Hey guys, as many know I recently got back from Fort Lewis and we spent a lot of time in the field. This was rough at the time, but somewhere in the mire of being out in the suck, I kinda found solace in the great outdoors and found some odd enjoyment of being up on fire guard, patrolling around the patrol base at 0300 hours. (have I gone crazy) This kind of reignited the flame of camping in my heart. I have always liked camping but never as passionately as I do now.. I have decided to share with my Dogs here some equipment I have been checking out and tentatively planning to purchase here within the next 3-4weeks.

First, the type of camping I will be doing... I will be doing the traditional camping with my battle buddies, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and just hanging out; far cry from what we did this summer at LDAC. However, I actually plan on sleeping and bedding down the way I did in the patrol bases this summer.. Where there is no hooch or tent, rather just you, your sleeping bag, and your bivvy. I really found a liking for this style of camping. Its kinda nice to be able to just throw a good warm sleeping bag inside a bivvy and zip it all the way up and crash out after a long day/night. I was in my local outdoors shop yesterday and saw some neat gear, which inspired me to come home and do some research online. Here are some of the things I plan on getting to accommodate my camping through the winter.

This brings me to another topic... Winter camping. I have never really done it because of the cold.. However, I think after investing in some quality gear, this might be something that I can kinda get into. Im looking forward to it. Here is some of my new gear Im looking at. Feel free to chime in if you have any of this or have any suggestions...

Lightweight Tarp:
http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2008/index.cfm...&familyID=2


I think this will be a good thing to have as far as a shelter over head... It has various ties that afford you the chance to tie the shelter virtually anywhere and it allows for some sturdy shelter. I saw this tarp for $100.00.

Dry Sacks:
http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2008/index.cfm...&familyID=2


I have one of these that I took with my to LDAC and kept in my rucksack, and it kept all contents inside TOTALLY dry and this was an invaluable asset to me because no matter the rain, I always had dry ACUs, underwear, and other essentials.

Sleeping Bag:
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Pro...7&cat=1482&viewAll=False


Cold weather bag: 5-20 degrees F. It seldomly gets colder than 5 degrees here in East Tennessee at any given time of the year so I think that this bag will be perfect for me. Its built sturdy and has enough room for movement to get dressed in the mornings when it is cold out. This bag is for me!

Bivvy:
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Pro...0&cat=1453&viewAll=False


This bivvy is the one I saw at the outdoor shop yesterday... It looked very neat and only weighed less than 2 pounds, all stuffed up. It would go perfectly with my sleeping bag and would provide for great warmth and comfort on cold nights in the east Tennessee nights. Cold, moisture, frost, etc, ?? No problem, this baby will keep me warm and dry. I think this is the ticket for me!



I also will be carrying a pack of some sort. I have so many pakcs its not even funny. However, I dont own one BIG pack that I can throw everything into.. I might invest in a good pack as well but Im not sure at this point. The plus to getting a big bag would be that I could throw it all in there and move out. But the style of camping we do, we drive the trucks up to the spot, build the fire, and leave the CD player going, hanging out easy style... So I would not be rucking into my spot, like some hard fellas do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Given, as always, I will have my Scrapper 6 and my Busse Scotch Dispenser as my discrete back-up steel. (the S6 does virtually all of my work when it comes to cutting (who wouldnt task all cutting duties out to the mighty mighty S6 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) I really like the Busse SD. Not many give it much credit because its by far, the smallest, however, I really like having a strong, tough fixed blade that can be called upon at anytime. The plus with this knife for me is that I can ALWAYS have it on me, no matter where I go and since Jerry designed it for a backup law enforcement blade, I think its the perfect EDC for me. Not to mention, Jeff Law made me the best sheath in the world for it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> !!! I loved this knife so much, I bought 3 of them back a few months ago <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif" alt="" /> Aside from the new gear I am going to be getting, I will always have my Busse-kin knives on me. I never go outside without a piece of Busse steel! I am also trying to figure out a good, economical way to utilize some sort of makeshift pillow, that I can use that wont be too much extra bulk or weight.

Long thread, sorry guys, just wanted to share. Give your inputs please... This is a good thread for us to discuss our favorite camping gear.

I have a couple of those dry bags for canyoneering, there very nice. I really like the valve's on them. I also have a MH Lamina bag, very nice.

Tyvek is a good lightweight tarp material. You can buy it from home improvement stores (it’s used as a house wrap) or sometimes get some free scraps from a construction site. You can run it through a dryer to soften it so it doesn’t crackle so much. It’s fairly waterproof and lightweight. You can also use a tarp. Either are much cheaper than the one you posted.

For a lightweight pillow, you could use some folded up clothing, or an inflatable pillow.

Tyvek is some great stuff. My piece is on it's way to CO, or some where, LOL

Very good ideas Andy. At LDAC i used one of my stuff sacks. I will probably do the same thing when I go camping with my buddies. I want one of those WXTEX tarps though man... They are high speed and neat. Made very tough as well from what I felt last night at the local outdoor shop... They are also the recipient of good reviews as well.

There is a nice Canadian issue goretex bivybag i would love. One thing you are going to see a lot more of is northern military maneuvers near the pole now that we are not friends with Putin and global warming has made the area more habitable .
The CF makes some great winter gear.
Here are the mukluks I wear when it is -50 and I am doing 60MPH on a SKIDOO.
The woolliners are amazing and are great for around a winter camp on their own.


Here are the new issue goretex pants but I prefer the old 2 layer ones.

These fleece pants are the greatest thing an army has ever issued in the history of man including the 1911 and the brits rum ration.

They go under a pair of outer waterproof pants in extreme cold but are perfect on their own all winter.

Winter camping rules so long as you are well equipped. No bugs and no sweaty tents.

first of all winter camping is some of my favorite although new york winters a bit different that tennessee winters.

their is no bugs first of all,less people and i hate being soaking wet with sweat before i even get to camp.in the winter you need more gear and stuff like cold weather sleeping bags are heavier so i buy a "deer drag" which is a harness you wear around your torso and tie to the deer and you can drag them out that way instead i just tie it to a sled.i can lug 120 pounds like nothing if needed be like this.

as far as gear goes you already had some of the best.that ARMY 3 piece sleeping bag system with the gortex bivvy is better than the stuff your gonna find in the stores imo.

you may of used one of these or seen'em.they are USGI water proof bags and the inside is all rubber.completely water proof and can even be inflated,sealed and used for flotation.their better and more durable than anything i've been able to find.

here is one folded up,its between the hank of 550 cord and the pair of pack straps.



here it is full of sand.



and here's a smaller folded up on the left of the compass



a lot of the gear i use is military because i have found it to be more rugged at least and a lot of times just better and with a lot of it being surplus i can get good deals.

another piece of military gear i use is the U.S.M.C. 2 man tent that was contracted with Eureeka.i have never seen a tent even think about coming close to the ruggedness of this thing.in the pitch black i can put a 60 lumen surefire lens touching right up against the rain fly from the inside and you wouldnt even be able to see it from the outside.they want it this way so any light from the outside wont give the position away.if light cant get through than rain aint either.sorry no pics.i'll get on in a week or two when i go back out.

for me i'm always thinking how to make my kit lighter and more efficient.

my favorite pices of camping gear are:

DFLE,ASH-1 & GB 20in hatchet
Surefire E2L Outdoorsman or 6P LED
U.S.M.C. Eureeka 2 man tent or ARMY Catoma 1 man tent
Snugpak jungle bag or Northface cold weather bag
Katayden water filter
MSR stove
Kifaru packs {Zulu,X-ray,E&E}
lotsa alcohal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here's my Catoma 1 man tent:



left to right,top to bottom:
gortex rain suit
snugpack jungle bag
stove w/fuel kit
fire kit
first-aid kit



all packed up before the kifaru days,i dont miss them.spec-ops brand pack and CSM Gear waist pack


my neck of the woods


at the car.this isnt winter camping either.this is april camping.

wow northern1, nice shots!!! even nicer gear... i use those waterproof bags all summer. they are pretty good stuff too. if that is april camping i dont know how bad WINTER camping will be on you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Get youself a pair of poly pros also.
Don't just wear your all leather boots, they freeze.
You need some muk-luks or mickey mouse boots.
A arctic canteen would be another good thing to buy, unless you like defrosting water.
I also carry a wool blanket, it has multiple uses like laying on top of your sleeping pad to add insulation.
You want to be in a tent, wind is not fun.
I recomend catoma tents, snugpak sleeping bags, and the old down m1949 mountain bags.

I find that winter camping can eather be really neat, or cold and miserable.

yup,poly pros are great and micky mouse boots are one of a kind.

up state new yorks "snow belt" region is some of the worst in the country,over 100 inches in 2 days 2 winters ago,and right in that snow belt is FT.DRUM,home of the 10th MTN. DIVISION.

those boys need some serious winter gear and i'm lucky enough to live 40min from base.i get all that good winter gear on surplus.goretex suits all day too.

i gotta get some of those USGI snow shoes.

disclaimer:

dont just go out and try winter camping in harsh conditions.take it slow and know your gears limits and capabilities.

good advice northern1.

mac - you are right on about poly pros. they issue them to us and are a beloved part of our TA-50. i cant tell you how many times i wore them in the field in the wee hours of the morning. however, i personally like my underarmor better. it isnt as thick but it is far better when it comes to sweating and wicking the sweat from the body, while still giving an ample amount of warmth.

with the waterproof and windproof bivvy, you would be surprised at how warm and cozy you are inside of these things, not being in a tent. i think the wool blanket is a very good idea, one that i hadnt previously thought of... i was thinking more along the lines of some type of rolled up cushioned sleeping mat that can tie to the bottom of the backpack/rucksack. any experiences with good sleeping mats fellas?

I use a german army sleeping pad because its nice and long and wide and folds up into a square that fits pretty much anywhere.
The wool blanket is to add insulation to the sleeping pad, most pads are to thin and cold in the winter.
I do not recomend the therm-a-rest ridgerest, its very short and I got frost bite on my big toe using it in november one year and lost feeling in it.
The GI pad is very nice, its big and long and thick.
Although it does take up some space.