Author Topic: Bought any camping gear today?  (Read 331953 times)

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #575 on: 27 April, 2012, 03:22:29 pm »
They certainly look full of WIN.
 :thumbsup:

LEE

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #576 on: 27 April, 2012, 03:22:42 pm »
I have just taken delivery of an Aeropress, thanks to recommendations from many forumites. I plan to use it on the Sem Fed in August.
Also 2 feather light zippy water resistant bags for sorting clothes and stuff in my packing.
A titanium folding knife from Alpkit.
A new pen knife with nail clippers and scissors in it, the single two most useful gadgets I always wish I have with me camping!

Any chance of a link to the bags? I'm after something similar for my trip to Jersey.

I got these ones because they weigh almost nothing:
http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/exped_ultralite_zip_packs.html

Alpkit do some fantastic bargains on lightweight bags/stuffsacs.

I just bought an assortment of small ]Airlok stuffsacs, and other such things as a 4-pack of Mission Packs.

The 4 litre Airlok will just take a light fleece jacket.  The 2 litre is OK for a few undies/socks.  Very lightweight material and a good price.

Riggers

  • Mine's a pipe, er… pint!
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #577 on: 27 April, 2012, 03:45:07 pm »
Thank you Lee for that NiteIze promo. They look jolly good.
Certainly never seen cycling south of Sussex

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #578 on: 27 April, 2012, 04:49:15 pm »
<watches video>
Note. To all you clever knot-tying fanatics......I don't care that there's an equivalent knot.


Not sure I trust something designed by a man who uses a reef knot to tie rope to an eye bolt.

 :P
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #579 on: 27 April, 2012, 05:00:27 pm »
Note. To all you clever knot-tying fanatics......I don't care that there's an equivalent knot.
I suppose I must be a knot-tying fanatic.
I more see it that if you can do without a product, you should. Once you've learnt the knot, you're much less likely to lose it when you need it. :-\

LEE

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #580 on: 27 April, 2012, 05:44:07 pm »
Note. To all you clever knot-tying fanatics......I don't care that there's an equivalent knot.
I suppose I must be a knot-tying fanatic.
I more see it that if you can do without a product, you should. Once you've learnt the knot, you're much less likely to lose it when you need it. :-\

Well, to be honest, I can tie a knot good enough to suspend a tarp shelter but these make it very easy to do it perfectly in 5 seconds.

I agree with you though, eg. a GPS is no substitute for the ability to use a map (especially a GPS with dead batteries) so never rely on something totally and make sure you have a backup for gadget meltdown.

However....we all love nice gadgets and we don't actually need a camping stove, meths (burn some twigs) or even paracord (because we can always unearth some roots and fashion some cord out of that), it's nice to have things that make life a bit easier.

These are no different to carrying tent pegs really.


Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #581 on: 27 April, 2012, 06:22:13 pm »

Alpkit do some fantastic bargains on lightweight bags/stuffsacs.

I have an entire set of the Alpkit dry sacks in all the sizes  :thumbsup:
Unfortunately when I wanted something that zipped open and I could see the contents of none of theirs were suitable.

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #582 on: 28 April, 2012, 03:05:24 am »
We recently bought two fleece blankets to line our Alpkit 800 sleeping bags after freezing our bits off in Bariloche.

It's cold in the Andes in low season! Brr.

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #583 on: 02 May, 2012, 12:03:05 pm »
A wet Saturday on the internet is a dangerous thing... Things have started to be delivered.

New sleeping bag - Mountain Equipment Starlight I
New mat - Pacific Outdoors Peak Oyl Lite
New pillow - Pacific Outdoors Medium Pillow

All on offer. That little lot coupled with my Easton Kilo tent means I've dropped the weight and size of my sleeping kit in half for this year  ;D

Now, how do I avoid resisting the temptation to use the saved weight / size to carry more stuff???

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #584 on: 02 May, 2012, 12:07:35 pm »
I have a new pillow!  I didn't know I was getting it, but it arrived, courtesy of Butterfly.  It's to replace our Ajungilak Putes, which have died rather (one has sprung an unrepairable leak; the other has a slow p*nct*re).  Can't complain, mind.  They've worked hard. :)
Getting there...

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #585 on: 02 May, 2012, 12:09:59 pm »


Now, how do I avoid resisting the temptation to use the saved weight / size to carry more stuff???

I don't know but if you find out please pass on the how-to.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #586 on: 02 May, 2012, 12:14:50 pm »
Ooh that Easton tent looks very nice :)

(reminder to self you already have a new tent - even if it's 2kg)
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #587 on: 02 May, 2012, 02:36:22 pm »
We recently bought two fleece blankets to line our Alpkit 800 sleeping bags after freezing our bits off in Bariloche.

It's cold in the Andes in low season! Brr.

Cold even in an 800?  :o
I might have to rethink which Alpkit bag I'm saving up for!

snail

  • Inch by inch.
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #588 on: 02 May, 2012, 03:57:12 pm »
Just bought a "cooking on the campsite" book from M&S and now want to get out and try the recipes. I know, I could cook them at home...but that seems wrong, somehow.

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #589 on: 02 May, 2012, 05:12:49 pm »
Ooh that Easton tent looks very nice :)

(reminder to self you already have a new tent - even if it's 2kg)

The Kilo? Oh yes... lovely, light, will have to see how it stands up to the monsoon season we are currently experiencing...

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #590 on: 03 May, 2012, 12:33:58 am »
We recently bought two fleece blankets to line our Alpkit 800 sleeping bags after freezing our bits off in Bariloche.

It's cold in the Andes in low season! Brr.

Cold even in an 800?  :o
I might have to rethink which Alpkit bag I'm saving up for!
Yes, it was *extremely* cold and humid at nights down in Patagonia. Other cycle tourists we met had 4-5 season down bags, or summer sleeping bags inside their 3 season bags. My main problem with my Alpkit bag, after four years of steady use, is that the feathers have squashed down in the part I lie on, or moved entirely towards the bottom of the bag, and it's very hard to move the down back into the correct pockets. So, I have toasty feet, but a cold bottom! The fleece liner helped a lot. 

Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #591 on: 03 May, 2012, 09:56:53 am »
do presents go into this thread?  [it's only 6 months late, but] my b'day present from littlebrother are some paper-light titanium pots.  Shiny!

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #592 on: 03 May, 2012, 08:01:09 pm »
Bought a nice sleeping bag.  :)
It is simpler than it looks.

MercuryKev

  • Maxin' n Audaxin'
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #593 on: 04 May, 2012, 06:42:14 pm »
I was looking for a summer sleeping bag so I treated myself to a Western Mountaineering Summerlite.  It arrived this morning and it is very impressive - just over 500g, rate to 0c and I can pack it down to an amazingly small size.  It also lofts up very well and is a nice cherry red colour :D

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #594 on: 04 May, 2012, 07:58:13 pm »
Mine is purple. ;)
It is simpler than it looks.

MercuryKev

  • Maxin' n Audaxin'
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #595 on: 04 May, 2012, 10:14:21 pm »
Mine is purple. ;)

How have you found it?  First impressions is that it's a quality bit of kit.

Speshact

  • Charlie
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #596 on: 05 May, 2012, 04:17:52 pm »
three camping stools at £3.99 a piece, marked down from £15.99,  from Trespass in Covent Gdn - they've got a good sale on.

On the 'have it in stock for when you need it' side of things, the reduced price Nikwax wash/reproofer is worth checking out if you're passing through CG (or if they've other stores elsewhere).

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #597 on: 05 May, 2012, 06:10:45 pm »
Mine is purple. ;)

How have you found it?  First impressions is that it's a quality bit of kit.

Yes, looks well made. Tonight is the first use. It is supposed to be freezing, so I'll report back tomorrow.
It is simpler than it looks.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #598 on: 06 May, 2012, 10:27:49 am »
450gm of warmth. I kept my socks on, and feet were too hot to start with. As it cooled in the night I cocooned myself with the head bit and was very snug.

Noticed this morning that the door zipper by my side was undone, so the bag is even more impressive than I thought  ;D
It is simpler than it looks.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Bought any camping gear today?
« Reply #599 on: 14 May, 2012, 01:54:08 pm »
Trangia multi-disc and non-stick frying pan arrived at the weekend.  Not being a huge pasta fan, I'd managed thus far without an easy way to drain things, but now barakta's doing the cycle-camping thing, it seems like a good thing to have.

I note the non-stick pan is about 40g lighter (I weighed it to see whether I was imagining the difference) than the aluminium one, which is a win.

I've also ordered a footprint for the Akto, to make better use of the porch space in 'drought' conditions.