Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
What you need to know about picking a tent for car camping or backpacking
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Happy Friday, ya'll! I'm currently in Bellingham getting ready to summit Washington's third-highest peak and volcano, Mt. Baker, in the North Cascades. It's my first true mountaineering trek, and I'm ecstatic and somewhat nervous about how my body will hold up. I've been hiking a ton lately, but this will be the most strenuous thing I've done since cancer and transplant 16 months ago. I'm going with a guide and team, so I'll have company and should return with lots of photos and memories! How to choose a tent?Today is the start of the REI 4th of July Sale. All of the tents listed below are either 30% or 40% off. Car Camping:When it comes to car camping, weight means little in the grand scheme of things. The most you'll have to do is carry your tent from the car to your campsite, which should be 10-20 feet away. Due to this, car camping tents are usually heavier and, thus, less expensive. Now, what size should your car camping tent be? If you have a significant other or family, bigger is better. I find no reason to have a small, cramped car camping tent. For me personally, my fiancee and I have a four-person tent with a queen-sized air mattress. This allows us to sleep comfortably even outside. If you have a larger family, you may want to upgrade to a six-person tent or get multiple tents, depending on how old everyone is. Lastly, for those car camping solo, a two or three-person tent is still fine. I recommend a full-sized blow-up air mattress so you can sleep better, as a queen mattress will not fit. Get the gear mentioned above:
Backpacking:All Big Agnes (30%) and MSR (40%) tents are on sale. In my mind, these are the cream of the crop. With backpacking, weight is almost everything. Depending on your distance, you want a lightweight tent that won't make you exceedingly tired as you tackle miles and miles. A general rule of thumb is a 2-person tent is good for one person, and a three-person tent is good for two people - especially if you're taller/larger than the average person. That said, my dad and I spent a night in a two-person tent (yes, it was tight), but we made it work. The same goes for my brother and me when we backpacked across the West in 2020. Since meeting Jaimie, we wanted a three-person tent and finally got one in 2023. Having a little extra space for her and me makes it SO MUCH better and comfier. If you have the money, upgrading to a 3P is worth it! I've written a couple of articles on these: Copper Spur Review, Big Agnes Vs MSR, Best Week of the Year to Buy a Backpacking Tent Get the Gear Mentioned:
Gear CornerAfter my transplant, I have to be more cautious with the sun. So, I've been wearing sunshirts and sun hoodies to protect my skin from the sun when I'm out all day. Here's the general page to browse and below are the ones I specifically have been wearing.
You can't go wrong with many of these! Get NatGeo Level Photos Delivered To You For Just $6/moI recently launched a photo of the day substack, which gives you exclusive photos every day for just 20/c per day! This is a great way to support my business, see amazing photos, and get inspired to explore the great outdoors. If just 10% of this newsletter signed up, we could have an INCREDIBLE AND THRIVING community! If you feel so inclined, please click the button below. You'll have to enter your email address, and then you'll be taken to a page to select your payment plan. The annual plan gives you two months for free!
Recent Articles You May Have MissedHere are a ton of my National Park articles to help plan your summer trips. Thanks for reading! Favorite National Park photos I’ve takenYour Guide to Kenai Fjords National ParkYellowstone 3-day itineraryZion to Bryce Canyon GuideFlightseeing Over Amerca’s Largest National ParkTop Things to do in Wrangell St. Elias National ParkOlympic National Park Itinerary and GuideNorth Cascades National Parks GuideMt. Rainer National Parks Hiking GuideYosemite National Park Hiking GuideSequoia National Park Visitor GuideDeath Valley National Park GuideYellowstone and Glacier GuideGreat Basin National Park GuideTheodore Roosevelt National Park Guide |
Hi! I'm Alec, an outdoor writer, photographer, and content creator.
Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
Long time no chat, y'all! I hope summer is treating you well. Jaimie and I recently moved from Seattle to Denver, where she'll start her fellowship program at the children's hospital. It was a LOOOOONG three days of driving, but we did it safely. Now, we're all unboxed (thanks to my parents' help) and trying to move the final random boxes into their new homes. For me, I'm excited to explore a new region of the country, but at the same time, very sad to leave Seattle. The mountains up there...
It's been hectic, but my crazy May travel schedule is finally wrapped up. It was incredible but tiring. I went to Ireland, Yosemite, and Northern Idaho. And if you think I can now rest, ha, I wish. We're moving from Seattle to Denver in less than three weeks and have to figure out everything from moving and packing to handling the rest of life's challenges! But we're excited. Jaimie gets a fresh start at a new hospital, and I get to explore new mountains and trails, and bring you all the...
I returned from eight days in Ireland last weekend and thankfully only had two days of jetlag to overcome. It was an unbelievable experience. We saw castles, coastlines, lakes, and cliffs, and ate and drank our way through the country's southern half. This was my second time across the pond and I fell more in love with the country. It's an easy place to travel to and has fantastic amenities, food, and more. 7 Things To Mention About Ireland 1. The roads couldn't be narrower This isn't an...