Camping Gear which worked well...

[Lord Vader]

I thought we can post up here about gadgets and things which we take along camping which really work well. The sort of thing you don't normally think of when you go camping




I have a Phad x3 which i take camping when i go on my solo trips. Now the ground sheet is a bit thin so i been using some old waterproof dog blankets which i had about in the garage. You know the type which have a tinfoil side to it. I used it in soggy Scotland as well as in Austria in the snow

They work brilliant.Just use it as a second ground sheet or as a inner carpet depend on where i camp. Scotland i had it underneath the tent to give it protection from sharp stones and in Austria i used it inside the tent as a bit insulation from the cold ground

 

[Rubberchicken]

Good idea. Still a crap tent, mind.

 

[Lord Vader]

Good idea. Still a crap tent, mind.

Actually the tent is very good, as long as you are a hobbit or less than 6' in hight.

 

[-XP-]

If you're of the wider variety of folk, like me then sleeping in a mummy bag (or any bag) is a nightmare. I can't actually zip up my Vango Viper 1000 bag with my arms inside

Solution.

Buy a cheap double sleeping bag (I also use this on a cheap double airbed), both about £10 each... Use the Vango duck down sleeping bag opened up inside the double bag like a quilt.

The result is a warm comfy nights sleep with loads of room to sprawl out, I've used this for a while now and have yet to find a more comfy solution, you can stick your mats right up your ar...

 

[-XP-]

p.s. a great tip i've done if it's really cold is take a hot water bottle, a few minutes boiling some water over the stove before going to bed is worth it as the water bottle stays warm for hours!

 

[Rubberchicken]

Good idea. Still a crap tent, mind.

Actually the tent is very good, as long as you are a hobbit or less than 6' in hight.

It's certainly decent for what it costs, though the inner/outers on the feet end are a bit close together and really need to be pulled tight.

And yeah, length restrictions do apply.

Other good camping stuff... Well, the 30 quid Quechua tarp is certainly a favourite!

 

[Sunnybrook]

Other good camping stuff... Well, the 30 quid Quechua tarp is certainly a favourite!

Some of the Decathlon stuff is surprisingly good. I have a Quechua T2 Ultralight pro, and we went to Bishopthorpe last summer:




The tent was rather better than the campsite which was disappointingly ramshackle compared with the glossy pictures on the website.

 

[Boris]

I have a Phad 3 and a Vango Halo 3. Both are great tents in their own way but generally speaking of I'm taking the tarp I use the Vango and if I'm not I use the Phad

Speaking of tarps I use the DD Hammocks large tarp which works brilliantly with the halo but not so good with the phad.

Stove is Coleman feather 442. Endless supply of fuel and really controllable.

Knife is Leatherman folder. One razor sharp blade and a bottle opener. Do you need more from a knife? Actually yes I take a ceramic kitchen knife as well.

Pot is MSR and Kettle Trangia (chosen 'cause it fits snugly inside the pot) and frying pan is 99p from Ikea.

Light green Thermarest and 600g down bag and I'm toasty at night

Other stuff are Ortlieb dry bags as the cheaper ones I had leaked and everything else is just standard household stuff. Knife and fork from the kitchen drawer and plastic cup with a big blister where Geoff's stove melted it. Long length of paracord for a washing like and thats me sorted.

 

[Lord Vader]

I have a Phad 3 and a Vango Halo 3. Both are great tents in their own way but generally speaking of I'm taking the tarp I use the Vango and if I'm not I use the Phad

Speaking of tarps I use the DD Hammocks large tarp which works brilliantly with the halo but not so good with the phad.

Stove is Coleman feather 442. Endless supply of fuel and really controllable.

Knife is Leatherman folder. One razor sharp blade and a bottle opener. Do you need more from a knife? Actually yes I take a ceramic kitchen knife as well.

Pot is MSR and Kettle Trangia (chosen 'cause it fits snugly inside the pot) and frying pan is 99p from Ikea.

Light green Thermarest and 600g down bag and I'm toasty at night

Other stuff are Ortlieb dry bags as the cheaper ones I had leaked and everything else is just standard household stuff. Knife and fork from the kitchen drawer and plastic cup with a big blister where Geoff's stove melted it. Long length of paracord for a washing like and thats me sorted.

WOW
If i list my stuff i take like this "War and peas ) is a paperback compared

 

[Rubberchicken]

WOW
If i list my stuff i take like this "War and peas ) is a paperback compared

Oh go on, tell us about the Swiss spices box.

 

[Lord Vader]

WOW
If i list my stuff i take like this "War and peas ) is a paperback compared

Oh go on, tell us about the Swiss spices box.

:bum:

 

[MIKETHEBIKE]

Probably teaching you lot to suck eggs ( how do they do that) anyway rather than taking a large towel camping I take a small hand towel and a flannel, after a shower use the flannel to remove most of the water then its a quick dry off with the towel. Saves room and weight in the pannier.

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

As Pete says, a waterproof travel/dog blanket is nice in the tent &/or porch or drag it outside when it's sunny, used one for years

I pinched Craigs hot waterbottle idea - utterly fantastic, I hate being cold when camping but even worse is being cold then climbing into a cold sleeping bag. Top job

Another vote for Coleman 522, the burner/bottle/hose combos just don't seem as neat.

My 6'' nail tent pegs aint the prettiest or lightest but are cheap(ish) & I've not bent one yet no matter how stony it is.

Exped synmat are good & compact but pricey (and had a couple replaced under warranty).

I also like my Ortlieb 'Rack Pack' bag cavernous, utterly waterproof & not too expensive. No rooting for something that's at the bottom of a conventional rolltop bag.

Another from Exped; Drypack pro 25 rucksack (daysack), comfy, waterproof & lightweight with rolltop closure & folds down small or doubles up as a stuffsack if required.

Phil

sent from my 'phone

 

[Lord Vader]

As Pete says, a waterproof travel/dog blanket is nice in the tent &/or porch or drag it outside when it's sunny, used one for years

I pinched Craigs hot waterbottle idea - utterly fantastic, I hate being cold when camping but even worse is being cold then climbing into a cold sleeping bag. Top job

Another vote for Coleman 522, the burner/bottle/hose combos just don't seem as neat.

My 6'' nail tent pegs aint the prettiest or lightest but are cheap(ish) & I've not bent one yet no matter how stony it is.

Exped synmat are good & compact but pricey (and had a couple replaced under warranty).

I also like my Ortlieb 'Rack Pack' bag cavernous, utterly waterproof & not too expensive. No rooting for something that's at the bottom of a conventional rolltop bag.

Another from Exped; Drypack pro 25 rucksack (daysack), comfy, waterproof & lightweight with rolltop closure & folds down small or doubles up as a stuffsack if required.

Phil

sent from my 'phone

yep i also took a waterbottle with me to austria when we went in march. Never used it,wasnt cold enough. I was so nice and warm with my 2 sleeping bags that i never used it.
Another tip for cold weather camping are these reusable hand warmer thingys,the one you just pop and through a chemical reaction they heat up. Perfect to warm your boots up in the morning. Just pop them and put into your boots with the socks on top and have another half hour sleep. Wake up and presto,warm socks and boots

 

[Rubberchicken]

Stove is Coleman feather 442. Endless supply of fuel and really controllable.

So I went and bought one of those to replace the elderly and fairly uncontrollable MSR Whisperlite, having heard and seen many good things about it being so wellbehaved.

Filled it up, it lit up nicely, not much drama, certainly for a petrol stove, until a few seconds later I noticed it gleaming and standing in a puddle, at which point the whole thing went up in flames. That was a bit exciting.

Guess I'll be bringing the MSR again next week. Bollocks.

(The MSR, which after witnessing this little bonfire, lit up nice and blue without even a hint of yellow flame. It's NEVER done that before, usually it prefers the fireball approach to warming up.)

 

[Boris]

I hope you were outside

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Rubberchicken]

On the balcony, which was close enough to being inside that it wasn't exactly a calming experience.

 

[Lowflyer]

Bottle of the Famous Grouse.

Keeps me nice and warm at nights.

Only thing is, it tends to attract some rather unsavoury characters