I like the spreader bar on this new hammock from Rei. This would stop that annoying thing where the hammock fabric compresses the insulation of your sleeping bag at shoulder-to-elbow and creates a cold spot. There are several other ways around this eg a wider mat, a pad extender, etc, but I feel that this […]
A cheap lightweight reusable waterproof sleeping bag/shelter which will save your life in an emergency. I have had one of these in the bottom of my day pack for over ten years. To date (fortunately) I have never had to use it, though I have come pretty close a number of times. By the same
This is a very useful video on how to create a lightweight shelter from a standard 10’ x 12’ silnylon tarp: Many other fascinating vids by this outstanding lady, Carol Wellman here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brawny03 You can buy such a tarp eg from Aliexpress for around $30: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-hiking-on-a-budget/ Hiking does not have to be just for the
We have recently been on a car camping holiday in Scotland where we wanted to stay away from people as much as possible on such a crowded island, and save on accommodation costs by sleeping in the rental car wherever we could find a pleasant spot. The car we hired turned out to be a
I have made an ultralight bathtub floor for my Siligloo tent in preparation for a trip we are soon taking. It replaces the piece of spinnaker fabric we have been using, adding less than 70 grams. You will remember that the Siligloo Tent weighed 385 grams when I made it. I have added some extra
The ‘Big Five’ for less than $100 and under 3 kg! I recently posted about this 362 grams cheap 40 litre pack which you can buy from Amazon for US$20. I bought one just to see and found it very good indeed – as good or better than many more expensive packs I own/have owned,
Over the years I have made many projects out of this wonderful material, particularly tents but other things besides (see below). I use the 3 metre wide ‘Homewrap’ version which I source by the 30 metre roll from Bensons (Home) Hardware in Morwell nearby at about A$200 per roll. Each roll is enough to make
Hammocks, I have spent months of my life sleeping in them. This is an older post which I have freshened up with lots of hammock related links for readers who ‘came in late’. A plain nylon hammock with the addition of a rectangular inflatable mattress (such as a Thermarest Neoair) is all you need for wonderful
Here is my new ultralight ‘Sil-igloo’ tent at 379 grams. As you can see it is huge: big enough to stand up in – I guess it is over 100 square feet (9-10 square metres) of cover. There is plenty of room for two large adults and two small dogs, and to spread our gear
As you probably know I eschew (conventional) tents. I like to be able to see out, to catch the breeze, to enjoy a warm fire out the front in cold weather, etc. I favour a tarp which keeps the weather out on three sides yet offers a sheltering verandah on the fourth such as my
