Anyone here built a mostly-Decathlon setup for 3‑season backpacking and short camping trips? I’m just getting started and Decathlon is the easiest place for me to try stuff on and return, but I don’t want to end up wet, cold, or carrying a brick.
What I’m hoping to figure out:
- A “Decathlon-first” kit that works for 1-3 night trips and occasional car camping without buying everything twice. If you’ve done this, what tent/pack/sleep system/cook setup did you pick and why?
- Hidden gems vs false economies. Which items punch way above their price, and which ones you’d skip or mod immediately?
Specific questions so I don’t learn the hard way:
- Sleeping warmth: Are their sleeping bag ISO ratings and pad R-values realistic in shoulder season? For example, does a Forclaz bag near 0-5°C actually keep you comfy at those temps when paired with their MT500/MT900 air pad?
- Tents: How do the Forclaz Trek 900 UL tents handle wind and sustained rain? Any real-world condensation issues? Is the “Fresh & Black” fabric on some models actually cooler/darker in practice, or more of a car-camping thing?
- Packs: Comfort under a 10-12 kg load with the MT500/MT900 series-hipbelt transfer, hot spots, and durability of the fabrics/buckles? Anyone with a smaller frame find a model that fits well?
- Cook system: Is their screw-on stove reliable in wind, or should I plan on a separate windscreen? Do their canisters and stove threads play nicely with other brands on trail?
- Water treatment: How does the Forclaz filter compare to a Sawyer/BeFree for flow rate and clogging over a season?
- Repairability: Are their tent pole diameters, buckles, and zippers fairly standard if I need to replace something on trail? Any must-have Decathlon repair parts you carry?
- Spec accuracy: Have you weighed their gear-do published weights match reality? Any notorious offenders?
- Easy wins: Cheap tweaks that make a big difference, like swapping the stock stakes/guylines, adding seam sealer, or replacing heavy stuff sacks.
If you’ve got a sample “Decathlon-first” weekend kit list (items + total weight + rough cost), I’d love to see it. Also curious where you’d deliberately mix in a non-Decathlon piece because it’s way better value in the long run.