Reviews

Backpacking and Camping Cooking Setup – Fall 2018.

My cook pot, stove, and food (ready-made dehydrated meals) have been working well for both backpacking and camping. But the wind screen and pot stand are a little bulky and weighty – between a quarter and half a pound. So, in an idle moment, I thought I’d check and see what other options there might be. Read on to see what I found to replace them.

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Gear Review: Leatherman Skeletool CX (Updated)

My new everyday carry knife / multi tool. It weighs less than my Milwaukee Fastback or Swiss Navy knife. It has a carabiner and pocket clip – which was a must-have for me. The tools include pliers, side cutters, screwdriver (Phillips and flat bits) and, of course, a bottle opener. The only tools I miss […]

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Gear Review: Backpacking Cooking System: 2016 – 2018

Photograph of a Trangia stove fitted into a lightweight aluminium pot stand

In 2016 we took a serious look at why we weren’t getting out backpacking as much as we’d like. Work was one of the major obstacles, but we also identified several gear issues that caused problems. One of those ‘pinch points’ was the cooking system we used when backpacking. We wanted something lighter, smaller and […]

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Gear Review: Montbell Super Spiral Sleeping Bags

Photograph of Gary Allman snuggled up in a Montbell Super Spiral Down Hugger sleeping bag.

We’ve bought our Mont·Bell Super Spiral Sleeping Bags back in 2010. They were expensive, but it’s a purchase we’ve never regretted, and we’d buy them again. We wanted bags that would keep us warm three season camping and backpacking and that were warm enough for the occasional trip out in winter. These bags have exceeded […]

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Gear Review: Coleman Exponent Multi Fuel Stove

Picture of bacon sizzling on top of a Coleman Exponent stove

We’ve owned our Coleman Exponent multifuel stove since 2010, and it’s our go-to stove for car camping. In this review we explain why we purchased it – not all the reasons were logical, how it’s worked out for us, and we give some hints for using it while camping and backpacking.

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Gear Review: MSR Mutha Hubba tent (2010)

Mutha Hubba tent camped by the River Etive in Glen Etive scotland

We spent a long time researching and looking at tents. Each time we thought we’d found the one we wanted we saw another we liked even more. A three season tent was essential for spring and fall camping, some useable vestibule space that would double as a wind break for cooking was also high on […]

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