Why do you buy what you buy?

There was a time that I bought equipment on a whim or some form of attractiveness or because it was so and therefore I bought. I spent a lot of dollars purchasing things that made sense to the manufacturer (making dollars) but in the final analysis made no sense to the consumer. I had money - therefore I bought.

Dumb.

I don't do that anymore. I'm careful in what I purchase whether it is camp equipment or clothing. I think about the practicality, the durability, and the real worth of what I'm buying. And today I also think about the environmental impact or harm that can be done.

Do you have a sound rationale when you purchase anything? How much of what you collect is useless or only used once?

I think about that now and act accordingly.





So...what do you think is the best mess kit displayed?

Drop the word best - think about practicability, durability, sensibility, and actual usefulness. Did I tell you that there are numerous kits out there?

 

My daughter gave me one of these for Christmas one year. I never have used it. I don't why I haven't used it? I know I didn't put it back together right. I have lots of other stuff also, but I would have to dig for them. That stuff usually gets buried to the bottom of my storage totes.

 

I have a real weakness for water purifiers and filters. I don't know why, I just do. I certainly don't need that which I have and I know this, but, it doesn't stop me from purchasing a new one. I have three I haven't even tried yet,
The MSR Guardian,
The SteriPen,
The Lifestraw and
First Needs.
It wasn't that long ago I picked up a Platypus system.


It's not like I have some deep seated fear of having to drink contaminated water again, I've never had to. So why the penchant? I'll leave that to someone with more education than I have.

Another dumb thing I seem to have a wonderment with is backpacks, Knap Sacks, Ribz packs and the larger fanny packs. I love these things and when I see a new one I'm itching to buy it. Again this is something I'm leaving for people with letters behind their names.

Cook wear, let's not get started, stoves as well. You now I may have some real serious problems I wasn't completely cognizant of. Well gentlemen, if you no longer hear from me I may have been "secured" in one of those comfortable walled rooms with a view of the lake and ducks! Bibs


Bibsoutdoors

 

...is there such a thing as a camp fetish? Probably. I seem to get caught up with purchasing tents and I've done a lot of that over the years. My inventory at the moment rests at nine bu......t I'm looking at the new improved Outback Tent at Cabela's for our canoe trip in August.

I have eight stoves and often make pack wood stoves out of tin cans. What does a guy need with eight stoves? I mean really?

X's 2




A dumb buy - I can make my own for less cost. Maybe not as purdy but a good buy just the same. Come to think of it - it doesn't look all that purdy either.

This one is made from one of those metal kitchen utensil holders. [I can pick them up real cheap at Value Village.] I just cut out a bit of the side bottom to place twigs for a fire. [Or you can use a can of fuel.] I have a little metal placement over the top to hold up a pot. Or you can cut up an apple juice can with the same results.

Baden Bear here, "Don't ya just love this stuff?"

 

I like the first set. I try to go reusable with everything, even at home (such as cloth diapers and wipes). We had a cheap version of the last kit and the coating peeled off. The first kit appeals to me because it's simple, doesn't have too many pieces to keep track of or break. Looks like it's easy to clean. I dislike plastic because I never can tell if it's going to hold up well to wear and tear or warp easily. Also, the top set looks as if you can cook in it. The middle two don't. If I knew for sure that I could cook with that first one, I'd buy it for our next trip lol.


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REALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK ONLINE MISSYIFY!


This is my mess kit - one bowl, one plate and one cup. Made of steel for durability and long lasting good looks. It helps keep hot food hot and cold food cold. It is white so I can clearly see what is on my plate and in the bowl. It comes in a net so I can hang it in the sun after washing for extra sterilization. The dark package to the right contains - a fork, a knife, a sharp knife, a small spoon, a large spoon, a telescope fork and a telescope wiener fork, small sharp scissors, a fold down spatula, small tongs, a spark lighter all in a fold up case.


This is the kit I use for myself or when another is with me. It has a pot, frying pan, and kettle. It all fits together neatly and goes into a net bag for easy transportation.


This my absolute small simple cup/bowl and fry pan. I use this for tripping. It's not larger than a big coffee mug. Design exclusively for one person making one pot meals.


Made by the Primus folks it too is folded down and comes in hang/transportation net bag.

And yes I have a four man plus set as well - but hardly ever use it. When tripping I bring my three cup peculator for fine coffee in the morning or any other time for that matter.

 

Thanks

We have a stainless steel plate and multi-utensil for each person and a no wash, no eat policy lol. Even my three year old washes his own, now.

Our cooking gear is a little more bulky due to the amount of food we have to cook and most "convenience" foods aren't on the safe list.

Eventually, I would like to get more into backpacking. Especially if everyone outgrows their food allergies, which my three year old is on his way to.

My mom showed me a video on YouTube about a family hiking the AT. That would be on my bucket list!

We recently moved and now we have about 3 acres of land. The kids have been honing their skills like learning how to build fires in the rocket stove.

I may enjoy camping in and of itself, but something about seeing the kids learning and enjoying it too makes me love it even more lol.

You have the Primus stove, right? Do you use the wind screen for it? My mom tried to make coffee on hers and the wind blew it out every five seconds. She even created a wall around it. I was wondering if maybe there was a trick to it.

I've used it in the past and didn't find it to be that sensitive... but maybe it just wasn't windy.


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@missyify ...I forget that Family Camping is a whole lot different from a few experienced guys doing their thing. But it might be fun too. I've always enjoyed teaching younger people the arts of camping. You get a bit of a charge when you see them excited about developing a skill they can use.

I've never had any problem with my primus stove - it burns well and on occasion when we are out we put up a tarp for wind and rain protection. I often use a home made wood stove that uses twigs off the ground. The wind doesn't bother that kind of stove at all.

 

I guess it's more fun if they're raised outdoorsy. We just got internet today and the kids haven't asked to watch a single thing today even though the older two know it's set up. They've watched maybe one movie since we've been here. So they're definitely a lot of fun outside and it's really surprising what they're capable of. I think in our "bubble wrap" mentality these days, we forget exactly how much they can do. I've found it's not only a helicopter mentality, but also a micromanagement issue as well. Kids don't do things perfectly, cleanly, or quickly the first million times, so it does require a bit of patience that I find a lot of adults in my circle don't have. There's the "ideal" that screen time is unhealthy, but in practice I've noticed a lot of people prefer the quiet kid, zoned out in front of a screen. (Such as my mom lol.)

I thought it was kinda odd because it never blew out on me before. She was having some issues attaching the new canister and fuel was spraying out. Maybe that had something to do with it...




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Is there any chance the canister was low (near empty) causing it to blow out easier? I've never used one of these so this is simply a guess.

Bibsoutdoors

 

...I may not know what the term "blow out" means.

I do know once you have released the nozzle pin the gas will escape immediately. The trick is to be fast and efficient. It's like putting air into your tire - if you don't get the cap on quickly you risk losing air.

 

Poorly stated on my behalf. I don't even know if it's a probability but my thinking was, if the canister is low on fuel putting out a weaker fuel flow, it might be easier for the wind to blow out the flame??? Again, just a guess.

Bibsoutdoors

 

=====>
That would make sense.

 

When I was a kid in Scouts we did a lot of packing. My mess kit was just a large steel cup and a spork. I could cook food, boil water and eat using just a cup. Now I have my wife 3 teenage boys and a 9 year old little girl and it seems like we don't bring enough. Large
camp stove, grill, Dutch ovens, etc. It's crazy how much different solo camping and family or group camping can be.

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@Madman4800 Your not kidding! I used to go by myself with a pack on my back. Now it takes an act of congress to get my wife to go with less than a trailer and all the amenities. Sometimes I miss the old days.

Bibsoutdoors

 

I wouldn't change a thing. Love watching the kids use the skills they've learned over the years and when my 9 year old daughter out does her 3 teenage brothers is priceless.

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...you are absolutely right when you identify solo, family and group camping. Each will demand a set of essentials relevant to the situation at hand. When the Ventures gathered for their annual week long canoe trip we always did the same thing. Four days before they brought there packs to be loaded into the van. First they had to unpack their packs so we could examine them. Anything not on the list was sent home. This meant that we didn't have twelve hatchets, twelve this or that either. It made for a lighter canoe load and more efficient use of the equipment that was brought.

One lad brought fourteen pairs of socks and underwear. "Have you ever heard of wash one, wear one and spare one?"