Tents and other camping gear thread

I'm 99% set on the Nemo Dagger. Especially because it has an accessory called the pawprint to keep your dog from tearing a hole in the bottom. Pretty much everything Nemo makes looks awesome. The wife tried out their woman's mummy down bag on the weekend at REI and it has a unique shape that actually makes you feel like your feet aren't tied together.

Nemo Equipment

So what equipment is everyone else using for summer camping. What type of camping do you do? What tent are you using? Sleeping bag? Sleeping pad? Stove? Headlamp? Etc. Etc.

I'm in at tent someplace along the coast around 40 days per year - 30 or so are work, the other handful are with friends and family. Everything we have is pretty weight conscious, but not at the expense of durability. 

I have a MSR Hubba Hubba NX, a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 and a Big Agnes Copper Spur 3. I wouldn't use the Fly Creek with a dog - it's super lightweight so I'm pretty careful with it. The Copper Spur is better than the Hubba Hubba, but pricey. Depends on how far you're going and whether it's worth the cost for the weight savings and larger interior. Termarest Neopro pads and Western Mountaineering bags. Jetboil or Microrocket depending on the trip and how light we're trying to be. 

Most gear is pretty great now and it doesn't make sense to spend big money unless you have lots to burn or plan on covering a lot of ground.

That was pretty much my opinion about the Big Agnes.  It's really light weight and if I was doing bike touring or something where weight was super important I could see the benefit.  But for long term durability I don't see it being worth it.   The Hubba Hubba NX was actually my first choice but it looks like we might have a found a better price on a Nemo Dagger.  

For a stove I have the Primus Trail.  It's pretty basic and affordable ($22 at MEC).  I use it with a GSI Pot and if you wrap it all with a piece of tinfoil it's OK for efficiency.  Again not the lightest (and most efficient) but serves the purpose.     On that note what's everyone's opinion on where to get the best price for canisters?  I get them from MEC because I live basically right next door so it's convenient but I'm also super cheap so I'm always looking for the best deal.

We've been using a previous model REI Half Dome tent for 8 or 9 years now. Mostly for car camping but we've taken it on a backpacking trip too (split over two packs). It's done an admirable job for such a basic and cheap tent but it really needs to be replaced soon. The new REI Half Dome model is getting mixed reviews, plus the exchange rate sucks at the moment. One major issue for me with most tents is that I'm too tall for them (187 cm = 6' 2"). We've been looking at the MSR Hubba Hubba NX at MEC. 

+1 for the Primus Trail stove. We have two. Cheap, small, works as advertised.

And +1000 for Thermarest NeoAir mattresses. Light, well-insulated and super comfy. I'm a cold sleeper and the NeoAir made a huge improvement.

The best thing I have learned from camping on the west coast is bring a tarp. If you buy a light silnylon tarp it takes up almost zero space in your bag and can be used a ton of different ways. Usually I use a tarp for a cooking shelter away from my tent (bears are scary) but I also have pitched a tarp over my tent to keep my tent dry while I set it up and take it down in torrential downpour. 

For a stove you cant go wrong with a MSR whisperlite. It's simple, reliable, and the gas is cheap. Oh yeah and they will last a lifetime, mine is 20 years old.