'd camped 50 nights total. That number hit me weird because I didn't plan for it, it just happened from all those weekend trips to the Sierras and a couple longer stints at Big Sur. I remember thinking 50 felt like a milestone but also a reminder of how much gas money I burned through last year. My old tent finally gave out around night 40 with a busted zipper, so I patched it with a safety pin for the rest. It made me realize I should track this stuff more seriously to plan for gear wear and tear. Anyone else ever hit a random number like that and feel like you should've been paying better attention to maintenance?

2 comments

betty_palmer•13d ago

Took me 12 camping trips to realize I was setting up my tent wrong the whole time

I've been camping for about 3 years now, mostly at state parks around Ohio. Last month at Hocking Hills, a guy next to my spot walked over and asked if my rain fly was supposed to look like a saggy balloon. Turns out I had been tightening the wrong straps first, leaving gaps where water could pool. He showed me to start with the corner clips, then pull the fly tight in a cross pattern, and suddenly the whole thing was taught in like 5 minutes. Anyone else have gear basics they just assumed they were doing right until someone called them out?

3 comments

mary776•16d ago

That night at Big Bend changed how I pack gear

I was on a 4 day solo trip in Big Bend last winter and a cold front dropped temps to 28 degrees. My sleeping bag was rated for 40 and I froze my butt off - had to hike out a day early because I couldn't sleep. Has anyone else learned the hard way about temp ratings being too optimistic?

3 comments

cameron538•18d ago

Spent $40 on a tarp with grommets and it failed on night one

I was camping near Lake George last month and bought one of those cheap green tarps from a hardware store for like $40. Figured it would be fine for a weekend trip. First night, a light wind came through around 2 AM and the grommets ripped right out of the fabric. The tarp flapped around and woke up everyone in my group. I had to use paracord to tie it around rocks on the ground just to keep it from blowing away. The whole thing was useless for keeping rain off our gear. Anyone else had bad luck with budget tarps or found a better option that holds up? I'm thinking about trying a poly tarp with reinforced corners next time.

2 comments

margaret_jackson73•18d ago

A random guy at a campsite told me my tent was pitched wrong. He was right.

Last weekend at Lake Tahoe, this older dude walked by my site and stopped. He said I had my rain fly too tight against the tent body, said it needs airflow to stop condensation. I brushed him off at first but woke up with my sleeping bag damp from moisture inside. Next night I loosened the fly and let it breathe, dry as a bone in the morning. Has anyone else gotten weird unsolicited advice that actually saved their trip?

3 comments

the_angela•19d ago

Took me 90 minutes to set up a tent I thought would take 20

I bought this Coleman dome tent thinking it was a 2-minute popup. Nope. Spent 90 minutes in the dark at a campground near Lake Guntersville wrestling with poles and rainfly. Anyone else been fooled by "quick setup" claims?

3 comments

jessicac28•20d ago

Debate: How long is too long to spend finding a leak in your tent?

same as title

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jake_owens•20d ago

The weight spec on the Coleman 4-person tent made me change my mind about car camping

I always thought heavier gear was just better for durability, but last week I saw a post on a gear forum breaking down that the Coleman Sundome weighs 18 pounds and a comparable REI tent is under 10. That extra 8 pounds adds up quick when you're hauling stuff from the car to a walk-in site a quarter mile away. Has anyone else switched to lighter tents just to avoid that extra strain on your back?

2 comments

elliotadams•21d ago

Just realized my insulated mug wasn't keeping coffee hot because of how I was cleaning it

I used a $40 YETI rambler for like 6 months and wondered why my coffee went cold in an hour. Turns out running it through the dishwasher wrecked the vacuum seal, even though the manual says hand wash only. I picked up a cheap Ozark Trail mug at Walmart for $10 and hand washed it, now my coffee is hot for 3 hours. Has anyone else had a fancy mug fail because of cleaning?

3 comments

the_nina•21d ago

That $25 tarp I bought for rain cover shredded after one night in high wind

I grabbed a cheap blue tarp from the hardware store before a trip to Lake Tahoe last fall, thinking it'd save my tent from a storm. By 3 AM the wind had ripped it into three pieces and my tent was soaked through because it acted like a sail. Has anyone found a tarp under $50 that actually holds up in gusty conditions?

3 comments

thomas.tyler•22d ago

Used to swear by my heavy coleman stove until someone pointed out the obvious

A guy on the PCT told me I was carrying an extra 8lbs for no reason when I could just boil water on a little isobutane can. Swapped to a BRS-3000T and my pack feels way better after 3 trips.

3 comments

hill.andrew•22d ago

Found a cracked tent pole at 2am in Olympic National Park

Was setting up camp near the Hoh River last month. Raining hard. Heard this snap sound and my whole north side drooped. Had to tape it up with duct tape and a stick. Barely held through the night. Anyone else carry a backup pole repair kit now?

3 comments

hollyg59•23d ago

My brother insisted I buy a $15 tarp instead of a $50 tent footprint...

That cheap tarp shredded on the second night and I woke up soaked in a puddle at Moosehead Lake. Has anyone else had a supposedly budget-friendly gear tip totally backfire on them?

3 comments

hayden466•24d ago

Took a gamble on a cheaper sleeping pad and it actually worked out

I spent weeks going back and forth between the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir and a budget brand from Amazon that was literally half the price. My buddy kept telling me I'd regret saving money on something that keeps me off the cold ground. Ended up going with the cheap one because I figured I could always return it. Took it out to Shenandoah last weekend when temps dropped to 38 degrees. Woke up warm and comfortable both nights, no air loss at all. I know it probably won't last 10 years like the Therm-a-Rest, but for $65 it got the job done. Has anyone else had luck with those no-name pads or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

park.robin•24d ago

Appreciation post: the new LED lantern I bought after hating them for years

I was a diehard candle lantern fan for like 6 years. But I saw a buddy's Black Diamond Moji at a campsite near Flagstaff last month and the difference was shocking. His light was clean and white, not that flickery yellow I always hated from LED. I bought one for $35 and used it on a 3 night trip. Now I don't miss the smoky smell or the fire hazard at all. Anyone else switch from candles to LED and not look back?

3 comments

evan_campbell•24d ago

Changed my mind about trekking poles after a convo with a thru-hiker

I always thought poles were just for old folks or people with bad knees, but this guy at REI who did the PCT told me they save like 30% of your energy on descents. He pulled out his worn-down tips to show the wear pattern, and that visual really hit different for me. Has anyone else been converted after a chat with a long-distance hiker?

3 comments

xena373•24d ago

That $50 camp pillow was a total waste of money

I spent $50 on a fancy inflatable camp pillow for a 3 day trip in the Smokies and my neck hurt so bad I couldn't sleep a single night. My buddy just used a rolled up hoodie and slept way better than me. Anyone else find that expensive camp pillows are just a gimmick?

2 comments

the_max•24d ago

Just realized my cheap camp stove was a hidden gem all along

I spent two years thinking you had to spend at least $100 on a camp stove to get anything decent. My buddy brought his old $30 Coleman from 2015 on a trip to Big Sur last month, and I laughed at first. Then I watched it boil water in under 4 minutes while my fancy $80 stove sputtered on low flame. Turns out those cheaper stoves work fine if you clean the jets once a year, which I never did. I swapped parts from my broken one onto his just to see, and now mine runs like new again. Has anyone else discovered a cheap piece of gear that just works better than the expensive version?

2 comments

drew965•24d ago

My camp stove regulator gave out mid-boil at Yosemite last week

I was trying to make coffee at 6am and the flame started sputtering then died completely. Has anyone else had a Coleman regulator fail without warning like that?

2 comments

ray189•25d ago

Was sure the cheap tarp would leak but it held up all 4 days in that Maine downpour

Last month I bought a $12 blue tarp from Home Depot instead of the $60 waterproof one everyone online swears by. Figured I'd be patching holes by hour 2. We got slammed with rain near Acadia for a full weekend. Tent stayed bone dry. I even used it as a ground cover under the tent too. Now I'm wondering if I got lucky or if the expensive stuff is just hype. Anyone else had a cheap tarp surprise them?

2 comments

terrybennett•26d ago

Why doesn't anyone talk about tent stakes getting way better in the last 5 years

I pulled out my old Coleman tent last weekend and the stakes were the same bent up wire ones I've had since 2018. Then my buddy showed up with a set of groundhogs he got for like 15 bucks. The difference was night and day. He had his tent locked down in 5 minutes while I was still hammering at soft ground with those flimsy pins. I think cheap aluminum stakes from places like REI or Amazon really changed the game around 2020. Has anyone else noticed the newer style stakes hold way better in rain or loose dirt?

4 comments

faithwalker•29d ago

Shoutout to my old Coleman stove that just keeps going

I finally broke down and bought one of those fancy portable butane stoves last month for a trip up near Flagstaff. Compared it side by side with my dad's old Coleman white gas stove from the 80s. The butane one was dead in 20 minutes on a cold morning, the Coleman never skipped a beat. Has anyone else tried going back to an older setup and found it just works better?

3 comments

james_singh7•29d ago

That $20 Amazon camp stove melted my breakfast and my pride

I grabbed one of those cheap single burner stoves off Amazon for $20 thinking I scored a deal. First time using it at Big Bear Lake, the plastic fuel valve started warping after 2 minutes of cooking bacon. Lost a whole pack of expensive bacon and had to eat cold granola bars for the trip. Has anyone else had luck with those budget stoves or should I just save for a proper one?

3 comments

taylor668•29d ago

I finally saw why everyone raves about down sleeping bags after a wet night at Lost Lake

I always thought synthetic was the way to go, cheaper and dries faster right? But last month I borrowed my buddy's down bag for a trip up near Lost Lake. Got hit with a surprise storm, bag got a little damp in the tent corner. Next morning I was still warm and the bag was dry again by noon. My old synthetic bag would've been cold and heavy for two days. Has anyone else switched sides after a bad weather test?

2 comments