c/camping-gear-reviews

1

troyp37•4h ago

The time my tent flooded on day 3 of a 5 day trip in the Smokies and I still managed to salvage the whole thing

That week last June I woke up at 2am in ankle deep water after a creek overflowed near my campsite near Gatlinburg, but somehow my dry bags kept everything safe and I found a fallen log to set up a tarp lean-to for the next two nights, has anyone else had a trip turn around from a total disaster like that?

19

robin836•20h ago

Had a talk with my neighbor about sleeping bags and now I'm questioning everything

My neighbor Dave is this old guy who's been camping since the 70s, and last week he told me he still uses his original canvas sleeping bag from 1978. He said synthetic bags just don't breathe right and you wake up sweaty no matter what the rating says. Makes me wonder if I'm overthinking my gear or if he's just stuck in his ways - has anyone else run into old-timers with surprisingly solid takes on camping stuff?

6

noah_barnes•21h ago

Found out my 5 year old tent lost 80% of its waterproof rating because I stored it wet one time

I read a blog post from Outdoor Gear Lab last night that explained how UV rays and moisture in storage break down DWR coatings way faster than actual rain does, has anyone else had a tent suddenly start leaking on a trip?

15

skylerc86•1d ago

Found out my sleeping bag was losing loft because of how I stored it

Been packing it in that compression sack for 2 years and wondered why it felt flat. Switched to a big cotton storage sack last month after a guy at REI told me, and my bag's way warmer now. Anyone else make this dumb mistake for way too long?

8

karenm49•4d ago

That $50 sleeping pad liner was a total scam for me

I bought a Therm-a-Rest liner last spring thinking it would add warmth on cold nights, but after 4 trips in the Sierras it barely made a difference and actually made me sweat. The thing cost me $50 and now it just sits in my closet collecting dust. Has anyone actually gotten real use out of these things or did I just buy the wrong kind?

32

kevin_bailey•4d ago

Question about the $40 tarp I bought at REI last weekend

Took it out on a trip near Lake Tahoe and the grommets ripped out on the second night in a light wind. Has anyone else had issues with cheaper tarps holding up in real camp conditions?

18

walker.rowan•4d ago

Warm vs cold sleeping pad debate I keep going back and forth on

I was totally convinced my old self-inflating pad was fine until I borrowed a buddy's down filled pad on a 28 degree night in Tahoe and slept like a rock. Now I'm wondering if I got lucky or if those expensive insulated pads are actually the real deal - anyone else flip flop on this?

1

the_olivia•6d ago

Hit 50 nights camping this year and it finally clicked why my tent poles kept breaking

I do a lot of weekend trips up near Mount Hood and crossed 50 nights out this season last week. Took me until that exact number to realize I was storing my tent poles in the ground sleeve wrong and bending them every time. How many nights did it take you to figure out a gear mistake you kept making?

11

shah.olivia•7d ago

Spent a full hour trying to set up a tent in the dark last weekend

I pulled into the campsite near Lake Tahoe around 9pm and thought I could just wing it. My headlamp batteries were dying so I was basically working by the glow of my phone screen. The rain fly kept getting tangled and I had the poles facing the wrong way twice. It took me a solid 60 minutes to get that thing standing when it should have been a 10 minute job. I finally gave up and just threw a tarp over the whole mess and crawled in. Next time I'm either arriving earlier or practicing the setup in my backyard first. Has anyone else had a disaster trying to set up camp in the pitch black?

25

skyler_kim15•7d ago

Rant: My cheap sleeping pad popped on night one in Shenandoah

After driving 4 hours to Shenandoah last weekend, my $25 foam pad delaminated by 11 PM and I spent the rest of the night on cold dirt - anyone have a budget option that actually holds up for more than one trip?

28

simon_wood72•22d ago

Ditched my old coleman propane stove for a wood burning one after a trip got canceled due to gas shortages

Last summer, I drove 3 hours to a spot in the Smokies only to find every store sold out of propane canisters, so I sat there eating cold beans. Switched to a Bushbuddy Ultra wood stove that runs on twigs and pine cones, and now I don't worry about fuel at all on weeklong trips. Has anyone else had luck with wood stoves in wet conditions or do you still carry a backup canister?

23

mark_hernandez12•23d ago

Shoutout to the old timer at Acadia who showed me why my tent stakes were useless

I was up in Acadia last fall, setting up late after a long hike, and this guy maybe 70 years old walks over from the site next to mine. He sees me hammering those cheap aluminum stakes into the rocky ground and just laughs. He pulls out these heavy duty steel ones that look like railroad spikes and says "those dollar store sticks won't hold through a stiff breeze up here." He lent me a set and I slept like a baby through a 30 mph gust night. Now I only use those for anything rocky or windy. Anyone else had an old timer just save your whole trip with one piece of advice?

3

the_sean•23d ago

Rant: That REI tent leaked like a sieve in a light drizzle last night

Was camping up near Big Bear lake, not even a storm just steady mist, and water was dripping right through the seams on a tent I paid $250 for. Ended up wrapping my sleeping bag in a trash bag and sleeping under a tarp I had in my truck. Has anyone else had a brand new tent fail that fast?

8

claireg81•26d ago

Hit 500 miles on my hiking boots last month

I noticed the sole was getting thin so I checked my app. 500 miles on a pair of $120 boots. Got my money's worth out of them. Anyone else track how long their gear lasts?

13

danieltaylor•26d ago

Had to set up my tent in the dark last weekend and it took me almost 45 minutes

Got to the campsite near Lake George way later than planned, like 9:30 PM. Thought I knew my tent well enough to do it by headlamp. Nope. Kept putting poles in the wrong sleeves, the rainfly was backwards twice. Finally just sat down and used my phone to check the instructions like a rookie. Has anybody else found a good trick for speeding up setup when you're fumbling in the dark?

8

julia_fisher28•27d ago

I finally stopped using that expensive sleeping pad everyone loves

Last September up at Lost Lake, my fancy $200 inflatable pad went flat at 2 AM. I spent the rest of the night shivering on the ground with my dog using me as a mattress. Switched to a closed cell foam pad and honestly, I sleep better now and don't worry about punctures. Anyone else ditch the high end stuff for something simpler?

4

sandralee•29d ago

Warning: my $12 inflatable sleeping pad exploded at 2am in the rain last month

I was camping at Dead Horse Point State Park when the seam split wide open, and I spent the rest of the night shivering on a tarp with my backpack as a pillow - has anyone else had a cheap pad fail on them like that?

17

ruby_sanchez45•1mo ago

My buddy's take on tent stakes made me feel stupid

Dude was like 'you bring 12 stakes for a 6 person tent?' and just walked off. I've been overpacking stakes for 5 years because one broke on a trip to Big Sur. Made me realize I never actually tested if I could get by with less.

6

stone.thomas•1mo ago

That guy who swore by synthetic tents in summer was dead wrong

Some dude on a hiking forum told me I HAD to get a synthetic tent for summer camping because it 'breathes better' than canvas. Spent 3 nights on the Kern River trail sweating through my bag because the thing just trapped heat like a greenhouse. Anyone else find canvas way cooler in actual summer heat?

7

xenar14•1mo ago

Blew $80 on a fancy camping pillow that was worse than my rolled up hoodie

Picked up one of those inflatable memory foam pillows at REI last month before a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Figured it'd be way more comfortable than stuffing my jacket under my head. First night it was okay I guess, but by night three the thing had a slow leak and I woke up with my face on the tent floor. Meanwhile my buddy just used his hoodie stuffed into a stuff sack and slept like a log. Mine's in the trash now. Anyone else ditched expensive camp pillows for something you already had?

18

cora400•1mo ago

I think the REI Co-op Kingdom tent is overrated after my trip to Mount Rainier

Everyone raves about that tent but mine leaked during a surprise storm near Paradise Campground in July. The seams gave out after just 8 months of light use. I don't get why it gets so much hype when there are better options for the same price. Has anyone else had a bad experience with it or am I alone on this?

16

maxm63•1mo ago

Just realized why my tent always felt damp in the morning

Camped at Harriman State Park last weekend and woke up to condensation inside my tent. Turns out I was pitching it too close to the lake, no wind to dry off the fly.

29

bettymurphy•1mo ago

Just realized my tent footprint was doing more harm than good

Used to always put a thick tarp under my tent to keep the floor clean. After a wet trip to Desolation Wilderness last June, I had water pooled under the tent because the tarp stuck out past the edges. A guy at the REI in Reno told me footprints should be cut smaller than the tent floor so rain runs off instead of collecting. Has anyone else dealt with water getting trapped under their setup?

24

cora400•1mo ago

That old two-burner coleman stove i inherited still works better than my new fancy one.

My dad's 1970s Coleman stove lights up in the wind without a fuss, but my new $150 propane stove sputters out if a tree branch moves wrong. Anyone else notice the older gear just holds up better without all the extra parts to break?

13

jana_davis90•1mo ago

TIL most people are washing their sleeping bags wrong

I was at a campground near Portland last weekend and overheard someone bragging about tossing their down bag in the wash with regular detergent. That's basically ruining a $300 piece of gear because soap strips the natural oils from the feathers. I made that mistake myself two years ago on my old North Face bag and it never fluffed back up right. You're supposed to use a special cleaner like Nikwax or Grangers, and even then you gotta dry it on low with tennis balls for like 4 hours. The guy didn't believe me until I showed him the clumpy spots on my bag. Why do people assume camping gear works the same as regular laundry?