Camping equipment advice, and experiences

[LinuxRacr]

Ok, so I've been researching camping for like the last few months, and slowly acquiring our gear. We've already got our sleeping bags, and am looking into getting tents next. As for as tents, I'm trying to decide whether to get my backpacking tent, or the family tent first. There's also the camp stove, camping pack, and a few other things. Post your experiences with gear, and recommendations you would give on what to get to others.

I'm now considering these two All-Season Light tents for backpacking:

The REI Cirque ASL 2:

I like this tent for the double vestibule area, and vent management for condensation.

The REI Arete ASL 2. I Like this one due to the more compact profile for camping up on high ledges:

In first place for a light tent is the REI Quarter Dome 2.

 

[girth]

Paha Que makes some great tents. Their "Promontory" tent is an excellent family tent, has fully taped seams from the factory, and if you get it at the right time you can get it for around $250. Otherwise if you're looking for quality cheaper tents, Coleman actually makes some nice tents on the cheap.

 

[jazzman]

I don't have a strong opinion about tents. I buy cheap and treat heavily with waterproofing spray. As far as stoves go, I would suggest you build a pennystove. Do a google search to find the instructions. You can spend quite a bit on a manufactured stove, but this one is reliable, easy, and eco-friendly. It worked better than my cannister stove in 0 degree weather in the NC mountains last winter.

 

[MSP2024]

just come out to utah, take my trailer and the 4 wheelers and have your self a good time haha

 

[tricky]

Camp stove, The Dragonfly FTW!!! I've been using it for ~12 years and it still rips like nobody's business. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.rei.com/product/709002

 

[Russm]

Good Day
I would look into other Tent options, REI used to be great stuff, not always the case anymore.

http://www.eurekatent.com/filterTool.aspx?cID=7

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/equipment-tents.html

http://store.noc.com/store/c88

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear...005=4989373804&006=1052778604&007=Search&008=

http://www.trailtents.com/

www.backpacking.net/geartent-chart.html - 4k

 

[LinuxRacr]

Camp stove, The Dragonfly FTW!!! I've been using it for ~12 years and it still rips like nobody's business. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.rei.com/product/709002

That looks like a good stove. Haven't seen that one before. I was looking at a couple of stoves:

The MSR Whisperlite Internationale (for different fuels found in other contries).

The MSR Reactor Stove System

Price-wise, the Penny Stove may be the way to go. I've heard about some great experiences with alcohol stoves.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Good Day
I would look into other Tent options, REI used to be great stuff, not always the case anymore.

http://www.eurekatent.com/filterTool.aspx?cID=7

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/equipment-tents.html

http://store.noc.com/store/c88

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear...005=4989373804&006=1052778604&007=Search&008=

http://www.trailtents.com/

www.backpacking.net/geartent-chart.html - 4k

According to some of the reviews, the same holds true for The North Face tents. The tents I picked on the REI site, mostly have great reviews.

 

[LinuxRacr]

After doing a little more research, I think we've finalized it down to the following tent that serves my need for a backpacking tent, and a small family tent:

REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent (3-person).

It is 5 lbs at most, and is made for 3 people (looks just like the T2 version but bigger!)! It should be enough room for me, my wife, and daughter if need be.

Here is someone's picture of 3 sleeping bags in it within their review:

 

[LinuxRacr]

Went to REI yesterday, and they happen to have up models of all the tents I have been considering getting. They had all the versions of the Quarter Dome (T1, T2, & T3), and I got inside all of them, laid down, and sat up. Plenty of head room in all of them. Looking at the floor of the tents, I was confident that water getting in via the floor wouldn't be a problem. The T1 is definitely for the minimalist. My arms would be pinned to my sides. The T2 would be good for two people, with gear in the two vestibules. The T3, of course, had the most room. While most tents assume everyone is 6 foot 1 inch, this one is no different. Without a sleeping bag, I had a couple of inches of room around my feet, and my head. It will work.

They also had the REI Half Dome 2 HC up. I climbed into it, and it had good room and all like the other tents I had tried. Someone who was there, and had bought that tent advised against it in Texas heat. He said it was like a sauna, due to the higher walls, and that the more mesh upper of the Quarter Dome tents would fair much better for air flow, and ventilation.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Just bought the REI Quarter Dome T3. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Well, I've been doing some test camping in the REI Quarter Dome T3 tent. When I first got it, I set it up a few times in in the living room (to get the hang of it), and have even slept in it in the living room with my wife, and daughter Thanksgiving night. There was enough room for all of us to be in there without being too terribly cramped. Again, I bought this tent to meet the need of being a backpacking tent, and a temporary family tent at a weight of no more than 5 lbs. That being said, carpet, and concrete are no fun to sleep on all night, and I have ordered a sleeping pad (Big Agnes Hinman Long).

Last night I did a trial run of the tent outside in the backyard. It was in the 30's Fahrenheit last night, with a little wind. I laid out the footprint, and then the tent on top, and staked them down. The tent is easy to setup, with common sense, if you remember that everything is color coded, and that the orange poles go under the silver poles. Once that is established, just look at the orange, and silver lines at the top of the tent fabric to see where the poles are to go once unfolded and erected. Since it was pretty cold out last night, I went ahead and put on the rain fly to hold in some of the heat. I ended up opening the top vents to make sure there would be no condensation in the tent. I think next time I will keep them closed. Since I don't have a sleeping pad yet, I put down several layers of blankets under my sleeping bag. I am rocking a Mountain Hard Wear Switch +20 Long sleeping bag, and was warm the whole time I was out.

This morning, I went to take the tent down in a hurry, due to how cold it was outside, and was again please at how easy it was to take this tent down, and put away. All in all I have been very pleased with the ease of use, and the functionality of this tent. I haven't gotten to sleep in it yet in stargazer mode (no rainfly), but look forward to it. My next test will be at a state park overnight, or during the weekend.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Well, the family and I just tried out Mountain House backpacking foods, and I must say that it is that freeze-dried foods that get re-hydrated by boiling water is not bad! We had the Chile Mac with Beef, and the Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.

 

[LinuxRacr]

My daughter had been bugging me about camping out, so I camped out again in the backyard last night, this time with my daughter. There was some frost, but our sleeping bags kept us nice and warm. Next step is a state park!

 

[LinuxRacr]

I guess the next thing I want to look for is a good backpacking pack. Any suggestions?

 

[jred321]

i'm starting to look for a good backpack too. i know i won't be a frequent user but i need to have something with a decent amount of storage for food and ski boots, an internal frame and side straps so i can hike/ski tuckerman's ravine. last year i had to borrow someone's bag. i'm interested in pack suggestions as well

 

[LinuxRacr]

So no one camps, or is into the outdoor life?

 

[EDM6-zoom zoom]

Fist of all you should not camp in the winter, only an idiot would do that.
When I use to camp when I was younger I would take plenty water some trail mix enough food just in case and tents and sleeping bags some matches cell phone extra clothes jackets fishing rods camera pocket knife.

 

[Dermen]

I camp, but I guess I look at it differently. I use whoever's tent I go camping with/can barrow, throw some water/beer/liquor/hotdogs into a cooler of ice, get some hotdog buns, chips, and TP in a dry cooler, $10 walmart sleeping bag (comes with a pillow), some firewood, camping chairs, an axe, a change of clothes, and bear mace (most of my camping is done when I visit Alaska). Throw it all in the trunk and go have fun.

I always think people bring too much stuff, and I throw most of it out because we don't have room. Camp stoves, sleeping pads, they always try to bring way too much food, portable DVD players, 2 changes of clothes for each day (women ). You don't need any of that crap.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Anyone using an alcohol stove? I am seriously considering this one:

Penny Stove: http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html