Let’s hear it straightdope: what are some good buys on camping gear for a beginning backpacker?
I am looking for a two-person tent that I can use most of the year, mainly in the blue ridge and smoky mountains. So far I am eyeing: north face pebble, north face talus, eureka apex 2, eureka backcountry 2, and rei half dome 2 plus. Any comments? any suggestions?
For a sleeping bag I am looking at the north face kilo 32 degree-rated bag. Is this going to be warm enough? I am afraid to get a colder-rated bag because most of my camping will be in warmer weather (40s-70s) and it will be too warm. I figure I can use a bag liner or warm water bottles if it gets very very cold.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks! (great hikes and camping suggestions for these areas also welcome…)
Not that this answers your OP but what a coincidence for me that you opened this thread. I rarely see camping threads and was just wondering this very same question after I posted my other thread about Volunteer Vacations (you haven’t tried those by chance have you?). I’m not sure this is proper posting etiquette to comment beyond the OP so I apologize if I’m out of line here but…strange.
As far as camping gear…Coleman makes a plethora of products that you may want to check out.
Your in-bag comfort will also be affected by how good your insulation pad is. Can’t stress this enought.
I’ve always tended toward two bags. One for seriously cold weather and one for 90% of the time you go hiking. A 32 bag along with a good pad, the liner and wearing decent layered cold weather gear should take you below freezing. You might want to test it in the backyard though
I’ve found the REI guys to be quite helpful with recommendations, usually based on good experience in the local conditions.
I’ve found that i can’t sleep in tents. Aparently, i’m scared to death of being eaten by bears or something! I can’t get a good sleep at all because the slightest noise wakes me up. However, i thouroughly enjoy camping… which is a terrible situation to be in when you don’t own a trailer.
I’d go for a bag and a blanket; invariably you will feel warm when you first go to bed, but once you’ve been lying still for a while, you’ll cool down, then you can pull the blanket over. Probably worth taking one of those reflective mylar ‘space blanket’ things too; they hardly take any room.
I think you’ll find you get more tent for your money if you choose REI over North Face. I bought a huge North Face “Hotel 46” several years ago for car-camping. Since it was on sale it was the same price as the REI Geo Dome 4. The North Face is a fine tent and there’s nothing wrong with it, but the REI offering had two doors and looked better. I was swayed by the North Face name (BTW, I love their ski jackets). Had I to do it over again, I would buy the Geo Dome 4 (which is no longer made, I think).
For motorcycle camping and backpacking I got an REI “Night Lite”. The reviewer in the link doesn’t like the stakes, and I have bent a couple. You can always get different stakes if you want to. I’m a big guy, so it would be a little tight for two people; but for myself it’s fine. And I wouldn’t at all mind sharing it with an SO.
You’ll definitely want a pad. I’ve used the Thermarest pad, and I’ve used an army-surplus air mattress. The air mattress was leaky and it got rather cold when my sleeping bag was lying on the floor of the tent; but the mattress, when inflated properly, is more comfortable than the Thermarest.
I have three sleeping bags. For car camping I have an army surplus winter-weight and an army-surplus intermediate-weight bag. They’re very good, but I wouldn’t want to schlep either one around on my back. My other bag is a North Face down bag. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s very light and warm.
I have used two stoves: An MSR International and my trusty old Svea 123. The MSR is more stable, but I did run into a problem with it. The part that supports the cookware was too large for my espresso pot. (Nothing like a nice espresso in the forest! ) There’s a flat aluminum surface you can use with it, so that won’t be a problem in the future. The Svea is more compact and I’ve never had any type pf problem with it, although it does tend to be a little noisy.
If you’re not already an REI member, sign up! Since joining in 1982 or 1983 my one-time membership fee has paid for itself over and over and over. I’ve gotten two pair of great Vasque hiking boots, a Yakima rack for my vehicle, a good chunk off the price of my kayak, and a whole bunch of other stuff over the years. (It helps that I have an REI Visa card.)
It depends on how much hiking you plan to do. If you’re doing multiple day treks, weight is going to be a big issue, as is pack space. It may be a better idea to get a 20-degree bag vice carrying a bag and liner, hot water bottle, etc. Think of your zipper as a thermostat. Cold? Zip up like a mummy. Warm? Zip it halfway. Hot? Unzip it.
Make sure you get a compression sack for your bag. This will free up a lot of space. I use two and put my pillow and heavy layering clothes in the other one.
You probably want a three season tent that’s big enough to fit you and your pack or two people inside, but small enough to carry in a pack. Look for: aluminum elastic poles (fiberglass is heavy), good ventilation, ceiling loops for your candle lantern, etc. It should take less than five minutes to set up.
Seal all the seams before you use it! Buy more sealer if you have to. Also, pack a piece of plastic sheeting the size of the tent bottom (without the rain cover) to lay under the tent. Make sure it doesn’t protrude from underneath the sides or you’ll get wet.
Get a good reliable stove, cookware and a filtering water bottle. Have a great time in the woods too.
I love my candle lanterns; but I only use them outside the tent, or around the apartment if there’s a power failure (which is guaranteed not to happen now that I have a Coleman lantern ready). I’ve thought about haning the candle lantern from the loop in the top of my tent, but I’ve never gotten around to testing the amount of heat it generates and I’ve been worried that I might melt the tent. I take it you’ve used a candle lantern by hanging it from the loop? Any problems?
I buy from CampMor all the time - outdoor gear, clothing, etc. They have some great prices on tents, bags, and just about everything and are very prompt in shipping.
Hey, I forgot to mention this about CampMor - be sure to check the “Just Added” and “Web Bargains” and “Hot Deals” sections of the page because items in there sometimes do not get listed in the main categories.
A good source of info on camping gear is Backpacker Magazine, especially its annual Gear Guide issue, which I believe just came out recently. I also second Campmor; also look into rei-outlet.com.
My Coleman bag is rated IIRC zero degrees (I usually camp in weather 0-40). I also find that I am a lot warmer if I sleep in it in just my boxers. Get a good water filter/pump and one of those collapsable 5 gallon plastic bags with a spigot. You use WAY more water than you think you would.
Yep, a pad is definitely a must have. Remember most sleeping bags are rated based on being used with a pad and wearing long underwear. At the bare minimum, get a Z-rest. Still, I imagine you’ll be just fine with a 32 to 40 degree bag. I’d also recommend REI gear over North Face. You get much more bang for the buck. I’ve had more success with tarps rather than tents. You can get some fantastic light weight tarps for protection from sun and rain.
If fashion isn’t a factor, might I suggest military surplus? Much of my stuff is my 782 gear from the service. Alice pack with frame, web belt, harness, butt pack, several canteens (with cups), e-tool, bayonet, first aid pouch, compass, magazine pouches (perfect for carrying snacks and stuff) vietnam tomahawk, poncho, a bunch of carabiners, parachute cord etc. rounded out with a propane coleman stove and lantern, coleman sleeping bag, coleman enamel dinner/cookware and remington dome tent can take me anywhere from a comfy day hike to a week in the woods. Whenever I want more stuff, I still go to a surplus shop/catalog first. I’ve since lost some stuff and need to go shopping soon. I need another bayonet, tomahawk and butt pack. 782 gear is comfortable, rather inexpensive, and incredibly versatile. And with a handful of extra alice clips, you can attach just about anything to yourself. Not to mention that it is nearly indestructible. When I have to go with civilian stuff, I go with Coleman for the same reasons. May not be the worlds best equipment, but for the money, it’s awfully close. Besides, I don’t see myself going up Everest anytime soon.
Depends on how much cash you want to spend. I’m cheap and generally don’t care what I look like, especially when camping. Sure my coleman stove isn’t exactly a compact unit, but I need two burners. I gotta have coffee going while frying bacon. And there is no way I could spend $300 on the Swiss mountain rescue deluxe something or other two burner stove that folded up to a point where you could almost carry it in your pocket. Very cool, but a couple extra pounds doesn’t bug me too much. I also can’t see spending a couple hundred bucks on a new backpack, especially when I can’t see the advantages over my alice pack.
Johnny… an espresso pot? It took me a long time to even allow myself the luxury of a coffee pot over making cowboy coffee! I might have to look into one of those though:)
I’ll second Lao Tzu’s suggestion of REI-Outlet, especially with spring coming up. In the next few weeks, they’ll probably be unloading a lot of the leftover winter stuff. I got a $400 sleeping bag from there a few years ago for $200 (you don’t have to spend that kind of money, but I camp on glaciers).
The other thing I’d recommend is going into a store (if there’s one near you) and talking to the staff there. In every REI or Eastern Mountain Sports store I’ve been to, the employees are really helpful very knowledgable about their products. If you’re going to be backpacking, as opposed to camping, this can be even more important - you’ll need to know not only how much things weigh and how big they are, but also how they feel on your back. If something’s a little uncomfortable in the store, think about how it’ll feel after 10 miles on the trail.
Yup. I remember one time we were camping out by a PWC lake. The elders had a percolator on the Coleman stove. They all laughed when I put my espresso pot on my Svea… but guess who was enjoying a nice hot cuppa espresso while their coffee was still perking, eh?
The pot in question is an Ilsa “six cup” (really only one regular coffee mug). It has a circular, rounded bottom which caused the trouble I mentioned with the MSR stove. I have a larger (12 cup?) traditional octagonal pot that I use at home. But if I’m car camping, I think I’ll take that one next time. They do make single-demitasse espresso pots, and I have one; but who can get by on a single shot? Pretty much a waste.
These are the essential items for backpacking: (1) ziplock bag containing a 9 volt battery with the terminals covered by the little plastic cover and taped in place and a small bit of steel wool in a separate bag [fire starter kit], (2) whistle, (3) metal mirror, (4) a small tube of cyanoacrylate [liquid suture and blister filler], (5) pocket compass, and (6) pocket multi-tool such as a Leatherman. These items are best kept in a “go bag” separate from all the other gear that you will inevitably decide you can’t live without - such as a cell phone, gps unit, latte punch card, bmw key fob, cable box, etc.
I’d go with the REI stuff as much as possible (if you can afford it) bu as my boys scoutmaster once told me, a cheap tent will rip just as easily as a 500 dollar tent. I opted for the disposable strategy and have used my tent for about 5 years now. I use an air inflatable twin size mattress from coleman to get a good nights sleep anywhere.
I’d go along with the 2 tent Idea. One for wam and another for cold conditions. Just check the weather before you hike out. When buying a tent, get inside it. See what it feels like before you lay cash or credit down. Some people like the mummy bags, some people cant stand the constricted feeling they get. Since youre hiking, weight is a major consideration. (an air mattress would be out of the question then since those suckers are relatively heavy)
Another vote for the Svea stove and windscreen. They’re not weight or space hogs, and they can be lifesavers. Especially in bad weather or when you’re really tired, having an easy, dependable way to heat up food and/or water can be a blessing.
I’d also highly recommend adding Liquid skin and some moleskins to your trusty plastic bag. Use 'em at the first sign of even a “hot spot” developing on your feet. Blisters can turn backpacking into misery.
Yup. I remember one time we were camping out by a PWC lake. The elders had a percolator on the Coleman stove. They all laughed when I put my espresso pot on my Svea… but guess who was enjoying a nice hot cuppa espresso while their coffee was still perking, eh?