All-Time Favorite Camping Gear

[Daniel Etter]

What is your all time favorite piece of camping gear and why? Mine is an ancient Revere Ware Copper Clad coffee pot. It's perfect for sitting right next to the fire in the morning and makes a pretty mean cup of joe!



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[maktruk]

It used to be my Coleman sandwich iron, but then a horrible accident occurred...

 

[Winterpeg]

While I would like to say I don't care about brand names... when you find a brand that provides quality items then you kinda stick with it. Like ARB for instance. I've really come to realize you get what you pay for... whether it's buying steak for supper to buying a tent or fridge.

Cabela's Extreme Weather Tent - after going through multiple tents of varying quality I finally dropped a bit more coin on a good quality tent and have no regrets.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/cabela-s-outfitter-series-8482-xwt-xtreme-weather-tent-150-10-x-10-/713881.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=extreme%2Bweather%2Btent&x=10&y=6&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=extreme+weather+tent

Katadyn water filter - with this I don't have to pack in a whole pile of water. Once the initial 4 gallon jug is done or getting low I am able to use this filter to pump water from the lake. It uses multiple filters - including a charcoal filter. It works pretty good and is relatively compact... for Overlanding at least.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/hunting/safety-survival/water-purification|/pc/104791680/c/104774580/sc/104324580/katadyn-vario-water-microfilter/727431.uts?destination=/category/Water-Purification/104324580.uts

ARB fridge/freezer
This really felt like a luxury item when we first bought it... mainly because I thought it was expensive.... but it really was a game changer. We now are able to freeze ice packs for the alternate cooler (fridge stuff) and keep this ARB one as the freezer. 10 days in the bush and we are able to bring out pre-made hamburgers out of it and bbq them. No worries about ice and it's a nice solid unit with good battery protection options built in. I do have 2 deep cycle batteries and 80w of solar panels so it keeps things going nicely.
http://store.arbusa.com/fridges-c11.aspx

My wife's vote is for the kitchen kit. We use a Dewalt tool box that works great. This really keeps things organized and easy to get to.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-16-in-88-lbs-Rolling-Cantilever-Tool-Box-Black-DWST20880/205533355

 

[Truckerbizz]

Mine is my Napier Backroads tent. It fits perfectly in the bed of my truck and gives a ton of room. The setup is quick and painless and it keeps me nice and dry in the PNW. Also, my Truckbedzz air mattress that fits between the wheel wells is the best air mattress I have ever slept on. I have never woken up to a deflated bed and it holds me and my fiancee no problem.

 

[bee_CO]

"The Green Coleman Stove" - - Either you have one or you know someone who has one. They've been around forever and there is a reason why. They're relatively inexpensive, simple and robust, durable, and run off those green propane bottles you can buy almost anywhere. Perfect for car camping--err, overlanding(sorry still learning the lingo) where the space/weight isn't a huge deal, as opposed to backpacking.

 

[maktruk]

Still in a pile on the porch from two weeks ago...

 

[4xFar Adventures]

Titanium spork - Cleans with a wet paper towel, can eat a steak or a bowl of cereal with it.

Jet Boil - Super fast and easy to boil water in the morning for oatmeal. I usually pack my kitchen the night before leaving camp, so this fits the bill perfectly.

Oz Tent camp chair - Good padding, head pocket and side pockets. Adjustable support straps work pretty well too.

 

[Gunnermoose]

For mornings - Jet Boil - The only way to start the day. It works even when the weather is horrible. Hot coffee, its what makes the world turn.

For evenings - Bumper mounted bottle opener - The only way to end the day. For the other beverage that makes the world turn!

 

[First State Overland]

I'd have to second the Jetboil, It's just so versatile. But I also love my Luci solar lights. I have several for hanging around camp and they're self charging during the day and waterproof and collapsible.

 

[expeditionnorth]

my MSR whisperlite interantionale stove & stow away pots


or if its just me the MSR pocket rocket & TI kettle


however now with my injury its one of my hammocks foremost
HH exped


grand trunk


or one of my DIY

 

[Byron Eby]

My Sven-Saw and Estwing 18" hatchet

 

[Corbet]

My Engel fridge is by far the best camping item. Ice sucks around camp unless in your evening cocktail.

Next inline are my WWII surplus wool pants. Warm in the evening. Huge cargo pockets. And cost me like $13 almost 20 years ago and still going strong.

Finally my GSI Outdoors mini espresso maker. Take it backpacking and in the Cruiser. Four shots of espresso just gets the morning started in so many ways.

 

[jrbechthold]

I second and third all the jetboil love out there - great stove.

My all time favorite piece of never-leave-home-without-it "gear" is my wobbie. US Army issued poncho liner.



Here is me taking a nap halfway up Mt Fuji in June... and of course the woobie was there too!

 

[boehml]

For whatever reason, I really like our Nemo tent that was used for hiking and now serves double duty. Sleeps two just fine and it takes up no room in the Jeep.

 

[Wolfy]

Last year we got Exped MegaMat pads. They are 30 inches wide, 4 inches thick and roll down to a reasonable size. They self inflate (in 10 minutes or so) and you just have to pump them a bit for full inflation. There are valves for inflation and deflation so no fancy hand work is required, there's a foam bag pump.

The comfort is the key. They have some kind of memory foam inside, and the surface is stretchy so you sink into it. It's amazing. WAY more comfortable than anything other camping mat I've ever found.

We strap two together for a full queen bed and the baby sleeps between us. Tons of room.

These mats are really next level. Zero compromise with them. It's as comfortable, or more comfortable than our mattress at home. And the compressed size is comparable to a 2 inch Therm-a-rest or Dream Time, just a little longer.

-M

 

[Wolfy]

I also really like REI Tents. For backpacking or when there is only two of us (which is never) I use our REI Quarter Dome 3. Light, roomy and bombproof.

For the family the REI Kingdom 6 has been going strong for 5 years.

It's big, I can stand up in it. Dog sleeps in the vestibule. Two BIG doors. and I can set it up without help.

The new ones have nice storage pockets along both long walls.

-M

 

[Fakawi Tribe]

I have to agree with the MSR Pocket Rocket and Jet Boil. I have to add my favorite bag for the trip, the Doppelduffel Adventure bag from Maxpedition. It is small enough to pack, but big enough to carry 10 day worth of warm clothes.

 

[black007]

My top 3 favorite things for the woods / camping would have to be my candle lantern, Mora Companion, and the Fiskars hatchet. All 3 stay in the vehicle at all times!

 

[SLO Rob]

I always want to pack very, very minimal, my girlfriend glamps big. She always insists on throwing in a pop up, one of the 10x10 ones. I whine and dutifully load it, and every time, I'm so glad it's in there...we seems to have that freak rain, or need shade...something...everytime. So it goes in now.

 

[a.wilson013]

My Engel fridge is by far the best camping item. Ice sucks around camp unless in your evening cocktail.

Next inline are my WWII surplus wool pants. Warm in the evening. Huge cargo pockets. And cost me like $13 almost 20 years ago and still going strong.

Finally my GSI Outdoors mini espresso maker. Take it backpacking and in the Cruiser. Four shots of espresso just gets the morning started in so many ways.

A fridge and an espresso maker. That, my friends, is an overlander.

My favorite piece of camping gear would have to be my Front Runner director's chairs. After YEARS of toting around those chairs that fold to be like 6" x 6" x 36" these things are AWESOME. They fold down to be about 10" x 10" x 2" if I had to guess and fit perfectly in between the tiny gap left between my cooler and the side of my cargo area. Essentially no room.

The price kinda sucked at ~$50 each, but I absolutely love them.