jray

Most high quality ripstop nylon tents that come with a "stuff sack" are designed to be stuffed. Hence the name "stuff sack". As far as folding or rolling tents is concerned, it depends on the design. The down side is the 'laminating' effect that can cause folded edges to be damaged and difficult to deal with. Try the following: Take a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper and crumple it up. Easy, huh? Now take another piece and fold it in half 5 times until it contains 32 sections (yes, that's only 5 folds). Now try to make sure it's tight as it would be in a sack and try to crumple it in your hands. Not quite as easy was it? This 'lamination' effect causes the tent, etc. to be far more rigid and subject to damage at its corners. In addition, it causes all such stresses to be distributed in the same basic area each time the tent is folded. A tent that is stuffed, distributes the 'wear' across the entire surface of the tent, and it's likely this distribution will be different every time the tent is stuffed, which insures the wear is distributed evenly across the entire area of the tent. Oops, I need to edit... As others have mentioned, I also do a quick camp breakdown at times and end up with wet tents. Make sure you clean them off and dry them completely before storing them away after you get home. Even a small amount of water can result in mildew which can only be eliminated using chlorinated products. These products also reduce the strength of the material via the loss of plasticizers from the nylon, etc. and can drastically affect the life of the product (tent, pack, stuff sacks, etc). (This message has been edited by jray)

I've been using these aluminum can stoves for a few years now, and there are a few things I've learned. 1) You can use ethanol (ie, Everclear), or 'denatured' alcohol (that's ethanol which has been 'denatured' with methanol, ie made non-drinkable so it is exempt from federal taxes), or rubbing alcohol (as long as there is no more than 30% water and no other ingredients such as Witch-hazel). When using rubbing alcohol it will take longer to boil a given amount of water, and the can will quite often need to be emptied of water before refueling, but it does work in a fix. Note: I always use Everclear when possible since any leakage inside the cookware where I store it would not require me to wash the utensils prior to use, and in a real pinch I could add an ounce or so to 4-5 ounces of filtered water if I didn't really trust my filter or the water source. Obviously taking Everclear to a scouting event is, at best, bad form 2) Not all can stove designs are created equal. Although the simple two piece stove works, it is not as efficiant as the three piece stove which is somewhat harder to build. 3) You must also build a snuff ring and a simmering ring if you intend to use the stove in the same manner as a compact white gas stove. ie you can't turn it down or off, so you must snuff it out to save fuel, and either build a ring that snuffs out two thirds of the holes, or moves the pot further away from the flame, to allow the simmering of food the former saves more fuel. 4) Never ever use a fuel other than alcohol!!! These stoves do not use a pressurized fuel system, and rely on fuel atomization via high speed evaporation when the fuel boils (yes, boils)!!! You don't want to boil white gas, period!!! Note: I did not use nearly enough exclamation points to make this point clear. Use alcohol, period!!! Here's a good link for the various 'Pepsi can' stove designs that are available (some of them are gone now): http://www.fallingwater.com/pct2000/gear/KissStove.asp My favorite is a the Scott Henderson stove with a modified version of the stand used for the Scouter stove. BTW, sometimes the Esbit stove is the way to go. ie, you're on a through hike and don't think you'll need a stove, but you might. Has anyone used one of these? They work well for the size. http://www.monmouth.com/%7Emconnick/esbit.htm (This message has been edited by jray)

According to most research I've seen, DEET is not considered a very good tick repellent. I'm also surprised that no one has mentioned the use of 'permethrin' based products for clothing treatment, which seem to be the most effective tick repellent currently known. Note: Permethrin based products are for clothing treatment only and should never be applied to the skin! Although permethrin is used in many insect sprays and sounds like a major toxic chemical, it's made from chrysanthemums. By treating the outside of the clothing you remove the need to apply anything to the skin. Not only does this eliminate problems associated absorption of DEET through the skin (most DEET products contain alcohol which contributes to this), but it also negates the need for re-applications due to sweating. An added benefit is that treated clothing can be washed 2-3 times, and the treatment will still remain considerably more effective than the use of a DEET based product (over about a 2-3 week period). And of course follow all the basic rules. Wear two layers of wicking socks where your pant legs are placed between the first and second layers, tuck in your shirt, wear a hat, and make sure all insect entry areas are treated with the proper repellent (shoes, outer sock layer, lower pant legs, belt-line, and hat [see note]). Here's an example of how safe it's considered to be (the first product). http://www.bugpage.com/icp.html Here's an MSDS on a permethrin based product. Keep in mind that EPA MSDS data sheets always describe 'worse case' situations. http://www.scs-mall.com/images/sp7msds.pdf Here are a few links for more information: http://www.lymealliance.org/tick/humans.php http://www.lymealliance.org/tick/repellent.php http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n1/ffull/jlt0103-3.html http://www.lymealliance.org/tick/removing.php http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000801-d000900/d000846/d000846.html http://www.travmed.com/trip_prep/insect_permethrin.htm Note: There is mention of treating hats on the first link's site, which I do also. However, it's important to not apply any permethrin treatment that may come in contact with your skin such as any area on the under side of the hat closer than 1"-1.5" from where your skin may make contact. What I do is spray the entire top of the hat, turn it over, and then place a mask I made out of cardboard that shields all but the last inch or so of the brim from the spray (depending on hat style). Where to buy. It should be available at most sports/outdoor shops, but here are a few links: http://www.bugspray.net/catalog/products/page15.html http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?ID=6601 http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?ID=5997 http://www.rue.com/repellents.html http://www.wholesalehunter.com/product/duranon/Duranondes/DuranonTick.htm You can also buy this stuff in concentrate which is usually 13.3%. Some sites that sell such concentrates state you can use it full strength on clothing, and that it will last for several months, but in my opinion you should not mix it in stronger formulations than the recommended (.5%). In other words, 1 oz of concentrate to ~24oz of water, or 5.5 oz per gallon of water. Certainly no more than 1% under any circumstances. Obviously a more liberal application will increase the actual active ingredient percentage on the clothing so this is probably the best way to achieve a higher concentration if desired. Normally a .5% solution lightly applied is quite effective, so a heavy application is not normally required. http://www.travmed.com/scripts/catalog.epl?product_id=173&category_id=44&moveit=4 Anyway, I hope you find this information useful...