Tents & Camping Gear for "Under the Wing"

[Captain]

I'm looking formember's experience and advice on the best Tents & Camping Gear for use "Under the Wing" at Fly-ins etc.

 

Am thinking of something like the following. Does anyone have good/bad experience with particular types of tents and all of the other camping paraphenalia that we need?

 

Particularly cookers etc.

 

It's a given that weight is a vital consideration .... but what else?

 

Hope you can help

 

Geoff

 

<DIV id=sidebar-a>

 

<H2>Mantis II</H2>

 

<H3>Adventure Tent</H3>

 

<UL ="specs">

 

<LI>Code: MAN2

 

<LI>Capacity: Sleeps 2

 

<LI>Colours: Yellow/Black

 

<LI>Weight: 2.3 kg

 

<LI>Size: 255 x 260 x 100 cm

 

<LI>Seams: Heat taped

 

<LI>Floor: Polyester PU 5000mm

 

<LI>Poles: (2) 8.5mm premium T6 alloy

 

<LI>Fly: Ripstop polyester 3000mm water column

 

<LI>Function: 2~3 season, Below the snowline

 

<LI>

 

<H3>Features:</H3>Best suited to the needs of the serious traveller venturing into wilder, more rugged terrain. This is the tent of choice for many tour expeditions on the Kokoda Trail.

 

- Waterproof

 

- 2-pole tapered rectangular design

 

- Spacious & lightweight

 

- Dual side entry

 

- Dual side vestibules

 

- Gear hammock

 

- Head & foot vents

 

- 4 guy rope points

 

- Ring'n'pin colour-coded poles

 

</LI>

 

<DIV id=sidebar-b>

 

<DIV ="specs-"> Captain

 

 

[Guest Vigilant]

Geoff I have an old Trangia from my Police Search & Rescue days, very light and with the kettle, saucepans etc very compact. Can use either fuel - metho etc of like mine a gas adaptor. Other wise a singleburner cookers are available for around $30 but are bulkier and need frypan etc. As for a sleeping bag I have a mac pac Neve it packs small and is light - hey why not buy a Foxcon Terrier and sleep in the A/C

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Hi Captain,

 

I've done a lot of lightweight car camping - we use a Kathmandu Explorer tent. They retail about $1,000 but I got one of mine for $150 and one for $400 - used once. Kathmandu run/used to run a hire set up and would sell them off. Otherwise try one of their outlet shops - there's one in Melbourne - Smith St Fitzroy. The tent has a lighweight flexible aluminium frame and is completely weatherproof - that's from experience. It's 3-4 persons so it's not like putting on a wetsuit. 2.5kg from memory.

 

As for the stove Vigilant is quite right Trangia would work. My problem is I wouldn't like to carry a fuel bottle in the a/c. The option that we use - again in the car - is an MSR Dragonfly.

 

http://www.msrcorp.com/stoves/dragonfly.asp

 

It burns Shellite, whitespirit, Jet-A1, unleaded. It has a pump up pressure bottle and is very fast and adjustable. You can fill the bottle from the wing drain, cook and then dispose of the excess before packing back into the a/c. MSR also make cookware to go with the stoves including (if you have the $$$$) a very cool set of titanium cookware. Helps with the MTOW I suppose. They also do aluminium and stainless.

 

http://www.msrcorp.com/cookware/titanium.asp

 

Paddy Pallin and Mountain Designs both carry MSR.

 

Great fun. Let us know what you decide.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

One thing to think of when carrying a cooker is dangerouse goods. You can't really carry fuel in an aircraft (except in your tanks of course) to the point where we really shouldn't even carry a jerry canwith some spare fuel.Gas and other flamable substances are a no no and if you get caught by the wrong people you could end up with a please explain.

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Captain, register the J230 @ 600kg mtow in LSA and you can carry more luggage! In the back of that thing you'd fit the Taj Mahal in tent format. I know someone who takes away the 4 seater Jabiru and can fit 3 POB, camping gear, lilo's, food, clothes and all sorts of crap and still carry near full fuel.

 

 

[Captain]

Thanks for your advice fellas.

 

I reckon you are spot on Mike. By coincidence there was an article on MSR in this months Two Wheels magazine and their stuff looks the berries.

 

And for us, being able to fuel a stove on Avgas from the wing drains makes good sense as the fuel canister can then be carried empty in the aircraft.

 

Now .... does anyone have any experience with freeze dried/pre-packaged tucker?

 

Thanks also for your note Clem. I've decided to go with 540 and hope that the RAA gets agreement to go to 700, as the LSA rules look to me like they apply greater future restrictions just to get that extra 60 kgs.

 

Also, does anyone have any experience with Black Wolf tents?

 

Regards & thanks again

 

Geoff

 

 

[jcamp]

Gas and other flamable substances are a no no and if you get caught by the wrong people you could end up with a please explain.

It could be a lot worse than a please explain as it was for SHARK 02.

 

 

[Guest Vigilant]

Another option would be the old Hexemine solid fuel stove, which is obviously stable enough to carry in an aircraft (as used, at least in my day by the ADF) but then you have the weight deficit.

 

I used toand still have freeze dried tucker in my police pack, there are some really good meals available - I am not sure if they can be purchased comercially but the new MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) are not bad either. The only thing that really sticks in my mind (and elsewhere) is that they used to bung you up a bit

 

 

[Guest P.A.]

The only thing that really sticks in my mind (and elsewhere) is that they used to bung you up a bit

 

That could save so many stops on a long flight.