This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a notebook and pen? I love taking notes of what happened on my trips. I journal a bit, including notes on what gear I’m using (or not) so I can refine my… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Notebook and Pen
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a compass? Some maps show trails, lake names and mountain names on them and may work for navigating without a compass but most don’t. The lakes and mountains also need… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Compass
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a coffee maker? I don’t go far without my Aeropress coffee maker but it’s big to bring on the trail. I like the Starbucks instant coffee packets the best. Easy and fast… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Coffee Maker
Why do you need a camera? Another optional piece of gear. I don’t go on many trips without a camera though. It’s an excellent tool for documenting trips. Phone cameras are amazing these days so that can be a quick camera if you don’t have… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Camera
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