c/camping-gear-reviews

Warning: I thought those single wall titanium mugs were a dumb trend for years

For the longest time, I stuck with my old reliable enamel mug from a thrift store. I figured a $50 titanium cup was just for people who wanted to show off. Then, on a five day trip in the White Mountains last fall, my friend brought one. I saw him boil water right in it over his stove, drink his coffee, and then pack it away without a second thought. No handle to burn, it weighed nothing, and it didn't hold smells. I borrowed it one morning and the heat spread was so even my coffee didn't get that weird burnt taste. I finally bought one myself, a 450ml model, and it's the only cup I pack now. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they wrote off for way too long?

My buddy swore by a 20 degree bag for Colorado but I froze

My friend Jake told me his 20 degree sleeping bag was perfect for summer in the Rockies, so I bought one for a trip near Breckenridge. Night temps dropped into the 30s and I was so cold I barely slept. Turns out his idea of 'summer' is August, and I went in June. Anyone have a solid bag rec for early season mountain camping?

I was packing my tent wrong for years and only found out on a windy night in Moab

I was camping near Moab last fall when a big wind came up around 2 AM. My tent was flapping so loud I thought it would rip. I got out to check the guy lines and saw the problem. For years, I just staked the corners straight down. That night, I saw the rainfly was loose and the whole structure was wobbling. A guy at the next site came over to help. He showed me how to pull the lines out at a 45 degree angle from the tent, not straight down. He said, 'You need to pull the fabric tight, not just pin it to the ground.' We re-staked it and the tent went quiet. I felt pretty dumb. I had been setting up my old Kelty the lazy way for maybe ten trips. How did you learn to properly stake out your tent?

A sudden downpour in the Smokies made me rethink my whole rain gear setup.

I got caught in a storm near Clingmans Dome last fall, and my old jacket soaked through in about 20 minutes. I ended up having to cut my trip short and dry everything out at a motel in Gatlinburg. What's the best truly waterproof jacket you've actually tested in bad weather?

Bought a 'waterproof' tent from a big box store and it failed on night one

I got a 4-person tent for $80 at a store in Eugene last fall, thinking it was a good deal. The first time it rained, water came right through the floor seam near the door. I woke up with a wet sleeping bag and had to pack up at 3 AM. Has anyone found a cheap tent that actually keeps the water out?

Vent: My $150 'ultralight' sleeping pad popped on a rock in the Adirondacks and I spent the night on the ground.

I'm never trusting a 2.5 R-value pad for late October camping again, so what's a good insulated pad that can actually handle some rough ground?

Overheard a guy at the trailhead say his $20 foam pad from 2012 is still his favorite piece of gear

It made me realize I've been chasing expensive upgrades for years, but maybe the simple, reliable stuff you already own and trust is the real win, so what's the oldest piece of gear you still use and love?

I finally figured out why my sleeping bag always felt damp in the morning...

It took a wet trip to the Red River Gorge for me to realize I was storing it wrong. I kept it rolled tight in its stuff sack for weeks, and a buddy said 'you're crushing the loft, man.' Anyone have a better way to store a synthetic bag long term?

Pro tip: I stopped trusting those 'all-in-one' camp stoves after a cold night in the Sawtooths

I used to pack a single bulky unit that promised to boil, fry, and bake, but it failed at 9,000 feet when the piezo igniter got damp. Now I carry a simple gas canister stove and a separate lighter, which hasn't let me down in two full seasons. Anyone have a reliable cold-weather stove they actually swear by?

Question about packing a camp kitchen now vs. ten years ago

I used to bring a full plastic bin with a two-burner stove, pots, and a mess kit for every weekend trip to the Smokies... but after a rainy hike in 2019 where I had to dry everything for days, I switched to a single titanium pot and a small gas stove that fits in my pack. Has anyone else cut down their kitchen gear and found it actually makes cooking easier?

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

I keep a little log in my gear box, and I just added up the nights from the last six years. It's a basic two-person dome from a big box store, the kind you'd buy for a first trip. I've used it from the Oregon coast to the Utah desert, through wind and a few surprise downpours. The zippers are getting stiff and there's a patch on the fly, but the floor hasn't leaked yet. I fully expected it to fall apart after maybe 50 trips. Anyone else have a piece of cheap gear that just refuses to die?

My tent flooded in a surprise downpour at Lake Tahoe

I was camping at Fallen Leaf Lake last year and a storm rolled in fast. I woke up at 2 AM with a cold puddle under my sleeping bag because my cheap tent's floor seam gave out. The next day, I spent $180 on a tent with a higher hydrostatic head rating and taped seams. Anyone have a favorite trick for a quick ground check before you pitch for the night?

I finally tried that 'use a carabiner for your water bottle' tip on a hike near Bend.

It slipped off my pack three times before lunch, so I learned that not all gear hacks are created equal. Anyone have a better way to keep a Nalgene from bouncing around on a scramble?

Hot take: my old canvas tent from 2005 is still more waterproof than my new 'tech' one.

I got caught in a downpour near Lake Tahoe last month and my fancy new tent with the special coating started leaking after about 20 minutes, while my dad's old canvas one I brought as a backup stayed bone dry the whole night, which made me wonder if we're just paying for marketing instead of real improvements.

My tent zipper blew out in a storm near Moab and I had to get creative

I was in a canyon outside Moab last spring when a sudden wind gust ripped the main door zipper right off my 3-person dome tent. I ended up using a roll of heavy-duty duct tape and some spare cord to basically sew the door flap shut for the night. Has anyone else had a major tent failure and what was your on-the-spot fix?

I used to think a cheap tarp was fine for a ground cloth

I was at a campsite near Bend last fall and saw a guy using a heavy duty polycro sheet under his tent. He told me, 'This thing weighs 4 ounces and packs to nothing, and it's kept my tent floor dry through three Oregon winters.' I bought a piece for $15 and used it on a rainy weekend in the Cascades. My tent floor stayed bone dry while my buddy's cheap blue tarp just pooled water underneath. Anyone have a favorite brand for these thin ground sheets?

I finally got my old Whisperlite stove working after a guy at the trailhead gave me one tip

I was at the trailhead for the Enchantments last fall, trying to get my stove to light before a cold night. This older guy saw me struggling and walked over. He just said, 'Try pumping it 30 times, then wait a full minute before you light it.' I did exactly that, and it fired right up on the first try. Has anyone else had a simple trick save a piece of gear like that?

Pro tip: My Coleman lantern went from a sputtering mess to a steady glow in under a minute.

I cleaned the generator tube with a pin after it sat for a season, and the difference was instant. Has anyone else found a simple fix that saved a piece of gear from the junk pile?

I finally listened to a friend who said my tent reviews were missing a key detail

He pointed out I never mention how long it takes to pack the thing up wet, which is huge after a rainy weekend. Now I always do a timed wet-pack test and report the minutes it adds.

Shoutout to the old Coleman stove I found at a garage sale in Boise. Used it on a 4 day trip and it boiled water faster than my newer one.

Got caught in a surprise downpour on the Skyline Trail last fall.

My old rain jacket soaked through in like 20 minutes, and I was freezing. I ended up buying a new one from a brand I never tried before, and it's been solid. What's your go-to piece of gear for really wet weather?

My buddy told me to never trust a cheap sleeping bag's temp rating, and he was dead on.

I bought a '20 degree' bag for $40 online before a trip to the Adirondacks last fall. The first night it got down to about 35, and I was freezing, like shivering all night. I mean, the rating was a total lie, it felt more like a 50-degree bag. Has anyone else had a specific brand or model completely fail you like that?

A park ranger in Yosemite told me my 'all-season' sleeping bag was a bad idea for fall, and he was right.

I was up there last October, bragging about my 20-degree bag that I use year-round. He just shook his head and said, 'That rating is for survival, not comfort. You're gonna have a cold, miserable night.' I argued, but it dropped to 28 that night and I was shivering by 2 AM. He explained that the comfort rating is usually 10-15 degrees higher than the survival rating, which I never really thought about. I always just looked at the big number on the tag. Now I'm looking at a proper 10-degree bag for anything below 40. Has anyone else had a similar wake-up call about gear ratings?

Rant: I see everyone praising those $300 ultralight tents, but mine ripped in a light windstorm.

Spent a ton on a brand name model for a trip in the Adirondacks, and a seam just gave out. Has anyone else had a high-end tent fail on them like that?

My tent zipper broke in a downpour on Mount Hood

I was up near Timberline Lodge last October when a surprise storm rolled in. The main door zipper on my 3-person tent just gave out halfway through the night, letting in a cold spray of rain. I spent the next two hours holding the flap shut with one hand and trying to sleep sitting up. The next morning, everything in the vestibule was soaked. Has anyone else had a tent fail like that, and what did you do to fix it on the spot?