Outdoors Multireddit

Howdy all. I use to camp with my Dad and the eX (now divorced) but kind of lost interest and would rather spend some money for a cabin. However, looking at some of the back country places I want to go (trail running and hikes) camping is the _ONLY_ option. So looking at maybe getting back in. Would be solo or one other person. Read through some of the older posts here and most people seem mixed on popup tents (looks like a good choice to me) but the Coloman Sundome 2 seems to be the most recommended from my random searches. It's inexpensive, has a rain guard (I plan to avoid all rain if possible lol), and appears easy enough to setup.

I am planning a trip to MEC and REI, but for someone who wants: basic safe tent, for fair weather spring / summer camping for 1-4 nights, any recommendations.?

Happy to hear air mattress and sleeping bag recommendations as well.

Would primarily be doing airport camping on grass, or a short hike (less than 1mi) with all equipment.

Hi fellow hikers! My partner and I frequently trek through the Swiss Alps for 1 to 3 days during the milder seasons to wild camp. We’re looking to lighten our package (food and water) with a new tent. Below are our priorities and the models we're considering:

Priorities:

1. Weight and freestanding - Most crucial factor and freestanding!
2. Size - Preferably not too small.
3. Durability - Material must withstand our not sooo professional packing skills.
4. Ease of Setup - Quick to pitch and pack up.

Models Considered:

• Tarptent Double Rainbow Li - High-end, possibly more than we need. Any alternatives on this level?
• Durston Gear X-Mid 2P - Affordable, good reviews. Not really freestanding, right?
• Tarptent Stratospire 2 - probably more complicated to set up...
• Big Agnes - Heard they might be a bit small for 2p and if we take the one for 3 it's heavier again.

Water resistance isn’t a top concern since we avoid hiking in bad weather. Any recommendations or experiences with these tents, or something else we should consider? -

Thank you so much.

https://imgur.com/gallery/4UI6XhT

I found this osprey bag in a pawn shop but am confused. It must be a waist pack, but as you can see in the photos, the logo is at the bottom, and it is on a section that kind of wraps around and clips to the top, and would be facing inwards. I can’t think of a purpose for that? Is it supposed to be added onto a backpack or something?

Ideally rechargeable. I need the lamp for garden use and the occasional camping trip/festival and hate the overpowering glare of a torch.

I recently had a luminAID packlite which on paper was perfect but the battery exploded after a few minutes in the sun

I love YETI and have been wanting a YETI Tank for a while, but I was wondering if anyone makes a good dupe for it? I've been looking around and other beverage tub sort of products out there seem to be a cheap single layer plastic or metal.

Edit to add: Picture of the tub. I'm not looking for a rotomolded cooler, I already have a few.

https://preview.redd.it/oezhw9phy00d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=daf7ee3790d637eb8f9e089902f2c5ad8956348c

Hi all!

I'm just starting out, and looking for gear I can take anywhere, on the back of a motorcycle (ideally a backpack). I'm completely new to this, so walking into a store is just overwhelming! I don't know if it would be possible to fit a tent, bedroll, sleeping bag and chair into a bag.

Budget is like 500 total, but cheaper is better

Many thanks!

Hi all, looking to buy my a new tent and looking for advice. I'll mostly be using it on my own, but would like to be able to fit a second person in there for camping with friends etc. I want it to he under 3kg and pack down small enough that I can carry it in/attached to my bag while hiking. I'm not too bothered about style, although I'd prefer to be able to keep the inner and outer tied together for easier pitching. I'm working with a budget of around £200 brand new but I'm open to buying second hand as well.

I was looking at the banshee 300 - what's the headroom like in that? Would I (6ft) be able to sit up in it?

Cheers

Hi!

I know this is a hyper specific question but if anyone here has tried to fit a queen mattress in this tent please let me know! I am having difficulty figuring out if it would from online info.

Tent: https://www.rei.com/product/241136/the-north-face-homestead-domey-3-tent

Air mattress: https://www.rei.com/product/136261/rei-co-op-kingdom-insulated-air-bed-queen

Thanks so much!!!

Ok, so i think this is the best place to ask, i sleep on top of two air matresses daily, so does my dad.

Dads matresses last way longer then mine, while mine start getting holes in a few months, always the top one. im a light person, about 160 pounds so i dont know how this could be happening. i also do not clip my nails on the bed or anything like that.

Hey guys! I've decided to wash my Sea to Summit SparkII down sleeping bag for the first time and quickly noticed that the two top baffles on the hood as well as the longer one that goes around it started clumping and didn't dry as fast as the rest.

After good 4h of drying outside it's still clumped and a bit wet where the rest of the bag has nicely dried and fluffed up. Is it a manufacturing error and I should ask StS for a replacement? Or is it something to do with different baffles around the hood? What can I do to fix it?

I followed the instructions from the manufacturer and hand washed it using Grangers Down Wash: https://seatosummit.com/blogs/product-care/how-do-you-wash-a-down-sleeping-bag

Thanks for all insight!

I need some recommendations for a simple, waterproof tent/gear that I can use when I need to get out of the house in a hurry. It would be great if it can fit in a go bag, but that is not necessary.

The cheaper the better but I need something of quality because I have no idea how often I’m gonna need to use this.

Hi guys. I know that this question has been asked before, but I'm looking for a tent for me (6'5" - 196cm), my wife (5'5") and our dog (golden retriever). We aren't camping persons, but get invited to go camping around once a year in summer and don't want to always miss out. We would go to the camping site by car and thus don't care about the size or the weight of the tent. It should be sturdy enough to withstand a small unexpected summer rain, but it doesn't need to be the most durable tent out there. I just wanted to get a cheap one from decathlon, but I heard that they might be too small for me. Does anyone have a recommendation for us? Preferably as cheap as possible, but definitely not over 150€. As stated in the title, since we are from germany, some of the tents available in the USA aren't available here unfortunately.

Thanks in advance for the input!

Hi, I've been looking for a three season sleeping bag for bikepacking/backpacking in Finland and have been eyeing up a few different options. The contenders at the moment are:

• Helsport Rago Down Spring at 149€ (

• Helsport Rago Superlight at 250€

• Fjällräven Abisko Three Seasons at 149€

Which one would in your opinion be the best choice? Rago Down Spring would be nice, but it might not be warm enough. It's pretty hard to find information on Helsport sleeping bags too, so I'm left wondering if they're any good/legit.

Any tips and opinions are appreciated, thanks in advance!

Okay, so there are a lot of megamat reviews out there, all positive. So this may not seem like a necessary post.

However, I was super skeptical about the purchase. I'd read tons of reviews and reddit posts and really didn't believe a camping pad could be "as comfortable as a bed"

I'm not going to lie, it is not as comfortable as my bed - but it is more comfortable than the bed in my spare bedroom! So it's really possible this could be more comfortable than your bed at home.

The cost is $$$, and I would say it's worth it, if it's in your budget. I had a 15% off coupon for exbed (found on Google) and that made it even more worth it.

I didn't have any trouble with self-inflating or rolling it back up, but I'd been using a 3 inch self inflating bad for car camping for a decade so, ymmv.

The texture of the fabric is really nice, so if you're like me and prefer a camp quilt over a sleeping bag you're really going to enjoy this. That was the biggest surprise to me as I hate the texture of most pads but deal with it anyway.

I haven't tested it in cold weather, but I'm sure this thing would be very warm.

It's also not as big or heavy as I'd expected - very comparable to the Alps Mountaineering pads I'd already been using - except way more comfort for the weight and size.

The little valve for pressure control is really easy to use and doesn't deflate too quickly when when you're laying on it. So that's really a cool feature. I have other products with a similar deflate valve but you have to get off it, deflate a little check it, and repeat. Possible deflate too much and have to re-add air etc. This one is really easy to find your Goldilocks point.

I ordered 2, one for my husband and one for myself. I highly recommend this over a duo (not just with megamat but any mat) it's a lot more difficult to perfect your firmness when sharing. In my situation my husband is quite a bit larger than me, so if I'm comfortable on a double pad, he's bottoming out, and if he's comfortable on the pad, it's way to firm for me.

The only thing I don't love is the warranty. sea to summit, Nemo, and thermarest have similar pads for similar prices with a better warranty.

This is what really delayed my decision process, because I love a good warranty. And while the comfort deluxe, and mondoking, and the roamer all have great reviews - nothing like the praise I'd seen for megamat.

I don't have an outdoors place near me to have checked any out in person. I know some people these days like to buy them all and return whichever they don't want. But I really hate doing that, it feels wasteful and excessive for me, but no judgment for those who do.

So I really questioned how much better can the exbed be? And the answer is I still don't know as I haven't tried the others.

But, if you were like me and unsure if you wanted to try this and sick of researching.. Maybe try it.

I'm very impressed.

Hi there, how does Nemo Tensor Extreme fare against the Xtherm in the real usage, very cold condition?

I am pretty sure R value does not mean much if the pad has air flow as you move around, sucking away your warmth.

Warmth and reliability is in the high priority for me. Thank you.

Looking to grab one of the MH tents during the REI sale since they will be 40% off. Does anyone know the difference between these two tents? Obviously the size between 2-3 people but looking at the website the specs seem nearly the exact same except for the DAC Pressfit poles on the Mineral King.

https://www.rei.com/product/164699/mountain-hardwear-mineral-king-2-tent-with-footprint
https://www.rei.com/product/216707/mountain-hardwear-meridian-3-tent-with-footprint

Ultimately the only sticking point i have with it is it being micro USB, and not USB-C.

Are there any other similar head lamps (not super high Lumin, or super heavy, very straight forward controls, and a Red light setting)?

My daughter is at the point she needs a real (and lighter weight) head lamp of her own. Not sure what else to look at? Not a fan at all of the new version NU25. Actually got the old version just as the new dropped.

HELP PLEASE?!

Does anyone own a Bowfell 600 6 person tent and is able to provide me with the total length and number of sections that are in the Black Coded Pole D that is used? I'm trying to source a replacement but any online listing seem to be top long so not sure if I'm missing a section. Thank you muchly!

Both of these are on Amazon and look identical but the OD-1RX is $25 cheaper. Any difference between these?

I am trying to find suggestions for a folding stool or chair with no arms (the sides often cut into the person's legs), that have a decent sized seat to fit a large bottom, and can hold at least 450lbs. or more. We are trying to go camping and the person uses a walker and often needs to sit while walking on trails, so having a folding stool/chair like this would help them be able to participate with everyone still. It doesn't necessarily have to be a camping item as long as it fits the needs listed above. Any help with suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated!
Edit: I forgot to note that this is for California, USA for access to buying location-wise.

Hello!

I am looking to buy basically everything needed for hiking and camping. Anyone have any suggestions for budget lightweight gear that is available in the EU? I have looked at multiple videos and looked around but thought I might aswell ask here too.

1. Tent

2. Inflatable sleeping pad

3. Non inflatable sleeping pad

4. Sleeping bag

5. Cooking system

6. Hiking shoes

7. Backpack

8. Pillow

9. Jacket / Rain jacket

10. Pants / Rain pants

11. Anything else:

Any suggestions?

Planning a 2-3 night trip with my 11 and 13 year old sons later in the summer. I'm seeing a couple lightly used tents at good prices on Facebook Marketplace (200$ for the Nemo Dagger OSMO, brand new, and 250$ for the Mountain Hardwear Aspect 2, used a couple-few nights with footprint) but wanted to see what you opinion was on these.

I definitely hear about the Nemo Dagger OSMO more than the Mountain Hardwear Aspect 2. The Aspect 2 is maybe .75 lbs less, but feature-wise may not be as good? Again, no experience with either. Any thoughts?

https://www.rei.com/product/200550/nemo-dagger-osmo-2p-tent VS https://www.rei.com/product/164698/mountain-hardwear-aspect-2-tent

Recently lost one of the four feet that comes on the chair. Does anyone know of a replacement or aftermarket part that I can use to replace it that fits? Not sure what the exact dimensions of the tubing are.

I've been doing lots of research into pads but ultimately I'm way to indecisive. I've come down to the Big Agnes Rapide SL multiple times but can't pull the trigger in buying it without thinking there might be something else out there.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

Some preferences:

• 3 season prefered but ultimately I'm a pretty hot sleeper and don't think I'll be doing anything into too late into fall yet. So around a 3 to 4 r-value minimum

• I'm a back and side sleeper

• Im using a mummy sleeping bag currently but looking to maybe change it up to a quilt in the future. (I also unzip my bag and just use it as a blanket if I'm too hot anyways)

• the rapide is at a good price of $150 but I'd be willing to go upwards to $200 for the sake of comfort

• rectangular pad preferable because I'm a roller.

• 25in width

• weight less than 3lbs idealy doesn't need to be UL

Edit: also for backpacking

Also, anyone like the Big Agnes boundary? The higher walls intrigue me