Does any hammock experts have a cheap neat trick to make any ordinary hammock winter proof? if so, which type hammock and what are the material.
thank you 
I love my jungle hammock – but not in the winter. Being above the ground without a pad allows for wind circulation which will wick the heat away from you. You’re also exposed to direct wind in your face – if it’s strong enough it will go through your breathable sleeping bag. It’s easy to get hypothermia. Stick with a good tent on the ground.
Instructional video on how to pitch tent along with key features
Duration : 0:1:37
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Technorati Tags: camping, camping tents, Cotswold Outdoor, Tent Pitching, tents
A video review of the new Travel Hammock from DD hammocks
Duration : 0:8:9
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Technorati Tags: Bushcraft, hammock, pablo, pablo475, tarp, woodlife
Gear Review: 5900 Kelty Redcloud Backpack, Mountain Hardware Superlight 60 Sleeping Pad, Sierra Design 3D Sleeping Bag, MSR Water Purifier, MSR Cooking Pot, REI Down Pillow, Northface Rock 22 Tent, MSR Stove
Duration : 0:9:55
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Technorati Tags: camping, hiking, kelty, MSR, northface, REI, review
Learn more at http://www.TheDogOutdoors.com. An overview of the new EzyDog Summit Pack hiking backpack for dogs sold at The Dog Outdoors.
http://www.thedogoutdoors.com/ezydog-backpack-for-dogs.html
Incorporates award winning foam-rubber chest plate for a comfortable, secure, custom fit.Quick release front panel messenger style packs for easy access to things you use all the time. Waterproof Zippers. Padded carry handle. Reflective trim and leash caddy keeps your leash on the dog and always within reach.
Duration : 0:4:24
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Technorati Tags: backpack for dogs, dog pack, dogs, hiking pack, Pets, Waterproof
PART 3 of 8:
A detailed review and philosophy about one of Nutnfancys backpacking systems. This system sides with the firepower side of my mobility vs firepower thesis i.e. that which will provide high capabilities for the given weight and bulk. The gear shown and discussed is designed for establishing a base camp near a high mountain lake about 8 to 15 miles deep into remote and steep Rocky Mountain terrain, at around 10,000 or more elevation. And yes there are still lots of places like this that still exist. This system generally does not represent a good hike through option (ie 10 or so miles hiked each day to different locations) as theres too much weight to be carrying in daily long distance hiking. However if your preference is to bivouac at a remote and secluded area, like Nutnfancy, you may find some new ideas for you here. In this original video series, you will see a selection of Nutnfancys clothing, cooking, water prep and storage, carry, knife and tool, fire making, sleeping, shelter, first aid, nautical (!), rappelling (!), and contingency options. Most of the gear shown has been proven effective for the purposes discussed and every selection is scrutinized for it merits and capabilities for its weight and bulk. Sure this all adds up to a heavy 80+ lb pack but the capabilities that it delivers in the high country will blow all other backpackers systems away (based on decades of real experience) and will provide memorable adventure. Yep, this IS an EIGHT PART series but as you will see there is A LOT to cover and its by request by my faithful subscribers. If youre a hiker, camper, backpacker, or outdoorsman you may find some gear and advice herein thats worthwhile. Its impossible to include every piece of gear and every consideration in the series so there might be a few omissions in the seriesI did the best I could! If the response and comments are good I may make more backpacking gear vids.
BRAND EQUIPMENT COVERED BY VIDEO SEGMENT—SOME MAY NO LONGER BE OFFERED BY MAKERS (especially LL Bean):
PART 1: Sevylor Trail Boat (inflatable raft), Stearns quick inflate PFD, Fiskars trowel, Ulitmax socks, Northface Class V hat, Underarmour fleece cap, 5-11 boonie hat, LL Bean Timberledge pants, LL Bean anorak
PART 2: EMS thermax, Polarmax thermax, LL Bean Wind Challenger fleece, LL Bean Primaloft, Moonstone Gore-Tex parka, REI Mistral gators, Black Diamond WindWeight fleece gloves, REI 300 wt Polartec fleece gloves, Mechanix gloves
PART 3: Katadyn Hiker water filter, Seattle Sports packcloth bucket, Brigade Quartermaster OD bucket, Outdoor Products insulated water bottle carrier, Nalgene water bottles, Nalgene Wide-mouth Cantene, Orikaso flatware, MSR PocketRocket, Coleman butane, Stanley bowl/mug, REI Ti Ware pot, REI hiking poles, Beretta 950 Jetfire .25 auto pistol, Blazer ammo, Uncle Mike Sidekick holster,
PART 4: Ontario SP5 knife, Ka-Bar Utility (Marine Combat) knife, Cold Steel SRK, Cold Steel Roach Belly knife, Leatherman S2 Juice mulit-tool, Victorinox Super Spartan knife, SOG Flash I knife, Sawvivor backpack saw, Victorinox Cadet knife, Ripoffs brand pouches, UKE flashlight, Spyderco Dragonfly, Roy Gonia whistle, Fox 40 whistle, Chisco lanyard, Gerber lexan signal mirror,
PART 5: Smith and Wesson flare pen, Mini Bear multi-tool, WalMart fatwood, Light My Fire flint and steel, Trioxane, REI Stormproof matches, BlackHawk medical roll, Adventure Medical Kits, Space-brand space sleeping bag
PART 6: Adventure Medical Kits Thermolite II Single Bivy bag (emergency use only), Docter 8×21 monocular, Zeiss Victory 8x compact binoculars, Timbuk2 cases, Daiwa Mini Spin fishing kit, Fenix L2D, UKE flashlight, Energizer Lithium batteries, Petzl Tactikka headlamp, Gorilla brand duct tape, Sorel Upland pak boots, Merrell boots, Teva sandals, Garmin GPSMap 60Cx
PART 7: Garmin Vista GPS unit, Suunto Thermo compass, Mountain Hardwear sleeping bags, The NorthFace Tundra sleeping bag, Kelty SuperTioga backpack, The NorthFace Boulder 33 tent, Thermorest sleeping pad, Slumberjack camp Quallofil camp pillow, Alta knee pads, REI closed cell pad sitting pad
PART 8: Coleman lightweight camp chair, REI mesh storage bags, REI Flash UL daypack, Voile snow shovel, Kelty K-9 Chuckwagon dogpack, GlowDog brand reflective vest, Thermarest Z-Lite sleeping pad, US Army rapelling rope, Black Diamond carabiners
Duration : 0:17:37
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Technorati Tags: advice, Army, backpacking, cold, hiking, juice, ka-bar, kelty, knife, knives, leatherman, merrell, multi-tool, s2, steel, swiss, thermax
(Regardless of price, looking for a 6 to 7 person tent, and definitely want a rain proof tent)
Springbars are by the best that I have ever owned. They are very durable and have never leaked or torn. They have all different sizes and shapes. Just a very good tent.
Have you tried Tirol Camp Camping on Google?
I am looking for a lightweight camping hammock that includes rain protection built into the tent. I do not want to spend 100s either. I saw one for 300 dollars and that is too much. Also, I am looking for a lightweight backpack. Optimally both would be compact and lightweight. I do not know much about brands, functions, and types. Please help.
Some friends swear this is the cats meow for camping hammocks and it’s priced right.
http://www.hennessyhammock.com/
For a back pack, this one comes in at 2lbs 11ozs and is on sale now
http://www.rei.com/product/778465
The big problem with the hammock is when there are no trees and you don’t have big enough hiking sticks your not going to like the results especially at above tree line in the winter months.
I would prefer a free standing like this.
http://www.rei.com/product/761895
I know it comes in heavy at 5lbs but winter camping is that this will keep you dry and its light enough without the fly if your trip will have good weather.
There are 5 of us going – myself, my husband and our 3 kids under 6. We’re going at the end of August in England. We’ve never really been camping before – apart from when we were kids ourselves. Can anyone give us any pointers on things that are essential (apart from the obvious!) or make the experience easier / nicer?
Thanks
Here’s a checklist to get you started: http://camping.about.com/cs/advicetips/a/checklist00.htm
Many items on there are optional and extra, and you can choose to take these or not.
Use this list to create your own checklist of what to take, and then take the list with you when you go camping to add to it if you find something else that you might want to take with.
I am a novice. I’ve hiked before, but this was my first overnight trip with a backpack, up a 4,000 foot mountain, very rocky, lots of boulders. It was challenging, but an awesome experience and I loved it.
My pack was only 28 pounds — I was very careful about the weight. I weigh only 110. My pack fits correctly. I was careful about that, too.
It was fine on the way up. But on the way down (when it actually weighted even less) my upper back was killing me — practically the whole way, not just at the end.
Why? Is there something about the way I carry my weight that I could change? Or should I adjust the pack differently for the descent? I do use poles.
I would appreciate any advice for those with more experience.
Thanks, banjo guy. So, I just stay up there forever? I don’t come down?
Interesting… it sounds like your pack was a reasonable weight, you were already an experienced hiker, and you were using trekking poles (which helps a lot). It sounds like you were doing everything right and should not have had much problem with back pain. It is also a bit odd that it was in the upper back as it seems like the lower back tends to cause more problems for backpackers (in my experience anyways).
Based on everything you have said, I would guess that maybe your pack was not balanced and fitted properly after all. If you have not carried a full pack before, you may not know exactly what ‘right’ feels like and many newbies have the pack riding too much on their shoulders when most of the weight should be on your hips. It could be that there was too much weight pressing down on your shoulders and back or perhaps the center of balance was too far back in the pack, causing it to lean back and put stress on your shoulders and back that way.
Here are a few things that I would recommend:
1 – Find somebody with a lot backpacking experience and have them load and fit your pack on you (while explaining what/why they are doing). REI stores often have short seminars on this sort of thing and you can also find help and instruction through community college courses, Sierra Club hikes or the field school courses that are associated with many National Parks.
2 – Build up stomach and back muscles. People don’t realize how important these are for backpacking. Stomach crunches, situps and similar exercises help.
3 – At home try doing short day hikes up and down a nearby hill or trail with a full pack and experiment with different settings and configurations till you feel what works right for you. Going packing for the first time (new pack, not used to carrying a pack) is kinda like the first few miles in a new pair of shoes – both you and the pack might need a little breaking in.
4 – Maybe try experimenting with both internal and external frame packs. I know that internal frame packs are all the rage these days, but I really love a good external for carrying loads and am more comfortable with the way it rides when carrying a big load.
5 – Make sure your pack is fitted to your body. There are many backpacks that are made specifically for the shape and structure of females and (so I understand) ride better than packs designed for men. You sound pretty petite and so many standard one-size-fits-all packs may be too big for your body (regardless of weight). Again – somebody with a lot of experience (particularly a woman your own size) could give you some good pointers here.
Whatever you do, don’t give up. The more backpacking you do, the more you will love it. Also, some of the best backpackers I know are women.
