Big Gear List Update
Over the last few weeks I’ve gone through the websites of each of the manufacturers that appear on the various gear lists and have updated all of their products, adding whatever is new, removing whatever isn’t made anymore, fixing broken links, updating weights from redesigns, etc… There’s still a bit of work to be done on the lists, but they should be a lot more comprehensive now.
I’ve also added quite a few manufacturers that readers have emailed me about. Hopefully I got them all, but if I missed something, definitely send me an email and let me know! People have emailed me about a lot of foreign manufacturers, and those seem to mostly be the ones that I’m missing at this point, mainly because we just don’t hear about them much over here in North America. So if I’m missing a good outdoor gear manufacturer from your country, send me an email, and I’ll absolutely add them.
As for the lists, there were 1588 pieces of gear spread out throughout the lists, and that’s up to 2205 now. Most of that was in the sleeping bags, tents and backpacks lists, but every list got at least one new item.
Sleeping Bag Comparison
There’s a whole page with hundreds of sleeping bags to compare and contrast.
There are plenty of different choices to make when picking out a sleeping bag, and even when you decide on what you want, it can be daunting to really look through the hundreds of potential different options that are out there. Which is why a sleeping bag comparison is one really excellent way to help you find the perfect sleeping bag for you. If nothing else, it helps to really demonstrate what the differences are between various sleeping bags.
Sleeping Bag Comparison
What to consider when you want to do a sleeping bag comparison.
- Temperature Rating – If it wasn’t already obvious, one good way to cut down the potential sleeping bags to choose from is to look at the temperature ratings. If you spend some time looking at the kind of temperatures that you will be out in, you will get a good idea of exactly what kind of minimum temperature you want on your sleeping bag.
- Weight – Weight is an important characteristic to compare when looking at sleeping bags, especially if you will be carrying that sleeping bag over long distances, but it’s (more…)
Mosquito Tent
For summer camping, when you don’t have to worry much or at all about rain, a mosquito tent might be all that you need. A tent will keep you dry, after all, but one of the more important things that a tent also does is keep bugs out. If you are slightly worried about rain, incidentally, many people use a tarp of some sort in combination with a mosquito tent, which is a lightweight package that will both keep the bugs off and keep the rain away too, should it start showering a bit.
Mosquito Tent
What to consider when you want a mosquito tent.
- Structure – Some mosquito net tents work just like any other tent, with poles and plenty of room inside. But there are also much smaller mosquito tents that look more like a bivy sack, or and even some mosquito tents that work with a tarp set up where you use a trekking pole or something similar for support.
- Weight – One of the big advantages of using a mosquito net tent instead of a full tent is that you save quite a bit of weight. But even amongst mosquito tents, there is quite a bit of difference (more…)
Hiking Trekking Poles
Trekking poles are a great piece of equipment that not nearly enough hikers and backpackers use. Particularly if you are carrying around a heavy load, hiking trekking poles are a crucial piece of gear to have with you. They allow you take some of the weight off of your knees, which is often a joint that suffers with hikers and backpackers. Hiking trekking poles can also increase stability, and even provide a stable platform for taking pictures. A very versatile piece of equipment.
Hiking Trekking Poles
What to look at when you’re reviewing hiking trekking poles.
- Material – When considering hiking trekking poles you have two choices for material, which are aluminum and carbon fiber. Aluminum is heavier, but also quite a bit cheaper. Carbon is lighter and more expensive, and also a little more brittle and prone to breaking in lower temperatures.
- Fixed or Adjustable – Most trekking poles are telescoping, which allows you to fine tune the length so that it’s just right for you. But there are a few pairs of fixed length trekking (more…)
Hiking Boots for Women
When it comes to hiking footwear you have two basic choices, which are shoes and boots. Shoes are fine, even ideal for warm weather where moisture isn’t going to be much of a problem. But for colder, wetter months of the year you’re likely to be better served by hiking boots for women or men. Boots do a much better job of keeping your feet dry than shoes do, for one, and are usually quite a bit more durable, and stand up to hard use in bad conditions better.
Hiking Boots for Women
What to consider when you want hiking boots for women.
- Weight – Sometimes you need features like full grain leather outers, and you cant help but get a pair of hiking boots for women that are heavy. But every pound on your feet is equal to about five pounds on your back, in terms of energy expenditure, so you will end the day with a lot more energy if you choose lightweight hiking boots.
- Waterproofing – Getting a pair of waterproof hiking boots is a no brainer, but you should definitely put a little thought in to the kind of waterproofing you get. A liner is a good start, for example, but not all liners are made equal, and (more…)
Pullover Rain Jacket
One of the weakest points on any rain jacket is the many seams and zippers that come in a rain jacket. As soon as you puncture that waterproof rain jacket material you give the water a way to get through to you on the inside. So something like a pullover rain jacket makes sense, because it reduces the amount of zipper that there is on your jacket, and thus the amount of potential leak spots where water might make it through. Of course it also helps that pullover rain jackets are often a little cheaper than a full zipper rain jacket.
Pullover Rain Jacket
What to consider when you’re looking for a pullover rain jacket.
- Seams and Zippers – As alluded to above, seams and zippers will leak if they’re not properly sealed, and while a pullover rain jacket gets rid of a big portion of the main zipper on your rain jacket, there are still plenty more zippers and seams to worry about. So if you want to stay dry, you should make sure that these other seams and zippers are properly waterproofed.
- Waterproofing – Regardless of how you get your rain jacket on, whether you stay dry or not will come down mostly to what kind of waterproof material is used. Something (more…)
Smallest Sleeping Bag
When it comes time to pack up your sleeping bag in the morning, the smallest sleeping bag is always going to be the best sleeping bag. A smaller, more compact sleeping bag leaves you with more room in your backpack for other stuff. The smallest sleeping bag is also going to tend to be the lightest sleeping bag, so getting a small, compact sleeping bag is also a very good way to save weight, and lower the overall weight of your load.
Smallest Sleeping Bag
What to consider when you want the smallest sleeping bag possible.
- Down – When it comes to down versus synthetic insulation, down is the more compact of the two choices, relative to warmth. So if you want a small sleeping bag, you’re better off with a down sleeping bag. Even more so, you’re better off with a sleeping bag with higher quality down, which is delineated by the fill count.
- Shape – Obviously, another good way to reduce the overall size of your sleeping bag is to cut off the corners and taper it as much as possible to conform to your body shape, which is exactly what a mummy (more…)
Cheap Family Tents
If all you want to do is take the family out for a bit of recreational camping then cheap family tents will more than get the job. Often, these are not going to be the tents that you want to be carrying for any significant amount of time, because they can get rather heavy, but for recreational camping they’re fine. But even so, there are a few certain things that you should definitely be looking for from a family camping tent, regardless of the price.
Cheap Family Tents
What to look at when looking to buy cheap family tents.
- Doors and Partitions – With any group larger than four or so, you’re likely going to want a tent that has a partition, to help cut down on noise, and also 2 doors, so that people aren’t crawling over each other to reach the one door. Sleeping in such close proximity to other people can lead to a restless night, if you’re not careful.
- Weight – If you’re car camping then weight isn’t going to be much of a concern, but if you’re going to be carrying your family tent around, you’ll likely want a lighter family tent. With any group larger than 4, it’s often a better (more…)
Best Sleeping Pad for Camping
A sleeping pad is an essential piece of equipment for going camping. The best sleeping pad for camping will do a few things. First, it wont weigh too much, so that you don’t have to carry around a big, heavy sleeping pad. Second, a good sleeping pad for camping will keep you warm and comfortable at night. Everything else aside, if you are staring at the ceiling of your tent all night, then your sleeping pad is not doing its job properly.
Best Sleeping Pad for Camping
What to look at when you want the best sleeping pad for camping with.
- Type – Sleeping pads come in two different varieties. First, there are foam sleeping pads, which are typically quite light, but also bulky and maybe not quite as comfortable as inflatable sleeping pads, which are the second, often heavier option for taking camping.
- R-Value – If you plan on going camping in the winter, or any time of the year when it’s cold, you are going to want a sleeping pad with a high R-value. The higher a sleeping (more…)
Lightweight Bivy Sack
One of the many reasons that people choose a bivy sack over a tent is that a bivy sack weighs quite a bit less and takes up quite a bit less room. But there are certainly some big, heavy bivy sacks out there that will rival the weight of smaller tents, and so it helps to look for a lightweight bivy sack, and not just assume that your bivy sack is going to be lightweight. That way, you get all the advantages of using a bivy sack, without sacrificing weight.
Lightweight Bivy Sack
What you want to pay attention to when you want a lightweight bivy sack.
- Supported – Many bivy sacks come with poles that make the bivy sack in to a very small tent, which certainly does have a few benefits, such as increasing air flow. But all that extra material, not to mention the poles, adds to the weight of the bivy sack, and if you want a lightweight bivy sack it’s best to avoid those structured bivy sacks.
- Material – The material that your bivy sack is made out of will also help determine just how lightweight it is. Something like Gore Tex is a good (more…)