Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Those Stanley cups are an awesome deal. not the best for those looking for the lightest thing but a very versatile cup

 

Very rugged too. I'm not overly concerned about weight. I removed the two inside cups, pack in instant coffee and other stuff, then have another cup that the Stanely will slide into. Makes a nice handy kit.

One thing I did notice when I first got it - reading the directions, under the cautions area, it reads "Intended for stovetop only, not for use with microwave ovens, conventional ovens, or open campfires."
ummmm....wtf? A "camp cook set" you are not supposed to use over a campfire? I emailed customer support for clarification. Here is the response from Stanley:
"Thank you for your email and interest in our products.
We do not recommend using your Stanley product in an open fire for safety reasons. Proceed at your own risk. However, your Stanley stainless steel cook pot will be fine."

 

Sounds like they are covering their ass in case somebody is cooking over a fire with it and it boils over or they fall in the fire. Everybody is sue happy these days

 

Some dumbass probably was trying to deep fry over a campfire with one of their pots and dumped it and ended up with massive burns or something.

 

Yeah, in just going to be using small stuff. Just need enough to heat up single serving stuff.

 

Sewed up the "final" version of the weiner coat today. The first one ended up being too short in length and was a bit rough in appearance. Altered the design a bit and ran into a few more things I would like to improve.

I'll be looking to sell the original for cheap, the get more materials to make a new one and sell this one after.

Never thought making a dog coat would take so much time.

 

Got one to fit this thing?


He's kind of small and he gets cold easy.

 

Not one that small! The one I have is probably a good size for a dog similar to a yorkie. I probably have enough material in scraps for that lil guy

 

I made him a sweater out of the wrist of one of my sweaters. lol

 

@BabyTaco you can get a 2pack of the down comforters at costco online for $40. They are 60"x70"..should be able to make a lot of vests out of them.
http://www.costco.com/Double-Black-Diamond-Packable-Down-Throw-2-pack.product.100314979.html

 

@Realoldfatguy, is this the style pot you have? http://m.ebay.com/itm/141567601059

 

Thanks for the heads up on that. Might look into it when I run out of my current fabric pile. I think I have enough for one more jacket.

 

Just ordered two 20* UQs!
Being in the Sierras, we've learned than UQs are needed nearly year round, especially at elevation.

 

What's your 4 season hammock setup? All I have now is a single nest, but want to look into getting something for year round. Need good rain and snow protection for my location. I want to put together a kit online and compare it to my other setup as far as weight and comfort... My biggest issue is that I'm often in the Alpine and mountains above tree line.

 

What's do you think is the lowest temp you would see? And in what conditions? Wind?

 

20°. I don't think ill be camping any lower than that. Winds up to 30 mph, but if I had a hammock setup id be in some trees where I could get enough coverage I think?

 

I'm in the Sierras. We already have snow. And expecting 12+" this weekend above 6000 feet.

I admit my winter camping skills are very dim. (Lived in the southeast for the 30 years prior to moving here last year). The quilt I got has a 0* cousin. Until I'm sure of my winter camp skills, I'll tent it (OMG!) I'll be on the JMT and above tree line much of next summer, so I'll be trying to to figure that out.
As for now, I have been down into the teens (here and SE) in my current setup.

My fave tarps are JRB and AntiGravityGear. They have storm flaps on the ends to prevent the wind tunnel effect.

 

Depends on how thick the timber is where you camp but wind probably wont be a huge deal. If you are looking to only go to 20* then you should be good to go with a good underquilt and proper sleeping gear. I would opt for a ground tent if you were going to see temps below 0. I would even modify it to have a small wood stove. It makes winter camping MUCH more enjoyable.

Most of the time I opt for day trips in the winter. We normally snow shoe a few miles, heat up some soup, enjoy the scenery and head back. You have to be really prepared for everything and its damn hard to find a friend willing to endure the suck of sleeping below 0. I wouldn't do it without a tent with a stove just because it's hard to dry clothes out otherwise. If you really want to get into winter camping, I highly suggest taking small steps. Only go no more than a 1/4 mile from your vehicle for the first few runs. That way you can easily abort if you run into issues. That should also get you used to starting a fire or setting up a tent in the snow.

This winter I am hoping to do a weekend snowshoeing trip to a reservoir in the mountains to ice fish/explore. My girlfriend isn't exactly happy with the cold so I have to make her an awesome sleeping bag and some other gear to keep her warm.

 

You're preaching to the wrong person about camping. I routinely already go 10 miles for winter camping. One way. All I said was I wanted to be better at it.

 

That info goes for anyone but props on 10 mile trips for only being in a "winter" area for a year. If I ever find people to go with me I would enjoy the longer trips. I think I may actually have the proper gear this go around. Jeans work well for day trips but not so well for multi day trips