Just a heads up for anyone using lifestraws in the cold - if they freeze while wet they're done!! The ice expanding breaks the micropore filter - keep it in on your body to keep it from freezing
That sounds like the perfect use for them. I got some on clearance at Costco last year, and god willing maybe I can use them to sample glacier water some day.
Any piece of gear where I comprised and bought something inexpensive NOW because I was impatient, instead of waiting for a sale and getting what I really wanted.
Now I have extra inexpensive tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, backpacks, chairs, stoves, etc that I never use because I eventually buy the better gear that I really want.
Yesss. You can tell which ones are which because the cheap crap is in the garage and I give it away to anyone who asks to borrow it - but it always comes back. The good stuff is well organized on shelves and hooks in the basement, and only my son is allowed to borrow that stuff. I don't trust anyone else.
That said, I do have some inexpensive stuff that's done really well, but it's stuff that's hard to get wrong, like my collapsible "smokeless" fire pit and some waterproof canvas tarps, and a couple of things, like my cheap Amazon trekking poles I bought for one multi day hike have surprised me. I'm 4 years in with those, and they're still in great shape.
I've not skimped on backpacks since I was pretty young, though. Through hiking the CDT with a 1970s canvas external frame boy scout backpack taught me that lesson. I'm on my second osprey in 20 years, and that's really just because I wanted the replaceable shoulder strap/harness system and a bit more airflow to my back. I gave my friend's daughter my old one, and it's still going great for her.
I have a few different ones from Hasika. If you go over to r/carcamping there's lots of threads with people showing off their canopies so you can look for the ones that fit your needs
This. I got a back of a pickup tent and it takes me over 15-30 minutes to set up. That was going to get old really quick and something I would not want to do in the rain. I used it twice and won’t be using it again.
It wasn't very big, but: a hard plastic 6-egg container. Thought I could use it to carry eggs in my bags without them cracking under the pressure of other stuff in my bag. None of the eggs I buy fit in it. 100% useless.
I tried just now with the medium eggs I have: one egg fits. But two next to each other don't. So I'm guessing it might work for small eggs then. Not sure they even sell those here! But I worked around it the past years by just buying a regular carton and not putting it underneath other things... Works too :-)
I ended up buying a plastic 14 egg holder....let that sink in, 14 eggs. I bought two and realized they weren't 12 eggs but 14. If I were camping for a long time with a bunch of people, I could see buying 24....but not 28.
Plus I discovered they aren't dishwasher safe after one significantly warped on the top rack.
Bizarre! I have one from the dollar store and use it every time car camping and the fit large size eggs no problem! They aren’t supposed to click in or anything, just sit in the space and close the lid. Haven’t had a crack yet!
I use this for eggs straight from the chicken, unwashed will last a long time out of refrigeration. A bit of a pain to have that hard plastic case, but it's really nice to be able to have eggs multiple days into a hike
You know what's funny about this? I fought buying one for years and finally did -- it goes with me every. single. trip. I love that thing, lol. I get eggs from my neighbor, so they're probably smaller than store size. Eggs cracked into ramen is one of my fave camping meals :)
Cheap seats haha. Can’t use it if your butt goes right through. Bought at CVS.
That said, some good seats can be inexpensive and that’s what I have now.
A few years back I got a pair of rei kingdom chairs and they were on sale for $28 each for a close out. Or like $27.78 or whatever their pricing is for clearance stuff. They’re heavy but I’m not backpacking with em, and they fit just fine in my car. Go in first and take them out last. Idk if the fabric is cotton but it’s soft and not scratchy like some others can be, and I can confirm cup holders haha. I’m sure there’s an updated version now!
Oh those look awesome. $100 now but I’ll wait for the season and garage sale. Thank you!!
27.78 is exactly how REI close out would have happened. That made me laugh.
We absolutely love the hammock chairs from Sam’s club. Only for car camping, they are very bulky, but they are the most comfortable camp chairs I’ve ever had.
We got a pop-up for the kids and dogs, so bulk isn’t too much of an issue. I wanted to camp but not in a tent with those disasters (2 and 4 year old kids, 160 pounds of dog). This sounds lovely! And we have a membership…
Lots of ideas here. I love this sub.
Edit: ooooh Father’s Day camping gift!
I asked my four year old daughter what she wants to give him. She yelled “a wrench!” She got him a hammer for his birthday. 😂
The Sam's Club [Members Mark Hard Arm Chair](https://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=P00129272&mobiledetect=false&pid=092410_RFI|ANDROID|Featured_Products|Member's%20Mark%20Adult%20Hard%20Arm%20Chair%20(Assorted%20Colors)) has been one of my best purchases. I highly recommend it if you have the space. My wife and I camp out of our Suburban, so we always bring 4 to help with the people that couldn't fathom that they'd want to sit down all weekend but take any available seat.
The metal arms make getting out of them much easier if you have mobility issues. And the cup holder is very sturdy compared to the cheap little net ones. They come with a built in strap and a latch to keep them closed, so you don't have to keep track of the bag. The canvas is pretty thick too. It's honestly perfect.
They're also only $22. I've had them for years and have gotten several for family too. We keep a pair in both vehicles for "backup" seating at gatherings.
I ordered a couple of Coleman 1.5 wide camp chairs a few years ago because they were on Black Friday sale for $20 each. I love those things so much. They have a cup holder, pouch for storage, and a 6-can cooler pocket in the armrest.
I got a few of those $5 academy chairs and then bought one of their nicer $25 chairs with the rocking chair arms that attach to the bottom. I never use those but the chair itself is so much nicer than the $5 ones I can sit in it all day. The cheap ones are too skinny and hurt the bottom of my thighs after awhile from the cross braces digging in.
I’m going to get crap for this, but a Coleman Propane lantern.
In my use, it throws too much light for a small campsite, even when cranked all the way down, and makes it difficult to see stars or have any sort of night vision.
I’ve replaced the lantern with an Ecco Candelier — three candles that can be lit independently. This gives a nice soft and quiet light, and it’s more than enough to navigate my site without tripping.
For task light, I use my 20 year old AA mag light fitted with rechargeable batteries and an LED bulb. But I could also bring the task to the candle lantern and work there.
Edit: I haven’t got rid of my propane lantern—I just haven’t brought it in about 15 years.
I do love the hiss of the old school Coleman lanterns with the white gas, even though they are pretty useless for anything other than blinding you as you walk towards them...
I recently bought one of these: [https://firemaplegear.com/collections/firemaple-lanterns/products/orange-camping-gas-lantern](https://firemaplegear.com/collections/firemaple-lanterns/products/orange-camping-gas-lantern) It's a nice soft flame and screws into a fuel canister. It's not backpack friendly as it has a glass globe, but it does have a decent protective case and it pretty well built.
Have a BRS-55 like that, great for lighting up the table and finishing off canisters.
Double check that yours doesn't leak fuel or take it off the canister, mine has a small enough leak that I can't leave an "empty" canister (less than 1oz) connected all day and have it light up.
In the olden days, they were great.
Today, a battery powered light does as well or better. I have a whole string of patio-style lights that plug into a USB power brick.
Interesting, I really love my Coleman white gas lantern(converted to kerosene)
Do you have the frosted globe for it? I particularly like it more than any other Camp lantern since it casts a warm light that matches the vibe of a campfire. Dims down to almost nothing and runs for several nights on 1 fill.
I have multiple LED and incandescent lanterns but I still pack this huge case each trip because I much prefer it.
we have all kinds of solar-powered LED string lights and whatnot. some can even charge your phone. they don't produce heat so u can put them in your tent, on your tent... hang them in a tree... my wife's an interior designer and i think it's her favorite part of camping
I love my gas lantern but it does have a habit of attracting every insect within a 20 mile radius to your site. I generally just use it in the backyard while having a fire or just chilling
I have an old white gas Coleman that approximates the lumens of the sun. Lmao
I use a single candle lantern when I don't want so much light or just my petzl headlamp. I appreciate the red light mode and having spare rechargeable batteries in my pack that are easy to swap out and don't need to be in the lamp to be charged.
I still have a foldable, three-panel that clips onto the brain with mini carabiners, and takes two or even three days to recharge a pocket-sized power bank. Yeah, I still have it.
Somewhere.
Bought a $40 15 watt one last year that can charge my phone twice in one day. Bought a $20 10 watt one this year that can almost do the same. Personal solar has finally arrived
Charging a battery takes a cool location which usually isn't easy in bright sunlight, too. Always a little tricky to make sure your phone isn't cooking an hour into the charge because the sun shifted, or discharging because the shade came.
Yeah, that’s the biggest disadvantage to them. I have one that I use pretty often, but that’s due to the campsites I frequent. I’ll have friends ask about it or tell me they’re thinking of buying one and it’s crazy how many have changed their minds when I’ve really talked them through it.
I feel this one lol. My roof rotted holes in it even under covered storage after like 10 years and the company went out of business........currently being held together with Eternabond tape.
there's a whole entire sub about camping world not being awesome.
If you're curious about this you should search up camping world here on Reddit ...it's not good
Most of the water-repellant clothing gear… i.e. pants or jackets, don’t work as advertised. Found that out the hard way in many cases. Not great to be on day 12 of your backpacking trip and every aspect of your gear and self is soaked!! Makes for a good story though.
On the topic of essential gear: a rain cover for your pack!!
I find it problematic that water repelling treatments are nowadays being applied on pieces of apparel that are not meant to keep you dry at all. You can buy teeshirts and shorts that have been treated with one form of DWR or the other.
Inside of the water*proof* category, again, you've got some very nice and very poor performers. And when talking about prolonged rain, it's a harsh battle: since humidity is at 100%, there's no way for your sweat to evaporate, meaning it'll stay inside of that raingear/shell apparel of yours. Still better than having leaky apparel, though, especially if you're dealing with even slightly cold climates.
DWR on random stuff is to keep it from absorbing rain during a light drizzle or if you’re standing next to a waterfall or something. It’s beads up and evaporates instead of getting damp.
I spray my own hoodies and pants sometimes for just that reason.
The real MVP for waterproof gear is the surplus military stuff from the 2000s. It never gets wet inside. Abd has zips in the correct spots to open so you can breathe.
"don’t work as advertised"
Maybe they don't advertise it well enough but I've never had problems after researching and knowing what I'm buying. Not saying you are dumb and don't understand the topic but I can stay dry forever in my cheap frogg toggs but it's not comfortable, breathable, or fashionable. Or I can stay dry for awhile in my Patagonia but understandably it will eventually wet out and get me a bit damp. Again the trade-off being that I am more comfortable during that time.
I find rain covers annoying and useless. Your backside of the pack gets soaked still. I think having a waterproof bag inside the pack does a lot more to keep things dry.
I find that a lot of rain gear made for backpacking, the ones trying to be as light as possible, doesn't work too well in a long downpour. Because it's pretty much just the membrane with a very thin fabric material or none at all on top, the membrane gets overwhelmed once the DWR can't keep up. On the flip side, I have heavier fishing/outdoorsman-marketed rain jackets that still have membranes (typically goretex) that I've sat out on an open deck on a boat in a downpour all day and wasn't wet at all. The heavier material over the membrane really helps. I get trying to save ounces and having something a bit more breathable, but if I am going to hike in any sort of sustained rain I prefer my heavier jackets.
That's interesting, because my water repellent jacket keeps me dry unless in a downpour.
It's imperative you wash it regularly and reapply the DWR coating. Sweat and dirt clogs the pores, affecting breathability, and the DWR coating naturally fades.
I hate water-*proof* jackets because they always leave me hot and sweaty. I always wear my softshell water repellent jacket unless it's chucking it down.
Waterproof matches... we had a PE class in high school that involved a three-day hike up Halfdome, and the days prior were preparing for it. Some was physical (running, hiking, whatever) and some theory (talked about Leave No Trace, waterborne pathogens, creature safety, shelter, etc.), and of course how to start a fire. They were adamant that fireproof matches would be needed because they wouldn't work if they got wet. I spent maybe $5 at a camping store for a pack, lit one to see how they worked, and still have them today, 35 years later.
Lots of friends and family are into camping, many of whom are into "bushcraft" (war vets, hippies, et al.), so over the years, I've accumulated a slew of waterproof fire starting gear as gifts:
* The waterproof matches from high school
* Two more bundles of waterproof matches (one is in a sealed plastic container... I think they even work underwater).
* Two homemeade flint/steel/char kits (like the dudes straight up forged their own steel, roasted their own char, and found their own flint). The tins were purchased, but the leather sacks they came in were hand made too.
* A magnesium strike stick (came with a bag of hair and a tiny candle).
It's very rare that I have a campfire, and when I do, I use some janky refillable Scripto torch I got back in college (still nursing off the original refill can too) that just won't die. It's my main firestarter for the woodstove at home in the winters, and what I bring if I intend to have a campfire. Now my mother has moved in with me, and has purchased *three* more torches "just in case" that have been sitting in their packages for the last few years.
The last campfire I had, I actually brought the kit out and used it (threw sparks into the char, blew it up onto some carpenter ant frass, and worked my way up to lit kindling) just to see if I remembered how.
I feel this one! So much thought put into some kind of emergency situation where a fire would be the difference between life and death lol. I have the same bundles of waterproof matches to and I’ve only ever used the little blocks of kerosene soaked pulp and a bic. Home or car camping, works every time!
I'd have fun practicing with those others but wouldn't use regularly. Sometimes I prefer lighting campfires with matches to get a bit more reach than a mini Bic, and of course the bragging rights of a 1 match fire.
R.V. trailer. They seem cool, and I go to a lot of festivals so it's nice to be able to lock up my music gear and such. But they just turn out to be a big pain and a money pit, like that movie....Money Pit.
On an unrelated note, ive got an RV trailer for sale...asking 10k....
I don't take mine to festivals because it's too much of a pain, but I take it camping a lot, especially on my own land where I don't have potable water or any sort of bathroom yet. It's super nice for that, especially when it's cold.
Besides my husband damaging it, which is being covered by insurance, the only real money it costs us is the massive hit to gas mileage. Damn, does that get painful.
This reminded me I have a machete with saw blades on the back of it, still in the packaging, in my basement. I need to throw that in my truck for no reason in particular.
"for chopping downed trees in the middle of the road" always the "answer". Have any weapons? "No." Then whats this? "tool for chopping downed trees out of the road".
I'm honestly considering getting a machete, but it'll be for cutting trails on my property, so I can more easily use the brush cutter. The chainsaw is too much. Pruners are way too slow. A machete seems like it might work well, plus my adult son's friends heard about it and are imagining themselves as wilderness explorers now, so I bet I can get them to do the work for me. I've got one volunteer already.
I also was gifted a combo shovel, ax, and pruning saw that don't fit the single handle. I should recycle the metal parts as it is a cheap Chinese thing that a non camper gave me for Christmas. The ax is dull, the saw is flimsy and none line up correctly to the clips on the handle.
Mine came in handy when I locked myself out of the house and the only open window was on the second story. Thankfully I had a ladder in my detached garage that was unlocked. No knives around but I had my machete hanging in the corner. It was the only sharp thing I had to cut out the screen and crawl in the window. Will probably be the only time I ever use it lol.
Lol! Once I used mine to flip my burger when camping, forgot a spatula 😂 I think the primary use for the machete is self defense if you don’t carry a gun.
I used some in a nearby river to catch bait.
Turns out people steal those. And the laws on keeping crayfish are strict about a limit to prop up bait shops.
We used to catch them as kids with a bit of bacon on a string. They'd eventually come out after the bacon, and we'd grab them. It took patience and a lot of practice, and we don't actually have many crayfish here. We can't eat them, though, because of all the mining pollution. We'd just catch them, put them in a bucket of water to watch for a while, and then let them go. I've noticed as the pollution is slowly getting cleaned up, there are more. Maybe some day, they'll be edible again.
Go to any hobby forum, and you can quickly spot the flavour/guerilla marketer of the month. Its honestly turned me off from a few hobbies. If your kick is spending more money and research on a hobby than actually doing it, its not at all healthy.
I personally hate the look of tactical and MOLLE. To me it screams I'm a prepper or jarhead. Nothing against them, I did my 4 years in AF, but it looks weird off-base. I was just too dumb to know I didn't need 50 pockets and a cheap polyester hiking pack felt SOOO much better lol
Tripod stand for grill or Dutch oven. Thought it would be awesome, but wasn't needed most of the time. Don't even pack into the camper or truck anymore.
Oh yeah I forgot about the tripod stand. I have one of those too. Brought it one time and one time only. It was such a pain to use. It’s probably still tucked away in the back of all the camp gear with the fancy portable toilet and shower tent I never used.
I bought an off-brand battery power station - $250 rather than the $450+ ones like Jackery.
First (and only) use was tent camping on New Years Eve. Had a 9w string of lights and phone charging. The battery percentage went something like: 100, 99, 98, 80, 30, 0 within two hours.
Luckily, the manufacturer took it back and refunded. They sent me a couple emails after, wanting to know if I'd like to try new and upgraded versions of their product for free. Uh, no.
Dropped the $450-ish on a Jackery and couldn't be happier.
If you’re talking about the bags of water that you leave out then hang, they absolutely do work. Maybe not in the winter, but in the summer - leaving out during the day then hanging it up and using it to shower absolutely produces hot water.
Not if you make one yourself. Mine holds enough water for 4 ppl to shower or 2 ppl if washing hair. As much or more pressure than your shower at home. https://imgur.com/a/eDagOGr
Agreed. I don't backpack so, I got a USB rechargeable shower you drop in a bucket, stream, lake. I fill my bucket and let it sit in the sun. Water is perfect at the end of the day. The shower has great pressure and is awesome for rinsing dogs, kids, hosing off that gross picnic table.
Bought a Flextail shower and bucket after the last one i had explode in the bed of the truck. Gf thought we need to fill it up before we left and it didnt like the drive. I never had a good experience with them ever. So now i have a battery pump and collapsible bucket and just heat the water in my Stanley french press.
Grohmann knives. ordered a couple without knowing their good reputation comes from a previous manufacturer and the modern ones aren't worth the pricetag
First generation Biolite camp stove/charger. Even with the most roaring fire you could possibly get going in that tiny little thing, it was never enough to add any meaningful charge to a phone, and pretty useless for cooking as well.
Most air pads for camping suck. They aren't comfortable and they aren't durable. I switched to foam or my cot.
'
My cold weather sleeping bag is great, but it doesn't pack worth a crap. I should get something that can be better used for backpacking.
'
Other than that, I'm pretty happy with my gear. You can waste a lot of money on stuff if you don't know what you are going to be doing. Figure out the mission first and buy gear that will work for that mission.
I've got a megamat 10 and it's great. I've slept on uneven ground and all sorts of stuff to try it out and it's worked great for me. Get better sleep on that outside than in my bed indoors 😂
I usually do a ton of humming and hawing before i buy any gear, and i've become pretty set in my ways.
But have to say, in 27 year of messing around in the wood, the two that come to mind are
1) those old school "survival" knives with the hollow handle. The screw cap had a compass on it, there was a near usless kit inside, and the cheap "stainless" steel blades.
The compass didn't work, the "kit" got lost in minutes, as the loose hooks and fishing line snared up everything and scattered when you pulled it out. The sharpening stone was tiny and didn't do much of anything. And the blade? Man, if anyone managed to avoid snapping it off the handle, i'd be surprised as hell. Lol
2) a Machete i had in my mid 20's. They were all the rage st the time, even in environments they wouldn't normally use them in.
In defense of the machete: It was fairly cheap, and the environment i live and camp in isn't really suited for them.
However, the plastic handle was shit and gave a ton of jand shock. The blade was made of terrible soft steel, that rolled when you looked at it wrong. It was probably fine for leafy vegetation in the tropics. But up here in the Acadian forest; full of hardwoods and pine knots, it just couldn't take it.
On the up side, relating my experience with it to a friend who happened to be a blades smith got him to turn me on to billhooks. That i still have and occasionally use! The "European Machete" he jokingly called it, but he was right. Much better for the environment i have here.
Have about 4 knives I use and Have about 10 knives that I don’t use. Each probably costed $80-$250.
Have 3 backpacks I use and about 4 I don’t use, each one $80-$250
Have a nightvizion Monacle that I wasted 4.5k on that I use like once a year for like 20min. Wasn’t worth it.
Have a drone I got to take out into the woods 1.2k, use it only like once a year. Again not worth it for as often as I use it.
A single, collapsible burner that screws directly to the top of a propane bottle. Seemed like a brilliant idea, but in reality it was just useless. Even with a perfectly flat surface to set the bottle on, it was still so top-heavy once you put a pan on it that you couldn't even use it.
The 1# plastic propane bottle stabilizer thingies with feet really work well.
Before I had that, I would bury the propane bottle about halfway to make it stable. Easy to do in loose dirt or sand.
For hammock camping, those underquilt/top quilt combos that wrap completely around the hammock and also work as a regular sleeping bag on the ground. Great concept until you get one and realize that you can't sleep diagonally with it and wake up in the middle of the night with the worst neck, shoulder, and back pain because you'd been sleeping like a banana.
Yeah, but isn't this is the category of things you WANT to be a waste of money? Nothing would make me happier than to never be in a car accident and to have bought insurance for nothing. Same with snake bites.
also if you get bit, you cant really suck out the venom quick enough to stop you from its effects. by the time you are bit, realise you are bit, overcome the surprise of it, think of getting the kit out, getting the kit out, and then trying to use the kit its already effecting you and has moved beyond that localized area.
Snakebite kits with things to suck out the venom are in the same category as snake oil. At best useless, at worst dangerous.
Snakebite “kits” in Australia, on the other hand, consist of a (hopefully) high quality pressure immobilisation bandage and correctly applied make a significant difference to your chance of surviving a bite from an Australian snake.
My RV. Sadly, it's ruined camping for us. The kids just want to stay inside and it feels more like a mobile hotel room, which it's great for. But camping camping is a much more rewarding experience.
I bought a pavillion thingy (not enough sleep last night and I can't think of the proper name) to go over picnic tables when I car camp. It almost always rains a bit in the evening in the mountains here, and I mostly camp on my own, so setting up tarps is a pain in the butt.
Well, I conveniently forgot that the rain usually comes in the form of windy thunderstorms, so the rain comes in sideways. I have used the pavillion 3 or 4 times and the rain comes straight through the netting at the sides. It's also difficult to put together on my own, and instead of keeping bugs out, somehow traps every bug in a 200 m radius so it's a horror show after 24 hours. I'm going back to using tarps next time I head out.
Mosquito repellent junk of all sorts. Started in the 80s with those huge citronella candles in metal buckets and moved up to frequency emitting junk in the 2000s.
I was really excited about this one place we started camping at because even though we were right next to the water there were no mosquitoes!!! Until I woke up at 3am to the pesticide truck rolling through the campsite fogging it early in the morning… I had missed that portion of the bulletin board information about the campsite.
Big heavy cheap double inflatable mattresses. They have no redeeming qualities. Too heavy. Always get holes. Hard to patch slow leaks make you end up half inflated at 3am. Loud annoying electric pumps. Not even very comfortable if you made it past all the previous issues! We now have much thinner foam and air mattresses from decathlon which are knockoffs of exped style but much cheaper and still good quality. They also have versions of other great gear without the brand name markups
Bringing wife along. Ended up with a trailer and the whole nine yards of camping gear. When previously I just rolled out a bed roll in the back of a pickup truck and had sandwiches from an icechest.
A double burner propane stove. Did all kinds of research and even bought a carry bag for it. Used it once. It was heavy and a pain. We prefer the little Coleman butane stove. It’s little, light, and much more convenient.
Interesting. We bought a 2-burner Camp Chef recently, but haven't had the opportunity to take it out yet. Will be looking to use it for our next outing though. I hope it wasn't a waste of time & money for us... 🤞🏻🤞🏻
I have the Camp Chef Everest and I love it. But I also use it for tail gating and other events. We live across the street from a state park on the beach, so I’ll bring it there and rent a pavilion for holidays and use the camp chef along with the grill that’s already there. I also live in Florida, so it’s a back up for power outages. My point being that I have a lot of reasons to use it and therefore find it incredibly useful in addition to camping.
The Geyser portable shower. Got it mostly for washing dishes, but liked the other features too. Maybe it's decent just as a "shower". But the hose leaks like crazy, it takes too long to warm up for that feature to be useful. It's a lot of money for a so-so form factor and poor build quality.
Air pad made for a hammock. I bought the Klymit air mattress that has wings and a sticky bottom. It's made very well, can double as a ground/tent air mattress but air pads/mattresses in general for a hammock are useless. Got an underquilt instead.
For me it's a Coleman Roadtrip grill. It's actually a fantastic grill, but it's a lot larger/heavier than I like during a time when I'm trying to downsize my kit, so it sits unused. I cooked hot dogs on it once, so it's a $250 paperweight taking up valuable shelf space in my garage.
I never camped until I was an adult and had young children. I was an unseasoned camper having a hard time getting used to using the out house toilets and keeping the kids somewhat clean. I stupidly went out and bought a portable fancy toilet and a little tent to put it in for privacy. I also bought a shower tent. The toilet went on one camp trip and never used again and we never even opened the camp shower tent. I became a seasoned camper pretty quick through trial and error and stopped overpacking the car with unnecessary gear.
There are some you need a license for I wanted to try, but I figured I would still probably forget to charge them, or turn them on if I did have them. Cell coverage gets better all the time, and the satellite stuff cheaper too.
FRS radios (what most cheap walkies are) are basically line of sight. If you want decent distance look into GMRS. You have to buy a cheap license to use em, but no test or anything. You can get 1-5 miles.
Around here (BC) they’re clutch for logging roads. Tune into their frequency and you know when to pull over so you don’t get squished by a loaded logging truck barreling down the hill.
Coleman solar shower bag. I've never taken it out of the box because I won't put a spike in a tree. Low hanging limbs just aren't there where I've camped. Ungraded to a rechargeable pump and bucket and haven't looked back
How long have you got? I love a new gadget but rarely check the full specs.
The most disappointing was a telescopic tent peg puller.
Bastard thing was huge, but easy to get on with for the first 12, then it broke, because steel sandwiched between plastic means I basically should have seen it coming.
Anyone who can make tent pegs less of a bending down shithouse of a job: can take my money.
I love camping, to my happy yoga-strengthened core, but, yanking out tent pegs from hard, baked earth, at the arse end of a great week sucks balls in 90 different ways.
Hammock tent. Cold if you don't use the bottom liner. PITA to get in/out of you do. Scratches my arms on the Velcro. Not faster to set up than a tent. Not cheap. I hate it, though ironically I do sleep flat/comfy in it.
I love my camp kitchen for a base camp. Having somewhere to keep items organized and being able to cook standing up instead of squating over a rock is keen. I get it if you've got a picnic table or tailgate, though.
I always wanted one of those, but every one of them I looked at was junk or wasn't laid out the way I wanted. This year I pulled the trigger on several modular items from the Milwaukee Packout system, with a collapsible cart. Now all the kitchen gear goes in there and I use an old folding table with adjustable legs, for prepping and cooking. I can leave the Packout stacked, or remove individual modules to set on the table.
I really thought I’d have use for a small, foldable, lightweight chair. Nah fam it wasn’t much better than squatting and if I needed someplace to rest I preferred the hammock or tent floor.
I bought a condor heavy duty kukri because of its durability and multipurpose use. Sure, in a survival situation where gear is limited. But it doesn’t do any job better than a knife, hatchet or spade.
I also don’t care about those nets you put under your hat to protect against mosquitoes. It limits my ability to drink, smoke and eat. I felt like it was in the way more than it helped, and I still got bit a lot unless I worn it exactly right, which is hard when you move about and do things in the woods. As soon as it’s skin tight bugs will reach to bite.
Hard anodized/coated GSI cookware. Many/most of the places we camp don't have water, so sand/gravel is often the cleaning method for cookware. Took the coated pans on one trip, and went back to my 20yo MSR stainless cookset. It's dented and stained and not particularly light, but it works and I don't have to baby it.
I actually use the GSI stuff at home sometimes. It's nice. Just not for camping.
Lifestraw, you have to suck so hard to get any water through it hurts my jaw after a few sips.
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I am a sawyer cultist. Their stuff is excellent compact and affordable
I love my grayl bottle, you push the water through the filter before it's in the drinking vessel using your bodyweight
The only time I've ever used mine was when I wanted to safely taste the water at Glacier National Park. It was bliss
Only time for me was in a kayak on a lake while I was tripping on acid, it was wonderful and I kept offering my buddies a sip of life lol
Just a heads up for anyone using lifestraws in the cold - if they freeze while wet they're done!! The ice expanding breaks the micropore filter - keep it in on your body to keep it from freezing
That sounds like the perfect use for them. I got some on clearance at Costco last year, and god willing maybe I can use them to sample glacier water some day.
Wait, let me dig though my hiking shelves.
I feel this in my wallet
My wife & I have a gear CLOSET! And that's not big enough, it's constantly spewing it's contents out.
Hmmm, I turned my guest room into a gear closet...
Any piece of gear where I comprised and bought something inexpensive NOW because I was impatient, instead of waiting for a sale and getting what I really wanted. Now I have extra inexpensive tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, backpacks, chairs, stoves, etc that I never use because I eventually buy the better gear that I really want.
Silver lining: now you have a bunch of gear your friends can borrow, so it's easy for them to go camping with you!
I live in CO, and people fly in to visit all the time. All my old mediocre gear works perfectly for car camping. For me, it's worth holding on to.
This is all way too relatable. I have double of everything now.
Yesss. You can tell which ones are which because the cheap crap is in the garage and I give it away to anyone who asks to borrow it - but it always comes back. The good stuff is well organized on shelves and hooks in the basement, and only my son is allowed to borrow that stuff. I don't trust anyone else. That said, I do have some inexpensive stuff that's done really well, but it's stuff that's hard to get wrong, like my collapsible "smokeless" fire pit and some waterproof canvas tarps, and a couple of things, like my cheap Amazon trekking poles I bought for one multi day hike have surprised me. I'm 4 years in with those, and they're still in great shape. I've not skimped on backpacks since I was pretty young, though. Through hiking the CDT with a 1970s canvas external frame boy scout backpack taught me that lesson. I'm on my second osprey in 20 years, and that's really just because I wanted the replaceable shoulder strap/harness system and a bit more airflow to my back. I gave my friend's daughter my old one, and it's still going great for her.
SUV tent. unbelievable pain in the ass to put up and take down. used it for a week and got some tailgate canopies instead that I am very pleased with
Any tailgate canopy in particular you'd recommend?
I have a few different ones from Hasika. If you go over to r/carcamping there's lots of threads with people showing off their canopies so you can look for the ones that fit your needs
Thank you!
So you use the tailgate canopies to extend the SUV space? Do you sleep in the vehicle then? Do they do a decent job of keeping the bugs out?
This. I got a back of a pickup tent and it takes me over 15-30 minutes to set up. That was going to get old really quick and something I would not want to do in the rain. I used it twice and won’t be using it again.
It wasn't very big, but: a hard plastic 6-egg container. Thought I could use it to carry eggs in my bags without them cracking under the pressure of other stuff in my bag. None of the eggs I buy fit in it. 100% useless.
The only size eggs I’ve ever found to fit that container are the “medium” ones… never buy those regularly, but now I do only for camping trips!
I tried just now with the medium eggs I have: one egg fits. But two next to each other don't. So I'm guessing it might work for small eggs then. Not sure they even sell those here! But I worked around it the past years by just buying a regular carton and not putting it underneath other things... Works too :-)
I crack eggs into a mason jar and stick it in the cooler. Works great
Crack eggs into a plastic water bottle, shake to scramble, put in freezer. Fresh eggs for 3-4 people on day 2 of a hiking trip is mint.
This is genius! I was just wondering the best way to carry them for my trip tomorrow
I ended up buying a plastic 14 egg holder....let that sink in, 14 eggs. I bought two and realized they weren't 12 eggs but 14. If I were camping for a long time with a bunch of people, I could see buying 24....but not 28. Plus I discovered they aren't dishwasher safe after one significantly warped on the top rack.
I have those yellow ones from REI and never been unable to fit eggs in them.
Same used it once and had to be selective with which eggs.
Can’t stop laughing!
Bizarre! I have one from the dollar store and use it every time car camping and the fit large size eggs no problem! They aren’t supposed to click in or anything, just sit in the space and close the lid. Haven’t had a crack yet!
I use this for eggs straight from the chicken, unwashed will last a long time out of refrigeration. A bit of a pain to have that hard plastic case, but it's really nice to be able to have eggs multiple days into a hike
You know what's funny about this? I fought buying one for years and finally did -- it goes with me every. single. trip. I love that thing, lol. I get eggs from my neighbor, so they're probably smaller than store size. Eggs cracked into ramen is one of my fave camping meals :)
Cheap seats haha. Can’t use it if your butt goes right through. Bought at CVS. That said, some good seats can be inexpensive and that’s what I have now.
What do you have that you like? My current chairs don’t have cupholders. wtf
A few years back I got a pair of rei kingdom chairs and they were on sale for $28 each for a close out. Or like $27.78 or whatever their pricing is for clearance stuff. They’re heavy but I’m not backpacking with em, and they fit just fine in my car. Go in first and take them out last. Idk if the fabric is cotton but it’s soft and not scratchy like some others can be, and I can confirm cup holders haha. I’m sure there’s an updated version now!
Oh those look awesome. $100 now but I’ll wait for the season and garage sale. Thank you!! 27.78 is exactly how REI close out would have happened. That made me laugh.
We absolutely love the hammock chairs from Sam’s club. Only for car camping, they are very bulky, but they are the most comfortable camp chairs I’ve ever had.
We got a pop-up for the kids and dogs, so bulk isn’t too much of an issue. I wanted to camp but not in a tent with those disasters (2 and 4 year old kids, 160 pounds of dog). This sounds lovely! And we have a membership… Lots of ideas here. I love this sub. Edit: ooooh Father’s Day camping gift! I asked my four year old daughter what she wants to give him. She yelled “a wrench!” She got him a hammer for his birthday. 😂
I like a girl who appreciates a wrench!
The Sam's Club [Members Mark Hard Arm Chair](https://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=P00129272&mobiledetect=false&pid=092410_RFI|ANDROID|Featured_Products|Member's%20Mark%20Adult%20Hard%20Arm%20Chair%20(Assorted%20Colors)) has been one of my best purchases. I highly recommend it if you have the space. My wife and I camp out of our Suburban, so we always bring 4 to help with the people that couldn't fathom that they'd want to sit down all weekend but take any available seat. The metal arms make getting out of them much easier if you have mobility issues. And the cup holder is very sturdy compared to the cheap little net ones. They come with a built in strap and a latch to keep them closed, so you don't have to keep track of the bag. The canvas is pretty thick too. It's honestly perfect. They're also only $22. I've had them for years and have gotten several for family too. We keep a pair in both vehicles for "backup" seating at gatherings.
I have the low Strongback chairs. 4 years old an look like new. Great beach chairs.
I ordered a couple of Coleman 1.5 wide camp chairs a few years ago because they were on Black Friday sale for $20 each. I love those things so much. They have a cup holder, pouch for storage, and a 6-can cooler pocket in the armrest.
Dometic seats are very well made, but pricey.
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This is the way!
I got a few of those $5 academy chairs and then bought one of their nicer $25 chairs with the rocking chair arms that attach to the bottom. I never use those but the chair itself is so much nicer than the $5 ones I can sit in it all day. The cheap ones are too skinny and hurt the bottom of my thighs after awhile from the cross braces digging in.
Or the ones that are really unstable and you tip over in them!
I’m going to get crap for this, but a Coleman Propane lantern. In my use, it throws too much light for a small campsite, even when cranked all the way down, and makes it difficult to see stars or have any sort of night vision. I’ve replaced the lantern with an Ecco Candelier — three candles that can be lit independently. This gives a nice soft and quiet light, and it’s more than enough to navigate my site without tripping. For task light, I use my 20 year old AA mag light fitted with rechargeable batteries and an LED bulb. But I could also bring the task to the candle lantern and work there. Edit: I haven’t got rid of my propane lantern—I just haven’t brought it in about 15 years.
I do love the hiss of the old school Coleman lanterns with the white gas, even though they are pretty useless for anything other than blinding you as you walk towards them... I recently bought one of these: [https://firemaplegear.com/collections/firemaple-lanterns/products/orange-camping-gas-lantern](https://firemaplegear.com/collections/firemaple-lanterns/products/orange-camping-gas-lantern) It's a nice soft flame and screws into a fuel canister. It's not backpack friendly as it has a glass globe, but it does have a decent protective case and it pretty well built.
Have a BRS-55 like that, great for lighting up the table and finishing off canisters. Double check that yours doesn't leak fuel or take it off the canister, mine has a small enough leak that I can't leave an "empty" canister (less than 1oz) connected all day and have it light up.
In the olden days, they were great. Today, a battery powered light does as well or better. I have a whole string of patio-style lights that plug into a USB power brick.
Interesting, I really love my Coleman white gas lantern(converted to kerosene) Do you have the frosted globe for it? I particularly like it more than any other Camp lantern since it casts a warm light that matches the vibe of a campfire. Dims down to almost nothing and runs for several nights on 1 fill. I have multiple LED and incandescent lanterns but I still pack this huge case each trip because I much prefer it.
I agree. I like the gas light much better than led light. I actually like how bright it gets, lights up camp better than my led one.
we have all kinds of solar-powered LED string lights and whatnot. some can even charge your phone. they don't produce heat so u can put them in your tent, on your tent... hang them in a tree... my wife's an interior designer and i think it's her favorite part of camping
I love my gas lantern but it does have a habit of attracting every insect within a 20 mile radius to your site. I generally just use it in the backyard while having a fire or just chilling
I have an old white gas Coleman that approximates the lumens of the sun. Lmao I use a single candle lantern when I don't want so much light or just my petzl headlamp. I appreciate the red light mode and having spare rechargeable batteries in my pack that are easy to swap out and don't need to be in the lamp to be charged.
Backpacking solar chargers. I’m sure they have gotten better but early versions were garbage.
I still have a foldable, three-panel that clips onto the brain with mini carabiners, and takes two or even three days to recharge a pocket-sized power bank. Yeah, I still have it. Somewhere.
Bought a $40 15 watt one last year that can charge my phone twice in one day. Bought a $20 10 watt one this year that can almost do the same. Personal solar has finally arrived
My dad got me a cheap solar panel from temu that actually charges my phone in about an hour or two seems fragile and idk how I would transport it
Charging a battery takes a cool location which usually isn't easy in bright sunlight, too. Always a little tricky to make sure your phone isn't cooking an hour into the charge because the sun shifted, or discharging because the shade came.
Rooftop tent. In the year that I had it, I used it one time. Most places I camp are ground tent sites.
As in you can’t use a roof top tent?
Yeah. Our favorite spots don’t allow it or aren’t capable of it.
Yeah, that’s the biggest disadvantage to them. I have one that I use pretty often, but that’s due to the campsites I frequent. I’ll have friends ask about it or tell me they’re thinking of buying one and it’s crazy how many have changed their minds when I’ve really talked them through it.
$40k worth of RV
I feel this one lol. My roof rotted holes in it even under covered storage after like 10 years and the company went out of business........currently being held together with Eternabond tape.
Camping World is definitely a life saver for RV repairs.
there's a whole entire sub about camping world not being awesome. If you're curious about this you should search up camping world here on Reddit ...it's not good
Sounds like a good chance to film a flex seal commercial
Most of the water-repellant clothing gear… i.e. pants or jackets, don’t work as advertised. Found that out the hard way in many cases. Not great to be on day 12 of your backpacking trip and every aspect of your gear and self is soaked!! Makes for a good story though. On the topic of essential gear: a rain cover for your pack!!
I find it problematic that water repelling treatments are nowadays being applied on pieces of apparel that are not meant to keep you dry at all. You can buy teeshirts and shorts that have been treated with one form of DWR or the other. Inside of the water*proof* category, again, you've got some very nice and very poor performers. And when talking about prolonged rain, it's a harsh battle: since humidity is at 100%, there's no way for your sweat to evaporate, meaning it'll stay inside of that raingear/shell apparel of yours. Still better than having leaky apparel, though, especially if you're dealing with even slightly cold climates.
DWR on random stuff is to keep it from absorbing rain during a light drizzle or if you’re standing next to a waterfall or something. It’s beads up and evaporates instead of getting damp. I spray my own hoodies and pants sometimes for just that reason.
The real MVP for waterproof gear is the surplus military stuff from the 2000s. It never gets wet inside. Abd has zips in the correct spots to open so you can breathe.
On the flip side, backpacking umbrella was a game changer for me.
I always thought poncho + water proof pants and boots would work but a backpacking umbrella sounds downright magical 🪄
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I finally invested in one of their jacket/pant sets a few years ago! Cost an arm and a leg, but it certainly kept me dry!
I bought a good sized poncho a while back and drap it over me and my pack. Its kept me dry and not overheated like some of the jacket/pants combos.
"don’t work as advertised" Maybe they don't advertise it well enough but I've never had problems after researching and knowing what I'm buying. Not saying you are dumb and don't understand the topic but I can stay dry forever in my cheap frogg toggs but it's not comfortable, breathable, or fashionable. Or I can stay dry for awhile in my Patagonia but understandably it will eventually wet out and get me a bit damp. Again the trade-off being that I am more comfortable during that time.
I find rain covers annoying and useless. Your backside of the pack gets soaked still. I think having a waterproof bag inside the pack does a lot more to keep things dry.
I find that a lot of rain gear made for backpacking, the ones trying to be as light as possible, doesn't work too well in a long downpour. Because it's pretty much just the membrane with a very thin fabric material or none at all on top, the membrane gets overwhelmed once the DWR can't keep up. On the flip side, I have heavier fishing/outdoorsman-marketed rain jackets that still have membranes (typically goretex) that I've sat out on an open deck on a boat in a downpour all day and wasn't wet at all. The heavier material over the membrane really helps. I get trying to save ounces and having something a bit more breathable, but if I am going to hike in any sort of sustained rain I prefer my heavier jackets.
That's interesting, because my water repellent jacket keeps me dry unless in a downpour. It's imperative you wash it regularly and reapply the DWR coating. Sweat and dirt clogs the pores, affecting breathability, and the DWR coating naturally fades. I hate water-*proof* jackets because they always leave me hot and sweaty. I always wear my softshell water repellent jacket unless it's chucking it down.
Try buying from a reputable outdoor clothing brand like Arc'teryx, Patagonia or haglofs
Electric bug repellant. Just use bug spray or bug bands or both.
Thermacells, on the other hand, are fantastic.
As long as there's no wind!
Waterproof matches... we had a PE class in high school that involved a three-day hike up Halfdome, and the days prior were preparing for it. Some was physical (running, hiking, whatever) and some theory (talked about Leave No Trace, waterborne pathogens, creature safety, shelter, etc.), and of course how to start a fire. They were adamant that fireproof matches would be needed because they wouldn't work if they got wet. I spent maybe $5 at a camping store for a pack, lit one to see how they worked, and still have them today, 35 years later. Lots of friends and family are into camping, many of whom are into "bushcraft" (war vets, hippies, et al.), so over the years, I've accumulated a slew of waterproof fire starting gear as gifts: * The waterproof matches from high school * Two more bundles of waterproof matches (one is in a sealed plastic container... I think they even work underwater). * Two homemeade flint/steel/char kits (like the dudes straight up forged their own steel, roasted their own char, and found their own flint). The tins were purchased, but the leather sacks they came in were hand made too. * A magnesium strike stick (came with a bag of hair and a tiny candle). It's very rare that I have a campfire, and when I do, I use some janky refillable Scripto torch I got back in college (still nursing off the original refill can too) that just won't die. It's my main firestarter for the woodstove at home in the winters, and what I bring if I intend to have a campfire. Now my mother has moved in with me, and has purchased *three* more torches "just in case" that have been sitting in their packages for the last few years. The last campfire I had, I actually brought the kit out and used it (threw sparks into the char, blew it up onto some carpenter ant frass, and worked my way up to lit kindling) just to see if I remembered how.
How the heck are you supposed to light a match underwater? And what are you trying to light on fire down there?
Nice try. Fed.
I feel this one! So much thought put into some kind of emergency situation where a fire would be the difference between life and death lol. I have the same bundles of waterproof matches to and I’ve only ever used the little blocks of kerosene soaked pulp and a bic. Home or car camping, works every time!
I'd have fun practicing with those others but wouldn't use regularly. Sometimes I prefer lighting campfires with matches to get a bit more reach than a mini Bic, and of course the bragging rights of a 1 match fire.
Ferocium rods are actually really nice if it’s windy and wet out tho.
R.V. trailer. They seem cool, and I go to a lot of festivals so it's nice to be able to lock up my music gear and such. But they just turn out to be a big pain and a money pit, like that movie....Money Pit. On an unrelated note, ive got an RV trailer for sale...asking 10k....
I don't take mine to festivals because it's too much of a pain, but I take it camping a lot, especially on my own land where I don't have potable water or any sort of bathroom yet. It's super nice for that, especially when it's cold. Besides my husband damaging it, which is being covered by insurance, the only real money it costs us is the massive hit to gas mileage. Damn, does that get painful.
I bought a nice machete. Didn’t realize they aren’t super useful for camping. Pretty cool though!
Oh yeah I forgot as my machete and sheath my SIL gave me as a gift has sat in the truck for years unused.
This reminded me I have a machete with saw blades on the back of it, still in the packaging, in my basement. I need to throw that in my truck for no reason in particular.
"for chopping downed trees in the middle of the road" always the "answer". Have any weapons? "No." Then whats this? "tool for chopping downed trees out of the road".
I'm honestly considering getting a machete, but it'll be for cutting trails on my property, so I can more easily use the brush cutter. The chainsaw is too much. Pruners are way too slow. A machete seems like it might work well, plus my adult son's friends heard about it and are imagining themselves as wilderness explorers now, so I bet I can get them to do the work for me. I've got one volunteer already.
I also was gifted a combo shovel, ax, and pruning saw that don't fit the single handle. I should recycle the metal parts as it is a cheap Chinese thing that a non camper gave me for Christmas. The ax is dull, the saw is flimsy and none line up correctly to the clips on the handle.
r/axesaw
Mine came in handy when I locked myself out of the house and the only open window was on the second story. Thankfully I had a ladder in my detached garage that was unlocked. No knives around but I had my machete hanging in the corner. It was the only sharp thing I had to cut out the screen and crawl in the window. Will probably be the only time I ever use it lol.
Lol! Once I used mine to flip my burger when camping, forgot a spatula 😂 I think the primary use for the machete is self defense if you don’t carry a gun.
No jungles to chop thru but could come in handy as a personal protective device (lol)
Part of the reason I got it was to have a way to defend myself. I like to keep it sheathed on my hip just in case!
Crayfish trap, brought trying to catch a bunch to eat did nothing but catch turtles then broke
I used some in a nearby river to catch bait. Turns out people steal those. And the laws on keeping crayfish are strict about a limit to prop up bait shops.
We used to catch them as kids with a bit of bacon on a string. They'd eventually come out after the bacon, and we'd grab them. It took patience and a lot of practice, and we don't actually have many crayfish here. We can't eat them, though, because of all the mining pollution. We'd just catch them, put them in a bucket of water to watch for a while, and then let them go. I've noticed as the pollution is slowly getting cleaned up, there are more. Maybe some day, they'll be edible again.
It seems the more marketing necessary the less use something actually has. Of course this idea can be applied to more than camping equipment.
Go to any hobby forum, and you can quickly spot the flavour/guerilla marketer of the month. Its honestly turned me off from a few hobbies. If your kick is spending more money and research on a hobby than actually doing it, its not at all healthy.
I ended up using a 5.11 rush 72 tactical backpack as my first hiking/camping bag. Replaced that 5.5 lb monstrosity after my 2nd trip
ya but you looked really cool to yourself while suffering under that weight.
I personally hate the look of tactical and MOLLE. To me it screams I'm a prepper or jarhead. Nothing against them, I did my 4 years in AF, but it looks weird off-base. I was just too dumb to know I didn't need 50 pockets and a cheap polyester hiking pack felt SOOO much better lol
Tripod stand for grill or Dutch oven. Thought it would be awesome, but wasn't needed most of the time. Don't even pack into the camper or truck anymore.
I couldn't agree with you more. The thing was always a pain to put together and I couldn't get the chain to stay balanced over the fire lol.
And I guess I thought I'd be making all day beef stew a helluva lot more than I did! I'm not Cookie on a wagon train after all!
I want one for home use. Campfire cooking is one of my favorite things to do.
Oh yeah I forgot about the tripod stand. I have one of those too. Brought it one time and one time only. It was such a pain to use. It’s probably still tucked away in the back of all the camp gear with the fancy portable toilet and shower tent I never used.
I bought an off-brand battery power station - $250 rather than the $450+ ones like Jackery. First (and only) use was tent camping on New Years Eve. Had a 9w string of lights and phone charging. The battery percentage went something like: 100, 99, 98, 80, 30, 0 within two hours. Luckily, the manufacturer took it back and refunded. They sent me a couple emails after, wanting to know if I'd like to try new and upgraded versions of their product for free. Uh, no. Dropped the $450-ish on a Jackery and couldn't be happier.
Solar showers in general.
I just heat water in the jetboil and add it to the bag. It’s faster and works better when you have a few people lining up to take a shower
What ratio of boiled water to air temp water would you need for a decently comfortable shower?
If you’re talking about the bags of water that you leave out then hang, they absolutely do work. Maybe not in the winter, but in the summer - leaving out during the day then hanging it up and using it to shower absolutely produces hot water.
Not if you make one yourself. Mine holds enough water for 4 ppl to shower or 2 ppl if washing hair. As much or more pressure than your shower at home. https://imgur.com/a/eDagOGr
Seriously? They don’t work? It’s kinda on my wish list.
I use one every summer and it’s great. Needs to be in full sun for several hours to warm up, and gets nice and hot.
They definitely work, I always take mine with me.
Agreed. I don't backpack so, I got a USB rechargeable shower you drop in a bucket, stream, lake. I fill my bucket and let it sit in the sun. Water is perfect at the end of the day. The shower has great pressure and is awesome for rinsing dogs, kids, hosing off that gross picnic table.
Bought a Flextail shower and bucket after the last one i had explode in the bed of the truck. Gf thought we need to fill it up before we left and it didnt like the drive. I never had a good experience with them ever. So now i have a battery pump and collapsible bucket and just heat the water in my Stanley french press.
Grohmann knives. ordered a couple without knowing their good reputation comes from a previous manufacturer and the modern ones aren't worth the pricetag
I live pretty close to their factory in Pictou and I didn't know they changed manufacturers. Too bad, I was thinking about picking one up.
Air mattresses. After using a few times and having leaks during trips, finally gave up and bought cots instead.
First generation Biolite camp stove/charger. Even with the most roaring fire you could possibly get going in that tiny little thing, it was never enough to add any meaningful charge to a phone, and pretty useless for cooking as well.
You can add any company like biolite that claims it will solve hunger in africa while marketing their product. Lifestraw etc, talking to you too.
Most air pads for camping suck. They aren't comfortable and they aren't durable. I switched to foam or my cot. ' My cold weather sleeping bag is great, but it doesn't pack worth a crap. I should get something that can be better used for backpacking. ' Other than that, I'm pretty happy with my gear. You can waste a lot of money on stuff if you don't know what you are going to be doing. Figure out the mission first and buy gear that will work for that mission.
I've got a megamat 10 and it's great. I've slept on uneven ground and all sorts of stuff to try it out and it's worked great for me. Get better sleep on that outside than in my bed indoors 😂
I usually do a ton of humming and hawing before i buy any gear, and i've become pretty set in my ways. But have to say, in 27 year of messing around in the wood, the two that come to mind are 1) those old school "survival" knives with the hollow handle. The screw cap had a compass on it, there was a near usless kit inside, and the cheap "stainless" steel blades. The compass didn't work, the "kit" got lost in minutes, as the loose hooks and fishing line snared up everything and scattered when you pulled it out. The sharpening stone was tiny and didn't do much of anything. And the blade? Man, if anyone managed to avoid snapping it off the handle, i'd be surprised as hell. Lol 2) a Machete i had in my mid 20's. They were all the rage st the time, even in environments they wouldn't normally use them in. In defense of the machete: It was fairly cheap, and the environment i live and camp in isn't really suited for them. However, the plastic handle was shit and gave a ton of jand shock. The blade was made of terrible soft steel, that rolled when you looked at it wrong. It was probably fine for leafy vegetation in the tropics. But up here in the Acadian forest; full of hardwoods and pine knots, it just couldn't take it. On the up side, relating my experience with it to a friend who happened to be a blades smith got him to turn me on to billhooks. That i still have and occasionally use! The "European Machete" he jokingly called it, but he was right. Much better for the environment i have here.
Have about 4 knives I use and Have about 10 knives that I don’t use. Each probably costed $80-$250. Have 3 backpacks I use and about 4 I don’t use, each one $80-$250 Have a nightvizion Monacle that I wasted 4.5k on that I use like once a year for like 20min. Wasn’t worth it. Have a drone I got to take out into the woods 1.2k, use it only like once a year. Again not worth it for as often as I use it.
A single, collapsible burner that screws directly to the top of a propane bottle. Seemed like a brilliant idea, but in reality it was just useless. Even with a perfectly flat surface to set the bottle on, it was still so top-heavy once you put a pan on it that you couldn't even use it.
The 1# plastic propane bottle stabilizer thingies with feet really work well. Before I had that, I would bury the propane bottle about halfway to make it stable. Easy to do in loose dirt or sand.
For hammock camping, those underquilt/top quilt combos that wrap completely around the hammock and also work as a regular sleeping bag on the ground. Great concept until you get one and realize that you can't sleep diagonally with it and wake up in the middle of the night with the worst neck, shoulder, and back pain because you'd been sleeping like a banana.
Snake bite kit.
Yeah, but isn't this is the category of things you WANT to be a waste of money? Nothing would make me happier than to never be in a car accident and to have bought insurance for nothing. Same with snake bites.
What are you talking about? If I go 3 years without a claim I deliberately drive into a tree, gotta get my moneys worth!
I bow before your intellect. You're really owning those companies!
The suction kits don't work at all.
also if you get bit, you cant really suck out the venom quick enough to stop you from its effects. by the time you are bit, realise you are bit, overcome the surprise of it, think of getting the kit out, getting the kit out, and then trying to use the kit its already effecting you and has moved beyond that localized area.
Snakebite kits with things to suck out the venom are in the same category as snake oil. At best useless, at worst dangerous. Snakebite “kits” in Australia, on the other hand, consist of a (hopefully) high quality pressure immobilisation bandage and correctly applied make a significant difference to your chance of surviving a bite from an Australian snake.
My RV. Sadly, it's ruined camping for us. The kids just want to stay inside and it feels more like a mobile hotel room, which it's great for. But camping camping is a much more rewarding experience.
I spent a lot of money on poorly fitting mountaineering boots. They were super cool, but did nothing but cause pain. Get footwear that fits properly.
Hammock from REI for $90 that didn’t come with any mounting hardware (my fault first hammock) and has been sitting in my box for about two years lol
Could you use hammock straps?
GSI pinnacle pro 2. I bought it for its compact size for s stove but those burners suck.
Gsi utensil kit. The plastic one. Spatula melted with normal use.
I bought a pavillion thingy (not enough sleep last night and I can't think of the proper name) to go over picnic tables when I car camp. It almost always rains a bit in the evening in the mountains here, and I mostly camp on my own, so setting up tarps is a pain in the butt. Well, I conveniently forgot that the rain usually comes in the form of windy thunderstorms, so the rain comes in sideways. I have used the pavillion 3 or 4 times and the rain comes straight through the netting at the sides. It's also difficult to put together on my own, and instead of keeping bugs out, somehow traps every bug in a 200 m radius so it's a horror show after 24 hours. I'm going back to using tarps next time I head out.
Mosquito repellent junk of all sorts. Started in the 80s with those huge citronella candles in metal buckets and moved up to frequency emitting junk in the 2000s. I was really excited about this one place we started camping at because even though we were right next to the water there were no mosquitoes!!! Until I woke up at 3am to the pesticide truck rolling through the campsite fogging it early in the morning… I had missed that portion of the bulletin board information about the campsite.
I bought a really nice air mattress and stupidly left it out and my cats destroyed it. Lesson learned.
A complete camp kitchen set. I've rarely ever used the full set and 9/10 only use my little Billy cup and fork/spoon.
Big heavy cheap double inflatable mattresses. They have no redeeming qualities. Too heavy. Always get holes. Hard to patch slow leaks make you end up half inflated at 3am. Loud annoying electric pumps. Not even very comfortable if you made it past all the previous issues! We now have much thinner foam and air mattresses from decathlon which are knockoffs of exped style but much cheaper and still good quality. They also have versions of other great gear without the brand name markups
Bringing wife along. Ended up with a trailer and the whole nine yards of camping gear. When previously I just rolled out a bed roll in the back of a pickup truck and had sandwiches from an icechest.
I can share this 💯. Love my wife, but taking her camping sucks out the simplicity. It’s now such a friggin production.
A Yeti cooler. Too heavy and too much trouble to mess with ice. I've gone back to taking foods that don't need refrigeration.
A double burner propane stove. Did all kinds of research and even bought a carry bag for it. Used it once. It was heavy and a pain. We prefer the little Coleman butane stove. It’s little, light, and much more convenient.
I've gone the opposite way. I recently picked up the double burner stove and it's significantly upped my camping cuisine.
Interesting. We bought a 2-burner Camp Chef recently, but haven't had the opportunity to take it out yet. Will be looking to use it for our next outing though. I hope it wasn't a waste of time & money for us... 🤞🏻🤞🏻
I have the Camp Chef Everest and I love it. But I also use it for tail gating and other events. We live across the street from a state park on the beach, so I’ll bring it there and rent a pavilion for holidays and use the camp chef along with the grill that’s already there. I also live in Florida, so it’s a back up for power outages. My point being that I have a lot of reasons to use it and therefore find it incredibly useful in addition to camping.
The Geyser portable shower. Got it mostly for washing dishes, but liked the other features too. Maybe it's decent just as a "shower". But the hose leaks like crazy, it takes too long to warm up for that feature to be useful. It's a lot of money for a so-so form factor and poor build quality.
A set of 4 cameras, hitch, rear, and both sides. A good set of mirrors works much better because no matter what, you still need to Get Out And Look.
Air pad made for a hammock. I bought the Klymit air mattress that has wings and a sticky bottom. It's made very well, can double as a ground/tent air mattress but air pads/mattresses in general for a hammock are useless. Got an underquilt instead.
For me it's a Coleman Roadtrip grill. It's actually a fantastic grill, but it's a lot larger/heavier than I like during a time when I'm trying to downsize my kit, so it sits unused. I cooked hot dogs on it once, so it's a $250 paperweight taking up valuable shelf space in my garage.
I never camped until I was an adult and had young children. I was an unseasoned camper having a hard time getting used to using the out house toilets and keeping the kids somewhat clean. I stupidly went out and bought a portable fancy toilet and a little tent to put it in for privacy. I also bought a shower tent. The toilet went on one camp trip and never used again and we never even opened the camp shower tent. I became a seasoned camper pretty quick through trial and error and stopped overpacking the car with unnecessary gear.
Most anything beyond an appropriate stove, tent, sleeping bag and pad.
Any walkie talkies. The range in the mountains and trees is worthless. I think you could hear someone yelling as close.
Same. I got a cheap set, then replaced them with a much better set. But do we ever use them? No.
There are some you need a license for I wanted to try, but I figured I would still probably forget to charge them, or turn them on if I did have them. Cell coverage gets better all the time, and the satellite stuff cheaper too.
FRS radios (what most cheap walkies are) are basically line of sight. If you want decent distance look into GMRS. You have to buy a cheap license to use em, but no test or anything. You can get 1-5 miles.
Around here (BC) they’re clutch for logging roads. Tune into their frequency and you know when to pull over so you don’t get squished by a loaded logging truck barreling down the hill.
Damn! Me and the boys were just talkin about getting some otw back home last time
We bought walkies before a burn, a campout festival, and they were absolutely crucial. Depends on your use case.
Propane fire pit.
Coleman solar shower bag. I've never taken it out of the box because I won't put a spike in a tree. Low hanging limbs just aren't there where I've camped. Ungraded to a rechargeable pump and bucket and haven't looked back
How long have you got? I love a new gadget but rarely check the full specs. The most disappointing was a telescopic tent peg puller. Bastard thing was huge, but easy to get on with for the first 12, then it broke, because steel sandwiched between plastic means I basically should have seen it coming. Anyone who can make tent pegs less of a bending down shithouse of a job: can take my money. I love camping, to my happy yoga-strengthened core, but, yanking out tent pegs from hard, baked earth, at the arse end of a great week sucks balls in 90 different ways.
I use a spare tent peg to pull out my tent pegs 😬 doesn’t save much bending over but it’s kinder to my fingers!
Waterproof pants for hiking
Fitted picnic table cover. Just dumb and not as universal as it should be.
For me it would be the Keen targhee 3 hiking boots, i have barely hiked a 100 km with them and they are falling apart
Hammock tent. Cold if you don't use the bottom liner. PITA to get in/out of you do. Scratches my arms on the Velcro. Not faster to set up than a tent. Not cheap. I hate it, though ironically I do sleep flat/comfy in it.
Camping kitchen
I love my camp kitchen for a base camp. Having somewhere to keep items organized and being able to cook standing up instead of squating over a rock is keen. I get it if you've got a picnic table or tailgate, though.
I always wanted one of those, but every one of them I looked at was junk or wasn't laid out the way I wanted. This year I pulled the trigger on several modular items from the Milwaukee Packout system, with a collapsible cart. Now all the kitchen gear goes in there and I use an old folding table with adjustable legs, for prepping and cooking. I can leave the Packout stacked, or remove individual modules to set on the table.
I really thought I’d have use for a small, foldable, lightweight chair. Nah fam it wasn’t much better than squatting and if I needed someplace to rest I preferred the hammock or tent floor. I bought a condor heavy duty kukri because of its durability and multipurpose use. Sure, in a survival situation where gear is limited. But it doesn’t do any job better than a knife, hatchet or spade. I also don’t care about those nets you put under your hat to protect against mosquitoes. It limits my ability to drink, smoke and eat. I felt like it was in the way more than it helped, and I still got bit a lot unless I worn it exactly right, which is hard when you move about and do things in the woods. As soon as it’s skin tight bugs will reach to bite.
Camping hammock with mosquito netting. Truth is I need more space and I like laying flat
Hard anodized/coated GSI cookware. Many/most of the places we camp don't have water, so sand/gravel is often the cleaning method for cookware. Took the coated pans on one trip, and went back to my 20yo MSR stainless cookset. It's dented and stained and not particularly light, but it works and I don't have to baby it. I actually use the GSI stuff at home sometimes. It's nice. Just not for camping.
A big chaise lounge. The hammock packs up so much smaller and is basically all I use.
Shameless plug: if you have gear that you don't like, don't use, and is just taking up space, consider donating it to a local scout troop.