9 X 9 EZ Up

Hey, thank you so much for this! I’ll definitely check out the items you listed. When people say car camping I’m thinking more like country camping, where you pack everything in the car and set up at a campsite, but definitely not sleeping in the car itself. Though I’ve done both, and they’re both fun! I want to start going more often, sometimes solo, sometimes with a friend. I really appreciate the breakdown in terms of the big three as it makes everything way easier to wrap my head around. Tents make the most sense to upgrade first, especially something that works for solo and two-person trips. The tent I had in the picture actually melted last July when I camped at Kernville, CA on a really hot day. Now I have an Ozark 4-person all-season tent, but I’ll check out those Naturehike models and some of the higher-end options to see what feels right. Sleep system is next on my list too! Comfort and warmth matter way more than I realized. Thanks again for laying it all out so clearly, it makes all the options feel way less overwhelming. Appreciate it!

I hated that tent too, lol. I used it for the first time for my first solo camping trip and it literally melted on me, like plastic pieces coming apart. I got it off Amazon and ended up returning it and they actually accepted it. I have an Ozark 3 season 2 to 4 person tent now that I’ve used a few times and it’s held up so far. I agree with the first upgrade suggestion. I camped in Yosemite National Park last December and I was cold af, so a down or synthetic throw over my bag probably would’ve made a big difference. Appreciate the tips, I’ll look into that next!

I had issues with the tent in the photo. It literally melted on me, lol. I ended up returning it to Amazon and replaced it with an Ozark brand from Walmart, which I’m still using now.

Go for a 4-person tent. Ozark Trail at Walmart has some decent ones. I still have one my wife and I used a few times a year for many years before the kids came along.

Came here to say this! We picked up an Ozark Trail 4-person tent for festivals and it’s honestly way roomier and sturdier than I expected for the price. Setup is super straightforward, too, my partner put it together solo with no experience whatsoever.

Yes, we have the Ozark Trail 4-person tent that I got for like $30. Been through five heavy thunderstorms now and zero leaks right out of the box. I did finally waterproof it with some Scotchguard spray after our last trip because I didn't want to push my luck, but that thing is a tank.