Camping Christmas List?
Posted: March 2nd, 2011 | Author: Mitch | Filed under: Camping Gear | Tags: air mattress, Camping Gear, christmas, coleman, parents, piece of crap, sleeping bag | 4 Comments »I’m asking for my own camping gear this year for Christmas (I usually borrow my parents) I have used their beige Coleman air mattress and it’s a piece of crap (have to reinflate it every night…) I’m looking for a new air mattress as well as a good sleeping bag. Any suggestions? Or any products/companies I should stay away from?
the Thermarest or equivalent is the only way to go for an air mattress/sleeping pad and any brand name sleeping bag with 600 fill power down or better (i have tried everything from G.I. air mattresses to closed cell foam pads and the self inflating pads are the best)
What season do you camp in? If is only summer you should a Thermarest Sleep System its a self inflating pad with the optional sheet and blanket. Its really compact light system, it packs small as most sleeping bags but it is really comfortable. Self inflating is a loose term though. The pad will inflate most of the way on its own but you usually have to add a few puffs to fully inflate it. If you store the pad inflated this really helps when you are inflating it when you take it to the field it wants to return to its inflated shape. These are some suggestions bellow but they have many options on there website in comfort and weight levels. If you need a sleeping bag for colder seasons. These pads are still a good idea.
http://cascadedesigns.com/Therm-A-Rest/Mattresses/Fast-And-Light/Womens-ProLite-Plus/product
http://cascadedesigns.com/Therm-A-Rest/Sleep-Systems/Trek-And-Travel-Sleep-Systems/Tech-Blanket/product
http://cascadedesigns.com/Therm-A-Rest/Sleep-Systems/Trek-And-Travel-Sleep-Systems/Fitted-Sheet/product
REI is a great resource they have product reviews on everything they sell. They may not have the best price but you will know what your getting. A lot of people will recommend a lot of different brands but the choice will remain up to you. You can spend a lot and still get very little you can also spend little and get a lot. You will be surprised at what you can find at Walmart. but buyer beware. An example in the price difference between Colman $40.us, North face $90.us and Marmont $360.us sleeping bags all highly rated three season bags. The difference between them besides price is in the quality of construction and what they are stuffed with. The preference will remain yours, I have all three and use the Colman the most. go figure
I also use a thermarest pad and a light weight closed cell foam pad. I stand/lay firm on thermarest products. there are a lot of knock offs but non better.
If you want a big fattie mattress, I think one is probably just as good as another. If you want a backpacking one, get a ThermaRest, no contest. They have a lot of different ones, I think including for just women but also different sizes and a backpacking friendly one. You can get a self-inflating one, or a closed cell foam one (Compact ridge rest, Z rest? something like that it looks like yoga mat, and it has traction and accordian folds instead of rolling.)
Sleeping bag info:
I have a Sierra Designs bag from the Flex series and I love it! They are quilted with slightly elastic thread around the circumference of the bag, so they are stretchy…like stretch jeans. They kind of hug you but they are still plenty roomy. So nice for side sleeping!
Synthetic fill is always my recommendation because down is so touchy. It will have a lot of different trade names but it is all polyester. Basically it is various kinds of quilt batting. Down is more expensive than comparable synthetics, they require dry cleaning, and if you get it wet out in the field, you won’t necessarily ruin it, but it is worthless until you dry it out which means you could be dangerously cold. Nonetheless, down fill is lighter weight and compressible.
I wouldn’t worry so much about weight or fill if you are car camping. Just get the warmest one that you need for your budget. As far as brands, I’m sure a Coleman or whatever is fine. My SD bag is from my backpacking days and is still very serviceable. If you are getting a true backpacking bag…you get what you pay for but there are some good bargains out there. Try the High Peak Line of gear. They make EXCELLENT bags, and they are little known but still reasonable. I have also had two different packs from this brand and one was in amazing shape even after I backed over it with the car. hahah!
http://www.highpeakusa.org/
I can tell you that Slumberjack makes relatively low end bags for the money and in my experience their zippers don’t work very well. But they are cheap, offer lots of temps and styles, and they seem to run warm if you can keep them zipped.
Re temp rating, if you camp year round, you will really benefit from having at least two bags. One just cannot be the end all-be all for every climate. Get a summer one, even if it is just a hostel bag or a silk or fleece bag liner, and then a 0 deg, 20 deg or 30 deg. Use them both independently in their season, and both together in the winter. If you do this, you need to make sure that they are the same shape (rectangular vs mummy) and make sure the zippers are on the same side. Late night pee trips will be a lot easier this way. In addition, I have a 10 dollar cheapo down throw blanket that I have used a million ways with my other gear. You can throw it in the mix to help you stay warm. It make a great shoulder, butt, or foot specific helper and also a pillow. It is also snuggly around the campsite, and I have even paired it up with my rain jacket to work just like a down parka! I didn’t mind having this down piece because I was not totally relying on this to keep me safe, just comfortable. And it was cheap, only weighed a few ounces, and it fit in a gallon ziplock bag. So…easy to stuff in a pack.
They also make bivy sacks that are excellent for adding even more warmth to a sleeping bag, and they can protect your bag from getting wet. This is great if you go shelterless on a clear night, so your bag isn’t covered in dew by morning.
Have a great time making your list!