before you waste a bunch of money at walmart

[wakaroo]

or pay even more for some "designer" camping equipment, you should check out your local thrift stores for good stuff. I found the best campsite table I have ever seen for 4 bucks. It's all metal, has plenty of support, is 5 feet long, folds down to 30X25X3,is lightweight and even has a handle for easy carrying.

I'm just saying...

"I bring glowsticks to see, not waste throwing at each other"

[jamesq]

holy crap! that has "Beer Pong" written all over it.

[wakaroo]

not a masterpiece like this. It's way too good and who wants to carry around a beer pong table? It would be sticky and smell like beer...

[wakaroo]

we don't play beer pong

[manida]

I havent set foot in a Wal Mart in at least 12 years now.......

[Pauly's Cheese]

Also, some of your local camping gear stores may sell used gear on consignment.

[johnny ak]

finally someone who doesn't shop at wal-mart! I've been trying to keep my mouth shut, but I don't see how anyone could shop there; the place depresses me. It's not cheap if you think of the real costs. Please don't shop at walmart. I think i might start my 2nd thread ever about the dangers of walmart. good job manida and wakaroo.

[jamesq]

we don't play beer pong

Fella, I really don't care how you use your table. If I didn't know better I would think you were saying "stick your compliment up your arse."

[wakaroo]

playing with you. Beer pong would require us to get out of our chairs and I don't see that happening. (i mean at the concert) plus the potential of spilling a drop of beer doesn't sound good...


holy crap! that has "Beer Pong" written all over it.

[wakaroo]

I was just saying you can get good or better camping stuff at Goodwill, Salvation Army or your local thrift store instead of buying junk at walmart or a place like that

I had been looking for the right camp table for a long time. I could have spent 100 bucks at a nice outfitter or 40 at a discount store for a table I wouldn't have liked as much

[ItsOnlyMatt]

The best tent I ever bought was at Wal Mart almost 10 years ago with no problems at all. The worst tent I ever bought was from Bass Pro Shops.

[Shagadellic]

The best tent I ever bought was at Wal Mart almost 10 years ago with no problems at all. The worst tent I ever bought was from Bass Pro Shops.

got 'em! Diamonds in the rough i call em

[UnplugdAcoostics]

The best tent I ever bought was at Wal Mart almost 10 years ago with no problems at all. The worst tent I ever bought was from Bass Pro Shops.

This is an odd statement. You aren't buying wal-mart and Bass bro shop brand tents. You're buying a coleman, eddie bauer, etc. tent from these places. What brand was the worst tent you ever bought?

[ret01]

go Arkansas!

[Spunshine]

I found a Camelbak at a thrift store....fifty cents. All it took was an $8 replacement bladder and VOILA...instant brand-new camelbak. $60 camelbak for $8.50.

[bogmonkey]

This is an odd statement. You aren't buying wal-mart and Bass bro shop brand tents. You're buying a coleman, eddie bauer, etc. tent from these places. What brand was the worst tent you ever bought?

Actually, Bass Pro Shops does indeed put their brand name on tents. And I can confirm from what I have seen first-hand that they are *literally* the worst quality POS's ever made. it's almost like they designed them to be disposable after one 3-day trip, IF (big IF) you can make it last that long. They are cost-cheep, though, verrrrry cheep.

Target's "Greatland" Brand is a better option on the low-end. I have had such tents at least make it through a few seasons with acceptable decay.

On topic: Thrift stores are AWESOME if you start shopping EARLY in the game. Stocks change weekly and you have to be making the rounds a lot to find the 'scores', especially once "camping season" is in full force. And tents are not an item you see very often in them.

Best item I ever found was a Coleman Fuel tent heater (yes, you need such things in colorado)...got it for 5 bucks and the retail can be 80.00+++

[KB]

Over the years we've found that you get what you pay for re: tents and camping supplies.

Top-end killer diller brands: Mountain Hardware, R.E.I., Kelty, others.

Mid-tier (our preference): Columbia, Eureka

Low-tier: Coleman, store-brand tents

This is a generalization and over-simplification, but is pretty accurate.

I gotta give a shout out to Columbia brand equipment. Our Columbia Bug-a-Boo II lasted through Ike with unbelievable fortitude. Gert Boyle does good work.

[ItsOnlyMatt]

This is an odd statement. You aren't buying wal-mart and Bass bro shop brand tents. You're buying a coleman, eddie bauer, etc. tent from these places. What brand was the worst tent you ever bought?

The Bass Pro one was back in the late 90s and I cannot recall the actual name, but I do know it was not a Coleman, Eddie Bauer or another name brand.

And the latest tent I have is named "Ozark Trail" which is a Walmart product to the best of my knowledge.

[wakaroo]

I am good about hitting the thrift stores and keep an open mind about what I see. My camp table needed to be folded out to see it's full glory and could have easily passed it by

the old coleman tents were great. The new ones have poles that look good but are flimsy in comparison

if its just me in the tent, I bring my super cheapo walmart brand dome tent I have used for 10 years. All i'm doing is sleeping in it...

[beconscious]

Didn't someone go up everest using just coleman gear? personallly haven't had problems with my coleman great. I only use it once a year for waka but my gas grill and tent have held up well. The tent survived the massive storms of 08 and windstorms of 07.

[tink]

I got a barely used North Face sleeping bag last year at Goodwill for $6. It has the hood type thing that you can zip around your head. I was thrilled, even though I didn't really need it. Never hurts to have a nice sleeping bag though!

[wakaroo]

shade structue got wasted at Harvest last year and the propane skillet at the river when the handle and legs melted off

[Sunflower]

I havent set foot in a Wal Mart in at least 12 years now.......
As a sixteen year Teamster I approve this message...

[wakaroo]

and probably cost some sucker 300 clams.


I got a barely used North Face sleeping bag last year at Goodwill for $6. It has the hood type thing that you can zip around your head. I was thrilled, even though I didn't really need it. Never hurts to have a nice sleeping bag though!

[Pauly's Cheese]

The thing about high-end tents is that they come with a lifetime warranty. I have a Mountain Hardware tent that sustained minimal damage in Ike (1" crack in a tentpole), sent the pole set in and they sent me a brand new set.

[algernon]

My husband promised me a new tent for my birthday. :D

All I have to do is pick it out. We were looking at REI, although I may forfeit the promise of a new tent to save money for another big trip I'm trying to plan later in the year.... Remains to be seen. Hopefully I'll have the other trip set in stone and will be just ducky sleeping in a discount tent!

[wakaroo]

but always bring my little crappy one. It's easy to set up, Fits my air matress and myself quite nicely and i wouldn't trip if something happened to it. The one time I used my good one, it was a pain to set up and just seemed unnecessarily large.

[ItsOnlyMatt]

the old coleman tents were great. The new ones have poles that look good but are flimsy in comparison

if its just me in the tent, I bring my super cheapo walmart brand dome tent I have used for 10 years. All i'm doing is sleeping in it...

I remember those old canvas tents and if it was raining, all you had to do was touch from the inside and the water would start leaking through. They were heavy too.

[Fayetteville Monkey]

steepandcheap.com always has great deals on tents, just have to wait until one shows up

[SPelizzaro]

^i'm addicted to that place.

Right now it is womens climing shoes.

[EZ-Brothers]

i am looking for a nice ez up for a good price :) anyone got any good ideas for a brother :)

[wakaroo]

i am looking for a nice ez up for a good price :) anyone got any good ideas for a brother :)

you still have a few weeks til the show, talk to your friends and see if they have one they can part with. by this time next year you could find a cheap one

[fluff-er-nutter]

you may also wanna try amazon.com I got a tent shipped for $253 that was $400 on colemans web site

[wakaroo]

I havent set foot in a Wal Mart in at least 12 years now.......

they must have taken your photo down by now. It's safe to return.