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Car Camping Tent and supplies

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  • #1

    Car Camping Tent and supplies

    Hello - I joined an organization in Dallas called HATS with my daughter. High Adventure Treks. It will be our first time camping and need advice on tents and other items needed.

    we were looking at REI Base Camp 6 tent - any thoughts?
    How heavy duty of a sleeping blanket?
    should we go with an indoor air mattress or a pad, or a cot?


    Any other absolute needs suggested would be appreciated

    thank you,

    anthony
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

    Topping so this doesn't get lost in "new poster limbo".
    “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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    • #3
      Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

      As much as I like REI products, I wasn't too thrilled with the Base Camp I saw set up at my local store. Yes, it's a robust tent, with nice, solid poles and what appeared to be heavy fabric. But the back door didn't have any mesh - it was just a door. While it's great to have two doors, it seemed kind of foolish to me to leave out a means for better ventilation.

      As far as your other questions, it's hard to answer when we don't know what kind of weather you expect on your trips, what your comfort level would be when it comes to bedding or even what equipment you already have for your adventure. Will you be able to share gear with other campers or do you have to be self-reliant? I guess the basics you need are shelter, a means to store and cook food, something to light up the night and clothing. Assuming you're car camping, weight and bulk won't be much of an issue, so using things in already in your house, like pots and utensils, blankets and pillows are things you won't have to buy.

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      • #4
        Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

        I'm in Houston but I know the Metroplex can have slightly different temperatures being 3-1/2 hours north. I don't know much about the Base Camp. I was at an REI recently and they didn't have one set up.


        I can tell you that as far as sleeping equipment goes, we have 8" thick air mattresses and sleep pads anywhere from 1" to 1-1/2" thick. Besides personal sleeping preference, it's largely going to depend on when you are camping as the temperatures are much different at this time of year than they will be in a few months.

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        • #5
          Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

          I would not buy anything expensive like REI until you know you are going to like camping.

          This advice may not be popular, but I would buy a cheap tent like Walmart's Ozark Trail brand just to start. If you already knew that you enjoyed camping, my advice would be to get the best gear you could afford.

          Sleeping all depends on the temperature where you will be camping. My personal preference is air mattresses, but if it's cold outside, they do freeze you out.

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          • #6
            Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

            Sounds like you are nearly set. You have the bedding. Now just for a tent... These days, there are very few BAD tents. Some are just better than others, so you can hardly go very wrong.


            For cooking gear, just get a big plastic box, set it in the kitchen, and fill it with the pots and pans and equipment that you use every day.

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            • #7
              Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

              Looking at the website for HATS, it looks like they vary the camping style (backpacking, kayaking, "regular" camping, etc.). You should probably ask them for a list of items that are best suited for the majority of trips. For example, on a backpacking trip, you might not want to bring your normal kitchen gear due to weight and size. If the first trip is a regular camping trip, then you might be OK with everyday stuff, and then you can pick up stuff more suited to the varied types of camping you'll be doing. If the first trip is backpacking or kayaking, then you should get some advice from other members as to what to take.
              “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

                You can get a couple of seasons out of an inexpensive synthetic sleeping bag and big-box-store grade tent. For support, you can get knockoff-grade self-inflating sleeping pads at REI, and those brands are available year-round online. You won't achieve much savings or comfort by using cots, big air mattresses, or other gear designed for use inside heated enclosures since you'll be piling on a lot more insulating blankets, sleeping bags and clothing to compensate for the negative R-values they bring to your campsite. I agree you have a lot of the other gear you need right in your own home, simply adapt and get out there.
                “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
                ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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                • #9
                  Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

                  Another drive-by poster - he hasn't been on the forum since he asked the question.
                  2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

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                  • #10
                    Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

                    Or his posts haven't been approved.
                    Nights camped in 2019: 24
                    Nights camped in 2018: 24

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                    • #11
                      Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

                      I'm thinking they would have been approved by now, or else they were REALLY profane.
                      2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

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                      • #12
                        Re: Car Camping Tent and supplies

                        If you are go camping with a truck you can thank about tents that are installed right in the bed of a truck with an air mattress and storage boxes. + You don't have to sleep on the ground. It's very convenient and a lot of fun!

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