How to Buy Camping Gear...

When you buy camping gear there are a few things you should look for to to help ensure you're going to get a product that will last you for years to come. Gear can cost good money sometimes and you don't want to buy one item, just to find out later you might have been better off to spend your money on another item. On this page we'll look at a few of the things you should watch for.

The material that you're gear is constructed out of is one of the first things that you should look at when buying camping gear of any sort. You'll find as you look that tents and sleeping bags, tarps etc, are often made from the same types of material. Usually they're nylon based. If you want to have a tent or sleeping bag that is going to last then my advice is to begin looking at items that are made from nylon that has some type of pattern stitched into it. Materials of this type often have a trade marked name but they all accomplish the same thing in the end. The pattern that it contains offers extra strength and helps prevent ripping and tearing. Materials of this type can tend to be thicker if being used during the manufacturing of a backpack, or thinner, i.e. when being sewn into a sleeping bag.

The first thing you think of when you need to buy camping gear is a good tent. When it comes to buying a camping tent the material will often be thinner but surprisingly strong. Buying the cheapest tent you can find won't ensure you're getting this quality. You'll have to pay more for it but when you consider the extra life you'll get from your tent then it really is worthwhile for you to spend a little extra money on it. I realize some tents are very expensive and the reason is usually related to materials and the complexity of manufacturing due to materials. I'm not saying you should run out and buy the most expensive tent you can find, but I am saying you often get what you pay for so when you buy camping gear, look for the marks quality. In the case of tents you can also look for seams that are taped for additional water proofing, "peg-out" vestibules, three poles instead of two etc. Be aware however that tent floors are often constructed of very lightweight material too. I've never had my floors rip but I am careful as to how I locate my tent on a campsite. Also I always purchase a "footprint" for my tents when they are available. This is nothing more than a drop sheet in the same shape as your tent floor and it offers another layer between the floor of your tent and mother nature.

When you buy camping gear you're going to need a sleeping bag. They can be pretty cheap ar you can pay a very large amount of money for them. The same thing applies here. You're going to get what you pay for so you're best to do a little research before you buy. You'll need to thing about the season you'll be camping in, the temperature rating of the bag, what it's filled with. Real down fill is much more expensive than sythetic fills but sythetic fills dry out more quickly when wet and will offer some warmth when wet as well where the down filled bags won't. I prefer my bags to be very compressable so they take up less space while I'm hiking. My main bag is a three season bag rated down to around -8 degress Celsius. It's been very adequate for my purposes and did not cost an arm and a leg. I know what I need though when I buy camping gear and was able to recognize a good deal so do your homework, know what you need.

When I buy camping gear I usually look for quality and a mid priced brand. When it comes to sleeping pads I've found by experience that it's not the best way to do things. I've bought several but I only really use one. The one I've chosen is a full length Thermarest Trail. I think these are really the only pads worth buying. I would consider another brand but it would need to be made in the same way. I have a 3/4 length pad that I used when I first started camping. It is of similar quality but I found using the shorter pad that my feet would absolutely freeze in the cold weather. I bought a longer pad that was cheaper and made by Woods but it was just not up to the task of backcountry camping. The foam core is not physically attached to the outer shell and I found that the outershell would shift around the foam core, leaving the seam between the front and rear of the mattress runing right up the midle of the sleeping area.I don't buy camping gear like that anymore, although I think it would be an OK mattress for you and your kids in a family camground setting though.

With the items listed above, you'll at least be warm and comfortable. Now you need to think about things like cooking, cutlery etc.

When it comes to cutlery I just usually buy what is inexpensive, not steel because I don't want the extra weight but good quality nylon/plastic type of cutlery. I'll buy my fry pans, cups, plates etc at any place that sells camping gear. When I'm looking for lightweight items like lanterns and stoves and such I prefer to go to an outfitter because I know it will be very good quality and easy to pack and carry.

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