Tim Nielsen wrote:
>1) Tents. Have to be 6 lbs and under, so a backpacking tent. I've heard
>good things about the Eureka Apex (but also heard from Moose that he
>hear they weren't very waterproof).
>
If you want a Eureka Aurora 2 I have one for sale for cheap. It's
basically the now-discontinued one-door version of the Eureka Apex. I
used it for a couple of backpacking trips and decided it was heavier
than I wanted to haul around, so I got a Eureka EXO, which is a lighter
single-wall tent (the Aurora is a double-wall tent i.e. tent+fly). It's
about 6lb, sets up easily, can get a bit stuffy in hot weather even if
you pitch the fly high to catch the wind but then in hot weather you
just toss your ground sheet, sleeping pad, and bag onto the open ground
so you can watch the sky, right? As noted elsewhere, probably not a good
tent if you're going to be going in and out in the rain, because the
vestibule door when opened allows rain to fall directly into the tent.
I used it for wind and bug protection, mostly. Also flexes alarmingly in
high winds, but I pitched it once on top of a windy mesa in Arizona and
all it did was flex even in the strongest gusts, so I didn't bother
going out and guying out the fly to stop it. The fly does have places to
attach twine to guy it out if you're pitching it in a high wind area.
Now, personally, I believe that rainy weather is why they invented
hotels, and will go to extremes to avoid sleeping outdoors in the rain.
But that's me :-}. If you're going to be camping in Oregon rather than
Arizona, you probably want a tent that's better in the rain, one that
has a lip or gutter over the door to keep rain from falling into the
tent when you exit the tent in order to take a leak.
>Also Moose recommended the Kelty
>Vortex. There seems to be so many tents...
>
>
The Vortex is a good tent. Try
http://www.gearreview.com and
http://www.outdoorreview.com for some gear reviews. It's more expensive
and not as roomy as Eureka's dome tents, but you get what you pay for,
sometimes.
>2) Sleeping bags. I suppose down to 30 to be safe. Has to compact
>small, and would prefer synthetic insulation, like Qualofil or
>Polarwhateveritscalled.
>
>
Go to your local camping supply store and try out sleeping bags. A
sleeping bag has to be shaped right for you and the way you sleep,
otherwise you'll be miserable. Also make sure it has a good hood. I have
a fairly cheap sleeping bag (well, cheap by camping gear standards) and
when I yank the drawstring for the hood, all that shows above the bag is
my nose. It's amazing how much warmer a good hood makes a sleeping bag
feel. Finally, note that the degree rating on these things is science
fiction. Mine is supposedly a "+25" sleeping bag. In reality, in
anything below 40 degrees, I have to pile on clothes.
>3) Sleeping pad. OK, I bought a Therm-a-Rest Expedition, 1.75" thick,
>and for me it's not so comfortable. I'm a big guy, and it just doesn't
>have the support.
>
Did you give it a few puffs of air to firm it up? While supposedly
"self-inflating", I've never had a Therm-a-Rest that actually did
adequately self-inflate.
I have two Therm-a-Rests, one's a 1.5" thick full length "regular",
one's a 1" thick 3/4 length "backpacking" mattress. Strangely enough,
the thinner/shorter mattress sleeps better. (Or maybe it's just that I'm
more tired when I'm using it!). I think it may be that it's easier for
me to puff a few extra puffs of air into the thinner mattress in order
to firm it up. (BTW, anybody want to buy a 1.5" regular Therm-a-Rest?
Used only for car camping, in perfect condition, I just have *WAY* too
much camping gear).
>So now I'm thinking an inflatable kind, looking for
>something light and comfy. Any thoughts? I found a 4" self-inflating
>one, like a Therm, but another company, but it's $160. Yikes.
>
>
I don't think you'll find something light and comfy. You may want to go
to your local Wal-Mart, tho, if you want something bulky and heavy but
maybe comfy. They have a pump-inflated mattress there. You'll have to
look at it yourself and decide whether you want to spend the $30 or so
to bring it home and try it out.
>And what the heck, anything else camping related that you've found
>invaluable, love to hear about it.
>
>
Motorcycle camping is a bit different from backpacking or car camping.
You're worried more about bulk than about weight. Some thoughts:
1) On a cool day, a cup of hot chocolate perks you right up. Someone
mentioned a multi-fuel stove. These must be primed (which will singe
your hair if you're not careful!) and are not the easiest things in the
world to use. Another thing to bear in mind is that they clog fairly
rapidly when used with unleaded gas (which is a fairly dirty fuel,
typically blended with a lot of additives) and really prefer to use
white gas/naptha. The "standard" here is the MSR Whisperlite
Internationale. This is a quirky, easily-clogged stove that has only the
advantage that parts for it are available world-wide and anybody else
you meet up with likely has one. It's hard to say why they call it a
"Whisperlite" because it basically just has one setting -- full roar,
sounding like a jet at idle. Don't try simmering with this guy! Optimus
makes a better stove, the Nova, which is what the MSR wants to be when
it grows up -- it simmers, it's easier to set up and use than the
Whisperlite, and its top is less slippery/holds the pot better than
those $#%@ wire legs on the Whisperlite. Optimus gear isn't available in
as many places within the U.S. as MSR gear, but if you're travelling
overseas is likely to be as available as MSR gear. Primus also makes a
good multi-fuel stove, the Himalaya, which can even be attached to
propane or isobutane canisters if you want as well as burning white gas
or unleaded. Primus stoves were for many years the "standard"
worldwide, and in most places still are. (Not in the U.S., due to
REI/MSR's marketing clout here, but...). Bottom line:
2) Water: This is an important subject. You need to rinse out your cup
after pouring hot water over your hot chocolate mix and sipping it down,
after all. Canteens and jugs are now as obsolete as the dodo-bird. The
best way to carry water is in bladders or pouches. A 4 liter bladder
takes up much less space than a 4l jug because it is flat and flexible
and will pack around other things (just make sure the other things are
protected by a plastic bag so they don't get wet if the bladder leaks!).
They also don't slosh and throw off your center of gravity, since
there's no empty space in them (assuming you pressed the air out when
you filled them). You want to carry enough water to a) cook with, b)
drink, and c) clean up with (both yourself and your cooking gear or
dishes). Water is heavy but not bulky, thus feel free to carry more
water than you think you'll need.
'Nuff for now...
-E