r/camping • u/cwcoleman • Jun 30 '25
2025 /r/Camping Beginner Question Thread - Ask any and all questions you may have here
If you have any beginner questions, feel free to ask them here.
Check out the /r/Camping Wiki and the /r/CampingandHiking Wiki for common questions. 'getting started', 'gear' and other pages are valuable for anyone looking for more information.
Previous Beginner Question Threads
List of all /r/CampingandHiking Weekly Threads
[NOTE: last years post became - 'ask a question and r/cwcoleman will reply'. That wasn't the intention. It's mainly because I get an alert when anyone comments, because I'm OP. Plus I'm online often and like to help!
Please - anyone and everyone is welcome to ask and answer questions. Even questions that I've already replied to. A second reply that backs up my advice, or refutes it, is totally helpful. I'm only 1 random internet person, all of r/camping is here. The more the marrier!!!]
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u/vStrelizia Jul 10 '25
hi! going camping soon with two of my friends in a 4 person tent that it 7ft by 8ft and is 50in tall. we were contemplating buying sleeping pads, but they can be rather pricey and small, so i was thinking about buying a king size, 3in thick memory foam mattress topper and throwing a sheet on it. what do you all think? trying to be financially conscious and practical.
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u/cwcoleman Jul 20 '25
Yes, people use those for camping. However they are big and bulky for packing into the car. They also soak up moisture - so if it rains or condensation inside the tent - It may be soggy. Make sure to dry it out at home after very very well.
I personally would just buy an inflatable mattress. As long as it’s not cold out (below 70F) - a blow up mattress works fine for camping. They pack up okay and handle camping conditions fine.
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u/Alejo9010 Jul 08 '25
where can i refill small 1lbs refillable tanks in houston ? i live in a small apartment and i cannot have a bigger tank
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u/GoingintoLibor Jul 13 '25
Hi I am planning a 10ish day trip to Olympic National Park and Rainer for July 2026. It will be me, my husband, and three kids 12, 10, and 3. We would be flying out and attempting to pack as much gear as we can. We have never camped before - I plan to test things out in our yard and later somewhere local. We have hiked before and love national parks, but have used airbnbs in the past. Big question - am I out of my mind? I know people do this all the time, but I can’t help wondering if I am in over my head!
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u/cwcoleman Jul 20 '25
Yes, it’s a bit crazy. BUT - crazy can sometimes work out!
Adding the flight is a real challenge. When packing from home you can really load up the vehicle with gear. You’ll be limited with checked luggage.
Are you rich? This is a situation where money can solve problems. Hit up REI when you land and stock up. Drop $1000 and get the stuff you couldn’t fly with.
If you are going with the camping idea to save money, that may not be the case.
The kids really add complexity too. I don’t have any - so hopefully others can explain. I just know that feeding, sleeping, bathroom, and other things are harder when managing kids (especially ones without the camping experiences). It’s also hot and buggy in WA right now - which can create unhappy kids, and parents.
Do you already have campsite reservations? That is the other big complication. Sites fill up 12 months in advance here. You’ve picked 2 super popular parks in the high season.
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u/skarfacegc Jul 20 '25
can i use a thermacell radius in my tent? picked up a core 6 person tent (mentioning because the inner is almost entirely screen under the fly). can i safely run a thermacell radius inside?
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u/cwcoleman Jul 20 '25
I’m unclear why you would need/want a mosquito repellent inside a tent?? Can you explain your reason for asking?
Most of us keep the tent bug free inside. Always keep the door zipped up. If 1 or 2 mosquitos get inside - smack em with your hands.
As for your question - no, I would not personally use one inside my tent. The chemicals it emits would concern me in the closed space (even a large tent with lots of mesh). Both for my health and the tent fabric health. No clue what Thermacell says about it.
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u/platinumb_tung Jul 29 '25
Air BNB type camping?
I have a large breed dog that is about 1 years old. Potty trained, well behaved but she is timid and doesn't like strangers much. So I was wondering if there was private land type camping where you could pay the owner of the land a few to camp. If they have a pre established campsite that would be great, and I'd like to be around water (river, creek, lake, stream etc).
I'd just like an easy camping experience where it's private so we don't have to deal with any pup anxiety, and my girlfriend hasn't ever really camped. I would love to go backpacking personally but we aren't there yet.
Does air BNB offer something like this? Or is there another site or app to rent out someone's private piece of property for a couple nights? Preferably with some nature to explore and possibly fish?
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u/_kurt_propane_ Jul 31 '25
What do you do for cleaning skewers? We tend to cook a lot over the fire. I’ve even heated leftover pizza on a skewer over the fire. But ideally I’m not having to boil water just to clean skewers. What do you all do? Just stick ‘em in the fire for a bit?
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u/six_ward_dumaine Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
Hi all! I have $1000 in Amazon bucks, and I wonder if anyone could suggest equipment which can be purchased on Amazon specifically. I'm looking to camp solo, possibly hiking in a couple of miles into the woods beforehand. So, I suppose "ultralight" isn't strictly necessary. Also, I would only camp for 1 or 2 nights maximum, if that matters. All I currently have is hiking boots and appropriate clothing, but everything else I'd probably need to purchase. I have a very large 6 man tent which obviously wouldn't work out. It's hard to carry as it is. I have a decent sleeping bag but it's quite large. I've never tried a hammock and wonder if I'd be able to sleep in one. Thanks for any suggestions!
Edit- to be clear I don’t necessarily want to spend the whole bundle of Amazon bucks but I could
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u/One-Combination6816 Aug 03 '25
How do I keep my new inflatable tent from collapsing on me at night.? Had it inflated to correct pressure on an 80-degree day that eventually dropped to an overnight low of 52. As the day cooled, the tent would suddenly deflate. I would top up the pressure, screq the valve cover back in, the tent would be okay until the temp dropped another 10 degrees and then I would have to inflate again. I couldn't get up every few hours to re-reinflate tent without risking the wrath of fellow campers, so I tried to prop up the airbeams. Woke up with the tent resting on my chest, and had a heck of a time exiting the tent. What should I be doing differently, or what issue should I be looking for?
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u/cwcoleman Aug 03 '25
You should be looking for a new tent that doesn’t use air beams. This is why this style of tent sucks.
But seriously - I don’t have an answer for you. Hopefully others here with inflatable tents can advise you.
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u/johnson_n Aug 25 '25
I just got back from a float trip and am looking to buy my very first tent for car camping next year and am between the Marmot Halo 4P and Halo 6P. There's currently Labor Day sales on the 4P for about $330 and 6P for $510 (excluding tax).
How often do they update the models and should I wait to make the purchase until I need it? When are typical sales during the year?
I think the Halo 4P would be perfect except the standing height so that's why I'm really considering the Halo 6P. Everyone i know uses a cheaper 2 season tent so the 6P could also be used as extra shelter in case we get stormed out and their tents get wet which I was told what happened last year to them.
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u/Wild_Free_Vermont Aug 28 '25
I’m looking to get the Thule approach M rooftop tent, for my 2020 Subaru Forester, but I’m having difficulty figuring out what I need to mount it. Since I don’t have the correct crossbars on my car now, I need to buy new crossbars which Subaru sells and calls the areo extended. I think they’re called wingbar evo by Thule. My question is do I need other parts? There’s something called towers. Do I need those along with the crossbars? It’s all very confusing to me. I did call my Subaru dealership, but they really weren’t that much help as they’ve never sold a rooftop tent to a customer before. I prefer to get this through Thule and not Subaru, I think it’s less expensive. I can maybe find some deals. Appreciate any help if anybody has a Subaru Forester with the approach M rooftop tent. This is also my first post on Reddit ever so hopefully I’m posting in the correct place.
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u/Full_Squash6479 Sep 23 '25
About to spend about a week tent camping in South Dakota - starting in Custer area, then possibly Black Hills - and I've been pricing firewood. Holy smokes (lol), it's kinda pricey...any suggestions or places to get reasonably priced wood? Our first site has fire rings, so we know we'd like some for our first few days and then moving on we'll probably look for similar places to stay. Any and all suggestions are appreciated! TIA
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u/No-Strawberry-3329 Oct 13 '25
Hello, I've been predominantly a backpacker but wanted to try car camping, what are some things I can bring to really bring the comfort level up?
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u/Always_carry_keys Jul 24 '25
Hi All, very happy to be joining this thread. Hoping to tap into the great "hive mind" of reddit and get some tips on camping with kids. I've got 2 kids, 3 year old son & 5 year old daughter, and we've been camping a few times (maybe 3 separate trips) but each time getting to sleep is complete chaos.
I've read some blogs online and the only helpful tip I can find is bring something from their home bed, like a pillow or a soft toy, all the other tips are like "buy this super onesie GAURANTEED to get anyone to sleep"... I wondered if anyone has any other helpful tips.
I'm thinking to separate them, to put my son to sleep first and once he's down take my daughter into the tent. I see some folks go for the kids tent vs adult tent option, but this doesn't work great for us as I'm a single parent and prefer to cycle to the camp spot with the kids in a trailer. Thanks in advance for any tips, happy to hear all suggestions.
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u/mackstanc Jul 22 '25
Will a tent targeted towards cold weather also perform reasonably well at keeping the heat out?
Hi there! I am on a lookout for tent, going for a trip with a fairly unpleasant temperature range. The nights will be down to single digits Celsius, while days upwards of 30 C.
I was thinking of getting one of those two tents, to be comfy during even the coldest nights: 1 2
My question is however - will one of those also keep the heat out during the day? Obviously I know if all battened down, the heat generated inside will not escape, but it would be nice for it to at least keep the sun out somewhat.
Thank you for any input!
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u/WonderfulWish834 Jun 30 '25
Recently bought and RV and was concerned about storing the propane tank. When yall aren’t using it where do you guys keep it while traveling?
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u/Neither_Security3993 Jul 08 '25
Hi,
Is this tent good for a two days hike if we divide the weight with 2 persons?
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u/WitchesForPres Jul 01 '25
Hi everyone! I am beginning my camping journey! I came back from a camping trip and was devoured by mosquitos. I prefer using natural bug spray, and didn't break out the off. It seemed like all day I was caking on either SPF or bug spray and still at night felt like I was getting chomped. Does anyone have any hack suggestions to prevent coming home with bug bites all over the place?