I agree with most everything you chose except for best budget tent. The Xmid 2p for only 20 dollars more blows the six moon design out of the water; better placement of poles, roomier, bigger vestibules, better construction, etc.
Frogg togg also make a poncho using the same material as their rain suit. I prefer it to the suit for a few reasons. 1. It allows air to draft up into it from below you, which makes it more comfortable to wear considering the material doesn't breathe well. 2. It can go over your pack. I think pack covers are not too useful because they can pool water in big rain, but a poncho eliminates that issue and protects your gear. 3. I can wrap my bag in the poncho at night while tossing it in the vestibule. I'd encourage you to try one out if you get a chance. It can be found all over here in the US.
I bought the trekology pillow after watching one of your videos. Took it out camping and it was great. The next time I took it out it would not hold air and deflated rather quickly. When I submerged it in water it had 50-100 micro holes in it. After looking at reviews this seems to be a problem others have encountered as well. Was able to return and get my $ back.
bought a trekology pillow, first night wouldnt hold air. Contacted them, they sent another. That one came in and was lopsided out of the box, the left side was substantially taller than the right, and guess what, that one didn't hold air either. They did, however, give me my money back no questions asked
For a budget tent, the Lanshan 2 wins for me. A trekking pole tent, very lightweight, great in wind and rain, easy to set up, packs tiny, many colors. You can go single wall or double. If you go double, the inner is attached, so setting up in rain is no problem, the inner stays dry. But you can also take it out and just set up the inner or the outer.
Thanks for the video. People definitely get caught up with brand names and sometimes forget that there are some really good items that won’t cost half a mortgage payment to get.
Hey, heads up that the HG Econ Burrow is no longer being sold as of a few weeks back. Per Hammock Gear: “PRODUCT UPDATE We have combined our Premium and Economy Burrow into one product, the Burrow CL. Made with 10 or 20 denier ripstop nylon fabric that features a DWR (durable water resistant) coating to help shed moisture, and an internal calendared finish for down proof construction. Each Burrow Quilt is generously filled with ethically sourced 850 fill power down” Price is now higher and I’d argue Enlightened Equipment will get you more bang for your buck, but YMMV!
It’s worth noting that Decathalon outerwear sizes runs very small. If you’re normally a medium, you’ll probably need a Decathlon XL unless you like a very snug fit.
Really? I shop decathlon stuff in Canada and it might run just slightly small, but overall pretty accurate. I take XL or XXL for jackets from most brands, and their XXL fits me just fine. What market are you in?
To clarify further, Decathlon is a European company. If you're used to European sizing then you're fine, if you're used to American sizing, you might need to size down.
I popped into here looking for budget gear recommendations. Honestly, I don't think much of this is really budget gear. Sorry to say it, a $100 chair, a $260 tent, $255 quilt, $190 sleeping bag. Those are all things I definitely wouldn't call "budget." Not unless your idea of budget is anything that is not in the ultra high end. They might be really good products, and might be a good price for what they are, but certainly not budget.
You don’t mention any Outbound or Woods gear from Canadian Tire. Some of the packs look light and OK quality. Those brands are not always the best, but they have stepped up recently. How about a whole vid on outfitting from CT?
Never heard of the Motorola SOS. I bought the Garmin InReach a couple years ago with a 40% discount. Now the iPhone has SOS free for 2 years, but is probably going to keep it free so a future lawsuit involving a rescue not occurring because the subscription lapsed won't be filed.
Great list. I agree with most items on there. One that I admittedly dont have experience using but have seen an overwhelming amount of negative reviews on is the Motorola SOS Defy device. Main complaint ive seen is that the connection is very poor compared to its competitors like the garmin inreach. I really want to try out the oblivion pad from OV. Only reason i didnt is because their advertised r value was a little low. If its true r value is higher, id reconsider their pad.
This was great, always appreciate a yearly gear awards! Also, will you be doing a review of the Decathalon Forclaz MT900 tent? I've seen it pop up in a few videos and am curious what you think about it
Durston X-Mid is cheaper, but I'm guessing you're still opposed to tents that use 2 poles. I snapped my carbon Cascade poles and never went back. I find Fizan to be an amazing deal.
Hey Justin you should check out the rain jacket from decathlon made for trail runners. It lacks pit zips but it has kept me dry, 205g on my scale, and a 2,5L rain jacket at that price is hard to find.
I am loving Decathlon stuff! I've been using their garments for running since they first came to Canada, and there's no need to pay for overpriced Running Room gear. We've started to use their mountain-oriented garments, and my wife bought one of their 3-layer waterproof breathable shells, and it was $160 and I'd say it performs 90% as well as my ArcTeryx Alpha SV - seriously! Sure, it's missing some of the details and design for wearing with a helmet and harness during the worst weather, but I'd say it easily matches all of the $300-400 jackets out there, and for half the price, or less.
Nice list. How did an R 3 pad beat your favorite R 5 pad? More explanation, please. (yes, I am aware that R ratings are kind of crap... you have brought that to our attention).
Has anyone tried the Outdoor Vitals înflatable pillow alongside the Trekology pillow? They look fairly similar to me, curious if one is noticeably better?
THIS IS THE SMUT IM AFTER Edit: ahh the sawyer mini, surprised you recommended this. The flow rate alone kinda bins the idea of purchasing another one. Id argue that there are better filters for only a few dolla difference more.
I don't get it, you're contradicting yourself here. Best budget puffy - you just awarded that to the Uniqlo in another video. I have it and it's definitely better than the Decathlon in every way: warmer, looks better, lighter. Best tent - the Durston X Mid 1 is cheaper and has outclassed the SMD and pretty much every other untralight tent this year, you have even made that point in various of your own videos! And then I think we have some other really poor choices: Sawyer Mini - the flow rate on these is so atrocious I don't think anyone is using these anymore Decathlon headlamp - this is cheap, yes, but the internal battery and illumination are terrible. There's a reason the Nitecore is a lot more expensive, there's no getting around the fact that better batteries and LEDs cost more. That cheap power bank - that's a generic chinese device, you can find it for half that price under different names, Veger, Jantoo, Coolreal, you name it. You're paying for the batteries and chipset which are generic. And 100 USD for an AliXpress chair from REI? I mean, come on ;-) I also don't think this is a budget list. Most of these brands are US/North America niche brands only, and brands like SMD are fairly high end. That tent you recommend is nearly £300/350 euro/$400 in Europe, compared to a Lanshan 1 Pro which can be found for just over £100 and is 90% as good. With all the budget ultralight options available from China, like 3F UL Gear, AegisMax/WindHard, even the Decathlon options are starting to look mid-range. If people are looking for genuine Ultralight options I'd recommend the Reddit Ultralight lists.
Just bought the puffy from Decathlon in Istanbul, Turkey last week for $30. Exact model and serial number, but definitely not the same one that you and Decathlon is showing on the web site.
*_Hello justin .... may I know which Decathlon brand is a product from which country, because in my country there are also many fans, including the big store outlets, I want to subscribe in your channel Justin ... Greetings from Indonesia......_* 💯👌👍🤝🙏
