Johnlebl_at_aol.com wrote: > > I have two questions. In your own humble opinion based on your experience, > what stove and sleeping bag do you like best for use while canoe or kayak > camping during the summer months? > > Why do you like it or dislike it? What does it do better than other makes? > Understanding that most things are a compromise, give good points and weak > points. If you had to replace it, what would you choose this time around? My emphasis in summer, late spring, early fall camping is on light weight stuff. I arrived at that idea after finding that I was tending to carry too much stuff and too much weight, something easy to do in most kayaks as they can hold volumes. I also decided to use my folding Feathercraft K-Light for camping, a rather small boat, and take only what I could carry on pubic transportation (boat and all camping and paddling gear) _without_ use of any cart. By thinking in terms of having to physically carry it all and not just toss tons of stuff in back of my mini-van, I began to think real small and minimalist. I wrote up in my newsletter two years ago the method I used to handle it all, my specific gear list for six days of camping and where I placed it in my boat. A version of the article appeared in a recent issue of Atlantic Coastal Kayaker. I would be happy to fax the six or seven pages of articles from my newsletter to anyone who wants it. (Sending it via email is a bit complex because of sidebars and illustration.) It isn't gospel stuff but can be of help in starting to think light, something important in kayaking as it lessens how much you have to carry up from shore and makes for a lighter overall paddling load as well. Now to your specific question: 1. Stove. Butane, an MSR stove called the Whisperlite. I am not certain it is made anymore as it doesn't appear in the Campmor catalog now. I chose it for its light weight, ease of use. I don't really cook or simmer or anything beyond heating up water for freeze dry food, couscous, coffee, hot chocolate and instant oatmeal...so my fuel needs are minimal. My Whisperlite leaks a bit and so I might go for another stove but it would have to be the same weight or lighter. 2. Sleeping bag. A Slumberjack Solite. They advertise it as a biker's or kayaker's bag. Supposedly rated to 40 degrees. It is okay at that temperature if you wear some insulation to bed. It compacts down to nothing even though it is a synthetic filled bag and weighs little and is inexpensive. I have been giving a two part lecture now on lightweight camping (as part of a two part talk that also includes speed assembly tips for folding kayaks) and people marvel on how small the sleeping bag packs down to. The same for all my camping gear which weighs just 28 pounds including tent, sleeping bag, sleep mat, extra tarp, stove and pots, clothing and food for six days (not including water but including the weight of the water containers; I fill up at the put-in). I would still stick with this bag as I don't know of anything lighter or more compact except a lightweight down bag (which I also have a North Face Light Rider) which is still tricky to use in damp environments no matter how much you protect it with a good dry bag. Oh, BTW, if you are in the New York City vicinity on Election night, I am giving that talk in Manhattan. Contact me for details. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Oct 15 1998 - 00:53:44 PDT
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