Hate to even ask, does it pay buying cheaper tents and bags?
The alps chaos compared to a cheaper brands, the difference is better zippers and material?

 

Remember what your Gram told you, you get what you pay for...Save for quality stuff and buy once...I have good quality hiking gear that I have had for 20 years and it gets used.

 

If you do lots of camping, I strongly recommend folks consider a camping hammock versus a tent. If you are a desert camper, then a tent is the right choice, but, if there are trees, and it is above freezing at night, the hammock is lighter, more compact, easier to set up and take down, more versatile, and, most importantly, much more comfortable.

Once you sleep in a hammock, you will never want to sleep on the ground again. And, despite what you may think about hammocks, you sleep flat, and you can sleep on both your back and your side with a modern hammock like the one I use. And you CAN'T fall out!

I use : http://store.grandtrunkgoods.com/skeeter-beeter- and I have a rain fly for it too.

As you can tell, I loves me some hammock!!

 

After doing a lot of of online shopping, I'm not going cheap.. I'm going fast set up and quality... My bad even bringing up the subject. And I've found a lot of good advice about camping.

So a mummy bag or rectangle bag?

 

Here is a sample of what the Chaos tent went for on Steep and Cheap..it still comes up for sale quite a bit:

http://www.gearscan.com/items/ALM0113

Gear Scan is helpful in tracking Steep and Cheap deals.

I do not think I paid retail for any my gear!

 

I have been using Allstay's Camp & RV great iPhone app to fine campsites while on the road.

The listings are available even if you do not have phone service. It has been handy for me when I just head out in a general direction in the boonies for a trip.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/camp...370820516?mt=8

 

I sleep on my stomach, so I do not think a hammock would be suitable for me.