View Full Version : Gathering up kit!
bushman762
18-06-2005, 13:37
Hi Group,
Just thought I'd let you know that thanks to Ray's new series he has stirred up stuff I thought I'd gotten out of my system...but thats not the case.
I went back home to look out my old kit...rucksack had been given away, same for primus, same for old military sleeping bag...same for almost all of it.
came back feeling rather disappointed, but then...Hey...I could replace it all with better than I had first time round.
I do have a black on black 2 season bag, but I'm looking for something warmer (and I love the look of those that Ray sells (centre zip) but not the price.
got my self a bivi... thats a must bit of kit...never had one before...but slept out already in this, just to test it...well pleased with this purchase.
on reading some of the posts on rucksacks....I have tried to get myself a Vulcan but no luck yet!
got my Zebra billy...still trying to get a s/s mug like Ray's.
have ordered a gransfors sfa. I never had an axe before so am having trouble waiting on this! like wise, I never had a proper knife before so I've splashed out on a 'Bushcrafter' from Alan Wood, can't wait on this either.
I never even seen a Hootchi before...have been looking at them, the Hennessy looks like a quallity item, but I was wondering about the amount of shelter it would give if you where jusy sitting about at the fire? the Australian maybe the answer, but I'm open to suggestions...not keen on the cheaper PVC ones for noise reasons. Has any one purchased the Eco Sleep system (I won't be, just on price) but would like to hear about it!
Where I live we have man eating midges, can anyone recomend a head net that will keep them out...at the moment I use chemical means , but don't like these products, and any how with a bit of sweat it's usually gone. (they just walk through the net I have).
we all have our own reasons for buying and recomending various products, I agree with the idea that less is better, but with the minimum of quality kit we can have a safe and enjoyable time in nature.
once we have our shelter sorted (that includes sleeping & fire). I am puzzled by the problem of living from nature. Can we really survive on a pig nut here & there? I'm fond of my grub (bit like RM) and would like to hear more on gathering from nature...I will of course be bringing some supplies with me on my outings, but just in case of Y2K (I'm still waiting on the big crash in 2000). I do admit I have spent very little time in the food section of this group, to busy gathering up kit at the moment!
Looking for:-
Rucksack...maybe a Vulcan?
Australian hootchi?
sleeping bag?
s/s miltary mug
fero rod?
stove?
laplander saw?
Best Regards,
:)
innocent bystander
18-06-2005, 14:05
eco sleep system. :)
excellent.......
I would recommend one of the saber bergans from PRI
www.pri.uk.com
these are fantastic and well recommended, I have never heard a bad word about them from anyone.
woodland organics are the sole importers of the real australian hootchi's they do not sell direct to the public but will put you in touch with the people that do
www.woodlandorganics.com
another very good higly recommended manufacturer of bashas (hootchi's) is kathmandu trekking
Tel/Fax 01970 890425. I cant seem to find there website.
I have used the Eco sleep system and seriously disliked it
the woodlore sleeping bags are manufactured by Nanok and rebadged for woodlore. so you may be able to find them cheaper elsewhere under the original Nanok brand.
http://www.finnrappel.fi/nanok1.htm
laplander saw is manufactured by Barco and is available from here:
http://www.tool-up.co.uk/shop/diy/SAN396LAP.html
the stainless steel militry mugs are manufactured by BCB:
www.bcbin.com
firesteels are manufactured by light my fire
www.light-my-fire.se/
arctic hobo
18-06-2005, 18:53
www.nanok.no is the official site. I very highly recommend the Endurance range of bags, as I believe do quite a few other forum members ;)
bushman762
18-06-2005, 20:05
As usual quality replys and posts, thanks and keep them coming.
Best Regards, :)
arctic hobo
18-06-2005, 21:24
For your stove you I'd suggest a standard Trangia, but I'm sure many people will disagree :D There's a big choice out there. I like civvi trangias because they're bombproof, reliable (much more so than gas), work in all conditions, and are dead simple and safe. Disadvantages are that the military model is a quarter of the price, they weigh a bit and so does the fuel.
Depending on how much cash you've got, I'd highly recommend Bergans rucksacks (www.bergans.no), but if you'd rather spend a little less everyone loves the Karrimor Sabre range. What with them now going bust and PRI saying they don't stock x and y any more, it may be trickier to get hold of some than it used to be.
Motorbike Man
18-06-2005, 21:40
Any idea if there are any problems with posting something like a folding saw to Co. Tyrone as if you want to cover costs, I can get a decent Spear & Jackson for £3.50 plus postage to you if you like?
Ranger Bob
18-06-2005, 22:30
For your stove you I'd suggest a standard Trangia, but I'm sure many people will disagree :D
Trangias are evil
arctic hobo
18-06-2005, 22:35
...that's fine, I know they're not for everyone, but perhaps you'd like to say why?
sandbender
18-06-2005, 22:44
Hi and good luck with your kit buying...
Rays Sleeping bags are made for him by Nanok, Nanok bags are very comfy even after prolonged use and actually seem to use a rating system that reflects the seasons of Northern Europe rather than (insert name of country with generally mild weather and minimal seasonal variation here).
'Gransfors sfa.' - Watch those ankles! :)
'Eco Sleep system - man eating midges' - I have never slept in an Eco-System however I spent a week with in France with Woodlore earlier this year, there were a few folks there who were using them, they all reckoned that they were very comfy and they certainly seemed to keep the mosquitos at bay. My one criticism was that as bomb proof as it looked the system took quite a while to put up. I have used a Hennesy Hammock in Turkey and the insects there were voracious, however using the hennessy equipped with snakeskins I could have a shelter up in minutes.
As much as I liked the Hennesy I have long since sold it and now sleep on the ground under an Aussie Hootchie, its just simpler and easier to live under, I do occasionally wonder about buying a simple hammock, especially when its raining, getting dark and I'm trying to find two trees that have level ground and no stumps or boulders between them. :(
I had a chat with a childrens canoeing instructor who spent his summers in the Ardeche gorge sleeping in a 'Pro-Pod' hammock, they looked tough, light and simple, although they seem difficult to get hold of though.
You could also scare the locals by wearing this...
http://www.bushwear.co.uk/nested-products.php?prod_brand=Bug-Me-Not
Ranger Bob
18-06-2005, 22:46
My main problem with them is the weight, and when I've used them they seemed to consume a fair bit of fuel, which isn't light either. But above all else.....my last memory of using a trangia was a cold, wet night in the peak district, where after an hour of struggling with the thing, I settled down to a lukewarm bowl of rehyrated slop! I sure it wasn't all the trangias fault though :D
That was three years ago and I've not used one since........maybe I just did something wrong :)
ChrisKavanaugh
18-06-2005, 23:02
Anyone hazard a guess on the record hi-lo temps for California? I worry about any activity when people start acquiring stuff because Ray Mears, Tiger Woods or Juan Maneul Fangio uses XYZ. ;)
sandbender
18-06-2005, 23:21
Anyone hazard a guess on the record hi-lo temps for California?
Have modified the California reference ;)
Anyone hazard a guess on the record hi-lo temps for California? I worry about any activity when people start acquiring stuff because Ray Mears, Tiger Woods or Juan Maneul Fangio uses XYZ. ;)
chris you make a very good point.. but it should be pointed out that over the next five years nike will pay tiger woods $90m to use their clubs...
i dont think gransfors and ray really compare...
ChrisKavanaugh
19-06-2005, 00:47
I was being tonque in cheek about California weather, though I understand the cavalier use of kit by people who think California ( and other locals) are a Beach Boy Endless Summer. Winter in our high Sierras can record sub zero temps and we have a lovely spot called Death Valley. The truth is a bushcrafter can get into trouble very quickly with a spot of bad luck on a Shakespearian Midsummer's Night. Remember most people succumb to hypothermia in relatively mild temperature drops. As for Ray Mears, I am not bashing his promotion, be it for some renumeration or simple preference. I don't see him unloading his ruck from an Aston Martin :p My point is that people get locked into almost a peer mindset of "keeping up with the Jones's" and buying premium gear because somehow it will make us swing like Tiger, drive like Juan or enjoy an evening fire and the night sky less somehow than Ray.
Spacemonkey
19-06-2005, 09:54
I see your point and whole heartedly agree, but I suppose that if people see Ray 'Chubby' Mears using something, they think that if it is good enough for him then it won't let them down, rather than thinking it will make them like Mr Mears. Although there might be a bit of this as well... For example, there are loads of basha sheets out there, most are great. Maybe the Aussie has some extra redeeming features (can't think what?) but as some bloke on TV uses them, the prices shoot through the roof and they cost twice as much as brand x which is the same. Also buying from Mearsy's site is a very expensive way to buy kit. Take that Lapplander saw for example. 5.11 kit has been available form www.usmcpro.com for ages, but until Mears wears it, no one is interested. And then he charges over the odds on his site, and everyone buys it from there. Can't say I blame him and good luck to everyone who buys off him, but just remember cheaper alternatives exist elsewhere that are just as good. At the end of the day, it's your money and you should spend it how you want. To some a £200 rucksack is nothing, to others it is unaffordable. Being a bit of a kit fiend myself I keep an eye out for a bargain, but I want to buy stuff that will last a long time and not let me down, so will pay a lot for it if need be.
Oh, and Aston's are far too unreliable, and not much cop off road.....
innocent bystander
19-06-2005, 09:59
Buying power has to play a part as well. They may not shift enough to justify ordering the sort of quantity that allows for discounting. Overheads as well. Who knows...
There are lots of good sleeping bags on the market. I use Vango Ultralite bags, which have been fine for me: there are a range of weights and seasons between fifty and ninety quid.
Lots of people like the Trangia type stoves. You might also consider a solid-fuel stove, a folding metal thing, otherwise known as a "hexy stove", which will boil a billy or mug without any problem, is very light/compact and costs about a tenner. When using such a stove, I am reminded of a quote by Crocodile Dundee, "You can live on it, but it tastes like ****", but for a tenner they are worth having in your emergency pack if nothing else.
...that's fine, I know they're not for everyone, but perhaps you'd like to say why?
I think the small trangia is fantastic. One of the best pieces of kit I've ever used. Superb for lightweight hiking and bombproof. :)
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images8/trangia1b.jpg
Great stove stand that Hoodoo.nice and simple. what are the dimensions?
looks simple to make :D
My point is that people get locked into almost a peer mindset of "keeping up with the Jones's" and buying premium gear because somehow it will make us swing like Tiger, drive like Juan or enjoy an evening fire and the night sky less somehow than Ray.
This has been bothering me quite a bit lately. But if I step back a bit and try to look at it objectively from someone who is new to the outdoors, I think Mears makes a pretty good role model and sometimes it takes years and lots of "dirttime" before people start to feel comfortable with their personal choices. I guess I feel more comfortable with folks going the "Ray Mears" route rather than pretending to be an expert and reciting everything they learned on the internet as gospel. :)
Probably more troubling to me than folks blindly following Ray Mears is the idea that bushcraft has some kind of ancient code that has to be followed. When I look at his site, I see all kinds of gear, from high tech to low tech. Not exactly an advertisement for primitive lifeways. Personally, and for mainly practical reasons, I like the idea of blending the new and the old but sometimes I think people forget that OVERALL, Ray Mears does not approach the outdoors with the same attitude towards primitive skills as someone like Larry Dean Olsen or John McPherson, to name a few. I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm just saying that "bushcraft" as it is generally practiced, is not defined necessarily by the gear you carry. Especially given the fact that Ray seems to carry and promote a lot of it.
innocent bystander
19-06-2005, 14:00
As far as i remember, the only item he has actually promoted in his series is the granfors axe. But a lot of people see things on the programmes and try to find out what make etc so they can have one too.
Celebrity endorsement is a common way that people simplify purchasing decisions. Reduces the risk of buying a lemon, increases status - so, provided the price is right, why not?
Hell, that was why I bought my new car (one of those hybrid things) - if it's good enough for Cameron Diaz, I thought, it's good enough for me :)
sandbender
19-06-2005, 14:17
People...
A discussion about the pro's and cons of buying something used, endorsed or sold by Mr Mears isn't helping bushman762 whittle down his potential kit list...
:)
Gee Guys! Ray is a mere mortal like the rest of us! I can remember back in the early eighties, when I was applying for a Temp Instructor position at Plas Y Brenin, Ray also applied along with a few other of my English mates. He used a bushcraft / wilderness survival presentation as part of his application, as I seem to remeber he didn't get the job!!
can we get back on topic please guys and girls
Any idea if there are any problems with posting something like a folding saw to Co. Tyrone as if you want to cover costs, I can get a decent Spear & Jackson for £3.50 plus postage to you if you like?
erm did you just say a folding saw for £3.50 ?
Quote from Hoodoo - "...... I'm just saying that "bushcraft" as it is generally practiced, is not defined necessarily by the gear you carry."
I've been as guilty as anyone in reinforcing my enjoyment of bushcraft with good quality gear which probably pays in the long run. But in Sweden last week Preben, our instructor (who amongst other things could almost make an axe talk) having noticed the inconsistency on the part of some of us in certain skills said "......Don't try to cover your inexperience with nice equipment - you must practice" . That message really hit home so as well as re-evaluating what I carry and what is essential/desirable, above all else I'm looking at what I should practice so that improvised skills can be available when equipment isn't.......