bestbackpackingtentsguide.com -

January 5, 2019 by netkreatives

Best Backpacking Tents

The Best Backpacking tents should provide comfort and sufficient shelter and protection from mother nature’s elements.

However, when choosing the best back packing tents, we need to consider weight, costs and what tent design will be suitable to meet our needs.

These backpack tents below are our choice above the rest on the market. Although each tent will meet the needs of most people, we all have different requirements.

Some want comfort, room and storage space, whilst other minimalist’s want to knock a basic tarp shelter up. This guide is for those that want a good quality camping tent for future adventures.

Best Backpacking Tents – Budget Options

The Eureka Solo Backcountry 1 Person Tent is a free standing option for solo-camping.

Features/Spec:

Free-Standing, lightweight, solo camping (8 by 3-foot floor)
Large sized side opening door with twin track zippers and offset window
Two large no-see-um mesh ends for even more ventilation
Main fly and floor seams are factory taped for weather protection
Center height of 38 inches; weighs 3 pounds, 14 ounces

The no-see-um mesh ends offer good ventilation. The eureka solo is a good inexpensive option by any light weight tents standards ( approx $130.00) that weigh’s under 4 lbs. This two-pole tent sets up quickly and easily, enabled by the 9mm DAC Press-fit 7000 series aluminum poles.

Free standing. The fly will be necessary for cold weather camping, or rain due too the air flow and weather protection. However, a summer’s evening the excellent air flow would be great for comfort and to enjoy stargazing, whilst making it even easier to set up.

The short pole for the fly can be a tight whilst setting up in the slots. Testing the set up at home, will help a person to become familiar with this tent and make adjustments if needed for the fly pole.

Suitable for:
Backpacking/Hiking/Camping/Cycle Touring
One Person
Those wanting quality on a budget
Up to approx 6ft tall

The Eureka Apex 2XT Adventure 7′ 5″ by 4′ 11″ Two-Person Tent is another camping tent that would qualify as one of the best backpacking tents budget option. This is the cheapest out there available that still can be seen as a quality tent.

This 3 season eureka tent is said to sleep two people comfortably. However, sacrificing extra weight will come with having two vestibules providing plenty of storage space.

This may not be the lightest of tents although it is for the price. Unless, fixing a tarp shelter up.

Features/Spec:
Two mesh gear pockets for internal storage
Clothes line loop, flashlight loop
2 doors, 2 windows
Area: 36.5 square feet
Floor size: 7 feet, 5 inches by 4 feet, 11 inches
Center height: 3 feet, 7.5 inches
Weight: 5 pounds, 12 ounces
Freestanding
Bathtub Floor

Suitable for:
Those on a budget
Using a tent for limited backpacking trips and static campsite trips.
Like storage space
Need to weather the 3 seasons

Best Backpacking Tents for Solo Camping-One Person Tents

The MSR Hubba Tent (Spring 2010) is a best-selling freestanding solo tent and weighs less than 1.4 kg (3 lbs.).

Features:
Minimum weight is just 1.27 kg (2 lbs 13 oz.)
Unique pole configuration provides maximum interior space, StayDry entrance, and a large vestibules for gear storage.
All-in-one hub-and-swivel pole design is strong and simple to use making the Hubba easy to set up.
This tent is versatile and can be used as a double-wall tent for full protection or in 2 freestanding tarp-shelter modes: with optional footprint, or just the fly and poles only for the ultimate in weight savings.

Another nice feature for the hubba is the ease of entrance and exit via the side. This always makes a tent like this one a good backpackers option by making the tent smaller in width, saving extra weight, without having to clamber in and out.

Suitable For:

Most people looking for the best backpacking tents at a reasonable cost, with the option of cutting weight by using in the tarp shelter mode.

3 Season camping, spring, summer and fall.

The lightweight Big Agnes Seedhouse SL – 1 Person Tent (Spring 2010) is a 3 season, freestanding option.

best backpacking tents

Hub/pole system is super lightweight and tent body attaches quickly and easily to the pole frame with plastic clips.

Features:

Full weight 2 lbs. 13 oz
3 Aluminum DAC Featherlite NSL Poles
Vestibule Area is 5 square feet
Packed size 5.5 x 16 inches

Includes one mesh pocket inside the tent, just above the door. All seams on tent body and fly are sealed with seam tape; features waterproof zipper with storm flap.

The agnes provides plenty of space inside and within the vestibule for gear.

Suitable For:

Those searching for light weight tents whilst also providing room for gear. Those minimizing weight.

The GoLite Shangri-La 1 Person Tent is a lighter option used as a basic shelter that you may consider.

2 Person Best Backpacking Tents

The MSR Hubba Hubba Tent has been a popular option when searching for the best backpacking tents for two.

backpacking tent

This Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award winner and best-selling 2-person freestanding tent, now weighs in at under 4 pounds (1.8 kg) and, thanks to an all-new pole-hub system, is very strong. It still boasts unmatched livability, with lots of elbow room, 3 setup options, 2 doors and vestibules, and 2 stay dry entrances that keep the inside dry even with the vestibules open.

The other top rated 2 person tent we like is the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL – 2 Person Tent (Spring 2010)

best backpacking tents

- - Floor Length: 84″
  - Floor Width: 52″ at head, 42″ at foot
  - Head Height: 38″
  - Full Weight: 3lb 6oz
  - Fast Fly Weight: 2lb 2oz
  - Packed Size: 6.5″ x 16″
  - Floor Size: 28 sq ft
  - Vestibule Area: 8 sq

This 3 season tent is said to be roomy for two and a palace for 1. The same applies with most backpack tents, if room above weight is your preference, then buy camping tents, 1 person above the spec recommendation.

Easy set up system and very light below 4lbs for a solid structure. The single hub/pole design makes set up easy and the plastic clips attach the tent body to the pole frame enable the ease (SL1 features fabric loops instead of clips along the ridge pole to decrease weight).

Suitable For:

2 sharing going lightweight, although a very good option for 1 person that wants comfort and the extra room whilst still keeping the weight down.

January 5, 2019 by netkreatives

Best camping mattress

Choosing the best Camping Mattress

The camping mattress buyers guide to help you choose the best camp mattresses by considering the advantages and disadvantages of using a camping air mattress, foam camping mattress or self inflating camping mattress.

There’s nothing like a good sleep system to get a great nights sleep on a camp trip. However, there are some important camp mattress considerations to note before parting with your cash.

If your family camping or car camping you may be looking for a double or king size camping air mattress because weight and portability is not an issue.

Backpacking and hiking trips require a camping mattress or as most of us call them sleeping pads, made from a couple of foam variations and air camp mattresses.

Best Air Mattress for camping

Wow, the best air mattress for camping will be the most comfortable of all. These are made to be as close to a household bed as possible. However, close is quite far, as the companies that produce a camping mattress have a challenge to provide the comfort of your own bed.

I’m afraid you may need to lower your expectations for what an air camping mattress can do.

When buying an inflatable camp mattress you have the option of manual pumping, using a foot pump or electric pumps.

Electric pumps are the most convenient but will increase the cost overall if you have to buy separately. You will either need an electric hook up, or your car close to the tent if access into your tent is tight and the electric pump runs from the car battery power.

Rechargeable pumps are a good option and plenty of campgrounds have an electricity point to recharge when needed.

Manual pumps will either be a kind of foot pump or a hand pump fitted to the camping mattress that takes some pumping to fully inflate. The hand inflating camping air mattress is not fun to pump after pitching a tent on a hot day, although they are cheap and need no form of power, apart from arm power.

The down side of a camping air bed, includes slight deflating during a nights sleep, punctures and/or air leaks causing the air bed to completely deflate.

Reviews are all 50/50 for the performance. Some consumers say they had no deflating problems others say it went completely flat overnight. Using the instructions for inflating is advisable, and buying from a trusted retailer that has a good returns policy is smart.

Various sizes are available, from single to twin, double and king size. Also, if you have problems with getting up from close to the floor you have the option of buying a camp mattress that is the size of two camping mattresses to provide the height needed.

Popular Air Camp Mattress Brands
Coleman
Wenzel
Aero bed
Intex air mattress
Other top brands for buying camping gear will sell a camping air mattress, although with limited reviews for performance.

Cheaper options are available but be warned, you have a good chance of waking up deflated.

Self Inflating Camping Mattress And Foam Camping Mattresses

The self-inflating camping mattress or a foam camping mattress is what is better known as sleeping pads.

These are the option for backpacking or hiking trips. The foam camping mattress is the most versatile and will never leak or become punctured.

If car camping and no one has major comfort issues we would advise you to look more into using these types for reliability.

The self-inflating camping mattress is a great lightweight option that also provides comfort.

For more information about the self-inflating camping mattress and foam camping mattress visit the camping sleeping pad guide.

January 5, 2019 by netkreatives

Best camping lantern

Various camping lanterns can be seen around most campgrounds, from a camping candle lantern to an led camping lantern. We help you choose the best camping lantern by explaining the different types.

A battery operated lantern, liquid fuel lanterns, camping gas lanterns or an led camping lantern will bring much-needed light for finding the way around a camp site. The various camping lanterns all have advantages and disadvantages, that are worth considering before making a choice.

Camping lanterns are most suitable for car camping and base camp trips. The weight and pack size conscious backpackers will find camping headlamps and other camping lights more suitable. Although, there are lightweight options to consider.

Battery Operated Lantern

These are the most popular camping lanterns for most campers. These are safe for children to use, have no fire risk and the easiest to use, just click the button and light!

The disadvantage would be having to make sure the batteries do not run flat, and to be prepared with enough spares. Using rechargeable batteries are a good option if you have an electric hook up and save money. You are also able to buy a rechargeable lantern or a cross between solar power and batteries.

A battery operated lantern may also become affected by very cold weather conditions. Batteries discharge quicker. This is where other liquid fuel lanterns become a better option.

An led camping lantern can last for over 50 hours run time compared to many of the fluorescent tube types. When considering a battery powered lantern, check the burn time and the lumens (the higher the brighter).

Liquid Fuel Lanterns

These camping lanterns are as bright as the cannister lantern although more efficient with fuel that requires a mantel replacement when needed.

They are made to be used with either unleaded fuel, coleman fuel or kerosene. Many coleman lanterns are duel fuel types that use coleman fuel or unleaded gas. Coleman fuel is available from most camping stores.

These are a great option for cold weather camping and can be used with the fuel for a camp stove to save taking various types of fuel.

Refilling and spillage can be a disadvantage for liquid fuel lanterns; Also, safety is an issue compared to a battery operated lantern because these have a flame rather than bulbs. You will need to make sure a flame is allowed in the camp area, some areas have restrictions.

Not many campers use the kerosene lamps now due to the better options available. Kerosene can smell, and is quite a dirty fuel. Although, widely available and an option for emergency circumstances.

Liquid fuel lanterns also need cooling before refilling for safety reasons, that can be a pain during the night. Best have your torch! Although winter campers may be grateful for some heat.

Some consumers complain amount the noise a fuel lantern can make.

Cannister Lanterns – Gas Camping Lanterns

These camping lanterns will either be used with a propane cylinder, butane or isobutane. Again, if you already use a camp stove that uses a cylinder this may be a good option to minimize taking various fuels.

They are easier to use than liquid fuel, by just screwing the cannister on, rather than refilling, with the option of buying a 2 mantel type, for extra output.

Gas lanterns will not perform as well as liquid fuel lanterns below freezing temperatures. These lanterns are known for blasting out some light, if you really want to create an illumination around your camp.

Solar Powered/Dynamo/Wind Up Camping Lanterns

These lanterns have no need for fuel or batteries. Many are combined with solar and batteries or solar and wind up. Consumers have many complaints about these types not producing enough light, or take too much winding for the amount of light output.

There are many cheap options that people complain about. We get what we pay for, I say. You will struggle to get the same output from one of these compared to some of the camping lanterns above.

The obvious advantage is having no concern for batteries, replacement mantels or fuel; also better for the environment.

Camping Candle Lantern

Camping candle lantern can be bought very cheap; They are basically a lantern or tube that just protects the candle from going out and a place for it to reside.

These are never going to give the same output as battery operated lanterns or fuel types. A good option for backpacking and hiking because they weigh as little as 4 ozs without the need for carrying fuel, or spare bulbs and batteries.

Camping Lanterns Safety and Tips

Whatever lantern you choose, keep in mind the safety of you and your family with the flame types. We would not advise using a flame inside a tent.

Any of the lanterns above either may need replacement bulbs, canisters, batteries or fuel, that needs to be part of your camping kit to be prepared before setting out.

January 5, 2019 by netkreatives

Choosing the Best Camping Stoves

Find the best camping stove for backpacking, hiking or car camping.

When buying a camping stove we want to get the right type for the trip planned. The stove is an important piece of camping equipment to get right without wasting money that can last many of years.

Stoves vary for fuels used, size and weight. Various types include the propane camping stove, backpack stoves, coleman camp stoves, wood camp stoves, duel fuel camping stoves and many other variations and choices.

This guide will provide useful information for those considering a new camping stove or renewing the old clapped out stove.

Some stoves measure their efficiency in BTU, or British Thermal Units. Hotter stoves produce more BTU’s than more cooler stoves. However, the best way to gauge a stove efficiency is boiling time. Most camp stove manufacturers advertise their product’s boiling time in the stove information guide. The quicker a stove boils water, the more efficient it is.

Camping Stoves and Fuel Types

Camping stoves run on a variety of fuels. The type of fuel used will play an important factor in your decision making.

Kerosene camping stoves: kerosene products have been around for over a century and are safe to use with the usual precautions required for anything that generates heat. This fuel is a dirty fuel, leaving you a need to clean up the stove. It is best to use kerosene in well ventilated areas , only if no other fuel is available. You must also frequently pump-up kerosene stoves because this is a liquid fuel to be kept pressurized to produce enough flame to be practical.

White gas camping stoves: Very popular and avaliable from camping stores that sell coleman camping equipment, sporting goods stores, maybe even Wal-Mart. Slower burning and great for cold weather camping. Cleanliness is also an advantage.

Propane/Gas camping stoves: Propane camp stoves run on gas and are the most popular stove used for family camping or car camping. Coleman camp stoves and many other stoves are made with two burners to suit trips for more than one person camping. Most propane stoves have push button ignitions attached that are definitely convenient, but over time the mechanism can break, so make sure you have matches or a lighter to get your stove up and running just in case. Having a windscreen attached to your camp stove can be very helpful on windy days. However many stoves have sufficient windscreens at the side of the stove. These are the easiest to use and clean, out of all fuel types. Just plug the cannister in and cook. Not the best fuel at low temperatures, below zero degrees.

Unleaded gasoline camping stoves: Widely available and cheap. Many people would not recommend using unleaded fuel. Others are very happy to use it. This fuel also means more time spent cleaning the stove compared to white fuel.

Various Camp Stoves

Duel fuel: Duel fuel camp stoves are great for those needing different fuel options. Many will run on white gas and unleaded fuel, others will also burn kerosene. However follow the manufacturers guidelines. . I would use white gas above unleaded unless circumstances required unleaded.

Alcohol camping stoves: Alcohol burns well in an non pressurized burner compared to other solid fuels.alcohol does take much longer to produce heat.

Backpack stoves: For the single burner backpacking stoves. These are not made for preparing an entire family meal. However, they can come in handy as an extra burner, or to carry with you for a picnic lunch away from your base camp. Most of these stoves will be the white gas type. This is because weight is very important when backpacking lightweight or hiking, and white gas provides the most heat for a given weight of fuel.

Wood Stoves: Wood camp stoves are a great option if you would like to have a home made stove or the increasingly popular wood gas burning systems that effectively burn the fuel twice. Wood gas stoves work like this. In the first stage, combustion air is driven into the fuel to create some smoke (or wood gas). In the second stage, more combustion air is driven into the chamber to burn the gas from the first stage. The electric fan provides the combustion air in just the right amounts to produce the gas and burn it completely. Good option for the environmental friendly folk.