Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Not sure what route you're taking, but I would highly recommend stopping in Sedona while you're in AZ. The town is neat, but the drive/scenery is amazing! Plus, you'll be going at a good time when tourist season isn't in full swing yet, things aren't too hot yet, and it should be greener than normal since it's close to spring (which looks awesome in the red-rock setting). The town is between Phoenix (on I-10) and Flagstaff (on I-40), so it'll probably take you a a couple hours out of your way no matter which route your taking along the south.

 

Grand Canyon.
A little ditch along the way. An added treat would be to take the railroad from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon.
Eat at the El Tovar hotel or the Arizona Room.

Walk down into the canyon at least long enough to feel the depth. Bright Angel Trail, at least through the hole in the wall. Stop and feel it. Bucket list stuff. That 'ditch' is huge.

Flagstaff, Prescott, too.
Then it is just the I-40 to the I-15 to SoCal.

 

Southeast Arizona has Chiricahua National Monument.
https://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm
The drive getting there takes you through some of the most beautiful SW territory, New Mexico. I love that place. Silver City, etc.

Then Tombstone.

 

Check out some of the fly/lure boxes. I got some really nice, waterproof fly boxes at Dick's for less than $10... real O ring seal, nice latch, crush proof, 'bout the size of paperback book. Perfect.

 

Also, for the mega-frugal: mountain bike or motorcycle inner tube... cut a chunk, tie a knot in one end, stuff your goodies in, tie a knot in the other end, mark the contents with a white 'paint' pen or cut a 'tag' from a Clorox bottle, write on it with a sharpie, hole punch and zip tie it through the knot... indestructable. (Cavers have made these 'sausages' for years for hauling all sorts of stuff underground)

 

Here's a fun little find called the LighterBro. It's a metal sleeve for either a Mini Bic or a full-size Bic that has a blade and a couple tools on it. I always carry a Mini Bic in my backpacking gear, so this puts my utility knife and my lighter in one place. I like the additional scissors on the full-size version, but it's not worth the extra size/weight.

The Mini Bic version (left in pic) weighs .81oz on my scale, which is lighter than any small multi-tool that has a blade. It has a small katana-style blade and a thin pick/flat screwdriver. The full-size version weighs 1.85oz and has a larger katana-style blade, a longer pick/flat screwdriver, and the scissors. Both can open a beer bottle from the bottom when the tools are closed. There's a small lip that grabs the bottle cap. All of them come with a small keyring on the butt end to put it on a keychain.

They come in stainless, black painted stainless, or gold (larger only). The mini version is $10 on Amazon, and the larger one is $10-15 depending on color.

Stainless Mini - http://amzn.to/2Fe3o84
Black Mini - http://amzn.to/2oHmoBh
Stainless full-size - http://amzn.to/2FaMWkH
Gold full-size - http://amzn.to/2FcnNpL

 

Made a turtledog stand for my hammock today. Came out way better than I anticipated.

 

Nice job.

But FORD?

 

I just bought a military surplus 1 man ICS tent. I set it up this afternoon to make sure everything is in order and none of the pieces are missing. The good news is the tent looks good. The bad news is it smells pretty foul. Anyone know the best way to get rid of the odor? There is no visible mold/mildew so I am not sure what is causing the odor. The rain fly on this tent is “blacked out” and it was semi stuck together when I unpacked the tent, that’s the only thing I can think of. I have never run into a tent that smelled this way in all my years of camping.

 

Probably used as a body bag, you'll never get the smell out. JK, maybe try leaving it outside a few days to air it out ?

 

Was free. Keeps the garage floor clean. That’s all.

Looked at one of these the other day as well.

Maybe leave it in the sun for a while.
Atleast setup with air curculating on it.

 

It’s a prettt sweet little tent. I plan to just keep mine in the truck for any impromptu trips I find myself on.

 

Whatd it cost you?
I looked at one the other day for $75

 

Soak it in the bathtub with Tech Wash for a few hours (really knead it into the material with your hands every hour or so), then rinse and air dry. That stuff does the trick on my packs, tents and rain gear and will save and even replace some of the waterproofing.

 

Got mine for $85

 

Not bad at all.

 

You can also wash your tent with Simple Green, bathtub or front loading machine. If that sounds daunting, set it up in the backyard for a day and spray it inside and out with a Simple Green/water solution. Simple Green will eliminate any organic odor/stain without harming a floor or fly coating.

 

The 'dry' option - heavy duty trash bag, big box of baking soda... dump it inside and outside the tent... shake and bake. Leave it in the closed trash bag for a week.

Vigorous shaking, reveresed ShopVac or air nozzle to get the BS out.

The BS dust will micro-scuff the membranes and get the stickiness outa the fabric too

 

Any of these methods cause discoloration?

 

Baking Soda has not, in my experience. I actually leave 'stink balls' in my gear storage containers (a little baking soda in an old bandana or similar fabric w/ a rubber band around it)