What is the most important when purchasing Camping Equipment?

I am a fifty two year old female with very limited mechanical skills, so, the most important thing to me is ease-of-use but there are a lot of reasons for choosing one piece of equipment over another.

For instance; how important is price to you?, manufacturer reputation?, guarantee?

Most of us lifetime campers have a favorite something that always gets packed. Mine just happens to be an odd shaped cooler, that was designed for behind the front seat of a pickup. I choose it because it is a great night stand, small enough to fit behind my seat standing up and small enough that I never have a problem carrying it.

Thinking back to how you came to possess that one thing, how did you choose it?

 

I am a 57 year old female - also with limited mechanical skills. I chose my Coleman tent because of the manufacturer's reputation and ease of set up.

One thing that has always gone camping with me is a dove stool. It is a seat, table, a night stand, a laptop stand, a music stand.... pretty much everything. It has a zipper pouch on the bottom to hold all the odds and ends. It weighs practically nothing, and has a carry strap.

I have two camoflage ones and one that has an insulated cooler pouch.

 

I am great at popping them up, but not great at folding back up..

 

For me what is most important when purchasing camping equipment (when I'm really serious)?

Durability
Functionality
Practicable

I never had a pop up tent - I though them as weekend toys.

I did have a pop up wash/toilet/shower stand. When I was taking it down I suddenly realized that I had an audience watching my antics. It's gone now.

 

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I have regular fold up chairs for base camp. A few years back I picked up one that had a back support - it's great. When I'm tripping I use my fold up Helinox - well built, strong, durable and very light to carry.
Nothing like sitting at a camp fire with a firm back support.

 

The pop up tent is just adorable. Perhaps that will be my next purchase. I love the teepee because it's unique and pretty roomy inside for one but the pop up would surely be easier. I know adorable isn't really the best reason to buy something and actually I do like the graphic printed tents for adorable so I don't know...
How's that for decisive reasoning.

 

@CherylTorrie - I sort of think that way too...and then again I've regretted that kind of thinking because I find that embarrass myself.

Like the sales guy who wanted me to purchase some expensive *"foot" lights so I could see where I was going at night on the trail. "I'll take the headlight," I said. "Oh, I think it would be better if your bought the "foot" lights," he said, "They are the latest thing." "Are you going to sell me the headlight or do I go to another store," I said.

* Footlights wrap around your ankle

 

Hmmm Northern Dancer I am with you on the headlight for sure.
My eyes are on my face
which is on the front of my head
and my head is pointed in the direction of what I want to see.
Headlight makes sense.
What do my feet and ankles need to see? Oh, they can't see because I have no eyes on my ankles. ;0
Sometimes the industry needs to just concentrate on making high quality camping and outdoor products that we need rather than trying to reinvent the wheel and sell it to me or you.

 

My sense is looking at some of the clientele wondering around the $1000.00 coats and $750.00 boots in an outdoor stores suggests that some have more money than brains. Can you imagine being in a situation like that - where you could purchase any kind of camp/outdoor equipment and the sales person manages not to laugh hysterically?