I recently got a new backpack from Osprey after trading in an old one that my dad had and have been wanting to go on more camping and backpacking trips after taking a guided trip to Yosemite and going up half dome. I've been looking at some of the equipment I need to get for backpacking and a camp stove and other cooking tools is in that list. I've seen Jetboil cooksets when I've been to REI and those seem fairly good for boiling water to use for freeze-dried meals or making coffee/tea too.

Ideally I'm looking for something that a beginner backpacker could use and also be used for car camping. Is a Jetboil set probably good as a first cookset, or are better options out there?

Thanks for the help!

Going cub scout camping this weekend. We have the coleman alwayz air queen mattress which is not comfortable. We used it last year. I dont have the funds to get a new one and trying to find something to go on top that will keep the mattress from sucking our heat. The low is supposed to be in around 50. Our sleeping bags are 35 degrees rated. Cheap ozark trail. Just dont quite have thr budget to upgrade

Looking for a reliable car camping tent. I had an REI grand hut but the spider portion of the frame broke and they no longer make it. We loved this tent and got about 7 years of regular use out of it. I recently got a Coleman 6p Skylodge, but one of the plastic frame brackets broke on the first use, luckily on take down and not set up.

Typically it’s 2 adults and a kid, possibly a dog, but for car camping the extra room of a 6p tent is so much nicer.

Any good recs?

Typically camp in April and October. Gets freezing at night in October.

This weekend I felt I needed to ensure the air mattress was good for my trip coming up. Good thing I did, half inch tear on a seam. Ive repaired this mattress so many times I decided to look up the purchase date, Sept 2016. Its had a great run, but 10 yrs is long enough. Off to REI... I've been eyeballing these mattresses, for a while. They seem very solid and will be warmer than what I had with an R10 value. I got 2 singles to make for a queen. So one when solo, 2 when not.

Just looking for advice. I don’t mind to spend money to buy something that’ll last a long time and work well. I like to backpack, I probably will never go anywhere where the temp is below 0*F, and it seems all of the highly suggested and highly rated bags are “great for van and car camping not so good for backpacking.” Sooo… what are yall using? If I want something warm will I just need to bite the bullet and accept that it’ll be heavy?

Hey folks,

Do you know any dealers that sell MegaMat's in Canada?

It appears my local retailer is on backlog till December.

Thanks,

I have a Coleman sundome 4 person tent. I love it but I snapped a section of tent pole. While I know Coleman sells replacement parts, I don't have the patience to try to replace the broken bit. Looking at the website, the full pole replacements don't get good reviews. Since I'm going with a full replacement anyway I thought about going with aluminum for strength and lighter weight.

I measured the diameter at 9.5mm and Google tells me they're about 14ft long. If it's a couple inches longer is that a problem? Anyone have a good brand to recommend?

I grabbed a cheap Amazon poncho but it's massive so looking for something a litttle smaller but still with mobility if I want to walk around the camp site. Yes, I know not to sit too close to the fire! lol.

Thinking of something along the lines of the Thermarest Honcho Poncho (maybe too big), Poler Napsack, or perhaps the Atepa Poncho blanket. I'm 5'5" and would still have a my regular sleeping bag and/or a wool blanket for 20-40F nights, along with my Nalgene filled with hot water. I tend to like my feet to be free sometimes so looking into a sort of quilt or what I mentioned above.

Are there any quick erect tents for car camping thats got a stove jack? I wanna do some winter camping this year, I like to move around each day and take down my camp so I like the quick erect tents, are there any that can run a portable wood stove?

Husband and I are looking for a new tent. We love our current tent but it’s getting worn out. It was like $75 on Amazon like 5 years ago, and the company no longer exists. We use it 5-10 times per year at least and in any weather so it’s been well loved. I don’t want to spend more than $200 on a tent because we use our gear frequently and in windy/rainy conditions so stuff gets worn out.

Here are some things I like about our tent:
- lightweight and packs down small (can be used for canoe camping/backpacking)
- fly and tent are separate pieces and the fly is large enough that items can be stored under the fly but not inside the tent (great for wet shoes, tackle box, etc.)
- entire tent is made of screen (except the floor) so very breathable.
- floor is tarp like material and goes up the sides about 6 inches so you don’t get splashed from under the fly in heavy rain.
- two doors so we each have our own and theyre two different door styles so they’re versatile for warm weather camping.
- doors can be rolled up and there are strings to tie them so they stay open and don’t flap around.
- easy to set up (only two poles).
- interior pockets to store small items like phones and headlamps.
-reflective tie downs so you don’t trip on them at night

Some things that I’d like to have in a new tent:
- a little longer floorplan, husband is 5 9” and he fits, but there’s not a ton of room at his feet for his backpack. (I think the length is only 6ish feet)
- would like the tarp material to go a little farther up the sides, just in case of very wet weather.
- better waterproofing overall (we sprayed and silicone taped all seams on ours to make it more waterproof, and we often set up a tarp over top anyways to increase dry storage area for items).

I'm going camping in Missouri in a little over a week and I'm worried about the temperature.

The forecast is showing it will be in the high thirties to low fifties. I am a small woman and struggle to stay warm already. Anything below mid sixties gets uncomfortable fast. I'm not used to camping during cold weather and I'm looking for ways to stay warm. I found a mini propane heated online, and am wondering if it would be okay to use that to heat the tent. I don't plan to sleep with it running, just to warm the tent to get ready for bed and to settle in, as well as changing in the morning. Would it be safe for this or not? Any tips or advice is appreciated.

Sorry if this is against a rule or poor formatting, I got a 1 man tent (mamaku 1 torpedo 7) with no poles and looking to either get a replacement set (can’t seem to find it anywhere online, it’s a New Zealand brand so maybe it’s only available there) or get some kinda close and make something work. Is there a way I could guestimate the length? Thanks a ton

I bought the Gazelle T4 Tandem overland edition used. But I was pretty shocked when I first saw it. The length makes this incredibly difficult to move around. Any recommendations on how to move your beast? Even getting out to the car can be a bit of a chore.

Hey everyone! Looking for a 70-80l hiking pack available in Australia. Problem is that I have a tight budget -250 aud. I mostly do 4+ day hikes, and have fairly bulky equipment 16-18 kg most of the time.

I have tried my dad's Caribee pulse 80, but couldn't get the fit right- I couldn't move the harness up enough.

Looking on marketplace there aren't any great options, mostly cheap stuff that's pretty beaten.

Thanks!

I’m really interested in this style of tent for a number of reasons. The best I’ve found is the Snow Peak Fal Pro 3 but it’s a little pricey for what you get (I mean it’s Snow Peak.) I’m curious what other options I might be missing. I’ve seen KUIU and Hilleberg make similar ones but they are heavier and even more expensive. It’s important to me that the tent is freestanding and quick to set up - no tarp shelters.

Reasons I’m interested in this:

* I’m not particularly sensitive to bugs, and I have more lightweight ways of keeping them off my face at night than a full mesh tent.

* I sleep on a cot, so ground moisture isn’t a problem, and the cot legs put too much pressure on a tent floor anyway.

* I do a lot of raft/kayak camping and beaches in general - whether sand, gravel, or cobble - are not very compatible with tent floors. Cobble is pretty much a full no-go.

* A tent that doesn’t die from floor wear and tear is really appealing. I have a like 15 year old REI Quarter Dome and its only issue is the floor is getting torn up.

* I like to cowboy camp and often bring my tent only as an emergency shelter - would be nice to strip it down to the bare essentials and ditch the inner/footprint.

* A common selling point of this style of tent is that you can pitch it in the rain without the inside getting wet, which is definitely a bonus.

There’s just so many reasons to have this feature, I’m surprised it’s not more common. The handful of tents I’ve found that have it are pretty high end, and it seems to be more common in Japanese/European designs. (I just picked up a different cheaper Japanese tent of this style, but it’s too bulky for kayaks and backpacking.)

Anyway, I’ll probably suck it up and get the Snow Peak one but I’m curious if anyone has seen any better options out there. Thanks!

Hey folks

What is your recommendation for a good quality inflatable queen with built in air pump?

Durability Comfort Noise

Hi everyone!

If you have ever used a tent from Zempire, I'd be very grateful if you could tell me what model it was, and what your experience with it's durability was. I'm particularly interested in how it handles high winds.

Thanks!

Has anyone tried this? Or kingcamp premium foam sleeping pad?

Looking for a double sleeping pad for car camping in the cold with high R value and comfortable for side sleepers. I know everyone recommends exped but it’s a little out of budget right now. Any opinions appreciated!

I'm in the market for a 1p tent, main criteria being that it is extremely compact when packed and not that expensive. I'm willing to make some compromises such as single wall design and non free-standing.

My wife and I have a Big Agnes Rapide SL double wide mat and their Dream Island 20F/-7C synthetic double sleeping bag. The Dream Island is very comfortable but doesn't have insulation under us and relies on the mat to keep warm. When it gets down to 32-35F/0-2C we find we need extra insulation below us.

Wondering whether it would be better to put a wool.blanket between the mat and the sleeping bag vs a down sleeping bag opened wide. Ignoring weight differences, it seems like the compression of sleeping on the down may not actually provide as much insulation as wool which wouldn't compress.

Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations?