What camping gear brands do you use and why?

[Charley]

What camping gear brands do you use and why?

[opps]

REI because the people at the REI store are always very helpful and knolagable. but if you have a good outdoors store in your area talk to the people and see what they say.

[wmayers99]

I bought my wall tent from Fall Creek sutler and my wedge tent from Panther Primitives. Our cooking gear is Lodge cast iron, our bedding came from several sources. Our clothes were purchased from Regimental Quartermaster in Gettysburg and home-made. We have to use primitive gear - we're Civil War re-enactors! I'm a Union surgeon and she's a Sanitation Commission volunteer.

[Elley]

I use Swiss Army and Coleman. Our tent is Swiss army, we chose it because we frequently camp during the winter months. Our sleeping bags are also Swiss Army. Propane heater, mess kit, lantern etc, are all Coleman. Coleman is a great brand, it's priced good and last a long time. Most things I buy from Coleman I can actually purchase a warranty with and when you camp as much as I do it is worth it!

[aaron b]

MSR Mountain Science Research, and Coleman. I've never had any issues with either type of gear no matter where I was camping.

[Mountain man3218]

I have a coleman camp stove because they are reliable after years of using them...but now adays I make my own stuff.....canvas tarpcamp firesold carbon steel knife blades and and iron spoon snow and neally hudson bay axestin cup and potwhat else do I need ?

[John]

For sleeping bags and tents i would consider looking at Kelty and Sierra Designs Brands. They make very light weight Very durable products. You can find last years item on sale at most camping stores. If you are having trouble picking out camping gear i would consider going to trailspace.comYou can use their gear guide to pick out what you need. It will also give you a list of every website that is selling that specific item and give you the cheapest price. It has been a very valuable resource. One thing to consider when buying camping supplies. I would not buy any camping equipment that is not made for backpacking. Usually camping equipment that is not made for backpacking is cheaply and poorly made and very heavy. Maybe if you are car camping you could pick up a coleman stove or grill but when i comes to tents and sleeping bags i would not buy something that is way to heavy and it going to have tears in it in a month. Example. A friend of mine bought a cheap tent for a local outdoors store. The zipper immediately got caught in the fabric and he had to cut the zipper out in order to get out of his tent. Most backpacking tents have special fabric so you can just pulled the fabric out if it get caught in the zipper. Its amazing. Hope this helps.

[Amy C]

i use a bunch of Coleman

[Willie D9580]

Even though I am an Outdoor Professional, I have very little brand loyalty. I tend to buy very high end gear that doesn't have to be replaced that often, so once I've tested a few things, I tend to buy the thing that will suit my needs the best. Likewise, a sweet pro-deal or swag from a gear rep will always be welcome and used.A few brands to note that I come back to year after year:All of my headlamps are Petzl lamps. I own three for different applications and they always come out with smaller, lighter ones every several years, so I upgrade. Mine are all very reliable, except the one I stepped on while wearing crampons...that one broke. Additionally, my climbing helmet, two harnesses, and much of my hardware is also Petzl.All of my sport sandals are Chaco. (4 pairs) They are very comfortable, have no velcro to wear out, and can be re-soled. I have a pair that are ten years old, were resoled last year and are still awesome. The vast majority of my socks are Smartwool. Again, I have some that are 10 years old and have been through the washing machine over 200 times. The lighterweight ones have to be replaced more often than the heavier ones, but they are still comfortable and perform excellently. I also still get pro-deals from Smartwool and buy their products at 50% off or more.I'm a sucker for EMS Techwick shirts. Yes, I did work for EMS for a while and got hooked while I could get them for 50% MSRP, but most of what's in my closet now (close to 20 shirts in various weights and styles) I purchased after leaving EMS. They fit well, are rather durable, and do wick moisture away very well.I use Garmont boots for my lightweight hiking needs. My ski boots are also Garmont. Comfort and durability are my main reasons to keep buying Garmont products. My heavyweight boots are from Limmer. Most people only ever have to buy one pair of Limmer boots. Properly cared for, they will last for 20 years, even with heavy use. They may have to be resoled or repaired, but they are worth fixing due to the higher cost and longevity of the product.I have several MSR products. Whisperlite Stove; Denali Ascent snowshoes; PackTowels; and various cooking accessories. MSR's parent company is Cascade Designs. They make Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads (own some of those) and SeaLine Dry Bags (got some of those too.) I rarely have a problem with any Cascade Designs products.

[Savannah]

Colman. No reason. Its good stuff.