Camping season coming up fast...

Michael_Aos

Michael_Aos

Joined
Jan 25, 2001
Messages
1,639
When I say "camping", I mean taking a bunch of 4x4's up into the mountains and hauling all kinds of junk with us. "Car camping", if you will.

Last year I carried a bunch of "stuff" with me around camp. It was nice to have if we decided to just head off on a hike, but it was more than a little bit of a pain when I was just sitting around drinking beer!

:-)

On "the belt that holds up my pants" (as opposed to my "gun belt") I had:

Surefire G2 (flashlight)
Leatherman Flair
MOD Trident (knife)
Uncle Mikes .22 holster
Entrek Companion (knife)

Plus a Princeton Tech flashlight in my cargo pocket, along with a windproof lighter and misc.

I'm thinking I should replace the Entrek with a Dozier Pro Guides knife, ditch the Trident, and replace both flashlights with a single Surefire A2. I'm still debating whether the Leatherman is worth the weight / bother. Any other suggestions?

Mike
 
I don't have to worry about packing light.

I have a two seat (not a king cab) Ford F-150, step side, short box. It has a locking fiberglass cover, a good one. There's molding on the edges to perfectly seal the lid, and a locking cap at both of the lid's rear corners. It doesn't rattle.

We stow everything in the bed and lock it. Let's suppose you wanted to carry groceries. It will easily take 9 bags wide, and 8 bags deep. That's 72 bags of groceries for the mental picture.

Our friends have a new V-8 Lexus SUV with the air assisted lift. They carry the GPS. I follow them; we usually put the women in one truck, and the men take my truck. We have lots of room left over, even when we tote the prairie dog rifles and supplies.
 
For camping, you'd be fine ditching your Surefire A2 for a little keychain LED flashlight, but if you just plain really want a bright spotlight type of light, a headlamp is far more convenient and useful than a handheld light.

--Mike
 
I just got back from a short (4 day) backpacking trip in SE Arizona. Weight was definitely a concern but I didn't regret any of my belt gear.

On my belt I carried:

Leatherman Wave
Large Sebenza
Inova X5T LED
7" Moxie by Robert Hankins


I also had a Surefire C3 with red filter in pocket.

The Leatherman was used for gear maintanence/repair, cactus spine removal (from dog). The Sebenza was mostly used for light cutting tasks/food preparation. The Inova was a great general purpose light. Scouting for wildlife with the SF C3 with the red filter was alot of fun. The red light keeps your eyes adjusted to the dark so the stars overhead were amazing. Red light is enough to pick up eye reflections. Flip open the filter and you have an intense white spotlight with an unbelievable throw. IMHO the A2 would be too great a compromise in the battery longevity of the LED and the power of the incandescent. I wouldn't want a brighter light than the Inova for general camp tasks and trail hiking because bright lights ruin your night vision and you end up tuning out the wilderness around you.

The only tool I didn't use much was the 7" Moxie. I brought the Moxie as a part of my survival system (in the event of having to stay longer than expected in the wilderness). I would take off the Moxie when sitting around camp at night but was glad to have it at arms reach (drop sheath) while hiking --> I have this terrible paranoia of a mountain lion jumping on my back and going for the base of my skull.

-- Dizos
 
BTW I also brought a keychain LED (Microlight) which broke. I think the keychain lights are fine for a backup light source but after this experience I wouldn't trust them. However, I imagine the ARC AAA would probably be a good keychain option.

-- Dizos
 
Originally posted by Michael_Aos
It was nice to have if we decided to just head off on a hike, but it was more than a little bit of a pain when I was just sitting around drinking beer!
Click to expand...

Are you sure you don't want to go "real camping"? It sounds like you're preparing for it anyway, and you seem like someone who actually might want to go off on a hike...can you get one other person to conspire with you to take a day pack with a sleeping bag and hike a few miles from the car?


I'm thinking I should replace the Entrek with a Dozier Pro Guides knife, ditch the Trident, and replace both flashlights with a single Surefire A2. I'm still debating whether the Leatherman is worth the weight / bother.
Click to expand...

I'd go with an LED light just because bulb/battery burnout wouldn't be an issue.
If you're not going that far from the car, why not take just the Leatherman? The blade's good enough for most of what you'll be dealing with. (Otherwise get an SAK with a corkscrew.)

We all love good knives, but we tend to over-pack for simple outdoor trips.
 
I've always figured if I need to carry a flashlight I need to carry two. Gotta carry spare batteries and a bulb anyway and the best way to carry them is in another flashlight, all ready to turn on.
 
I'm just thinking the A2 would be nice -- instead of actually CARRYING 2 flashlights all the time -- an LED for "normal" stuff and a Surefire for "special" stuff.

Yeah, I'd pack a spare flashlight in the car, but wouldn't actually CARRY the thing around.

Last year I carried the Surefire on my belt and the Princeton Tech in my pocket.

Mike
 
"I also brought a keychain LED (Microlight) which broke. I think the keychain lights are fine for a backup light source but after this experience I wouldn't trust them."

Just because one single light from one single manufacturer broke, you've lost your trust of the entire class of products from all makers?

It's good to have a healthy distrust of the reliability of your important gear, but there are LED keychain flashlights that are far more sturdy and reliable than a Photon Microlight. Get your self a Free Light from Avexa, and you'll see.

Having a back-up is a good idea, but there is no reason not to have keychain LEDs as BOTH your primary choice and your back-up. They're light enough and small enough to carry a spare or two (though, if you get the Free Light, you're less likely to need the spare).

--Mike
 
Good point on the keychain lights. I still wouldn't want one for my primary camping light.

The Free Light from Avexa looks pretty cool. I like the fact that it is solar powered.

-- Dizos
 
Hey Michael, you've been drooling all over that Dozier Pro Guide for too long! Go ahead and get one! You have my blessings. ;) :D

Seriously, you wont regret it. But, I gotta tell you. As much as I love my Pro Guide, the Wilderness knife is better. A little more handle, slightly thicker steel, but still Dozier sharp. Go with the Wilderness knife!
 
I know, I know.

My GF wants a new new tent instead.

I shot an e-mail off to mailto:info@DozierKnives.com, to see what the wait would be for a Wilderness with a left-hand sheath.

:-)

Mike
 
5-months for a left-hand Wilderness knife.

Maybe I'll order myself one for Christmas.

:-)

I saw some pictures of an "Anorexic Badger" that really caught my eye. That's why I didn't just order the Pro Guides knife last week (before the "new tent" thing came up).

Mike
 
Order the Wilderness knife; and since you have to wait, you might as well get the color micarta on it you like. I believe it comes standard with the pale yellow micarta, but mine has green canvas micarta. I like it a lot.
 
Our current back order is approx. 5 months. We ask for a $25.00 deposit and the balance is due when your knife is completed. Desert Ironwood is $40.00 more.

Yeah, I keep thinking I'd like to go with a Desert Ironwood "theme" to all my knives.

It hasn't happened yet, but I like the idea.

Here's my desert ironwood K1 with left-hand Wilderness sheath.

K1-1.jpg
 
Love that ironwood! Some people go GaGa over burl ironwood, but I like the swirly grain stuff, just like on yours. That's what is on my Pro Guide.
 
I carried that Entrek Companion around last year. It's "OK", but it's really heavy, the sheath is kinda cheesy and I don't like the bead-blast 440C -- it's a pain to wipe crud off. Scratches really easily too.

I have this dressed-up Patton "Field Unit". I've always considered it to big (5.125" blade) and too expensive to drag out to the woods.

FU-1.jpg


FU-2.jpg
 
No mention of a left-hand sheath.

:mad:

But to me this is a very reasonable "camping" knife, as opposed to a "camp" knife.

dkh-mh4crv.jpg
 
There has been a lot of interest in the Nuwai brand of led/incandescent combo lights over at Candlepowerforums.com (cabelas sells these at about $40 or so). One of these lights may make a good alternative. My personal camping light is a Princeton Tec Attitude w/ a spare Rage lamp assembly - both work well for all the camp chores I've encountered, and runs on cheap AAA batteries.

I also carry a Photon II (white) on a lanyard w/ a Traser glowring attached (makes it easy to find in the night as a "gotta utilize the treeline" light :)

Sam
 
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