Gear find

“Thanks HOI! I think they were $5.99.”

“Here is a good question...what percentage of DEET do you find works the best.....I have used the stuff that has so much deet that when you put it on it raises your core temp 2 degrees F (LOL)”

“This product is 25% DEET and that seems to work for me. I think you are supposed to use a much lower percentage for children. I read an article about a guy who gave himself brain damage by using nearly pure DEET on his bald head.”

“Has anyone found anything that works on deerflies? DEET seems to do nothing; in fact I think the deerflies like the extra seasoning on their meat.”

“lumber, the deerflies can be very bad down here. Don't laugh, but people down here working in their yards wear Bounce tearoff fabric dryer sheets (use original scent) in their hatbands.
Seems to keep the deerflies away.
last edited: 7/18/06 2:14:54 PM”

“I’ll have to try that out, thanks. The deerfly season is just starting to get underway up here this past weekend. They weren’t too bad, but in a few weeks I think they are going to be really bad. I can’t wait until late August early September. After we get that first frost most of the bugs go bye-bye.”

“I keep a box for lawn mowing time.
I see other people doing the same when they are mowing. LOL”

“This product is 25% DEET and that seems to work for me. I think you are supposed to use a much lower percentage for children. I read an article about a guy who gave himself brain damage by using nearly pure DEET on his bald head.”
Creek Dancer
1:59:03 PM
7/18/06

Oh! So THAT'S what's wrong with Nimblefoot!”

“i have some of those too but i thought they were too heavy...i just go with a small bottle of the lotion w/ deet...it's lighter and lasts longer”

“I once read a study on DEET that said anything over 25% is wasted DEET: there was no noticeable difference once it goes over 25%.

I used the towelettes in Canada a few years ago. They seemed to work fine and all I did was hang one from the back of my hat.

Bounce sheets are supposed to work on bees too:

Bounce This Along

(One never knows when this could come in handy)


My mail carrier told me that the US Postal service sent out a
message To all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform
pockets To keep yellow-jackets away.


Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it
when I am working outside. It really works. The yellow jackets just
veer around you.

1. All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer! It
will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels
mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars
that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get
opened too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop
when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer)
screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe
your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from
resettling.

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of
Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of
Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a
sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce
inside empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce
under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan,
fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static
agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at
the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will
magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the
blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet
of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of
Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your
shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before
folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.”

“Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before
folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.”
Nonconformist
3:21:41 PM
7/18/06

you mean before you stuff them in their stuff sacks :)”

“does NASA know about that stuff? it might help keep that darned foam attached!”

“I don't know, I'm just pimping for Procter & Gamble. Someone sent me that at work.”

“From snopes:

Orange Clean, I found, worked like a charm to not only safely disinfect my kitchen, but create a veritable ant Jonestown.

LMAO!”

“This thing is set up in my living room right now. I bought it cheap at Target but cheap it is. Hard to set up and I would hate to ride out a thunderstorm in it. I need a new car camping tent my old one leaks and is the old cabin style. I think this one is going back to target. I hope I can break it down without actually breaking it. I need to sleep 4 people and a dog comfortable in a strom. Time to spend more money. The ease of setting up a quality backpacking tent spoils you. These big tent are a pain. Any suggestions?


http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=9277-151&categoryid=11020”

“The ease of setting up a quality backpacking tent spoils you.
Bateauxdriver
4:07:51 PM
7/18/06


yep they do

I have an Ozark Trail 4 person tent I bought at Wal Mart for 29.00 (clearance) and it works great”

“Ewk I got a 29.00 tent at Wally world...9x9...works great”

“yupp it prolly repels bugs and rodents because there will be a bear standign right behind your ass!”

“Hey, I picked up a set of trecking poles finally. I found some at Wal-mart for $10 each. They probably wont be suitable for tomato stakes in a year, but it might beat shelling out $100+ for a set. They are Swiss Gear brand. They have rubber grips, adjustable wrist straps, carbide tips, and screw on rubber covers for braving the concrete jungle. I'm not too sure about their locking system but I'll let y'all know what I think in a week or so.
Anyone else tried these?”

“I've been using my target 10 buck trekking poles for three years now.

They went up and down the east coast, through the smokies, across Glacier NP and all over central CO and they are still going strong!”

“i've seen those too meangreen...Menards(check local listings) has Coleman brand poles for $12 a piece”

“LOL, the post about Off reminds me of my friends softball team...they name their team Off In The Woods so when they lost people would have to say "We beat off in the woods" LOL”

“Thrifty a classmate of mine in college had "Off in the Shower" for his group during a summer college course”

“LMFAO @ Thrifty!!!!!!

Oh ya they are "shock absorbent" too! Which means if I get bored in camp I can figure out a way to use them as pogo sticks! LOL!”

“XL, is the tent a blue and yellow color with a spider type pole design. I have seen them all over the place.”

“WTH??Ewk...oh..sorry trying to figure that out...it is Green Ozark Trails or something like that.”

“The pole system looks like a big spider when you put it together. Looks like this but it is blue and yellow

”

“HEY!!! I have the blue, & yellow one kinda like that, and it has worked great for me! I have owned it for about 2.5 years now and it has been on many a car camping trips, and even found it's way into a canoe once. I like the pole system, quick, simple, and I can't even f__k it up when I'm drunk. LOL!”

“LOL, the post about Off reminds me of my friends softball team...they name their team Off In The Woods so when they lost people would have to say "We beat off in the woods" LOL”
thriftyhiker
4:09:01 PM
7/19/06


Too funny! A friend of mine was on a softball team called the "Nads" because they wanted their fans to yell, "Go Nads!"”

“THATS THE TENT...pretty nice for a couple of bucks....”

“www.backcountry.com is having a 60% off sale on their Mountain Hardwear Cohesion Jacket, men's and women's. Normally $139, special right now is $55.95, shipping included. Once this batch is gone, the price goes back to normal. By invitation only - if you are interested I'll have to mail you the special link. Can't just post the special catalog number because their system claims it can't find it, and I don't want to publicly post the link since it may only allow one order. So it may be first come, first served. Email me if interested.”

“I had a taker, so the link may not be good any longer - but it might. I noticed that much of their stock had been sold between yesterday and today so get it while its hot.”

“ $15 bucks - Adventure Medical Thermo-Lite Outdoor Bivy Sack 1 person

dunno if it will be a bargin after shipping. this thing is really light and i keep it in my daypack just in case. never actually used it.”

“now steepandcheap.com has the Exped Downmat Sleeping Pad (short) for like 60 bucks. this pad is awesome and very warm.”

“Primus Multifuel Stove is on sale at steepandcheap.com for 55 bucks. This could be a good stove for winter hiking (to melt snow) when used with kerosene. it takes LP gas as well so it would be awesome for winter camping on short trips where you don't feel like screwing with those silly butane canisters. LP remains a gas at some ridiculously low temperature (as opposed to butane that is a gas only down to 40 degrees). That means an LP canister has to be heavier, to hold the pressure, but will work very well at colder temps. It says it will burn gasoline as well but I would not do that because of all the evil stuff they put in gas these days... at least if I did I would use a VERY well ventilated area.”

“Jimmy I have a Himilaya Multi Fuel at home. To use gasoline or kerosene you change to a different orifice.

The problem with those fuels is that they give off TONS of soot. Not a clean burning fuel.

As for propane/vs butane

Unlike methane vapor that is lighter than air, propane vapor is heavier than air. Unlike liquid butane that will not vaporize at temperatures less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, liquid propane will vaporize at any temperature above -44 degrees fahrenheit. A gallon of liquid propane weighs 4.24 pounds and contains 91,650 BTU's. One gallon of Butane has about 102,000 BTU's

Normally Butane is mixed with Propane.

Hope this helps.”

“i burn kero in my brunton optimus all the time and have no soot whatsoever. it's my preferred fuel in that stove, in fact.

yep, butane is a liqid at 32 degrees F while propane remains a gas until -44 degrees F. that's what makes propane a better cold weather fuel but also means higher pressure from the propane so the need for a heavier can.

butane doesn't mix with propane. the liquid fuels stratify in the can and the propane burns first (it's lighter so it floats to the top). then after a while you are left with butane and wonder why your stove doesn't work as well when it was kicking but a few days ago. it's the dirty little secret of the stove fuel industry.

some fuel manufacturers mix isobutane in the blend as well (so called "cold weather blends") which is a joke. all the isobutane does is help keep the pressure in the cannister even when the fuel is mostly gone so it burns until all the gas is gone. it doesn't contribute anything significant to "cold weather burning".
last edited: 11/07/06 9:09:45 AM”

“correction, and to your point, xl, there is no soot whatsoever once the stove warms up. there is clearly soot when priming the stove. i never have soot on my pots. kero is an awesome fuel but it has it's problems. in particular the one i find freaky is the tendancy of kerosene to "creep" out of bottles even with tightly sealed threads. i can't explain this but i know there is something behind this. i have never seen this with "white gas" (naphthas).

(lots of edits today... not enough coffee)
last edited: 11/07/06 9:14:52 AM”

“I own this stove. It's heavy and I only use it for winter hiking and only when I need to melt a lot of snow (otherwise, I esbit it).

This thing is loud. Keep it clean and yer all set. At that price (I bought mine from REI outlet when it was 75.00, down from 130.00), it's a good deal.”

“i use my multi-fuel stove for the same reason, laqtis... winter camping to melt snow. the fuel density of fossil fuels is hard to beat for this.”

“A T rated Ice axe for $55.00 reg. $119


http://www.steepandcheap.com.

I just submitted the order”

“This is cool,

Anyone ever find "lost gear" ?

I was getting my stuff together for this weekend and I ran across a small stuff bag with a Cloudveil Silnylon jacket in it. Wierd I sorta remember getting it years ago as a lt weight rain coat but thought it was gone.....”

“LOL, i've got a headlamp floating around my house somewhere...i lost it the day i bought it...never even got to use the thing once”

“i lost my favorite marmot precip jacket about a year ago. i don't take it backpacking except in cold weather but it was getting soft and comfy and i used it on trips with the scouts and winter hiking. anyway, i printed something on the printer and the paper jammed. as i opened the printer to clear out the jam i saw a glint of yellow and there was my jacket behind the table the printer sat on... covered with dust but otherwise ready for action. i was very pleased, although I had already bought a replacement at a closeout sale.”

“I found two Ti pots the other day while cleaning up my flood trash pile.
Evernew 0.9 and 1.3 L Ti cookpots!”

“Get it right, SS, you spell it "tea". Tea pots, not Ti pots!










(warning, joke above)”

“It's going to be like Christmas all over again around here, since most of our gear has been packed away for 6 months or more. I already found some stuff I haven't seen in what feels like years, and I don't remember packing it away for the move in the first place.”

“dang it techntrek now I got that dang song running through my head with the mental image of StoveStomper acting out the parts”