It's no surprise that - compared to the average human - I have a lot of camping gear. While I'm not one of those folks who always has to have the latest and greatest - in fact, I'll generally go for the simple, tried-and-true option - I have found that having the right gear can make camp life much more pleasant. A fridge, a nice Exped air mattress in the tent, and a down puffy have been just a few of the bits of gear that I've really come to enjoy over the years. But one thing's for sure -…
15 CommentsCategory: Rig Reviews
TL;DR - To maximize our breakfasts, we decided on Quest Protein Bars. They were all filling, none were terrible, but Crispy Cookies and Creme was far and away the best.
TL;DR - In prioritizing weight, we wanted to find high-calorie, tasty meals to eat for dinner. Reviews suggested that Peak Refuel would fit that bill, so we tried a few. They were all tasty.
TL;DR - We got a small Jetboil because we plan to have all of our cooking be for rehydrating meals. It seems spectacular for boiling water.
TL;DR - I got a high-quality water filtration system a few years ago and never used it; we will definitely be using it this time!
TL;DR - I'm a little worried we got the wrong tent. We couldn't pass up the price (at 50% off), but it's not entirely freestanding, so may be harder to use on impermeable surfaces, like slickrock.
TL;DR - I love my Exped Megamat in the rooftop tent, so I'm getting a lightweight version for backpacking.
TL;DR - If I've discovered one thing sleeping under down comforters and on an Exped Megamat in the rooftop tent, it is that being comfortable when you're sleeping is important. Don't skimp on sleep.
TL;DR - If I'm going to give backpacking a shot, I'm going to do it with the lightest, most versatile pack on the market today.
TL;DR - I thought I'd like these pillows more than I do. @mrs.turbodb on the other hand, likes hers so much that she wants to use it at home.
TL;DR - I upgraded my Canon R6 to an R5 in order to double the number of megapixels that I can claim as my own. So far, I love it.
TL;DR - Everyone should hike in a pair of these gaiters.
Over the last three months of winter - which I suppose we're still sort of in, but we're soon to come out the other side - the Tacoma has been doing great. This time of year, it lives down in Las Vegas, so there's relatively little I can do from a maintenance perspective. As such, this Rig Review focuses on things that are working (or not), but doesn't really address any of them with fixes. In that time, we squeezed in four adventures (and a couple other family vacations to more... civilized accommodations). While that might be fewer trips than…
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TL;DR - My Northstar 24F batteries have been great, but after 5 years, they are both dying. I need to start figuring out what I'm going to do next.
TL;DR - The Kenda Klever RT tires have great traction, but I'm ditching them (and returning to S/T Maxx) once they wear out.
TL;DR - The new 5th gear is gutless, but it does seem to have improved my gas mileage significantly. Maybe.
TL;DR - The Exped Megamat for the RTT continues to be one of my most "worth it" purchases, and Exped (the company) stood behind it - years after my initial purchase - when it developed a slow leak.
With summer coming to an end and the Tacoma headed back down to the desert for the winter, it's time to take a look at what's been working and what hasn't been working over the last three months. In that time, we've travelled - mostly around the Pacific Northwest. Or, I suppose, the Pacific Southwest, if you're Canadian. The summer also saw quite a bit of maintenance work to keep the Tacoma in tip-top - or at least, not-falling-apart-too-quickly - shape. Most of this was in the form of some wheel, tire, and suspension work that I've been putting off,…
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TL;DR - I knew I had cracks in the front passenger corner of the bed, but I had no idea how bad it was. Luckily, I have great friends who could help get it buttoned back up!
TL;DR - I'm going to try replacing my 5th gear with a taller gear that should lower my RPMs at highway speeds and will hopefully improve my fuel economy (MPGs).
