Camping
Archive
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Gregory Z40 pack.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Black Diamond Epic 45 pack.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Sierra Designs Revival 65 pack.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Easton Kilo tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Mountainsmith Morrison 2 tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Black Diamond Skylight tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the MSR Hoop 2 tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Therm-a-Rest Ventra Down Comforter.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Sierra Lightning HT 3 tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Coleman Portable Propane Coffeemaker.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Mountain Hardwear Corners 3 tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Nemo Alti Storm 2 tent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Byer of Maine Trilite Wash Station.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Eureka! Catskill Table.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Ruff Wear Highlands Bed.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the OluKai Kukuna Sandals.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Big Agnes Mystic SL 15.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the REI Radiant 0.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Sierra Designs Pyro 15 sleeping bag.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Sea to Summit Traverse XTII sleeping bag.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including The North Face Gold Kazoo.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Coghlan's Heavy Duty Camp Grill.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Montbell Burner Sheet.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp Mattress.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the REI Grand Tour 85M backpack.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Mammut Ajungilak Alpine 3-Season.
I realized the knock on single walled tents is moisture and condensation. What are your thoughts on the new The North Face Phoenix 2 tent (made with DryWall membrane)? Would you recommend seam-sealing this tents or single walled tents in general? Bill Billerica, MA
What is the best method, gear, and brand for water purification in the backcountry. Would you recommend a water filter, a pump, or something like Steripen, or just water purification tablets or even a mixture of both? Nick Bangor, ME
I will be thru-hiking the John Muir Trail this summer and would like your opinion on sleeping bag. I currently own a synthetic, zero-degree bag that is an unappreciated 4 plus pounds. I know this is too heavy (as I thru-hiked the Colorado Trail with it). My real question: can I get away with a 30-degree down bag, or should I look more at a 15- to 20-degree bag? I tend to be a somewhat cold sleeper. I am 6'2", 190 pounds. I know the temperature ratings are guestimates at best, but your input would help. DaveDolores, CO
After camping in the Florida Keys, my tent poles were seriously weathered. Are some tent poles tougher than others? —Dean Larson East Grand Forks, Michigan
After four weeks camping in the Florida Keys, my tent poles have suffered from some serious weathering of its ends (the ends that are on the ground). Is there a way to prevent this? Are some tent poles more resistant to weathering than others?Dean East Grand Forks, MN
How do you remove mildew from backpacks, waders, and other outdoor gear. I recently brought out my gear for a weekend trip and discovered a lot of mildew on my gear. I looked at the Nikwax website, but do not see any products for mildew.
The Miox is the first significant advance in backcountry water purification in years. Dip the unit into a pond to fill its thimble-size reservoir. A built-in table-salt compartment creates a brine solution, which the device—it’s slightly larger than a fat highlighting pen—then zaps with a small electrical charge. Dump the…
Why It’s CoolHere’s a sound argument for topping off your gear closet with an affordable, ultralight bag for warm-weather overnights. The Phantom takes up less room in a backpack than some fleece jackets and weighs less than a bag of gorp. » The zip is three-quarter-length (to trim weight) and…
Why It’s CoolThough this stove is sweet enough at rest—when folded up, it’s so small it fits into the hollow beneath its own fuel canister—the Crux unfurled is engineering elegance: The burner head rotates on a ball-and-socket joint and locks into place with a reassuring snap. Small pot-support arms swivel…
You don’t need to attempt an unclimbed summit in Tibet to appreciate this tent, but that’s what our tester did. After weathering 50-mph winds while hunkered down at 16,600 feet, he says, “The Spire is one of the best tight-quarters, two-man mountain tents available.” The secret? A top-strut pole…
SLEEK SLEEPERMountain Hardwear welded bag-length sheets of its new Thermic CF insulation inside a nylon sandwich to make a uniformly warm 15-degree sack that’s compressible and affordable. On a late-season attempt on the North Cascades’ Liberty Bell Mountain, I clunked into camp with frozen toes, easily shoved my size-12 feet…
BARGAIN BASE CAMPER We packed a family of five into this spacious dome, and no one had to jostle for room. Its 65 square feet of floor space and five-foot eight-inch ceiling height feel castlelike if you’re used to Lilliputian backpacking tents. Two huge doors and 12 organizing pockets make…
ALL BUSINESS Sporting a mini (12-inch) zipper and an aggressively athletic fit (looks like it’s designed to fit a lollipop), the Epic is the leanest, meanest bag here. You can even use it sans tent: Its waterproof, taped shell was unfazed by damp nights. The catch? It’s probably too constrictive…
Don’t worry about dropping it in the drink—this three-mode light (spot, wide, and red for night) is waterproof up to 33 feet. 3.9 oz; uwkinetics.com…
A TINY SUMMERWEIGHT BAG The North Face claims that its revamped line of Flight Series bags are the first synthetic sacks to rival equivalently rated down bags in weight and compressibility. We were skeptical, but this 40-degree comes pretty darn close. The secret? It’s stuffed with Climashield’s newest stuff,…
With few bells and whistles, this lightweight bag, made with PrimaLoft MXL insulation, compresses to the size of a 12-pack—making it ideal for the fast-moving backpacker. Just don’t push it: There’s no collar, and a few testers got chilly on nights colder than 35 degrees. 25°, 3.3 lbs;…
Campers who feel claustrophobic in tight mummy bags will love the Cochise’s stretchy construction. The baffles of this 15-degree, synthetic-fill bag are sewn with elastic fabric, so you can squirm around without resistance—and even sit cross-legged to cook or read. The other upside to this elasticity: When you stop…
A Minimalist Sack The sleeping bag, deconstructed. The ultralight (1.4-pound) 700-fill-down Haven has no zippers and, thanks to the giant hole in the underside of the bag, a fifth less insulation and fabric than your average 20-degree bag. Uh, what? Yep, you actually “enter” the Haven through that hole and…
Water Wise Getting cold? Tired? It’s started to rain? The answer is the same: hot drinks. This 20-ounce bottle will keep your favorite beverage steamy for up to six hours (or cold for up to 24). Get the combo pack ($4 more) and you’ll also get a “café cap” that…
Quench your thirst with a PVC- and BPA-free bottle like this one, with its just-the-right-size opening to avoid spills. mysigg.com…
This 11-ounce filter’s reliability has made it a hugely popular option for nearly a decade. When it does eventually slow down, you just replace the pleated filter component ($30). You also get great volume per stroke; we filled a liter with just 43 pumps. A nifty zippered case includes a…
Why It’s CoolI know campers who bed down with a Nalgene full of hot water for extra warmth; my wife prefers our 20-pound pug. Seeing the two of them in the Van Winkle—with its stretchy bands on the baffles for an extra-snug fit—reminded me of a snake that had swallowed…
This tiny but powerful lamp easily lit the way on a night hike in the Grand Canyon. But the limited swivel range means it’s not ideal for dicey terrain. 2.8 oz; www.petzl.com…
The Seedhouse is one of the year’s standouts in a smart class of tents: They’re technically big enough for three but so light they should rightfully be considered two-person shelters. Consider: It’s six feet wide at the hips and nearly four feet tall—and still has double-wall protection that kept…
SOLID PERFORMERThis one doesn’t exactly scream “sexy beast,” but SD has always prioritized the basics—manifest here in details such as anti-snag seams. The best thing about the three-pound-four-ounce Arrow Rock is that “toasty” (it’s rated to 15 degrees) isn’t spinspeak for “cramped.” On a nippy late-summer outing in North Cascades…
THREE-SEASON ULTRALIGHT Go hard all day and sleep like the dead all night? We liked this bag for both pursuits. It’s light and compressible, thanks to a three-quarter-length zipper, a tapered design, and lofty 750-fill down. The narrow, efficient cut makes it one of the warmest two-pound bags we’ve seen,…
LIGHT AND VERSATILE Consider the Talon an experiment in reduction: Every detail has been whittled down to bare essentials, making it a great warm-weather ultralight. But it's no one-trick pony. Thanks to a stiff aluminum/composite suspension, smart external lashing options, and a large stretch-woven shove-it pocket, one tester was able…
Need to make sure you’re still on route—or wondering if that rustling is a bear? Hit the boost button and the Myo XP throws a focused, ultrabright beam of light over 300 feet. Smart feature: Diffusing the beam on any of its four settings requires the flip of a…
BUILT TO LAST The Woodpecker, from Swiss company Exped, is meticulously crafted—just what you’d expect from a nation of legendary watchmakers. (Of course, its heavy-duty zipper is the only moving part.) A well-placed, down-filled chin guard keeps your face from brushing against frosty zippers. Glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls prevent late-night fumbling.
It’s what’s on the inside that matters most, and because the Boreal 20 is stuffed with some of the loftiest, most compressible synthetic insulation around, it’s remarkably warm and cushy for its weight. Bonus: The ergonomically tailored foot area and hood are designed specifically for women’s bodies. 20°, 2.7…
Need a three-season and a summer-weight bag but can’t afford both? Sidestep the decision with the Chasseral. If conditions are too warm, simply zip off the topsheet, which folds into its own stash pocket, creating a ready-made camping-size pillow. And although the Chasseral is the roomiest bag here, it…
Durable and Well-Priced With beefy draft tubes around the hood and along the full-length zipper, glow-in-the dark zipper pulls, and 600-fill goose down, the 15-degree Hotlum is built to the same general specs as fancier (and more expensive) bags in the North Face’s line. The only difference is that the…
Fast Clip Not only is this pocket-size, water-resistant flashlight impressively bright (25 lumens), but its included alligator-style clip accessory lets you attach the light to just about anything. 1.6 oz; nagear.com…
You can winterize any inflatable sleeping pad with an inexpensive (if bulky) closed-cell foam mat like THERM-A-REST’S Z LITE PAD.
Why It’s CoolIt’s one of the few solo tents I can get dressed inside of without doing Pilates. The 36-inch ceiling let me sit posture-perfect. The 20-square-foot floor spans seven and a half feet, with enough room to sleep and also stash my clothes and other essentials. » The all-mesh…
Why It’s CoolWhen considering an envelope rated to 40 degrees or higher, make sure it’s light. The Butterfly weighs in at a pound and change. It shaves ounces by using a quarter-length zip, 700-fill down, and moisture-repelling Pertex Quantum fabric for the shell and liner. » An interior storage pocket…
Separate buttons for each set of LEDs — there are penetrating beams in both spot and spread patterns — save click-through hassle. The three-watt power is superbright, but as with the L3, it’s a hefty package. 9.8 oz; www.princetontec.com…
Eyeing the Morpho’s inflatable beams, I was ready to dismiss this pneumatic freak. Then I pumped it up in about one minute and dived into the two-person playroom. Intrigue grew when a not-so-errant pocketknife didn’t pop the rigid airbeams, which are made from a derivative of sailcloth, with guy-outs…
We took this mini-lamp everywhere—hiking, paddling, road-tripping—because it weighs an ounce, has several modes (including a red LED for night vision), and, thanks to a highly adjustable strap, can be worn on the head or wrist, or lashed to almost anything. 1 oz; petzl.com…
DATE NIGHT, UPGRADED The problem: You and your significant other share a love for camping, but your zipped-together sleeping bags and mismatched pad combo are causing a divide. The solution: The King Solomon. When its internal pad sleeves are stuffed with two 20-inch-wide mats, the King’s system works beautifully—there’s no…
BEST FOR HOT WEATHER Beat sweaty-back syndrome with the Z 55's ventilated suspension. The frame's concave shape creates a pocket of cooling air between your back and the pack. Most impressive: There's zero drop-off in load support. The perforated framesheet efficiently transfers weight to a perfectly sculpted hipbelt, and a…
Tiny and versatile: Simply slide the featherweight, CR2-lithium-powered headlamp’s toggle to strap it to anything, be it your cranium, messenger bag, or handlebars. 1.4 oz; coleman.com…
VERSATILE THREE-SEASON SACK The EcoPro costs a bit more than Marmot’s other synthetic 15-degree-rated models (like the Trestles 15, $90). But this bag has good karma. Its insulation and shell are spun almost entirely out of recycled plastic bottles. In fact, the only unrecycled things on this roomy bag are…
For such a light and warm bag, the 800-fill Peggy is packed with such thoughtful features as a built-in pillowcase. Like all of Big Agnes’s bags, there’s no insulation on the underside, but it’s compatible with any 20-inch-wide sleeping pad. 15°, 2.5 lbs; bigagnes.com…
EMS’s 20-degree Boreal is the first sack to use a new synthetic insulation from PrimaLoft called Infinity, which EMS claims is “18 percent warmer and 25 percent more compressible” than comparable fill. Although it was impossible to test that boast, the Boreal squashes down to the size of a…
Thrashers Welcome The 725-fill Tumble Mountain features recycled fabric, zipper, drawcords, and cordlocks, making it the most sustainable bag here. It’s also the most tricked out. Big Agnes shaves a few ounces by eliminating the unnecessary insulation under the half-length pad sleeve on the back. Slide any standard-width (20-inch) pad…
New-School Lantern Your old propane-powered lantern might have sentimental value. But it’s also fragile and high-maintenance. That’s why we like the Titan. It runs on four D batteries, is bright enough to illuminate an entire cooking area (45 feet in diameter), and has a power meter to let you know…
Not that you’d need it, with SIERRA DESIGNS’ BTU -5 SLEEPING BAG—an 800-fill down heat factory with one of the best heat-sealing hoods we’ve ever tested and a waterproof-breathable fabric.
Why It’s CoolThe freestanding Sage didn’t budge during 80-mile-per-hour gusts—its aerodynamic three-pole architecture lies low. » You can’t go wrong with the unique color-coded strap-and-buckle design that accepts the pole ends in tidy slots. » Two see-through windows are great for starry nights. Mesh canopy panels, a mesh D door,…
Why It’s CoolThis one-pound-three-ounce bag has no hardware—no zip, no Velcro—just a single cinch clasp on the hood’s drawcord. » The Beeline is rated to 30 degrees, thanks in large part to the 900-fill goose down’s impressive loft. » Shaving additional grams is the Pertex Quantum fabric used in the…
Why It’s CoolThe Eagle has landed! This one bears a retro-chic likeness to the 1969 Apollo landing craft, down to the folding footpads. » Dock fuel line to fuel bottle with a gratifying click, commence pumping, and—presto—the Apex II is chugging away with a whof-whof—and no need to prime it…