@Lyle
Jetboils are a very good piece of kit. I personally find them to be way too heavy for backpacking, but they work great for car camping, base camping etc.
@Lyle
I would look for something with a comfort rating of -20f for your girlfriend, assuming you are looking for individual bags/quilts, maybe warmer if you’re looking to share. I always solo camp, so I don’t know if people tend to share or not. If you do go for 25 wide sleeping pads then make sure the tent you buy can accommodate two of these. Some 2 person tents only have 40 sleeping space. Personally I like having all my kit inside the tent with me. I sleep better knowing it’s safe and not being messed with. Others are fine leaving their gear in the vestibule. Think about your space requirements before picking a tent. Popular brands are MSR, big Agnes, durston, and Nemo. I’m sure there’s more. I have a MSR Hubba Hubba, that I use solo. It’s definitely small for two people. I don’t like that it’s pitched inner first, meaning if it rains the inside gets wet. I’ve used it in bad weather with no issues so far. If I were to buy another tent today it wouldn’t be my choice. But it has many good features and most importantly I feel safe from the elements in it.
@Lian
Great point actually, I’d prefer having all myself inside too. Thank you for all the advice I really appreciate it! Do you have a preference on thickness for the pads?
Lyle said:
@Lian
Great point actually, I’d prefer having all myself inside too. Thank you for all the advice I really appreciate it! Do you have a preference on thickness for the pads?
Not yet, I understand the construction of the pad makes a difference to required thickness to be comfortable. I also suspect it’s more difficult to attain higher r values with thicker pads. I’m a side sleeper, heavier than I should be (by a lot), and a cold sleeper. So for me it’s trying to find the best balance between thickness and warmth while still being reasonable with pack size and weight. I’m wanting to try the Nemo tensors, I’ve heard they’re comfortable but I haven’t been able to find one in real life to look at. I’ve heard Treckology make a very comfortable and cheap pad, but with a low r value (they’re sold on Amazon for <$50>. But it could be a great option for warm weather. Therm a rest have also released the neoloft that I’m excited to find out more about, it’s not available in Canada yet. It’s super thick I believe and probably heavy too. I want to like the Exped pads, but they seem a lot less packable than the competition from what I remember. I also hear REI have good own brand options, but not available in Canada. The them a rest neo air seems to be the most popular right now, but the construction isn’t meant to be the most comfortable. Apparently horizontal baffles aren’t the most comfortable. But that’s only through reading, I don’t have a first hand comparison. Sleep is very important to me, so I’m willing to take a weight penalty to get a good night’s sleep. Personally I’m waiting to find out more about the neoloft
Are you hiking or car camping? That makes a difference on some of the gear recommendations. For example if car camping you can get by with a bigger, heavier tent than if you were hauling it into the woods.
@Tariq
Definitely will be car camping for a little while. Just day hikes too.
Lyle said:
@Tariq
Definitely will be car camping for a little while. Just day hikes too.
Their tents are on sale right now, some 50% off. For pads I have the Exped Dura 5r, I’m a big guy so I need a 4 inch pad but everyone under 200lbs says the REI Helix pad is super comfortable. For under $150 the kelty cosmic down 20 is good but if your budget is higher you can look at fancier bags. Also keep in mind REI stores have a clearance garage area where they sell returns dirt cheap. You could snag a $200 sleeping pad for $40 and hope you can find the leak and patch it, if you buy a returned tent though ask to set it up in store to make sure it has all the pieces.
@Tariq
Whos tents are on sale?
REI, for example the Half Dome is 50% off right now
Oh awesome, thanks for letting me know!
Avoid REI and buy online from cottage brands. REI is good for some basics, but your big three (bag/quilt, tent, sleeping pad) should normally be bought elsewhere. The only big advantage is REI’s 1 year return policy. This can be a major advantage if you are unsure or uneasy about what you are buying.
@Arlen
Fair enough, thanks again!
Have you gotten lights? If you do a lot of car camping(which kinda sounds like:D) harbor freight has cheap light that are really good.
Stevie said:
Have you gotten lights? If you do a lot of car camping(which kinda sounds like:D) harbor freight has cheap light that are really good.
I have not yet but I will look into the harbor freight ones so thank you!
It sounds like the OP has some camping experience but I’ll still add, get a bigger tent versus just fitting the number of people listed. The number is for people side by side with no other room. Personally, I don’t backpack or carry gear to a campsite (my car is at the site) so I’m not concerned about weight or size. Plus I want to be able to stand up (I’m ok with just tilting my head but my back doesn’t like me standing hinged over). If your REI is close enough, go talk to the green vests and check out the stuff on display. My store typically has a 2 person tent and a bunch of different sleeping pads and sleeping bags to try.
@Hollis
I was a boyscout so i have a little bit of experience lmao but it’s been a while and I definitely have a lot to learn so I appreciate the insight. Do you have any specific models that you’ve liked?
@Lyle
This may be more than you want to know 
I use a Coleman Sundome 4 tent. I think they are a good bang for your buck basic dome tent. I don’t expect the fabric or poles to hold up for as long as a better tent, but I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it and the 3 person version I had before (getting older made it more important to be able to stand up). They also aren’t very light but that’s ok since I camp near my car.
I’ve always brought a self inflating foam core sleeping pad along. There are plenty of good brands, you just have to find one that is comfortable for you. The foam provides insulation from the ground. They all have different R values (higher will keep you warmer) and I think is a very personal choice. When I retired and started doing longer trips I gave in to all the hype about the Exped Megamat 10 and it was a game changer especially since I’m a side sleeper with arthritis pain. It wasn’t cheap but I gave in to peer pressure when REI had it on sale for 40% off. REI keeps several out in the store as demos I you can check them out.
Sleeping bags, I get tangled up in them because I toss and turn so I started using blankets instead. I keep eyeing camping quilts as I think they may be more compact to store and fit in the car better and be just as warm as blankets.
Camp kitchen depends on who is going. My friends I camp with each have a Coleman dual fuel stove from when they camped as kids. They are great for actually cooking. You can use smaller pots, pans and skillets from home. The temperatures adjust well so you can actually cook things. I picked up a propane model on clearance last summer and brought it on a solo multiple week camping road trip I did in September. Typically when I go solo for shorter trips I use an MSR Pocket Rocket. Backpacking stoves do exceptionally well at boiling water and but the flame is too concentrated and not adjustable enough to cook with. When with friends, the Rocket and a small tea kettle come along so I can make tea while the burners of the Coleman are in use or in the evening when the Coleman and all the associated cooking gear is put away. When solo camping, I use the backpacking stove for meals that require boiling water like l like pasta and oatmeal. This last solo camping trip was the first time I brought a 2 burner propane stove since I would be gone multiple weeks and I knew pasta would get old.
Camping pots I have a Stanley Adventure pot (I don’t use the cups that came with it) and a MSR camping pot and a Sea to Summit Camping pot. The kettle I mentioned is designed for camping and is MSR brand and I don’t bring it on solo trips. The Stanley pot is tall and narrow so it doesn’t loose heat as much when I open it to see if water is boiling but the wider pots are easier to see pasta floating to the top of the water to show it is done plus it’s easier to clean since I can get my hand inside. The MSR and S2S have different handle mechanisms and to be honest I only reason I bought the S2S was the fact that it came with cups and bowls and was a great clearance price. My one friend has an old set of pots, pans and a skillet he inherited from his parents. My other friend uses the same things she uses at home.
Other kitchen gear came from kitchen departments at various stores. Mostly miniature silicone utensils and a decent can opener. They live in a plastic shoe storage box along with a silicone hot pad I use as a pot holder, a few sets of reusable eating utensils and a couple small kitchen knives that came with covers for the blades.
When I started camping I went with a friend that had a pop up so I didn’t need much. I liked camping enough to know I wouldn’t always have the luxury of going with someone who had gear for me to use so I started watching for sales and clearance prices to build my own camping gear stash.
@Hollis
The more information the better lmao, I appreciate you taking the time to write all of this out, it is helping us out a lot!
main thing is ,be realistic. how far are you planning on being from your car for how many days ?? are you hiking a day in. setting up camp. hiking another day . setting up camp. again. before turning around and hitting the 2 day trek out? doing a 5 day loop? or getting a site next to the car. if your next to the car . you can pack a cooler and ice and lots of water. if youre doing a mutli day trek. water is heavy and must be considered.
2-3 person tent? sounds heavy with all that water you might be carrying. are you splitting the tent up amongst the hikers? or are you going to end up huffing all that weight on your solo treks ? also sticking 3 people in a 3 person tent is miserable. just a heads up.
backpacking cots are a thing. if you are sleeping towards the winter on a granite mountain . its nice to get off the ground. that air mattress might pop. and leave your bones being chilled by the contact of the earth. been there , done that camping trip. its miserable.
if you are a coffee drinker. figure that out. jetboil makes a french press accessory. stanley makes a french press. or if you can drink instant coffee, thats a route you can go also.
brs 3000 stoves are cheap and awesome… yes they take longer than a jet boil. but they are light and cheap, ive had mine for many years gone through many cans of fuel. still works great.
dont burn your gift card on mountian house meals . . just shop your regular grocery store / dollar store. knorr sides are great. add a can of chicken. and you got a meal thats 50% the cost of mountain house. . couscous cooks in like 90 seconds. also there is an entire line up of awesome Indian dishes in retort pouches now. ready to eat tikka masala . a bag of ready to eat jasmine rice dunked in some hot water , and you got a feast in the woods.
@Jonah
We booked campsites so are going to set up and basically either walk or drive to the trailheads. The most breaking down and setting up we’ll be doing in a short amount of time is when we check out of our Grand Teton site and head up to our Yellowstone one. We’ll be next to the car every single day of the trip. So yea basically weight isn’t too much of a concern for now since we’re not backpacking lol. I do appreciate you taking the time to give me advice and recommendations though! I’ll ask you for more advice when I start to do backpacking lmao