Camping Information

Camping Gear Quality

The quality of the gear that you use for camping, most often based on the price you pay, is dependent on one primary component of camping.

How long will you stay in the camp gear, how many nights?

Then, determine how difficult to attain a Plan B. Meaning if anything goes bad, how far is it to civilization to get medical care, warmth and/ or dryness.

So if only staying one night, cheap gear can work. The really biggest problem with bad gear is wetness and cold. If you are wet and cold for one night, suck it up buttercup. If you are cold and wet for five nights, you may need medical attention.

So having cheap gear for a single night out partying, or in a state park, is no problem. Stop at the cheapest box store, and get the basics and you will be camping.

If an excursion is being planned, with multiple days in the woods, and camping during potentially inclement weather months, proper gear is essential. If a person is on a serious physical outing, and go two or three nights sleeping cold, wet, and on an uncomfortable surface, they will wear out quickly.

The right equipment will be more costly than the cheapest equipment available. It will keep the water out better in a tent, keep the heat in better in your sleeping bag, and conform better to your body as a sleeping surface to be closest to a bed feeling. If the equipment does not keep you dry, warm, and restful, then it needs to be changed. The most expensive is not necessarily the best for you, or there may be many options from the middle of the road cost to the top cost, all which perform the basic functions effectively. For example, each good quality tent will keep you dry, but one may keep you dry better, whatever that means.

In summary, cost is not a prohibitive barrier to short campouts in campgrounds relatively close to a town. And long excursions need to simply address the basic needs of life, where proper preparation will reduce the chance of poor performance…