Lets talk camping and a mini gear review

wildmanh

wildmanh

Part time Leather Bender/Sheath maker
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Messages
7,764
This camping season I plan on doing a lot more camping then previous years. Back in High school and college I'd go camping at least 6 times a year, and do tons of hikes. It tappered off when I moved to Provo but last fall I started doing more and plan to keep doing more.

When the snow melts below 9,000 feet I'm going to borrow my brothers truck and take it up Pason Canyon, to the base of Mount Nebo or up Spring City Cayon. Will even go on some Solo campouts if I can't find anyone to go with me. As soon as Huntington Reservoir is free of ice this spring I hope to go fishing, Rafting and camping there.

Here's a link to my Facebook Album from last falls trip to Huntington Res: Huntington September 2009 This year when I go back I plan to have a raft with me and use it to get to the campsites on the back of the res.

Got a new Pack that I'll be using to haul my gear around when I go camping or backpacking. Posted a mini review of it on my web site here: Blackhawk SOF Ruck Mini Review. Posted about it in the W&SS forum but some of you don't go there so I thought I'd let you know about it. Here's a link to that thread Review Discussion

Anyone got any pictures from recent campouts that they'd like to share or want to talk about their campouts?
 
Man i would love to go camping/hiking but my spring and summers are pretty full up. Now with a lil' on on the way it might be a few years before we go again:D

I never get too far from the truck when we camp, so keeping things minimalist isn't really a priority. The camp site is stationary generally and consists of basic tent, cast iron pan, water bottles, cooler with rations, propane camp stove. Basic creature comforts for my wife:rolleyes: Usually the camp site has a full sized khuk like a WWII.

I usually have a lot of supplies in the truck. Extra fuel, extra wood, full sized khuk, and a 12 gauge should I need it.

As far as hiking goes, I generally just bring a pack with a couple canteens of water, first aid kit, multi-tool/SAK, Fiddleback Woodsman, a compass, and a revolver.
 
I am looking forward to alot of camping this year with the Scout Troop my sons, lady, and I are involved with. I am signed up to go to summer camp as an Assistant Scout Master.I just got a new pair of boots, and last year got a new pack to replace my early 80's pack. Man, packs sure have improved over the last 20-some years. We also just got my lady, Lil-Bit, a Deuter pack (08 color-way, on closeout) for over 65% off. Finding a pack to comfortably fit a 4 ft 11 lady can be a challenge, and Lil-Bit is thrilled to finally have one that won't beat her to death.
We are equipped to do anything from ultra-light backpacking to pop-up family camping.
When our 2 single parent families merged, the gear shelves in the garage started overflowing fast! When we family camp I usually have a Frosts knife (best $11 knife I ever bought!)and my 15 in BAS in my pack, along with a 1911 .45 where legal.
When with the Scouts, the firearms have to wait in the gun safe.
I am looking forward to a good summer in the outdoors this yr.!
 
Equipment rules, from camping (and costuming) at the Ren Faire:

- Have two shirts available: one dries while the other is worn.
- ALWAYS have a knife.
- Nothing's as comfortable as moccasins.
- Have a rain cloak.
- Poofy shirts are WAY cooler......in both senses.
- Armor sucks!;)
 
Heber, we're looking forward to seeing you this Summer. I'll bring Godzilla and some other fun stuff.

Friends around a campfire, a few dutch oven meals and some wood hungry khukuris, very nice.
 
We usually just go camping on our own property :D

HPIM0471.jpg
 
I'm with you: got camping on the brain. I'll get links to my girlfriend's camping albums.
We spend a lot of time in Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Looking into Dutch ovens this year :) Any suggestions are welcome ;)

As for mocs, I go softsole. Always wanted a pair with latigo soles, Dine style. Mainly for sentimental reasons, as my grandfather's people would have approved.

Wood smoke, hearty meals, fresh air, quiet conversation (or no conversation), day hikes, following tracks, more reasons to handle knives, and late night bobcat screams :) Can't wait.
 
Diablero, have you ever done Duncan's Knob/Scotthorn Gap circuit hike? It's an old favorite of mine.

Yvsa, I have always wanted a pr of those kind of moccasins, hard to find around here.
Sometimes I miss living out West.
 
My partner and I are counting down the days until ice-out around here so we can head back into the BWCA. We are going to do an early spring and late fall trip this year and skip deer season.

Last year I switched from a tent to a Clark NX-250 hammock and was mighty pleased with it. Also, we switched from an open fire to a big (20-quart) TLUD stove (top lit updraft) made from a couple buckets which cut firewood use by about 70%.

These two improvements really eliminate alot of "work," so we hope to spend alot more time laboring on the catching and release of smallmouth bass.

It has been a long winter and my spirits need a recharge bad.
 
Yvsa said:
That is if they have the proper hard leather soles. We use the white latigo leather for ours.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Mine have "goop," made from tire shavings and barge cement. The site where I got them, SodHoppers, has some other interesting ideas for sole-ry, as well.
 
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Nicholas said:
Mine have "goop," made from tire shavings and barge cement. The site where I got them, SodHoppers, has some other interesting ideas for sole-ry, as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks Nicholas. That would be a great alternative for some really hard use moccasins! I'm not sure how long a latigo sole moccasin would hold up but I know that when many tribes went on raiding parties they carried the materials for making new moccasins or re-soling old ones along the trail.
I have two pair that I made, the first pair I made that wasn't up to par for dancing in the Arena that I like to wear when taking road trips and the 2nd pair that I made for my dance outfit.
They're not hard to make at all, just takes a little time and preparation....

Oh yeah, when I clicked on your Sodhopper link I got a website for a specific breed of dog and couldn't find any references to moccasin soles so I Googled Sodhoppers Moccasins and found them. Then when you click, "Home" it takes you back to the dog site. :confused:


....
 
Apparently, they have a side business, and they're "Splitting" the site. Not very considerate of them, but I'm about to correct the link.
 
Link corrected. Meanwhile, these are only on company making this kind of moccasin: there's also Mystic Soles, who used to be Bald Mountain, and were at just about every Faire.
SodHoppers just happens to be where I got MY pair, and you see that Rennie guy in blue? I actually KNOW him!

My only advice is, to pattern them for wear with socks, and NOT to get black ones if you live in a warm climate!
 
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Kismet said:
Heber?

make sure it is a very good inflatable raft, please.

tyvm
Click to expand...

Kismet, I'm thinking of getting a Sevylor 3 Person Super Caravelle. Had a 2 Person Caravelle and it worked great on the small Reservoirs around Spring city. Been wondering if the Super Caravelle's are a good inexpencive one to go with for paddling acrost a calm Res.... By the way I will be getting good life vests for when I go out on it.

-----

Back in the mid 90's I bought a Coleman 2 burner camp stove, the kind that takes 1lb propane tanks and folds up. A few years ago I stopped working and I just got around to pricing out the parts to fix it. Coleman is out of stock on the parts, but another dealer has them and wants more for the parts then the current version of the stove sells for. :eek: :( So it looks like I'll be getting a new 2 burner stove for summer camping. I'm looking at the Coleman PerfectFlow 2-Burner Stove. Then I plan on getting the adaptor so I can use it with 5lb and 20lb Propane tanks.
 
I bought a Coleman Peak 1 backpacking stove in the early 80's.

Well almost as soon as I bought it it started having trouble so I called Coleman and they put me in touch with this guy that repaired them.

It was an old retired guy and I talked to him on the phone and he said it sounded like a generator and he'd order me one to bring it up.

Well I did and he called me a few days later and said it just had some dirt. Didn't need the generator and charged me 5 bucks or so.

Fast forward like 20 plus years a couple years ago it stopped working. I use a lighter stove for backpacking but the Peak 1 is still my car camping stove.

So I call Coleman and nobody in this area anymore:thumbdn:

Just out of curiosity I look thru the yellow pages for that guy, named Holstein no luck. But I find him in the White Pages. His shop was in his basement.

"I don't repair them anymore, but I still have some parts from where I used to have the business. Bring it up."

So same house a much older Mr Holstein we go to his basement. He diagnoses the problem. Grabs the generator he bought for my repair job 20 years ago, still in the package puts it in.

I laughed and told him that he ordered that for me. "Well there it was all these years waiting for you" he said:thumbup:;)
 
Awesome story! I have an older Coleman Peak 1 stove that I got back in probably 94. Used it for backpacking till I stopped that back in 2003. Got an Optimus Crux Lite stove for backpacking/hiking last spring but my Peak 1 still goes with me on all my Car camping trips. IMO Coleman stoves are built well and easy to fix. Wish coleman had the parts on hand for my stove cause that other dealer wants WAY to much for the parts.

BTW I still have the Peak 1's box, papars and warrenty card after all these years. I still store it in the box. LOL!!

Anyone have any experience with inflatable rafts and life jackets? Don't have my old Sevylor raft because we lost one of the boston valves in a move so my mom sold it at a yard sale 2 years ago. Wondering if there are other rafts at a simmaler price point with the same or better quality.

Heber
 
I have the padded bag for my peak 1 and then also an aluminum sort of box it fits in that has a lid/skillet and then a bottom pot part.
 
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