Do I trust camping gear from wal-mart?

[actad]

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

I am going into my 4th season with my Walmart bought gear - mostly a few Ozark Trail tables and the rest Coleman with a few "name" brands like my UCO lantern I just picked up. Since I usually shop online and on sale, I rarely darken their doors. I am not necessarily Team Walmart, or Kmart, or Sears, of any one else. But the reality is, they are not always junk.

For instance, some of the Ozark Trail is likely made by other companies. This Ozark Trail portable storage locker with packing cubes was on sale for $50 last month, now it is back to $70. I was looking at it as a clothes locker and using the insulated cube for keeping sandwiches cool for a few hours. I ended up not buying it, but mostly because I already have ways to transport my stuff. If I was just starting out, I would get this without much worry.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/39511141

This is the name brand version - a Camp Chef Sherpa table at $100 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camp-Chef-...Table/20468103

And, here is the Camp Chef Sherpa table at Cabela's - http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camp-...3357585&rid=20

[frankb]

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

Practically nothing sold there is meant to last except for some of the Coleman products. I have a COleman two burner dual-fuel stove almost 40 years old. The good thing is that it's so cheap, that its disposable when they eventually break. The bad thing it that they really aren't meant to last. If you are buying these for your kids, that will use and abuse, then go with the cheap stuff. When they get old enough to appreciate how to take care of their equipment, then spring for the good stuff so that it will last them a life time. If camping is not something you can see yourself doing very often and this is just to test the waters, go with the cheap stuff.

[Happy Joe]

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

Lest there be some confusion I'm not saying that all wallymart stuff is useless just that I do not depend on it (thus the spares).
We camp a bit differently than most here; we never camp in a developed or numbered site, the ground never has a pad, if there is water it is in a stream, lake or swamp, the ground is always uneven and thus stresses things like chairs. To go to town or reach civilization nearly always takes 4WD (stock SUVs often can't get to the best places) and a minimum of a half hour (up to a day) to reach a maintained road. Thus if anything fails it usually means, do without.


Our issues with chairs are no biggie as long as we have spares and I can replace them, on sale, cheap; by the time they have seen a couple of seasons they normally have numerous worn spots from transport and more than a few holes from campfire sparks (not the chair's fault, and the reason we don't use better chairs).


Simple stuff like forks spoons and basic tables normally work OK since they are so basic... I do recommend putting a hard surface on fabric/flexible toped tables as it works better, at least for me.


More complex stuff like stoves, coolers, generators, refrigerators, solar equipment, or pumps, etc. seem to work and last better if they are of a higher quality.


Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

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

I agree that higher quality products normally last longer. I was just pointing out that a Sonata is not expected to perform like a Maserati. When buying a cheap chair, one should not expect it to hold up to the same standards as a chair that costs three times as much.

With that said, for many people, the cheap stuff works great, holds up to their usage, and lasts long enough to make it cost effective.

I just read and listen to people saying that buying the best you can afford is the smartest way to buy, and I think that is based solely on an investment attitude.

I remember years ago hearing Calvin Klein (I think it was him) saying "if you can't afford to have it ruined, you can't afford it". While he was talking about Persian rugs, expensive jewelry, etc., I find it true in most things.

If buying that quality tent means you can't afford to replace it if it gets ruined or falls off the back of the truck, etc., then buy something less expensive. If I can afford to buy a $100 tent every 2 years, but a $300 tent only every 6 years, then it doesn't make sense to buy the expensive one. Why? Because if in the 1st year, each tent is ruined (fallen off the truck on the highway, ripped by a bear, drunk Uncle Joe fell into it, whatever), then with the cheap tent, I have less than 2 years before I can replace it and go camping; with the expensive tent I have 5+ years before I go camping again.

For serious campers, this isn't as big a deal because they will sacrifice other wants/needs for a new tent. But for many casual campers, they aren't going to sacrifice for that tent - camping is a hobby of convenience not necessity.

And for some folks, they just don't make enough to justify a high end tent no matter how much they enjoy camping. To say "it's junk, don't buy it" basically says "don't go camping". Offering ideas like adding a tarp over a cheap tent, etc., gives folks an option.

I find comments like "I bought X camp stove and the base came apart from the stovetop while driving to the campsite" more helpful than "don't buy that Chinese garbage". Generalizations only point out the flaws in the comment (my Chinese crap is working great); specific comments about specific items point out weaknesses that may be important (we camp 100 miles from the nearest dirt road, can't have a stove that will fall apart before we set up camp). That let's folks determine if the product will work for their needs or not - rather than doing what works for someone who camps completely different.

[terasec]

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

Quality varies
Sometimes price is a factor, but not always indicative of quality

I have multiple cheaps knives from walmart that have outlasted more expensive versions
My favorite knife is a winchester fixed blade that only cost me $7 at wallyworld
And i use it quite a bit

[Happy Joe]

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

I too have some Winchester knives and they have given pretty good service. I heard at one time they were Buck knives made in china; some years ago I bought 4 for steak knives for around $20; I did have to sort through the closeout rack to find some with minimal defects however (chinese lack of quality rears its head yet again).


Some folks apparently like, or accept poor quality... I guess...


I reiterate; if you buy cheap chinese be cautions; IF you buy it from Wal-mart be extra cautions and do a quality check before heading to the checkout register. They have been known to place customer returns, including food, and known defective goods back on the shelves... I have seen it happen and when I asked a friend that worked there, she answered "yeah, all the time."
In terms of Harbor Freight (the other place that has mostly chinese, low quality, stock); I have purchased stuff there that was obviously customer returned (corrosion on battery charger clamps); so I expect that they too recycle defective goods and returns back onto the shelves. Now, I try to do an inspection for repackaging and visual defects, loose parts in the box etc. every time I buy anything from either store.


When the item (stock number) is first stocked in a store/put on the shelf, I expect defects are minimimal (or at least as good as can be expected from such goods).
Over time, as more and more goods are returned to the store and put back on the shelves your chances of getting a good/new/unused one dwindle.


Do you feel lucky?
Should you trust it?
...Its up to you.


Enjoy!

[cunningman]

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

Methinks the Dead Horse be in the lead....

[JoeN]

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

It all depends on the type of camping you do. I rarely get to go camping, maybe once a year or at best twice. It doesn't make sense for me to spend a fortune on camping gear, especially a tent, when it may dry rot before I get to use it again. I have bought several tents from Walmart mainly because I lost part of the old one or I just wanted more room. I do most of my camping in mild weather and in state campgrounds so for my type of camping most Walmart gear does just fine for me. However, if I camped every weekend or if I camped in extreme conditions I would buy better equipment. For someone that was just getting in to camping, I would suggest that they buy cheaper equipment to start with and after a trip or 2 evaluate what worked for them and what didn't, then as soon as the cheap stuff failed or wore out replace it with higher quality equipment.

[wecamp04]

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

We use a coleman tent from Walmart clean and waterproof it each spring and put a tarp over it had it several years works for us

[NWCamper]

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

If you're new to camping, start cheap. But if you're going to an area where it might rain, I strongly recommend spraying with waterproofer and taking along a few tarps. Leaky tents are no fun.