Cost of gear

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 8:29 pm

I'm starting to save up to buy some needed camping gear and it looks like it's gonna take quite a toll on my budget. Is it a good idea to get the cheap stuff from academy as compared to the higher cost stuff at other retailers like REI, etc.?

mackerel · Post by **mackerel** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 9:38 pm

Get the best gear you can afford and just get out there and do it. What kind of gear are you looking for?

texnomad · Post by **texnomad** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 10:08 pm

Academy carries some stuff that is very good without the expensive name on it. I usually got my tents from Campmor. I used the Tetragon series from Eureka with very good results. List up what you are needing and some folks may even have it used available.

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 11:37 pm

I just need the basic camping gear. I already have a tent and sleeping bag. I'm looking for maybe a cheap hammock(and an explanation as to how it's set up). I Really am not sure as to how much stuff I need. I don't wanna go overboard because I'll be carrying my gear as well. Do ya'll use the hiking stoves that heat up your food? If so, what brand do you recommend?
Most of the stuff I can get the cheap kind of since I wont be going too often in the beginning. What I really would like to know if how many people use a GPS? What map software did you buy for it. Which brand of GPS do you use?

Also, how smart is it to go alone? That is the only thing that is holding me back from going often is I don't always have a buddy to go with.

BackwaterDrifter · Post by **BackwaterDrifter** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 11:59 pm

I agree buy the best you can afford. Upper end gear come with upper end warranties. I have had the same camp stove 10 years i can buy replacement parts for it not have to replace the stove every three years. Orvis rods slammed in car door by Lubericated college buddy (free repair). Buying the most expencive does not mean its better, keep in mind you get what you pay for. Do the research find out whats the most reliable. Its less frustration than returning or having to buy new ones. Dont worry about the stores worry about the brand and how they back it up. save a few pennies more where you need long run you save your self money, time and frustration. Suck to be out on a 100 mile hike and your stove craps out on you.

bowgarguide · Post by **bowgarguide** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:03 am

Paddle
You didn't mention if this was going to be back country back packing ,kayak camping or camping out of a vehicle.This will make a world of difference in your choice of gear,backpacking where ounces count is probably the most expensive.
In my younger days a tarp sleeping bag and some dried food and I was off for a few days,I did all my cooking over a camp fire rolled up in the tarp to sleep,now kayak camping I carry a lot more stuff and the comfort level is way up. You are really the only one that can determine whay level you want to camp at.
GPS is nice but unless you are in some big country I think I would invest my money in other things,I use my gps in Colo hunting and places I feel like it is an advantage but a regular compass and map do just fine.
It sounds like you are pretty inexperienced in camping , so I would limit my solo trips to pretty accessible places. Go camping and build your list of what it takes to make you comfortable and what fits your camping lifestyle.
I know this is not high priced stuff but with your tent ,sleeping bag , a foam sleeping pad ,5.00 led lantern and a single burner propane stove . you can be pretty comfortable and gain the knowledge of gear that is worth the high price of the best and lightest.
Ron

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:37 am

Thanx Ron and backwater! Ron you are correct about me sounding like an inexperienced camper haha. And I plan on camping out of my kayak when I go do river/creek trips. Maybe some car camping if I ever go down to Galveston and fish the bay but that won't be for a while. Hopefully I can make a quick trip on my local creek before school starts up again. Also, is it recommended to have a sleeping pad? What's the pros to having one?

bowgarguide · Post by **bowgarguide** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:57 am

Sleeping pad or a air mattress ,helps in a good nights sleep and staying warm in cold weather.
Paddling we all started off with no experience,some of us are just older and had more time lol.

I find that each individual trip takes a little different approach on packing.
I like to sit down and go over the trip in my head . from the time I get on the water to take out
A list to start with
Shelter
food and cooking
sleeping
Paddling gear

Take those as heading and list what you think you need and build your list from there. I would suggest a short one nighter, are a car camping trip at a state park.
Pretty soon you will have a weekend trip and food list.
Just go and have a ball.
Ron

BackwaterDrifter · Post by **BackwaterDrifter** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 1:28 pm

Your welcome, Just remember keep it simple. i have a stove, lantern, sleeping pad and bag and a small tent. Leaves plenty of room for food water and other nessities for that particular trip.

Have Fun with it

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 4:20 pm

Has anyone ever used alcohol stoves? They seem pretty cool but are they practical to use?

canoe nut · Post by **canoe nut** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 4:41 pm

I have had some friends with the alcohol stoves, some like them others did not. They are simple to use, durable, not much can go wrong with them, The down side is the heat output is a little low, no big deal unless your in a hurry to boil water. I have a small Primus back packing stove, uses the propane canisters from Primus, like it ok. I also have a Primus two burner stove that uses the butane canisters. Two schools of thoughts on the liquid fuel verses compressed gas cylinders. The liquid fuel canisters can leak if they are not sealed tightly enough, they also tend to leak on your food, sleeping bag and then clothes, typically in that order. Don't ask why I know, but fuel is less expensive nd readily available. The gas canisters are simple, clean and don't leak as long as you disconnect them from the stove, again don't ask how I know. They are also more expensive and sometimes not as available. I decided I liked the canisters, but to each his own, just pick one and use it, you may decide later you want something different, but then you have a spare. Not a bad deal. I have a lot of spare camping/fishing/canoeing/kayaking stuff and that's not a bad thing I have taken a lot folks camping and it was nice to have extra gear.

SierraTradingPost.com, is a good place to get some good deals on high end/light weight/back packing type gear, also checkout REIOutlet.com. I have ultra light stuff from my sea kayaking camping days, but now I canoe camp, which is closely related to car camping.

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:23 pm

When you guys go camping out of the kayak, how do you usually store your gear? Do you just throw it in a dry bag and go or do you put it in a backpack, then inside a dry bag? Is it necessary to have a dry bag if your stuff is gonna be stored in the hull?

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:54 am

Paddle_nakiD wrote:Has anyone ever used alcohol stoves? They seem pretty cool but are they practical to use?

I have a few of the home made cat food can stoves for boilng water.... they cost well under .50 (cents) to make.

Also have the store bought Trangia alcohol stove as well. They are great for cooking ramen noodles, coffee water, instant mash potatoes and hot chocolate.
And then there are the small wood burning stoves for cooking

Are they practical? most definately.....
But then there is an alternative but not really practical for packing in a Kayak

If you can make a road trip some time, tag along ,and you can get the feel of what ya might want, or can make, or can pick up off the net inexpensively.

You mentioned hammocks, They are great but not always practical if there are no trees. A lightweight hammock for under $30.00 will do the job, to get you off the ground.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:39 am

Paddle_nakiD wrote:When you guys go camping out of the kayak, how do you usually store your gear? Do you just throw it in a dry bag and go or do you put it in a backpack, then inside a dry bag? Is it necessary to have a dry bag if your stuff is gonna be stored in the hull?

I like to keep all my esentials in those big yellow dry bags from Academy. and still put stuff like matches, lighters, toilet paper, electronics, toilet paper, clothes, lantern, stove, extra mantles, toilet paper in plastic zip locks or similar, then put them in the dry bags.

This sounds funny, but I also split the stuff up so both bags have similar stuff, in case I lose one bag or it gets soaked.

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 2:15 pm

Randy, I was hoping you would pitch in since I know you have lots of experience camping

As far as stoves go, if I were to buy say a hiking stove(http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/767645" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) can I only buy fuel that is the same as the stove brand?

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 2:47 pm

Just my opinon,
For just starting out and if you are kayak or canoe camping, one of those signle burner propane stoves from Academy or Walmart do just fine. Then you can use the same canister for a lantern or the stove . I have seen those high dollar rigs malfunction the first time out.

Don't be intimidated by the prophecy of getting the most expensive stuff out there.

PS you can get a single mantle lantern and a single burner propane stove for the price of that REI rig.......

Jeffman · Post by **Jeffman** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:50 pm

Randy wrote:Just my opinon,
For just starting out and if you are kayak or canoe camping, one of those signle burner propane stoves from Academy or Walmart do just fine. Then you can use the same canister for a lantern or the stove . I have seen those high dollar rigs malfunction the first time out.

Don't be intimidated by the prophecy of getting the most expensive stuff out there.

PS you can get a single mantle lantern and a single burner propane stove for the price of that REI rig.......

I agree with Randy, you don't need the most expensive gear availible. FYI, I buy a lot of my stuff on eBay! Anyhow, whatever brand you decide on, I recommend that the stove and lantern use the same fuel canister. Take a look at my gear list. The fuel canister works on the burner, lantern and the jetboil cookware!!

traveling man · Post by **traveling man** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:41 pm

This is a nice stove for the money, "I have two of them" and uses the same fuel canister as my lantern. http://www.rei.com/product/636832" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:40 pm

Jeff, thank you for the list of your gear. That made it a lot more clear as to what I need. Also, I noticed that you carry a "Light My Fire" fire starter. I also carry one and I recently tried it on some tinder bought from Academy but I just could not get it start. I tried using a match and it took flame very nicely. This is my fire starter http://www.rei.com/product/737335" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which is pretty similar to yours. Could it be my technique that is the problem or am I just not patient enough? Also, do you have experience with Magnesium fire starters? They any good?

Jeffman · Post by **Jeffman** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:56 am

Paddle_nakiD wrote:Jeff, thank you for the list of your gear. That made it a lot more clear as to what I need. Also, I noticed that you carry a "Light My Fire" fire starter. I also carry one and I recently tried it on some tinder bought from Academy but I just could not get it start. I tried using a match and it took flame very nicely. This is my fire starter http://www.rei.com/product/737335" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which is pretty similar to yours. Could it be my technique that is the problem or am I just not patient enough? Also, do you have experience with Magnesium fire starters? They any good?

Your fire starter is just fine. I'm not sure I could even light tinder directly with it

I always carry a little dryer lint or cotton balls (in a small zip lock bag) with me. One spark and you have instant flame, which I suspect would light your tinder. Like everything else, practice at home. You will be an old pro by the time you take your next trip

I also have a magnesium fire starter but I don't really care for them as they seem to wear down much quicker. One good thing about them is you can shave off some of the magnesium into a little pile and then ignite the pile. You will have an instant hot fire.

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 2:18 pm

Travelman, The more I look at that stove the more I like it. It's very cheap, looks very stable for not being on ground zero, and it's just a little bit more expensive than a single burner propane stove which takes up more room due to the propane tank.
Jeff, lighting the cotton first then using the flaming cotton bottom ball to light the tinder worked out great! Thank you for the tip!

traveling man · Post by **traveling man** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:50 pm

You can build a fire in the rain with this and uses the same fuel as my lantern and stoves. http://www.rei.com/product/768604" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hirsch · Post by **Hirsch** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:39 pm

I am going to jump in with Randy here and say you can buy good gear without busting the bank. Some of the high dollar stuff will be small and easier to pack (and often more expensive to fuel), tents may last longer but you can get reasonable wear out of less expensive tents and you needs, tastes or popular designs may change.

The first two I will call Coleman "type" because Walmart and Academy both offer similiar models under store names that are just as good. A single burner propane stove will run about $18-$23. A small single mantle lantern ( the small ones not much bigger than your fist) will screw onto the same bottle and cost about $20. A alternative to the lantern could be the new LED lanterns. They put out a softer light but are adequate. I like my Coleman stow away that collapses into itself to make a small package for about $25.

Then I have a small Texsport cook kit that has a 2 qt pot, a 1 qt pot and a small fry pan. They and similar brands/kits are anadized and cost about $20-$25. I use a standard single wide air mattress (about $10-$20) and a battery operated pump ($10). A small 19 qt cooler (about $15) and a small folding chair for $8 pretty well covers my basic outfit. I did not address tent or sleeping bag as you said you own them. About $125-$150 will have you pretty well outfitted to start. But don't be afraid top borrow from the house or improvise to start.

These are optional and you might steal these from your kitchen at least to start. If it is just you a spoon and eating from a pot may be all you need. Because I am sometimes in small groups I bought 3 melamine plates and three large malamine bowls for less than $15 total and use heavy duty plastic reusable silverwear. I found a small plastic utensil kit of a small spatula, spoon and cooking fork that fit in a small pouch for a song.

Earl · Post by **Earl** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:31 am

Paddle_N, I am not sure what I can add that has not already been covered. Keep It Simple for more time spent fishing and enjoying the trip. As for dry bags I guess it would depend on what kind of kayak it is and how dry it stays. You will need experience in different kinds of water to know how much you can expect to get in around hatches. I just started using a dry bag for clothing only and used grocery bags before that. I have a small dry box for my good camera and a case for my underwater camera. Beyond that all camp gear is loose in the yak. Pretty much everything stays dry even with water coming over the bow from time to time. I put my sleeping bag in one of those large zip-loc bags, sometimes. I have a Ocean Kayak Trident but have heard other complain about water getting in.

I did find one essential item for you on the link below. You can also find these at a certain outfitter up on the Buffalo River in Ar.

http://www.zazzle.com/kayaking_shirt-235637325797371758" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope this helps,

Earl

Rod Pod · Post by **Rod Pod** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:46 am

Haha Earl thank you for the link! I need more of those. As for dry bags, I'm probably gonna test my hatches by dumping water on them and seeing if they leak or not and that'll help me to decide which stuff I should put in a dry bag and which it won't make a difference.

TexasKayakFisherman.com

Cost of gear

Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear

Re: Cost of gear