Boys and girls,
a number of years ago I had bought a Hennessy Hammock and was quite happy with it on many trips. Then, I discovered this great forum and the problems began ...
All at once I noticed what other toys and goodies there are and being the geardo that I am of course I needed them all! So, I sold my trusted HH to a good friend - with a small tear in the eye though - and was then free for "new objective purchase decisions".
So, on I went and ordered
And not a shabby choice it all turned out to be!
- one warbonnet blackbird 1.0 double hammock in coyote brown
- one OES MacCat Deluxe Tarp in silnylon
- one crowsnest winter incubator underquilt also in cb
Now, you will note I wrote "ordered" as opposed to "bought": living in Germany, to get all gear over here required considerable effort on all shippers sides but even more considerable patience on my side. Finally and after some lengthy "discussions" with ever so helpful and flexible customs officials, all goodies are with me now.
Last weekend, the long awaited day of trial came, so on I went: I live on the very "outer rim" of the suburbs of Hamburg in Northern Germany, so there are a lots of woods and public forests around. Matter of fact it only took me a couple of minutes walk from my home to the "proving grounds".
And here are the candidates of today's outing: Top row is my BCB cooker kit with a collapsible hobo stove (more later) and my Swedish messtin. Left is the tarp in its silnylon bag, center is the blackbird and on the right the incubator. All in neat little packs!
Then it was time to set things up and logically the tarp came first. Now, I must say, the tarp is every bit as well made as all others users claim it to be and is really very light. What it is not at all is stealthy, in the fall you can well use it as a beacon for the eventual rescuers. Coyote brown or olive drab - at least for me - would be a real upgrade, but the quality and workmanship are really top notch, thanks Brian!
Then came the hammock and - again - it was a pleasure to setup and look at. CB fits the woods really well and the whole things is just as comfortable as it gets. Had no problems feeling right at home the first time in. Same thing here, thanks a lot, Brandon! This pic is maybe little close up, but it shows the details well.
Next fit was the underquilt: I know it's been said before but the blackbird and the incubator are a perfect match. Again, a close up showing the details:
ok, time for a test: As you can see from the relaxed smile, it was very, very comfortable. And one word for all those doubting the effect of an underquilt: It was about 15°F that day and my bag felt toasty warm but not stuffy at all after a couple of minutes. Perfect warmth! Adam, thanks for a job well done!
... and here's one from the other side:
Once the whole thing was set up, I wanted to shoot a nice stil. And by the way: When you look closely you'll see the tieouts I had Brian put on.
Now, you might have noticed I'm a little bit biased towards Coyote Brown, I even got my Hungarian Magyar Viszla lady Aska in that tone
Now, it was time for a little coffee in woods, so out comes the kitchen...
That stove is the collapsible hobo stove I mentioned earlier. Bought it a couple of years ago from the maker in Switzerland, and when you read that you'll have a fair idea of its cost. Anyhow, it's topnotch stuff, check out his webpage if you're interested: www.kuenzi.com
a couple of minutes later, cooking away merrily
... is it done yet?
Ahhh! None of the nasty instant stuff, nothing beats strong good old fashioned filter coffee for a break!
Summary: Not a very factual but a very emotional review! I'm very happy with my different new purchases and I would like to thank the HF and all its active members for guiding me!
Dry wood, plenty water and happy trails to you all!
saupacker
Reply With Quote
Nice
which is steeper on average than the gradient from Owens Valley to Mount Whitney.
. Cone Peak is not frequently climbed because of the remoteness of its trailhead, however, there is a trail that goes to the summit, and a fire lookout hut on the top."
Bookmarks