c/camping-gear-reviews

Overheard a guy at the REI in Boulder say his $300 sleeping bag was 'too warm' for summer in the Rockies.

It made me realize I've been packing my 15-degree bag for every trip out of habit, even when the forecast says 60 at night, so has anyone else found a good, light summer bag they actually use?

PSA: I almost got caught in a flash flood because I trusted my old rain gear.

For a decade I just used a basic poncho from a gas station, but last spring in the Smokies it soaked through in 20 minutes. I switched to a proper Gore-Tex shell and it's a total lifesaver. Anyone else have a piece of gear they upgraded after a close call?

My old Coleman lantern just hit 30 years of use last weekend

Found the original box in my dad's garage with a 1994 price tag of $29.99. Thing still lights up first try, which is more than I can say for the fancy battery powered one I bought last year. Anyone else have a piece of gear that just refuses to quit?

Shoutout to the ranger at Crater Lake who told me to ditch my heavy pack

He pointed at my 65-liter bag and said, 'You're carrying your fears, not your gear.' Has anyone else had a piece of advice completely change how you pack?

PSA: My brother insisted a 20-degree bag was fine for the Adirondacks in October

He said I was overthinking it and that his old synthetic bag had always been enough. Woke up at 3 AM on the second night near Lake Placid shivering hard, even with my base layers on. Anyone have a good down bag recommendation that actually lives up to its temp rating?

Rant: I picked a cheap foam pad over an expensive inflatable one for my week in the Smokies and I'm not sorry

My camp stove basically exploded on a trip to the Red River Gorge

Honestly, it was a mess. Last weekend, my old two-burner propane stove started leaking fuel right at the connection. I tried to tighten it, but the whole valve assembly just cracked open with a loud hiss. Had to chuck the whole unit into a bucket of water we had for washing dishes, which was not fun with three hungry kids staring at me. Ended up cooking everything over the fire for the rest of the trip, which took forever. Ngl, I'm in the market for something way more reliable now. Anyone have a solid stove recommendation that can handle getting bumped around in the car?

I keep seeing people recommend the same 3-season sleeping bag for high-altitude trips in Colorado. That's a good way to get cold.

Specifically, I see folks on here saying their 20-degree bag is fine for summer in the Rockies. Spent a night at 11,000 feet near Leadville in July, and the temp dropped to 28. My 20-degree bag was miserable. The rating is a survival limit, not a comfort rating. You need a bag rated at least 10 degrees lower than the expected low. How do you all adjust your bag picks for elevation?

My old tent finally hit 200 nights of use and I'm shocked it's still dry

Part of me says a quality shelter should last forever, but another part thinks modern gear is meant to be replaced. This is a basic 3-person dome I bought for $120 back in 2015. Has anyone else pushed a piece of gear WAY past its expected lifespan?

I just learned my old sleeping bag is rated for way colder temps than I thought

I was cleaning out my gear closet and finally looked up the model number of my North Face Cat's Meow bag from 2015. The tag says it's a 20-degree bag, but the archived spec sheet online lists the EN comfort rating at 32 degrees. I've been freezing my butt off for years thinking I was pushing its limits at 25 degrees. Has anyone else had a bag that was marketed way more aggressively than its actual rating?

Update: I thought those 'emergency bivvy' bags were just a gimmick until a trip in the Gifford Pinchot

I bought a cheap one on a whim for like $8, thinking it was just more junk to fill my pack. It's basically a big orange plastic bag, right? Well, a sudden storm rolled in during a solo overnight near Mount Adams last fall, and my tent's rain fly tore on a branch. I was getting soaked and cold fast. Out of pure desperation, I crawled into that bivvy bag. I was fully expecting to just be a wet person in a plastic bag, but the thing actually worked. It trapped my body heat so well that I stayed warm enough to get through the night, even with damp clothes on. It was noisy and felt weird, but it did the job when my main gear failed. Has anyone else had a piece of cheap backup gear save them in a real pinch?

My new sleeping pad popped on its first night out near Moab...

I got a fancy inflatable pad that said it was good for desert camping. Set it up on a clear spot, no rocks I could see. Woke up at 3 AM on the hard ground, it had a slow leak from a tiny cactus spine I missed. Learned that 'puncture resistant' doesn't mean 'cactus proof'... What's a really tough pad for rough ground like that?

Just figured out my cheap sleeping bag was costing me more than a good one

I froze my butt off on a trip to the Adirondacks last fall, so I finally dropped $200 on a proper down bag rated for 20 degrees. I've slept warm three trips in a row now and didn't need to buy a bunch of extra layers to make up for it. How much money have you wasted trying to fix bad gear instead of just getting the right thing first?

My tent pole snapped in a storm on Mount Hood

Honestly, I was on a solo trip near Timberline Lodge when a surprise wind gust hit around midnight. One of my main tent poles just broke in half, and the rain fly started flapping like crazy. I had to use a spare ski strap and some duct tape from my repair kit to splint it back together. It held for the rest of the night, but I was pretty nervous the whole time. Has anyone else had a pole fail on them, and what's a better fix to carry?

Looking at my old gear pile from a trip to the Redwoods in 2021

Back then I had a huge, heavy canvas tent that took forever to dry out. Now my pack holds a simple one person shelter that sets up in under five minutes. Anyone else keep a piece of old gear around just to remember how far things have come?

Honestly, setting up my new 3-person tent in the dark took me 45 minutes

The instructions were useless and the pole sleeves were way too tight. Has anyone else had this much trouble with a 'quick pitch' design?

My old canvas tent from 1998 finally gave up the ghost in a downpour near Bend

I was on a three day trip and a seam just ripped open, letting in a ton of water and soaking my sleeping bag. It made me realize how much lighter and faster modern tents are to set up, even if they don't have that same heavy feel. What's the most reliable 3-season tent you've used that can actually handle a surprise storm?

Showerthought: People keep buying the biggest tent they can carry

I used a tiny 2-person tent on a 5-day trip and slept better than ever because I wasn't in a wind tunnel. Everyone seems to think more space equals more comfort, but a smaller tent is warmer and quieter. Anyone else find they actually prefer a cozy shelter?

Cleaned my old camp stove for the first time in 5 years and the weight change blew my mind

I finally got around to cleaning my basic two-burner propane stove that I've used for ages. After scraping off all the old grease and gunk from the grates and drip tray, I weighed it on my kitchen scale. It was a full 1.2 pounds lighter than before I started. I never thought built-up crud could add that much heft to a piece of gear I carry on every trip. Has anyone else had a simple clean-up make a real difference in pack weight?

Finally got my sleeping bag rating to match real weather after years of getting it wrong

For years I thought a 20 degree bag meant you'd be fine at 20 degrees. Nope. That's the survival rating, not the comfort rating. I froze my butt off on a trip to the White Mountains last fall with a bag rated for 30. The tag said 'comfort limit' but I didn't read the fine print. Now I know you need to subtract at least 10, maybe 15 degrees from the number on the bag to know where you'll actually sleep warm. I bought a 10 degree bag for winter camping and it's perfect for nights around 20. How do you all figure out what bag to bring for a forecast?

Hot take: I spent $80 on a 'universal' tent pole repair sleeve that snapped on its first use.

It was a cheap aluminum alloy, not the steel it claimed to be, and my tent collapsed in a light wind at Lake Tahoe. Anyone know a brand that actually makes durable ones?

My cousin warned me about those cheap propane cylinder adapters...

He said, 'Don't skimp, get the brass one from a real brand.' I bought a generic aluminum one online for $8 instead. It started leaking at the threads on my second trip to the Pine Barrens last fall, right as I was trying to boil water. Had to pack up and head to town for a new one. Anyone have a specific brand of adapter they've used for years without any trouble?

TIL my old 20-degree bag is a furnace now compared to my friend's new 30-degree one

We camped at Lake Tahoe last week and I was sweating while she was freezing, so I guess the old rating system is just a suggestion. Anyone else find modern temp ratings way less accurate than gear from a decade ago?

Appreciation post: I thought the 'ultralight' tent craze was just hype

I bought a Durston X-Mid 2 tent for a 5-day trip in the White Mountains last fall, fully expecting it to be flimsy. After a solid night of wind and rain, I woke up bone dry and the thing hadn't even flinched. The whole setup is under 3 pounds and packs down smaller than my old sleeping bag. It completely changed my mind on cutting weight. Anyone have a similar story with gear you thought was just a gimmick?

A quick heads up about those new 'ultra-light' backpacking stoves

I tested three different models last month on a trip near Bend, and all of them failed to boil a liter of water in under 8 minutes with even a slight breeze. The fuel efficiency claims are way off, and you'll end up carrying more canisters. Has anyone found a reliable brand that actually performs as advertised in real conditions?