That Last-Minute Thing...or That Thing You Really Wanted This Year

You're Too Old to Spend the Rest of Your Life on the Couch: Let's Adventure!

If this looks like heaven to you, read on

Dear Reader: a kind reminder that I am going to paid subscriptions the beginning of the year. I will still publish some material free for everyone but for some odd reason, free doesn’t pay the bills. I am fully aware of the competition for eyeballs and attention. If my work serves you I hope you’ll consider supporting it. Thank you in advance.

This past year I spent a goodly portion back in the wild. The summer featured multiple, multi-day rafting trips all over the Pacific Northwest from Idaho to South Oregon, by way of Oregon River Experiences and using gear secured from Near Zero.

For the sake of clarity, Near Zero sent me one of their Dean kits in the hopes I’d give it positive reviews. The fact that I am writing about it here should tell you something about how the summer went.

For those consumers tired of godawful cheap quality from Walmart but unwilling to spend $900 on a tent at REI, this might be a great gift to yourself and/or to a family member.

This story repeats a tale I told from a July trip, but I do so in the context of considering what to get for yourself or your family if the outdoors is in your future for 2025. I hope it is.

Please know: If I don’t like a piece of gear, I can be brutal in my reviews even if I got it for free. A failure can put someone at terrible risk. But if I’m a fan, I’ll tell you why.

This is the bundle I got:

From the website: this is $599

I love that the inside of the Dean bag has compartments which tell you what goes where. Gone are the days of confused cramming-everything has a place, and you can switch stuff out as needed. As a veteran, such neatness is appealing, and it makes putting it all back together a breeze.

Here’s the thing. I’ve done gear reviews for years. I own multiple high-end tents, sleeping bags and more so I know the quality of expedition-quality equipment.

That said, for a family or a hobbyist, or a sometime camper, the investment in that level of gear is ridiculous unless you just have to have top-end for bragging rights. And for features you really will never use, but might impress your friends.

By the same token, none of us wants to tolerate cheap, crappy gear that tears or falls apart at precisely the wrong moment. Near Zero stepped in to fill that gap- good gear, reasonably priced, light enough for beginners with lots of thoughtful details. I had a chance to use their stuff - hard in some cases- with an eye towards recommending it.

I AM recommending it.

Here are several reasons.

• If you’re intimidated by walking into an REI and facing off with tens of thousands of products without a clue where to begin, and are justifiably terrified of buying lots of the wrong stuff, join my club. Been there, done that. Near Zero solves that problem with their Dean Bundle, which includes everything you need (barring your duds, water and food) for a camping trip.

• If you travel in winter like I do, if you are subject to weather extremes in your state (and who isn’t), you’d be wise to have something like this in the trunk. I got caught in an ice storm last January and didn’t have my Dean. I had food but nothing else should I have to sleep in the car or need shelter outside the car. The Dean now lives in the car. Knowing this gear is there just in case is huge.

• The gear is light enough - the extremely light gear is breathtakingly pricey - for beginners and covers all the bases. To my mind, solving the problem of “what do I get?” at a price point far below a typical bundle if purchased separately is a gift for all those folks and families who want to venture out but the prospect of choosing is just….too much.

• I love all the handy tent pockets where I could stow stuff within easy reach.

Here’s what did it for me. This past July I was rafting the Lower Salmon. By this point I’d already spent a number of nights in this tent. I’d come to appreciate the swift setup, the bug-proof but nearly invisible tent material.

I got to see the night sky, feel the breezes and feel part of the outdoors without having to fend off all the creepy crawlies.

However, with how light it was, I wasn’t sure of how sturdy it was. Could it stand up to harsh use?

My answer came on our last night on the Lower Salmon. Tired of the hot nights, I set the tent up right near the river’s edge. The location was several hundred yards from the site’s canopy, where I had left my gear bag to bring down later.

It was late afternoon. After pounding the pegs into the sand, which had held just fine up to this point, I trudged uphill to get ballast. A few bags of clothing would ensure that an errant wind wouldn’t turn my tent into a kite.

A client asked me a question just as I turned back towards my tent. That was just enough time for a stiff breeze to hurl my tent skyward.

I watched in horror as my tent turned a few slow somersaults in the air, heading downstream fast towards rocks and cold river water.

Well, shit.

I’ve had surgery on both feet so I can’t run. In seconds, two of the guides shot past me, eyeing where my tent was now scuba diving in the shallows. My tent was inches away from heading down the river in the swift current.

After some heavy lifting- the tent’s well-secured bathtub was full of some 200 lbs of cold river water- the guys salvaged all the pieces and trudged back with my house.

The tent fabric dried in seconds. There was a single tri-corner tear low on the rain fly, but other than that, no damage.

The shock cords were another story, however. The lead guide had to lift the tent by those cords and several were bent. A little focused attention from a mallet and the cords were straight enough.

Fearing the worst, I set my tent up again for the night. At that point I was fully prepared to have to sleep under the stars with the bugs, if the damage was too severe.

I hardly had to worry. The only clue that something was amiss was that one side of the bathtub lifted a few inches, the result of the slightly bent cords.

The way I see it, as rough as Nature and we humans can be on gear, this was as good a test as I was going to get. I’ve replaced the cords. This tent is now my summer go-to for all the obvious reasons.

If any of this catches your eye, here’s where you can get the Near Zero:

Near Zero Website

Amazon

Scheels.com

Exchange (aka AAFES, Army Airforce Exchange Services)

Near Zero has been updating their equipment, adding features and additional items like sleeping bag liners for those of us who sleep cold.

No matter what your outdoor plans are this year, if you’re new to camping, Near Zero might be worth your attention. Again, they own the sweet spot between the too-cheap gear offered by Wally World and the hell-bent-for-leather top- of-the-line gear befitting extreme expeditions.

We’ve long needed something in the middle that is both dependable and full of thoughtful details. Near Zero has my vote for that middle-of-the-road camper. It also has my vote for the best emergency gear for your car if you travel cross country or in the mountains, as I do.

These days with climate change, unpredictable storms, I’m happier with a Dean snugged up behind my front seat. With the right clothing, a water supply and some food, I feel like I can handle just about anything.

Well, maybe not a tornado.

Happy shopping and above all,
Let’s play.

Only a few days to go. What are you giving yourself this year?

I’m giving myself more joy, more time outdoors and fewer deadlines. And more work I love. I hope you do, too.