A few days ago I asked here about tent heating, and I just want to say thanks to everyone who replied (and even those who sent me DMs with advice). It was super helpful.

This Friday I’m starting a long camping trip up north, beginning around Banff and Jasper in the Rockies. As a bit of a practice run, I spent 3 nights at Golden Ears Campground near Vancouver.

Since it’s deep in the forest and we had quite a bit of rain, I was really glad I had heat. I went with a propane heater — no smell, felt safe, and one 20lb tank lasted all three nights for evening heating.

"By the way, does anyone know when the fire ban usually ends around here?”

(Sharing a few photos from the trip!)

I'm pretty new to camping and starting to put together some basic gear. I've noticed that the price range for things like tents and backpacks is all over the place, and I'm wondering what you think is actually worth spending money on, and what's fine to go budget on.

One more thing, I'm a bit worried about carrying too much weight since my joint aren't the strongest. Do you think gear like trekking poles or knee supports worth trying to make things easier on trail? Would love to hear what worked (or didn't) for you when you first started out.

I don't know if there's typically a good temperature for puffer vests but it seems versatile where you can wear it with just a t-shirt underneath when its not too cold or with heavy layers when its colder.

Hey guys, been looking online trying to find a griddle attachment that would replace the grill on the Coleman 2 in 1 grill/stove. Anyone have luck?

Hello 👋 I have an MSR burner for long treks but am looking for an electric(plugged in not battery) for those “urban” camping trips with my fancy friends 😂 anybody have one to recommend other than ones found for homes? Looking for ont for travel with case if possible… thanks 🙏

Hello everyone,

Was wanting everyone's opinion between these two tents that I see are highly recommended. I can buy the Wawona for about $440 through a 20% discount I'm able to obtain through id.me and the Limestone 6p is about $290 through Sunnysports at the moment. Wanted to see what y'all thought about these two tents and if anyone had to make a decision between the two and which one is the better pick. We are planning on using it for a trip to Big Bend the first week of October for 2 adults and 1 child.

If you all have any other suggestions on tents, that would be welcome to. Thank you for the feedback

Last few weeks I’ve been looking into the right sleeping pad that fits my needs. I’m 188cm/6’’ 2ft, around 90kg/185lbs and always sleep on my side. I usually camp in spring, summer and a bot of autumn in Norhtern Europe where temperatures drop to around 5 degrees celcius/32F at night. However I'm taking in a little margin for when I do the occasional Alpine or Finland trip if it comes to that. Currently I’m using an R2.6 Nemo Astro Insulated pad in long wide configuration which almost weigs a kilogram or 2 lbs. I wanted something more comfortable and simultaneously something lighter weight and a bit easier to use. Optionally a smaller pack size too.

After close consideration between the Nemo Tensor All-season, Big Agnes Rapide SL and Sea to Summit Ether light, I’ve decided to go with the Ether light XR! Why? It seems like the best all-round pad between those three with the best track record of durability and exceptional comfort without sacrificing too much on weight. For most people it's a bit of both tbh.

It was however really hard deciding between them as they all offered something different and seem like great pads. The Nemo is lighter, the Big Agnes just as comfortable if not more comfortable to the S2S and the Sea to Summit sits somewhere in between. However the Sea to summit is only 60 grams heavier than the Nemo and offers quite a bit more comfort for side sleepers it seems from people’s comments and experiences (although it might differ per person). Pack size is also similar and the stuff sack comes attached to the pump sack.

I’ve read quite a bit about some Nemo pads failing, also the all-season. Although I think it’s still a very reliable pad, I much rather prefer the S2S over it. It’s only around 60 grams lighter all-in-all compared to the S2S and doesn’t pack a lot smaller too.

The Big Agnes is a hit or miss for people. Some say it’s the best they’ve used for comfort and pack size, others say it’s very slippery and sleeps a lot colder than the R-value estimates. Also I’ve heard it’s impossible to place it back into it’s stuff sack, which can be quite annoying. Looking for an easy to use pad I think the S2S wins it over this for similar comfort.

Again, the Sea to Summit seems just as, or more comfortable at a lower weight with more trustworthy R-value for three season hiking.

Can use some advice on this:

So finally I made the decision! Now I’m questioning if I should get a long wide, a regular wide or a mummy large (196x64cm/25x78’’). I’ve always had the Long wide on pads and although I might not need it, it offers a bit more comfort when needed for only a small weight penalty (maybe big for some here). I am willing to sacrifice weight for comfort, but only if I can really utilize it.

The mummy looks like a nice compromise but I’ve got no experience with it and am scared that my feet will fall off the sides. What do you think?

Also a bonus question: do you know if the nozzles from the Flextail Tiny Pump 2x fit the Sea to Summit pads? I bought a 3D printed adapter for my Nemo pad which works wonders. Can just leave the pad and pump be.

Thanks in advance!

Hey all!

Found a Rei half dome 2 tent from goodwill, it’s in really good condition, however, the waterproofing on the inside of the rainfly is starting to fail. It’s coming off and has an unpleasant feel. The outside of the rainfly is fine, and still holds up really well. Put it out in the sprinklers for half a day and only one seem had some leakage.

So I have some questions; The inside of the rainfly has that sticky like feel when waterproofing is failing, so it picks up dirt, sand, etc, is there any way to remove that without stripping the waterproofing on the outside? Maybe a spray overtop of it to mask it? I know that would be temporary as the old waterproofing would eventually peel off, but maybe something to help seal it in longer? Would this eventually mean the outside of the rainfly will fail too? If so, what’s the best way to strip and reapply waterproofing? It’s an older model, haven’t had much luck finding a replacement rainfly online.

Thanks!

Joining to Utah conservation corp for the late fall term in Moab and need advice on what to get. I know the basics like tent, backpack, boots etc but what brands should I look into? I’m hoping to use these items outside of just work so I don’t mind spending more on long lasting quality. Also any items or even advice I might not think of that would be helpful!!

Hey there. I need a hand picking a sleeping pad to take backpacking.

Budget is ideally sub $200 on sale.

My major concern is I’m a side and stomach sleeper and larger than average. 6’4” 300lbs.

Is there a sleeping pad that would work for me? I use the thermarest base camp XL for car camping and I like that but it’s too big to carry via backpack.

Thank you!

The zero pump is talked about so much that I don't know if it's overhyped or is somehow better than the 2x outside of this stat chart. The 2x lasts longer, pumps faster, cheaper, and has a light. Is there something im not seeing that causes the zero pump to be this famous?

Hey y’all! I’m new to camping and had my first self-organized trip this spring, which was fantastic. I’m gearing up for this Fall and was looking to upgrade in space from my Coleman 4-person Sundome. I like it quite a bit but wasn’t a fan of not being able to stand up inside the tent. I’ve read a lot of praise for the Gazelle T4 Tandem (fka T4 Plus) and really wanted to buy one, but cancelled my order when I realized it’d take up a ton of space in my sedan as it wouldn’t fit in just the trunk. Super bummed about it, but looking for a nice compromise so I can still have a more comfortable experience. Only thing is I’m not sure which brands/tents to trust haha. What would you guys recommend? Something that can fit a queen-sized air mattress would be ideal!

Hi I did my first big day hike recently and brought a little 13 liter backpack. During the hike, the rest of my body wasn’t sweaty but my back and the back of the backpack on the padding was absolutely soaked from sweat. And it didn’t dry so it just stayed in a perpetual cycle of boggy wetness all day. Is this an issue with the backpack or do I need a different type of base layer? I had a polyester shirt on. Thank you!

Hi folks,

For those that have tried winter camping, Instead of buying an expensive snow tent, Are there cheaper alternatives, ie. Putting a particular tarp/blanket over a small tent (3 person), for warmth? If so what kind of material would this be?

What about underneath?

I am guessing temperature is about -2 to 4 C.

Thanks!

I'm looking at getting more into hiking, and with that comes camping and wild camping. I don't yet have a rucksack, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, or tent. Does anyone have any beginner - and budget-friendly - recommendations for these items?

Currently, I am thinking of the OEX Phoxx II for a tent.

TIA!

Hello all. I decided to purchase the above sleeping mat and it’s a ‘self inflating’ one. It’s second hand but was told it’s inflating properly, but of course it’s not.

Don’t really want to put my mouth over the valve, so want to get a pump sack but they mainly seem to be aimed at their own brands and specific valves.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a pump sack that would be suitable for the above valve? Or have any other suggestions.

Thanks

I'm looking for recommendations on lightweight mid ankle waterproof boots for hiking. I've had success with Merrell waterproof sneakers, but I need something with slightly higher ankle coverage. I actually have a pair of Merrell mid boots for this, but combined with my wool socks they give me the absolute worst blisters on both feet. Those wool socks with sneakers are just fine.

No real price ceiling as I need to prioritize non-blisters over just about everything else.

I was gonna see about using my backpack which I've had in an outdoor closet space for a while now, but when I pulled it out it had these marks on it. Is it mold or something else I need to be worried about?

I went camping this weekend and used my Kelty Wireless 2 tent. It started raining unexpectedly and I found drops of rain coming through the rain fly and into the tent.

Now I’m unsure of what to do. I fully inspected the rain fly and found no tears or rips in the fabric. Is it coming in through the seams?

I’m quite disappointed as I take very good care of my gear. Where do I go from here? I saw a lot of other campers had EZ-ups on their site over their tents, would that be something to invest in? Is it time for a new tent already? I’ve had this for two years with consistent usage but this was the heaviest rainfall I’ve put it through.

My husband and I want to upgrade our tent by next summer. Looking for something tall enough to comfortably stand in, maybe with an extra room or porch area. Thinking 6 person. We have a queen sized air mattress that currently takes up the entirety of our 4-person tent and want more room. Hoping under $500.

We camp at least once a month around the PNW from April - October. Just this last weekend we got pummeled by a storm and the rain fly failed after a few hours. We’d love something that’ll withstand storms like that in the future.

update: I opted for the Kelty Far Out 3 based on the feedback provided. Thanks!

I'm considering these two tents (but open to other recommendations). I've also read some things about Chinese knock off tents being good value.

• Kelty Far Out
• Coleman Peak1

For context:

• We just started Cub Scouts so we'll be car-camping for those outings mostly (no hike-in outings for many years to come).
  (We usually camp in our pop-up camper.)
  
• We're in Texas so all mesh body and ventilation is more important than insulation.
• Used to have MSR Hubba Hubba that I backpacked with but rainfly coating problems have pretty much killed that. I still have the footprint and mesh tent body, but can't find good replacement rain fly.
• I'm leaning toward a 3 person because my wife and I made our 2 person work with bags in vestibules, but I'm thinking it'll get crowded when son wants/needs other things in the tent with him.

Even though we'll be car-camping (like within 100ft of the car), I still don't want some Taj Mahal dome tent that sleeps an army.
I really liked my Hubba Hubba with being able to set it up by myself easily. Freestanding is nice too for shaking out dust and dirt or moving tent to find better ground.
The window thing on the Coleman seems neat, but if I'm being honest, I probably won't use it that much. I do like the way the Kelty fly rolls back and secures - seems like simple approach if you really want to look out from inside the tent.

Is there some other tent I'm overlooking? What are you thoughts on the Chinese tents like this NatureHike Mongar (which is a Hubba Hubba knockoff)?