I never thought getting back to nature could be so expensive!

[Swallow]

For instance, DD 3mx3m tarps can be had for £35...

I got one at the Wilderness Gathering bring and buy for £10.00 in great nick.

Plus a snugpack response pack for £5.00.

There were plenty of rucksacks too but nothing I was in the market for.

Subscribing to the Member Classifieds forum can save a lot of money. And I was going to reccomend the article that Copper Head put up when reading the OP.

Sandsnakes also has lots of cheap gear reccomendations on the London Pub Meet group in the photos section.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Hello and welcome to BCUK, one thing I would say is get along to a local group chat and find out what they are using... you can see most of the grear at a meet.. and come up with loads fo information and ideas...

 

[steve a]

I got one at the Wilderness Gathering bring and buy for £10.00 in great nick.

Plus a snugpack response pack for £5.00.

There were plenty of rucksacks too but nothing I was in the market for.

Subscribing to the Member Classifieds forum can save a lot of money. And I was going to reccomend the article that Copper Head put up when reading the OP.

Sandsnakes also has lots of cheap gear reccomendations on the London Pub Meet group in the photos section.

I'm glad they went to a good home LOL

 

[petrochemicals]

the no tent question really comes down to weather. On the one side you are open to all of nature without the tent covering you, on the other you are open to all of nature without the tent covering you.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

the no tent question really comes down to weather. On the one side you are open to all of nature without the tent covering you, on the other you are open to all of nature without the tent covering you.

Well put, i like that

 

[rik_uk3]

Nothing to stop you leaving the tent door(s) open.

 

[Swallow]

I'm glad they went to a good home LOL

Steve, it took real willpower not to just take the whole bag off you and hand over my wallet.

Both were in use within a day.

 

[ged]

when it comes to the tent vs tarp debate are there any other advantages other than weight that would make people choose a tarp over a one man tent? I only ask because adding the bivvy bag liners etc the weight saving looks like it could be nominal.
I went to leith hill and fortunately managed to avoid the rain, I took my 60ltr pack, with eurohike tay 2 man tent, and vango horizon sleeping bag. the pack weighed around 16lb/7.5kg after about 3-4 miles of walking the hill (and climbing the tower at the top ;-D) I felt its presence but it wasn't uncomfortable by any means, it was reassuring to know but I also wouldn't like to add a single ounce that wasn't absolutely vital lol

For me, condensation is the biggest issue wiht a tent. I have a lot of tents and I use them more than I use hammocks, but more often than not thesedays if there aren't going to be hordes of insects eating me alive I use a tarp and a bivvy bag or (preferably) just the bag if the weather isn't too bad. I even use a bivvy bag in a tent to keep condensation away from my sleeping bag.

The issue bivvy bag is an outstanding piece of kit. Just spent the last three nights in one, looking after badgers in Gloucestershire.

Try to train yourself with the pack weight. I always take a pack, even if I know I don't need to.

 

[Swallow]

Hello and welcome to BCUK, one thing I would say is get along to a local group chat and find out what they are using... you can see most of the grear at a meet.. and come up with loads fo information and ideas...

and on that note

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=59

 

[rg598]

If you want to avoid the sticker shock, I would stay away from any piece of gear that has a "bushraft" label on it. It is most likely just regular gear, or even more likely, outdated gear, that has been re-branded to add an extra 0 to the price tag. If you stick to regular backpacking gear, you will find much more reasonable prices and your pack will be much lighter.

 

[Tengu]

Me too.

Chin up, at least its not carp fishing gear.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

If you stick to regular backpacking gear, you will find much more reasonable prices and your pack will be much lighter.

To be honest Ross i dont find that. Shedding the gramms and buying technical mountain gear has cost me way more than i ever spent on bushcraft kit. I could walk out of a surplus store and go to the woods for £100. I could walk out of a mountain shop needing a new mortgage lol

I take your point in general though about avoiding bushcraft brands

 

[rg598]

To be honest Ross i dont find that. Shedding the gramms and buying technical mountain gear has cost me way more than i ever spent on bushcraft kit. I could walk out of a surplus store and go to the woods for £100. I could walk out of a mountain shop needing a new mortgage lol

I take your point in general though about avoiding bushcraft brands

Well, that is technically the ideal of bushcraft. Use skills, not gear. Of course, that has nothing to do with actual current bushcraft. How many of use own leather sheaths that cost more than a tent, and retro packs that while equally uncomfortable to the packs of 100 years ago, cost more than any modern backpack. Of course, you are not a "real" buschrafter without a Ray Mears key chain to the tune of $300.

Surplus gear is great, and so is regular backpacking gear. They are both relatively cheap. The branded stuff is what costs an arm and a leg. Unfortunately these days "buschraft" is a label. If you see it on any piece of gear, it is a guarantee that the price is at least twice what it needs to be.

One can get a full backpacking gear set for about $400 total, that will weight about 15 lb using commercially available gear:
Day Kit: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-hike-gear-now-that-we-have-clothing.html
Overnight Gear: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2011/11/beginners-guide-to-bushcraft-and_23.html

These are old lists. I'm sure we can drop the price even lower these days, not to mention the weight. With surplus gear you can bring it down even lower, although it will be harder to find it consistently. Now try doing that with gear which has "buschraft" anywhere in the label.