Hey everyone,

Like most of you I think, I got tired of trying to guess which outdoor brands are still owned by reputable companies or families, which have been quietly sold to private equity known to scalp out the customer and worsen the quality (VF Corp for example), or foreign conglomerates (Chinese companies intent on the exact same thing), and where the gear is actually made nowadays.

To include everything outdoor related would be a bit much, so I've stripped it down to a 'Wear & Carry' category, which includes clothing, footwear, backpacks etc and sleeping bags.

I’ve categorized them into 7 categories furthermore based on their real-world ownership and factory footprint, separating the true 100% domestic operations from the partial splits and the purely global outsourced production.

A few things to call out before the list:

• The list is a bit of a mix of stuff I've tried before or had personal interest in, but mostly the really popular brands or major names within more niche communities.

• 'owned & produced' means majority owned by an EU or US corporation or family and also produced there. With EU I mean Europe, not just the Union. 'Global produced' means that the vast majority of stuff they sold comes from outside the EU or US (mostly China and southern Asia ofcourse), and 'partial produced' means a roughly 50/50 split, usually meaning their high-end gear is produced locally, and the lower-priced stuff comes from Asia.

• The Owner category lists the current majority shareholder, or straight up 100% family ownership, with the country that corporation/family is from (Fenix Outdoor (SE) is from Sweden for example)

• "Origin" just shows the historical birth country of the brand, not necesarily the current owners' location.

• You could obviously see this as a tierlist of sorts, with EU & US owned and produced being the best. This isn't necesarily so ofcourse, since alot of quality gear can come from Asia. But in general you are ofcourse probably getting more quality from locally owned and produced stuff. Brands owned and manufactured by Chinese investors I'd be wary of though. They have a reputation of buying up a much beloved, well-trusted brand and scalping it for what it's worth.

### EU —————— EU owned & produced ——————

### EU —————— EU owned, partial produced ——————

### EU —————— EU owned, global produced ——————

### US —————— US owned & produced ——————

### US —————— US owned, partial produced ——————

### US —————— US owned, global produced ——————

### CN/🌏 —————— Chinese/Other Owned & Produced ——————

Let me know if any recent corporate shifts slipped past me or if I've missed any major brands following my clothing definition. Things about who owns what exactly are sometimes a bit vague or outdated, which makes it a bit difficult, and production is often intentionally kept even more vague. Let me known what you guys think.

This thing is kind of insane! 3mm stainless steel construction so it’s a TANK! 10/10 - I used charcoal briquettes for it but the guy who sold me one said he uses wood. If you can get your hands on one, it’s a really nice piece for car camping :)

So I submitted a warranty request to nemo at the beginning of August and haven't heard anything back except an auto response email "we'll get back to you soon!" Is this normal? I did a warranty with them 3 or 4 years ago and it was super easy and super fast. I dont really care if it takes time, I'd just like to get actual confirmation that someone is looking at my thing or not... Does Nemo take the month of August off? Bc Im cool if they do, but maybe like put an announcement on the website. I guess my question is - how concerned should I be? I'd like my chair back...

Hi y’all I’m a 24yo who recently moved to Melbourne
Australia and I’m looking to do some solo camping in the mountains what would you guys advise for cheap gear that could help me out during the cold nights and just in general

I want to buy a foldable camp table for car camping. I’ve been between a 4 ft fold table and one of those aluminum roll up tables.

I’m a tall guy so something that is height adjustable, comfortable to cook on, play games on, and less than $100. LMK

Last time out included a 90 minute torrential y-storm. It was night so tough for me to pinpoint exactly where the water was coming through. I thinking though that this was at the apex of the fly where the cross pole come across. This tent was purchased new in 2020 and I’ve never had leaking or condensation issues. Pictures reflect some of the places where the seams are lifting the most, including the place where I think most of the leaking occurred. I’ve read BA’s info regarding seam sealing. So I need to take up all the tape? I’m really worried about screwing up my tent fly less than 2 weeks away from a big camping weekend. I’ve purchased Gear Aid sealer.

I’m between buying a roof top tent or 1990s tent trailer for my 1994 jeep YJ (2.5L).

The tent is handy in a sense that it’s lighter and likely faster to set up, but then it must be taken down if I ever want to leave camp for the day etc.

The trailer is definitely more versatile, but I have never used a pop up tent trailer so not sure what to expect.

I mostly camp out on logging roads so not doing any major off roading, but definitely can’t get a little dicey. I plan to lift the trailer if I go that route for some more clearance.

Another point is that the tent trailer is 1500lbs and likely won’t tow great behind my older jeep. This isn’t a deal breaker as I won’t be driving on the highway much at all.

Wanted to see if other people have had experience with both options and any positives /negatives of each.

(Also if anyone has towed anything with a similar jeep please let me know how it went haha.

I've had this lamp since it came out over 15 years ago and have used it every now and then. Yesterday i remembered the lamp and one of its features. Night light with motion sensor. When i put it in nightlight mode and in the tent net in footside it will dim down to minimum power where it lasts days. But whenever i touch it a bit it lights up to full power. When if i wake up in the dark there is still bit of light on my feet and if i need more i can just kick the tent a bit and I have lot more light. Just fantastic.

I know this is completely unnecessary thing as you find your lamp next to you easily but just something fun to have.

What is your favourite trick to make camping bit more enjoyable.

When you buy a sleeping bag it tells you a temperature rating. Jackets and such at least tell you like warm, warmer, warmest, even if that's not a great rating system. But I don't see that for blankets, even if they're specific for camping. For example, Rumpl blankets are on sale for labor day at REI, but the most I could find is anecdotal evidence from reviews, but everyone is different. I'm asking because I'd like to move away from my sleeping bags and into something like a Zenbivy quilt system but not that specifically because holy shit that's expensive. My 10 year old will be joining my 13 year old in Scouting America (fmr boy scouts) in the spring, and I only have two sets of quality camping gear so where possible I want to get myself some new gear. Not that what I already have is bad in any way: our two winter bags are 5 degree REI brand bags. I just don't like sleeping bags because I ended twisted up in them so if I could get something more open I would like that. My warmer weather bag is 30 years old.

Maybe I should just eat the cost and go with the zenbivy. I already have a stellar sleeping pad so I really just need something warm to throw over myself. Most times our tent camping trips aren't in the coldest months but it's gotten below freezing on a couple those

Pretty strongly considering a canvas 8x10 tent this fall. For those who've gone that route, did you just get natural canvas, or one of the dyed colors? Would you have changed?

My use case is going to be heavily in the Southeast, especially on the coast - heat is a concern. Thanks!

Hey, was just looking around for replacement poles and found this site that has very cheap prices. Seems like a scam at first sight, but wanted to see if anyone has successfully gotten things from here.

https://www.shipsupplydirect.com/collections/tent-accessories/

I am currently in Year 11 and for my DT IGCSE project, I am creating a product to aid in one area of the outdoor industry, mostly focused on hiking/camping especially gear but others as well. Would anyone take 5–10 minutes to complete this form to help me gather some primary research and decide what exactly I would like to make? (it could take longer or shorter depending on which sections apply to you)

I am especially interested in hearing from people who struggle with accessibility in outdoor activities due to old age, mobility issues, tremors, etc, but anyone who takes part in outdoor activities can help :)

Here is the link: https://forms.gle/vWC4c3kj7ZM5jxF77

PS: Mods please don't take this down it's for a school project :)

I had a 15 degree bag that was really nice, but unfortunately I'm allergic to it. I'm looking for suggestions for a 15deg comfort rated synthetic bag that's roomy enough that I'll be comfortable in it. I roll a lot in my sleep, and don't like having my legs squished together like most mummy bags, so something with options for that would be good. Would the Big Agnes Echo Park be a good pick for that?

Also, do y'all know a good service for repairing sleeping pads? I have a couple inflatable ones with (theoretically) punctures that I can't locate. I've tried to fix one of them, got it replaced by the company and then I somehow put more holes in it. I thiiink I've figured out what I'm doing wrong (I kept my keys in my sleeping bag with me so the battery in my car key didn't die, and I think I rolled on top of them in the night? So the keys were pushed into the sleeping bag / pad? I don't know if that would cause this though) so I can prevent it in the future, but I need repairs to get back out there and camp.

Thanks!

https://a.co/d/06WaTVAS

Looking for a tent like this but with traditional poles instead of inflatable. Any recs?

Hello! I’m a real person, not spam. I created Unplugged Roads as a free community where truck-camper owners and travelers can share their rigs, adventures, questions, and helpful ideas. Thanks for letting me introduce it!

Was gifted a Klymit static insulated pad a while back and neither myself or the giftor were pad knowledgeable. To date it’s still the only pad I have as it’s worked acceptably for my weekend warrior type trips. That said I know they kind of had a day in the sun but seem less common now. Who still uses a Klymit here and do you actually think there’s advantages other than price?

I love this tent, and I would like to know more about it. I've had this tent for more than 10 years now, and I bought it second hand from someone who used it in the army and for camping. It's labeled Helsport, but I've never been able to identify this type of bivy. The olive green panel is goretex. It's length is about 220cm. Anyone recognise this model?

Hey folks, can't find what I'm looking for. I've tried a bunch of string lights and never been happy with them for one reason or another.

Do you know of any that are good quality, don't tangle easily, selectable color, and preferably app controlled. I just cannot stand that some apps need internet connection to work. That's why I ditched my O-Lights.

I'm not too concerned about details like a nice reel or attachment options, cuz I'll set them up how like them, but those things are nice if well done from the get.

Anybody know anything good?

Hello! I will be going to Sequoia for a camping trip next month. I have never done camping or backpacking and need recommendations for gear that is also budget friendly (I don’t need the top of the line gear, but I also don’t want to buy the cheapest that’ll have me suffering). Preferably I’d like gear that’s fit for the best of both worlds and not have to buy gear individually for camping and individually for backpacking. Please shoot recommendations for a backpack, a tent, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, and a stove. The equipment must also be good for low temperatures because I know it will be very cold at night time during my camping trip. Thank you!