Stimulating the Economy – Camping Gear
I guess I’m doing my part. Another slew of new camping gear is on the way! I selected several things I’ve had sitting in my Amazon cart for months. Maybe I’ve accepted a little restraint in my impulse buying? Doubtful.
Here’s the run-down. 100′ of 7-strand paracord. Very strong, light, and tough. Reminds me of a quote from “the Boondock Saints”:
Connor: [picking out weapons and gear] Do ya know what we need, man? Some rope.
Murphy: Absolutely. What are ya, insane?
Connor: No I ain’t. Charlie Bronson’s always got rope.
Murphy: What?
Connor: Yeah. He’s got a lot of rope strapped around him in the movies, and they always end up using it.
Murphy: You’ve lost it, haven’t ya?
Connor: No, I’m serious.
Murphy: Me too. That’s stupid. Name one thing you gonna need a rope for.
Connor: You don’t f-in’ know what you’re gonna need it for. They just always need it.
Murphy: What’s this ‘they’ shit? This isn’t a movie.
Connor: Oh, right.
[picks up large knife out of Murphy's bag]
Connor: Is that right, Rambo?
Murphy: All right. Get your stupid f-in’ rope.
Connor: I’ll get my stupid rope. I’ll get it. This is a rope right here.
Also got a Gerber Gorge Shovel. I plan to keep that in the car when not camping, it could prove useful. I went and played with one of these and the NATO shovel they make too. The NATO shovel is cool, but it’s incredibly heavy.
I’ve had my eye on the Snow Peak 900 Titanium cook set for some time now. I have other Snow Peak items, and the quality is outstanding. The titanium isn’t just light, it’s way better at being stainless then even, well…stainless.
I have a Petzl e-lite that I keep in my glove compartment for any road-side emergency. But for serious use, I saw the TacTikka Plus had finally dropped to a price where I was able to afford it. I love my $7 cap light, but even though it seems to last forever, it’s just not very bright.
Next up is the Windmill Delta “Stormproof” lighter. “Stormproof” remains to be seen. But this gets great reviews on being utterly reliable. I’m sure it stands a much better chance than my Bic in windy conditions…
Last, but not least, is the Sawvivor. I saw “Nutnfancy” do some amazing work with it. Check out his YouTube video of the Sawvivor. At 9oz., it’s way lighter than my Gerber Hatchet. I’m anxious to get out and try this.
Whenever I pull my “gear album” together, I’ll get pictures of these latest additions. Possibly a writeup on a few of them, too. I know–promises, promises.
I think I’m down to my last 30 or 40 feet of 550 cord – that stuff is amazingly useful (and you need the lighter to melt the ends, when you cut it).
I’ve been so extremely happy with my petzl tikka plus it ain’t funny. I enjoyed the justification for the rope, you may consider not taking it all at once.
I completely agree. I was working on my car the other day way down in the engine and thought, it’d be great if I had some more light…wait! The Tikka! Just as useful at home as in the back country, apparently.
I plan on taking your suggestion on the paracord–half that or less. Useful stuff to have around, for who-knows-what. I’ve heard of people replacing their shoelaces with it when they’re heading out into the wild, just so they have a few lengths of it handy if needed. Nevermind the fashion police. lol
Congratulations on stimulating the economy, while pursuing your hobby. I have the titanium cook set I use when kayaking.
I was finally able to try out my set this weekend. It is forgiving of direct flame, quick to boil, cooked evenly, and cleaned up without a fuss. I appreciate what exists currently, but I’m surprised there aren’t more tools, outdoor furniture, etc. in titanium. Raw bar and tube stock, based on my limited research, is not so costly that it’s impractical vs. steel. Hopefully we’ll see more as time passes.