I am loving this thread. We have a 6 day trip coming up in September, so I hope to have some things to contribute here upon our return. In the meantime, some of the things reviewed here have got me considering adding to or changing our kit a bit.
Great / Not so Great...
- Thread starter ASNOBODY
- Start date
Off-Road Ranger I
+1 on the shower. That's what we used when we were first building our cabin. It lasted for two people everyday for 18months until a mouse chewed the rubber button and exposed it to water infiltration. Great product!Great thread idea! Going to contribute some (prices are current/approximate so may change over time). FYI not using referring links just shortened links.
GREAT: portable battery-powered showerhead ($31+) - http://a.co/bx6aqrD
Our go-to camping spot about 20min from our house is a campgrounds that has showers, but recently we went on a 4-day overlanding trip with new friends [that we met here on OB!] and decided to bring a way to rinse off at least. We actually got the Ivation brand version for $40 but it looks like one of those imported products that are all identical and just have different brand names/labels on them, so I'd just get one of the $30 ones and they'll likely be identical. So we brought this and a black 5 gallon bucket (few bucks at Home Depot) filled with water. We left the bucket in the sun to bake and then opened up, turned on the motor of the showerhead then dropped it in. It doesn't spray water pressure like a real shower at home obviously, but it was very impressive still, definitely way better than one of those black bags you hang from a tree that relies on gravity alone. Our new friends agreed (even though at first I think they thought it was "overpacking" haha). After using it to rinse off your head/hair and wash your face proper with warm water, everyone agreed it was worth its weight in gold at a campsite. We will always have one of these with us camping/overlanding from now on! It doesn't have a filter so it wouldn't be great to dunk in a creek for use (i.e. while backpacking), but we read online that some people just wrap a coffee filter around it with a rubberband, which sounds reasonable. The unit has an internal rechargeable battery that you can charge via USB (like from your vehicle's USB/cigarette adapter or from a solar USB connection), and it comes with a suction cup and hook to attach to vehicles or trees. Oh also, it doesn't heat the water, only sprays it. The black bucket didn't get the water too warm (5 gallons is a lot to heat up even sitting in the sun), but if we wanted warmer water we could have just boiled a pot and dumped it in to mix etc. Best setup might be a metal black bucket of some sort? That way you could literally hang/mount over a small flame to warm it up? ...or toss some hot coals in to warm up...?
Awesome thread, not sure how I missed it for so long.
Great: Figure 9 (Small and Large)
http://www.niteize.com/product/Figure-9-Small.asp
Multi use way to tie things down, fast and easy, without remembering knots. I keep a few of the small ones around for rigging a top line, tying out a tarp, or clothes line. The big ones hold the Canoe on the top of the rig.
Great: Loop Alien
https://loopalien.com/products/titanium-rca-starter-kit
I got these on kickstarter when they were first announced. Lighter than the Figure 9 and great for tents and other jobs needing thin rope. Great for tying things to my pack for hiking. This purchase was also my first experience with Dyneema cord. Wow SOOOOO much better than paracord around camp.
Great: Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill
https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/portable-grills/go-anywhere-series/1141001.html
The one I have is about 7-8 years old and has seen lots of use over those years, Works off of 1lb propane bottles or 5/20lb bottles with adapter. This one replaced a much older knockoff when it's regulator died after about 15 years and the part was not available. New one has plastic handle, old knockoff was wood. The old one I shortened the 3 handles so they fit closer to the body for storage but can't on this cause the plastic will melt. Wish it had fold flat handles for storage. (Note looks like they have simplified the design which may change how newer ones perform.)
TIP - for easy clean up line the inside with heavy duty foil to collect any grease that melts down. When cool remove foil, ball-up and into the Trasharoo.
Great: Eagletac Clicky Flashlight
http://eagletac.com/html/d25lc2rc/index.html
Got this after using a friend's on a Night Photo workshop. Used his over that weekend and ordered 2 when I got back home. That was 2014 still love this light. Dad and Brother each have one as well. Pairs well with the Nitecore Intellicharge I2/I4 Chargers and the Nitecore 18650 batteries.
Terrible: Coghlan's "G.I. Can Opener" (Knockoff P-38)
They put 2 in a package so you have a prayer of opening 1 can of soup. Try to find a real surplus P-38 or it's slightly bigger bother the P-51.
Boort
Great: Figure 9 (Small and Large)
http://www.niteize.com/product/Figure-9-Small.asp
Multi use way to tie things down, fast and easy, without remembering knots. I keep a few of the small ones around for rigging a top line, tying out a tarp, or clothes line. The big ones hold the Canoe on the top of the rig.
Great: Loop Alien
https://loopalien.com/products/titanium-rca-starter-kit
I got these on kickstarter when they were first announced. Lighter than the Figure 9 and great for tents and other jobs needing thin rope. Great for tying things to my pack for hiking. This purchase was also my first experience with Dyneema cord. Wow SOOOOO much better than paracord around camp.
Great: Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill
https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/portable-grills/go-anywhere-series/1141001.html
The one I have is about 7-8 years old and has seen lots of use over those years, Works off of 1lb propane bottles or 5/20lb bottles with adapter. This one replaced a much older knockoff when it's regulator died after about 15 years and the part was not available. New one has plastic handle, old knockoff was wood. The old one I shortened the 3 handles so they fit closer to the body for storage but can't on this cause the plastic will melt. Wish it had fold flat handles for storage. (Note looks like they have simplified the design which may change how newer ones perform.)
TIP - for easy clean up line the inside with heavy duty foil to collect any grease that melts down. When cool remove foil, ball-up and into the Trasharoo.
Great: Eagletac Clicky Flashlight
http://eagletac.com/html/d25lc2rc/index.html
Got this after using a friend's on a Night Photo workshop. Used his over that weekend and ordered 2 when I got back home. That was 2014 still love this light. Dad and Brother each have one as well. Pairs well with the Nitecore Intellicharge I2/I4 Chargers and the Nitecore 18650 batteries.
Terrible: Coghlan's "G.I. Can Opener" (Knockoff P-38)
They put 2 in a package so you have a prayer of opening 1 can of soup. Try to find a real surplus P-38 or it's slightly bigger bother the P-51.
Boort
