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From: Shawn W. Baker <baker_at_montana.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] Tents (was: Camping-3 worst mistakes)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 09:23:00 -0600
Hey Dave,

I think those midgets belong to a tribe called the "Webelos" or
something like that.  They're characterized by their blue uniform shirts
and plaid neckercheifs, and their propensity for starting small fires
with copious quantities of VOC-laden liquids.

At 6'-6", I have the same tent-finding problem.  I picked up a Jansport
RongBuk Hotel at an REI clearance sale for under $100.  (Retails for
near $300).

It is a 3-4 season tent with two vestibules.  The floor of the tent is
roughly 6' x 9', so it sleeps 3 plus gear comfortably.  There's also
plenty of room in the vestibules for more gear.  It's 8 lbs. though. 
Not as pleasant for backpacking, but once you get it to camp, it's
wonderful!  It does take up more space than a smaller tent, but in a sea
kayak, who cares?!

Shawn

Dave Uebele wrote:
>Also, at 6'2" I have trouble finding a tent that I fit in, without
>waking up with either feet or head up against the tent (and dripping wet
>as a result).  I wonder what group of midgets do they use to calculate
>the "sleeps 3" rating on a tent.  And none of these ratings assume
>you'll want anything other then 3 pygmies in sleeping bags, while
>I usually want to bring in other gear, to keep it close, or protect
>from the elements.
-- 
Shawn W. Baker          0                                    46°53'N
© 2000            ____©/______                              114°06'W
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\  ,/      /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
baker_at_montana.com    0        http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/
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From: Michael R Noyes <mnoyes_at_gsinet.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Tents (was: Camping-3 worst mistakes)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 11:46:20 -0400
"Shawn W. Baker" wrote:

> Hey Dave,
>
> I think those midgets belong to a tribe called the "Webelos" or
> something like that.  They're characterized by their blue uniform shirts
> and plaid neckercheifs, and their propensity for starting small fires
> with copious quantities of VOC-laden liquids.
>

My father is a caretaker for one o the town cemeteries.  I'm not totally sure
that it is a coincidence that the floor space size used by the tent industry for
one person is the same 3 feet by 6 feet........

Mike, who doesn't intend t be confined to a 3X6 space for a good long time.

--
    Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are
visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great
blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a
mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your
passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space.
Mark H Hunt


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From: Dave Uebele <daveu_at_sptddog.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Tents (was: Camping-3 worst mistakes)
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 09:05:55 -0700
Shawn W. Baker wrote:
> something like that.  They're characterized by their blue uniform shirts
> and plaid neckercheifs, and their propensity for starting small fires
> with copious quantities of VOC-laden liquids.

Ah yes. The tribe sounds familiar.  Several names depending on
geography, but same basic idea.

> At 6'-6", I have the same tent-finding problem.  I picked up a Jansport
> RongBuk Hotel 
> It is a 3-4 season tent with two vestibules.  The floor of the tent is
> roughly 6' x 9', so it sleeps 3 plus gear comfortably.  There's also
> plenty of room in the vestibules for more gear.  It's 8 lbs. though.
> Not as pleasant for backpacking, but once you get it to camp, it's
> wonderful!  It does take up more space than a smaller tent, but in a sea
> kayak, who cares?!

Sounds like about the same floor plan and lay out as the expedition-25,
and the same problems with weight and packed volume.

I'm debating between a big "family dome" style tent to bring the
wife and child along and a couple smaller tents, to let the child
be in seperate tent, and let mom and dad have some private
space.  Maybe even a walmart special car camping tent, with two rooms.

I still have a little time, since I have been informed
that tent camping and diapers are not an acceptable combination.
Realisticly, kayak camping with a child isn't going to work until
the kid is 6-7.  She's too big to sit on a lap, and not there yet to
help paddle. Not heavy enough to help balance trim in a double.

And I'm still trying to decide if I want to escape the family or 
bring them along camping, so scaling equipment has been a problem.  

So perhaps a new question, what is the ideal kayak camping group size?
For safety, I probably shouldn't paddle alone too much, but at what
size does it get out of hand and needs to be divided into sub-groups.
Also what sort of scaling of equipment makes sense? everyone with their
own cook gear, or one person in charge of meals for the group?
Same with tents, sharing of tents, or everyone with a bivy sack
or equiv?

dave
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From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
subject: [Paddlewise] Group size (was Tents (was: Camping-3 worst mistakes))
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 15:26:43
>
>So perhaps a new question, what is the ideal kayak camping group size?
>For safety, I probably shouldn't paddle alone too much, but at what
>size does it get out of hand and needs to be divided into sub-groups.

Lots of arguments available here. Although I'm coming to the feeling that
the best group size is one, I think three or four would normally be
considered about the best. "Three on the sea," I think the Brits say. On
the other hand, if there is incapacating trouble, that leaves two people to
go for help while one stays with the injured. Four give enough variety of
personalities to take the edge off a small group. On longer trips,
two-against-tends to argue against three. More than about five or six,
though, is too big, in my opinion, except perhaps in guided trips where
leadership isn't by cooperation, but by delegation.

As I said, I prefer keeping it small, and am beginning to realize that the
ideal group size may be one.

>Also what sort of scaling of equipment makes sense? everyone with their
>own cook gear, or one person in charge of meals for the group?
>Same with tents, sharing of tents, or everyone with a bivy sack
>or equiv?

On recent trips we've done it backpacker style, with everyone a
self-contained unit. For cooking, group cooking for the main meal of the
day would seem to make sense. 

As far as tents go, though, I solo tent -- I use a Peak I Aires, which fits
down the hatches nicely. No one wants to share a tent with me, and most
prefer to camp as far away as feasable. I don't understand why. People say
I snore loud enough to scare off bears, but I've never noticed it. You'd
think they'd want the protection. ;-)

-- Wes



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From: Fred Meade <chesapeake18_at_hotmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Group size (was Tents (was: Camping-3 worst mistakes))
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 12:43:30 PDT
I use an older model REI GeoDome.  Fits nicely in my SeattleSports 
dry/compression bag.  Compresses down to the size of a roll of TP.  The tent 
polls can be squeezed in anywhere.
For the snoring problem, ear plugs can be had cheaply from any gun shop.  
;-)  Makes it hard to hear the bear, though.
Fred


>From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>

No one wants to share a tent with me, and most
>prefer to camp as far away as feasable. I don't understand why. People say
>I snore loud enough to scare off bears, but I've never noticed it. You'd
>think they'd want the protection. ;-)
>
>-- Wes
>
>

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