c/camping-gear-reviews

Scored a $2 water filter at a garage sale that still works fine after 5 trips

Picked up an old MSR MiniWorks at a sale near Flagstaff for pocket change, but the gaskets were shot. Replaced them for $8 and it filters like new, anyone else find old gear that just needs a cheap fix?

Vent: That one week where everything that could go wrong with my tent did

Last August I went camping up near Big Bear Lake for 5 days. Day one the zipper on my tent door got stuck halfway, so I had to crawl in and out through the flap for the whole trip. Then on day three a big gust of wind snapped one of the poles clean in half while I was inside. I ended up tying it to a tree branch with a shoelace to keep it up. By day five a small tear in the rainfly turned into a three-inch gap during a surprise thunderstorm. Anyone else ever have a tent just fall apart on them like that?

Finally upgraded my sleeping bag after 8 years of cheap ones

Honestly I never got why people spend over $100 on a sleeping bag until last month. I was out at Lake Tahoe in 35 degree weather and my old Coleman bag just couldn't keep me warm no matter how many layers I wore. After borrowing a friend's REI Magma 15 for one night I totally get it now. The draft collar and hood design make such a bigger difference than I expected. Anyone else have a piece of gear they ignored forever before finally trying?

Pro tip: That $20 tarp from Walmart almost killed my tent in a thunderstorm

I was camping at Lake Tahoe last August, middle of the night, and a sudden storm rolled in. I had this cheap blue tarp rigged up as a rainfly, thinking it would save me. But the wind caught it like a sail, ripped one of the stakes out, and the whole thing flapped loose. Water started dumping straight onto my tent's mesh door, and I had to scramble at 2 AM to yank it off before my gear got soaked. The noise was insane, like a helicopter landing on my site. Switched to a proper silnylon tarp after that, and the difference is night and day. Anyone else have a cheap tarp fail on them in bad weather?

Hot take: Yosemite Valley is overrated for camping

Unpopular opinion: Those expensive folding chairs aren't worth it

I used to think you had to spend $80 plus on a camp chair to get something comfortable. Last summer I picked up a $25 model at a Walmart in Flagstaff just because I forgot mine. After three nights of using it sitting by the fire I could not tell the difference in comfort or build. Now I just grab whatever is on sale and save the extra cash for better gear like my sleeping pad. Has anyone else found a cheap piece of gear that works just as well as the pricey stuff?

Noticed a weird trend with people reviewing tent stakes

Honestly, I've been seeing a ton of folks online saying titanium stakes are the best thing since sliced bread. But last weekend on a trip up near Lake Tahoe, my buddy brought a set and they bent like crazy trying to get them into rocky soil. Meanwhile my cheap steel ones held up fine after 3 days of wind. I think people are just repeating what they read without actually testing gear in real conditions like rocky ground or hard packed dirt. Has anyone else had cheap gear outlast the expensive stuff in a real tough spot?

Realized my sleeping pad was half-inflated for 2 years after a buddy squeezed it

I was out in Shenandoah last month and this guy I met asked why my pad felt so spongy, so I gave it a squeeze and holy crap it was way too soft. Turns out I've been sleeping on basically a half-deflated Therm-a-Rest for like 2 years thinking that was normal. Anyone else ever miss something obvious like that with their gear?

Guy at a Colorado campsite showed me why my tent kept leaking

Was camping up near Estes Park last fall and this older dude walks over while I'm trying to dry out my gear after a rainy night. He just points at my tent and says 'you got the rain fly too tight against the mesh'. Said I needed a 2 inch gap for airflow or condensation builds up inside. Fixed it the next night and woke up dry. Anyone else make that mistake their first few times?

Warning: Ignored a friend's advice about stove fuel and paid for it

My buddy Tom told me not to use isobutane below freezing, but I figured it would be fine on a 28 degree night in the Smokies. Ended up waiting 20 minutes for my coffee water to barely simmer. Has anyone else learned this one the hard way?

Just realized my 'waterproof' tent bag is a lie after a storm in the Smokies

Last year I was on a 4 day hike in the Smokies and a huge storm hit on day 2. I thought my tent was safe in its bag, but everything got soaked inside. Turned out the bag itself had a tiny tear and the water got in. Now I use a $15 dry bag from a local store and it's way better. Anyone else had gear fail in a way that made you change how you pack?

Finally figured out why my tent kept leaking after 3 rainy trips

I spent way too long blaming the rainfly for water getting in. Turns out the seam tape on the floor was peeling up in one corner. It took me like 4 hours to find it because I kept looking at the wrong spot. Re-taped it with some Gear Aid stuff I got at REI and it's been dry ever since. Has anyone else had a tiny leak take forever to track down?

Just realized my cheap sleeping pad was ruining my sleep on trips

I spent months swapping between a $40 foam pad and a $20 inflatable one, but kept waking up sore until I finally tried a $100 self-inflating model last month in Vermont. Has anyone else found that mid-range option hits the sweet spot, or am I just missing something with the budget gear?

Finally figured out why my tent kept getting wet inside

I spent 2 years thinking my tent was leaking every time it rained up at Indian Lake. Tried seam sealing and everything. Then a guy at the REI in Albany told me I was just sleeping with my face too close to the tent wall and my breath was causing condensation. Moved my sleeping pad 6 inches away from the side and haven't had a wet bag since. Anyone else make that dumb mistake?

Spent 3 hours trying to fix a leaky air mattress last weekend

I went camping up in the Smokies last weekend and around 2am I woke up flat on the ground. My air mattress had a slow leak and I spent the next 3 hours in the dark with a headlamp trying to find the hole. I sprayed soapy water all over it and finally found a pinprick near the seam after what felt like forever. The patch kit that came with the mattress was useless, the glue dried out months ago. Now I'm wondering if I should just get a self-inflating pad instead of dealing with this nonsense again. Has anyone else had a patch kit fail on them right when you needed it?

My old two-burner camp stove finally gave out after 12 seasons

Last week I was up at Lake Hemet for a quick overnight and my trusty old propane stove just wouldn't hold a steady flame anymore. It started acting up last month when the regulator started getting finicky on a windy trip up near Idyllwild. I got that stove for $30 at a garage sale back in 2011 and it's been through maybe 80 trips with me across California deserts and mountains. Cooked everything from instant ramen to a full breakfast scramble on that thing. I patched the piezo igniter with tape a few years ago and replaced the burner grates once. Now I'm looking at new stoves and the prices are way higher than I remember. Has anyone else had luck fixing old regulators or should I just retire it?

Just realized my $30 tarp was better than my $150 tent footprint

I camped at Big Sur last weekend and forgot my tent footprint at home. Used a cheap blue tarp I had in my trunk instead. The tarp actually drained water better and didn't let mud seep through like my expensive footprint does. Anyone else have a budget gear piece that outperforms the fancy stuff?

Overheard a guy at REI saying sleeping pad R-values don't matter below freezing

I was swapping out a tent pole at the REI in Denver last weekend and this dude tells his friend R-values are just marketing BS. I've been relying on R-value ratings for 7 years to pick my winter pads. Am I overthinking insulation or is that guy just lucky with his setup?

Pro tip: That $40 inflatable sleeping pad was a total mistake in 30 degree weather

Bought one of those budget Klymit pads off Amazon last fall for a quick trip to the Smokies. Woke up at 2am with my hip on the ground and shivering because the R-value is basically zero. Anyone else had luck with foam pads instead of inflatable ones for real cold nights?

Unpopular opinion: my $200 tent let me down but the $80 special held up

I brought a name-brand 4-season tent on a trip to the Sierras last spring and the poles snapped in moderate wind. My buddy's cheap Coleman from Walmart stayed solid through the whole storm while I was scrambling to patch mine with duct tape. Has anyone else had fancy gear fail but the budget stuff surprise you?

Bought a $60 camping hammock and it nearly dumped me in a creek

Got a cheap Amazon special and the stitching gave out on the second night. Has anyone else had better luck with a specific brand under $100?

I finally found out why my tent kept leaking after 3 years of use

Last weekend on a trip up near Lake George it poured all night and I woke up with a wet sleeping bag again. I figured the rainfly was shot so I was about to buy a new one. On a whim I checked the seam tape on the inside and it was peeling off in a few spots. A $8 tube of seam sealer fixed it and I saved myself $150 on a new tent. Has anyone else had seam tape fail way before the tent fabric wore out?

Bought a cheap $20 lantern and it ruined my whole weekend trip

I figured I'd save some cash and grabbed a no-name LED lantern from a discount store for my camping trip last month in Shenandoah. First night it was okay, dim but fine. Second night the switch started sticking and it flickered like crazy until the battery cover popped off and the batteries fell out in the dark. Ended up using my phone flashlight for like 2 hours while I tried to fix it. Total waste of $20, should have just put that money toward a better one from the start. Has anyone else had a cheap camping light fail on them at the worst time?

TIL my sleeping pad had a slow leak for 6 months from a pine needle prick at Lost Maples State Park

I woke up on the ground in the middle of the night after a rainy hike there... patched it with seam grip and it's held fine since. Anyone else find mystery gear failures after a trip somewhere specific?

Compared two sleeping pads side by side on a cold night in the Sierra Nevada - the difference was huge

I took my old Therm-a-Rest Z Lite out alongside a friend's Nemo Tensor Insulated last weekend near Bishop. After three hours at 28 degrees, I was clenching my teeth from the cold seeping through while he was perfectly comfortable. The extra 5 ounces for an insulated air pad made a massive difference in actual sleep quality. Has anyone else swapped from foam to inflatable and noticed a big change?