Welcome to Gear Assistant
Camping
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Bedding
Hammocks
Rain Tarps
Camping Accessories
Camp Kitchen
Lighting
Hiking
Clothing
Outdoors
Following your desire to explore wild places and get your boots muddy is one of the symptoms of having an adventurous spirit. Don’t worry, we understand. Hiking and camping is our passion, and we believe that just because you can’t take all your home comforts out with you doesn’t mean that you can’t be comfortable.
Our only aim at Gear Assistant is to research the best outdoor gear to keep you dry and comfortable outdoors and share the results. We want the same thing as you: high-quality outdoor products that perform best in their class and won’t need replacing for as long as possible. But more than that, we want to understand every little detail about what makes something perform better than its competitors so that we can share it with you.
Footwear
Footwear becomes more important the longer you are on your feet and the more intensive the outdoor activity you are pursuing is. From camping slippers to wellies for farmers, we want to find the best footwear for all outdoor activities.
Long-distance hiking boots are often heavy and very sturdy, but you can also go the other way and choose a pair of lightweight boots that are more agile but won’t last as long. If you are hiking up mountains for 15+ miles a day with a backpack, you had better be sure that your boots fit you well and can handle rough trails.
We have a section just for women, too, with more articles on the way, including rock climbing shoes, hiking boots, and sandals, which are all written by experienced outdoorswomen.
Clothing
Gear Assistant has a growing number of reviews and articles about men’s and women’s outdoor clothing, from your hiking socks and underwear to your gloves and hat. We want to find the warmest, lightest, most breathable, and most durable garments out there to keep you as dry and comfortable as possible.
Layering is always a good idea when it’s cold, and a base layer top and pants are your first contact and should be your last defense against both heat loss and moisture-wicking. Mid-layers and outer insulation are important, too, but perhaps the most crucial part of any outdoor attire is the outer shell.
Waterproof jackets and pants keep you dry, but they also protect your insulation, which in turn keeps you warm. This is why we recommend looking for the best waterproofs you can afford and really doing your research on the different materials.
Camping
Camping for some people means a campsite with a toilet and shower block but for the rest of us, it is a means to enjoy the outdoors for longer and in a more intimate way. Camping extends trips into the wilderness and allows you to wake up to views that money can’t buy as well as being one of the best antidotes to the modern world.
Tents are by far the most popular means of camping but hammocks are gaining popularity due to many of them now incorporating bug nets and rain flys. Sleeping bags are almost as important as your shelter and should be rated to a reasonable temperature to keep you warm in winter or cool in the summer.
An often overlooked camping accessory is the sleeping pad, which will not only be a lot comfier than sleeping on hard dirt but will also stop you from losing body heat through the ground.