Bought any camping gear today?

[Nick H.]

Got it. I thought you'd be driving to base camp and then cycling without bags.

You might want to think about a Thermarest cot. I haven't tried one yet, but some customers rave about them and now leave their mat at home, in which case the weight penalty for the cot is less than a kilo. I've just read that they're good for sleeping on your back but not on your side. Who knows? I think the only way is to try it - everybody's experience will vary.

[Robert S. Thorn]

Driving is on a strictly needs must basis.  The old bus racks up about 1,000 miles annually, most of it back and forth to the elderly folks.  Only keep it for 'emergencies'.

[Butterfly]

I choose downmat/synamat over thermarest because they are warmer, they fold smaller for the thickness I need (ignoring the neoair as too cold), they have a chair kit that you can use to sit up in bed, which I find really useful for back problems and also for reading. They have always replaced promptly when I have had problems.

In about 16 years of fairly heavy and not careful use (Nye jumps all over them) I had one of the old style valves fail, one puncture (clarion's flimsy ultra light), and 2 baffle failures, one of which is also the the UL. They have replaced everthing with no quibble, even the 12 or so year old valve failure. They repaired the puncture. So whilst not a perfect record, pretty good for 16 years. We currently have 3 in service plus the UL which is waiting to be sent for repair.

[Whitestone]

I've an Exped Synmat, it's my second. The first failed in exactly the same manner as the shot in the first post - along one of the outermost welds/seams. It had been used for approximately 12 nights We were in Iceland at the time, it failed when fully inflated and I leant on it with my elbow a bit too quickly. It was replaced under warranty but with a better model - the Winterlite. The replacement has been used about 30 times so far.

I now fully inflate using the Schnozzle inflating bag then let a bit of air out.

My wife has the Hyperlite which has had similar usage (30 nights) and is fine so far.

Lightweight gear is always a compromise but the annoying thing is that lighter kit is more expensive but doesn't last as long The old CCF mats like Karrimat or the RidgeRest are reliable and fairly light but bulky and I'm getting to like comfort in my ever increasing years.

[Kim]

I've just bought a new Downmat to replace mine which suffered a baffle failure a couple of weeks ago.  It's about 7 years old, and has been decently used in that time, so fair enough.  Like Butterfly I value the warmth, and as a side-sleeper with both hips and shoulders, I value the thickness.  It seems like an acceptible trade-off, even if the NeoAir might be more reliable.  At the end of the day, if reliability really mattered that much, I'd be slumming it on closed-cell foam.

[davelodwig]

I choose downmat/synamat over thermarest because they are warmer, they fold smaller for the thickness I need (ignoring the neoair as too cold), they have a chair kit that you can use to sit up in bed, which I find really useful for back problems and also for reading. They have always replaced promptly when I have had problems.

In about 16 years of fairly heavy and not careful use (Nye jumps all over them) I had one of the old style valves fail, one puncture (clarion's flimsy ultra light), and 2 baffle failures, one of which is also the the UL. They have replaced everthing with no quibble, even the 12 or so year old valve failure. They repaired the puncture. So whilst not a perfect record, pretty good for 16 years. We currently have 3 in service plus the UL which is waiting to be sent for repair.

How did you go about getting the downmat repaired, we have two and they are great apart from the fact they go flat overnight. They arn't that old either.

Cheers

D.

[Butterfly]

Send them off. Clarion has the address somewhere, I'll get him to find it for you.

[bikepacker]

These are the importers they also offer an Exped repair service: https://lyon.co.uk/outdoor

[fhills]

I bought a small, very light, plastic chopping board, from a kitchen shop, to make camp cooking easier and, shock horror, actually cook vegetables!

Yes you can often get decent stuff for camping from normal shops - often better/cheaper than some modern over-designed bijou camping stuff.

I find the TK Maxx kitchen tools section handy at times.

My camping chopping board came from Lidl.

Am all for integrating normal domestic life and camping - I can recommend a very good camping chopping knife for your new board if you are interested. It's not light at all but is good - I now use it as my main kitchen chopping knife.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I can recommend a very good camping chopping knife for your new board if you are interested. It's not light at all but is good - I now use it as my main kitchen chopping knife.

Thanks, but I'll stick with my Opinel.

Am all for integrating normal domestic life and camping -

I sometimes feel like the best way to do this would be just not going home!

[Cudzoziemiec]

One section of one of the poles of my Wild Country tent has split at both ends. All the other sections of both poles are fine. I've just checked and WC give a two-year guarantee. I've found the receipt and I bought it three years ago. Well I can ask and see...

[mark]

Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Sleeping Mat. I got the small, 168 cm long, to save a little weight and bulk. I'm 175 cm tall, so a few centimeters of feet hanging off the end won't matter much. Feels very comfortable on my living room floor, let's see how it works when I'm actually camping.

I also got the MSR Windburner Duo stove system. I went for the MSR system instead of the JetBoil because the MSR system looked sturdier (more metal, less plastic) and appeared to offer better wind protection. I went for the Duo because I like the remote burner system- the burner and pot rest on a very stable tripod base, and I expect the remote burner to be more efficient in cold weather. I'll post a review after I use these items in the field.

[Paul H]

A Terra Nova Solar 2.2 flysheet
I can't believe it, I've had this tent for over a decade and love it.  I've been saying for the last two years that it needed replacing, the fly is shot, a combination of UV and carelessness.  I've been on the cusp of buying a £400 replacement I don't like as much and then out the blue TN have flysheets available for £160. This model has been out of production for a couple of years, I don't know where these came from, they weren't available when I asked.  Happy days. 

[iddu]

Jetboil MiniMo (sans gas)...

PSA:  Millets are knocking them out at £108, with -15% (for >£60 orders) to 11th Sept, so ~£92 in real terms. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jetboil-Minimo-Cooking-System-Black/332656421740?epid=17013576935&hash=item4d73de2b6c:g:zf8AAOSw~Sla~rK4

Or not, since they blame ‘computer problems’ for non-stock...

[Wobbly John]

Yard sales in our village today. I found a, used once, Vango Tempest 200 for less than the cost of a pint! 





 

[Kim]

I bet it smells of DofE in there...

[ElyDave]

bought an alpkit hunka last week, and a trangia meths burner today, to go with my Honey stove.

[rogerzilla]

A Coleman white gas lantern.  I like refurbishing Coleman things.

[Kim]

You should get some Geiger Counter Test Sources from eBay for that gas lamp, while you're at it...

I've bought some cotton duck fabric, with which I'm going to attempt a repair of my Coleman folding stool.

[rogerzilla]

I've just bought six NOS thorium mantles for a very reasonable price.

[cycleman]

 I bought a transgia 25 meth coo
Set complete with kettle  from Amazon and it Arrived this afternoon. When I can afford it I am hoping to get a non stick frying pan for it. I might try and do overnight camp in the next few weeks if it stays mild 

[sojournermike]

A cheap ‘Fire Maple’ stove and heat exchanger pot from Planet X, bundled with a bar bag and big heavy dry bag. Looks OK, but I’ve not 🔥 it yet. Starts with a ⚡️

[epa611]

Solo Stove Campfire and 2 pot set.  Can't use it yet as it's my Christmas presents

Sent from my STF-L09 using Tapatalk

[UshCha]

Almost camping stuff.   My favorite cafe has shut permanently so I need a bit of a shelter to brew up on these cold days so I bought one of these

ttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Michigan-1-Person-Dome-Sea-Fishing-Tent-Shelter-Lightweight-Compact-Bivvy-Bivvi/360733128605?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

About 600 grm,  just had the first put up and down.   Got it up, chair placed in the shelter, I'm not fully covered but well out of the wind.   First time with a few fumbles and it was up, chair up and sat in the chair and back down and chair and shelter packed in bags again in 14 minutes.   Could easily reduce the time by about 4 min with practice.   Not as good as the cafe but a lot better than a brew in a cold wind.

[UshCha]

Sort of.  I was reviewing my needs since replacing the frying pan with a small none stick version.   This left me with a quanddry, why have a huge Stainless plate weiging 200 grm when its not needed to cover a big fry pan.  So after the usual serach for a lightweight steel or taitanium plate the thought hit me.  Why not use a pie tin.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=1bpegPsX&id=3DF6CCE8EA8CE2DD4ED231713A1FBBCA09286A58&thid=OIP.1bpegPsXPFpISUFFB2LzBAHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.britishcornershop.co.uk%2fimg%2flarge%2fTJ0504.jpg&exph=500&expw=500&q=freybentos+pie&simid=607986854488967095&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

Light weight, good for 230 deg C and only £1.00 but you need to dispose of the contents valued at £1.00.   I am not normally big into re-cycling but somtimes its just sensible.   working on the disposal of the contents and a check the tine is good for 230 deg C at least for 25 min. https://yacf.co.uk/forum/Smileys/classic/grin.gif