like most reliable and brand wise.
Reliability does not always equal expense..and vice versa. Here’s some examples from my own experiences:
My primary tent of choice is my Eureka! Aspen 2-person tent. I got it for free but I think the MSRP on it in 1999 was something like $130. I’ve got a $250 bivy, another $200+ tent from Big Agnes, and have used 4-season double walls from Mountain Hardwear. Even in the dead of a cold-as-hell New England winter, that little Eureka! tent holds up.
On the other hand, the more expensive the backpack, usually the better the performance. I’ve always found the higher end packs like Mountainsmith, Osprey, Dana Designs (back in the day) and Mystery Ranch to be the best. Priced slightly lower are Gregory packs. They are excellent too. Weight has a lot to do with price as well. GoLite makes great packs for adventure racers, but don’t expect it to take a beating year after year. It’s good stuff, but use it for what it’s intended.
Clothing is the biggest variable. I have a $300 mountaineering jacket that you’d have to pry off my cold dead body for me to give up, but I feel as equally attached to my $99 LL Bean Windbloc Fleece that is now pushing 10 years old. That jacket just refuses to die.
Generally, better boots means more money. The Vasque trail shoes I bought in April are nearly dead now. I paid $65 for them on sale at Cabela’s. The Garmont shoes I bought a few years ago for $100 held up a lot longer. However my weapon of choice is my Limmer Standards. A custom pair will run you about $600. (Mine were a bit cheaper a few years ago.) I expect to get about 20 years out of those boots. Quality varies greatly within individual brands as well. The Vasque shoes I bought suck, but Vasque Sundowners are great backpacking boots. So buy the shoe you need for your activity level.
Bottom line is you’ll get cheaper and lower quality gear if you buy it at Sporting Goods stores that also sell bowling balls and golf clubs. The staff really doesn’t know (or care) too much about packs, tents, etc. Places that also sell guns and fishing equipment are better choices, but even those places don’t always have good camping gear. Places like EMS and REI are still better places to go. The staff at least is usually well versed in the gear and many of their empolyees have been with the companies for years. Your best bet is always to pay a visit to your closest independently owned specialty gear store. In most cases you’ll deal with the owner who most likely started his store out of his love of camping rather than a desire to make a quick buck. The quality of the gear is usually top end and employees are generally trained by the company reps.
Cabelas has the best camping gear. ask anyone that works there and they would know. I always go there for whatever I need,,,
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/category/category.jsp?id=cat20075&cmCat=MainCatcat20075&navAction=jump&cm_re=LeftNav*Camping*091108
References :
The most expensive camping gear is the stuff that sits in storage after one use.
I would make a honest evaluation of your need and how often you will actually use this stuff. If you are going to use it every weekend, spend the money on reasonably good equipment.
Don’t fall into the trap of it costs a lot of money, therefor it must be good.
If you really want good gear, look at what the military is using for your camping conditions.
References :
REI, Patagonia, Arc’Teryx, Black Diamon, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Osprey Packs, Trango, Voile, Leki, Big Agnes, PMI…All of the gear these companies provide is top notch but it does come with a premium.
I highly recommend Patagonia Capilene layering garments with Arc Teryx outerwear. Excellent stuff and has never let me down in temperatures as low as -17, freezing rain, and snow. For footgear, I recommend Danner, La Sportiva, or Asolo. Good, reliable, and comfortable to wear in nasty condition.
Good luck!
References :
Kelty, The North Face, Mountain Hardware, Eureka (but their stuff is reasonably priced), MSR… these are probably the best bang for your buck seeing as they last a while. if you really wanna find top-of-the-line stuff for camping go to this website hey they’ve got everything campin and alot of other stuff for outdoor rec.
References :
http://www.rei.com
Correction notice:
LL bean, Cabelas, Eureka, Sears, MEC, Kelty, Campmor, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports are not high-end brands names. Sorry!
They make intermediate quality products at best.
Some contributors likely have not had the privilege of sleeping in a $1000, hand made, custom-made to your own body Integral Designs sleeping bag.
Other good brands:
- Golite
- Feathered Friends sleeping bags
- Strider knives
- Benchmade knives
- Integral Designs (expedition, SAR, L.E./Military gear)
- Leatherman – sorry! Gerber doesn’t cut it!
- Brunton
- SnowPeak (titanium stoves and cookware)
- Garmin
- Maxpedition
- Osprey Packs
- Petzl
- Black Diamond
- Leki
- Komperdell
- Rovak boots ($300+ per pair)
- LaSportiva
- Spot – personal beacon
- Surefire – flashlights Sorry! Maglites are just another poorly made product
- Princeton Tech – headlamps and flashlights
- Pelican or Otterbox – cases & lighting
- MSR
- Thermarest
- Cascade Designs
- Source – hydration containers
- Camelbak – hydration containers
-
References :
Bibler, Hilleberg, Gregory
References :
http://www.gregorypacks.com/us/
http://www.hilleberg.com/Home.htm
http://www.bdel.com/gear/shelter_overview.php http://www.thebackpacker.com/
WARNING !!!!
Good equipment does not cover bad technique and in some cases it can actually get you further in the weeds than you can safely get out of.
The most important piece of equipment that you own is your brain.
Learn how to use it correctly.
Take the time to learn your craft using reliable But not necessarily awesome gear.
In time you will be able to determine the gear that is right for your body and how you hike .
I for instance have been carrying various incarnations of a Kelty Tioga external frame pack for over 35 years
Some people will call me a dinosaur for doing it But I could honestly give a rats azz b/c I know that for my body and my hiking style big external frames are the right way to go.
References :
Are you looking to backpack or car camp?
For backpacking, there are several great brands, Gregory, North Face, Marmot, MSR, but everyone has different needs and tastes. Your body style and where you plan on going has a lot to due with what equipment works best. Part of the fun of camping is trying new techniques and new equipment.
I recommend that you visit your local REI store. If you buy something that does not work for you (happens more than you think) they have a great return policy. They cost more, but there are many items I bought at a discount store that just does not work well, and I ended up buying something different from REI. I have been able to return hiking boots, and back packs that were used a bit, but just were not right.
I am quite pleased with my, REI Mars backpack, North Face Cats Meow sleeping bag, Thermarest Prolite IV, and Asolo hiking boots. For clothing I really like Columbia Titanium products. Marmot makes great rain gear, but REI’s version can compete quite nicely. Check out Hennessy hammock for single sleeper, very nice. MSR and REI tents are great.
Cooking is a whole different subject.
References :
Reliability does not always equal expense..and vice versa. Here’s some examples from my own experiences:
My primary tent of choice is my Eureka! Aspen 2-person tent. I got it for free but I think the MSRP on it in 1999 was something like $130. I’ve got a $250 bivy, another $200+ tent from Big Agnes, and have used 4-season double walls from Mountain Hardwear. Even in the dead of a cold-as-hell New England winter, that little Eureka! tent holds up.
On the other hand, the more expensive the backpack, usually the better the performance. I’ve always found the higher end packs like Mountainsmith, Osprey, Dana Designs (back in the day) and Mystery Ranch to be the best. Priced slightly lower are Gregory packs. They are excellent too. Weight has a lot to do with price as well. GoLite makes great packs for adventure racers, but don’t expect it to take a beating year after year. It’s good stuff, but use it for what it’s intended.
Clothing is the biggest variable. I have a $300 mountaineering jacket that you’d have to pry off my cold dead body for me to give up, but I feel as equally attached to my $99 LL Bean Windbloc Fleece that is now pushing 10 years old. That jacket just refuses to die.
Generally, better boots means more money. The Vasque trail shoes I bought in April are nearly dead now. I paid $65 for them on sale at Cabela’s. The Garmont shoes I bought a few years ago for $100 held up a lot longer. However my weapon of choice is my Limmer Standards. A custom pair will run you about $600. (Mine were a bit cheaper a few years ago.) I expect to get about 20 years out of those boots. Quality varies greatly within individual brands as well. The Vasque shoes I bought suck, but Vasque Sundowners are great backpacking boots. So buy the shoe you need for your activity level.
Bottom line is you’ll get cheaper and lower quality gear if you buy it at Sporting Goods stores that also sell bowling balls and golf clubs. The staff really doesn’t know (or care) too much about packs, tents, etc. Places that also sell guns and fishing equipment are better choices, but even those places don’t always have good camping gear. Places like EMS and REI are still better places to go. The staff at least is usually well versed in the gear and many of their empolyees have been with the companies for years. Your best bet is always to pay a visit to your closest independently owned specialty gear store. In most cases you’ll deal with the owner who most likely started his store out of his love of camping rather than a desire to make a quick buck. The quality of the gear is usually top end and employees are generally trained by the company reps.
References :
20+ years experience. 15 years in the Outdoor Recreation profession. I’ve been involved in gear sales, instruction, and testing on and off for the past 15 years as well.
Check out REI.
References :
You want good gear, not expensive gear. One is not always the same as the other. Check out http://www.outdoor-gear-online.com I like their Big-Agnes brand.
References :
You can ALWAYS find ways of spending more money on gear, but is it worth it? If you’re out to blow a lot of cash on gear, you can buy a custom Mystery Ranch Kodiak pack ($650), Mountain Hardwear Space Station tent ($5500), etc. But why? If you are just looking for reliable gear, check-out your nearest REI. You can get decent packs, bags, and tents for a few hundred bucks each that, with decent care, will last a lifetime.
References :