equipmemt

[peewee]

AS A BSRT COMMISSIONER THE TOPIC OF "WHATS NEW IN CAMPING EQUIPMENT" WAS BROUGHT UP. CAN ANYONE COMMENT ON THIS-- HAS ANYONE USED A NEWER OR IMPROVED MODEL THAT WORKED OR MAYBE IT'S NOT WORTH THE MONEY -- OR IF YOU FOUND SOMETHING THAT THE TROOP HAS TO GET AFTER YOU USED IT AT THE CABIN..... R.M.

[Eamonn]

I'm not sure what counts as being new?

Coleman had a drip coffee pot that seems to work fine.

The hot water heater wasn't such a hit!!

You might want to check out the Coleman site.

I really like the new Field Book that the BSA brought out last year or was that two years ago??

MSR have a new stove the XGK EX. I haven't bought one it claims it Boils 1 liter of water in just 2.8 minutes (using kerosene fuel).

It costs $129.95. I think I'll stay with the SimmerLite, I only paid about $79.00 for mine.

Last time I was in Gander Mountain I noticed that a lot of the water treatment devices seemed to have come down in price.

Therm-a-Rest pads are not new but if the guys at the meeting are a little older they might want to look at a couple -I love mine.

LCD Flashlights are the cool thing, The headlamps and ones that attach to your cap are neat, the flashing red lights are really cool!!

I know that Hops just loves his Platypus.

I much prefer my NALGENE.

You might want to share the The Boy Scout connection

Marsh(Marsh Hyman President of the Nalge Company in Rochester, New York).

had a son who was in the Boy Scouts. He and his fellow Scouts used NALGENE lab bottles on the trail. They were perfect as water bottles; for storing powdered drinks and pancake mix; and for carrying matches and shampoo and snacks and all sorts of camping supplies.

Eamonn.

[theysawyoucomin']

Eamonn,

What didn't you like about Colemans Hot water on Demand?

 

We have that at a hunting shack. I have only used it once but I thought it worked well.

 

Can you expand? Did I buy junk and I still don't know it?

[peewee]

HOW ABOUT PORTABLE TENT HEATERS. IT GETS COLD IN MN, WE JUST ADD BLANKETS OR GET A BETTER SLEEPING BAG OR BOTH.. ANYONE HAVE CONCERNS -- PRO OR CON--- RM

[Eamonn]

uz2bnowl

the heater might and probably is good in a cabin. The problem is the rechargeable battery.

It doesn't last very long and needs to be recharged often.

Coleman claims that one gas bottle will heat 40 gals of water, they don't say how hot the water will be!!

To the best of my knowledge (ans as ever I could be wrong!!) I don't think the unit can be made to work off a large propane bottle.

Roger,

I haven't used the new Catalytic Heaters.

My concerns are that while they might be flame-less they do produce heat, and left unattended could do a lot of damage. They also use oxygen and young Scouts never seem happy unless they tie down every opening in the tent.

It does seem like a really neat (Cool!!) system.

You do know that Coleman does have a special price list for Scouts and other youth groups?

Eamonn.

(Did you notice that your Caps are on?)

 

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

I have one of the Coleman cat heaters and I've only used it a time or two. Eammon is right in that while they are flameless, they are a heat source and you could either melt a hole in a tent or start a fire. For me, they just don't put out a big enough zone of heat to make that much difference in a tent. I believe they now have one with a battery powered fan that would move the hot air. I'd never let a boy have it in a tent, so I try to do as I say and lead by example. The exception to that is (limited use) cell phones for adults and cots for bad backs.

 

I have used both a hydration bladder and a nalgene. I've found that the nalgene is much easier to use and clean. One of my favorite items is my Petzl headlamp. There never seemed to be enough lanterns around and trying to hold a flashlight in one hand while setting up a tent was frustrating. The headlamp frees both of your hands and makes life soooo much better. Also, since it uses LED's, the battery life is long.

 

We always carry walkie talkies in the vehicles while traveling. It allows the adults to stay in contact if needed. They have some that have a 12 mile range now. My experience is that the claim is somewhat of an exaggeration. But still, they are better than the old 1 or 5 mile models. A real plus is that the pair I bought have a weather radio mode which is handy in camp if you notice unexpected changes in the weather.

[vmpost]

Re: portable tent heaters. They come with careful instructions and warnings. None-the-less, just last year a couple around here zipped the tent shut tight to keep the heat in...They never woke up. I would stay away from them and certainly would never allow a Scout to use one. Even if they avoided the asphyxiation concern, there is still a concern about the heat melting a sleeping bag or tent...

 

We like our Coleman oven and LOVE our "fish cooker"... (the burners that are often used to deep fry turkeys) We can keep lots of hot water in winter months, cook on it, and have even roasted marshmallows over it.

 

Snow Peak backpacking stove is tiny & lightweight, but delivers great heating capability. And for those of you who love your joe...the backpacker's espresso maker is unbeatable! It is tiny, too, in true backpacker form, and we have even used it in motels. My oldest son used to make espresso in his bathroom in the morning before his shower!

[vmpost]

BTW - it takes less than 1.5 minutes to brew a cup of espresso

[Its Me]

 

Pick up the lastest Backpacker Magazine. It's their annual New Gear & Gear Review issue. Lots of cool stuff but as others have indicated, gear changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary.

 

 

 

 

[txscoutdad]

Eamonn and uz2bnowl

 

Our troop has two of the Colemans Hot water on Demand systems. We use them in the field kitchen used to cook meals for the Adults on campouts. We've been using them for about 2 1/2 years now and I don't think we've had any real problems. They are used a lot and were used nonstop for one week when a group went to do cooking for the Katrina Relief effort. Make sure the batteries are charged before leaving.

 

The one thing we like about them is that you can get hot water for cleanup started while you are still using all available burners to cook the meal. For a large group I think it is worth the price.

 

I don't know why you would want to hook it up to a large propane bottle, it does not go thru the gas that quick. I guess that a ingenious person could find or make an addapter to make it possible.

 

[eaglebeader]

There is a really slick tent heater made by the same people who make the Quikie water heater. Being thrity (read - cheap) myself and another adult made our own. the heat unit is outside and warm air is ducted into the tent and cool air removed using flex dryer vent hose. Fun to set up and play with - praticle ? NO. What works almost as well is saving yopur 16oz water/soda bottle and filling it with very warm - not boiling water and throwing in the bottom of your Sleeping bag. Warm feet and everthing else is ok. Just make sure the lid is on tight. They will still be warm in the morning.