camping equipment

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
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honesty
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camping equipment

Post by honesty »

I went for a hike this weekend. Loaded up my rucksack with camping equipment, walked 15 miles up the strawberry line and over the mendips, then fell over dead with the load. I've calculated that my backpack was about 12kg. That was for a short 2 day hike. I feel that my old gear may need replacing.

Currently I have a Eurohike Kent tent (4.8kg), a eurohike 3 season sleeping bag (2kg), a Karrimor Cougar 65+ 15 rucksack (2.75kg). I'm sure there are lighter options.

For the tent I've been looking at the Quechua ultralight 3 tent from Decathlon. It seems to be a decent compromise between weight and cost.

I'm also tempted to replace my sleeping bag, and this is where I need some help. There's a decent one on decathlon for £100 (0degree ultralight one), but Alpkit and Snugpak seem to do reasonably cheap lightweight ones as well. Anyone had experience of any of these?
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jamesgilbert
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Re: camping equipment

Post by jamesgilbert »

I have an Alpkit SkyeHigh 600, bought back in 2011 for £90 and it's still going strong. It's the best sleeping bag I've ever owned, but it's too warm for summer trips. That model isn't available at the moment, but I think the PipeDream is meant to be equally good.

For warmer weather I have a Decathlon synthetic bag, called "11° comfort, 7° limit", that weighs 1kg. It's fine although I don't really like synthetic!
FarOeuf
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Re: camping equipment

Post by FarOeuf »

I have a Decathlon (Quechua) S15 ultralight sleeping bag, bought for €20 I think. I've had it for a few years, and it's just as good as more expensive sleeping bags over the years. Zips all still perfect, material not snagged at all, not really showing signs of wear. I've probably had about 6 months of nights out in it, usually in a bivvy bag. One of the best value bits of kit I've every bought.
beardy
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Re: camping equipment

Post by beardy »

I have the Alpkit Pipedream 600 but it is only a three season bag and can be a bit cold even in May when there are frosts. I have been eyeing up buying something really snugly from them for winter use but they never seem to actually have any sleeping bags to sell.
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simonineaston
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Re: camping equipment

Post by simonineaston »

I've had Mountain Equipment Lightline bags over the years, with them lasting over a decade each. Their MRP is a bit eye-watering but they do crop up discounted and they suit me from summer, used a la duvet, right though to a couple of degrees of frost (anything colder and I'm indoors...)
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: camping equipment

Post by Heltor Chasca »

Over the Mendips? A favourite of mine. Surely when in the Mendips you can shoulder the weight of the World and you can carry twice that? [emoji6]
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honesty
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Re: camping equipment

Post by honesty »

Camped at a site called Mendip Camp. Very lovely, and allows fires so the proper camping experience.

I have an ajungilak kompakt summer for 1 season stuff, and I don't want to sleep out in the winter, so really just looking for a bag for spring and autumn.
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Heltor Chasca
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Joined: 30 Aug 2014, 8:18pm
Location: Near Bath & The Mendips in Somerset

Re: camping equipment

Post by Heltor Chasca »

honesty wrote:Camped at a site called Mendip Camp. Very lovely, and allows fires so the proper camping experience.

I have an ajungilak kompakt summer for 1 season stuff, and I don't want to sleep out in the winter, so really just looking for a bag for spring and autumn.


Sorry: terrible case of thread drift. Is that the site near Shipham? You've just given me a dastardly idea! Thank you.

Re: sleeping bags: It's synthetic but I'm chuffed to bits with my new Vango Ultralite 900. Definite winner for 2 season stuff. An Alpkit was on my shortlist but sadly things didn't come to fruition...b
Tangled Metal
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Re: camping equipment

Post by Tangled Metal »

I guess you're on a budget. Alpkit do a range of bags but they're rarely in stock so you'll have to back order it and wait for what could be some time. Mountain hardware hyper lamina spark £180 and 886g. A light synthetic. Nordisk do a 600g synth that's also 3 season.
What mat are you using? You can use a 150g closed cell foam mat cut down to size.
Rucksack well anything over 1.5kg is too heavy. Lightwave make some very nice sacks.
Zephyros is from wild country. Reasonably cheap and ok weight. Nordisk do some nice tents too. Do you need a tent? Tarp and bivvy is a good lightweight option to for less money.
If I was buying again I'd look at sub kilo sleeping bag, 1.15kg rucksack and as near to 2kg or preferably under it for a tent. I am tall so a tent needs to be bigger than.most people need. Zephyros is too short for me as is the more expensive and heavier terra nova laser tents. Last time I went backpacking I used a 1.24x2.6m tarp with a bivvy bag. Total weight I think 600g and it cost me a lot less than £100.

Depending how seriously you are getting into wildcamping/backpacking the ideal kit to weight is sub 10kg but I prefer sub-6.5kg. My kit was as low as 4.5kg or 6.5kg with litre of water and food for a couple of days. A week.without refueling is 15kg tops for me. Some get down to kit weight of 2kg or so. As you get lighter kit you tend to get more compact which allows smaller sack of and less weight. I use a 32 litre day sack weighing 600-700g or so. I have used a 20 litre sack weighing 600g. Ultimately you can.get some very light sacks but you need to get kit weight right down.first.
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honesty
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Re: camping equipment

Post by honesty »

That's the one. No hot water or showers mind...
Tangled Metal
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Re: camping equipment

Post by Tangled Metal »

I think Vango do a range called venom.that are light or the ultralight range. Good, cheap and not too heavy.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: camping equipment

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Gone are the days when you needed to spend over a ton on a bag.
Even though the kit I had was light the whole caboodle came in at 25 kg dry (no food or water) West hilland way at xmas. 1980
I have several vango bags and I rate them on quality and performance.
2 kgs winter UK
800 grms summer UK
1200 - 1500 grams 3 season UK.
Mat and tent of course.
1-2 season part mesh inner tent.
3-4 season non mesh inner tent.

- 20 C sleeping bag in 1980 was £ 110

If your not camping in minus temps then a cheap bag with a good weight and a mat will do the job.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Sooper8
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Re: camping equipment

Post by Sooper8 »

Tangled Metal wrote:I think Vango do a range called venom.that are light or the ultralight range. Good, cheap and not too heavy.


+1, I have this. Good quality, packs up very small
Tangled Metal
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Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: camping equipment

Post by Tangled Metal »

I once took everything including the kitchen sink and only got to 28kg. Anything over 20kg you're not trying. Don't forget to sort your kit out after your trip. Cut out the bits you can. Easiest way to lower weight is to not take something you don't need and even something you take just in case. Best way is 3 piles after trip. Used a lot, used a little and not touched. Throw last pile except for essentials like first aid kit. Also for an overnighter do you need to eat hot.food? If not leave stove and pots behind.
Loads of tricks out there. Price per 100g weight saved is one measure those serious about weight loss talk about. If you shop around you can really get light kit. Wickes for something like polycro lightweight ground sheet for example. Foam can be bought by the roll cheaply that is good enough for summer and even 3 season. I sent £4.50 for a robens for mat weighing 130g then I cut it down to torso shape and size = 60g. It can get obsessive this weight loss with backpacking.kit.
Keep an eye on rock and run website, sign up to their alerts, they often sell sleeping.bags and bivvy.bags off for ridiculously low prices. I got a bivvy bag for 60%off rep. They do really good Rab down sleeping bags for decent prices.
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honesty
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Re: camping equipment

Post by honesty »

I'm not that serious about cutting weight. Back in my youth I used to do rather a lot if hiking, but I haven't don't much for a number of years and didn't build up to the weekend, hence the weight being such an issue. Fitness is not a problem because of cycling and the gym. I like camping and enjoy the whole cooking on stoves part of it, so not going to drop that. My main issue is my rucksack is from 1998 and was considered quite heavy then (and is massive, being a proper backpacking bag), my tent is a dirt cheap eurohike and weighs a ton, and the same goes for my warm sleeping bag (I had a really nice ajungilak 3 season bag, but it got nicked out the back of a mini bus whilst rock climbing in Merthyr Tydfil). Between them these 3 items weighed 3/4 of the total weight of the pack. I think if I can cut 5kg from my pack weight just by updating these I'm probably on for a winner.

Just seen the Force Ten sleeping bags. Their synthetic nano bags are very light and reasonably cheap and well.
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