As a happy gear nerd I enjoy writing camping gear reviews once in awhile, especially when that gear stands the test of time. When I write about gear it’s usually stuff I have used for at least a year or two, and often a decade or more. I turn down most of the requests I receive to review camping gear. Most of what is offered does more to weigh your pack down than significantly improve your camping experience....
UPDATE August 2016 I checked out the three Sawyer water filters we own for our week-long canoe trip to Canada this year. I decided to order three new elements in case our three years the old filters stopped working. All of our three-year-old filters performed flawlessly all week long – a truly amazing product. UPDATE October 2015 It’s been two years since I wrote this review, and our Sawyer 3-Way filters (we own three) are still working like new....
What’s a good place to test insect repellent? How about 25 Scouts canoeing their way through a buggy week in Ontario, Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park? In mid August we don’t usually run into too many mosquitoes and the black fly season is long over. This was a wet summer and we encountered more mosquitoes that we were used to, many, many more. One evening as we were chatting around the campfire we heard a quiet, yet audible, high-pitched buzzing sound that must have been a cloud of insects (we suspected mosquitoes)....
Marbles Camp AxeGreat fit and finish for a very good price. The marbles is a bit larger than most camp hatchets or axes and it’s a quality product. Aailable at Amazon Sarge Boy Scout KnifeNO LONGER AVAILABLE Marbles Back Pocket Dual-Grit Tool SharpenerGreat tool for maintaining axes, hatchets and pocket knives this coarse and fine grit carborundum stone should be in anyones camping tool kit. Available at Amazon
While researching information to write this EcoZoom Stove review I learned some interesting things.: Half of the world cooks on a wood fire every day. They use open fires or unimproved stoves. Nearly half the world’s wood supply is used for fuel and deforestation rates are rising all over the world. Smoke inhalation accounts for a staggering number of health problems and deaths in the developing world. High efficiency wood burning technologies significantly reduce both health and environmental impacts....
My favorite external frame backpack for Scouts is the Outdoor Products Dragonfly. Almost all of the packs available today are internal frame backpacks. Finding an internal frame pack for Scouts that has the right combination of features for a reasonable price is a challenge. The best internal frame packs I have found for Scouts are the Scout 3400 and Explorer 4000 from Teton Sports. Calling something ‘the best’ is different from calling something ‘perfect’ and that’s never more true than when I evaluate camping gear for Scouts....
If you are looking for a reliable way to re-charge portable electronic devices on extended camping trips the Brunton Restore is a solid choice. When at full capacity the Restore’s internal lithium polymer battery will recharge virtually any USB compatible device. Charge he internal battery using USB power from a laptop, a wall adapter (not included), auto adapter, or the Restore’s solar panels. Encased in a durable, water-resistant, rubberized shell measuring 5....
My first impression of the Lansky Blade Medic was a little cynical. Another knife sharpening gadget? No thanks. As a professional woodworker I have sharpened hundreds, if not thousands, of blades, chisels, knives etc. over the years. I’ve shown a couple of hundred Scouts how to use and sharpen a pocket knife and I’ve tried out many different sharpening methods. The Lansky Blade medic features two ‘crock stick’ sharpening tools, one in ceramic, one in carbide....
2019 Update This review was written in 2013, and after six years of heavy use in the hands of Scouts later these Rayovac lanterns are still going strong, just about indestructible. We replaced our old propane gas lanterns five or more years ago with Coleman Pack-Away LED Lanterns. Like any Scout gear they’ve been battered, bruised and broken and we’ve decided it’s time they were replaced. Overall the Rayovac Sportsman seems to be built more solidly than the Coleman Pack-Away....
We depend on satellite phone rental for emergency communications during our annual high adventure canoe trips. Since we’ll be travelling out of cell phone range we want some way to contact help if needed. There are a number of technologies available but a satellite phone is the only one that enables two-way voice communication If you look around you’ll find a number of vendors in the satellite phone rental business, but buyer beware – there can be hidden charges for shipping, obligations to buy a package of minutes and up-charges for things like spare batteries for the phone....
What’s the best Scout pocket knife? I am not sure there’s only one absolute best pocket knife for every Scout in every situation, but the Victorinox Hiker is an excellent choice and here’s why: COST A decent knife will last a lifetime (really!). Because a Scout will likely loose a knife or two along the way long before it gets worn out parents are tempted to buy a cheap pocket knife....
If you haven’t discovered the Wirecutter blog check it out, they have excellent in-depth reviews of all kinds of interesting stuff. Here’s what their review of the best hand warmers concluded: Zippo Hand Warmer Sometimes gloves aren’t enough. That’s when hand warmers come in. I tested several of the best reviewed kinds and models, and the $16 Zippo Hand Warmer is the best hand warmer, because it’s cheap, safe and provides enough heat to keep your hands warm for close to 24 hours before it needs to be refilled....
Before I begin this Solo Stove review I need to explain that I think building a campfire is an important skill. It connects Scouts to many things, sharpens their ability to plan, and is almost always a group activity. I once thought that we ought to do all of our cooking over fires and not stoves, then I acquiesced to the idea that stoves were quicker and to the misapprehension that gas stoves were a responsible low-impact method (they aren’t when you consider the impact of making and disposing of a gas canister)....
First published in 1884 Camping and Woodcraft was the first widely read “how-to” book on on the subject . It’s author Nessmukwrote *’**‘ The temptation is to buy this or that bit of indispensable camp kit has been too strong and we have gone to the blessed woods handicapped with a load fit for a pack mule. That is not how to do it.*Go light, and the lighter the better so that you have the simplest material for health comfort and enjoyment....
The Outdoor Products Dragonfly pack is Available at Amazon Selecting a backpack for Scouts can be confusing; here’s one that I think fits the bill. Backpacks fall in to two basic types; ones with an external frame to which the pack bag is attached and ones with the frame built into the bag (internal frame). In my experience Scouts are better off with external frame backpack because they are easier to pack and adjust....
Should Scout troops use standard two burner propane stoves for camping? Half of the world’s households and 80 percent of rural households in developing countries cook with solid fuels like wood, coal, crop residues and dung. Many of these households use traditional open fires or simple stoves that release smoke into the dwelling and do not make efficient use of the fuel. According to the World Health Organization 1.6 million people a year die of health effects resulting from toxic indoor air....
My hiking stick evolution goes something like this: – A number of ones found in the wild; some with natural twists, ones I carved, sanded and varnished. – A number of bamboo sticks like my backpacking hero Colin Fletcher. – A few I machined from hardwood (oak, mahogany, etc.) and adorned with various decorations. – A pair of anti-shock trekking poles My reaction when I first saw someone using trekking poles n a T....
UPDATE October 2015 I no longer recommend the Katadyn Base Camp, see my review of the Sawyer 3-Way Water Filter When we’re in the back country on backpacking and canoeing trips we have to purify our water. I see providing safe drinking water as a group rather than an individual responsibility. It is also something that needs to be simple, as foolproof as possible and reasonably affordable. I have tried several different filters and chemical treatments; all have had some significant drawbacks....
UPDATE 11/17 Our Limelights are still going strong after six years of continuous use on Scout camping trips. We’ve had one or two tears, but everything else is holding up admirably. No problems with poles and zippers, waterproofing still strong. The Limelight model was updated since we bought ours, they now have straighter walls and are more box-like, I’d imagine this makes the interior larger. I have had positive reports from those who own the new model....
Inventor Kent Haring has developed the elegantly efficient Littlbug stove that deserves a second look from campers in general and Scouts in particular. Most of us have come to rely on the convenience of propane stoves and would be hesitant to trade them for wood stoves. I think there are some compelling practical and ethical arguments for using high efficiency wood stoves. But first let’s take a close look at the features and use of the Littlbug....