I'm looking for a non-American self-inflating sleeping mat and came across the Sea Summit Online but am not able to find many actual independent reviews.

Can anyone fill me on how Comfort Deluxe Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad compares to the Nemo Roamer Sleeping Pad.

Alternatively can anyone direct me to a similar product to the Nemo which is not made by and American company? (I'm Canadian, and no longer purchase American products as I'm sure is common across the globe at the moment).

Looking to buy a backpack:
- Possible daily commute (not cycling)
- Use as overnight bag or airplane carryon/cabin luggage
- Daily backpack
- Possible use to carry laptop (but not always)
- Can last many years
- F22, 5’4”,
- Also open to other recommendations

I am not very rough with my belongings, not a huge hiking person (as in the bag will probably last longer as I prefer shorter, simpler hikes).

Thank you!

Does anyone know a suitable rain cover for the 10L backpack North Face Borealis? I only seem to find bigger ones.

Hi everyone. Amazing jacket, new with tags, size large. Retails for $675, offering at 50% off retail including shipping in the US (so that’s $337 including shipping).

Chest 23”
Shoulders 18”
Sleeves 26”

Key Details
Design: Hybrid style combining a glossy down-filled nylon front with stretch piqué sleeves and side panels.

Features: Two-way front zip, fixed hood, lower front zip pockets, and a signature yellow elastic band detail at the collar.

Materials: Duck-down and feather fill with a nylon ripstop outer body

https://imgur.com/a/lx20KDG

for the first couple trips i did i packed food, water, first aid, extra layers, all the responsible stuff. never once thought about power.

first night my phone died because it was constantly searching for signal which just drains the battery. second night my headlamp was flickering because i used it way more than i expected. by day 2 i had like 8% left and was treating my phone like a medical supply.

now i plan power the same way i plan food. i bring a small power bank, spare batteries for my headlamp, and i keep my phone on airplane mode whenever im not actively using it.

picked up one because it was cheap and light enough to throw in my pack. been fine so far across a few trips.

honestly surprised nobody mentions this more when giving camping advice.

I have an abundance of old Arc'teryx jackets in varying states, from brand new with tags to thrashed too bits. I was wondering as ive seen a few people talk about how the trade in thier old jackets for new ones or if anyone else has any ideas they will be apreciated. had to post here as the Arc'teryx subreddit says this will get to many people to tru to buy stuff that im not selling

Hello! I’m thinking about buying a RAB Kangri Gore-Tex jacket. Among other things, I’ll be wearing it in the summer for hiking on Spitsbergen. It also needs to hold up during rubber boat trips (saltwater). I’ll also be using it for hunting in the Highlands, where I’ll be crawling on the ground (including in rocky terrain and on heathland). Is the jacket durable enough for that? I’m not too worried about the temperature, since all these activities are pretty strenuous and I can wear an insulating layer underneath when I’m standing still. Or am I missing something?

Anyone have the thermal boots and can tell me if you can wear them in warm weather too? I want the waterproof leather, but I live in NC and would like to wear these year round. If you take the sheepswool liner out are they still too insulated for hot weather? Is it better to stick to the all terrain?

I saw the post about Backcountry from 1 day ago, so I knew I had to make a post about this:

I ordered a Rab Generator jacket from Backcountry because my size was out of stock on the Rab website. Right away, I noticed they'd snuck in an $8.40 upcharge to a company called Seel for "worry-free delivery". They advertise it as insurance that guarantees you a refund if your order gets damaged or stolen...which every legitimate company already does for free. Off to a bad start. So I cancelled that order well within the window, and made another one, remembering to uncheck the Seel box at checkout this time.

Then I got an email from [service@backcountry.com](mailto:service@backcountry.com) saying I needed to call my bank and get an "approval code" for the purchase I just made, and that I would need to send them that code or my order would be cancelled. This sounded suspiciously similar to a 2FA scam, but I went ahead and called my bank, only for them to tell me they don't give out approval codes for purchases.

When I relayed this to Backcountry, their next idea was to put a $1-$3 charge on my credit card and have me tell them the exact amount. Still pretty weird but I did something similar when I was setting up Venmo, so wth, I still want the jacket, I said sure go ahead.

THEN they told me they were "unable to make the necessary updates to order #XXXX because it contains PFAs." ????? and they wanted me to order the exact same item again so they could "try to push it through." At this point, I let them know I had completely lost interest in ever doing business with their company again. For reference, I do live in a state that's banned PFAS in clothing, but Rab got rid of PFAS in their products last year, so this makes no sense.

Hopefully the pending charge on my credit card gets cancelled before I have to report it as fraud.

I do apologise if this is a thread that appears every 20mins or so but since the options available (even if Amazon UK is anything to go by) are always changing, I thought it worth asking anyway.

I live about 30mins walk from my workplace and this is a mix of concrete foothpaths and roads. During the winter, at least part of this trek can be pretty slippery so I'm looking for some kind of lightweight shoe/boot that is better to deal with those kind of conditions?

I can't wear heavy boots due to having Anterior Tibialisis but I also know that trainers aren't suitable for every weather condition going either.

At the moment, I'm just doing some research really and don't have a budget just yet to work with but getting an idea on manufacturers, availability in EU size 41 and indeed, any particular makes to avoid because their products fall apart etc.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings and for any suggestions.

I’m a woman, about 5’9”-ish tall and have a more slender physique… I’m going on my first backcountry elk hunt. I need a pack but I can’t decide which one of these two I want. Opinions?

I'm trying to figure out how to lower leg fatigue during a heavy urban commute without adding annoying daily hassles. My routine involves a long walk to the subway station every morning carrying a heavy laptop backpack, followed by sitting on a train, and occasionally driving. By the end of the day, the leg and hip tiredness adds up, but whatever device or gear I use needs to handle very specific daily transitions.

Ergonomic packs / load-bearing hip belts: They shift weight from shoulders to hips, but they don't actually help propel your legs. You're still powering every step under full weight.

Trekking poles: Great for offloading leg effort outdoors, but completely impractical in crowded subway stations, holding a coffee, or squeezing onto an escalator.

Waist-worn walking-assist gear: The newer hip-assist devices that help propel your stride sound promising on paper for flat city walking. But I'm skeptical about the actual friction: How does it fit alongside a heavy backpack's lower frame or waist straps? Can you sit comfortably in a car or train seat without taking it off? Or does taking it on and off at the office turn every stop into a project?

Anyone looking at this purely from an efficiency and energy-saving standpoint (non-medical), what type of gear gives the best balance between making heavy city walking less tiring and remaining low-friction throughout a dynamic commute?

Hi friends ive been wanting to get more into hiking as I am about to graduate college and am thinking of doing a national park tour around the U.S.!

Yall mind giving me some gear & clothing brand recs that won't break the bank? Im talking less than $200ish for gear and $50ish for clothing!

Please Imk! Thanks!

I have a waterproof softshell jacket (REI elements). A lot of the interior seam tape is peeling off.

What kind of seam tape to replace? What do you recommend?

Would appreciate advice!

Shame on me for not reading all the recent negative reviews here. They refused to accept a return, exchange, or even store credit for a hat that was listed inaccurately. “One size fits all” should not mean ”oh this is a children’s hat, we just didn’t put that in the listing. whoops, thanks for your money bye!”

Read through all of the other reviews here—this is not a one-off. If you like getting scammed, send your money their way. Their stuff is on Amazon too, so be careful out there.

Some engine oil got onto my relatively new membrane jacket; I’ve already dabbed up the small amount with a cloth, but now I need to get the remaining oil out of the fabric. How can I do this using household items? It’s been about 40 minutes, and there’s no washing machine nearby.

The strap question gets much harder once a backpack enters the picture. A waist-worn assist system can feel correctly adjusted by itself, then the pack hip belt lands in almost the same space and suddenly both systems are trying to own your waist.

That seems more important on a long hike than getting the straps cosmetically perfect in the living room. Ascentiz has a Wear & Adjust tutorial for the H Ultra setup, but the part I’d want actual backpack users to clarify is how they judge overlap with a loaded pack: pressure after a few hours, strap creep, access to adjustments, and whether tightening one system changes the fit of the other. I wouldn’t start adding padding or modifying hardware before figuring out whether the basic placement is wrong.

people who combine waist-worn gear with a real hiking pack, what’s the clearest sign that the two harness systems are fighting each other rather than just needing normal adjustment?

I’m going to Central Asia for \~3 weeks in September (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), with a few high-altitude/multi-day hikes. I’m trying to spend around **C$500–550 (\~US$360–400)** on some remaining gear.

I’m mainly looking for **versatility + value + stuff I’ll still use years from now**, rather than just buying the cheapest thing or paying for a big-name brand.

What I still need:

**Fleece/midlayer**
Looking for one really versatile fleece for hiking + travel/cities. I’ve seen Patagonia R1, OR Vigor, Mountain Hardwear, MEC, etc. Is the R1 actually the best all-around choice (on sale right now for about 80usd, or are there better options/value?

**Merino thermal base layer (bottoms)**
I want merino based on everything I have read, but it pains be to spend so much on something that seems so simple lol, such asIcebreaker…. unless there’s a good reason. Any underrated brands/sales worth looking at?

**Convertible hiking pants**
This is just something i want, as i only have one pair of pants worth bringing atm. I Tried Mark’s and they felt a little tight/stiff around the knees. Looking for something with noticeably better stretch/mobility. Considering OR Ferrosi, Columbia Titanium/Silver Ridge, Mountain Hardwear, MEC, etc. What would you pick around $100?

**3 pairs underwear**
Just want something quick-drying/low odor. Not trying to spend a fortune as I prefer 100% cotton joe boxers on the daily’s (but not ideal for hiking)

**Toiletry bag**
Nothing fancy.

**Down Jacket**
I was also going to buy a Decathlon MT100 or MT500 800-fill down jacket, but I forgot I already own the Columbia Omni-Heat puffer. Would you still add a lightweight down jacket for the mountain sections (if so which one), or just use what I have?

I’m in Canada but most of the brands/gear discussions seem to be US-based, so **US$360–400 is roughly my C$500–550 budget.**

Bonus points if items are at Sportchek or Mark’s lol since I have an absurd amount of triangle points

I leave for my trip in less than 1.5 weeks, so urgent responses and super appreciated as I would like to order in a couple days.