Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

I see these on display in sporting goods stores, They're mini samples of giant tents so they dont have to set up the real thing. I want one!!

 

If you find them let me know. Or post in the cat thread, I'm sure they'd get a surge in sales from that thread alone. I'd have to buy a few so the little assholes don't fight eachother for it.


Edit: found a few on Amazon.

 

I don’t think it will be that cheap, I was just extrapolating data. I think it’ll be in the $500 range.

 

Dont look at eBay.










They’re on eBay.

 

I had a set of these once as a JanSport rep. My daughters loved using them with their dolls. Backpacking Barbies

 

Holy shit. TarpTent priced the Notch Li at $649!

That is crazy. Also, the price of the regular one went up to $314. They updated the SilNylon material, added gear pockets, and changed to zipperless doors.

 

Kudos to the folks at REI. Bought an Osprey hydration bladder surgery in September, used it when I hiked Grand Canyon in October, then when I pulled it out to use it on a hike in Bastrop State Park earlier this week, it was leaking. They exchanged it with no problem. I did decide to go with Camelback this time.

 

Well our 5-passage Arizona Trail backpacking trip got cut short this week. We made it through 3 passages and 65 miles in 4 days, but the last 2 passages were going to put us in horrible winds and rain. After walking and camping in the rain for 2 straight days, we couldn't risk the 40mph winds and driving rain on our most dangerous and exposed section. We'll be back later in the year to conquer those passages.

 

Badass,@Seabass !!!

 

Thanks, man. It was a great trip and I got to test out some new things. I found that waking up and having to break camp in the rain SUCKS! For one stretch, it rained without a break for 30 hours and made footing really sloppy with all of the clay mud just under the top gravel on the trail. The scenery in this section was a mix of really healthy desert with some areas that were bleak and overgrazed, but overall it was quite an adventure.

 

Funny, Grand Canyon hikers were asking if rain would/had come to fill the little pockets for water.
One mans junk is another mans treasure.

 

I see Saguaros so I would assume that you started at the southern terminus? Where did you stop?

 

We started at the American Flag trailhead at the southern terminus of passage 13 and headed northbound until the northern terminus of passage 15 in Kearny just across the bridge of the Gila River.

 

Awesome!

 

Lol, TarpTent lowered the price of the Notch Li to $599. They started taking orders last night. If you substitute a Sil floor you save $60 for probably an ounce or so penalty.

 

LOL I saw that price drop, too. Definitely better to go with a DCF floor instead of silnylon so you don't get moisture soaking through from the ground. At least that's what I'd do after already using 2 tents with DCF floors. I never get condensation under my mat even during heavy rain on wet ground. Worth the extra cost.

 

Anyone done Kilimanjaro?

Seriously. I’m about to pull the trigger on a guided trip there.

 

I have friends that guide it every year. 2 different companies. PM me if you'd like a recommendation.

 

I did it about 8 years ago with IMG. It was an awesome trip other than I realized my body does not like going over 15,000 feet or at least not sleep that high. You won't regret it. The only thing I wish I had done differently is more time on a safari. We did 3 days and that was incredible but I would have preferred to stay about 5 days since I was already there. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Gotta share another stove story. This one however is about the almighty Trangia. Recently the price came down on the 25-8 set that I've been wanting for a while. The fuel bottle is not included but I do suggest having it or something sturdy for fuel transport.

$138 Trangia - 25-8 Ultralight Hard Anodized Camping Cookset | Includes: Alcohol Stove, 2 HA Pots, HA Frypan, Kettle, Upper & Lower Windshield, Pot Gripper, & Strap

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BXA2S0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



For backpacking I'd recommend the 27 size but for car camping the 25 is better. First off I did a boil test last night with the Trangia vs. the Alocs/Olicamp pot and a folding windscreen. Both came to a boil at the same time. 9.5 mins. But a Trangia is made to actually cook food, not just boil water. So I found a few recipes for single pot camp meals and tried one out this evening. The recipe is amazing! I'll get that out of the way first. I brought the water to a slight boil while adding spices. Once a boil was going in went the other ingredients as called for.

I've already developed a way to get the simmer ring onto the stove. Some people have perfected just tossing the simmer ring onto the stove but I've not mastered that. If there's a pot on the stove I remove it and then the upper windscreen. With the pot holder upside down it is possible to hold the flat tab on the simmer ring and easily place it upon the stove. Yes my handle is scratched. It arrives with somewhat sharp edges so I tried a burr on it, then a wire wheel. Feels much better now.



When the simmer ring is placed the heat is localized on one portion of the pot so turning the pot is recommended. I could tell where the food had glommed onto the bottom of the pot while stirring and began to rotate the pot a little at a bit.

The hard anodized is touted as being fairly good as a non-stick surface. This may be true but given the cheese content in the recipe I tried I wouldn't say it would be super easy to clean up while in camp. If there's a consistent water source it wouldn't be an issue. I think boil in bags would make this meal super easy. Regardless my pot is as clean as it was when it arrived.

The recipe source:
https://bearfoottheory.com/one-pot-camping-meals/
https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/cheesy-asparagus-one-pot-orzo/