Author Topic: Bought any camping gear today? (Read 334965 times)

Canardly · « **Reply #1375 on:** 06 December, 2017, 12:50:00 pm »

I like the look of that PD.

Pedaldog. · « **Reply #1376 on:** 06 December, 2017, 04:13:12 pm »

i got it in a Complicated Four-Way-Trade. I'm planning on a "Camp Every Month" next year. Any day, any place, other than the garden out front, and try to actually get myself Fettled as well as I can. The size means that being stuck inside in a Hyooge Storm Means I can sit with "Book 'n Brew. If TEH HEDD gets too bad to face the daylight I still have space to writhe in agony.
Anybody doing any trips on the last weekend in January, unlikely I know, please let me know. My Birthday's the 24th, Wednesday, so I'd like to Celebrate it, for a change, in a Camp on the weekend of the 26th/28th.

mark · « **Reply #1377 on:** 09 December, 2017, 08:06:14 pm »

Ordered a few days ago, arrives last night:
An MSR Thru-Hiker 70 Wing Tarp. It's a 70 square foot/6.5 square meter tarp with pegs and guy lines, to be used next summer for back country trips when mild weather is forecast and I want to travel light. I also got a set of MSR snow stakes, to be used this winter on back country trips.

Aushiker · « **Reply #1378 on:** 27 December, 2017, 05:50:52 am »

This week I have placed an order for a Soto Amicus stove and a Mont-bell US Plasma 1000 down jacket. Still need to find a replacement for my Exped Synmat UL 7S which has had its baffles fail [second Exped mat to fail] so will probably get a Sea to Summit Lightweight Insulated mat as a replacement when I can get a good deal on one.

fhills · « **Reply #1379 on:** 28 December, 2017, 09:50:12 am »

Quote from: Pedaldog on 05 December, 2017, 01:23:17 am

A "Whackin' Gurt Fortress"
Huge and weighs a Hefty few Kilos.
For a Base Camp type do, it should be excellent. Unlikely to carry it for a Moving on tour, simply because of the weight.

Robens Fortress 3.

Sounds good. I rate Robens. If you want one for cycling use I can recommend the Robens Lodge 2. Great tent for one.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #1380 on:** 30 December, 2017, 05:23:58 pm »

Anybody here tried a Fjallraven tent? I'm intrigued to know how they stack up against Hilleberg.

fhills · « **Reply #1381 on:** 31 December, 2017, 08:12:37 am »

Snugpak ionosphere

As in here, though not from them:

https://www.militarykit.com/product_categories/field_camping_survival/bivi_bags_bashas_shelters_hammocks/product_pages/shelter_1_person_ionosphere_snugpak.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_vmLrOaz2AIVxbDtCh2SrQCNEAAYASAAEgKz4_D_BwE

For solo quick trips.

MalRees · « **Reply #1382 on:** 31 December, 2017, 11:00:36 am »

Quote from: Polar Bear on 30 December, 2017, 05:23:58 pm

Anybody here tried a Fjallraven tent? I'm intrigued to know how they stack up against Hilleberg.

We have an Abisko Endurance. Quality is superb. Can't compare to Hilleberg as we don't have one but we've been really impressed. Got mine as an ex demo model which made it affordable. .. Good kit doesn't come cheap!

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

Polar Bear · « **Reply #1383 on:** 31 December, 2017, 11:17:03 am »

Quote from: MalRees on 31 December, 2017, 11:00:36 am

Quote from: Polar Bear on 30 December, 2017, 05:23:58 pm
Anybody here tried a Fjallraven tent? I'm intrigued to know how they stack up against Hilleberg.
We have an Abisko Endurance. Quality is superb. Can't compare to Hilleberg as we don't have one but we've been really impressed. Got mine as an ex demo model which made it affordable. .. Good kit doesn't come cheap!

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

I am looking at the Keb Endurance 3. Everything that I get from my Hilleberg Nammatj 3GT plus snow skirts and a door each side of the vestibule. Pity red is not an option.

MalRees · « **Reply #1384 on:** 31 December, 2017, 05:36:52 pm »

Just rechecked and ours is actually the Keb Endurance 3, not the Abisko version. Ours come in at just over 4kg, so we split the pack between two when on the bike. I really like the width in the living quarters - there's loads of space for 2 and it will definitely work for two and a small one. Having two doors is definitely a boon as well. If you can get the right deal then try one. Ours was £450, reduced from £975.

mark · « **Reply #1385 on:** 03 April, 2018, 04:59:29 am »

Sea to Summit Air Chair (turns my sleeping pad into a chair), Sea to Summit mosquito netting head covering and a Sea to Summit Tyvek ground sheet (to go with the tarp I got for minimalist camping).

Aushiker · « **Reply #1386 on:** 05 April, 2018, 06:34:20 am »

My replacement sleeping mat arrived today; a Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated mat, size small. It replaces my now dead Exped Synmat UL 7S and also brings to an end my experiment with Exped gear.

The other piece of gear was an Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket from Massdrop to replace the RAB Flashpoint Jacket I managed to loose at the end (literally on the last few kilometres to home) of my last bikepacking trip.

bikepacker · « **Reply #1387 on:** 05 April, 2018, 07:19:11 pm »

Due to aging problems that have caused me to be restricted when getting up and down in low tents, I have purchased a Vango Galaxy 200. Uttings were doing it for £129 over Easter so I thought I would give it a try. I will probably only use it on shortish trips or in going by car.

Paul H · « **Reply #1388 on:** 05 April, 2018, 08:08:52 pm »

Quote from: Aushiker on 05 April, 2018, 06:34:20 am

My replacement sleeping mat arrived today; a Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated mat, size small. It replaces my now dead Exped Synmat UL 7S and also brings to an end my experiment with Exped gear.

That looks interesting, look forward to hearing how you get on with it.
The construction method that leads to delamination isn't unique to Exped, HF welded seams always have a cross piece to secure them, something that can't be done on an internal baffle. I've had two go, a Big Agnes and an Exped and the replacement Exped is on the way out, I'm going to be looking for something offering the same comfort and insulation with a different construction.

Whitestone · « **Reply #1389 on:** 05 April, 2018, 09:02:54 pm »

I've had one Exped mat delaminate which was replaced under warranty. A bit of searching led to me not fully inflating the mat - I actually fully inflate it then let a bit of air out. The idea is that having some room for the air to move around means that there aren't the same stresses on the welded seams.

Paul H · « **Reply #1390 on:** 05 April, 2018, 09:26:25 pm »

Quote from: Whitestone on 05 April, 2018, 09:02:54 pm

I've had one Exped mat delaminate which was replaced under warranty. A bit of searching led to me not fully inflating the mat - I actually fully inflate it then let a bit of air out. The idea is that having some room for the air to move around means that there aren't the same stresses on the welded seams.

I wrote this on the forum some years ago

Quote

The guide that came with the Big Agnes mat (Similar to a Synmat) said when inflated correctly you should feel the ground when you kneel on it, but not when you kneel on it and take half the weight on your arms. The diagram made it clearer, two contact points = feel the ground. Four contact points = off the ground.

That's plenty of room for air to move around, it didn't stop the two failures.
If you look at any other product that's HF welded, I doubt you'll find a seam without a cross piece. That's not to say every mat is going to fail, but the chances are too high for me to have another.
OT - I used to manufacture tarpaulins and marquees, the end of every welded seam is either stitched or bolted.

Aushiker · « **Reply #1391 on:** 06 April, 2018, 07:12:33 am »

Quote from: Paul H on 05 April, 2018, 08:08:52 pm

That looks interesting, look forward to hearing how you get on with it.
The construction method that leads to delamination isn't unique to Exped, HF welded seams always have a cross piece to secure them, something that can't be done on an internal baffle. I've had two go, a Big Agnes and an Exped and the replacement Exped is on the way out, I'm going to be looking for something offering the same comfort and insulation with a different construction.

The construction method is apparently, "Extrusion Lamination method of construction makes this mat incredibly durable, so it’ll be able to handle the rough conditions you take it though." Not sure exactly what that means or if it is a fancy way of saying HF welded.