Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Hello everyone!

I was looking at getting a new tent very soon... I had been looking at a Oz-Tent as I was also going to be getting a FoxWing very soon and they can hook up together to create a pretty good base camp setup.

I like the Oz-Tent for the setup, how tall it is so I can pretty much stand up in it, the built in awning, and so forth. It will mainly be used in warmer climates as I live in Texas, but could be used in cooler climates as well.

But I was also looking at the following brands of tents...
Big Agnes
Kelty
Nemo Equipment

Anyone had any experience with these? I am also in the market for a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag as well. Think I may go see reviews on REI... unless someone knows a good website to look for this type of equipment.

 

My Campsaver Marmot Limestone 4P tent purchase....

I set it up and put the seam sealer on, yeah I know not needed, but I do it anyway.
The blue/main poles are bent in so many ways the tent makes a few strange gyrations depending on the tension.
I contacted Campsaver and am awaiting the outcome.

 

Dang, those things are super bent!

 

This weekend I got to try out my Sierra Designs Backcountry bed duo Down. For a double sleep system its VERY roomy. Granted me and my lady friend are skinny as hell but there is still plenty of room to stay apart if wanted & the no zipper thing is great if its cold and you want a snuggle sesh. It's rated to 30* and in J-Tree it dropped to the upper 30s and we were warm in it with a thin alpaca blanket toss on the top and us close together. Packed away its about the size of most down bags in a stuff sack (Not UL bags of course). It's easy to slip in standard sleeping pads or if you on the wide style ones. Overall I'm happy with the purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking for a light weight setup for two people. It fit absolutely perfect in a Big Agnes Copper Creek UL 2.

 

No longer available.

 

My guess is it was too expensive.

 

I got a Google cache of the original web page.

Uh, yeah.

 

I like my Backcountry Bed but will still get a Revelation eventually. Especially after seeing my buddy's last week.

We went to the Davy Crockett NF and had a quite unconventional overnight trip. We had originally meant to car camp the first night, and start the overnight trip the next day. We got to the CG after dark and since it's a kind of primitive car campground, we couldn't find much since it seemed full and it was dark. We decided to just hike in a mile in on the 4C trail and found a good spot along the Neches to set up camp.


The next day after breakfast and coffee, we started off and continued southbound on the 4C. We got to the entrance of Big Slough Wilderness, where we reassessed our water situation. We had previously seen several water caches and since this was a spontaneous trip we never really considered caching ourselves. We had a filter, but knew the ponds weren't recommended to source water from due to heavy metal traces. We decided not to use the creek or river water either because we weren't sure about them, and instead decided to head back to the truck. Well, it ended up being an almost 19 mile day and a VERY unbalanced two day trip! If it wasn't so flat I don't think I'd have attempted to go that far.


Here are some photos:

 

Also, I'm heading back to Big Bend next week to do some camping/backpacking!

 

Enlightened Equipment Revelation? It's my favorite sleep system ever. Worth every penny.

 

Yeah

 

Buy it. Don't even hesitate. If you want it for early summer, you better order now as they usually have an 8-12 week lead time. I waited 14 weeks for mine.

 

Pardon my interruption, but does anyone in here have personal experience with Mystery Ranch packs? Particularly their 3-day assault pack: http://www.mysteryranch.com/co-3-day-assault-pack?quantity=1&itemcolor=2&size=7

I have a variety of packs due to my never-ending quest to find the "perfect" travel-to-dayhike pack, but am always finding issues with all my current rigs. I really like the design of the zippers, the way the waistband folds into the sides, and the material (needs to be rugged to travel). And by travel-to-dayhike, I am referring to how I generally fly across the country to spend a week or two vacationing in National Parks; my daypack serves dual purpose as my carryon for the flight. Maybe an overnight trip or two in each trip, but nothing extended.

 

Mysteryranch is usually some damn well built stuff.

However, I have a 5.11 bag that I have had for years and has gone one a ton of trips with me and it has held up to the abuse. Cheaper than the mysteryranch stuff.

 

Just ordered me a Kodiak Canvas tent the 10x14 super deluxe check it out
http://www.competitiveedgeproducts....ker=11389-23&gclid=CKezx7_FqdICFRe2wAodYtAIFg

After you put it in the cart the price drops to 599.99 and enter code CEPCOMEBACK at checkout and save 3% so it's $581 plus free shipping and no tax

 

Yep, the price of the Mystery Ranch stuff is why I keep hesitating. Which 5.11 bag?

 

Dude nice! That thing is going to look sweet at Jambo beside my Oz-Tent!

 

http://www.511tactical.com/rush-24-backpack.html

That is the one I have. The 72 may work better for you though.

 

Mystery ranch is a great company but needs to "update" their gear. Their bags are built to last but I find them lacking in comfort. Look into kifaru, stoneglacier, and seek outside for a lighter, more comfortable pack that will still handle a beating. I'll be getting a new kifaru pack for next hunting season to replace my stone glacier solo.

The best part of these packs will compress to the size of a camel back but can easily open up to carry 3-5 days of stuff depending on the size you get.

 

How well does it compress down? I really need a pack that has multiple straps to allow for shrinking/expanding of the pack. I tend to travel with the bag full, then slim down the contents for hikes.