Recommendations for Starter Kit

[webmuppet]

I was wondering what peeps would suggest for starter kit for variable weather general backwoods hiking and camping on a budget - the general gear that you think someone would need. Makes and ballpark prices would be handy. With so many companies producing seemingly quality stuff but with huge variations on price it's hard to decide what's a reliable bargain and avoid the cheap dross.

The things that come to mind are

Rucksack
Sleeping bag
Bivi
Tent
Tarp
Hammock
Knife
Hobo stove
Cooking equipment
Fire starting
Boots
Jacket
Warm light type clothes for under jacket
Lighting (head torch / lamp)
First aid kit
Navigation equipment

Feel free to add any that you think are necessary

Cheers for the help

 

[subedarmajor]

For the knife you can't go far wrong with a Frosts Clipper.
Yes I know it's what everyone says but it's cheap as chips and will do about anything you want it to. You'd probably want to file the back of the blade flat for using with a fire flash though.

Which brings me on to fire lighting; get a fire flash or a flint and steel. These are both simple and reliable.

Tent: I have a Gelert Solo I think it cost me about £25. It's small and light with just enough space for you and a little bit of kit. It's also quite easy to put up.

Be prepared to spend money on your boots. I have a pair of Peter Storm boots that cost about £50 in a sale at Millets.

I hope this helps,
Alan.

 

[SimonM]

Start simple would be my advise.

For example do you really NEED all these...

Bivi
Tent
Tarp
Hammock

I started with an MOD issue bivvy bag and shelter sheet (tarp) as did most on here I would imagine.

Personally, I never take a tent to the woods - a tarp does fine.

Don't spend lots of money on gear until you are sure it is the item / spec / manufacturer for you. You can see a wide range of gear at the meets, and most (all?) of us enjoy talking about our kit.

Ex Army kit is cheap and relatively robust and is a good starting point for most items IMHO.

HTH

Simon

 

[subedarmajor]

Ex Army kit is cheap and relatively robust and is a good starting point for most items IMHO.

HTH

Simon

That's a very good point Simon, I forgot about that.
I must admit that I do own some ex-army kit; i.e. A full set of '58 Pattern webbing and a swedish army rucksack from the late forties early fifties.

It's good robust kit.

I must admit to being a bit of a kit junky. If I see something "shiny" I can usually think of half a dozen reasons the spot why I "need" it!

Cheers, Alan.

 

[SimonM]

As an after thought...

Two items of kit that are probably worth spending more on are your boots and sleeping bag. You are wearing / using one or the other all the time and need to be up to the job!

Simon

 

[Kerne]

Bivi
Tent
Tarp
Hammock

I'd agree that this is over the top. I started with The tent (because I had one anyway) but now use my tarp/bivi combination in the woods much more often. I tend to use the tent on campsites where a little propriety is needed. I've yet to go down the hammock route and can't really see myself doing it. I guess I'm just built to be a ground dweller.

 

[HillBill]

Whats your budget? How long you planning on staying out for? These 2 questions will influence your choice more with regards to Rucksack( 1or 2 nights 30 to 45 litres more go for 45+), sleeping bag and boots.

Are you camping in woodland( Tarp, bivvi OR hammock) or open land ( tent)?


Knife -- Frosts Clipper ( cant go wrong on a budget)
Cooking -- Billy cans are generally favoured due to versatility
Utensils -- spork ( cheap tough light, all you need)
Hobo stove-- Make your own ( good on a budget, fuel available anywhere, do a search on here)
Fire starting -- Take whatever you can use (matches/lighter are reliable, firesteel if you know how)
Folding saw-- most will do ( Bahco laplander if you want quality and durability)
First aid kit -- make your own( for blisters burns and cuts and some painkillers)
Navigation -- map and a decent compass ( silva)
Torch -- headtorches offer more versatility (Petzl Tikka xp are very good)

Clothing is a personal choice. Military kit is tough and cheap as has been said.

 

[webmuppet]

Whats your budget? How long you planning on staying out for? These 2 questions will influence your choice more with regards to Rucksack( 1or 2 nights 30 to 45 litres more go for 45+), sleeping bag and boots.

Are you camping in woodland( Tarp, bivvi OR hammock) or open land ( tent)?


Knife -- Frosts Clipper ( cant go wrong on a budget)
Cooking -- Billy cans are generally favoured due to versatility
Utensils -- spork ( cheap tough light, all you need)
Hobo stove-- Make your own ( good on a budget, fuel available anywhere, do a search on here)
Fire starting -- Take whatever you can use (matches/lighter are reliable, firesteel if you know how)
Folding saw-- most will do ( Bahco laplander if you want quality and durability)
First aid kit -- make your own( for blisters burns and cuts and some painkillers)
Navigation -- map and a decent compass ( silva)
Torch -- headtorches offer more versatility (Petzl Tikka xp are very good)

Clothing is a personal choice. Military kit is tough and cheap as has been said.

I was thinking general but short trips. So only 1 or 2 nights but possibly woodland or mountain/moor.

Natural shelters sound fine but I'd want a tent and tarp/hammock until I was super confident that it wouldn't go amusingly wrong

 

[HillBill]

A tarp/bivvi combo can be used anywhere. It just requires a different set up to woodlands. Rather than tying it to trees you either make a couple of poles from branches or carry telescopic poles with you and set it up more like a tent.

 

[webmuppet]

I don't want to sound like a big jessie but I'm wondering how comfy a hammock really is (for someone who doesn't sleep well at the best of times). It looks fun but the position you sleep in looks like your bum is way lower than your feet and head. I'd probably spend the night waiting to fall on my head

 

[Wilderbeast]

I don't want to sound like a big jessie but I'm wondering how comfy a hammock really is (for someone who doesn't sleep well at the best of times). It looks fun but the position you sleep in looks like your bum is way lower than your feet and head. I'd probably spend the night waiting to fall on my head

Surprisingly if you rig up a hammock well they are soooooooo comfortable, just make sure you wack a sleeping matt in the bottom of the hammock to keep yourself warm, otherwise you get a cold bum!

 

[PJMCBear]

I don't want to sound like a big jessie but I'm wondering how comfy a hammock really is (for someone who doesn't sleep well at the best of times). It looks fun but the position you sleep in looks like your bum is way lower than your feet and head. I'd probably spend the night waiting to fall on my head

I rarely sleep in a tent or on the ground these days. I just find the hammock so comfortable. I always have a better night sleep in the hammock. Even better than the KS bed at home. Although that could have something to do with a wee dram or two extra I have whilst out.

 

[SimonM]

I don't want to sound like a big jessie but I'm wondering how comfy a hammock really is (for someone who doesn't sleep well at the best of times). It looks fun but the position you sleep in looks like your bum is way lower than your feet and head. I'd probably spend the night waiting to fall on my head

Like others, I sleep better in my hammock than I do my bed at home.

Although that could have something to do with a wee dram or two extra I have whilst out.

You do need insulation below you tho; either a roll mat, half inflated thermarest or an underblanket. (My choice is an underblanket.)

If you can get to a meet, I'm sure someone would let you try one out...

Simon

 

[Neil1]

Well you already have an old rucksack so you already have something to carry your kit in, which is a start.
Clothing.
Don't spend huge amounts getting all the gear - wait a bit and see what works for you. Trousers- old army lightwieghts are tough, fast drying and cheap (in bushcraft you spend a lot of time grubbing around on your knees, so trousers get a lot of wear). Cheap woolen jumpers (charity shop jobs) are warm and you can get lots of thin ones (always dress loose and in layers). A good woollen hat. A weather proof jacket, again from a surplus store or charity shop. Garden gloves to protect your hands from the environment and hot pans.
Boots - if you have the money get good ones - if not army surplus assault boots, keep painting them with veg oil until the leather won't take any more. This makes them supple and very waterproof.
A frosts knife, cheap, reliable, etc.
A fire steel or a couple of throw away lighters (which ever your confident using)
A reliable torch - Alpkit do a very good headtorch for £12 or so.
A Small first aid kit.
A folding saw (Laplander -£20)
The rest of your kit comes under four headings:
SHELTER, WARMTH, WATER, FOOD

Shelter - get yourself a basha or poncho and some strong cordage (£25-£30)
Kip mat and a sleeping bag (Endicotts in Exeter do a bagcalled the Phantom for about £30 which is very good indeed and warm enough for year ruond UK use). A bivi bag - they are nice - but we never used to have them and I don't remember too many cold wet miserable nights.
Warmth - few of those charity shop jumpers and a scarf or headover.
Food - a good cooking pot with a bail handle (so it can be suspended over a fire) and a reliable cooker (for when you can't get a fire) - try the swedish army mess kit - complete with all you need (£10)
Water - any plastic pop bottle can be used, just wrap it in duct tape. Or go for a couple from the surplus store. Get yourself a millbank bag for filtering and get in the habit of boiling all your water.

That should get you started
Neil

 

[Sussex Man]

Rucksack - Swedish army rucksack/ eabay £6-£10

Sleeping bag - Issue sleeping system or arctic sleeping bag (very good quality) £5-£50 pending on age.

Bivi - eaby again issue are good olive green ones still available/ £10-£30

Tent- don't need one now as you have just gor a bivi.

Tarp- I got a great one from Katmandu (don't know if they still exist) look at a new army issue poncho, this also doubles as a waterproof/ £20 new.

Hammock- I prefer sleeping on the ground, but DD hammocks are very good and cheap/£20 ish

Knife- mmm the moras are good , and very cheap £5-£10, or a second hand fjallkniven F1.

Hobo stove- as said before, either make it or go for the swedish army trangia, they are excellent, got my Stainless steel version for £9/eaby

Cooking equipment- forks can be made, sporks are ok , take one of your mums wooden spoons, till you work out how to make one.

Fire starting- lighter as a backup, ferous rod is better, however learn to light fire by friction its the basis of bushcraft, look into char cloth etc.

Boots- you can now get new army pro boots for about £50- they are very good, just don't stand on any nails.

Jacket- flecktarn smock (less rambo looking) i got one from a bootsale for £3.

Warm light type clothes for under jacket- as said before charity shops, stick to wool, a local one to me had a very new looking barbour woolen jumper for £5!!!

Lighting (head torch / lamp) head torch it has to be- tikka is one of the best. very good for camp, I have now got used to walking in the woods with no torch, i love it - so peachfull and you can hear alot more for some reason.

First aid kit- plasters, pain killers, a bandage (field dressing) whiskey.

Navigation equipment a cheap silva base plate compass £5/ebay.


Dont believe the hype of modern fabrics and over engineered gadgets. The time you will realy need bushcraft, you'll have nothing on you !

 

[Ogden]

Cheap clothing from the army-shop:
used US-Army ECWCS-Parka+Trouser. It's a 3-layer GoreTex-suit. Soemtimes you find very cheap ones (look for the original army issue). Very good for foul weather.
Wool as thermal layer.

 

[leon-1]

Head torch - Alpkit Gamma, £12.50 inclusive of batteries and shipping
Thermal Mat - Alpkit Airic / Slim Airic at £25 (it's more expensive than a foam one, but they are a better item).
Bivvy Bag - Alpkit Hunka £30 (generally they are cheaper and lighter and pack smaller than military issue).

Boots are very much a personal thing, Assault boots will be cheaper and if you get on with them they could save you a lot of money in the long term.

The knife, I think everyone will tell you go for the a frosts, either the clipper or the old wooden handled ones are the beastie to go for. Prices vary.

Mess set - you could do a lot worse than a £12.99 gelert trek1 cook set

A folding saw - there are a few out there, either the Opinel or the laplander would work well.

DD Hammocks - they are one of the cheaper hammocks to buy, but they are pretty good.

Someone mentioned that you should spend more on certain bits of kit, this I agree with, a decent sleeping bag / system is a must. You need to decide if you are gonna be out year round and where you maybe out. That will give you an idea on the type of bag you will require. After that people should be ablle to give informed advice.

 

[sasquatch]

I agree with pretty much all of this advice, the only thing I've spent much money on is a US Modular Sleep System by Tennier. £100 delivered off Ebay and worth every penny! It has 2 sleeping bags that snap together that can be snapped into the Bivvi bag that comes with it. Just make sure not to get a cheap Milsim one! They're the only sleep system you'll need and it's not going to get to -40 in the UK so you shouldn't need all 3 unless you sleep really cold. Now you can camp all year round.
I started hammock camping a year ago and I'll never go back to tents unless I'm with my family. I'm making my 3 year old son one for this spring as he loves them too. In my opinion they're far more comfortable than sleeping on the ground! A DD Travel hammock is a good start, you'll soon be making your own I'm sure.
I have loads of surplus gear and clothing as I don't have lots to spend but as people have said it's cheaper and just as effective as a lot of brand name stuff. Homemade gear will soon follow as you figure out what works for you and what you want to do. The main thing is to get out there and enjoy yourself and surroundings!

 

[ASLAN]

You may as well resign yourself to the fact that you will buy things that don't work for you and spend their life in the cupboard or get bined as useless.

What you expect from gear and how you use it changes as your interests change so what suits you now probably won't seem as useful in 5 years time and then will change again 5 years after that.

Having been brought up by parents who never seemed to throw anything away I'd say don't rush to spend lots of money until you're clear where your interests really are and don't throw anything away - you just never know when you might find it's just the bit of kit you need. In addition you'll have the delight in years to come to be able to look at a bit of gear pulled from the back of the shed and think "what on earth possessed me to buy that". Any one want a pair of pink wellies?

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18667

A good thread started by Maddave