c/camping-gear-reviews

Shoutout to the Coleman lantern that took me an hour to figure out

Couldn't get the mantle to stay lit in the wind at Joshua Tree, and the fix was way simpler than I thought. Anyone have a go-to trick for dealing with that?

I finally figured out why my tent was always damp inside

For years, I blamed condensation on the weather until a ranger in Yosemite pointed out I was pitching my rainfly way too tight. He said a small air gap is needed, and after trying it, my gear stayed dry. Anyone else been taught wrong about fly tension?

My cousin's dog ate my new sleeping pad and I'm not even mad

I was showing off my fancy new insulated pad at a family BBQ last weekend. My cousin's lab, Buster, sniffed it once and then just took a huge bite right out of the middle. My cousin just shrugged and said, "Guess it wasn't tough enough for real wilderness testing." It hit different because he was totally right, I was babying gear meant to be used. Anyone have a rec for a truly bombproof pad? No fancy colors needed.

Rant: People keep buying the wrong size tent for their actual group

I've seen three friends this summer get a '4-person' tent that barely fits two people and their gear because they didn't check the floor dimensions. Has anyone else had to help a buddy squeeze into a tent that was clearly mislabeled?

My old canvas tent from 2012 finally gave up the ghost after a windy night in the Adirondacks, forcing me into a modern nylon replacement.

The switch from that heavy, leak-prone 8-pound canvas to a 3-pound silnylon shelter cut my pack weight drastically and completely changed how I plan multi-day hikes, so what's the one piece of gear you held onto for way too long?

Just hit 500 nights in the same tent

I bought a basic two-person tent from a big box store for about $80 six years ago, thinking it would last a season or two. I've used it for everything from weekend trips in the White Mountains to a two-week stay in a state park. I logged the 500th night last month and the only thing I've replaced is a single pole section. I always thought you needed to spend a lot more to get something that lasts. Has anyone else had a cheap piece of gear totally outlive your expectations?

Finally got my tent setup time under 5 minutes after a weekend in the Adirondacks

I used to fumble with the poles and rainfly for at least 15 minutes every single trip, getting super frustrated. This past trip, I practiced the exact order from a YouTube video three times in my backyard, and it just clicked. What's one piece of gear you've gotten way faster at using with a bit of focused practice?

I dropped $150 on a 'universal' camp stove fuel converter that ended up being a total paperweight.

The adapter promised to let my old Coleman stove run on any fuel canister, but after three frustrating trips trying to get a stable flame, I just gave up and bought the proper fuel. Anyone have a better solution for mismatched gear?

I finally ditched my heavy 4-season tent for most trips

For years I thought my old Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 was the only tent I'd ever need, even for summer in the Sierra. It's a tank, but last July I did a 3-day loop near Mammoth and realized I was carrying 2 extra pounds for no reason. I switched to a lighter 3-season tent and haven't looked back. Anyone else feel like they over-prepared with gear for too long?

Vent: My buddy swore his $20 stove was just as good as my Jetboil

He spent 15 minutes trying to boil a liter of water in the wind last weekend. Anyone else get tired of the 'all gear is the same' talk?

Camping in Olympic National Park and my tent zipper gave out on night three

TIL those cheap solar lanterns from the discount store are a total scam

I bought one for $12 thinking it would be fine for a weekend trip. It barely held a charge overnight, even after sitting in full sun all day. By the second evening, the light was so dim I couldn't see my hands. Ended up using my phone flashlight and wasting battery. What's a good lantern under $30 that actually works?

I always packed my tent bag way too tight until a buddy in Bend pointed it out

We were packing up after a trip in the Oregon high desert and he watched me basically wrestle my tent back into its stuff sack. He just said, 'Dude, you're gonna wreck the waterproof coating doing that.' I had no idea that creasing the fabric that hard could actually damage it. Now I just roll it loosely and strap it to the outside of my pack. Anyone else have a simple trick that saves your gear from wear and tear?

I finally understand the hype around a good sleeping pad

For years I just used a cheap foam pad from a big box store and thought it was fine. Last month on a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the temperature dropped way more than forecasted. I spent a miserable night feeling every rock and root through that thin pad, shivering on the cold ground. The next day I bought a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite and it was like sleeping on a cloud, warm and comfortable. Has anyone else had a gear upgrade that completely changed your camping comfort?

Got caught in a surprise downpour on the Lost Coast Trail and my old tent failed. What's a good 3-season tent for heavy rain under $250?

Honestly, I never realized my sleeping pad's R-value was basically useless until I froze my butt off on a 20-degree night in the White Mountains.

Tbh, the guy at the gear shop in North Conway said my old pad was rated for comfort around 40 degrees, not survival, which explained everything after I checked the tag with a flashlight at 3 AM.

My cheap tent zipper gave out in a downpour near Lake Tahoe

I was camping near the lake last fall when a big storm rolled in overnight. The main door zipper on my old tent just jammed and then the teeth split open about halfway up. Water started pouring in right onto my sleeping bag. I ended up having to use a roll of duct tape from my kit to seal the flap shut from the outside. Has anyone else had a tent fail like that, and what did you do to fix it on the spot?

Update: My Coleman lantern has been a total mosquito magnet for years.

Took it camping in the Ozarks last weekend. My buddy pointed out the bright white light was the problem. Switched to a yellow bulb he had. The bugs just vanished. How did I not know this? What other basic gear mistakes am I making?

Pro tip: I started using a cheap shower cap for my camp stove.

Keeps the burner clean from pine needles and dirt when it's packed. Saw it on a forum for a trip to the Sawtooths last year. Anyone else have a weird but effective piece of gear like that?

Trying to get the rainfly on my new 4-person tent in the dark took me 45 minutes of pure frustration.

I thought I had practiced setting it up in my yard, but the elastic cord was twisted and I had to take the whole thing down twice before I got it right, so has anyone found a good headlamp that actually lights up the whole tent area?

Unpopular opinion: my $300 ultralight tent poles snapped in a mild Colorado breeze last month, and I had to use my emergency blanket as a makeshift shelter.

Has anyone else had a high-end piece of gear fail spectacularly under what should have been normal conditions?

A buddy told me my tent was set up wrong for years and he was right

We were camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains and he pointed out I never pulled the rainfly taut enough. He said, 'If it's flapping, it's not working,' and showed me how to really crank the tensioners. I tried it that night and the wind noise dropped by half. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a gear habit?

Pro tip: My old 20-degree sleeping bag kept me warm down to 15 degrees last weekend in the Adirondacks.

I always figured the rating was a best-case scenario, but waking up cozy when the frost was thick on the tent really made me rethink how I shop for gear based on specs alone, so has anyone else had a piece of kit wildly outperform its numbers?

Finally figured out why my tent was always damp inside, a problem that took me three whole camping seasons to solve.

I kept waking up with condensation on the inside of the rainfly and thought it was a leak. Checked seams, re-waterproofed the whole thing, nothing worked. Turns out I was setting up my tent in a slight depression near a creek at my usual spot in the Adirondacks, basically camping in a cold air sink. Moved my site about fifty feet up a gentle slope last weekend and woke up completely dry. How did I not know about site selection for condensation? What's the most basic camping thing you missed for way too long?

Got roasted for my tent setup in the rain last fall

My buddy from Bend saw me just throw a tarp over my tent fly during a downpour in the Gifford Pinchot. He said, 'Coleman, that's just funneling water straight down the sides.' He was right, my floor was soaked. I bought a proper rainfly with a 6-inch ground gap and used it on a trip two months ago. It stayed bone dry through a whole night of rain. Anyone have a favorite trick for wet weather besides just a good fly?