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Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

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  • #16
    Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

    Originally posted by actad View Post
    I am in my fourth camping season with gear from Walmart or Kmart - Coleman, Ozark Trail, and Northwest Territory. All are holding up well.
    I have a lot from Wal-Mart, Dicks, Academy ect. All has held up for many (7-9) years now. Will it last another 10 or so years??? Time will tell. It makes no sense to me to spend mega bucks for something that cost 2 or 3 times and doesn't perform any better than a lower cost alternative. Much of what I have can be bought at high priced stores under a different name. Same product but different name and much higher cost...

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    • #17
      Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

      The OP is in Oregon, so rain is a daily factor. My $.02 : by all means use the Wal-Mart stuff, if you like it. Get a blue tarp in case the tent doesn't keep the rain out. It's not an elegant solution but it works.
      2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

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      • #18
        Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

        My gear has certainly evolved over the years. Low cost items from Walmart initially and now moved up to nicer gear. Is there a difference in quality and engineering - absolutely. Does it mean you can't have fun and make memories in lower quality gear? Absolutely not. What counts is getting out there.

        Now as to differences. It wasn't until I got nicer tents that I realized what the Walmart gear was lacking. Poles are higher quality. Aluminum vs the typical black "carbon". Tent bodies attach much tighter to the poles which aids in bad weather. A sloppy wall in the rain is No Bueno! As a result of the poles and tent being tighter, the rain fly will also fit tighter. Nicer gear has adjustability built into the rain flys. Cinch them down so that they are taut. If it rains and loosens up, cinch it again. A couple of my tents even have adjustment for the tent body after it is staked out so that the floor is taut. None of those split rings around a sewn loop where the pole and stake have to live together. Nicer gear everything has a place for those items.

        My current tents are a Sierra Designs, Big Agnes, and Henry Shires Tarptent. All have their uses for whatever type of trip I am taking. All have the small things done right to make them stand out against the lower priced tents. Those things are why I choose them. I take care of my gear and I intend for it to last until I decide I want to try a different one. Then someone else will have a chance to get a quality tent at a Walmart price.

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        • #19
          Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

          If you are camping near civilization where an item can be purchased to replaced a cheap item which didn't work out, then no big deal. If, however, you are doing primitive camping or in the backcountry where there is no access to new gear, any equipment failure could be catastrophic. In that case, I would never trust cheap gear.

          Buy once, cry once and enjoy your gear.
          Moss Big Dipper
          Alaskan Guide 8
          Alaskan Guide 6
          NorthFace Tadpole 23
          ALPS Exteme 3
          Six Moon Designs Lunar Two

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          • #20
            Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

            "Everyone starts out with the same $50 tent..." And once you experiences high-altitude winds and storms, decomposed granite geography, incessant desert sun, cedar-swamp endless rainy days...And go back for more, you do so either buy returning to WalMart, or realizing quality gear is cheaper over time. I see no problem with it as along as you're properly disposing of your cheap stuff.
            “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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            • #21
              Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

              Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
              So, tplife, do you suggest he go buy a $300 tent, a $200 sleeping bag and an $80 stove, just to find out he's not all that into camping? I agree with the buy cheap, buy twice philosophy, but jumping into any hobby with both feet can end in a very expensive disaster.
              This reminds me of my sister when she had her first child. She would only buy "quality" items. She'd spend $50 on a pair of shoes for a 2 year old because "they're really good quality and they'll last forever!" What she failed to acknowledge is that she only needed them to last for about 6 months and spending the extra $40 gave her no benefit. By the time she had the 2nd child, those shoes had been sold at garage sales for a couple bucks.

              For camping gear, I think a lot depends on three factors:

              1. How often are you going to camp? Are you going to camp for 2 weeks in the summer every year? Or are you going to camp every weekend you possibly can get away? Part of this factor is do you know if you even like camping. If you aren't doing a lot of camping, or don't know if you will even like it, then spending a large percentage of your income on the gear is probably not necessary (I say "large percentage" because people have different thresholds for what they consider to be buying cheap).

              2. How are you going to camp? Are you going to well established campgrounds? Are there stores within a short distance to replace faulty/broken gear quickly? Is it easy to pack up and head home, or jump in the car, if the rain gets to be too much? Or are you out in the middle of nowhere? Is it a 2 hour trek back to the car?

              3. Do you believe that better quality is always necessary? Or do you believe that there are some things that work "good enough" for your needs and you don't need the top quality items? Neither belief is wrong, but neither belief is right - it all depends on the person.
              “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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              • #22
                Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                This reminds me of my sister when she had her first child. She would only buy "quality" items. She'd spend $50 on a pair of shoes for a 2 year old because "they're really good quality and they'll last forever!" What she failed to acknowledge is that she only needed them to last for about 6 months and spending the extra $40 gave her no benefit. By the time she had the 2nd child, those shoes had been sold at garage sales for a couple bucks.

                For camping gear, I think a lot depends on three factors:

                1. How often are you going to camp? Are you going to camp for 2 weeks in the summer every year? Or are you going to camp every weekend you possibly can get away? Part of this factor is do you know if you even like camping. If you aren't doing a lot of camping, or don't know if you will even like it, then spending a large percentage of your income on the gear is probably not necessary (I say "large percentage" because people have different thresholds for what they consider to be buying cheap).

                2. How are you going to camp? Are you going to well established campgrounds? Are there stores within a short distance to replace faulty/broken gear quickly? Is it easy to pack up and head home, or jump in the car, if the rain gets to be too much? Or are you out in the middle of nowhere? Is it a 2 hour trek back to the car?

                3. Do you believe that better quality is always necessary? Or do you believe that there are some things that work "good enough" for your needs and you don't need the top quality items? Neither belief is wrong, but neither belief is right - it all depends on the person.
                My oldest sister bought a white couch when her first son was born because she was going to teach him how to behave in the house. I who already had 2 ravening wolf children and a royal blue and red print couch that had chocolate ice cream stains, peppermint candy stuck to it and the occasional aftermath of a dinner meal wiped on it, looked at her and said"Uh huh".

                Fast forward to her son's college years and he asked what happened to the grey couch they used to own:he:.

                Oh and we always had the best shoes one could buy on sale that were made from leather never plastic. My mother said you could always have a beer bottle pocketbook w/ champagne taste if you looked well.

                I agree with everything else you said decidedly:cool:.
                2017:

                July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
                Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



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                • #23
                  Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                  My Grandmother always believed you should look good. Appearance was a HUGE deal with her (she used to chase us around with a pair of scissors trying to cut off the "rat tails" hanging off the hem of our bell bottoms), but she also believed on doing it cost effectively. :money:
                  “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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                  • #24
                    Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                    Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                    This reminds me of my sister when she had her first child. She would only buy "quality" items. She'd spend $50 on a pair of shoes for a 2 year old because "they're really good quality and they'll last forever!" What she failed to acknowledge is that she only needed them to last for about 6 months and spending the extra $40 gave her no benefit. By the time she had the 2nd child, those shoes had been sold at garage sales for a couple bucks.

                    For camping gear, I think a lot depends on three factors:

                    1. How often are you going to camp? Are you going to camp for 2 weeks in the summer every year? Or are you going to camp every weekend you possibly can get away? Part of this factor is do you know if you even like camping. If you aren't doing a lot of camping, or don't know if you will even like it, then spending a large percentage of your income on the gear is probably not necessary (I say "large percentage" because people have different thresholds for what they consider to be buying cheap).

                    2. How are you going to camp? Are you going to well established campgrounds? Are there stores within a short distance to replace faulty/broken gear quickly? Is it easy to pack up and head home, or jump in the car, if the rain gets to be too much? Or are you out in the middle of nowhere? Is it a 2 hour trek back to the car?

                    3. Do you believe that better quality is always necessary? Or do you believe that there are some things that work "good enough" for your needs and you don't need the top quality items? Neither belief is wrong, but neither belief is right - it all depends on the person.
                    Amen, well said.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                      “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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                      • #26
                        Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                        This seems like an interesting thread, has been bookmark

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                        • #27
                          Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                          I agree that you can probably get higher quality for same price on Amazon.
                          New to camping in So Cal!

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                          • #28
                            Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                            Have an Ozark Trail tent from Wal-Mart that I bought few years ago and it's still holding up. Other than that, I'd never buy anything from Wal-Mart again after buying an air mattress and a bag chair for camping within a week of each other and both were damaged right from the store before I could even use them even once.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                              Sure. I buy all my Coleman liquid fuel there.
                              2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
                              Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
                              Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
                              Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

                              sigpic

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                              • #30
                                Re: Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

                                I bought my first tent 3.5 years ago. And I still have it. It is an Ozark trails combo 4 person dome tent with chairs made for walmart. It was a sweet deal and I got it online. The only thing that is starting to fall apart is the bags for the chairs. My 4 person tent has held up like a champ through TX State parks, and Ren fairs, sun, rain, and a couple nights of near freezing. I strongly recommend getting a tarp! 2 purposes: 1) keep it under the tent to extend the life of your tent by preventing wear & etc. 2) if your tent fails, you have a backup shelter. As a bonus tip - have the footprint of your tarp extend a bit beyond the footprint of your tent on the entryway side. This will act as a porch. I digress. Keep your Ozark trail tent. Take care of it. I think you will be surprised how long it will last.
                                Last edited by corbmonster; 06-01-2015, 10:30 AM.

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