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Hello! I didn't see a general camping thread, but this seems close enough. This is mostly a cross-post from another board, but it is gear related. I promise! My son and I were able to head to the lake a few hours before Mrs. Tarlibone got off work, so the campsite is set up. Most importantly, the Camp King is set up, so it's officially camping o'clock.  We bought this thing at Walmart back in the late 90s, maybe right before the second or third time we went camping. Best purchase ever. This is attached to my deck's handrail almost year-round, too, though without the trash bag loop and tiny shelf. Super handy. I've lost most of the little clips that hold in the bag, but clothes pins work. I can feel stress I didn't know I had built up in me just... melting away. I'm so calm and cool and relaxed right now, I could just... I could just... ... ... man, I wish I could've brought my Red Ryder. It's customized with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time. Seriously. (FYI: That link goes to the airgun board.) We're trying something new this trip. We always plan our meals with Boy Scout precision, but this year, all the meat I could freeze, I did freeze. Burger patties I made, Not-Flank steaks I seasoned, sausage, bacon, etc. It went into the cooler frozen, then covered with ice. Should be plenty thawed when it's time to cook. Also, I vacuum sealed it to avoid getting it water-logged.
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Sep 16, 2022 22:32
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 13:38 |
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Next year, I plan on doing a little bit of bikepacking. Not a grand tour or anything, just some light camping where I'm not far from resupplying. I have a few places in mind. And, because my wife only tolerates camping in big-rear end tents with electricity and all that fun stuff (which I also like), this is more of a solo adventure. The bike I expect to use is a Giant Escape, which has nice, wide, flat handlebars. I have a rack, a frame bag, a trunk with fold-out paniers--should be enough for what I'm planning, maybe. I also have a backpack. So, with that in mind, is the Eureka! Solitare AL a decent tent? It says the packed length is 18", and that's about as good as I can find unless I pony up thrice as much money for a bare-bones bikepacking-specific tent from a brand I've never heard of.
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Dec 28, 2023 20:53
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COPE 27 posted:That tent gave me such bad claustrophobia I started cowboy camping in mosquito season. St. Louis area? I'm not worried about claustrophobia in small tents. Or anywhere else, really, but not in tents. Most of my tents growing up were the little pup tents that felt small even when I was 12 years old.
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Dec 30, 2023 03:19
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Do it! I had one years ago and it's a fun little tent. I did it! I'm happy to see how small this is packed up. It should be able to be strapped to my Escape's handlebars without any issue. Now, I just have to figure out what else I'll need for a short proof-of-concept bikepacking trip. When I was a kid, I could easily sleep on the ground with naught but a sleeping bag, even when the ground was frozen. I doubt that's going to happen now.
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Jan 15, 2024 00:58
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I've seen pie irons, usually sold as grilled cheese pans or something like that, in the camping section of various stores ever since I was a kid. I nene considered getting one because it always seemed like holding a piece of cast iron on a long rod would get awkward and tiring pretty quickly. By the time I started seeing things you could drive into the ground to help support the thing, I'd moved on to outdoor cooking that was more like what I do at home on the range top and baking quick and yeast breads in Dutch ovens.
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Apr 4, 2024 13:19
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Cross-posting to the Bike thread. I tried to erect my Solitare AL for the first time a month ago, and the long tent pole broke. They sent a replacement, and from April 4th until this past Friday, it was "moving through the USPS system" in a nearby town; I had to email them to tell them something was amiss. They found it, and I got it Friday. So today, I put up the tent for the first time. It's a neat little tent, and man does it pack up pretty small. Not bad for a tent that's not specifically made for bikepacking. So, I have a shelter. I need to assemble some minimal equipment for my first proof-of-concept bikepacking trip. A sleeping pad, some kind of cover or blanket, pillow, cooker, and light. I have this crazy idea of trying to guess what I'll need, take it along, and then buy what I'm missing when it comes time to do something and I don't have what I need to do it. So... full disclosure: I'm a former Boy Scout who joined mainly for camping. I've camped a lot, and for years, I've only camped where there are electrical hookups. But, it's still tent camping. So, I know how to camp when carrying cargo isn't an issue. But, I've never done proper backpacking. So... does anyone know of a good, vetted video or something for Babby's First Bickpacking Adventure? I'm looking to do just one or maybe two nights in a nearby (about a 20-25 mile ride) state park. My candidate bikes both have Topeak rear racks, and I have a bag with fold-out panniers. These are useful for grocery runs, but storage is obviously limited.
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Apr 29, 2024 02:47
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 13:38 |
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The Fool posted:Out of curiosity, what's the length of the poles when they're folded up? I can't seem to find that info anywhere I measured it: it's 18". Not ideal for bikepacking, I'm sure, but it's also not a perpetually out-of-stock specialty tent costing thrice as much.
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May 2, 2024 20:07
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