Favorite Gear?

[KalamityJane]

Planning on a year’s worth of tent camping at the Fort (3-4 trips of 2/3 weeks each over the course of the year) but need to upgrade our gear.

We need -

- Screen house preferably with rain walls (thinking a Clam?)
- 8p + tent, willing to spend 4-600 on this, we have an REI Base Camp 6 that has served us well but added a kid plus the other 3 are much bigger now considering Marmot Limelight 8, Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8, REI Kingdom 8, or sell me on another!
- any cool gadgets or other things that you’ve found that make camping amazing?

 

[team bradfield]

love our blackstone griddle

 

[Stratman50th]

- any cool gadgets or other things that you’ve found that make camping amazing?

A motorhome?
Sorry, just being me.....
Don't worry if you don't find me hilarious, my wife doesn't either!

 

[garneska]

again @Stratman50th i was going to say the same thing, but i knew you would do it first

Your wife might not find you hilarious but i do .

 

[KalamityJane]

A motorhome?
Sorry, just being me.....
Don't worry if you don't find me hilarious, my wife doesn't either!

We live in Idaho or I’d totally do it! I am not driving that far with a baby

 

[KalamityJane]

love our blackstone griddle

Oooo, I’ve been wanting one!!

 

[Sjm9911]

On the clam, look at the gazelle, same thing and was way cheaper pre pandemic. Only problem with them is they get hot because the sceen weave is so tight. So , if your going when its hot , it will probably not be good to use. They do keep out bugs though. They are long, and some people dont have the ability to pack them. A fan is always nice or ac for the fort if its hot there. I like my blakstone, but that depends on your cooking needs.

 

[North of Mouse]

We live in Idaho or I’d totally do it! I am not driving that far with a baby

And that's the only way we'd do it!! One 'night' in a tent was enough for us for the rest of our lives!

 

[Dindi]

We love our Marmot Limelight 8 (we also have the marmot 2, 3,& 4 for trips where we want to split up and have more privacy).

 

[KalamityJane]

We love our Marmot Limelight 8 (we also have the marmot 2, 3,& 4 for trips where we want to split up and have more privacy).

Oh good! It’s the one at the top of my list. Do you have the green one or the orange newer one? I think I might like the older one better with the door over by the shorter area versus the 2 big doors across from each other like the orange one has. Does it hold up well to weather (wind, rain?)

 

[Dindi]

We have the orange Limelight. (The color is nice when the morning/evening sun shines through). I thought I would love having two doors but we really never utilize the second door. We have used it in wind and pouring rain with no problem. Set up is super easy.

 

[castways]

Anyone tried "tent cots" instead of standard tent?

 

[Sjm9911]

They look intresting, but i would imagine get hot as hell in a warmer climate. Plus, i would probably break it. I did look at the oversized ones. Most pictures i saw on amazon had them set up under a screen room.

 

[castways]

They look interesting, but i would imagine get hot as hell in a warmer climate. Plus, i would probably break it. I did look at the oversized ones. Most pictures i saw on amazon had them set up under a screen room.

From my reading, it seems some are quite lightweight while others are very heavy due to the cot frame. Condensation apparently a problem if tightly zipped up. Just getting too old to sleep on the ground in a tent.

 

[KalamityJane]

From my reading, it seems some are quite lightweight while others are very heavy due to the cot frame. Condensation apparently a problem if tightly zipped up. Just getting too old to sleep on the ground in a tent.

I have old compression fractures all down my spine, I use an Exped Megamat, it’s a hybrid air/foam bed. It’s amazing and well worth the cost (though I got ours used). Worth looking into.
You could look into a hammock too, my dad uses those to sleep in with a tarp over the top.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Anyone tried "tent cots" instead of standard tent?

I have an oversized Kamp Rite that I've used a lot. I still needed to put an air pad in it to make it livable for my back. The mesh screens on mine are really fine, so nice to keep the bugs out, but not the best airflow...especially when the rain fly is on.