c/camping-and-outdoors

Three years in Oregon taught me rain camping is ALL about attitude

Back in 2021 I spent a full season camping through the Willamette Valley where it rained 22 weekends straight, and my crew split between loving the mud and hating every wet sock. The ones who enjoyed it had cheap tarps and hot meals planned, while the grumpy folks kept trying to stay dry and gave up by Sunday. So which side are you on, do you lean into the weather or try to outsmart it?

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thompson.tyler•3d ago

Pro tip: keep a spare tarp strap in your boot after a windstorm in Glacier

Last September I was camped at Bowman Lake and a gust ripped my rain fly right off the tent at 2am, soaking my sleeping bag in about 10 minutes. I dug around in my truck and found an old bungee cord I'd forgotten under the seat, which held the fly down for the rest of the night but barely. Anyone else carry random repair gear in their car that's saved a trip, or is that just my hoarding habit?

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ryanrodriguez•5d ago

Hit 30 nights out this year and it still feels like nothing

I hit my 30th night camping for the year last weekend up in the Pisgah National Forest and honestly, I thought it would feel bigger. That's the most I've done since I started tracking back in 2019, but I spent half the trip fixing my tent pole with duct tape. Is it normal to hit a milestone and just feel kinda meh about it, or am I missing the point of counting trips at all?

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faith_perez•5d ago

PSA: stop obsessing over tent weight if you car camp

Everyone keeps bragging about 2 pound backpacking tents, but most people I see at Shenandoah are just hauling them 50 feet from the parking lot. I've car camped for 8 years now and my 12 pound Coleman has survived 30 mph gusts that shredded those ultralight poles. Why trade comfort and space for a number you'll never actually test on the trail?

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eric_carr•5d ago

Three days of fog at Smith Rock and I never saw the spires once

Booked a 4-day trip to Smith Rock last October and the fog rolled in for 3 straight days, couldn't even see Monkey Face from the parking lot. Still hiked the Misery Ridge loop and honestly the muffled quiet made it eerie, has anyone else had a trip get saved by weird weather?

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carter.jennifer•7d ago

Boiling water at 9,000 feet took me 45 minutes to get right

Everyone says it's simple, just wait for bubbles, but at Echo Lake the water barely simmered and my coffee was lukewarm garbage. Took a whole afternoon and three failed pots before I found the trick is a lid and way more fuel than the bag says. Anyone else figure this out the hard way?

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brian_ward55•7d ago

Was ready to hate the hammock camping thing, now I get it

I spent years thinking hammocks were just for naps at the lake, not real overnight gear. Then my buddy talked me into trying his on a 3 night trip near Asheville and I froze my ass off the first night. He showed me the trick with the underquilt and sleeping pad combo, plus hanging it at the right angle. Second night I slept better than I do in my bed at home, no joke. My back usually kills me on the ground, but zero pressure points in the hammock. Now I'm looking at buying one for myself, any of you hammock folks recommend a good setup under $200 for a bigger guy?

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olivias88•7d ago

Freeze-dried eggs in a scramble were gross until I added a spoon of bacon grease

Tried them on a 3-day trip near Flagstaff last month, they tasted like cardboard with powder, but mixing in bacon fat from breakfast made them actually edible, anyone else found a fix for mountain meals that turn out bland?

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kellymurphy•11d ago

Got caught in a surprise storm at Table Rock and my tent almost became a kite

Last month I hiked up to the summit at Table Rock Lake with just my 2 person tent and a pack that was way too light for the forecast I ignored. The wind hit around 3pm, no warning, and one of the pole sleeves ripped clean out when a gust grabbed the fly. I had to sit inside holding the frame together for like 40 minutes till it passed, then hiked down soggy and humbled. Now I always check the hourly wind report before I even leave the car, even for a day trip. Anyone else got wrecked by weather they thought they could outsmart, and what do you carry now that you didn't before?

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parkerb75•12d ago

PSA: Don't spend $180 on a 'waterproof' tent without testing it in actual rain first

Set up my new four season tent in the backyard, sprayed it with a hose for 10 minutes, and it leaked through the seams like a colander. The manufacturer's warranty won't cover 'field damage' they say, so I'm out the full price and two weekends of trip planning. Anyone else trust a dry test over a wet one and regret it?

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parkerb75•12d ago

Reground my coffee beans mid-hike, game changer

Used to deal with stale pre-ground coffee on overnight trips. Last month in Shenandoah I started carrying a small hand grinder, takes 2 extra minutes but the morning cup tastes like the stuff I brew at home. Anyone else lug a grinder into the backcountry or is that just me?

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joel_singh84•12d ago

That $80 inflatable kayak paddle snapped on day two, bring a spare

I bought a cheap inflatable kayak paddle off Amazon for my trip to Lake Tahoe last month. On the second morning, the plastic blade split right where it meets the shaft during a normal paddle stroke. I had to paddle back to shore using just the broken half, which took forever and ruined the day. The kayak itself was fine, but the paddle was a total waste of money. Has anyone else had a paddle fail like this, and do you carry a backup on long trips?

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richardrodriguez•14d ago

A park ranger told me to stop hammocking after 2 nights and I'm glad I listened

I used to think hammocks were the best thing for camping. Set up between two trees, no rocks poking your back, easy pack. Last summer at a spot near Bend, OR this ranger walked by while I was hanging and said 'youre gonna wreck that tree bark and your spine.' I laughed it off. But by the third night my lower back was killing me and I noticed the straps had stripped a chunk of bark off this old pine. So I switched to a ground tent with a proper sleeping pad. Took me like 4 trips to get the setup right, but now I sleep way better and I dont feel guilty about the trees. I still bring the hammock for lounging during the day, just not for sleeping. Anyone else get corrected by a ranger and change their whole routine?

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graytorres•15d ago

Finally found a dry bag that survived my river trip

Went canoeing on the Current River last month and my old dry bag left my sleeping bag damp. I had to pick between a cheap roll-top sack and a proper welded seam one that cost $40 more. Went with the spendier option after watching a buddy's gear get soaked on the same stretch. Everything stayed bone dry through two rainstorms and a rocky portage. Anyone else shell out extra for gear that only proves its worth once?

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the_joseph•16d ago

Ditch the foam pad for a cot, my back thanks me

Used to sleep on a 1-inch foam pad in the Adirondacks for years, woke up stiff every single morning. Switched to a basic folding cot from Coleman last June and it's like a whole new world, no more cold ground sucking the heat out of me. The cot weighs about 12 pounds though, so I only take it on car camping trips, not when I'm backpacking. Anyone else make a similar swap and never look back?

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xena_williams•17d ago

That $8 compass from a gas station actually saved my group near Big Bend last fall

I was dead set against buying cheap gear but my brother grabbed it on a whim, and when our GPS died 3 miles from the trailhead that thing guided us right back. Has anyone else had a piece of budget equipment surprisingly come through in a tight spot?

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ryan653•18d ago

Hit 30 nights of camping this year and it totally surprised me

I set a goal back in January to camp at least 20 times this year. I thought that was a lot since I work a 9 to 5 and have weekends only. But last weekend I counted my trips and realized I hit 30 nights already. That number snuck up on me because I started doing quick overnighters at state parks near me after work on Fridays. I brought my hammock and a small cook kit for dinner, then drove back Saturday morning. It made me realize how easy it is to get outside if you don't overthink the gear and just go. Has anyone else totally missed how many times they got out this year? I feel like I need to set a bigger goal now lol.

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ryan_stone•19d ago

Criticism from a park ranger made me stop using my GPS for route finding

I used to plan all my hikes on a GPS app and never look at paper maps. Last July at Yosemite, a ranger named Steve saw me staring at my phone and said 'that thing will die and you'll be lost in the dark.' I laughed it off but then my battery dropped to 20% two miles in. Now I carry a paper map and compass every trip and actually practice using them before I hit the trail. Has anyone else had a ranger or old timer give them advice that made them rethink their gear?

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maxp68•19d ago

Got caught in a surprise storm at Lake Ouachita last month

I was hiking the Vista Trail near Lake Ouachita when a sudden thunderstorm rolled in out of nowhere, wind and rain hitting hard. I had to huddle under a rock overhang for 45 minutes while my cheap poncho ripped apart in the wind. Anyone else had a storm catch them off guard and change how you pack for day hikes?

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noahward•20d ago

Had a massive argument with my buddy about bear bags last month in Yosemite

So me and my friend Dave were hiking near Half Dome and we stopped to set up camp. He insists on tying his food bag to a tree branch the old way, hanging it like 10 feet up. I told him that doesn't work anymore because bears have figured it out and you need a proper bear canister. He laughed at me and said I was just wasting money on gear. We went back and forth for like 20 minutes while the sun was going down. Has anyone else run into this split between the old school hang method and the new canister rules?

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wren307•21d ago

Why does everyone hang their food bag 10 feet up these days?

Was out at Shenandoah last weekend and watched a group struggle with a bear bag for like 20 minutes. Tossing ropes over branches, trying to get it high enough. My grandpa taught me the counterbalance method back in the 90s and I've never had a problem. Just need a branch high enough and two bags to balance. Nobody seems to know that trick anymore. They all think you need a full 10 foot pole height. Anyone else learned a method that just got forgotten?

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barnes.morgan•21d ago

That one week in the Smokies where it rained for 5 straight days

I planned a 7 day trip to the Smokies last spring and it poured from Tuesday through Saturday, no break at all. Everything got soaked, my tent started leaking on day 3, and I spent most of the time huddled under a tarp reading a damp book. Has anyone else had a trip turn into a total washout and still find a way to enjoy it?

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sanchez.robin•25d ago

Tried using a hammock instead of a tent on a 3 night trip in the Smokies and woke up with a backache every morning.

I figured the rocking motion would help me sleep deeper but the sag just killed my lower back, has anyone else had this problem with hammock camping?

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grayt46•26d ago

Almost lost my tent in a thunderstorm up near Mt. Rainier last June

I was camped at Cougar Rock and a gust ripped out one of my stakes (the cheap aluminum kind, you know) at 2 AM. Had to scramble in the rain to tie the whole thing to a log with my shoelaces - anyone else switched to those heavy-duty orange screw stakes after a close call?

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ryan653•26d ago

Switched from a tent to a hammock for a week in the Smokies and never going back

I spent 5 nights at Elkmont Campground last month and my old tent got soaked through on day two from all the rain. Tried a cheap hammock with a rainfly a buddy loaned me and slept way better without waking up stiff. Anybody else made the switch and found it easier on your back?

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