When is it Time to Replace my Camping Gear?

Checking your camping gear before the season starts is critical to staying safe on your adventures. Much of our outdoor gear is designed to last years, but it’s also prone to wear and tear. While you can repair much of your camping gear to extend its lifespan, from time to time, you’ll have to replace worn equipment. Read on for a brief breakdown on how to tell it’s time to replace your camping gear for a new upgrade. 

Tent

With proper care, your tent is designed to last a lifetime. It’s essential to spend time fixing and replacing zippers, poles, and the mesh, features that are likely to fail first. Technically, if your tent is in good health, you don’t ever have to replace it. However, when your tent is too old, you might consider replacing it to update your technology. Tent technology has come a long way since the bulky shelters of the past.

Solarproof for Tent & Gear
Solarwash for Tent & Gear

Sleeping Bag & Pad

The lifespan of a sleeping bag can be as short as five years and as long as 15 years. It all depends on how you use it and care for it. If you’re using your bag every day, you’ll need to replace it much sooner if you only camp a few times a year. The best way to know it’s time to replace your sleeping bag is when it’s keeping you as warm as it once did. 

On that same note, your sleeping pad has a relatively shorter lifespan. Inflatable sleeping pads tend to leak over time. Try patching them as much as possible before replacing them. With non-inflatable pads, their lifespan can be longer. It will come time to replace them when they feel noticeably flatter. 

Stove

A stove is something that, unless damaged, can last a lifetime. However, there’s one reason you might want to replace your stove – technology. New technology gives you lighter, faster, easier, and more reliable stoves that might be worth the upgrade. 
MSR Maintenance Kit

Water Filtration

Water filters give out much quicker than any other piece of camping gear. Most water filtration systems are designed to be used for a set amount of time. You can back-flush or clean the filter to prolong its life, but when it becomes difficult to pump and use, it’s time for a replacement. Read your filtration system’s care instructions to know when to change it. 

As always, before any camping trip, you want to test and check all your camping gear to ensure they’re up to standards. Learning how to fix small damage and tears can help extend the life of your gear. But, it’s also essential to know when it’s time for a replacement. 
MSR Hyperflow Maintenance Kit

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Geraldine Orentas is a writer from Happy Writers, Co. in partnership with PAKMULE® hitch cargo carriers.