Does it get much better than Coleman?

[Bparker]

Newish to camping. And am gathering a collection of supplies. And continue to be drawn to Coleman equiptment. My question is am I making a mistake going with Coleman. Is there better brands out there? Asking about camp stoves lanterns etc.

[MWcamper]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

Coleman has almost a cult following when it comes to camp stoves and lanterns. (I do want to stress that I mean the good steel housed gas burning variety.) I have had good luck with a lot of their equipment. I have their LED lantern and tent fan along with a 60 year old camp stove and several gas lanterns. As with everything, quality has declined over the years, but if you can find old stuff on craigslist or ebay for a good price it's a real score.

[MacGyver]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

When it comes to Coleman lanterns and stoves (propane and gas), older is definitely better. The metal is thicker and built to take life in the outdoors. One of the things that I've seen on the newer models is that the plungers on the gas models don't work as well as the old ones do. And, anything that might need replacing on a used model can usually be scrounged from online stores and even some brick and mortar surplus stores. As far as their tents go, that can be a problem. The last new Coleman I looked at didn't seem to be made any better than the Academy and Texsport tents some of the big box stores sell. The older ones might have been made better but, unless they weren't used all that much AND put away in a clean and dry place, there's a good chance they've outlived their usefulness.

[gatordude]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

You want very good go to REI, Cabelas, or any such outdoor camping store. They cost more, but the products are made better.

[sunnymw]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

For everything but tents I would say you're good to go. It's economical and generally good stuff.

For tents, you get what you pay for, so budget a little more

[actad]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

Many of my car camping items are Coleman - tent, chairs, cot, sleeping bag, fan/light combo. They have held up well.

DH has stopped using the big propane grill at home and uses the Coleman stove and uses it with the TT.

[Bigdog57]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

Coleman gear is okay, but yes, there are other better companies, for which you will pay more. But the Coleman gear is generally perfectly alright. It's like buying a basic Chevy, or paying more for a Caddy......

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

Newish to camping. And am gathering a collection of supplies. And continue to be drawn to Coleman equiptment. My question is am I making a mistake going with Coleman. Is there better brands out there? Asking about camp stoves lanterns etc.

Another vote for Coleman older equipment. It's less expensive and much better made. A few years back I bought a 1970's 2 burner white gas stove to replace the...1980's stove I gave away in the '90's:he:. Works like a charm, easy to replace parts and not too many parts to replace either. Prolly paid about 20 bucks for it via CL. In general, all those babies need are some elbow grease to get them back up to speed. I hear wonderful things about the older Coleman lamps but decided to go a different route in keeping w/ changing times. Now all my lamps are battery operated and everyone I camp with can turn them on w/ ease. I'm not that impressed with the Coleman battery operated lamps as far as weight, longevity of batteries, amt of batteries needed and amount of light given off. Not completely sure but think this is the Coleman lantern I had in the past:

http://www.coleman.com/product/4d-cp...s#.VUTidpO6S6g

Oh right and they don't make cases for the battery operated lanterns which I think would make storing and transporting easier anddddd I got tired of telling Coleman that :aww:.

You dinna ask but I'll tell you anyway: Cabela's battery operated lanterns are hunks of junk and no matter what style I have purchased it invariably had electrical switch problems: either you can't turn it off/on or it consistently missed a dimming function. Wonky and annoying.

I currently own lamps from Snow Peak and although expensive I've figured out that had I bought them from the start I wouldn't have spent so much money on other lanterns, LOL. One of them (the Tulip) has a USB port and stays plugged into my laptop as a work lamp when not camping so it really is a year round light.

[Mike]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

Coleman products are a pretty safe bet for the family man who is looking for value. Now, the old Coleman gas stoves and lanterns are legendary and top of their class. They are not quite as good today as they used to be, but still good and reliable. With the incredible improvements of LED lights and battery improvements, I am afraid that the gas fueled lanterns with their "sunshine of the night" over-brightness and shadow-making fame may become relics in the next decade or two. However, Coleman gas stoves have few rivals for car campers and there is no change on the horizon.

The other Coleman products like tents, sleeping bags, etc are good, but not expedition class. As a general rule, I would give them a 7 out of 10. They are not expedition grade, but they are reliable enough to count on and provide a good value. A man can bring his family with Coleman gear for a weekend or even a week vacation and know that he will have good shelter and comfortable sleeping bags and IF... things get rough, everybody can pile into the car and wait out the weather.

Coleman products including tents, are designed and tested with the family campers in mind. If this is you - a man with a young family - a person with not a great deal of outdoor expertise, but you like the outdoors, I would say "yes" you can trust Coleman as a general rule. HOWEVER, before buying any certain model of Coleman tent, please do your research. Some are definitely of better design than others, although all are functional and will serve your weekender family well.

[corbmonster]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

I think it could be hypothesized that the metal being thinner and lighter is probably due to consumer request for a lighter product.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

I think it could be hypothesized that the metal being thinner and lighter is probably due to consumer request for a lighter product.

I suspect it's more the cost of the metal and the fact that the cost difference needed to be made in the shipping costs since the stoves are no longer made in this country so that a substantial price hike wasn't needed. Still your thunk has merit.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

I think thinner metal is a result of the throw away world we live in. I am an electrician, and I recently had the chance to demo some old electrical gear from the 60's. That stuff was HEAVY. The stuff we use now days is no where near that heavy duty. Use less material, save the money. Not just electrical and camping gear either.

[erikkflores]

Re: Does it get much better than Coleman?

From my point of view, Coleman is a warranty on quality terms (I've never had any issue) I do collect lanterns from many different manufacturers for example, and Coleman has always be a good quality stuff!
Nevertheless I think there are other brands that do imitate Coleman and you can find cheper while maintaining quality (+/-) I did actually a comparison table between different brand camping lanterns manufacturers and reviewed every single lantern to see difference in quality, price, durability etc,, try to give it a look at my site campinglanterns.net


to close wit a straight answer, Yes there are other brands that offer similar quality and features on camping gear. Personally I do prefer Coleman for some gear.


cheers!
Erik