TrulyObscure - article - gear - Truly Outdoors: All-in-one Sportz by Napier - Ultra-Roomy with Cabela's

Posted by Greg May Jul 7, 06:06 PM to gear : -

Over the last few days, we’ve looked at hammocks, camping meals, and more. Over the July 4th weekend, we spent our Independence Day enjoying the great American pastimes- grilling, baseball, Twitter- and testing out yet more gear for our Truly Outdoors feature. This time around, we’re looking at the joy and compromise of funky spelling and overtight packing with Sportz by Napier, and the love and loathing that come from sharing a biblically-named sleeping bag and spacious tent from Cabela’s.

Ignore the X’s and Z’s- the Sportz X-treme PAC is, as they say, “a complete camping package designed with everything you need for a comfortable stay in the great outdoors”. Of course, they don’t include food, water, a cooler, or pillows- but they do include decent enough stools. The idea is simple- make camping easier for folks who don’t really want to research which fill material is better, and the set does feel a bit entry-level. It’s not a deal breaker, considering the price at around $260, but it is hard to see the advantages of this sort of package deal.

The compromises are many. Let’s begin with the somewhat uncomfortable and very basic sleeping bags that are unisex, and don’t offer much protection against winds, much less rain. The stools are not as good as others we’ve reviewed, as most three-legged stools tend to be a bit unbalanced, but are light. The tent is a reasonably solid model- the rain fly is a bit of a pain, but the primary setup offers color-coded poles and isn’t too bad. Ventilation is decent, and there are even two doors, but the zippers are mediocre. Size-wise, it works, and the interior pockets are a good idea, if a bit annoying in the dark groping around. The real problem is the carrying bag, which ruins the concept: everything is packed so tight that you’ll find it impossible to put it back in, leaving you with separate pieces that won’t satisfy any but the most novice campers in light conditions. We liked the idea of simplifying camping, but the Sportz PAC wound up wishing we had other stools, sleeping bags, and tents that would perhaps cost a bit more but definitely be more durable and comfortable.

Like, for instance, the tent and sleeping bag we tested from Cabela’s. On one level, it’s not an even fight to compare a $200 tent and a $200 sleeping bag against the $260 PAC. But the Adam and Eve Ultra Deluxe II Sleeping Bag and the Two Room Tent from Cabela’s felt well worth the extra price… and plenty more. Sure, there are compromises here too- the sleeping bag is best used by a couple comfortable sleeping in close proximity- but frankly we suggest sucking it up and finding someone you’d be OK sleeping near, as it is just that good. Oh, and you unzip the bags apart for travel or for those who need their space, which works better than expected. Each bag serves as the top or bottom piece, keeping zippers out of the way.

Part of it is the flannel liner, included sheets and pillows, luxuries often left out of the great outdoors- they aren’t amazing, but the polyester/cotton blend is quite nice. The insulation is a custom blend, and rated to 0 degrees. We tested in the fairly mild summer nights of the Bay, and were a bit warm, but could see riding out a storm with the internal thermal neck collars and insulated draft tubes. It’s important to mention though that comfort has it’s price- not the $200 pricetag, which is quite reasonable for two sleeping bags- but the weight. At 21 pounds, even divided by two, these are some heavy-weight bags, and are not going to be the right option for everyone. Other options in the line do include goose down and a better weather rating (Ultimate, $350) or the warm-weather version that is almost half the weight.

The Two-Room Cabin Tent works almost as well- dummy-proof setup via color-coded poles takes a bit of time and is best with two people but creates a whole lot of tent. Ventilation is only so-so, despite four windows, but the awnings are a great addition. The two doors were nicely large, befitting this spacious tent, and the room divider a good idea, even if it ended up being mostly unnecessary (the wall is thin anyway). They brag about the patented internal cupholders, which were actually pretty cool even if they didn’t fit everything. We managed to squeeze 8 adults sleeping inside the smaller version, 10×14, and imagine you could cram in more if you tried. The larger size is 10×16, and you could plausibly open up an orphanage inside.

We weren’t fans of the floor though, which seemed a bit weak for the size and quantity of folks trampling over it. Suggestion- bring an extra tarp, and some spare tent poles, as the included steel ones are a tad weak. The tent, once erected, stood up to some decent winds. Though we tested only under fairly mild weather, we definitely suggest carefully considering the climate, as it isn’t the best-suited tent for winters or even hot, humid conditions where ventilation might be an issue. Good zippers, solid seams, and a reasonable bag round out an excellent tent. Following the trend, it’d be a bit of a backbreaker to carry far at almost 40 pounds, but divided over the sleeping space is well worth it. Available online and in stores, Cabela’s proves that roughing it doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be too rough.