After years of putting it off, we finally loaded the car and headed out. Here is what happened when the CORE dome tent met three kids, one nervous spouse, and an unexpected thunderstorm.
We've set this tent up in muddy campgrounds, survived two real thunderstorms in it, and broken camp in the dark more than once. Here is what 18 months of hard family use taught us about the CORE dome tent.
Nobody tells you about the stake quality, the rainfly overlap gap, or how this tent handles a 40-mph front. I will.
Cabin tents look impressive in the showroom. Dome tents win in the field. Here's why most campers should skip the big box and go dome.
Two of the most popular dome tents for car campers go head-to-head. We break down setup speed, weatherproofing, livable space, and durability to pick a clear winner.
After years of putting it off, we finally loaded the car and headed out. Here is what happened when the CORE dome tent met three kids, one nervous spouse, and an unexpected thunderstorm.
Solo tent setup doesn't have to mean a 45-minute wrestling match with poles. Here's the sequence that gets a dome tent pitched in under 10 minutes, every time.
We've slept in this bag at 32 degrees, sweated through a July night, and woke up dry after a leaky October rainstorm. Here's the long-term verdict from someone who camps, hunts, and doesn't baby his gear.
The spec sheet says 32 degrees. The Amazon listing looks sharp. But what happens when you drag it into a November deer camp at 27 degrees and expect it to perform? We found out.
Rectangular bags feel generous at home. They'll wake you up shivering at 3am. Here's why mummy-cut bags are the only thing worth packing if you actually sleep in the cold.
Two of the most popular budget sleeping bags in the same price bracket, compared spec by spec and tested on real trips. Here is what actually separates them in the field.
I was skeptical of a budget sleeping bag rated to 32 degrees. Then I spent a night in the Smokies in October and found out exactly what it could handle.
Cold-weather camping comfort is a system, not a single piece of gear. Here is the exact setup I use to sleep comfortably down to freezing without spending a fortune.
I bought this stove on a whim for a solo fishing trip in the Cascades. It weighed next to nothing, cost almost nothing, and fired up on the first push of the piezo every single time. Here is what three years of actual use looks like.
Most people buying this stove have never read the fine print on what kills a piezo igniter at altitude. I have. Here's what the listing doesn't tell you, and why I still carry this thing on almost every trip.
A two-burner propane rig is great at the campground. But once you move off the picnic table, you need something that fits in your fist and fires in the wind. Here's why a backpacking stove earns its spot in every pack.
The AOTU costs $12. The Jetboil Flash costs $120. We used both on real trips and broke down boil time, fuel consumption, pack weight, and field durability to find out if you're getting ten times the stove for ten times the price.
At altitude in late October, a cheap camp stove turned out to be the most reliable thing in my pack. Here is what happened when conditions got bad fast.
You don't need a rolling kitchen kit to eat well on the trail. Here's the exact system I use to cook real hot meals in the backcountry with a stove that fits in my shirt pocket.
I've run this rechargeable LED headlamp on night hikes, predawn hunting setups, camp chores, and a fishing trip where the battery died on a previous lamp at 2am. Here's what a full season of use actually looks like.
The box says 2000 lumens. The reality is more complicated. After a full year of camps, hikes, predawn hunting setups, and night fishing trips, here is what I wish someone had told me before I bought this thing.
Lanterns look good on the picnic table. But when you need your hands free at midnight, they're dead weight. Here's why I switched to a rechargeable headlamp and haven't looked back.
The Blukar costs $16. The Petzl Actik Core is $80. Both are rechargeable, both are bright. I used them side by side on real trips and one winner was obvious from the first night.
We underestimated the hike out. Darkness hit fast. Here's how a $16 rechargeable headlamp turned a potentially rough night in the woods into just another story from the trail.
One good rechargeable headlamp covers camp chores, trail navigation, early-morning fishing, and dawn hunting setups. Here is the system I use to get the most out of mine.
I put the TETON Sports Scout 55L through a full season of whitetail hunting, three-day backpacking trips, and summer base camps. Here is what held up, what surprised me, and what I would do differently.
The TETON Scout is priced under $100 for a 55L internal frame pack. After a full season putting miles on it, here is the real story on what it does well and exactly where it falls short.
Daypacks are fine for a trail sandwich and a water bottle. Once you're sleeping out, you need a real pack behind you. Here's why the TETON Scout 55L changed how I do overnight trips.
The short answer: not for most people. The TETON Scout 55L carries gear competently, fits generously, and costs around $91. The Osprey Atmos AG 65 is $280 and delivers a genuinely better suspension. Here is when each one actually makes sense.
I pushed into the backcountry with a full camp kit, a hunting pack, and whatever I might need to haul out a deer. The Teton Scout 55L didn't complain once.
55 liters sounds like plenty until you're standing in your garage with gear piled everywhere and a trip that starts in two hours. Here is the exact packing order and kit list that gets you out the door clean and comes back to camp with nothing missing.
We've set this tent up in muddy campgrounds, survived two real thunderstorms in it, and broken camp in the dark more than once. Here is what 18 months of hard family use taught us about the CORE dome tent.
Nobody tells you about the stake quality, the rainfly overlap gap, or how this tent handles a 40-mph front. I will.
We've slept in this bag at 32 degrees, sweated through a July night, and woke up dry after a leaky October rainstorm. Here's the long-term verdict from someone who camps, hunts, and doesn't baby his gear.
The spec sheet says 32 degrees. The Amazon listing looks sharp. But what happens when you drag it into a November deer camp at 27 degrees and expect it to perform? We found out.
I bought this stove on a whim for a solo fishing trip in the Cascades. It weighed next to nothing, cost almost nothing, and fired up on the first push of the piezo every single time. Here is what three years of actual use looks like.
Most people buying this stove have never read the fine print on what kills a piezo igniter at altitude. I have. Here's what the listing doesn't tell you, and why I still carry this thing on almost every trip.
I've run this rechargeable LED headlamp on night hikes, predawn hunting setups, camp chores, and a fishing trip where the battery died on a previous lamp at 2am. Here's what a full season of use actually looks like.
The box says 2000 lumens. The reality is more complicated. After a full year of camps, hikes, predawn hunting setups, and night fishing trips, here is what I wish someone had told me before I bought this thing.
I put the TETON Sports Scout 55L through a full season of whitetail hunting, three-day backpacking trips, and summer base camps. Here is what held up, what surprised me, and what I would do differently.
The TETON Scout is priced under $100 for a 55L internal frame pack. After a full season putting miles on it, here is the real story on what it does well and exactly where it falls short.
