Hi all,
I recently invested in a DD travel hammock, Snugpack softie 9 sleeping bag and a Camelbak BFM pack. Well I was invited to some sports shooting in Belgium and thought it was a good excuse to hop on the motorbike and test out the new kit...
With the white cliffs of Dover behind you, you're heading to prime wildcamping territory:
There's no going back now...
Somewhere out there is tonight's accommodation and I'm not seeing any trees
:
So there aren't any trees in France. I know the DD travel can be used as a bivvy, but there's always a fence post nearby:
Ride through wonderful countryside to Brugge, which is a lovely romantic city with some very tempting hotels
On the outskirts of Brugge is hammock Nirvana!!! Now, which trees shall I use?
There was a terrible storm this night and despite falling branches and running water beneath the hammock, it was nice to be hanging about outside. Hammock camping - 1, Tent camping - 0.
So how did the kit cope? The DD travel hammock is superb; well designed, constructed and is manageably light. My only gripe is the waterproof underside which allows its use as a bivvy, can cause sweating on warm nights. Note - if the mosquito net touches your tarp even slightly in the breeze, it will wick into the hammock and won't drain. On the subject of mosquito nets, it keeps everything out apart from curious Moroccan imigrants.
The softie 9 sleeping bag was a godsend. Probably the best of the synthetic bags I've used. Very warm, plenty of room for my 6'3" frame and insulates even when wet. Due to my own fault setting up my tarp incorrectly one night, I awoke literally drenched but WARM! The bag packs down fairly well but is bulky. Rating -5 comfort, -10 extreme is accurate I imagine.
Camelbak BFM: Heavy, but built like a tank. Very comfortable, 40 litres of useable storage without molle attachments and sensibly arranged compartments with useful detail. Designed for serious use and very capable of it. An excellent 72hr pack with a lifetime guarantee. I'm a big fan!
Conclusion: Sleeping under the stars, riding motorbikes and enjoying European culture is good for the soul. French women will leave you to pay for dinner when you tell them "Chez moi est un hamac dans le foret a cote d'autoroute".
I recently invested in a DD travel hammock, Snugpack softie 9 sleeping bag and a Camelbak BFM pack. Well I was invited to some sports shooting in Belgium and thought it was a good excuse to hop on the motorbike and test out the new kit...
With the white cliffs of Dover behind you, you're heading to prime wildcamping territory:
There's no going back now...
Somewhere out there is tonight's accommodation and I'm not seeing any trees
:
So there aren't any trees in France. I know the DD travel can be used as a bivvy, but there's always a fence post nearby:
Ride through wonderful countryside to Brugge, which is a lovely romantic city with some very tempting hotels
On the outskirts of Brugge is hammock Nirvana!!! Now, which trees shall I use?
There was a terrible storm this night and despite falling branches and running water beneath the hammock, it was nice to be hanging about outside. Hammock camping - 1, Tent camping - 0.
So how did the kit cope? The DD travel hammock is superb; well designed, constructed and is manageably light. My only gripe is the waterproof underside which allows its use as a bivvy, can cause sweating on warm nights. Note - if the mosquito net touches your tarp even slightly in the breeze, it will wick into the hammock and won't drain. On the subject of mosquito nets, it keeps everything out apart from curious Moroccan imigrants.
The softie 9 sleeping bag was a godsend. Probably the best of the synthetic bags I've used. Very warm, plenty of room for my 6'3" frame and insulates even when wet. Due to my own fault setting up my tarp incorrectly one night, I awoke literally drenched but WARM! The bag packs down fairly well but is bulky. Rating -5 comfort, -10 extreme is accurate I imagine.
Camelbak BFM: Heavy, but built like a tank. Very comfortable, 40 litres of useable storage without molle attachments and sensibly arranged compartments with useful detail. Designed for serious use and very capable of it. An excellent 72hr pack with a lifetime guarantee. I'm a big fan!
Conclusion: Sleeping under the stars, riding motorbikes and enjoying European culture is good for the soul. French women will leave you to pay for dinner when you tell them "Chez moi est un hamac dans le foret a cote d'autoroute".
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