New kit for 2012

Hi All

I have been looking to replace my Snug pack 4 season sleeping bag of some 10 year with something a little larger (now I'm older and wider) and hopefully something which is as warm as the Snug pack was in the old days.
Also I looking for a camping cot/bed and tent.

Most of my off roading trips are solo or with a friend either male or female so I'm looking for a a quick erection
(Oh eeerrr matron) for the tent, bed and sleeping bag all for one person.

After looking on tinternet Iv'e come across loads of fishing type sleeping bags and beds that are priced resonable and as the trips will be vehicle based and not back packing, size and weight arn't as important to me as once was.

Has anybody on here any experience of said beds and sleeping bags ?

Tent wise I'm quite keen on the Landie tent

http://www.landiebox.co.uk/product/?product=3

again has anybody on here any experience of this type of tent for a similar budget ?
Any help or suggestion greatly recieved

Most fishing type sleeping bags are excellent in quality, design and.....size. I have had one for the last 5 years its called the "Big Kipper". Most are 3/4 seasons, very warm. Some even have the bottom part of the sleeping bag waterproof, so you can get in with your boots and wellies.

TJ

http://www.chapmansangling.co.uk/jrc-storm-5-fleece-lined-sleeping-bag-~5965.html - My dad bought one of these last year, very good bag!

TJ

Terracan Jas wrote:

Some even have the bottom part of the sleeping bag waterproof, so you can get in with your boots and wellies.

What a great idea. No matter what the weather, back from the pub and simply crash out instantly! I'll drink to that!

Hi Tom, no good for you you just miss the tent, sorry




Do you remember this one.

That's exactly why I'm looking for new kit to stop this sort of thing happening.
Of course it's far too late for Tom, I'm impressed he managed to get that close to his tent, navigation was never his strong point

As I see it that 'tent' is more of a tall bivvy tent rather then a tent.

No room to sit and socialis in, cook under etc. Want to go drive to the pub/shop etc, put tent away as it is not a free standing tent. Go to shop/pub etc then get back tent up before you go to sleep

There are a vast array of proper tents etc which do not depend on a vehicle to stay up.

Consider the Oztent RV1. Free standing, big enough for two to sleep in and a big porch to sit under.


Brendan

4x4overlander wrote:

As I see it that 'tent' is more of a tall bivvy tent rather then a tent.

No room to sit and socialis in, cook under etc. Want to go drive to the pub/shop etc, put tent away as it is not a free standing tent. Go to shop/pub etc then get back tent up before you go to sleep

There are a vast array of proper tents etc which do not depend on a vehicle to stay up.

Consider the Oztent RV1. Free standing, big enough for two to sleep in and a big porch to sit under.


Brendan

I did think about the OZ range of tents good as they are they are very expensive and they don't fold down very small but I suppose neither does the Landy tent.

I have a Kyam at the moment which has always been very good and it's the one with the proper thick ground sheet not the paper thin one so it's very hard wearing but it's such a pain to get in the bag and has to be stowed inside the truck which is a pain when its wet.

The reason why I said the RV1 as it has the smallest pack size of the Oztent range.

Brendan

On a brighter note I did get my new sleeping bag today a Daiwa 5 season comfort down to -20 so it says and I'm
well impressed with the quality.

I got it locally and they matched the internet price, can't ask for much more than that I also ordered a matching Daiwa bed which was out of stock.

The price of fishing type camping gear is much more reasonable than an equivalent brought from a camping shop.
Even the quality seems better, I used to always buy mountain hardwear or mountain equipment stuff but in the last few years it's all now made in China not in the UK and it's sh** stitching comes undone the last mountain equipment fleece I brought wen't back twice and in the end they gave me a new one which also came un stitched around the cuffs and pockets.

Jury is still out on tents though, I will keep looking.

Some sleeping bags are STILL made in the UK

Try Snugpag, Silsden, West Yorkshire

Brendan

4x4overlander wrote:

Some sleeping bags are STILL made in the UK

Try Snugpag, Silsden, West Yorkshire

Brendan

Yeah my current bag was a snugpac had it for about 10 years to replace it with an equivalent one today would cost nearly twice what the Daiwa one just cost me and the benefit of small pack size is no longer needed as I don't go backpacking as much as I used to and when I do the it's now in the summer months so the snugpac still works ok.

Thanks for that photo Yoda ... NOT!!! Funny enough I don't remember you taking it.

What I do remember is unzipping the tent very slowly and quietly so not to wake up my co-driver, climbing in (or so i thought) and snuggling down. Woke up at first light bloody freezing! The whole episode seemed like 5 minutes, in reality it was probably a few hours. Climbed in and had another hour in my bag before the dawn chorus of motors revving up and my 'friends' extracting the urine. Happy days!

Moral of the story, buy a tent with an annexe. That way, even if 'under the influence' you miss the correct entrance, you'll still end up under cover. Seem obvious to me.

Tom Mc wrote:

Thanks for that photo Yoda ... NOT!!! Funny enough I don't remember you taking it.

Thats two you don't rember, just how mutch did you drink on that trip,


Be very I might have more.

I've used a side tent like that in the army. The army one is heavier canvas though. They are quick to put down, but because they are on the side of the vehicle all day they can be a little damp.