Wednesday 22 March 2017

Sleeping bear

Sleeping bear (well that’s me after a long uncomfortable night)

Well after a few un-comfey nights in a bivi bag I’ve purchased and new sleep pad to replace my Military issue Multimat 3/4 
The new mat is a  Klymit Static V ( un-insulated) and for a lightweight sleep mat the price was great (£56) EBay. 
Before I decided to get the mat I viewed some reviews on YouTube, most were done in the US so will have to see how it works out in the UK cooler climate.
The mat is 6.35cm thick when inflated and comes with a repair kit for those inevitable events when we get careless and puncture the mat. I have never popped my Multimat ¾ but that seems to be made of a more robust fabric.
The mat details are


More Information
Price £56 (eBay seller) Ebay seller
Weight 18.1 oz. / 514 g
Dimensions        72" x 23" x 2.5" / 183 cm x 59 cm x 6.5 cm
R-Value                1.3
Inflation               10-15 Breaths (depends on your lungs)
Pack Size              3" x 8" / 7.62 cm x 20.3 cm
Fabric    75D Polyester

Warranty             Limited Lifetime

Saturday 18 March 2017

Well the verdict is out on my cheap purchase Highlander Blackthorn One tent. Had night out with it so picked a night expect harsh weather and wasn’t disappointed, 40mph wind plus driving rain and although I had my doubts about the fiberglass poles the tent survived and will see another day though it needs a few mods.
1St mod is to add extra tie outs of the longest section to the tent sides as without them it flaps around really bad in strong gusts letting cold and damp air rushing into the tent, which inner is constructed from midge net (keeps the weight down).
I found it manageable even though at 6 ft. it’s a tight fit, I managed to get my Osprey 58 Kestrel pack in to use as a pillow and could with a push get my legs straight even though it wasn’t the most comfortable position, so ended up sleeping on my side with leg slightly bent
2nd mod I may even add extra guy points to the sides of the tent to ease the flappy effect in strong winds.
I had no leeks in the outer and the groundsheet worked fine, I have now changed the pegs from those steel skewers provided to some aluminium y pegs so the will save some weight packed.
I may even consider adding some seem seal along the stitched seams on the top of the tent while adding the extra guy out points (need to be sealed too).
Over all for a ten costing £35 online with free post and only 1.5 kilos packed (maybe less with new pegs)  it’s great, and as I got the MTP copy Camo version it’s hard to see from a distance so brill for wild camping. 


Thursday 16 March 2017

Cheapo tent .. very supprised

Well had to pull the belt in a little for an upcoming walk for a charity, so purchased a Tent (1man) as the tent I was going to buy had sold out at the price I was willing to pay.
So no Vango zephos one
and on to a Highlander Blackthorn in MTP style camo, which I picked so camping would be a little less noticeable on the walk as it's a well trodden path and I hate campsites
I will write a review as to how it works out once I had a day or two in wet weather with it.