CAMPING

[skippydiesel]

48 minutes ago, Steve L said:

I just got back from a bike road trip in Tassie. I used my 1 1/2 man tent ( 2.2kg) and a Zempire Monstermat 100 mm thick mattress (3.1 kg) . . 

5.3 kgs isn’t that heavy, even in a aircraft for one’s accommodation. I have never found any mattress as comfortable. 
Steve 

 The Monstermat comes with a monster price tag $200. Reads well R10 but 3kg & fairly bulky when packed

 

For about the same money I can get a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT -

Claimed R-Value	7.3
Measured Weight	454 g | 16.0 oz
Packed Volume (L)	2.4 L
Thickness	7.62 cm | 3.0 in

 

 

Decisions Decisions 😈

[onetrack]

Skippy, according to the review below, the Therm-a-Rest NXT comes in at $569! The review is dated Dec 2024. Are you getting your Therm-a-Rest NXT pricing from some shady individual offering you a good deal, in the public bar of a run-down hotel?? 🙄

 

https://australianhiker.com.au/gear/therm-a-rest-neoair-xtherm-nxt-sleeping-pad/

[BurnieM]

Snowys have them for only $480.

 

A good mat but probably a bit more than you want to pay unless you do a lot of cold weather camping.

 

[Blueadventures]

8 hours ago, onetrack said:

Skippy, according to the review below, the Therm-a-Rest NXT comes in at $569! The review is dated Dec 2024. Are you getting your Therm-a-Rest NXT pricing from some shady individual offering you a good deal, in the public bar of a run-down hotel?? 🙄

 

https://australianhiker.com.au/gear/therm-a-rest-neoair-xtherm-nxt-sleeping-pad/

Thats like mine; and as I said buy them when on special can be 50 to 70% off.

[skippydiesel]

This is where my costing came from;

 

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-sleeping-pad

 

😈

[onetrack]

Skippy, Outdoor GearLab is an American review site, they're based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, and any dollar figures they quote are U.S. dollars., which as you know, is a seriously different amount in Australian dollars!

 

US$199.99 converts directly to AU$333, then you have international shipping charges and local retailer markup to contend with. Plus the Therm-a-Rest NXT is only 75mm thick, whereas the Zempire Monstermat is 100mm thick.

 

Edited 18 hours ago by onetrack

[Blueadventures]

This is the brand I have two of.  If on my own just delete this way and storage.  They fold before rolling up and fit the orange bag.  Very comfortable.

[Garfly]

There's a vid for that ...    😉

 

 

[onetrack]

The biggest problem I usually have, when camping out on the left coast, is to try and keep cool! When the temperature is still in the high 20's at midnight, you don't need Merino underlays or other heat-trapping systems! 😄 

[PureCaboose]

Sleeping mat, sleeping bag and a bag liner. The bag liner alternated between a cotton one or a polyfleece one, depending on the weather/season.

 

For camping, I have a 2-person lightweight hiking tent.

 

All my gear is from BCF.

 

Tent: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/roman-cradle-2-person-hiking-tent/653002.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

Sleeping bag: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/wanderer-singe-0-hooded-sleeping-bag/636449.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

Camping mat: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/wanderer-camp-38-hiking-mat/521022.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

Summer liner: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/roman-cotton-sleeping-bag-liner/673055.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

I have experienced everything from sleeping in a hole in a bivvy bag to luxury camper trailers, and this is what I use as my go-to camping gear for flying or driving when I travel for work.

 

Greg

 

P.S. The water in the metho for the Trangia stove is to make it easier to clean the soot off the outside of the pots.

 

[skippydiesel]

Just come from KMart

 

https://www.kmart.com.au/product/single-self-inflating-mattress-42498575/

 

Self inflating Sleeping mat $22 - bit thin at 40 mm, bit heavy at 3 kg - would do at  a pinch

 

https://www.kmart.com.au/product/altitude-hooded-sleeping-bag-42890546/

 

Sleeping bag pretty good at 1.2 kg , $45. rated down to 4C

 

https://www.kmart.com.au/product/ridge-sleeping-bag-43491162/

 

Sleeping bag pretty good at 1.9 kg , $49, rated down to 0C

 

https://www.kmart.com.au/product/thermal-eva-foam-bed-roll-42305880/?srsltid=AfmBOor0fR9gjiJY05kxk7taXClRkkOG798Fx5PbQHnlGV8DrA4yEI_c

 

Closed cell mat $15 - bit narrow but again OK at a pinch. You can purchase this stuff, foil one or both sides, from insulation suppliers, I think up to 8mm thick - make it whatever size you want, supply you own packing straps.

 

😈

[skippydiesel]

4 hours ago, onetrack said:

Skippy, Outdoor GearLab is an American review site, they're based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, and any dollar figures they quote are U.S. dollars., which as you know, is a seriously different amount in Australian dollars!

 

US$199.99 converts directly to AU$333, then you have international shipping charges and local retailer markup to contend with. Plus the Therm-a-Rest NXT is only 75mm thick, whereas the Zempire Monstermat is 100mm thick.

 

Thanks.

 

I put Australia in my search parameters and thats one of the review sites that popped up - will go back & check again.😈

[skippydiesel]

4 hours ago, onetrack said:

Skippy, Outdoor GearLab is an American review site, they're based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, and any dollar figures they quote are U.S. dollars., which as you know, is a seriously different amount in Australian dollars!

 

US$199.99 converts directly to AU$333, then you have international shipping charges and local retailer markup to contend with. Plus the Therm-a-Rest NXT is only 75mm thick, whereas the Zempire Monstermat is 100mm thick.

 

Thanks.

 

I put Australia in my search parameters and thats one of the review sites that popped up - will go back & check again.😈

 

Monstermat is great IF you aren't baggage  space & weight challenged

 

Found this https://adventuregearonline.com.au/product/nemo-tensor-sleeping-mat-regular/ $199.99 Albury NSW This is defeinately Australia.😈

[RossK]

Hi Skip, this is the gear we camp with from the plane. We try to keep it light weight.

Tent - 2kg

Sleeping bag - 0.8kg

Sleeping Mat - 1.4kg

5kg total.

This is for 2 of us, the tent and mat are cosy at best, you need to be very good friends, but that helps keep warm on colder nights.

Hasn't had much use lately, but was fine at Parkes last year. 

I'm thinking of upgrading the tent to something in the 3-3.5kg range - sheer luxury.

[skippydiesel]

22 minutes ago, RossK said:

Hi Skip, this is the gear we camp with from the plane. We try to keep it light weight.

Tent - 2kg

Sleeping bag - 0.8kg

Sleeping Mat - 1.4kg

5kg total.

This is for 2 of us, the tent and mat are cosy at best, you need to be very good friends, but that helps keep warm on colder nights.

Hasn't had much use lately, but was fine at Parkes last year. 

I'm thinking of upgrading the tent to something in the 3-3.5kg range - sheer luxury.

Thanks thats great information.

 

I think I will be purchasing the  Cloude Up 2 Pro https://www.naturexplore.com.au/products/naturehike-cloud-up-2-pro-tent. 1.53 kg Highly rated on several reviews.

 

I think they do 3 person tents😈

[RossK]

45 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

 

 

I think they do 3 person tents😈

The Cloud up 3 person is 2kg and 35cm wider than mine, sounds pretty spacious to me. 

[skippydiesel]

3 hours ago, PureCaboose said:

Sleeping mat, sleeping bag and a bag liner. The bag liner alternated between a cotton one or a polyfleece one, depending on the weather/season.

 

For camping, I have a 2-person lightweight hiking tent.

 

All my gear is from BCF.

 

Tent: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/roman-cradle-2-person-hiking-tent/653002.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

Sleeping bag: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/wanderer-singe-0-hooded-sleeping-bag/636449.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

Camping mat: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/wanderer-camp-38-hiking-mat/521022.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

Summer liner: https://www.bcf.com.au/p/roman-cotton-sleeping-bag-liner/673055.html?gtmfrompage=checkout

 

I have experienced everything from sleeping in a hole in a bivvy bag to luxury camper trailers, and this is what I use as my go-to camping gear for flying or driving when I travel for work.

 

Greg

 

P.S. The water in the metho for the Trangia stove is to make it easier to clean the soot off the outside of the pots.

 

Hard to compare - Tent same price as Cloud 2 Pro but quite a bit heavier. Sleeping bag 0C  very good value.  Mat, no R rating, but at $90 is a steel, if as good as you say. Nothing worse than a deflated mat in the middle of the night.

 

Been looking at the  nemo Tensor - All Seams , R 2.4, $200.

[BurnieM]

If you are ever going to have 2 people in this tent do not purchase a 2 man tent.

You need at least a 3 man tent and there are a lot of reasonable but cheap 4 man dome tents.

 

[skippydiesel]

53 minutes ago, BurnieM said:

If you are ever going to have 2 people in this tent do not purchase a 2 man tent.

You need at least a 3 man tent and there are a lot of reasonable but cheap 4 man dome tents.

 

In my dreams  - the opportunities are going from zero to something way less.😈

Edited 10 hours ago by skippydiesel

[facthunter]

Are you all tending camp? Nev

[Garfly]

Yes, we're all going for our bushcraft badge.

[Moneybox]

12 hours ago, onetrack said:

The biggest problem I usually have, when camping out on the left coast, is to try and keep cool! When the temperature is still in the high 20's at midnight, you don't need Merino underlays or other heat-trapping systems! 😄 

 

Yes my brother is due to arrive here on Thursday for our annual prospecting trip, I'm heading the other way to Esperance but I was telling him this time last week we had 30.5°C at 11.35pm. We ran the AC right through the night so not good camping weather but shortly we'll have 0°C some nights.