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c/camping-gear-reviews

17

henderson.kim•1d ago

Hot take: Are tent footprint reviews actually useful or just marketing fluff?

I was up at Glacier National Park last weekend. Set up my tent in a muddy spot near the trailhead. Had my footprint underneath. Kept the tent clean but honestly I'm not sure it did much else. The ground was soft and rocky in places. A friend nearby had no footprint and his tent was fine after a good wipe down. Her tent didn't leak or tear. Makes me wonder if these expensive branded footprints are worth it compared to just using a cheap tarp. Or none at all if the site is decent. What's your take? Do you always bring a footprint or skip it?

5

victor_adams95•1d ago

Bought a $250 tent that barely made it through one rainy weekend

I grabbed this big brand three season tent last summer thinking it was a steal. First night out near Lake Tahoe, a steady drizzle started and within an hour water was seeping through the floor. Woke up with my sleeping bag soaked and had to cut the trip short after just two days. Ended up returning it for store credit and lost $50 on the restocking fee. Anyone else get burned by a tent that looked waterproof but wasn't?

9

iris_burns•3d ago

Serious question, why did it take me 10 years to figure out my sleeping pad was upside down?

Last trip in Shenandoah, I woke up with my hip digging into the ground again, and a guy at the site next to me asked if I knew my pad's valve side was meant to go under my shoulders. Has anyone else spent years just assuming all pads are the same on both sides?

7

blairwhite•3d ago

Is cold weather sleeping bag temp rating real or just marketing?

I was talking to my buddy Dave last weekend after a 28 degree night in Shenandoah where my 30 degree bag left me shivering, and he said most ratings are survival temps not comfort temps. He swears by adding 15 degrees to whatever the bag says, but I've met guys who run hot and say their bags are fine. So which side do you lean on, do you trust the tag or add a buffer?

6

the_gavin•4d ago

Shoutout to the guy at REI who told me to ditch my inflatable pad for foam

I spent three nights last summer in the Smokies waking up at 2 AM with my hip digging into the dirt because my Therm-a-Rest had a slow leak I couldn't find. Randy, the 60 year old REI employee in Knoxville, said just get a Z Lite Sol and stop messing with air. I argued with him for 10 minutes about weight and packed size. Finally gave in after patching that damn pad for the fourth time. The foam pad is noisier and takes up more room but I sleep through the whole night now. Has anyone else had better luck with foam over inflatable?

0

reese_singh87•6d ago

Hit 50 nights in my tent this year and my back finally gave up on the old sleeping pad

I never counted before but hitting 50 nights made me realize my $40 pad was wrecking my sleep and now I'm looking at spending at least $150 on an upgrade has anyone else hit a number that forced a gear change?

6

henry_webb68•7d ago

Went back and forth between a foam pad and an inflatable sleeping pad for 3 nights in Shenandoah

I spent way too long debating whether to bring my closed-cell foam pad or my Klymit inflatable on a trip last month. Ended up taking the inflatable because it packs smaller, but the second night I woke up on the ground with a slow leak. Had to patch it with duct tape, and the foam pad would've been more reliable even if it's bulkier. Anyone else given up on inflatables for multi-day trips?

26

henry_webb68•7d ago

Hit 80 miles on my trail runners and the sole started peeling

I got 80 miles out of a pair of $110 trail runners before the sole started separating on a wet rock. That's barely 8 trips to my usual spot. Anyone else have a pair fall apart way sooner than you expected?

12

lee_grant97•9d ago

I realized I was tying my tent down wrong after a windy night in Shenandoah

Woke up at 3am with my fly flapping like crazy and a puddle forming inside. Turns out I had been using the wrong knots on the guylines for 3 years, and some random hiker at the next site showed me a truckers hitch in 20 seconds. Anyone else learn a basic skill way later than they should have?

9

park.adam•12d ago

My tent stove setup took 4 hours longer than it should have

I tried to set up my new tent stove in the dark last weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park and spent 3 hours fighting with the pipe joints because I didn't realize they needed to be aligned a specific way. Has anyone else had a tent stove setup that ended up taking way longer than expected?

6

the_gavin•13d ago

Figured out the $2 tarp trick after waking up in a puddle

My tent floor got soaked after a night in Olympic National Park, so I started putting a cheap blue tarp under my tent footprint. Has anyone else tried this or found something that works better for ground moisture?

26

eva_garcia56•13d ago

Overheard a guy at REI say he tests rain jackets in the shower

I was grabbing some new tent stakes last week and heard this guy tell his buddy he literally puts his rain jacket on and stands in the shower for 5 minutes to check for leaks. Tried it with my old one and found two spots I never would have caught otherwise. Anyone else got a weird gear testing trick that actually works?

24

terryr46•15d ago

Tried using a tarp as a tent footprint and got a surprise

I was setting up camp near Lake Tahoe last month and forgot my footprint at home. Figured I'd just use a cheap blue tarp I had in the truck. Big mistake the ground was bumpy and the tarp shifted around all night, plus it held water underneath after a light rain. Learned you really gotta get the right size and material for a footprint, or just skip it altogether. Anyone else tried cutting corners with tarps and regretted it?

23

mason798•16d ago

That cheap tarp idea my buddy pushed on me actually worked out

I was dead set on buying a fancy ground cloth for my tent. My buddy said just get a basic blue tarp from the hardware store for $8. I figured it would rip or leak after one trip. Used it 12 nights so far across rocky sites in Oregon and it's totally fine. No rips, no moisture coming through, does the job just as good as the expensive ones. Anyone else skip pricey gear for simple alternatives?

10

coleman.jamie•18d ago

Tried a hammock setup vs a ground tent for 3 nights in the Smokies

I always used a tent but borrowed a buddy's hammock with a bug net and tarp last month. Woke up way less stiff and didn't have to worry about rocks or roots at all. Anyone else switch for good after trying it out?

14

campbell.robin•19d ago

Warning: stop using cheap tent stakes in rocky soil

Was out at Joshua Tree last month and watched a guy snap three stakes trying to hammer them into packed dirt. I told him to try the screw-in kind but he waved me off. Next morning his tent was half collapsed from the wind and he was pissed. How many times do people need to learn this the hard way before they stop buying those 99 cent aluminum stakes?

1

king.lisa•19d ago

I finally took that reviewer's advice about my sleeping pad

Some guy on a forum told me my old pad had an R-value of 1.8 and I was basically sleeping on ice. I switched to a 3.5 R-value pad and woke up warm for the first time in 2 years. Has anyone else ignored gear specs and regretted it?

27

charlesowens•19d ago

Figured out a strap trick for my tent last weekend that saved me 20 minutes

I always struggle getting my tent bag tight enough to fit back in the stuff sack, especially after a rainy trip when everything bulges. Last weekend I tried rolling the tent with the poles inside and cinching the straps from both ends instead of just one side, and it packed down way smaller. Anybody else got a weird method for squeezing a wet tent into its bag?

11

cooper.viola•19d ago

Serious question, does anyone actually use a hydration bladder for day hikes or is it overkill?

I've been going back and forth on this for months. On a 6 mile hike last weekend up Mt. Tam, I used a 2 liter Camelbak and honestly it felt like a lot of extra weight sloshing around when a couple of water bottles would've done the job. But then I also hate stopping to pull a bottle out of my pack. So which side are you on for shorter hikes under 8 miles - hydration bladders worth it or just unnecessary gear?

31

wells.brooke•21d ago

Hit 2,000 miles on my sleeping bag and it finally gave out

I bought a Kelty Cosmic 20 back in 2019 and used it for almost every trip since. Last weekend I noticed the zipper started skipping teeth and the down was clumping badly near the footbox. I counted up my trip logs and realized I'd used that bag for exactly 2,017 miles of backpacking across Oregon and Washington. It was a solid run, but now I need a replacement fast before my next trip to the Three Sisters in June. Has anyone else had a bag fall apart right around the 2,000 mile mark?

4

willowc60•21d ago

That $80 Coleman stove I bought is basically a paperweight now

I picked up this Coleman 2-burner propane stove at Dick's Sporting Goods back in May, thought I was getting a deal since it was marked down from $120. First trip out to Lake Wenatchee, the regulator started hissing after about 20 minutes of cooking burgers. Then one of the burner knobs literally melted a little when I had it on medium heat, not even high. I tried contacting Coleman customer service but they wanted a receipt and photos and all that hassle, plus a $15 shipping fee just to look at it. After 3 weekends of dealing with a stove that barely works, I tossed it in the garage and grabbed an old 2-burner from a yard sale for $15 that runs like a dream. Anyone else have their Coleman stuff fall apart way faster than it should? Maybe I just got a lemon but it burns me up (pun intended) thinking about that $80.

22

miles54•22d ago

Tried those fancy titanium camping cups and burned my lip off

Ngl, I thought spending $35 on a lightweight titanium cup would make me feel like a pro camper, but that thing conducts heat like crazy. Took one sip of my morning coffee and instantly regretted not using my old plastic mug. Has anyone else switched back to cheap gear after a bad experience?

27

the_robert•22d ago

The $80 sleeping pad that turned into a raft

Bought this fancy inflatable pad from REI in Denver last spring. First night out at Rocky Mountain National Park it sprung a slow leak around 2 AM. Woke up on the cold ground shivering, had to cut the trip short and drive home at 5 AM. Anyone else had bad luck with those ultra light pads?

25

luna519•23d ago

Finally gave in and bought a $15 camp chair repair kit

I've been patching my old Coleman chair with duct tape for like 3 years. Last weekend at Yosemite the tape gave out halfway through a rainy afternoon. Figured if it was $15 and it didn't work, I'd just buy a new chair. The kit came with actual fabric patches and adhesive that actually stuck after a 24 hour cure. Sat in it for 3 days straight with no issues. Has anyone else fixed old gear with those patch kits or am I just lucky?

9

the_lucas•1mo ago

Pro tip I picked up after a rainy weekend at Yosemite in June

I was camped at the Lower Pines site during a storm and watched three tents get soaked through. My cheap Coleman held up fine because I'd sprayed it with防水 sealant the night before. The guy next to me lost his sleeping bag and gear to a puddle coming in under his fly. Has anyone else had luck with the Nikwax spray vs the seam sealer tubes?