Camping Gear

[Kite]

Tell us about your camping set up.  Include pictures if you want.  Go ahead and include every thing from what you use for a tent to your Kermit chair to your lantern.  You can also post any tips and tricks you know.  Thanks guys!

 

[gunny]

hmm, where to begin, well I do quite a bit of camping with my boy and my dad, some canoe camping and winter as well, but my list of "stuff" is dependant on where and when I'm going, I don't take everything listed everytime. I have a good survival training background from my days in the Corps. I eat a lot of stuff that grows right around camp, makes a great salad with the fish you might catch.

Jack Wolfskin expidition tent, 4 season W/full fly {2 man}
northface down bag for the winter and fall
USMC poncho liner
light weight kelty bag for summer
MSR whisper lite stove or the coleman dual fuel
Alpine Lowe internal frame pack {big, really big}
MSR cook kit
good old USMC canteen cup
MSR titanium sprench {combo spoon and stove wrench}
UCO candle lantern
OR rain hat {seattle sombrero}
Trioxane tabs for high speed cooking or fire starting.
MSR mini water works water filter
2 ounce bottle of unscented bleach {for chemical treatment of really bad water }
First aid kit
fire starter stuff { block of magnesium}
Dromedary water bag
Good knife, either my K-bar or my gerber or both
Swiss army knife {never know when ya gotta macgiver something  }
550 cord
Trip wire {don't ask  }
North face shell jacket for the wet and cold weather
Clothing as dictated by the weather.
hiking staff or the telemark skis and poles, season dependant of course.

I'm sure I'm missing something here. I mix and match as needed for the trip, carry more on some, les on others, and an even different set for on the bike.

[Keener]

Hey, Gunny. The handle on my Ka-Bar was getting kind of...um....used.
So I modified it.



Thanks for the gear list, btw.

[gunny]

Thats some good work, I had to look at the picture twice before I saw it as a K-bar, you should think about making them up like that, that looks really nice.

[MSGT-R]

hmm, where to begin, well I do quite a bit of camping with my boy and my dad, some canoe camping and winter as well, but my list of "stuff" is dependant on where and when I'm going, I don't take everything listed everytime. I have a good survival training background from my days in the Corps. I eat a lot of stuff that grows right around camp, makes a great salad with the fish you might catch.

The last time I went "camping" was in 29 Palms, and I think the Corps would have heartburn if we ate any turtles, or those big white lizards, instead of the stuff in the VAT cans or the MRE's... I guess you could eat cactus if you could find any, just those scrub-brush things. 

My RV sort-of cured me of camping (that, and 27 years of wearing camoflage). I guess I would if I had to..

[gunny]

hmm, where to begin, well I do quite a bit of camping with my boy and my dad, some canoe camping and winter as well, but my list of "stuff" is dependant on where and when I'm going, I don't take everything listed everytime. I have a good survival training background from my days in the Corps. I eat a lot of stuff that grows right around camp, makes a great salad with the fish you might catch.

The last time I went "camping" was in 29 Palms, and I think the Corps would have heartburn if we ate any turtles, or those big white lizards, instead of the stuff in the VAT cans or the MRE's... I guess you could eat cactus if you could find any, just those scrub-brush things. 

My RV sort-of cured me of camping (that, and 27 years of wearing camoflage). I guess I would if I had to..

gotta have fiber ya know    We genrally went out advance party to cac and set up our op's to observe the units we were supposed to "hunt" I think the longest we ever spent out in the delta corridor alone, was 12 days with one of the helo squadrons air dropping chow and water. We had been known to snare a bunny or 2 while out there 

[MSGT-R]

I spent all of my time in the Regan Ranch Hanger, cooking like a Suzi-Bake oven..

[David K.]

.... 'Tent from SEARS (on sale!) Mora knife, Primus Stove (It's gas, but I've been tempted lately switch to a Coleman dual fuel ) ... the usual pots pans etc. and a small hatchet, used more to pound in tent pegs than serious" logging" . Fire-starting is high on my list, so BIC pocket lighters, and a Barb-B-Q one, plus homemade firestarters,which are made from recycled candles with wood chips and/or lint from the dryer in mixed and melted into the small muffin papers. ..... Therma Rest mattress is the best guarantee of a sound night sleep and warm 'bag !! A mini-electric lantern and "head" light allow reading in bed ... essential !!  ..... David K.   

[scary fish]

Out here in WA that’s Western Australia  the main camping item is drinking water, water and more water .
A tip is to store it in a number of smaller containers. That way in the event of a spill ( no pun intended) you minimise the risk of loosing all your supply.
As far as sleeping goes I much prefer a swag . its good for most situation ranging from stinking hot to just below 0c there even good in the wet although the noise takes a bit of getting use to.
Cooking, you cant beat a fire however in some areas they are a no-no for a big part of the year, this is when a small gas  setup comes into it own. I use a hiking model which use those self sealing gas canisters and breaks down to the size of a pack of cigerattes.
I also reckon you cant go past European military mess tins  as general purpose cookware / tableware.
 I  take an openel lock knife and oil stone and if I am going anywhere near water I also pack some fishing gear ( hand line and dried bait).
Finally lets not forget the grog.  Red Wine travels best (etiquette dictates that  you drink it at room temp). if you get it in bulk ( 4ltr box) it has other useful properties,
Empty bladders can be used to store more water.
With gentle inflation you have a very serviceable pillow .
In the event of an emergency you can use the reflective material to signal search aircraft.
Make a solar still.
A PFD ( personal floatation device)
And a very attractive hat.

[gunny]

oy ! a fire is the best but your right, even here they can be a no no at times. I rather like low impact camping. "leave no trace" I think thats why I switched to a stove, or if I'm going ultralite, an esbit stove. You can make a cheap one from an old soup can. I rather like the coleman dual fuel I got a few years ago. it even fits inside the aluminium case that my old coleman stove came in, that case can also be used for cooking { gotta clean it real good before you use it though}

even here, a lot of people take water for granted. You can never carry enough imo. If I even think about going off the beaten path I take water with me. When I go to moab this May. I'll have my camelback and another water bag. I'll fill the water bag for the trail rides and have the camelback on me. I may not need all of it, but someone riding with us just might.

This is why I love this site, so many good ideas coming from great people 

[Darth]

This is why I love this site, so many good ideas coming from great people 

Man, you got that right!

[Hondo]

here's mine-

http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,2426.new.html#new

[dirtrooster2003]

dont forget an e-tool of some sort.  never know when ya gotta dig a cathole.

[dirtrooster2003]

The last time I went "camping" was in 29 Palms, and I think the Corps

Hey MSGT-R  when were you at 29 stumps, your about my age.  i was there in 76 and i think 77 or 78 for some desert training.

[gunny]

lets not forget, the e-tool makes a handy camp stool too, just don't forget to lock the blade   

[dirtrooster2003]

sounds to me like experience talking there. 

[gunny]

and I qoute { and the company gunny said to the young L/cpl,} " your not supposed to sharpen the blasted things !"

we laughed for hours in the XO pit   

[MSGT-R]

Hey MSGT-R  when were you at 29 stumps, your about my age.  i was there in 76 and i think 77 or 78 for some desert training.

Those dates were during my first enlistment: I was in the Band field during that time. No CAX, just lots of parades, ceremonies, and concerts. I didn't lateral move until 1980, and didn't get out of a MALS (H&MS) and into a squadron until the 90's. Only flying squadrons go out to CAX.

[dirtrooster2003]

field artillary here MOS 0811/0151.  I had fun in the desert, where else could it be 110F+ in the day time and less than 30 at night.  wished id had one of those diesel KLR's back then.  we basicaly had 4 modes of travel.  foot, deuce and a half, helicopter CH 46 and CH53 if my memory serves me right, and the air force in some big ass planes.

[gunny]

did you guys use the pig {m114} or the '05. watched them drop a 114 from a 53 while out at the stumps, made a distinct impression    gotta love those gun bunnies, they knew how to party, not to mention they were the only ones to never gripe about giving us a resupply while out in the field. they even conned me into slap firing a pig, still got that scar on my hand  , what was it they said.... "king of battle"

[Uncle Phill]

I carry my KLR on my camping gear...not my gear on my KLR!

http://www.winterwren.com/images/CycleOnTrailer.jpg

[gunny]

I carry my KLR on my camping gear...not my gear on my KLR!

http://www.winterwren.com/images/CycleOnTrailer.jpg

now that's just cheating 

[Bigdog57]

When I began my road trips and camping on the bike, I lugged a 3-man dome tent, a twin-sized air matress (heavy!) with electric air pump, and several sets of jeans and shirts.  Carried the camping stove, food, everything but the ol' kitchen sink - the KLR wallowed like a pig.....

Now I carry a one-man Bivy Tent (2.5lbs), stuffed into my sleeping unit (a blanket unless it will get cold, then a sleeping bag), a smaller air matress I can huff&puff up, a wee Coleman Peak One folding stove with a small gas cartridge, two canteens and a stainless canteen cup for my cooking.  An extra pair of jeans, two spare T-shirts, two spare pair of socks & undies.  Mountain House meals in pouches, if I need to pack food.
My one 'necessary luxury' is my folding camp chair - the 51-year-old back needs some babying now and then!
Overall, a much lighter load!