Budget Hiking Gear from China #1
Budget Hiking Gear from China #1
In this video I will share my experience on shopping from online chinese retailers (ie. AliExpress) which offer many cheap alternatives of common gear items. I will review 10 items that have and have not worked for me and include some advice about shopping from China.
More info:
Fire Maple
http://www.fire-maple.com/en/index.aspx (official website)
# 3 Fire Maple foldable aluminum stove windscreen FMW-503 (140 x 600mm, 112g / 3.95 oz)
http://www.fire-maple.com/en/productsinfo.aspx?pid=90 (official website)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fire-Maple-Foldable-Colorful-Outdoor-Camping-Aluminum-Windproof-Windshield-Ultralight-8-Plates-Wind-Shield/32812251923.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.FTMlVy (official store on AliExpress)
# 1 Fire Maple foldable titanium spork FMT-T10 (17g / 0.59 oz)
http://www.fire-maple.com/en/productsinfo.aspx?pid=48 (official website)
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Fire-Maple-Outdoor-Lightweight-Portable-Climbing-Camping-Trip-Travel-Titanium-Folding-Spork-FMT-T10/2801108_32812581796.html?spm=2114.12010608.0.0.29fadaf2SX6ywv (official store on Aliexpress)
NatureHike
https://www.naturehike.com/ (official website)
https://naturehike.aliexpress.com/store/2878009?spm=2114.10010108.0.0.73e98e40apoibS (official store on AliExpress)
# 6 NatureHike Outdoor Quick-Dry Towel NH15A003-P (80 x 40 cm, 63 g / 2.21 oz)
https://www.naturehike.com/outdoor-quick-dry-towel/ (official website)
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/NatureHike-Brand-New-Travel-Towels-Microfiber-Anti-Bacterial-Quick-Drying-Bag-Face-Towel-For-Travel-Camping/2878009_32798162861.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.37c81905DHqs6x (official AliExpress store)
TomShoo
https://www.tomshoo.com/ (official website)
# 2 TomShoo Mini Alcohol Stove (stove: 80g / 2.8 oz, rack: 35g / 1.2 oz)
https://www.tomshoo.com/p-y4873-1.html (official website)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TOMSHOO-Mini-Alcohol-Stove-Stand-Rack-Tray-Spirit-Burner-Furnace-Stove-Portable-Outdoor-Camping-Picnic-Stove/32820089596.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.FTMlVy (official AliExpress store)
# 7 TomShoo Slepping Bag Liner (75 x 210 cm, 270g / 9.5 oz)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TOMSHOO-75-210CM-Outdoor-Sleeping-Bag-Lightweight-Camping-Hiking-Travel-Bag-Liner-Portable-Folding-Sleeping-Bag/32814220669.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.FTMlVy (official AliExpress store)
# 5 TomShoo Folding Foam Sitting Pad (27 x 38 x 0.7 cm, 28g, 1 oz)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Foldable-Beach-Camping-Mat-Folding-Bed-Super-Light-Outdoor-Moisture-Proof-Pad-Picnic-Pad-Waterproof-Convenient/32643068669.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.FTMlVy (official AliExpress store)
Mini Tripod
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TiPOTiPO-Octopus-Tripod-Stand-Holder-For-iPhone-Android-Phone-With-Clip-and-Bluetooth-Remote/32731293617.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.FTMlVy
# 8 Foldable washbasin (holds 3.5 litres of water, 70g / 2.46 oz)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ultra-light-8-5L-Outdoor-Hiking-Camping-Foldable-Washing-Basin-Bucket-Portable-Lightweight-Water-Pot-Travel/32628534127.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.vPq8Ca
# 4 Carabiners
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3PCS-LOT-2015-Free-shipping-Real-Knife-Flint-Saw-Paracord-Aluminum-Bold-8cm-Locking-D-carabiner/1971473768.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.gkl8xX
# 9 Waterproof bag for phone
something similar https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Outdoor-Swimming-Mobile-Phone-Waterproof-Pouch-Float-Bag-Holder-Dry-Protection/32770344554.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.23.cdujw2&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10152_10151_10065_10344_10068_10342_10343_10059_10340_10314_10341_10534_100031_10084_10604_10083_10103_10307_10615_10303_10302_10142,searchweb201603_36,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=c40ee057-066a-4f78-b38b-f6eab9014d31-3&algo_pvid=c40ee057-066a-4f78-b38b-f6eab9014d31&priceBeautifyAB=0
# 10 Hammock https://www.mojotrend.com/
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Thank you!!! I had most of these items in my cart and your video helped me a lot. Time to make the purchase 🙂
Go live in China…
Awesome vid. Great advice. I’ve spent at least $10k on Aliexpress, Gearbest, Bangood etc over the last five yrs. The 3f tents on Ali are outright amazing and not just for the price.
I’ve bought a Naturehike Down Sleeping Bag on Amazon & it’s amazing. After I’ve washed it& tumble dried it, it fluffed up even more.
I compared it with the high end products in the outdoor shops with the same amount of down filling & there’s is no difference.
Except the price.
Naturehike, Lixada, Tomshoo, Aegismax,… are great companies for budget hikers.
You are hot
Great video….Almost all manufacturing is done in china today..Chinese make I phones for $50 a week no one in the EU or US will work for that…..Some factories in china make designer brands at the same time make lower level brands in the same building…dont forget the Big Name brands will send out their paid army of trolls to scare people and put people off to buying cheaper items from china…..But having worked in the Industry for a decade, the cost of shipping, marketing and other cost for manufacturers that sell them over seas have lots of cost overhead…the Chinese dont. Some items are crap…..but look inside your avg american house and see where 90% of everything is made …China….so to say its made in china is bad is just ridiculous. Chinese are perfectly capable of making high quality items…. its the corporation heads that allow inferior products to be made for they want to maximize profits for themselves and their shareholders. * Great hair by the way……!
Much of the branded gear is made by Firemaple
I’m a complete amateur, that being said, I do have a little knowledge. The reason most alcohol stoves are dual chamber, or a mostly closed unit it because the fumes, not the liquid itself is what burns. Using two chambers or a mostly closed chamber allows for the fumes to slightly pressurize causing the small jet like flames that come out of all those tiny holes. A brass alcohol stove with screw on lid, an O-ring and w/ simmer ring comes in just .6oz heavier then that (steel?) one. You can seal any remaing fuel in it, and cook at lower temps. Evernew makes a titanium cross stand that sits around the lip and weights only .5oz and is 10.99$ on amazon, and Docooler makes both a 15cm (13gr) and 19cm (15gr) titanium wind screen (11.99$). A youtuber called "Darwin onthetrail" did a 3 parter on budget friendly UL gear, I encourage anyone to check it out.
Titanium spork is handy and nice, but I also have a bamboo spork, and I have a silicone laddle shaped spoonrest. In Norway we normally cook over open fire. The spoonrest can take a lot of heat laying next to the fire, and I can pick up the bamboo spork anytime without burning my fingers, and without sand and dirt on it. One EURO each from good old China.
Good video, I use lots of the cheap hiking gear it works for me 👍
Cheers Daryl from Australia
The Tomshoo titanium 750ml and 450ml with spork is a great deal.
Great video. I really liked your picks. The most expensive purchase I’ve made from China were my carbon fiber trekking poles ($40 with shipping versus $160 plus shipping) and have found them to be well worth the money. They’re less than half the weight of aluminum poles and work really well. My only concern is when it comes time to replace the tungsten tips but I’ll cross that bridge when the time comes. I see you’ve done hiking and biking videos, have you ever considered canoeing? Keep up the good work.
i’ve found that the number of orders on an item on ali does not necessarily mean higher chance to be satisfied with the product or
Some really great tips! Thanks for sharing🖒
I owned some gears in this video.I would like to recommend some Chinamader brands(cheap but good-quality gears): firemaple ,naturehike , blackice, sunrei , alocs…… Try to buy on Taobao.com….It’s much cheaper ….For example,the Fire Maple foldable stove wind screen costs only 4 dollors and the towl costs less than 5 dollors……
What a great video and what a great channel so glad i found it!!Keep going you are doing a great job.
Ps.I need a #2
From a fellow scout!!
if you use a windscreen with a canister stove it can explode.
what I lovely curtains!
Kas oled seda sleeping bag linerit juba proovinud? On ebameeldiv sellega magada? Mõtlesin just sellesama tellida, padjatasku tõttu eelkõige. Aga nüüd hakkan mõtlema, et ilmselt siiski tuleb Coolmax võtta, kui see padjataskuga nii kehvast sünteetikast tundub.
I buy a lot of stuff from places like wish/AliExpress/Banggood and have never got screwed over because I ALWAYS look into the item I’m wanting extensively and no exactly what I’m getting.
Fun Fact: I’ve been getting a lot of backpacking stuff from Amazon for FREE by doing product reviews. And sometimes even get paid on top of that
I bought the 3F-UL tent from Ali and it works great. I would consider buying a pack when they are available in Dyneema.