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Test

Coleman 3AAA LED Headlamp

Specs:

• Headlamps have top mounted easy push on/off button
• Comfortable and easy-to-adjust headband
• 3 bright, long-lasting, white, 5mm LEDs
• 33 lumens of output on high, 13 lumens on low
• 25 hours of runtime on high, 66 hours of runtime on low
• Coleman LED Headlamps includes 3 AAA batteries
• 85.3 ft. (26 m) of beam distance on high 52.49 ft. (16 m) on low
• Available in black, pearl, red and lime green--specific color cannot be ordered 

Well, there really isn't a Pros/Cons list for this product. It's a basic headlamp that works well and is pretty comfortable once you put it on. There *could* be a bit more padding around the unit on the head-side BUT it's not a deal-breaker. We used the cheapest batteries we could find, have been using the headlamps almost daily and they still have a strong, bright stream of light.

Also comes in other brightness ratings, we just chose a mid-level unit since we didn't need much more than that in terms of visibility.

Conclusion:

Great headlamp for under $20.

Intex Classic Downy Airbed (Full Size) Review

Specs:

• Wave beam construction creates a uniform sleeping surface thanks to equally spaced air channels that create a wave-like surface
• 8-3/4 inches high
• Adjusts to your preferred firmness by adding or releasing air
• Extra-wide valve fits larger pump nozzles for faster inflation
• Inflates with most manual or electric air pumps (not included)

After a month and a half of sleeping on the ground, cheap sleeping pads and "tent pads" (raised beds of gravel covered by woodchips for drainage), we decided to get an air mattress. At $19 from Walmart, it's a hard camping luxury to pass up. I don't have any idea why we didn't do this sooner!

Here's our list:

PROS:

• very comfortable; soft, velvety fabric (flocking) is nice to sleep on with or without sheets
• easy and quick to inflate/deflate
• lightweight 
• no-leak pump opening

CONS:

• will lose a slight amount of air in colder temperatures
• flocking tends to collect lint and, if you eat in the bed like we do, the pillow crevices collect crumbs. (this is more our fault than the mattress makers though...)
• short (Mark usually hangs off the end of beds but I hang off the end of this one...)

CONCLUSION:

Overall it's one of the best buys we've made so far. It's incredibly comfortable and makes camping 400x more bearable in any condition (it was amazing to sleep in when I got the flu this past week and I fully believe it helped to me heal up faster b/c I got better sleep).

Note:
We used the Coleman Ozark Trail Hand Pump to inflate the mattress. It was easy, quick and cheap. The only issue I have is that it doesn't pack away well with the hose and size of the product all together.

Coleman BlackCat PerfecTemp Catalytic Heater Review

Specs:

Catalytic heating technology delivers flameless heat

Provides 3,000 BTUs for up to 7 hours on one 16.4-ounce propane bottle (not included)

Easy-grip handle for convenient carrying

Legs fold up for easy storage 

 I have to admit that when we first got this little heater I was skeptical about how well it would perform. With a $60 price tag at Walmart I wanted to make sure that we got our money's worth. We got lucky one day and saw one on sale so we figured that was a good opportunity to grab it and test it out.

After two weeks of using it nearly daily, here is a list of the pros and cons:

PROS:

• light weight and easy to carry 
• puts out a decent amount of heat
• easy to use design
• collapsible
• propane canisters are cheap
• can use it indoors or outdoors

CONS:

•  propane doesn't last very long (one canister lasted typically 8 hours on high. not too bad, but it can be expensive if you use it constantly)
• legs are cumbersome to rotate and don't stay in place well if you adjust the height
• metal ring around the back of the face is unprotected and close to the handles (use caution when it's on and you want to move it or adjust it as not to burn yourself)
• propane canister gathers a lot of condensation on it when in use so it can get pretty wet (this does not affect the performance in any way)

CONCLUSION:

All in all it was a great buy! It's kept us very warm and comfortable, both inside and outside the tent. It feels like you have a little fire going next to you (hopefully that puts it into a bit of perspective). Despite how quickly the canisters run out when in constant use, 1 canister a day is still cheaper than a heating bill :) Although I am not sure we would have purchased it at the price of $60, which is a bit high for what it is, especially at Walmart.

Notes: 
 1. Be careful when lighting the heater. You need to hold a lighter at the bottom of the face plate and wait for the propane to ignite on 'high'. It can create a bit of a fireball but as long as it's clear of any fabrics or the like it's perfectly safe.
2. The face plate takes a little while to cool off so make sure you turn it off in advance of when you want to pack it away.

Welcome to our new blog!

HELLLLLOOOOOOO! This is our new blog about our adventures in camping. We’ve been camping for the last two months and are having a blast testing different camping products, “luxury” camping equipment (as well as the not-so-luxurious), campfire and foil recipes and many more!

Sometimes reading product reviews on brand and aggregate sites can be confusing and you never really know whether the review is by someone who’s actually used the product or someone who was paid to review it, so we thought we’d share the results of what we’ve found through these experiments. We’ve thoroughly tested what we post and only want to show you the best of what we’ve found!

Keep an eye out, we’ll be posting regularly and sharing our adventures with you. We hope you enjoy our posts and can use some of our suggestions in your camping adventures