Old timer kit

[malcolmc]

This thread prompted me to dig out some of my old kit. Something I’d forgotten I had was a Spong travel water filter. Mine was well travelled and got a lot of use. In spite of it being made of plastic I didn’t manage to break it. They had silver impregnated activated charcoal cartridges, which were supposed to deal with almost all contaminates, doubt you can get them these days unless anyone knows different. Anyone else remember or used them?

The filter packed

The filter set up for use (minus cartridge)

Now have I managed to post pictures on my first attempt?
Nope, if you want to see them, the images posted at http://www.webwessex.co.uk/gallery/spong01.jpg and http://www.webwessex.co.uk/gallery/spong02.jpg .
Cracked it, images should now be visible in post.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Good lord, this brings back painful memories, lol. Boys Brigade camps in Scotland. The old canvas tents. We had to roll up the sides each morning for inspection (and to dry out our sleeping bags after a night's rain) Putting the smallest boy in the tent into the bottom of his sleeping bag and then hanging it from a tree, huge latrines for 200 (and being made to dig them as a punishment for hanging boys from trees in their sleping bags) Ahhhh, the good old days indeed.

 

[ZDP-189]

So what are your early memories? Please give an idea of the dates you used the kit

I remember in maybe '79 car camping in the lake district in a big blue double-skinned tent with a vestibule, cooking bacon in the morning with a regular frying pan over some kind of kerosene stove. We woke up to find miserable sheep sheltering from the torrential rain in our vestibule.

 

[squantrill]

I started in the Cubs in the UK, Oh the memories

But I was digging around in some of my old kit and got my old 58 webbing out last week. I was supprised to find how well all of my kit fits into it and how comfortable it still was to wear

Just got this image now of a grown man in cubs issue shorts hahahahahahahaha sorry...

Man I used to hate those shorts, when I was in the cubs we also camped right next to large patches of stinging nettles!! damn those cubs shorts

 

[xylaria]

You are all so lucky!!!!

1985 camping with my sister in a badly pitched single skin nylon tent from argos. We had an double airbed with a leek, can't remember the sleeping bag but remember being cold. It was proper nasty. We cooked tinned food on gaz stove which I still have.

Going away with church youth group the following year was great, a big old scout tent and a foam mat so i was really happy that I wasn't being bounced awake. 15 girls and that boy crept in all in one tent. The worst camping i did was with an ex who said he'd done camping all his life, no, he had done caravanning and hadn't a clue.

I think back and wonder how I wasn't put off camping. I still think canvas tents are warmer, airbeds are evil and suck the heat out of you.

 

[phaserrifle]

As a Scout in the early 80's our Troop was one of the first to stop using the old canvas "Nijer" style tent.

We caused outrage among the more traditional local leaders.

The group I go to still has the old style patrol tents, and still use them.
we had a few two man dome tents, that where shocking quality, and two of the four where useless. we only got an alternative to the patrol tents last year, when we purchased some lovely 8/9man dome tents. but we still use the patrol tents (they take up less room, and are less fiddly to put up in the dark.
haven't even fitted them with synthetic guy lines (which would avoid the need to ajust them so much to account for the weather.

 

[Chainsaw]

Got exactly the same memories, 1st Uddingston! 50+ boys in a field in burnham on sea, or whitby or somewhere in wales I can't remember the name of. Once arrived in aforementioned field as the farmer was removing the cows. We had a game of 30 a side football to get rid of all traces of the cows if you know what I mean.. Boys had tents like the ones above, officers had bell tents and we all ate in a huge marquee.

not thought about that for a while.

Alan

Good lord, this brings back painful memories, lol. Boys Brigade camps in Scotland. The old canvas tents. We had to roll up the sides each morning for inspection (and to dry out our sleeping bags after a night's rain) Putting the smallest boy in the tent into the bottom of his sleeping bag and then hanging it from a tree, huge latrines for 200 (and being made to dig them as a punishment for hanging boys from trees in their sleping bags) Ahhhh, the good old days indeed.

 

[Minotaur]

Ahhhhhhhh!

Storm Havens! Putting those tents up and down. The memories.

Does anyone remember the big 16 man army tents. Used to hold the record for unpitching one of them.

First camp was in Wales, Brecon Beacons, remember because it was the Royal Wedding so they lit them.

Would have killed for half the kit we use now, espically Mummy Sleeping bags. Coming across an army one was a revelation.