Camping Gear

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

I've read this newsgroup for a few months now so I know
there'll be some decent advice out there and hopefully I won't only be told
to buy an Argos tent! ;-)

You'll get more than that, don't worry. Mind you, it's not a bad
place to start - it's certainly the easiest and cheapest thing
around at the moment and it's ideal for what you want.

Other things: comfort comes at a cost I'm afraid, but you're
going to want something to sleep on at night and self-inflating
mattresses are probably the best things to investigate. I have
no idea what the Argos one is like; I do, however, know that the
ones I recently bought in Lidl would not be suitable for
backpacking because of their weight and bulk. They're great for
car camping and very comfy, but you wouldn't want to be carrying
one for any distance even if you could get it inside a rucksack.
There are plenty of good offers around on sleeping bags, if you
haven't already got one: you don't need a top of the range one
just yet because it's still - allegedly - summer.

Others can advise on stoves etc - I only do car camping, so
weight isn't an issue with me.
--
Fran
If you need my email address please ask.

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 11:18:43 GMT, "Dave" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I've recently decided I want to get into camping after always staying in
hostels on previous walking trips. So now I need to get a load of camping
gear and I have no idea what to buy or even what I'll really need! So I'm
hoping people will be able to give me suggestions for tents, sleeping mats,
stoves, etc. etc. and any thoughts on other bits and pieces.

<snip>

Take a look at Hilleberg Acto tents. The webpage is
http://www.hilleberg.com, and do a Google search of this NG for
reviews. If you're looking for a stable, light, well made one/two
person tent to use in this country all year round, it's hard to do
better.

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Weight isn't a particularly important
consideration as I think I'm quite fit and strong and was fine walking the
Pennine Way a couple of years ago with a heavy pack.

I'd disagree. Over hilly country a heavy pack will reduce the amount of
ground you can cover in a day. It makes a difference regardless of how fit
and strong you are. My recollection of the Pennine Way is that most of the
hills are fairly gentle.

Adrian

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've recently decided I want to get into camping after always staying in
hostels on previous walking trips. So now I need to get a load of camping
gear and I have no idea what to buy or even what I'll really need! So I'm
hoping people will be able to give me suggestions for tents, sleeping mats,
stoves, etc. etc. and any thoughts on other bits and pieces.

Quoted message said:

Cheers and sorry for the long post,

Dave

....And my long reply, hopefuly tying up some questions I`d asked
earler.

This weekend, I finally got out to test my Argos one man tent and
assorted other kit prior to doing some wild camping. This was my
first time under canvas since doing my DoE some 8 years ago so before
doing anything more serious, picked a proper campsite in driving
distance of home (Llanthony, as recommended by someone here last
week). Hopefuly this will be my last time in a proper site, although
small and well ran, sound does travel through canvas rather too well.
Still, I got out onto the hills nice and early and walked until lunch
at Waun Fach without seeing anyone.

I didn't want to spend money on a new rucksack so took an old 65L that
cost me less than £30 about 10 years ago and had never gone walking.
The bag was spot on the right size and took the tent horizontal at the
bottom. The only problems were a basic back system and limited
padding - spreading the weight to the hips was hard. Two 9 mile walks
over the Beacons with full kit and I can say that a cheap sack will
definitely get the job done if not leave you with few aches the next
day.

A Karrimat or equivalent will be the cheapest sleeping mat option
(£4), whilst warm and light, there is no "give" making them somewhat
firm to sleep on, I may look at getting a Thermarest soon.

For cooking in the UK, gas appears to be the easiest way to go. I
picked up a Coleman burner for around £20 that takes screw-thread
cartridges, and the aluminium pan set from Argos for £10. The gas
cartridge, burner, handle and matches kept in a film canister fit
nicely inside the smallest pan/saucepan. Before leaving home, I
marked pint/litre markings on the side. From my limited knowledge of
stoves, it would appear - Gas - clean, usually safe, compact, easy,
fast but may be hard to get abroard. Petrol - Get anywhere, messy,
complicated to use/clean, dangerous. Meths (Trangia) - Easy to get,
usually safe, slow, bomb-proof stove.

For £15, The Argos tent is a lot of tent for not much money. I was
amazed by it's size when packed up and whilst not the lightest one man
tent, is way light enough for backpacking. It assembles in no time
and appears to have a very good build quality for the price. If it
gets used more than once, you've saved the price of a night in a
hostel! I would though echo some previous posts and would say the
porch is too small to cook in and the tension in the zip/hooks to
poles could cause problems, also the flysheet goes on last so hope
it's not chucking it down.

My kit list, 65l rucksack, 1 man tent, sleeping bag, Karrimat, bivvy
bag, pan, saucepan, burner, gas cartridge, spare small gas cartridge,
pan handle, matches, lighter, socks, underwear, trousers and top for
next day, food, waterproofs, fleece, boots, first aid kit, map,
compass, whistle, phone, Sigg bottle, spare compass, basic wash kit,
torch, spare batteries, spoon, bog roll, err, that's it.

Next time I'll also take earplugs, a scouring pad, a trowel and a
cheap water bladder

I'd shop around, buy cheap kit that looks like it will do the job and
upgrade when you have cash. Make sure you test your kit out near to
home before you embark on anything wilder, I camped near a local pub
selling Bullmastiff's %6 "Son of a [censored]", perfect for knocking you
out prior to sleeping in a tent.

Dave said:

Weight isn't a particularly important consideration

Famous last words.

Quoted message said:

as I think I'm
quite fit and strong and was fine walking the Pennine Way a couple of
years ago with a heavy pack.

Just because you *can* carry a heavy pack doesn't necessarily make it
enjoyable.

Quoted message said:

I've read this newsgroup for a few months now so I know there'll be
some decent advice out there and hopefully I won't only be told to
buy an Argos tent! ;-)

Buy an Argos tent. Seriously. Small and lightweight, ideal for
backpacking and wild camping. And the best reason of all is that it
will leave you loads of money to spend on other kit.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

Fran said:

because it's still - allegedly - summer.

Hmm... Let me see. Rain, showers, unsettled...

Yep, it's still summer.

You do know that Britain has a wet climate, don't you? That's why it's
coloured green.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

Peewiglet said:

Take a look at Hilleberg Acto tents.

He said he "can't afford ridiculously expensive gear".

Great tent, but he won't have any money left to buy anything else.

If he were to want a very similar tent, only cheaper and lighter, then
he might check out the new Terra Nova Laserlite at roughly £180 and
weighing a gobsmackingly light 1.1kg. Probably only a 3 season tent
though.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

Ed Whittaker said:

I didn't want to spend money on a new rucksack so took an old 65L that
cost me less than £30 about 10 years ago and had never gone walking.
The bag was spot on the right size

I keep telling people that. I don't see how anyone can go backpacking
with a smaller sack unless they are using extremely ultralight (and
non-bulky) gear.

Quoted message said:

and took the tent horizontal at the
bottom.

Here's a useful tip, especially when wild camping. Pack the tent at the
top of your rucksack. It's the first thing you need when you reach your
camp site and you really don't want to have to unpack your entire sack
if it's pouring with rain. Same logic when packing up. Put the tent in
last, ideally under the lid after closing the top of the sack, important
if it's soaking wet. I usually strap my tent to the outside using the
compression straps on the left or right. That's one reason why I don't
like rucksacks with side pockets.

Quoted message said:

A Karrimat or equivalent will be the cheapest sleeping mat option
(£4), whilst warm and light, there is no "give" making them somewhat
firm to sleep on, I may look at getting a Thermarest soon.

The latest models are extremely light, around 500g I think for a full
length one, £65 or so I think.

Quoted message said:

I would though echo some previous posts and would say the
porch is too small to cook in

But you can roll the inner tent back if you unhook it from the fly and
peg the fly instead, if you really need to. Generally though, if you
pitch the tent so that the door is in the lee of the wind and rain, you
can just about make do without too much bother.

Quoted message said:

and the tension in the zip/hooks to
poles could cause problems, also the flysheet goes on last so hope
it's not chucking it down.

But it does go up very quickly. If it really is chucking it down and
there's no let up, lay the flysheet on top of the groundsheet while
you're pegging it and putting the poles in. A bit fiddly but it will
help to keep the worst of the rain off.

Quoted message said:

My kit list, 65l rucksack, 1 man tent, sleeping bag, Karrimat, bivvy
bag,

Bivvy bag?

Quoted message said:

pan, saucepan, burner, gas cartridge, spare small gas cartridge,
pan handle, matches, lighter, socks, underwear, trousers and top for
next day,

What's wrong with using the same trousers and top?

Quoted message said:

food,

Dehydrated?

Quoted message said:

waterproofs, fleece, boots, first aid kit, map,
compass,

You forgot the... :-)

Quoted message said:

whistle, phone, Sigg bottle, spare compass,

Spare compass???

Quoted message said:

basic wash kit,
torch, spare batteries, spoon, bog roll, err, that's it.

A knife might come in handy sometimes.

Quoted message said:

Next time I'll also take earplugs,

I keep telling people about earplugs!

Quoted message said:

a scouring pad, a trowel and a
cheap water bladder

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

Dave said:

Now I do want to ask a serious question about the Argos tent because
I've had other advice saying it isn't really up to wild camping.

Not sure where you've heard that, unless it was that recent post where
someone ripped the groundsheet with an ice axe and broke both zips.
Sounded to me like the user was being a bit rough with it.

I've had no problems wild camping in mine.

Quoted message said:

Bearing in mind that I'm not experienced at all this, is the Argos
tent something I can truly rely on?

When you say rely, what are you planning to do with it? I wouldn't take
one to the Antarctic or to Everest, but it should stand up to most
British conditions if you're sensible. I've pitched mine in quite
strong winds with no problems, although if you're out in a real gale it
makes sense to find a sheltered spot to pitch it. It's not just a
question of how good the tent is, it's a question of how you use it. If
you pitch it on a mountain top in hurrican strength winds then you're
just asking for trouble.

Quoted message said:

And will it last any time at all?

Absolutely! I've probably only used mine half a dozen times so far but
it's not showing any signs of wear yet. I expect it to last quite a lot
longer. I've just bought a second one as a spare in case they stop
selling them.

Quoted message said:

Cos I am very tempted by the price!

You've really got nothing to lose have you? Even if it does fall apart
after a couple of trips (which it shouldn't unless you're an ice axe
weilding maniac) you've barely lost anything. It's so cheap you can't
really afford *not* to buy one.

I really do recommend this tent. I bought a Hilleberg Nallo 2 for £350
last year and I'm still happy to use the Argos.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

Dave said:

I'm really interested to hear what people think about this - is a
Thermarest really £61 comfier?!

Yep. Everyone who's bought one agrees. I used to use a crappy Karrimat
and always took it for granted but it was very important to find a flat,
smooth spot to pitch the tent. With a Thermarest you don't have to
worry about the ground being so even, you can pitch on quite rough
ground in comfort.

I was prompted to buy one a few years ago when I injured my shoulder and
found that I couldn't sleep on a Karrimat because of the pain. So I
bought a Luxury Thermarest for £90. Best investment I ever made, never
had aching bones since.

The Luxury is a tad large and heavy though, one of the ultralight models
would be better for general backpacking.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

"Adrian Fawcett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Weight isn't a particularly important
consideration as I think I'm quite fit and strong and was fine walking

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pennine Way a couple of years ago with a heavy pack.

I'd disagree. Over hilly country a heavy pack will reduce the amount of
ground you can cover in a day. It makes a difference regardless of how

fit

Quoted message said:

and strong you are. My recollection of the Pennine Way is that most of

the

Quoted message said:

hills are fairly gentle.

Adrian

Sorry, I obviously didn't phrase that very well - I agree with you
wholeheartedly that a light pack makes for an easier walk and do still want
light gear. It's just that weight isn't at the top of my list of priorities
because cost and comfort seem more important and I know I can still cover a
decent amount of ground with a fairly heavy pack.

And yes the hills on the Pennine Way aren't that bad but some of the days
can be quite long (especially when we took some interesting 'detours'!) :-)

Dave

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dave said:

Weight isn't a particularly important consideration

Famous last words.

Quoted message said:

as I think I'm
quite fit and strong and was fine walking the Pennine Way a couple of
years ago with a heavy pack.

Just because you *can* carry a heavy pack doesn't necessarily make it
enjoyable.

Quoted message said:

I've read this newsgroup for a few months now so I know there'll be
some decent advice out there and hopefully I won't only be told to
buy an Argos tent! ;-)

Buy an Argos tent. Seriously. Small and lightweight, ideal for
backpacking and wild camping. And the best reason of all is that it
will leave you loads of money to spend on other kit.

Paul

As I've mentioned in a previous reply on this thread I obviously phrased
that sentence about weight badly - I do want light gear; it's just not the
most important thing.

Now I do want to ask a serious question about the Argos tent because I've
had other advice saying it isn't really up to wild camping. Bearing in mind
that I'm not experienced at all this, is the Argos tent something I can
truly rely on? And will it last any time at all? Cos I am very tempted by
the price!

Dave

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ed Whittaker said:

I didn't want to spend money on a new rucksack so took an old 65L that
cost me less than £30 about 10 years ago and had never gone walking.
The bag was spot on the right size

I keep telling people that. I don't see how anyone can go backpacking
with a smaller sack unless they are using extremely ultralight (and
non-bulky) gear.

Glad to hear it - that's what size I already have!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A Karrimat or equivalent will be the cheapest sleeping mat option
(£4), whilst warm and light, there is no "give" making them somewhat
firm to sleep on, I may look at getting a Thermarest soon.

The latest models are extremely light, around 500g I think for a full
length one, £65 or so I think.

I'm really interested to hear what people think about this - is a Thermarest
really £61 comfier?!

Quoted message said:

What's wrong with using the same trousers and top?

Definitely agree there!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

waterproofs, fleece, boots, first aid kit, map,
compass,

You forgot the... :-)

Don't worry I already have my trusty GPS :-)

Dave

Paul Saunders said:

Quoted message said:

Take a look at Hilleberg Acto tents.

He said he "can't afford ridiculously expensive gear".

Great tent, but he won't have any money left to buy anything else.

If he were to want a very similar tent, only cheaper and lighter, then
he might check out the new Terra Nova Laserlite at roughly £180 and
weighing a gobsmackingly light 1.1kg. Probably only a 3 season tent
though.

Yes, that's likely to be a great tent too - my other tent's a Terra
Nova (Ultra Voyager) - and it's one of the tents I'd be looking at
closely if I was in the market at the moment.

It's a nice time to be looking for a new lightweight tent!

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ed Whittaker said:

and took the tent horizontal at the
bottom.

Here's a useful tip, especially when wild camping. Pack the tent at the
top of your rucksack. It's the first thing you need when you reach your
camp site and you really don't want to have to unpack your entire sack
if it's pouring with rain.

Keeping at the bottom, I can just undo the lower zip and whip it right
out (my tent, that is). I was about to claim it is more comfortable
there but having done a quick Google search, reckon I may be wrong and
this could open a can of worms - CoG, pivot points...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I would though echo some previous posts and would say the
porch is too small to cook in

But you can roll the inner tent back if you unhook it from the fly and
peg the fly instead, if you really need to. Generally though, if you
pitch the tent so that the door is in the lee of the wind and rain, you
can just about make do without too much bother.

Good points, I`m still getting used to it, great tent.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My kit list, 65l rucksack, 1 man tent, sleeping bag, Karrimat, bivvy
bag,

Bivvy bag?

Well, poly-bag. I`ve always carried one and kind of get carried away
forgetting i`ve got a tent. Still, I can sit on it for lunch and
slide down grassy hills on it.

Quoted message said:

What's wrong with using the same trousers and top?

I`d be happy to and probably will next time. It seems every time
anyone gives a kit list, they always mention spare clothing - better
be on the safe side. Still, I always take full waterproofs and have
yet to fall face first into a river (whilst sober...).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

food,

Dehydrated?

Yup, I`m working my way through Tesco`s dehydrated selection, the
Wayfarer stuff is just too expensive. can anyone recomend a good
desert? If I hadn`t camped by my car, the rice pudding would have
been too heavy. Now when will someone invent dehydrated water ;-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

whistle, phone, Sigg bottle, spare compass,

Spare compass???

Keep one in my first aid kit. They are easy to loose and no hassle to
carry.

Quoted message said:

A knife might come in handy sometimes.

Knew i`d missed something off that list.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Next time I'll also take earplugs,

I keep telling people about earplugs!

Quite. I had someone pitching a tent right next to me at 1:30AM with
their car headlights on and engine running. Quite disconcerting when
you are zipped up in a tent right in front. I can`t wait to get out
in the wilds and away from all that malarky, not to mention annoying
kids, dogs, stereos...

Ed.

Ed Whittaker said:

It seems every time
anyone gives a kit list, they always mention spare clothing - better
be on the safe side.

Spare yes, in the sense of wearing more if it gets colder, but not
additional clothes for making a different fashion statement each day.

Quoted message said:

Yup, I`m working my way through Tesco`s dehydrated selection, the
Wayfarer stuff is just too expensive. can anyone recomend a good
desert?

I never bother with dessert.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I keep telling people about earplugs!

Quite. I had someone pitching a tent right next to me at 1:30AM with
their car headlights on and engine running. Quite disconcerting when
you are zipped up in a tent right in front.

Exactly. Camp sites. Yugh...

Quoted message said:

I can`t wait to get out
in the wilds and away from all that malarky, not to mention annoying
kids, dogs, stereos...

Think babbling brooks, wind whistling through the grass, raindrops
splattering on the flysheet, the call of the buzzard, the baaing of the
sheep...

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=118749

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 00:29:41 +0100, "Paul Saunders"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Think babbling brooks, wind whistling through the grass, raindrops
splattering on the flysheet, the call of the buzzard, the baaing of the
sheep...

....the unmistakeable sound of a lunatic slowly unzipping the tent as
you lie with eyes wide, ears straining and body tensed, against the
Thermarest...

:-)

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

Dave said:

So I'm hoping people will be able to give me suggestions for tents

I don't know if anybody here has tried it, but Decathlon have their
T2+ Ultralight on sale at the moment for UKP45. Looks OK at a glance -
flysheet pitches first, aluminium polls and only 2kg. The porch might
be a bit small to do anything useful with, though.

The specs are at:
http://www.decathlon.fr/Magasin/produit.asp?int_DeptId=23130&int_DeptPereId=32812&int_PfId=652523
in French, because their UK site seems to only show a fraction of
their products.

-- Andrew (http://www.andreweland.org)

In article <[email hidden]>, Andrew Eland
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dave said:

So I'm hoping people will be able to give me suggestions for tents

I don't know if anybody here has tried it, but Decathlon have their
T2+ Ultralight on sale at the moment for UKP45. Looks OK at a glance -
flysheet pitches first, aluminium polls and only 2kg. The porch might
be a bit small to do anything useful with, though.

The specs are at:
http://www.decathlon.fr/Magasin/produit.asp?int_DeptId=23130&int_DeptPer
eId=32812&int_PfId=652523

They had one erected (poorly) in their Stockport shop when I was there
yesterday. It looked reasonable for the money and I might have been
tempted if I had not just bought a 2 pers tent with loads of porch space
(Saunders Spacepacker Mk1).

Some users appear happy with them here:

<http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/1/UTN/4841/last/
1/V/4/SP/328215336555364172484>

Another one that I didn't see in the shop (wasn't looking so it may have
been there) which looks a bit more interesting is:

<http://www.decathlon.fr/Magasin/produit.asp?int_DeptId=23130&int_DeptPer
eId=32812&int_PfId=589695>

Quoted message said:

in French, because their UK site seems to only show a fraction of
their products.

Yes, that is rather irritating!

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/