Camping gear

[motas]

I have been considering buying a hammock, does anyone know of a good Australian supplier?

[andyperth]

Originally Posted by Jimmyb

I must say as Im getting older, I am finding the idea of having a camper trailer more and more appealing. Ease of setup and ease of packing.

I agree i got a camper trailer with a hard floor. I am getting older and have done ARMY swags tents. So know i have a bed shower and nice chair. all good.

[Abraxix]

no feedback if awnings are worth thier money? or time in setup / shade provided / or shelter??

[motas]

I used to do a lot of caravan trips and we had an awning but for most stays it was not worth setting it up. Since we spent most of our time out doing things and we cooked and slept in the caravan we didn't want to sit under it.
In my opinion if you spend time in the day sitting around when camping, you cook outside even if its raining or you plan to sleep under it then it would definitely be worth it for the shelter. But otherwise its not worth it.

[aussietjowner]

hey mate i have a southern cross swag, its inbetween a swag and a dome tent. Imo this is by far the best and most convenient way of camping. It rolls up small enought to fit across the back seat of my tj, with all the gear inside. The benefit over one of these over a swag is ventilation, as it opens up on all side, head and toe, seeing im in perth it gets hot so this at night kicks ass. The canvas is 100% water tight and doesn flap like a roof top tent cause its thicker. Unlike a roof top tent it stop 100% of the light from coming in and waking you up in the morning when its zipped up. Ive got a double and me and the gf love it. Its aus made so the quality is top shelf. Plus its free standing so you dont need to ropes attached to your bullbar to hold it up, and the central spreading bar means its not in your face like other swags. Takes 1 minute to set up and put away.

http://www.southerncrosscanvas.com.a...wag-single.jpg

[bragen]

Originally Posted by Vards

Saw a bloke on the weekend at Horseyard flat with a hammock setup with seperate roof - similar to an army hootchie. Fair enough you need trees but it would be bloody quick and easy to setup and perfect for a boys trip changing locations every night.

Might have been one of these. http://hennessyhammock.com/
Have read really good reports on them but havent had the chance to see one in person. Heaps of vids on youtube.

[TJIM]

Shelter:
- MSR Hubba Hubba two person tent.
- Army hootchie tied up as a roofed an admin area.

Sleeping:
- Kathmandu low profile cot
- Self inflating sleeping mat full length, prevent too much heat loss through cot.
- Snugpak Softie 9 sleeping bag / Summer weight softie 3 sleeping bag.
- Red wolf inflating pillow.

Admin:
- Anaconda small fold out stool / folding seat.
- Sea To Summit 4 Litre hang bag with tap nozzle for washing hands / cleaning up.
- Pocket Rocket type gas stove.
- Petzl TacTikka XP headlamp.
- 20 Litre plastic water jerry can.
- Small sized cube esky.
- Jiffy fire bricks

Thats the gear that always comes out for a pretty standard weekend away, all pretty small and easy to pack in the TJ.


In regards to the Hennessy Hammock, I have one of their EXPEDITION ASYM hammocks. I made my own snake skins for it, they're amazingly quick and easy to set up. Light weight, small (packs to about the size of an AFL footy if wrapped correctly) and will keep you dry.
They do though:
- Get COLD with wind passing underneath.
- Sway with the wind a bit and the trees moving about on either end.
- Awkward to get into / out of whilst in your sleeping bag.
- Hard to get comfortable in at first.
- The no-see-um mesh is great but is really fragile.

I like my hammock, I've probably spent about 10 nights in it... They're strange to get comfortable in, sleeping on a bit of an angle but if you're packing light and it's wet they're great. Just make sure you have the fly setup correctly to avoid it slipping in the night and having the fabric rest on the mesh and that the rain isnt going to follow the tension ropes down and pass rain into the sleeping area.