Genuinely useful vs overrated camping gear?

[BCoetzer]

No matter your setup – tent, trailer, or caravan – what camping tools and gadgets are actually worth it?

Have you bought something that turned out to be completely overrated?

 

[WoodWhisperer]

No matter your setup – tent, trailer, or caravan – what camping tools and gadgets are actually worth it?

Have you bought something that turned out to be completely overrated?

Credit card.

 

[saor]

Carrying extra rope/cord & learning a few basic knots (hitch, loop etc) has come in more handy than anything else. And a sharp knife.

I usually go here and get some decent quality ropes of different thickness...

Products

Southern Ropes manufactures and supplies quality rope for marine, industrial, mining, 4x4 recovery, lifting and general-purpose applications.

www.southernropes.com

 

[Lupus]

Camping... Over-rated though my son loves it

 

[AstroTurf]

Ground cover to put your tent on even if the tent has a floor. I just used SABS DPM plastic cut to size.
Keeps the tent in great condition for much longer.

 

[Smiggles]

Inex bed with USB pump so I can sleep on the balcony in peak summer. Camping / glamping is a crock of crap.

 

[shaggy_beef_on_a_tricycle]

Useful: camping shovel

Useless: blow up mattress

 

[Crowley]

Useless: blow up mattress

A blow up mattress is great if you want to sleep on the floor, just not right now.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

lighter and matches?

 

[Stinkbeaver]

Medical kit with a space blanket

 

[henkc]

Moka Pot and rechargeable coffee grinder. Everything is possible with decent coffee.

 

[dualmeister]

what camping tools and gadgets are actually worth it

A luxury cabin.

 

[Death]

Always need a rooster braai grid, a decent cooler box for those long weekends, an aluminum kettle. and a reliable lighter.

 

[saor]

A luxury cabin.

Posted while getting a pedi?

 

[dualmeister]

Posted while getting a pedi?

 

[vigras rojara]

Wood

 

[justinleo]

No matter your setup – tent, trailer, or caravan – what camping tools and gadgets are actually worth it?

Have you bought something that turned out to be completely overrated?

A good sleeping setup and a reliable power bank are probably at the top of my list. I’ve bought a few must-have gadgets that barely got used. For longer trips, I’d also keep useful services in mind, like JRS Express tracking when sending or receiving camping gear.

 

[White Guy]

Tentco senior baobab extension. Spiral peg set.

 

[konfab]

Genuinely useful:
Coach screws from builders and a drill instead of tent pegs. Especially with the concrete that pretends to be ground in the Kruger.
Electric blankets.

Overrated:
All camping beds/mattresses. They all suck. They only pass because they are slightly better than sleeping on the ground. I never sleep well on them. The only people who sleep well during "camping" are people who bring a proper mattress with them in a caravan/rooftop tent/trailer.

My next idea is to get a futon and if it occupies 50% of the trailer, so be it.
https://futonsonline.co.za/products/queen-futon-mattress-base

 

[notayoba]

Very useful: Rechargeable hangable LED lamp. A few of those in and around a tent makes a big difference.

But the real hack is to not camp.

I'll do wilderness camping where it's the only real option, say somewhere deep in the Okavango delta, or on top of the Drakensberg escarpment. Camping right next to a chalet that is only R300 more than a campsite is for the birds.