c/camping-gear-reviews

PSA: I finally gave up on my old canvas tent after a rainy weekend in the Smokies

I used a heavy 8-person canvas tent for over 5 years, thinking it was the tough, classic choice. Last weekend, a surprise storm rolled in and that thing soaked through in about an hour, and it took me two full days to dry it out afterward. I borrowed my buddy's newer 3-season nylon tent for the next trip, and it was bone dry after a similar downpour, plus it packed down to the size of a sleeping bag. The weight and dry time difference is insane. Anyone have a good nylon tent brand they swear by for wet climates?

I found a way to keep my tent floor bone dry in a downpour

Got caught in a heavy rainstorm near Lake Tahoe last fall, and my tent floor was soaked through the groundsheet. The next trip, I cut a cheap foam exercise mat from the dollar store to fit the exact floor shape of my tent. I put it under the groundsheet, and it created a perfect air gap. Woke up after another night of rain, and the inside floor was completely dry. Anyone have a better trick for dealing with wet ground?

My brother told me to just use a regular tarp for my tent footprint...

He said buying a specific footprint for my 2-person tent was a waste of money. So I grabbed a cheap blue tarp from the hardware store and cut it to size for a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. The first night of rain, the tarp pooled water underneath and the tent floor got soaked through. I spent the next day in a motel drying everything out. Has anyone else had this happen, or is there a better budget option that actually works?

I finally figured out why my tent always felt damp inside

I was camping near Lake Tahoe last fall and woke up soaked, even though it didn't rain. I realized I had my old Coleman Sundome set up right under a big pine tree. The dew was dripping off the branches all night onto the rainfly, and because I didn't use a ground tarp, the moisture just wicked up from the soil. Anyone else have a spot that always seems to trap damp air?

My tent's rainfly failed completely during a surprise storm in the Smokies last month, turning my 3-day trip into a soggy mess.

I learned the hard way that my old 'StormShield' fly's waterproof coating had worn off after about 5 seasons, so what gear do you guys trust for serious wet weather?

A cheap tent almost ruined my trip to the Sawtooths last July

I bought a '3 person' dome tent on sale for $40, thinking it would be fine for a solo trip. The first night, a light rain started around 2 AM, and within an hour, water was dripping through the fly seams right onto my sleeping bag. The floor felt damp too, like the coating was totally gone. I spent the rest of that night huddled in the middle, using my pack as a pillow to stay off the wet spots. By morning, my bag was soaked and I was freezing, even though it was July. I had to pack up and drive an hour to the nearest town to dry everything out at a laundromat. That 'bargain' cost me a whole day of hiking and almost gave me hypothermia. Has anyone else had a tent fail that badly in just a mild rain?

Finally settled the hammock vs. tent debate for my solo trips... the hammock won after a rainy weekend in the Ozarks.

My cheap camp stove almost ruined a trip in the Smokies

I bought a $25 single burner stove for a backpacking trip last fall, thinking it would be fine. The first night, it took forever to boil water for dinner, and the flame kept sputtering in the light wind. The second morning, it just wouldn't light at all, even with a fresh fuel canister. We ended up eating cold oatmeal and had no hot coffee, which was a miserable start to a chilly day. I realized I'd saved money on the gear but wasted it on the whole trip experience because a key piece failed. It felt like such a dumb mistake when a reliable stove is so important. What's a good, simple stove you've used that actually holds up in the woods?

I was packing my sleeping bag wrong for a whole decade and a cold night in the Tetons proved it.

I always just stuffed my bag into its sack, thinking it was fine. On a trip last fall, the temp dropped to 20 degrees and my old bag felt thin and cold. My friend saw me pack up and said, 'You're killing the loft by cramming it in like that.' He showed me how to gently roll it instead. So, is careful rolling actually better for warmth, or is the stuff-sack method just faster and good enough?

Shoutout to the 3-season bag I used in Colorado last fall over my old all-season one

The lighter fill and better footbox design kept me warm without the bulk, and I actually slept through the night. Anyone have a go-to for that 20-40 degree F range?

Vent: I thought those $20 emergency blankets were just shiny trash until a night in the Smokies

Got caught in a surprise cold snap and my sleeping bag wasn't enough, but that crinkly sheet actually kept me from a bad time. Anyone have a better compact backup they'd actually trust?

Showerthought: I thought those $15 emergency blankets were just shiny trash until a night in the Smokies

I always packed one because it was light, but I figured it was a gimmick. Then, on a trip last fall, my sleeping bag got soaked in a surprise downpour. The temp dropped into the 40s and I was shaking. I ripped open that crinkly silver sheet and wrapped up, fully expecting to still freeze. Man, I was wrong. Within maybe ten minutes, the shivering stopped. It didn't make me warm, but it kept what little heat I had from just leaking out. I slept through the night. It wasn't cozy, but it worked. It changed my whole view on what 'essential' gear really means. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they wrote off totally save them?

I bought a 'tactical' camping hatchet from a gas station in Flagstaff

It was a total impulse buy for $40 on a road trip, and the handle snapped clean off the first time I tried to split a small log. In my experience, you're way better off with a simple hardware store hatchet that costs half as much. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail that badly right out of the gate?

Honestly, I just threw $80 at a 'universal' tent repair kit that didn't even fix the small tear in my rainfly from a trip to the Adirondacks.

Tbh, the adhesive patches were way too stiff and peeled right off in the damp air, so has anyone found a specific brand or method that actually works for silnylon?

I was wrong about using a regular sleeping pad for winter trips

For two seasons I used my 3-season pad on cold trips, just adding a foam one under it. I'd wake up cold around 3 AM every time, even in my good bag. Last December, I finally borrowed my friend's insulated pad with an R-value of 6 for a trip near Flagstaff. The difference was crazy. I slept straight through the night, and my back was actually warm for once. The ground cold just doesn't get through like it did before. I used to think the bag did all the work, but the pad is just as important when it's below freezing. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a specific temperature where it really starts to matter?

My buddy swore by a cheap tarp from Harbor Freight for my car camping setup

I used it for a weekend in the Gifford Pinchot and a corner grommet ripped out during a light rain. Anyone know a good brand that can actually handle some weather?

My tent zipper failed completely during a downpour in the Adirondacks last fall.

I was stuck inside a flooded vestibule for two hours before I could rig a tarp over the door with paracord, so what's the most durable tent brand you've actually tested in heavy rain?

Just lost $45 on a 'universal' tent pole repair sleeve that didn't fit anything I own

Finally tested my old wool blanket against a modern sleeping bag liner on a chilly night in the Adirondacks.

The liner added maybe 10 degrees of warmth without the bulk, and it packed down to nothing. Anyone have a good liner brand that's actually durable after a few seasons?

Warning: People keep buying the wrong size propane tank for their camp stoves

I see so many folks at the store grabbing the big 20-pound tanks for a weekend trip, which is a huge pain to pack and way too much fuel. For a two-person trip of three days, a 5-pound tank is more than enough and saves a ton of space in the car. Has anyone else switched to smaller tanks and noticed how much easier it is?

Just realized my old sleeping bag was basically a trash bag with zippers

I used this cheap bag for years, thinking it was fine because I only camped in summer. Then I went to the White Mountains in early October last year and froze. I mean, shivering all night, wearing every piece of clothing I had. I finally spent the money on a decent 20-degree down bag. The first trip with it was a total game changer. I was actually warm, and the thing packs down to the size of a football, not a duffel bag. It's crazy how much misery I put up with just because I was being cheap. What's a piece of gear you upgraded that made you wonder how you ever managed before?

My new camp stove's regulator gave out in the middle of making coffee at Lake Tahoe

It was a Coleman Triton 2-burner, only about 8 months old. The flame just sputtered and died, and I couldn't get it to relight no matter what. I ended up having to use my backup single-burner butane stove for the rest of the trip. Has anyone else had a regulator fail that quickly on a fairly new stove?

I thought those little waterproof match cases were a total gimmick until mine saved a wet weekend in the Adirondacks.

My buddy's lighter failed in a downpour, but the matches from my $8 Coghlan's case lit our stove on the first strike, so what other cheap gear is actually worth its weight?

The Great Camp Stove Fuel Mix-Up at Lake Tahoe

I was up at Lake Tahoe last month and saw something that made me laugh and cringe. Three different groups at the campground were trying to use the wrong fuel in their stoves. One guy had a classic white gas stove but was trying to force a green propane canister into it, swearing the threads were 'just a little tight'. Another group had a brand new iso-butane stove and were pouring liquid white gas from a metal bottle into the little screw-on canister, saying they wanted to 'save money'. I had to step in before someone started a real fire. It matters because using the wrong fuel can wreck your stove, start a blaze, or just leave you with cold beans. I know because my buddy melted the valve on his Jetboil doing this exact thing two years ago. It cost him eighty bucks to replace. Do you guys carry a cheat sheet or something to remember which fuel goes with which stove?

My new tent's rainfly ripped open during a storm in the Adirondacks because the guyline tensioners were junk plastic.

I had to patch the 8-inch tear with a gear repair kit and tie off to a tree with paracord, so check those little parts before you trust them in bad weather, and has anyone else had a tent fail because of a cheap tensioner?