Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Anybody into making their own gear?

 

Ain't nobody got time for that!

I personally don't have the talent for that. I know enough small gear makers that I get my stuff from them.

 

Just back from a Scouting weekend in North Carolina.

 

I want to. My parents ordered kits for everything from backpacks to parkas in the 80s. My dad said that company was gone now. I would love to find something like that, to teach myself to sew better. Eventually be able to custom make gear.

 

I always save my drier lent, works wonders.

The best fire starter ever is this:
Go get yourself some gasoline and the hard white syrofoam that they package stuff in like toys and ornaments and what not.
Only using a little gasoline you'll drop that into the gas and the Styrofoam will react and melt into a goopy booger substance. Make as much as you want but you'll then take that goop and put it into a solo cup or something of similar diameter and you'll put enough goop in there till its about a full inch thick. Do this to as many cups as you desire.
Now set them on a shelf away from sunlight and forget about them.
Eventually it will turn rock hard and form form a puck.
In its goop state it will burn and react like crazy but in hard puck state it's feather weight light, rock hard, and when you put flame to it it will burn very very hot very very slowly. Takes forever to burn out. Works best when you have to handle damp wood and need a steady warm flame to get things moving along and dried out.

 

Gasoline and styrene were the main ingredients of naplam, a great fire starter.

 

I'd recommend not inhaling any of it.

 

First cup of coffee on the tailgate (in my driveway). This is huge because I finally got my gear organized under the platform today. Had the truck four weeks, and it took that long to get cap on and platform built. Been planning for this moment since last fall!

 

How do you sleep in a five foot bed?

 

Must be small or curl up or hang his feet out the window.

 

I'm 5'11" and can sleep diagonally with tailgate closed. I tried it once.

 

Oatmeal from the packet with fresh wild blueberries sitting next to the creek after 7 days in Dolly Sods WV. Hands down most memorable.

 

Having the manual latch system should make it better, but the spring driven, twist latch is too sensitive to bump with your feet. itll open the back. I wish mine would have come with the manual latch. it seems a hell of a lot better.

 

Just saw your post. That is to much trouble, survival websites say tampons work really well for fire starters. haven't tried them but cotton balls from drug store and a spark works great.

 

Can't you tie some paracord to the door to keep it closed if that is a big issue?

 

its not big enough of an issue to tie myself in. it just happens sometimes when I toss and turn too much.