View Full Version : Planning to attend a bushcraft meet
I find this quite daunting. I am a towny. I have camped with scouts as a leader but that is different from going it alone, to a site I don't know, possibly without the family car.
So the following headings come to mind:-
Transport
Carrying my kit
Food
Warmth
Shelter
Fun, teaching skills, socialising
First Aid and safety
Any other headings I should consider?
How might I prepare for each of these?
Rich59,
it can be quite a challenge going to a meet for the first time - meeting people you don't know at a site you are not familiar with, but dont worry, this is normal.
My advice would be to use everything that you are familiar with and buy or download a map of the area. If you normally camp in a 2 man tent, take it. If you currently own a rucksack that you use for scout camps, take it. It doesn't have to be green or small so long as you can carry it with all your gear in.
Take a few litres of fresh water with you, everyone else will and if you run out resupply at a closeby shop - someone will have a car.
Layer your gear so you can add or subtract depending on conditions, I useually wear 3 layers plus an outer shell and take a fleece/wooly pully for when it gets cool.
Have to go now, but I hope this helps.
Cheers
JFW
C_Claycomb
07-01-2006, 11:39
Don't stress it too much, its not all that tricky :)
You don't need a lot of stuff. Some people come with less, some with more. Think camping for a long weekend.
Tent, sleeping bag, kip mat, spare change of clothes, wash kit inc bog roll, stove + fuel or raised fire hearth and something to light said stove, pot, bowl, spoon, knife, torch...and food for the duration.
It should all fit in a rucksack. Some can get their kit down to under 35l, others need 60+litres. Whaterver makes you comfortable, just remember you are probably packing too many clothes ;)
What do you take for yourself when you camp with the scouts?
The meet ups are one of the best things about BCUK.
It is a chance to meet other people with the same interests that just would not happen without a forum like this.
First of all, do not worry, everybody else there is just as unsure of what is going to happen as you are.
What tends to happen is that people will arrive in drips and drabs. As they work out that you are the bushcraft meet they will come and introduce themselves, usually by name and username.
Introductions are completed and someone usually brings the new comers up to speed with what's already been worked out and what's still to be sussed out.
The best icebreaker at this stage is a cuppa and some chatter.
Sounds like normal life so far doesn't it?
After introductions people usually get their accommodation sorted out. This might be a Hammock, Basha, Tent or Bivvi bag. I've yet to see someone building a shelter to sleep in at these things but I guess it could happen.
By the time this has happened more people, more introductions and more chatter. Maybe someone's got the fire going by now.
Chatter starts to turn into "this is how I" type stuff which grow into little demonstrations. Nothing very formal really but as more people get interested things develop.
Before you know it you've learnt a dozen new skills and taught a few yourself which you didn't realize other people would be interested in.
The evening may be spent round the fire, gossiping, telling tales and jokes with a drink in your hand. Some people take chairs, some stand, some sit on the floor or logs.
There comes a point when people start to drift away, names and numbers are sometimes exchanged and most say when will we do this again.
At the end you will have new friends who you will hope to meet again and memories to take with you of a natural camaraderie that is hard to match anywhere these days.
Razorstrop
07-01-2006, 12:06
Wayland has it bang on the head. (rep point sir!)
Most important thing to bring with you on a meet is you :)
The rest is a fantastic organic experience that is usually over before you know it.
Mr Strop
What Wayland and the others say :D
As far as kit and planning just treat it the same as going on scout camp, as long as you have something to sleep in and on and can feed yourself you will be OK.
My first meet I went with the whole family and used a BIG family tent, we were carrying on for our family holiday, don't think you need all the gear, or even skills, that are talked about on the forum to fit in.
Each meet is a learning process, were we learn from each other, I have learnt skills at one meet and passed them on at the next and I think most people are the same. But don't think anything is expected of you, some of us with fewer skills get to practise and hone our skills by passing them on to newer members!
The meets I have been to have not been far from where the cars are parked so you will probably have the option of nipping back and getting the bigger sleeping bag or coat that you thought you wouldn't need.
The first thing you will need when you arrive is your mug for a brew!
Remember too, Bushcrafters are scouts that have grown older!(That is different to grown up!)
Topcat02
07-01-2006, 12:16
Hi,
The wilderness gathering was my first meet up. I didnt really know what to expect, so was happy the family came with me in case I stood out like a sore thumb.
I was pleasantly surprised by the cameraderie, and despite the name "Wilderness", it was more like a back to basics camping site.
Got lots of ideas, learnt loads, and the family loved it.
The only downside for me was that everyone seemed to look identical, (brown leather hats, brown/green trousers, woodlore style knives attached to belts, green tops, etc, so it was difficult remembering whether I had spoken to that particular person, and where the conversation had left off.
I also left with a long list of got to haves, including a Tipi, more knives, Land Rover with a roof tent, etc, etc.
You'll have loads of fun too, I'm sure.
:)
Razorstrop
07-01-2006, 12:19
Oh yeah forgot to mention that going to meets can end up very expensive in the long run. :yikes: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
Mr Strop
Oh yeah forgot to mention that going to meets can end up very expensive in the long run. :yikes: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
Mr Strop
Especially when you have kids that enjoy it!
only just joined but am looking forward to meets, this post helped alot, thanks
peds8045
07-01-2006, 16:38
My first meet was at last years (September) Northern meet, i travelled from the Midlands to the Lakes having only 'met' the people i was spending the weekend with on the BCUK site, except for Hammy.
On arrival and after pitching my tent (haven't got round to hammocks yet) i, as mentioned by others on this thread, headed for the established fire place where, looking exactly as he should do (That's a compliment :) ), i first met the organiser, Wayland and his partner, and within a matter of minutes i was meeting all the other familiar 'names' with which i had been corresponding. Everyone was friendly and helpful and it was nice to be able to put a face to a name.
It wasn't long before the bushcraft demonstrations started, even though it was dark now, with Wayland providing a superb demo of firelighting with flint, steel and char cloth. After a few beers and far too much red wiine (Thanks Hammy) it was time for bed.
The rest of the weekend soon disappeared with lots of demonstrations, practice and the chance to buy goods, i regret not having a go at Eric's stand making Knife sheaths...definately next time :D
I could go on longer but it would turn into a review....all i can say is get to a meet...you will enjoy it and learn loads, oh.... you'll have a great time too.
the following headings come to mind:-
Transport
Carrying my kit
Food
Warmth
Shelter
Fun, teaching skills, socialising
First Aid and safetyThanks for those thoughts.
Hmm
Food - So "add water" foods would be good to keep the weight down, tea bags seem the order of the day. Taking a gaz burner and billies etc sounds essential.
Water carrier? Jerry cans are bulky if back packing. Something collapsable then.
MREs are always good if you know not what is to be expected i guess...
I popped down to the Southampton/Sussex meet today (wish i could have stayed overnight but have obligations early tomorrow morning so i couldn't :( ), i had only met one guy there before (Adi Fiddler) but have conversed with many of the others via BCUK, i soon got introduced to/got talking to other people, by the time it came to leave it was like you had known them for years, nothing to sweat over, as far as food goes why not get some MOD Rat Packs?.
Graham_S
07-01-2006, 22:46
there are far better and cheaper ways to eat than buying ration packs.
for the cost of one rat pack, i can buy food for a weekend.
Razorstrop
07-01-2006, 22:58
there are far better and cheaper ways to eat than buying ration packs.
for the cost of one rat pack, i can buy food for a weekend.
I can vouch for that, I've seen and tasted Grahams cooking, and its first class grub.
Mr Strop
Graham_S
07-01-2006, 23:24
I can vouch for that, I've seen and tasted Grahams cooking, and its first class grub.
Mr Strop
thank you.
i've had to live on boil in the bag rations and have no desire to do so again when cooking a decent meal is so easy with basic ingredients.
And if anybody knows about bushcraft meets it has to be Graham S! ;)
pierre girard
08-01-2006, 05:03
I find this quite daunting. I am a towny. I have camped with scouts as a leader but that is different from going it alone, to a site I don't know, possibly without the family car.
So the following headings come to mind:-
Transport
Carrying my kit
Food
Warmth
Shelter
Fun, teaching skills, socialising
First Aid and safety
Any other headings I should consider?
How might I prepare for each of these?
Never been to a bushcraft meet, but when I go canoeing for a week, I bring:
Bed roll
Small tarp
Ground cloth (doubles as a rain poncho)
Extra (warmer) shirt
Extra socks
Knife
Saw
Kettle
Cup
Crooked knife
Pack
Mosquito net (in June)
Mat (if ground is cold)
and a fish line, canoe, and paddles (which you probably won't need at a bushcraft meet).
Never been on a meet up, well not for bushcraft anyway, but I would take
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Small tarp
Largish tarp
Wok
Kettle
Three knives (bush knife, cooks knife, witlings knife)
Cook box with
Rice
Onions
Spuds
Dried meat
Dumpling mix (flour shortening and baking powder)
Stock cubes
Oil vinegar mustard pepper salt
Flour
Garlic
Ghee
Socks
Pants
Thick shirt
I love my food and hate to eat bland and boring stuff, so if it comes down to weight I would rather have a cook box than a tent. People at meets always love a cook and that is my hobby/life. With that small amount of stuff (mine weighs in at about 10lb ) rabbit, pigeon, fish, wild greens all become a 4 star meal under the stars
ETA all carried in a 20 year old orange external frame Regatta rucksack
Some of you don't seem to carry tents. Can you keep yourself and your kit dry under a tarpaulin?
Some of you don't seem to carry tents. Can you keep yourself and your kit dry under a tarpaulin?
Short answer is yes, but it is more difficult. I used a net hammock under my own hammock, as a kit store, last week and it seemed to work well.
The first meet I went to I slept under the stars because the weather was fine.
I had a tent in the van but didn't bother putting it up.
More often than not you will be within striking distance of your transport so you can leave your contingency kit there.
I have to agree with some of the other posters about food. Unless you are backpacking with light gear ( or perhaps practicing to do so ) why eat disgusting food.
There are many great dishes that can be prepared over a camp fire out of real food. I tend to buy better food when I'm going away than I cook at home.
The only concern you may have is keeping stuff fresh, but on a two day trip this is not a problem unless it is really hot.
there are far better and cheaper ways to eat than buying ration packs.
for the cost of one rat pack, i can buy food for a weekend.
It depends on how much you pay for them, they only cost me £ 4.50 a pack and i quite like them, plus they pack down nice and small and you don't have to warm them up if you are going to an area where water is scarce and you have to carry your own water in, still each to his own i suppose.
Goodness, I am getting hungry already reading this! Thanks everyone.
On a meet how much chance is there for everyone to cook over an open fire? Probably depends on the rules of the site and the available fuel.
What menus would people recommend for breakfast, lunch and evening meal on a meet?
there are far better and cheaper ways to eat than buying ration packs.
for the cost of one rat pack, i can buy food for a weekend.
it was just a contingency , i wasn't saying that's what should be done :(
- i've also lived from them so i know the only way for food to get is better, i was just saying for someone unsure of what it's gonna be like, something certain to take is a good idea.
Graham_S
08-01-2006, 16:55
food is a very personal thing. i find that decent food can make or break a meet.
the quality of your food can have a significant effect on your morale.
my (fairly standard) menu for a meet generally goes something like this.
1. breakfast; bacon, sausages, beans. a good breakfast is essential to my wellbeing :D
2. lunch; soup (fresh or packet depending on time and cooking facilities), oatcakes, salami, cheese. lunch i find is less important. something quick and light that can be eaten while doing other things.
3. dinner; noodles and fish/ TVP (textured veg protien, beanfeast mince for example) with dumplings/ cous-cous with salami. i find this is the important meal. take your time and enjoy it.
4. snacks; cereal bars, chocolate, mini babybel cheese.
i take a few staples with me, stock cubes of varying flavours, cous-cous, lentils, split peas, a few herbs and spices,
with these things i can make a variety of tasty meals.
British Red
08-01-2006, 17:23
Some of you don't seem to carry tents. Can you keep yourself and your kit dry under a tarpaulin?
Rich,
I haven't been to a a BCUK meeting, but I've been lightwieght backpacking and going to meets like Ludlowsurvivors for a while. If this is "talking down" or anything, sorry, but I have been asked to describe on another forum what I pack (mainly I suspect because I can usually provide a missing item).
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2479/bob36jz.jpg
I've tried to edit the image into sections and label each section (Food etc.). I can then describe in detail what’s in each section
The sections I have used are:
Food
Water
First Aid
Cutting
Light
Fire
Navigation
Inner Clothes
Outer Clothes
Miscellaneous
Personal Care
Writing
Sleeping
The whole lot will pack into a Forces 100 plain Green Bergan (80 +20 litre). This is a good, internally framed, rip stop nylon padded back pack with padded hip belt and removable pockets that zip together to form a day sack. The Large black bag you can see in the bottom left of the drinking square is in fact 3 waterproof liners specifically made to fit the main sack body and the two main pockets.
You asked about food so heres a detailed description of that section
Food
Food Part 1 – Ration Packs
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/4045/rations2dp.jpg
Part 1 of the food section is 3 ration packs.. I have tried to model these on a British Forces ration pack, but make it lighter and more to my taste. The aim was to increase the food carried for the same weight. Here are the details of what’s in each pack (menus vary but items are the same)
Ration Pack in large plastic ziplock
Meals
1 Dehydrated Breakfast
1 Dehydrated Main Meal
1 Dehydrated Desert
Sundries
10 tissues (plastic wrapped)
1 box all weather matches sealed in ziplock
Snacks pack (sealed in ziplock)
1 muesli bar
2 chocolate bars
3 small fuit bars
1 small sugar free chewing gum
Drinks pack (sealed in ziplock)
1 isotonic sports drink powder
4 Sugar sachets
2 Drink whitener
1 vegetable stock drink
2 sachets instant white tea
2 sachets coffee
1 sachet latte
1 sachet cappuccino
2 sachets sauce
1 sachet salt
1 tea bag
10 puritabs
Net weight of ration pack 750g (as opposed to 1600g for MRE rat pack). This means I can carry twice as much food dehydrated (although 1 days worth of MREs is useful). Therefore 72hr bag contains 2 dehydrated meal and 1 MRE based.
Food Part 2 – Cooking Kit
http://img448.imageshack.us/img448/15/trangia0ug.jpg
Part 2 of the “food kit” is cooking equipment etc. This consists of:
Trangia set consisting of:
Burner
Support
Windshield
2 bowl shaped pans
1 frying pan / lid
Gripper
1 litre of methylated spirit in anodised aluminium fuel bottle
Knife, fork and spoon
Small bottle of anti bacterial washing up liquid and pan scourer in ziplock bag
8oz steel hipflask full of Islay Malt
I selected the trangia because its aluminium and hence light in weight. The burner system cannot go wrong and weight for burn time, meths is as light as gas. The pans and frying pan double up as my bowl and plate.
The washing up liquid and scourer is to prevent food poisoning– not worth it.
The scotch is liquid analgesic, sterilising solution and….oh hell I like scotch.
I have to confess that I haven't entirely finished all the detailed descriptions of the contents of my bag yet, but I have done a lot so if theres any sections that it would be helpful for you to know about, please feel free to ask and I'll take pictures and describe the contents in detail (I'm doing it anyway and am happy to do a section that interests you).
Please note that this bag isn't really geared up as a "Bushcraft bag", just the stuff I carry for a week or longer of backpacking and self sufficient camping. The guys on the forum know far more about real Bushcraft than me!!
Red
Great posts guys. Giving lots of ideas.
Red,
i noticed you have a container in the 'fire' section of your kit list, RM used something similar i think to keep a sharpening stone in - is it a forces waterproof container?, do you know a place that sells these online in uk?
thanks m8
C_Claycomb
08-01-2006, 19:12
With reference to keeping kit dry under a tarp Vs in a tent. This is less to do with whether what you have is a tent or a tarp and more about how big it is and how you set it up.
I spent nine nights under a tarp in the Lakes this summer and was much happier that way than I would have been in a tent of similar weight.
http://uk.geocities.com/c.claycomb@btinternet.com/Hexfly.jpg
http://uk.geocities.com/c.claycomb@btinternet.com/Smalltent.jpg
In the rain I could keep all my kit dry, plus have space for my mate and I to cook and eat in the dry. His 1 1/2 person tent was so compact that he couldn't get out of the rain without making the inside wet.
The tent is warmer, no doubts, but that can be as much a problem at some times as it is a blessing at others.
Foodwise, there is no real reason that light weight has to be equated with bland or boring. It just takes a little more thought. For instance, at both last year's meets a number of people brought almost nothing but a small leather pouch with some scraps of paper and bits of plastic, and they ate royally :D
There are super markets and takeaways within a short drive of boths sites, :lmao:
Graham_S
08-01-2006, 19:31
the plastic container is a us army nbc decontamination kit container. they are not watertight, but do come up on e-bay now and again
British Red
08-01-2006, 20:10
Red,
i noticed you have a container in the 'fire' section of your kit list, RM used something similar i think to keep a sharpening stone in - is it a forces waterproof container?, do you know a place that sells these online in uk?
thanks m8
trauma,
it is indeed an old arm nbc d/c kit. I picked up a good few as a "balancer" in a trade a while back. I like it because its the right size (about a couple of fag packets in size). If Graham tells me its not watertight, I'll bow to his knowledge - I can only say its solid plastic, the top snaps on tight and it floats so its good enough for me.
If I was trying to source something similar, I'd use one of the "snap and seal" tupperware type containers you can get from Tesco etc.
However if you really want the green jobby, PM me and I'll look through the box of wonder and see if I have one left. To be honest, the waterproofing is a bit moot the way I pack it.......
Fire Kit
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6813/fire5ml.jpg
Right the burny stuff. Many will think I have overdone this, but to me food, water, warmth and shelter are the biggies. This kit is small but a duplicate of gear I use a LOT.
1 Tinder box. An old military plastic job that seals completely. Holds my tinder (all also individually sealed).
15 petroleum jelly (Vaseline) soaked cotton wool balls. Each is individually wrapped in a tiny ziplock bag. If I have to open the tinder in howling rain, I like everything sealed up. I also don’t have to pull stuck balls apart in the dark etc. Goes in the tinder box.
5 ziplock bags of firelighter pieces. Yup its cheating. So? Goes in the tinder box
1 ziplock bag of whole firelighters (see above). Goes in the tinder box
1 box of 45 waterproof matches sealed in a ziplock. Goes in the tinder box.
1 piezo electric lighter. Backup. Goes in the tinder box.
1 high capacity “turbo flame” gas lighter with a small backup compass. O ring sealed to keep the wet out. Lives in my pocket.
1 Swedish firesteel on recoil key ring. The key ring attaches it to my belt and it sits in a slot on my knife sheath. There is a splitting attachment if I want it “loose”
There is also a ziplocked box of waterproof matches in every 24 hour food pack, and I can make fire with potassium permanganate and sugar sachets if I need to. Failing that I’ll use some paracord and make a fire bow – I take fire seriously!
I always thought that the US decon container was waterproof. :confused:
andrew.
I'm still trying to get to a meet.
Hopefully this year... :D
Graham_S
09-01-2006, 00:05
you can get the tubs here.
nbc tubs (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/US-ARMY-WATERPROOF-STORAGE-POT-SURVIVAL-BUSHCRAFT_W0QQitemZ6590347519Q QcategoryZ588QQtcZphotoQQcmdZV iewItem)
i've got a couple and while they will keep the water out for a good long while, they don't have a seal in the lid (although they can be made to seal with some rubber cement and a heavy duty elastic band)
i keep my tinder in one too.
pierre girard
09-01-2006, 03:59
Some of you don't seem to carry tents. Can you keep yourself and your kit dry under a tarpaulin?
I most often set up my tarp as a diamond fly. If you set the opening opposite the prevailing winds - this gives you pretty good coverage from rain.
http://www.redhawk-trading.com/diamond-shelter.htm
I do mine a little different than the photo at the above website, using a sissors arrangement of two poles to hold up the center loop - and the peak tied to a tree.
PG
Kathmandu make excellent tarps in silnylon. They reckon that the smallest tarp that will keep you reliably dry is 2.5m x 1.5m. This is the one I have and it works fine as a ground basha. It weighs 300g (compared to 2kg for my tent).
I have used the tarp with a hammock but I would not trust it in wind and rain. Even the 2.7m aussie hootchi may be a bit marginal as a hammock tarp in bad weather. Some people have found the standard Hennesy fly to be a bit small too.
The Hex Fly is much bigger and, er, hexagonal, and I've not heard of anyone on the forum getting wet under one (though I'm happy to be corrected on this.)
British Red
09-01-2006, 17:56
Kathmandu make excellent tarps in silnylon. They reckon that the smallest tarp that will keep you reliably dry is 2.5m x 1.5m. This is the one I have and it works fine as a ground basha. It weighs 300g (compared to 2kg for my tent).
I have used the tarp with a hammock but I would not trust it in wind and rain. Even the 2.7m aussie hootchi may be a bit marginal as a hammock tarp in bad weather. Some people have found the standard Hennesy fly to be a bit small too.
The Hex Fly is much bigger and, er, hexagonal, and I've not heard of anyone on the forum getting wet under one (though I'm happy to be corrected on this.)
Doc,
Given I'm too big, old, fat and lazy for hammocks, I always use a ground basha (easier to get into and hard to fall out of too). That tarp sounds very interesting to combine with my bivi bag - do you have a link to a source with pics?
Red
http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/catalogue.html#sect1
But Julian the owner died recently so I'm not sure if they are still trading?
the first ever hammock i bought was the kathmandu one in that link:
HAMMOCK
Made from a sheet of nylon cloth, either 2oz or 4oz according to spec. Overall size, 2.7 x 1.4 mts. A 2.5 mt. webbing belt at either end secures it to trees, etc. Drawcords raise the edges for secure sleep... Can be used as a shelter also.
Weight; 1.3lbs. PRICE; £27.35
It didn't even last 1 night and i'm not particularly big :(
British Red
09-01-2006, 23:24
http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/catalogue.html#sect1
But Julian the owner died recently so I'm not sure if they are still trading?
Thanks Doc.
Worried about traumas feedback - given thay may have ceased trading, I'll keep looking around. I don't need anything fancy - just something light to keep rain off my face and bergan
Red
:tapedshut wasn't intended to slate anyone, i just had bad luck with it
Tent versus Tarpaulin
Tarpaulin has
- light weight,
- cheap
Tent has
- keeping out unwanted things:- human eyes!, insects - flying and ground, mammals - foxes and rats.
- comes with its own cordage in convienient lengths and poles - usually flexible and foldable these days
- 360 degree protection if the wind shifts or is gusty
- warm - no draughts
- more stable in wind
Why should I use a tarpaulin if a tent will do better?
C_Claycomb
10-01-2006, 13:08
rich59,
Its horses for courses. There are times when a tarp will be better, and times when a tent will, and times when a hammock with beat both. Each is better at some things than others, that does not mean that one IS better overall.
The worst way to judge a tarp is to try to treat it like a tent. If you go camping with a bunch of people in tents, and you have a tarp or hammock, and they pick the camp sites, you will probably conclude that tents are the hands down best option. You reverse that and go as the only tent camper with a bunch of mates with hammocks and you won't feel so comfortable! :D
Tents don't work so well on 1:5 wooded slopes covered in moss, boulders and bilberries, but hammocks work fine.
In the summer, a tent can become like an oven by 7:30 or 8am, and it doesn't cool all that fast in the evening. Tarps have much better ventilation.
There are enough highly experienced outdoors men and women that have switched from tents to tarps for certain conditions that it is pretty clear that they do have some advantages. Whether those reasons are good enough for you, the way you camp, is another matter.
Graham_S
10-01-2006, 15:33
i go camping with friends fairly often in some local woodland. the amount of time we spend looking for a decent spot to set up is incredible.
actually that should read "the amount of time we spend looking for a spot for the guys in tents to set up is incredible"
i'm in a hammock, under a tarp. i just wander around with them untill they find a flatish bit of ground and set up my camp (generally before they've finished unpacking).
i had to revert to my tent for a recent meet, and i have to say it was not as good a way to live.
Why should I use a tarpaulin if a tent will do better?
Nobody is saying you have to use a tarp, some people at Archray used tents as I recall.
Of course when the Otters came to the loch edge hunting, I got to watch them from the comfort of my hammock and they did not.
One of the attractions of camping under a tarp is the greater connection it allows you with the environment.
Sometimes when I am travelling I sleep in my van. At living history events I sleep on a Viking age style bed with a feather mattress and every comfort the tenth century could provide. I have a modern tent too but when camping in a fine spot my preference is to use a tarp or no cover at all.
Thanks for those great insights on the place of a tarpaulin.
You should see my family when we used to go caravaning - selecting a pitch seemed to take at least an hour!!
The tent versus hammock+tarp versus bivvy bag+tarp has come up before, and as C Claycomb says it is horses for courses.
Gear shops are very much geared towards mountain environments. With no trees and horizontal rain, a tent is far preferable. Very occasionally you see a Hennessy in the outdoor shop but it's mostly tents.
I'm new to the canoeing game but already it strikes me that camping by the waters edge is often much more feasible with a hammock - in Scotland anyway.
If you walk distances consider the weight. A solo tent can be under 1.3 kg but sometimes double that. A hammock alone is often 600g, plus anything from 300g to over a kilogram for a tarp, plus a bit extra for mosi net in summer.
So what's it going to be at Chedworth Richard? Tent or Tarp? ;)
They have the storage boxes at strikeforce £2 each or 6 x £10
http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/stock.php?page=bigpic&item=20044 also a new range of lightweight drybags from 2.2 to 80 litres
Dave.
So what's it going to be at Chedworth Richard? Tent or Tarp? ;)Tent, for loitering within. I will observe what you other guys do this time.
I did buy a 2m x 3m tarp though to experiment with or just be a rain shelter.
I will observe what you other guys do this time.
Probably envy you. :umbrella: