I’m a huge fan of wind screens. Even the tiniest breeze can dramatically affect cooking times in the outdoors. and wind screens act both to stop heat stealing wind, as well as reflecting heat, which further increases heating efficiency. When you use liquid fuel or pressurized gas, where fuel consumption is calculated in minutes instead of hours, every tiny bit of heat efficiency is the absolute order of the day. Continue reading
Woah, didn’t realize how well this thing worked.
Light, incredibly compact, but highly useful on uneven ground.
The Jetboil Sol is such an efficient system that a simple (ingeniously simple), triangular rod and steel wire setup like this works very well. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 8900
– Weight: 2.6 lbs (including pump and bottle and bag)
– Stove comparison chart
(Long Term use update at bottom)
I own most of the currently sold liquid fuel stoves as well as quite a few older ones, and to my mind, the Primus Omnilite is the best choice of a fairly good sample of liquid fuel stoves for flexibility, compactness, fuel efficiency, and reliability, though, it has couple of small negatives.
Continue reading
This is a great utensil.
I’m not a huge fan of the uber popular spark for backpacking. I’d rather a fork be a fork and a spoon be a spoon. But I also never really need to use both at the same time.
This utensil has both, and a small serrated edge on the fork for some simple cutting, and is super light. Apart from it being a little long, I’m really happy with it and hope to get years of use out of it.
EDIT:
When I originally purchased this hard anodized single person cookset with heat exchanger, I was reasonably impressed but struggled to figure out a good way to use it (Edit: It shaved about 30 seconds off water boiling time compared to my Snow Peak Trek 900, if I used the right stove and windscreen combination, competitive with JetBoil times, thus saving fuel). But it’s become, over time, my preferred set when solo backpacking where I plan to do light cooking. Continue reading
This is a simple, compact, foldable trowel.
Pretty heavy for it’s small size.
Works consistently.
Sheath is durable.
Packs easily in just about any nook and cranny in your pack.
These poles are heavy’ish for poles, but very sturdy.
They have another issue and that’s really the twisting action to unlock and lock the poles. But they haven’t slipped on me during a hike yet, so overall, I’m happy with them, especially considering that expensive poles can be upwards of $200. Continue reading
I’ve done a fair bit of camping since the last review here, and I’ve purchased and used a few different packs since then.
In that time, I’ve learned a few new things about gear, and what can be done with what kinds of gear.
For the Lastenkraxe, I finally got around to ordering the dedicated packsack for it, and the difference is huge. Before, the Lastenkraxe was, at least for me, the load carrier to use when I had strangely shaped items and I wanted quick access to them. That, coupled with the fact that it always stands straight up, and it was worth bringing on a fairly wide variety of trips. But my system was unwieldy, and even when empty, the system weighed just under 15 lbs. That happens when you attach a complete pack with its own carry system (in my case, the Bergaus Centruio 45 with side pockets) to another pack system… Continue reading
This thing is so small, it’s…well…imagine you saw only full size doberman pincher dogs your whole life….and then one day you see a doberman pincher that’s a toy breed….the shock of the toy doberman being really small….that’s what it’s like when you see this thing for the first time. Continue reading
Not too long ago, I went on a bicycle ride and got my second scrape in two months, just being stupid really. But unlike the first time, that was more surface scrape, this one cut a tad deepish. Not enough to be dangerous or need stitches, but enough to bleed black and a tad more flowing than you’d normally see. Continue reading
Edit
Having taken this recently to a car camping trip, I can clearly say this was a huge boon. Placed in a vestibule, this luggage rack allowed me to keep my pack and some other gear off the ground. As it rained the first night, it kept my pack from getting soaked from the ground. Awesome. Continue reading
Ming’s Mark SL1204-GREEN Green Full Back Folding Director’s Chair
Took this to a car camping trip recently, and my only complaint is that the side table is crazy flimsy.
On a positive note, I thought the cup holder would get in the way, but it turned out to be really useful. Knocking the chair a little or trying to move the chair would have caused most cups on a side table to tip over and spill. The cup holder did an excellent job of making sure cups didn’t get knocked over when placed in it and being jarred in some way. Awesome. Continue reading
All in all, pretty good. And a big boon compared to having nothing at all.
Having said that, there are two things that were a tad irritating.
– First, one of the bins stayed vertical, but the other one kept collapsing in on itself partially.
– Second, I wish there was a built-in way to secure trash bags to the upper rim while still being able to zipper the top shut. squirrels were a real problem, so we had to keep the bin zipped, but of course, since there was nothing to attach the bag to on the bin, people would unzip the bin and throw trash on top of the bag, instead of in it. Not fun to clean up. Continue reading
Edit:
Just got back from a car camping trip this week and wow, what a luxury item to have with you.
With this cot packed in the car, I met with several friends at a nearby AnyMountain to caravan out to Yosemite. Walking in the store, I found another cot that was a lot more stable than this one. This cot, the one I have, is stable in one direction but because the x-legs are all parallel to each other, they have just a little give going perpendicular to the x-legs, which is ever so slightly annoying. Continue reading
This latest Leatherman Wave is impressive (model 830039). The screw driver portion is a removable bit unlike the previous version. The outer sheathed blades and files have a similar but stronger locking mechanism, and overall the metal seems to be thicker, especially around focal points that show torque damage on my older Leatherman. Continue reading
I purchased two of these bottles for my tent and some clothes.
Does it work? Hard to say. Seems to. I went on two trips this year and had no issues with bugs, but then again, neither did most of my friends. So it’s hard to be sure exactly how effective this was. There were lots of bugs, so I can only guess that this must have worked fairly well. Continue reading
I am really new to dutch oven cooking. but…wow. What fun! This particular unit is the first I’ve ever purchased. But it has some nice touches that some other dutch ovens don’t have.
6 quarts is…well…a lot. I was expecting this to be much smaller and am especially happy I didn’t buy the 10 or 12 quart dutch ovens because that would have been out of control huge. As it is, I can make enough chilli that as a side dish, it easily serves 15. As a main dish, it serves about 6-8, though 4 big eaters could finish the pot. Continue reading
A CAR CAMPING MARVEL
Just got back from a car camping trip to Yosemite, and all I can say about this dutch oven is….WOW. I thought it would be just used for making chili with the dutch oven, but this dutch oven table turned out to be so much more versatile than that. And the slightly lower height turned out to be an advantage as we needed to do some BBQ’ing under a tarp when it rained. the lower height gave the smoke more vertical to spread and move out of the tarp ceiling. Awesome. Continue reading
This grill isn’t for backpacking or hiking. But it’s great for car camping.
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What makes this grill so awesome is that if fits on a 32″ dutch oven table with plenty of room for a dutch oven next to it. Continue reading
I buy a lot of gear, and because I’m fairly rough with gear, typically a significant percentage of gear I use suffers some pretty horrific wear and tear.
As such, I often sprinkle my reviews with updates on how my gear is holding up over time.
Rarely do I even consider asking for an exchange if I’ve used a piece of gear more than a dozen times. I simply update my reviews with how the gear is doing. Continue reading
Ever on the hunt to mitigate the need to carry spare batteries i was ecstatic to find this hand crank head lamp.
It’s pretty amazing that a minute of cranking allows this unit to last so long especially considering how inefficient cranking technologies are. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-9K depending on wood
– Weight: 16.2 oz including snow and ash pan
– Stove comparison chart
EDIT:
First off, 180 stove sent me a replacement because they wanted to analyse the warping.
That warping was pretty easily cleared up as i was essentially over-abusing the stove, both in terms of going way too hot and cooling things down way too fast. Continue reading
I bought this because the price for it was so good it was impossible to pass up, and I wanted something to augment my Solar Joos.
My big issue with this dual panel setup is that it really needs direct sunlight. Continue reading
Car camping trip day 2: eggs in cooler, moved around in bear locker, taken out for a bit….dropped and shattered.
Egg spills are a major hassle.
a light drop and they shatter.
instantaneously lose precious food resources….
big sticky mess. Continue reading
I’m not uber experienced in camping, and still struggle a bit with the lack of luxury. But in the weight to luxury ratio, I have a feeling even an experienced camper would take this along. Continue reading
Love this thing….love love love this thing.
A 1 piece, flexible, and tough filter that can pack anywhere? Shoooooot. After using it this past weekend on a car camping trip, I’m now of the opinion that this is useful not only on car camping trips but also for picnics, or even business trips if you’re picky about the coffee you drink. Continue reading
After spending time this weekend with this little kettle, it’s clear that kettles are pretty critical for car camping. You need the for tea or coffee or soup/instant noodles or to warm a bucket of water for cleaning…. Can you survive without one on a car camping trip? sure. Would you want to? Heeeeeck no. The compact nature of this unit makes it a little more convenient to pack, but what I’ve learned this trip is, if you’re running really low on space and need to go uber compact, take this kettle. If you can load up the car and afford to take a larger kettle, do so. a kettle is worth the space and weight cost. Continue reading
UPDATE:
As before, I still believe that this falls into the clear cut luxury category, and for an on-foot hiking/backpacking trip, it will not be packed. Continue reading
Gerber 30-000075 E-Tool Folding Spade with Serrated Blade
I was looking for a folding shovel to take on hikes and was stuck between varying criteria:
– Wooden handled shovels are both light and durable, but cumbersome to pack
– heavier folding shovels are durable and semi-compact, but heavy
– lighter folding shovels are….lighter and compact, but lack durability. Continue reading
Nite Ize C9S-03-TP01 Small Figure 9 Carabiner with Rope, Black, Two-Pack
These things are pretty amazing.
For tying anything with a pull tension weight of 50lbs or less, these things are pretty unbeatable. Continue reading
To start with, I don’t know very much about magnesium or other fire-starters, so my review here might be moot for those more experienced.
There are a few main advantages to becoming skilled at using magnesium starters. First, piezo igniters, often used in gas canister stoves, is basically a crystal that is charged electrically and they begin to fail (work intermittently) at around 10k feet and hardly work at all at around 13k feet, whick means jet lighters won’t work either. Neither will regular flinter lighters like cheap bics. As they are pressurized and don’t work well in cold weather or high altitudes. Continue reading
Edit: despite adding more than two years and 25+ camping trips since this post was last updated, this poncho remains my main and most important piece of multi-use rain gear/tarp. This past August while hiking alone in the Emigrant wilderness, this became essential over my hard shell to keep my pack dry front and rear. Especially the space between my pack and my back, this poncho kept everything dry. And once at the camp site, acted as a tarp to keep my tent setup process dry as well, a common problem when setting up most tents. Continue reading
As emergencies go, this is a must have item.
I have a steripen that I can charge from my USB solar charger, but there may come a time when I need water, but have no charge and no sunlight. For this kind of scenario, a manual water cleaning process is a must have. And for that, a water purifier with a long shelf life is definitely the way to go. Continue reading
I purchased this as I was looking at substitutes for more toxic and painful superglue.
They say it’s designed for pets, but this was recommended by a friend who has used it on himself when camping, and if he can use it, well, who am I to argue?
While I plan to leave superglue in my pack, this will be in both my 3 day pack as well as my med fak. Continue reading
This package comes sealed and disinfected. It’s disposable, and has enough staples for larger gashes. The lack of post use sterility means that it’s usable only for one deep gash, but that is likely all most hikes would need, because a cut that deserves this product will lead to extreme care from that point on as you would turn around and head straight back to the car and a hospital. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-12K depending on charcoal
– Weight: 2lbs (32 oz)
– Stove comparison chart
SHORT ANSWER: Great idea, Kinda Meh.
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Here’s the short review: If you can deal with the extra lb, this device is a good device to have in a pinch.
It’s highly compact, weighted well indicating a reasonable level of quality, and because something is better than nothing, I highly recommend this for when wood burning campfires are your only option. Continue reading
I have heard nothing but good things about this battle dressing with its multiple uses in a variety of emergency situations to complement its primary purpose of dressing a wound. Continue reading
Steripens are pretty awesome conceptually.
And frankly, from the original classic to the latest and greatest, Steripens all work great. Continue reading
Okuma VS-605-20 Voyager Spinning Travel Kit
If portability is important to you, then this is one of the best rods to get.
The Okuma is, instead of telescoping, a series of pieces that are fitted together tightly through pressure. This system works great and I already caught some fish with a friend’s VS-605-20 recently. I liked it so much I just ordered my own. Continue reading
If you’re on a hike, and it starts raining, the last thing you want to do is spend the time to find a place to sit, undo your hiking boots, put on a second layer waterproof pant, and get your hiking boots back on.
Given that, I was looking for a second layer water proof pant that was able to zip fully, so I can get into and out of them without taking my hiking boots off. Continue reading
When it comes to devices that charge your gadgets on the go, there are tons of external battery options out there, tons of portable solar panels and transportable solar panels out there, and finally, many crossover devices that are portable solar panels with built in external batteries. Continue reading
UPDATE
I’ve now gone on two trips with this backpack, and what I can say clearly is that….so far, so good.
I have about 35lbs of gear in there, and tested carrying that weight. It held up really well. Continue reading
Two no frills camping trips in (yes, I’m a camping novice among novices), I’m now starting to get a feel for what I need on a camping trip and what I don’t.
As an uber novice, I made the mistake on my first trip of taking too much stuff and not using most of it. On my second trip, I got smarter, and left a bunch of the heavier tools at home. A 2.3lbs tri-fold shovel, a folding saw, and the larger of my two leatherman knives are now all left at home as i didn’t need them, nor see their value on the last two trips. Continue reading
There really isn’t that much to say about this emergency stove. It is what it is.
The photo shows the walls vertical at 90 degrees, but there are notches in the hinge that allows the walls to lock at 45 degrees, which is better for smaller items like a cup instead of a kettle, and probably helps in windy situations. Continue reading
Old school mess kits like the one I had when I was a kid. It’s a great little setup, and the only two problems have always been: the pan handle is not strong enough to hold the pan when there’s any significant amount of food cooking, bending so easily as to be almost useless. And the cup is pitifully small. But the cooking kettle with top? That piece is awesome, and the plate works just fine. Continue reading
I originally wrote the review and review Edit below on Amazon in 2011/2012. While these knee pads are still great for car camping i have since changed my camp site activities to be much more efficient and no longer bring them on most trips. They do stil come on longer car camping trips as the difference they make for low work is substantial. But for backpacking, it’s pretty clear that while light, they are bulky enough to warrant leaving at home. Continue reading
While this unit is certainly not the least bulky or lightest item out there, it has one critical advantage over any open cell inflatable, or straight inflatable out there: It can take a beating and it keeps on working. There is simply nothing out there more reliable as a sleeping pad than a closed cell pad. But, there are rather bulky and typically would have to be strapped to a backpack, maybe with a garbage bag around it, to prevent getting wet in the rain. Continue reading
EDIT: I currently prefer the SVEN saw to this unit. Review coming some time.
This is my first folding saw and as these things go, it’s clearly better than a knife for 4-6″ diameter wood. So for firewood collecting, this is great. Is it better than other folding saws out there? I have no idea. But it’s built fairly well and the sheath is good, designed to hold both the folding saw and extra blade. All in all, a good to have item for hiking.
Gerber 22-41457 Gator Exchange-a-Blade Saw
This is not a knife sharpener for daily use of course. But it’s good to leave in your pack in a pinch, because when you need to sharpen an overly dull knife in the middle of the woods, it’s always a good idea to have something handy to sharpen with. Continue reading
This isn’t a super high quality headlamp, but then again, it’s priced right for it’s features. Frankly, I don’t expect to need any more quality than this and am happy with the purchase.
The headlamp portion is a little heavy for a single headband strap. For this weight, it would be nice to have the extra over-the-head strap that many other headlamps have. Still, it should have plenty of power for hiking at night.
Camping Stoves and Other Gear Reviews 