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blindgeekuk
27-07-2012, 06:41 PM
A little introduction, and explanation...

Having watched and loved the various youtube videos, and learnt how best to use a firesteel, something i've always struggled with, I thought i'd join the community and actively participate in things.

I've done a lot of solo camping in the last 3 years, because I tend to travel to various parts of the UK to run Dungeons and Dragons events for people, though, more often than not, I end up in Nottingham, camping at the national watersports centre campsite. I'm partially sighted, and am banned from driving accordingly, so the solo camping I do has to be near cities and accessible via public transport, and because of having to lug my bags on and off buses etc, needs to be pretty light.

The following is my current kit, which I feel works pretty well for me, but i'm interested to see what people who are skilled in bushcraft etc think of it, what they'd remove, add or replace.

Rucksack
http://www.sdintel.co.uk/sdod056sb700-45l-outdoor-sport-travel-rucksack-backpack-camping-hiking-walking-bag-purple-001.html
My last few solo campign trips have involved going to do D&D roleplaying game events, and I've ended up taking way too much camping gear in a big 65 litre pack, and then carrying a day sack full of gaming stuff as well. I found the 65litre bag was a little too big if I had to lug it on and off coaches and I was always scared they would refuse to put it in the storage compartment, plus it was getting a bit heavy if I had to walk from a bus stop to a campsite. I tried cutting down the stuff I carry and poutting it all into my 25 litre daysack, but there was no space ofr food or clothes... My criteria for a rucksack was that it needed to be around 40 litres, have straps for a sleeping mat at the bottom, and be under £100. I came across this bag on Amazon, but tracked it down to its makers who sell it a couple of pound cheaper at their own store. Its cheap, and probably won't last, and the bottom zip is not to a seperate compartment, but... Its cheap, and the size I want. I've got my tent, sleeping bag, cooking stuff and clothes in the main pocket, the top pocket contains my ration pack (see below), and the other pockets contain lights, first aid etc.

Sleeping Bag
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vango-Ultralite-300-Grasshopper/dp/B005449GF2
My brother used to work in a camping store, so in the mid 90's I got tons of good quality gear, VERY cheap, thats lasted me a long time. However, after 15 years of use, my lightweight, 2 season bag was looking a little worse for wear, so I went looking for a new bag. I was due to go camping at the start of march, so wanted a 3 season bag, that packed small, and didn't cost too much. The ultralite 300 was end of line, so in a clearance sale, and ticked the other criteria. I've used it a few times now, in -2'C early spring, and 20'C summer and while it got chilly that cold, first time use, I survived...

Tent
http://www.gelert.com/products/solo_tent
This thing is ace, 2 poles you thread through the inner tent, then throw the flysheet over, tie it on, peg out, and bob's your uncle. It packs incredibly small, and the eaves give you a surprising amount of room. Its far from perfect, you can't sit up in it, you can't cook in the door way, and its VERY draughty, but its fine for a weekend.

Sleeping Mat
http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16557&category_id=253
I've been using a cheap self inflating mat from GoOutdoors for the last few years, and recently found that my side which I sleep on aches the next morning. The mat was the main item I knew I had to replace this year, and looking around, I read some great things about the NeoAir's and the like, but they were too expensive (and seemingly not that durable for the price). Someone suggested Alpkit as an alternative, and using their own comparison of product sizes, I went for a Numo. It looks like the NeoAir, and packs nice and small. Slight issue I've found with the numo, is you obviously don't want to fully inflate it to solid, but if you don't, it wheezes as the air moves around as you rollover during the night.

mKettle
http://www.mkettle.com and http://www.theboilerwerks.com/order/
I did a few solo camps last year, and took a coleman f1, which melted the plastic ring and stopped folding up. I added a cheap version of it from GoOutdoors which wasn't as efficient, but did fold up. Bythe last trip last year, I was carrying 2 cannisters, 2 stoves, pots and cans, kettle, cup etc. It was stupid. A regular backer of Kickstarter projects, I came across the Backcountry Boiler project a few weeks too late, and the reply from the maker was that there were none left and i'd have to wait a while to get one in the UK. Luckily, I found the mKettle, from the guys who make/sell the Ghillie Kettle. They are based in the UK and 'copied' Devlin's design (but actually managed to manufacture it...), so I bought one of them. For those who've not heard of it, the mKettle is basically a small Kelly Kettle, you make a fire in the base, it funnels the heat up a central chimney, warming the water inside the kettle. The mKettle has several benefits... it uses collected fuel (though I tend to stuff its chimney with a few pieces of shop bought kindling before I go), can use esbit/solid fuel blocks, or a meths stove, and of course, doubles as a water carrier. Its not the fastest thing, with wood, you're looking at around 6 minutes and a lot of smoke, but its fun to use, and I swear my tea tastes better from it.
Pan stand
mKettle do their own pot stand to sit on the top of the chimney, allowing you to heat up a pan from the fire burning inside. I thought it looked cheap and crap, so I actually went with the Backcountry Boiler version, which is a little bit 'snug' on the chimney, but can also fit on the base where you have the fire to give a backup stove.
Firefelt
Having being forced to use a Trangia on a school camping trip, and watching my brother struggle with one, I've never seen the appeal in a Trangia or other meths burning stove. However, I've found that sometimes, its hard to get enough wood to get the mKettle to boil, and having watched videos, showing the ease of Devlins firefelt, I knew I had to get one. Its not a great fit in the bottom of the mKettle, and I've yet to get the amount of fuel I need right, and its nowhere near as fun as making a little wood fire and kepping it lit and covering yourself in that wonderful wood smoke smell, but it gives me a backup option for when I can't find wood or the wood is too wet.

Towel
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-global-bath-towel-p143587
I sweat... A lot... I'm an overweight, out of shape, 30 something, and thus, I like to have a shower whenever I can when i'm camping. I'm not overly keen on the feel of microfibre, but its compact, and dries quickly, saving me a lot of space in my pack.

Earplugs
http://www.snorestore.co.uk/acatalog/quiet-reusable-earplugs.html
These are a new addition to my kit, added after staying at one too many campsite where people were getting drunk till 1am and playing loud music. Its a really weird feel putting them in and sleeping with them, but i'm hoping they'll mean I get a few better nights sleep when i'm camping.

Penknife
http://www.victorinox.com/ch/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Category/The-Original-Swiss-Army-Knives/The-Original-Swiss-Army-Knives-large-size-91-mm/CyberTool-41/1.7775.T
While I carry a half decent folding knife in my cooking kit, part of my everyday carry (mainly because this is so good for work) is a swiss army knife cybertool. Its got multiple blades, pliers, scissors, saws and it's barely left my side since I got it 3 years ago.

Trousers
http://www.dickiesworkwear.com/catalogue/trousers_jeans_shorts/workwear/WD814/redhawk-mens-action-trousers.html
I can't remember who suggested these to me, but I remember complaining about having muddy knees that get too wet and ruin my trousers, and someone told me to check out a pair of industrial trousers with kneepad inserts. I've found these redhawk trousers to be extremely cheap to get hold of, well fitting, and with tons of pockets. Takes a while to get the knee pads positioned just right, especially since even the short leg versions are too long for me, but the thick fabric, plus kneepads means I can kneel while cooking without worry.

Food
http://www.armyrations.co.uk/
Theres plenty of sites that offer army ration packs, but I found that these guys were amongst the cheapest, especially if you picked up a few of their overstocked items at the same time. Army rations aren't the most tastiest of food, but works really well with my mKettle, and fit well with my camping trips which tend to be a really early start and a late return, so the high calorie nature keeps me going all day.

blindgeekuk
27-07-2012, 06:42 PM
Cooking Kit
My cooking kit is made up of lots of different items, stuffed together...
Mess Cans - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/mess-tin-set-p152183
This is the heart of my cooking kit, I pack everything in the small mess can, and then pop the bigger one over the top, making a tightly sealed kit that doesn't take up much space. The mess cans themselves can take a nice beating when compared to over pots i've used over the years.
Stove - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/gelert-solid-style-camping-stove-p118570
I'm not sure how many times your meant to be able to use one of these, and mines certainly looking a little worse for wear. When folded, it can neatly store the fuel tablets inside it (and the mKettle pot stand in my case), and I tend to use 4 fuel tablets at a time, and supplement it with some wood to create a rather effective little stove.
Folding Knife
I've had this since I went into scouts, and other than 'forester' and 'Made in Japan' I can't identify it. Its a decent blade, narrow edge, leading up to a thick top, and can break shop bought kindling in half with ease, and feather wood pretty well.
Firelighter - http://www.gerbergear.com/Survival/Gear/Survival-Series-Fire-Starter_31-000699
I'm not normally the kind of person to go for a branded/celebrity endorsed item, but I wanted a flint/steel kind of firelighter, and the proper swedish light my fire ones were about the same price as this one, I like the fact this was waterprooof, had a storage container, and fit inside itself to make a pocketable item. I've got about 3 cotton wool balls (torn up to give me 6 lightings), and I've tried it with the firefelt, so I know I can light anything with it...
Knife/Fork/Spoon - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-heavy-duty-kfs-set-hydration-pack-p142460
Nothing really special about these, though I carry 2 sets.
Mug - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/gelert-360cc-enamel-camping-mug-p118234 and http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/gift-novelty/carabiner-mug/30001529.html
I've had my enamel mug since I joined cubs 25 years ago, and other than a couple of scratches its still the same horrible sick looking pattern it was then. I also carry a carabiner mug that my parents brought me back from new zealnd... Gets bloody hot with tea in it, so acts as a great hand warmer as your drink cools down.
Kettle
Seems a strange thing to carry given the mKettle, and I can't even find a link to it because it came out of an aluminium nesting pan set I got years ago, but I can put it on top of the mKettles pot stand and it warms it up enough to make an immediately drinkable cup of tea. Its also an item I can leave at home to save space.
Tinder
Beyond a few sticks of shop bought (asda) kindling stuffed inside the mKettle, I also carry:
Maya dust - http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/light-my-fire-maya-dust-89-p.asp
Preshaved fatwood that can be sprinked onto a burnigng cotton wool bud, or lit with the firelight (i've not had much luck with that though). To be honest, I could probably leave these at home.
Maya sticks - http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/light-my-fire-maya-sticks-88-p.asp
I'd have loved to have these when I was a cub, it would have made my campfire badge a lot easier... I carry 2 sticks with me, one for shaving, the other for lighting to transfer a flame if needs be.
Spice jar
I have a small metal spice jar, jam packing with normal shaved kindling as a backup.

Lighting
I backed the Packlight project on Kickstart thinking it would make a great backpacking torch, bright, waterprrof etc, but found that the button switched on way too easily, so i stick with:
Headtorch - http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-5-led-3fn-micro-equipment-headlight-p143635
Its actually pretty bright, and I love the flip down red filter, but when this inevitable dies, i'll replace it with a Alpkit Gamma.
Lantern - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolson-Tools-60702-Magnetic-Lamp/dp/B001B4PINI/ref=sr_1_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1343405902&sr=1-1
I got this to replace a similar sized but less bright lantern that unfortunately got left at a campsite. The old one had a flip down diffuser which made it better :(
Solar Cap - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Urban-Camo-SOLAR-LIGHT-Light/dp/B003DX1SES/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1343405983&sr=8-3
Bought to kill two birds with one stone, i.e. a cap and a head torch, I'm actually surprised at how much I like this, especially the dimmer function.

Tech
Like most people, I carry a smartphone (Blackberry 9800), it's a big part of my life seeing as I'm usually on call 24/7. To compliment that while camping I have:
Ipod Nano - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-iPod-nano-8GB-Generation/dp/B002NX0MUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343406222&sr=8-1
I got this as a free replacement during the recent battery recall of the 1st edition nanos. I hate it, its too small and the touchscreen is an almost unusable gimick. Even worse, I dropped mine about 2 foot and it smashed the screen... I use this with headphones, or with one of these mini speakers: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lego-Brick-Portable-Speaker-iTouch/dp/B003IEFU14/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343406189&sr=8-2
Battery - http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/10108744/-/Product.html
Pretty old now, and you can get bigger and better ones, this thing is slim and has enough charge to fully recharge my blackberry once from flat.

Martin
27-07-2012, 07:38 PM
Wow, what an opening post!! Must be the most comprehensive kit list thread yet on Natural Bushcraft. A very warm welcome, I'm sure you're going to fit in just fine.

Martin

blindgeekuk
27-07-2012, 07:53 PM
Thanks for the welcome Martin

cuppa joe
27-07-2012, 08:12 PM
Welcome and thanks for taking the time to post this ,I'm always interested in what others carry .

luresalive
27-07-2012, 08:56 PM
Welcome aboard

jus_young
27-07-2012, 10:03 PM
Welcome to the forum blindgeek.

With regards to your comment on the trousers - with you 100% on this. I have recommended them to others as they really are great when out and about.

Kernowek Scouser
28-07-2012, 12:18 AM
Great intro, :welcome: to the forum fella

AL...
28-07-2012, 01:15 AM
Welcome to the fourm

Cheers
AL

rosseveritt
28-07-2012, 01:33 AM
Welcome to NB. Hope you have fun here. :)

GwersyllaCnau
29-07-2012, 10:49 PM
That was more comprehensive than a lot of product descriptions I've read on internet stores!

I look forward to reading your trip report novels. Welcome to the forum from me.

blindgeekuk
30-07-2012, 11:17 AM
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

Silverback
30-07-2012, 11:24 AM
Alreet from oop north

blindgeekuk
30-07-2012, 11:43 AM
The list of what doesn't make the bag any more...

This list was surprisingly small compared to what I expected, and I think thats mainly because I've replaced kit with newer/lightweight stuff rather than remove items completely.

Folding Stool
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Folding-Tripod-Travel-Fishing-Camping/dp/B003DKCJQC
Its hit and miss whether tis stool comes with me when i'm camping. If i'm going away for a single night, I generally don't bother, but if its a few nights, the stool fits nicely into the side pocket and straps of the rucksack. Currently, this resides in the front of the grage, next to the kids scooters and bikes, meaning I can sit in relative comfort on the driveway as they play out. I've had mine about 3 years, and part of the fabric on the top is coming away, but given how much they've come down in price, i'll pick another one up.

Folding Table
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-FUT152-Backpacker-Table-Silver/dp/B00132D8G2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1343643867&sr=1-1
This was the first piece of camping equipment me and my wife bought as a couple, and we've never actually used it when camping together, as we always end up taking a bigger folding table. Its surprisingly heavy and bulky, and fairly unstable on rough ground, and the big problem for me, is it doesn't sit high enough off the ground to make it really usable as a table.

Coleman F1 Stove
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-f1-lite-stove-p118554
I got one of these in the late 90's and it went on a lot of camping trips into the Dales and various festivals. I'm not sure when, but at some point, the top plastic rim that the burner/pot stand part screws into melted meaning you couldn't separate the sections and effectively turning the lightweight/slimline nature of it out of the window. Other downsides are of course that a Coleman 100 cartirdge barely lasts a weekend, while the Coleman 500's are massive. I replaced it (and tended to carry both stoves and a 100 and 250 cartridge) with one of these: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/intensity-gas-stove-p158213 which I found got really hot and didn't have a good heat distribution.

Pots
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/cookset-p152998
I've owned various pot sets over the years, and tend to replace them every other year, mainly because I find lightweight ones like these, your bacon starts sticking to the 'frying' pan and becomes impossible to get off, while the main pan gets bashed and dented, and you loose the handle. I've been using the mess cans now for 3 seasons worth of camping with no dents...

Enamel Plates/Bowls
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/gelert-deep-style-25cm-camping-plate-p118232
While I still have my enamel cup from cubs, the bowl disappeared during one of my house moves and the plate was so badly chipped as to be unsafe. I replaced them last year with new ones, (included the enamel cup), and found they weighed about half of my old ones, but given i'd started eating rehydrated meals,, which could be eaten from my mug or mess cans, it wasn't worth carrying the extra plates.

Silverback
30-07-2012, 12:11 PM
And heres me claiming Im from Oop North when your North of me in Otley !! I have some good friends in Otley, spent many a time searching round the Chevin too

Old Guard
31-07-2012, 11:10 PM
:welcome: and nice list :happy-clapping:

blindgeekuk
13-08-2012, 09:28 AM
We went caravanning this weekend, and we went back to the site when I last had my led lantern... and lo and behold, the farmer who runs the site had found it and kept it for me.

It's one of these: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?99988-Energizer-4AA-folding-LED-light-DISCONTINUED, which in the USA has been replaced with http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Weather-Ready-Folding-Lantern/dp/B001D937SY

Its a cracking piece of kit, fits nicely on the internal hooking points of the Gelert solo, lasts for ages, and on the low setting is a wonderful light to read by.


My solar cap however was the godsend this weekend. My in-laws had been using our caravan all week, we got there to find that the lighting fuse had just blown (quite literally, one end had been fired backwards into the zig power unit) and the solar cap was just the right brightness and light position to let me work on the fuse unit with ease. It sucks for walking around an unlit farmers field trying to find the toilet though...

biker-bri
13-08-2012, 01:20 PM
A warm :welcome: from Wales