DetourOn camping gear reviews

We’ve mentioned that we have really cool camping gear for rent from Big Agnes, Sea to Summit, Marmot, and GSI Outdoors, as well as a few other miscellaneous companies. But is it any good? Here are our camping gear reviews, item-by-item, with the pros and cons of each. Notice our star system – being not so good to being the best (we might be a bit biased, but you’ll soon see that we are also quite objective).

In our reviews, we also mention the best use scenarios for many of the items. Here are the definitions:

Basecamp car camping – camp next to the car, settle into a campsite for multiple days
Road trips – travel by car, camp next to the car, but change campsites every day or two
Backpacking/bikepacking – hike or bike to your campsite

DetourOn camping gear rental notes:
We have a maximum rental duration of 30 days. Remember that you can rent a complete camping kit for a cheaper total price. Refer to our partner, Basecamp Outdoor Gear, for a complete list of rental packages and rates. This rental gear is also available for purchase. Check out Basecamp’s used gear for sale or contact Basecamp directly to inquire about the items you want.

Jump to the section you’d like to read about:

• Tent reviews
• Sleeping pad reviews
• Camp kitchen gear reviews
• Camp cooking gear reviews
• Camp eating gear reviews
• Miscellaneous camping items reviews

Tent reviews

DetourOn tent rental notes:
All tents come with regular tent stakes and rainflies. Basecamp supplements tent rentals with a mallet, extra cord, and a footprint or tarp.

Big Agnes tent – Sheep Mountain 4 and Marmot tents – Limestone 4 and Limestone 6

Specs:
Sheep Mountain 4 floor dimensions: 7’6″ x 8’11”; height 4’7″; weight 10lbs 13oz
Limestone 4 floor dimensions: 7’8″ x 8’4″; height 5’1″; weight 10lbs 13oz
Limestone 6 floor dimensions: 10′ x 8’4″; height 6’4″; weight 16lbs 4oz

Though marketed as 3-season tents, the Sheep Mountain and Limestone do best in warm weather thanks to their size and great ventilation. Our favorite thing about them: quick and easy set-up and take-down! Bonus: They both come in large stuff sacks for easy packing.

Pros:

Cons: Because they are so big, it can get a bit cold and drafty inside. These tents are also on the heavier side, about 11lbs, but that doesn’t matter much for car camping. That’s it for cons. What great tents!

— Click here to rent these items from Basecamp or buy these items brand new on Amazon —

Marmot tents – Catalyst 2 and Catalyst 3

Best use: Backpacking, road trips
Lightweight tents for 2 or 3 people. Though the Catalysts are not ultralight, they are still light enough to be classified as backpacking tents. They are best used for camping near your vehicle or for short-distance, short-duration backpacking trips. As three-season tents, we find that they are very well-ventilated for hot Southwest summers. When the tent fly is on, they also do quite well on cold winter nights. Just don’t take them on a glacier.

Specs:
Catalyst 2 floor dimensions: 4’5″ x 7’4″; height 3’8″; weight 4lbs 11oz
Catalyst 3 floor dimensions: 5’5″ x 7’4″; height 3’11”; weight 5lbs 9oz

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Quick and easy set-up and takedown
• Free-standing
• Tall ceiling allows you to sit up inside, giving the tent a spacious feeling.

Cons: Though the Catalysts are not ultralight, they can pass for short-distance, short-duration backpacking tents. They are best used for camping near your vehicle

— Click here to rent these items from Basecamp or buy these items brand new on Amazon —

Marmot tents – Tungsten 1

Best use: Backpacking
Free-standing tent means quick and easy set-up. Tall ceiling allows you to sit up inside, giving the tent a spacious feeling. What else do you need?

Specs:
Floor dimensions: 7′ x 2’4″-3′; height 3’2″; weight 3lbs 8oz

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Quick and easy set up and takedown
• Free-standing
• Tall ceiling allows you to sit up inside, giving the tent a spacious feeling.

Cons: Do you really need a tent for backpacking? Try a hammock instead.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Sleeping pad reviews

DetourOn sleeping pad rental notes:
Basecamp has a variety of sleeping pads for all camping needs. See each item description for their suggested best uses.

Sea to Summit sleeping pad – AirStream

Best use: Summer backpacking and bikepacking
This is a very cool concept by Sea to Summit! Extremely lightweight and compact, it is hard to believe it is so comfortable. Basecamp carries the regular 21.5×72 size, but they also come in short, long, and wide sizes. Stuff sack doubles as inflation pump, so no need to lose air blowing into it.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Big Agnes sleeping pad – Air Core Ultra and Insulated Air Core Ultra

Best use: Backpacking and bikepacking
This is a very cool idea from Big Agnes! Extremely lightweight and compact, it is hard to believe it inflates to over 3″. Basecamp carries a selection of sizes from short to wide and long. Call the rental shop to request a certain size. Save your breath using the separate pad inflation sack.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Big Agnes sleeping pad – Two Track

Best use: Backpacking
The Two Track sleeping pads are extremely comfortable, surprisingly durable, and offer supreme insulation! At DetourOn, we have the regular rectangular 20×72 size for rent, but they do also come in short, long, and wide sizes. Again a bonus from Big Agnes, they come in large stuff sacks for easy packing.

Specs: 20″x72″ (1’8″ x 6′), 24oz, inflates to 2″

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Thermarest sleeping pad – Basecamp

Best use: Road trips
Thermarest used to be the most advanced and coveted in sleeping pad technology. The company did such a great job at marketing its products that the brand became synonymous with sleeping pads. Unfortunately for Thermarest, the tech has been surpassed by other companies. That being said, Thermarest’s signature product, the Basecamp sleeping pad, is still sought after by seasonal campers for its simplicity. Basecamp carries the regular rectangular 20×72 size for rent, but they also come in short, long, and wide sizes.

Specs: 20″x72″ (1’8″ x 6′), weighs over 2lbs, inflates to 2″

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Sea to Summit sleeping pad – Comfort Plus SI

Best use: Non-rushed road trips
This Sea to Summit product is amazing! Take it with you on any road trip where you don’t feel rushed. This pad self-inflates in seconds to 3″, yet rolls down small for transport. Note that you need to blow additional air into it for its full firmness potential. It is made of a combination of air and foam for maximum insulation and comfort. Packing it away is easy, albeit a bit time-consuming. This pad is perfect for overlanding, where space in the vehicle is an issue, but comfort should not be compromised.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Sea to Summit sleeping pad – Comfort Deluxe SI

Best use: Basecamp car camping
WOW. The Sea to Summit description for this item says, “BETTER THAN YOUR BED.”
Our answer to that: YUP! That’s really all you need to know. Self-inflates in seconds to 4″, combination of air and foam for maximum insulation and comfort, easy packing (once you get the hang of it). Note that you need to blow additional air into it for its full firmness potential. What else do you need? This pad is perfect for basecamp car camping in all weather conditions. Also good for relaxed road trips.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Camp kitchen gear reviews

GSI Outdoors water container – Cube 20L

Best use: Basecamp car camping
This is a collapsible water jug for all your camp watering needs. Although GSI Outdoors makes the Cube in three sizes (10L, 15L, and 20L), we think the 20L is best for car camping. When collapsed, it doesn’t take much room in the car. When full, you’ll always have more water than you need.
NOTE: Only use this container for water!

Pros:

• Large rounded handle for easy lifting
• Turn tap on and off with one hand
• Comes with attached hanging loop
• Food-grade polyethylene container with neutral taste
• Very durable, no leaks
• Best thing about it: Folds almost flat for easy packing

Cons: Easy to tip over when it isn’t full. Make sure to place it on a flat surface or hang it on a strong hook for easy pouring. Otherwise, if it’s on the emptier side, you’d have to hold the container steady against your body while pouring with one hand and holding the bottle to be filled with the other.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Reliance 7-Gallon Water Jug

Best use: Overland road trips in remote areas with limited water sources
This is a rigid water container for all your camp watering needs. Note that this item comes with a faucet-style spigot as opposed to a free-flowing tube. We prefer the rectangular shape for easier storage and transport when the container is full. This is especially useful for overlanding, where space in the vehicle is tight.
NOTE: Only use this container for water!

Pros:

• Large rounded handles for easy lifting
• Turn tap on and off with one hand
• Hard-sided for durability
• BPA-free container with neutral taste
• Rectangular shape for easy storage and transport

Cons: Cannot be folded down so it remains bulky for transport and storage. Keep upright to prevent leaks from the spigot.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Camp Chef 2-burner camping stove

Best use: Road trips
This is a nicer model than the classic stoves you find at Walmart. We have tested the equivalent Coleman and Ozark Trail stoves and found them to be a bit flimsier than CampChef, which explains their lower price points. The Camp Chef burners also seem to be more powerful.

Pros:

• Self-ignite
• Convenient carry handle
• Three-sided wind barrier
• Adjustable and separate heat-control dials from low to high flame

Cons: Heavy (12lbs), cover latches tend to break/bend

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Coleman 70L cooler

Best use: Basecamp car camping and road trips
It may be big and bulky, but it has to be in order to be well-insulated. Some coolers available for rent from Basecamp have a bit less space but come with wheels.

Pros: Carrying handles and drain

Cons: Doesn’t drain all the way, cover hinges break easily

If you need extra space in the car, you can go with a collapsible cooler (not yet available for rent), but it doesn’t keep things cool as long as a rigid cooler.

Speaking of keeping things cooler for longer, we recommend supplementing weekend trips with reusable ice packs (not yet available for rent) so you wouldn’t have to stop for ice so much.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Camp cooking gear reviews

DetourOn cooking gear rental note: We’re still looking for the ideal cooking pots and pans. Though we like the sizes of the Basecamp rental cooking gear, the items have lots of room for improvement.

GSI Outdoors cooking pot – Halulite 3.2L

Pros:

• Lightweight (1lb) yet durable
• Boils water really quickly
• Silicone-coated side handles fold in for storage
• Non-slip base for secure hold on stoves and grill arms
• Best thing about it: Silicone thumb pads and holes on lid make straining pasta safe, secure, simple, and fun (seriously, it’s so cool!)

Cons: Although it is scratch-resistant, the material is not non-stick, so a bit tough to clean. The silicone-coated side handles could get hot, so always approach them with caution. Careful pouring hot water out of the pan. Notice it does not have a pouring spout. With the lid on, you can pour out of the straining holes, but water sometimes still escapes from below the lid. Only sometimes. There must be a technique that we haven’t mastered yet here. We have, however, mastered pouring water into our Java Press with the lid off. Without a spout, it’s an acquired skill.

Sea to Summit Sigma 2-Pot Set

Best use: Road trips or backpacking with a partner
Another great idea from Sea to Summit, but this time with poor execution. We like the size of the two pots (1.2L and 2.7L), and that one pot fits inside the other. Our complaint is the handle. The lock tends to fall off very easily, which makes for a dangerous situation if there is hot liquid in the pot.

Pros:

• Perfect capacity (1.2L and 2.7L)
• Stainless steel for easy cleaning
• Strainer holes in lids and silicone
• Silicone hooks to hang lids on the side of the pot while cooking
• Graded volumetric scale on the side of the pot for easy measurement
• Silicone around the handles for good grip and heat resistance

Cons: Lock tends to fall off the handles, making them pivot freely if handled incorrectly. The newer Alpha 2-Pot Set might be better. We have yet to try it.

GSI Outdoors frying pan – Bugaboo 10″

Best use: Road trips
This durable, sturdy, non-stick lightweight frying pan heats up evenly and is very easy to clean. It comes in three sizes: 8″, 10″, and 12″. We found that 8″ is too small for a 2-person meal, though it could be OK for one person, and 12″ unnecessarily takes too much space in the storage box. Hence 10″ is the perfect size for 2 people.
NOTE: Do not use in microwave ovens, conventional ovens, or open campfires. Wash with hot water and mild detergent, and use only non-abrasive cloths and cleaners.

Pros:

• Non-stick coated surface heats up evenly and makes for easy clean-up
• Rugged yet lightweight
• Sturdy, stable, silicone-coated handle keeps it from burning your hands
• The handle conveniently folds into the pan for storage
• Non-slip base for secure hold on stoves and grill arms

Cons: This item does not come with a lid, which is a bit of a bummer. Also, it’s made of Teflon. They say Teflon isn’t good for you. But then again, what is?

Sea to Summit Alpha frying pan

Best use: Road trips
Another lightweight and surprising design from Sea to Summit. This pot feels very flimsy, but it is actually so durable you can use it over open campfires.

Pros:

• Non-stick coated surface heats up evenly and makes for easy clean-up
• Rugged yet lightweight
• Sturdy, stable, silicone-coated handle keeps it from burning your hands and locks securely in place
• The handle conveniently folds under the pan for storage

Cons: This item does not come with a lid, which is a bit of a bummer.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

GSI Outdoors chef knife – Santoku 6″

It’s a knife. In all honesty, there’s not much that sets this knife apart from any other knife of the same size and shape. We knew we wanted a 6″ blade, we wanted chef knife design, and we wanted a sheath. The GSI Outdoors Santoku answered our demands, but this is by no means the only company that makes this. Examples: Kai Pure Komachi or Chef Craft Santoku. We were ordering a bunch of things from GSI Outdoors, so we also ordered this.

Pros:

• Stainless steel makes for easy clean-up
• Ergonomic, rubber handle provides a sure grip for easy dicing
• Best thing about it: Protective knife sheath ensures safe handling and preserves blade’s sharpness

Cons: The knives we received weren’t as sharp as we had hoped when we took them out of the box (we took a leaf away for that reason). We sharpened them using this kitchen knife sharpener and now they’re OK.

GSI Outdoors cutting board – Ultralite small

It’s a cutting board. We currently include two small GSI Outdoors Ultralite cutting boards in DetourOn’s rental cooking kits, but these are being discontinued (we took a leaf away for that reason) so we may replace them with a different company soon.

Pros:

• Extremely thin, yet durable
• Very easy to keep clean
• Best thing about it: Two-sided, one side marked for cheese and vegetables and the other side marked for meat

Cons: The cutting surface is a bit slippery, which makes it great for cleaning but less so for cutting, and the moat around the edges is too shallow to catch liquid (tomato juice, for instance).

Cooking utensils – spatula, ladle, big spoon, tongs

The GSI Outdoors tongs, on the other hand, have a super cool design: The silicone grips on the sides help to keep your fingers in place, and they have integrated serrated teeth that provide a solid grip on any food, especially pasta and lettuce. The only downside is that you must apply a strong grip to lift heavy food, such as a fat steak. You can also get them on Amazon.

Camping gear reviews for eating and drinking utensils

GSI Outdoors thermos – Glacier Vacuum Bottle 1L

It’s a thermos. It keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for a long long time. Case in point: We made herbal tea at night in the GSI Outdoors vacuum bottle, then forgot to drink it before going to bed in sub-freezing temperatures. The next morning, we opened it up and had a steaming cup of it while making coffee in the Java Press. In the evening, we drank the remaining tea from the thermos. It was no longer steaming, but it was still hot enough to enjoy!

Pros:

• Retains heat and cold for up to 30 hours
• Stainless steel makes for easy cleaning and neutral taste (washing coffee out with water is enough to remove the coffee taste!)
• Extremely durable, easy to grip exterior
• Non-slip base the size of a Nalgene bottle, so it fits in wide cupholders
• The cap can be used as a cup (also stainless steel)
• Best thing about it: Pour-through stopper (unscrew the stopper just a little and pour liquid into cup for a no-spill guarantee)

Cons: Since it is so well-insulated, it always feels like there should be more liquid in the bottle than there is. GSI Outdoors also makes this in a 0.5L size, but what’s the point? For car camping, even if you’re one person, 1L is the way to go.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

GSI Outdoors French Press – Java 30 fl. oz.

There are many great ways to make coffee, and none that are ideal. We wrote a blog about it! After doing extensive research, we’ve decided to settle on the GSI Outdoors JavaPress for our car camping rental items. The reason: This is the quickest way to make the most mud-free coffee with the least amount of clean-up. You can also use it to make loose-leaf tea. Though this press comes in smaller and bigger sizes, we chose the 30 fl. oz. press so we can make a second batch of coffee in the morning to keep in the thermos for later (in the GSI Outdoors 1L vacuum bottle, of course).
DetourOn Tip: It takes roughly 1L of water (or one Nalgene-full) so you don’t have to guestimate the amount of water to boil, and it also happens to make the exact amount of coffee that the thermos can hold.

Pros:

• Lightweight, BPA-Free, and shatter-resistant
• Mud-free coffee or tea
• Insulated, water-resistant, stain-resistant sleeve holds in temperature while brewing and serving
• Pour-through spout and lid (pour slowly to avoid spillage)
• Best thing about it: Quick and easy to clean (throw the mud in the trash, rinse the press with water, and you’re done!)

Cons: The filter plunger is quick to unscrew and dislodge. Make sure it’s screwed on correctly each time before pressing. When pouring, despite the spout, tilt the press slowly and gently or liquid will leak out from the side.

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

GSI Outdoors eating/drinking utensils – Infinity table set

This one-person set includes fork, knife, spoon, bowl with lid, insulated mug, drinking glass, full-sized plate and a mesh stuff sack. You don’t really need much more than that!
Extra perk: The bowl comes with a lid, and so doubles as a leftovers container!

— Click here to rent this item from Basecamp or buy this item brand new on Amazon —

Miscellaneous camping gear reviews

UCO Madrona camping lantern and LE camping lantern

Gotta have light! UCO has some really cool products. Unfortunately, most didn’t make the cut for our car camping gear rentals, but they would make for awesome stocking stuffers and birthday presents. Check them out! Their lantern, however, does come in handy for our car camping collection. Some cool features include:

• 300 lumen with three, super bright LED bulbs (runs on 3 D-cell batteries, included with DetourOn rental)
• Infinity dial fine tunes light output from dim to high
• Blue LED mode for a night light
• Magnetic quick-connect lanyard for mounting the lantern to a tent, tree, or post or just set on a tabletop or flat surface for traditional use
• Small storage compartment in lantern holds keys and small valuables

And there you have it. A pretty exhaustive list of DetourOn’s car camping rental items and reviews. Basecamp Outdoor Gear has much more outdoor gear for rent, such as hammocks and sleeping bags. Contact us or Basecamp if you have any questions. If you’re interested in purchasing these items, we’ve included links to all of them. Of course, we recommend you rent them first to try them out, especially if you live in Las Vegas (you’ll get a locals discount on the rentals). Happy camping!