Took a spooky scary solo camping trip!
There was a time after dusk where I heard splashing in the river with rocks being knocked around. I quickly whipped out my flashlight and looked around but saw nothing, not even signs of wet rocks on the bank. 👻

Canoe and kayak trip on the St Croix River MN/WI.

Beautiful trip, especially when the sun was out.

Found Is this vintage Coleman 2-burner propane stove worth $15? ($25 with two new propane bottles)

I’m getting gear together for my first camping trip solo in late November and found this older green Coleman Propane Stove 2 on Facebook Marketplace.

The seller is asking $15 for the stove, or $25 total with two brand-new 16 oz propane bottles. She says she’s confident it works and is letting me test it when I pick it up, which I will do

From the pictures, there’s some surface rust and grime around the burner tray, but the grate, knobs, lid, and wind guards appear to be intact.

Wondering what people do to tackle the issue of cold feet while camping? The rest of my body feels totally comfortable, maybe a tad cool, but my feet are totally freezing.

I believe the biggest culprit is that my sleeping bag is too long. I'm only 5'2, but as someone who very rarely camps in legitimately cold weather (literally once or twice a year am I hitting freezing/below freezing sites) I don't want to pay to replace my bag since it's usually fine. I sleep on an Exped Megamat (R-value 8.1) and my bag is an REI Trailmade (comfort temp is listed as 32 F, 20 being lowest recommended temp).

I've tried changing socks right before bed (usually wear darn tough), and recently I put my down quilt inside the bag with me which helped. I wear sweatpants, fleece, down jacket, and a beanie to sleep but my feet still freeze! I've read about the hot water bottle trick but would prefer to avoid boiling a bunch of water before bed since I usually read in my tent for awhile before going to sleep. Any favorite pairs of socks or booties you recommend, or solutions to a bag that's way too long?

I didn't have the $3,000 for an excursion to camp the largest cave in the world, so I settled for #4 at less than 1/10th the cost. A bargain by any means and an amazing experience. Jungle trekking, cave hiking, rappelling, and amazing Vietnamese food at every turn. Couldn't have asked for a better two days.

EDIT: Sorry if the original OP was too brief. I made the thread the night I got back and was so exhausted I barely had the energy to get that much out. But here's some more info:

The tour sets off out of Phong Nha Ke Bang. They pick folks up from where they're staying and there's a briefing at the tour hq. It's about an hour's bus ride to the trailhead.

The hike is one big loop with the cave in the middle. It's about 12km out, then 7km back. The hike out is a bit strenuous but not so bad. Be prepared for a shitload of leeches, though. They're tiny, and they don't hurt, but they're annoying as hell. Long sleeves, long pants, high boots, high socks all help. But it'll still happen. Just make your peace with it.

Hiking inside the cave itself isn't strenuous at all, though it can be a bit slippy at parts, so expect wet feet. There's some abseiling / rappelling, but nothing dangerous and honestly quite fun. The campsite is set up before you get there. The company has a group of guides / porters that go ahead and pitch the tents, cook the meals, all of it. Speaking of which, the meals are delicious. A good variety of Vietnamese food, from pho to nem lui (rice paper wraps) to banana crepes and various veggies. Really solid meals all around.

You spend one night in the cave and set off for the return at around 9:30 in the morning. The hike back is pretty brutal. You're basically covering the same elevation change, in almost half the distance. I'm an avid hiker in pretty decent shape and I got my ass handed to me by the return hike. It's basically a straight uphill climb for a good stretch. And since you're in a group, you're kinda beholden to the group breaks, unless you wanna be That Guy and hold things up for the poor guide stuck covering the rear. (I was That Guy for a bit of it). The climb eventually levels out and has a mix of ups and downs that aren't too strenuous, before a final huge push. It's pretty exhausting. Worth it, but exhausting.

After you get back to the tour company HQ, they give you this cool little passport and a pewter medal which is actually kinda awesome. And that's mostly it.

I won't mention the tour company, but as I'm pretty sure it's the only company authorized to tour the Hang Pygmy cave, it shouldn't be hard to google.

Summer in Switzerland greeted us with absolute silence. We set up camp by a lake in the middle of the night, not even knowing exactly where we were. When I opened my eyes the next morning, I was greeted by an incredible view of the Alps, a peaceful lake and the Swiss flag. Moments like these make every bit of uncertainty worth it.

I bought my Walrus Starstream in '99 when I was in college. Finally retired it after after I couldn't keep up with the cracked seam tape. I went with the Alps Tasmanian.

Thank you for your service Walrus.

Give me your best tips and gear recommendations for going winter camping.

There's a campground near me with winter tent sites. What tent did you use for your winter camping? How did you stay warm?

Thanks!

Hey all! Next week I’m heading to Arkansas and I’m camping in my truck camper shell overnight just north of Russellville in the Ozark national forest. Not giving exact location for safety.
I have a cooler in my cab, not doing any cooking at all and in the cooler will only really be like oat milk/almond milk and Cheerios (minimalist 😂) should I be worried about those things in a cooler inside my cab for bears? It’s so minimal and sealed but I want to make sure. I also will have scented face lotion (no perfumes) as well that Google says could attract them? Please let me know if I should be learning how to tie things up in a tree LOL I will be in what seems like quite popular areas for camping so nothing to crazy. Thanks

Hi all!

I've recently bought a portable stove from the brand Hikemeister and I'm a bit paranoid on where to store the butane gas cans (it came with 8).

I have a small apartment with a storage room and a basement, would it be okay to store in the apartment or is it a bit dangerous? How do you usually take care of yours?

I’ve been doing more tent camping lately, usually staying at established campgrounds where I have to carry food and drinks from the parking area to the campsite. My current cooler gets pretty heavy once it's packed with ice, food, and drinks, so I'm thinking of switching to a wheeled cooler to make things easier.

For those of you who use one regularly, which wheeled cooler has held up well outdoors and keeps ice frozen for a decent amount of time? I'd also like something that can handle gravel, dirt, and uneven campground paths without the wheels becoming a problem. Would love to hear about your actual experiences with different models. Thanks!

I’m going camping overnight next weekend and bringing my new power station to run my CPAP. It’s got 700+ Wh, and based on what my CPAP usually uses, I think I’ll have some power left over.

Just wondering, what kind of stuff can you run off a power station? What do you guys usually use yours for?

Motocamping, Kayak camping, family camping in travel trailer, now backpacking and camping.

I feel blessed to be able to do these things but does anyone else have several genres of camping versus just one? I can’t decide if doing one genre all the time and experiencing more of it is better than doing all these different ones and maybe getting a trip or two per year of each one.

Winter is pretty much here and I’ve now picked up a backpack to do some winter camping.

So yall have one camp style or several?

Last time I went camping with my girlfriend we were at this place behind a trailer park and next to a train track. Trains came by all night long and it was miserable. But one of my favorite parts was actually pooping in the woods for the first time. Something about it just feels right. I just felt so free lol. Something about being surrounded by nature while going. There was a porta potty but it was disgusting and just going in a bag was a lot more simple. I feel like all you really need is a bag or bucket and a small portable bidet. Anyone else agree? We brought a grocery bag and disposed of it after our trip of course. Sorry if this is gross just wanted to share my experience

Hey everyone, I've been looking into backcountry communication lately for when I go out with my buddies. We usually just stick together, but we're thinking about grabbing some walkie talkies for our next trip.

Before I buy anything, I wanted to hear your real world eexperiences. Are they actually functional out in the woods, or do they just end up staying in your pack? What do you love about using them, and what absolutely pisses you off about your setup?

Im also really curious about the general usability. Like, are they easy to operate when you have thick gloves on, or if the wind makes it hard to hear what the other person is saying? Thinking of camping at Zeleski this weekend, and it'll be bitter cold.

Would love to hear what works for you and features I should avoid. Many many thanks.

HELLO everyone ! I’m going on my first camping trip and my mom gave me 200$ to buy camping stuff for my 4 Day camping trip in the mountains

Can you guys recommend decent stuff that fits into my budget

I mainly want to know
-sleeping bag
-cheap but decent hiking shoe
- backpack
-windbreaker outer shell

I understand it might not be the best stuff but that’s not the point. Please recommend cheaper alternatives.

Does anyone have or know where to find this part? So far I’ve looked on other camping sites with no luck. Amazon, EBay, etc. Seems like my best bet is to see about someone printing it but I figured I’d ask here. I’ve been recommended the CORE hub but the connectors on the hub I need are equal distance from eachother instead of 3 on each side.

I’d like to go camping on some charter islands, but last time I went the tent the was the bummer, and I’ve since lost it.

Do they have any cheap, reliable tents that are like those laundry hampers made out of mesh and they just kind of fold down and pop up?

Honestly I bet I could just take a few large clothes hampers and make a luxury multi room tent. Tiny rooms, that is. But as long as I have room to lay down and make sure crabs don’t attack me while I sleep I’m good.

Calling all masshole campers!

I'm out in Western Mass (Berkshire county) and trying to find a spot I can camp sometime this month for the weekend. Any go-to spots? I'd be willing to delve into CT, NY (near the border), and VT as well- I've been trying to find somewhere I can drive up to with my gear and my dog (or at least get pretty close and hike in), pitch a tent, have a fire, and just chill for an evening, but I know with it being off-season many state parks are a no-go at this point. The websites for most of these places have been confusing at best to what is and is not allowed this time of year.

Has anyone found a good place to rough it in the off-season around here?

Finally got to test out a new backpack and sleeping quilt I’ve had all year. Had a great time. Beautiful river all the way through. AllTrails says it was 20mi round trip but it felt like 15.

Hi everyone! I'm not sure it's the right tag, but I figured someone here might be able to help.

I'm applying for this research fellowship, where I would go research wolves and moose in Isle Royale. Part of the application is making a budget on how much I would need, what I would need, and any travel expenses. The research lasts for a year. In the information section, they said that we'll probably go back to the mainland a few times for resuppling essentials, but for the most part, it's hiking and off-trail camping.

I need advice on how much food I would need, how much money I would spend on the food, any specifics I need, and if anyone has been to Isle Royale and camped there, how many times you went back to the mainland. I've never done something this huge before, best I did was 2-week long camping trip for a class, and we were driving site to site, so I wasn't really backpacking (although we did bring our own food).

Any general advice is also greatly appreciated! Thank you all so much!

Hello,

Does anyone know if i can use any air pump off Amazon on the klymit static v sleeping pad? One of those pocket air pumps? Or is the valve opening proprietary?

Winter is coming and my hands hurt really badly in the cold so i want to streamline the process. Thanks for any and all help.

edit: I'm open to hearing others user experiences with Sir pumps and pads too...

After the heavy rains in Arizona we decided to go explore. The aftermath of the storms is impressive. Debris was everywhere. Beautiful weather followed the storms. The water was murky and logs were floating in the lake. Lake Bartlett, Az. Equipment a 2026 Jeep Gladiator, a Walmart Ozark Trail 4 person pop up tent. A Lost Horizon sleeping mattress with a Kelty sleeping bag. A Bluetti 100 V2 and 200w Solar panels, that powers phones, tablets, laptops, lights and the Starlink Mini.