This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need bear safety gear? There are a couple items related to bears that you should be aware of. Bear deterrents are bear bangers or sprays meant to scare the bears off. Bear bangers… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Bear Safety
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need pots to cook? Just like at home, you’ll need dishes and cookware on the trail for the type of meals you like to cook. If you are cooking up a gourmet meal… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Pots
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need middle layers? On top of your base layers you’ll have midlayers, often called insulation layers. This is where you can set your temperature, keep warm, and continue wicking moisture. Middle layers can… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Midlayers
Why do you need sun protection? Sun protection may not just be one thing for you but rather a group. It’s one of the categories in the 10 Essentials and is just focused on protecting your skin and eyes from the sun. It usually includes… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Sun Protection
Getting a good nights rests when camping is key to enjoying the experience. And we think big, comfortable mattresses are the key to a good nights sleep. After researching more than 40 air mattresses, camping mattresses, sleeping pads, and thin chunks of foam, we rounded… Read More »Best Camping Mattresses of 2023
Car camping is a time to break out the big comfortable gear. The car is only 20 feet from the tent and you don’t have to count the grams in the gear. That said, some of the car camping gear, like the enormous EXPED MegaMat… Read More »Elegear Double Sleeping Pad Review
The Vertex Twin sleeping pad from Alps Mountaineering is an oversized air mattress that’s great for camping or throwing on the floor at home for unexpected guests. It’s the 80″ long by 39″ wide, 6″ thick and can cary 250 pounds. It weighs 3 pounds… Read More »Alps Mountaineering Vertex Twin Sleeping Pad Review
If you’re the kind of person who goes all out and doesn’t go for anything less than the best and you need a sleeping mat for camping? We’ve found you one. It’s not cheap and it’s not light but after all the testing for this… Read More »EXPED MegaMat Max Sleeping Mat Review
I had no idea REI had been around since 1938. You’d think they’d know a thing or two about using and making air mattresses. Turns out they do. And with a good price at that. In this REI Camp Dreamer XL mattress review we’ll see… Read More »REI Camp Dreamer XL Mattress Review
Most big sleeping pads for car camping are super comfortable but they’re enormous. That’s just what you get with self-inflating foam in a mat that’s 4 or 6 inches thick. NEMO somehow works their design magic and has made a car camping mat that’s 4″… Read More »NEMO Roamer XL Sleeping Pad Review