Page 1 of 10 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 240

Thread: Tales from the Tent

  1. #1
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583

    Tales from the Tent

    Besides bac0n and I, there just might be a few more of you out there that have been known to camp. This is a thread for random camping tales, gear recommendations, and what not.

    I'll start with the tale of my tent; the MSR Wind 2.



    Over fifteen years ago, I decided I needed a tent. In typical Scar fashion, I started researching, and I discovered this beast. This baby isn't for family camping, its a Four Season Expedition Grade two man mountaineering tent. I dubbed it 'Overkill'.

    Overkill's first use was up on the North Shore, on a nice calm summer day.



    Seems like a normal campsite until you look at it from a distance.



    'Twas a great evening hanging and drinking with my little brother, and Overkill laughed at the conditions.
    Overkill sat on the shelf for several years while I worked for Tetrapak due to copious amounts of traveling and work.

    Years later, I started going out to South Dakota for prairie dog shooting. The first year, we stayed back at a casino. The second year, we decided to camp. There were four of us, and said I could bring a tent for two of us. Crazy Eddy said, 'Nah, don't bother. I've got an awesome six person beast we can use.' So I left Overkill at home.... Oooops.

    Say hello to what we coined the Coleman Breeze:



    So.... There's no trees out there to break up the wind, and it gets windy out there. We set that bitch up on a trailer and ratchet strapped it into place. First night, it stormed all night, 60+ mph winds, (did I mention Overkill is rated to over 100mph winds?). We stayed up most the night holding onto the tent poles, bracing the tent poles, etc, hoping that they wouldn't snap. When we finally got a couple hours of sleep, we woke up to half the poles missing, but thanks to the ratchet straps, the tent was still somewhat up. All night, all I could think of was Overkill sitting on the shelf at home, laughing at us.

    The following year, the Coleman Breeze stayed home, and out came Overkill. Another member of the party also had a four season tent. We set camp, and then a monster of a storm blew in, including some cloud rotation. Overkill laughed, the other four season snapped a pole.



    This years trip, we stayed at a cabin because 8" of rain fell as we drove out there, and there was no way we were getting to our camp site.

    Just this past weekend, a friend had a party in Barnum, MN, and I set up old Overkill.


    It was hot as fuck when I got up there (97F, 110 Heat Index), and I was thinking I was going to roast in Overkill. Well, then the temp dropped twenty degrees. We hung out, went to the bar, had some drinks, came back, and everyone went to there tents and campers. Well...... About 0300, I awoke to a peel of thunder. I sat up, zipped up the vestibules, and then listened to one helluva thunderstorm roll through, and slept through most of it. Woke up nice and dry. The other two tents had standing water in them, the camper was drenched, and there were snapped trees, uprooted trees, and standing water.

    I love you Overkill.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  2. #2
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    37,786
    So you're saying I should always go Overkill.

    These stories were fun to read. I'm not a camper per-say. I've camped. I've done canoe drips down drivers. Mostly that resulted in me passing out in a lawn-chair and sleeping in the great outdoors the whole night. But something tells me I should just buy Overkill for 'just n case' purposes.
    Twitch / Youtube / Film Diary

    Quote Quoting D_Davis (view post)
    Uwe Boll movies > all Marvel U movies
    Quote Quoting TGM (view post)
    I work in grocery. I have not gotten sick. My fellow employees have not gotten sick. If the virus were even remotely as contagious as its being presented as, why haven’t entire store staffs who come into contact with hundreds of people per day, thousands per week, all falling ill in mass nationwide?

  3. #3
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    A land of corn and technology
    Posts
    20,076
    Its been some time since I went camping. Mostly because I did so much of it as a kid, but also due to working weekends now. Good thread idea. Nice tents.
    BLOG

    And everybody wants to be special here
    They call your name out loud and clear
    Here comes a regular
    Call out your name
    Here comes a regular
    Am I the only one here today?



  4. #4
    The Pan megladon8's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    29,050
    I’ve never gone camping.

  5. #5
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Quote Quoting Dukefrukem (view post)
    So you're saying I should always go Overkill.

    These stories were fun to read. I'm not a camper per-say. I've camped. I've done canoe drips down drivers. Mostly that resulted in me passing out in a lawn-chair and sleeping in the great outdoors the whole night. But something tells me I should just buy Overkill for 'just n case' purposes.

    Always go Overkill, unless you’re doing some serious backpacking, then you have to go Spendy McLight Stuff.

    I’ve got a few more tales, spending the next couple days in Northern MN staying at the cabin.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  6. #6
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    If you’re going to be car camping for several days, you need a good cooler. Sure, you can drop 500 on a Yeti, or 300 on a RTIC. What if I told you that you could get one for less than 200 at, brace yourselves, WalMart?

    The Ozark Trail high performance coolers test as well, if not sometimes better than the more expensive ones. Just remember when you get a cooler like this, it’s a tank, ie heavy.

    Also, no matter what kind of roto cooler you get, throw twenty pounds of ice in it a few days before you plan on using it to pre chill it. I put ice in mine last Wednesday, and just poured myself a cold gin and tonic from it five minutes ago. I added another twenty pounds on Thursday when I added all the beer and booze.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  7. #7
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    The reason you need to pre chill your cooler is that all the insulation is currently as warm as whatever the current conditions are. In the spring or fall, it may not be as big.of a deal, but when it’s 90+ out, yeah, you need to pre chill.

    Also, the cooler has been sitting in my dark blue Escape during this heat wave, so I’m shocked that i still have this much ice.

    Also, it doesn’t hurt to grab a 10 pound block of ice to mix with your cubes.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  8. #8
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    This past weekend: “Would you like some homemade all natural nice smelling bug spray?”

    Me: “Fuck that. My shit has DEET in it.”

    Guess who was getting bit and who wasn’t?
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  9. #9
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    37,786
    I didn't know they still made DEET stuff.
    Twitch / Youtube / Film Diary

    Quote Quoting D_Davis (view post)
    Uwe Boll movies > all Marvel U movies
    Quote Quoting TGM (view post)
    I work in grocery. I have not gotten sick. My fellow employees have not gotten sick. If the virus were even remotely as contagious as its being presented as, why haven’t entire store staffs who come into contact with hundreds of people per day, thousands per week, all falling ill in mass nationwide?

  10. #10
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Quote Quoting Dukefrukem (view post)
    I didn't know they still made DEET stuff.

    You can buy 100% DEET, but never spray it directly on your skin. Deep Woods off is 20-40% DEET I believe.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  11. #11
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Neo-Ohio
    Posts
    16,583
    Quote Quoting Scar (view post)
    This past weekend: “Would you like some homemade all natural nice smelling bug spray?”

    Me: “Fuck that. My shit has DEET in it.”

    Guess who was getting bit and who wasn’t?
    Not me, I got the Deep Woods [fuck] Off.

    I did plenty of camping as a kid. It was fun. Then I got my long term job, which is in the woods all day, sweating my balls off. When it comes to the weekend, I want climate fucking control. When my boys are old enough I will take them on camping excursions, especially if the wife and daughter are...ahem...aligned.

  12. #12
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    Not me, I got the Deep Woods [fuck] Off.

    I did plenty of camping as a kid. It was fun. Then I got my long term job, which is in the woods all day, sweating my balls off. When it comes to the weekend, I want climate fucking control. When my boys are old enough I will take them on camping excursions, especially if the wife and daughter are...ahem...aligned.
    I hear that. When I was traveling all the time, I just wanted to bum around at home. These days when I camp, I typically want it to be sort of an adventure. I believe I'll be in Idaho elk hunting in October. Pending on the weather / location, Overkill might be able to flex a couple muscles.

    And, yeah, if and when the ladies synch up would be an EXCELLENT reason to go camping.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  13. #13
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Neo-Ohio
    Posts
    16,583
    Quote Quoting Scar (view post)
    And, yeah, if and when the ladies synch up would be an EXCELLENT reason to go camping.
    I used to think the synch was the worse possible thing, turns out the opposite is true. When unaligned, it never ends.

    That aside, I will backburner my personal enjoyment to make sure my boys get some of the same outdoor experience I got. Lord knows they inherited my sports ability so better get them some fresh air before they fully become professional PubGers.

  14. #14
    That reminds me, I need a tent for cycle treks. I assume Overkill is quite heavy/bulky?
    Last 10 Movies Seen
    (90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)

    Run
    (2020) 64
    The Whistlers
    (2019
    ) 55
    Pawn (2020) 62
    Matilda (1996) 37
    The Town that Dreaded Sundown
    (1976) 61
    Moby Dick (2011) 50

    Soul
    (2020) 64

    Heroic Duo
    (2003) 55
    A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
    As Tears Go By (1988) 65

    Stuff at Letterboxd
    Listening Habits at LastFM

  15. #15
    Director bac0n's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Monster Island
    Posts
    6,501
    One thing I like to do is the night before I go camping, I buy a gallon jug of water and freeze the entire thing. Keeps the cooler at fridge temp for a good two days without pre- chilling, and it provides for some nice cold water as it melts.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Losing is like fertilizer: it stinks for a while, then you get used to it. (Tony, Hibbing)

  16. #16
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Quote Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
    That reminds me, I need a tent for cycle treks. I assume Overkill is quite heavy/bulky?
    Yes, 8.5 pounds total, probably want to look for something lighter with a good rain fly.

    Note: Overkill has been discontinued for a decade, but I’m sure we could find something similar.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  17. #17
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Quote Quoting bac0n (view post)
    One thing I like to do is the night before I go camping, I buy a gallon jug of water and freeze the entire thing. Keeps the cooler at fridge temp for a good two days without pre- chilling, and it provides for some nice cold water as it melts.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I strongly recommend this too. If your cooler is big enough, use two.
    Last edited by Scar; 07-04-2018 at 03:22 AM.

  18. #18
    You really know how to sell a product (isn't it great when you find something that truly lives up to its promises?). I looked up the Overkill based on your account and realized early on that you teased with a discontinued product. Not cool dude. Not cool.

    15 year life span out of your tent is great. Do you use it often or just bring it out for expected heavy-weather conditions?

    p.s. silly DEET still has this lingering bad rap. It's safe and the best there is. I'd die in Georgia summers without it.

  19. #19
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Neo-Ohio
    Posts
    16,583
    Quote Quoting Scar (view post)
    I strongly recommend this too. If your cooler is big enough, use two.
    We always have two liters frozen in the fridge for just such uses.

  20. #20
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Quote Quoting amberlita (view post)
    You really know how to sell a product (isn't it great when you find something that truly lives up to its promises?). I looked up the Overkill based on your account and realized early on that you teased with a discontinued product. Not cool dude. Not cool.

    15 year life span out of your tent is great. Do you use it often or just bring it out for expected heavy-weather conditions?

    p.s. silly DEET still has this lingering bad rap. It's safe and the best there is. I'd die in Georgia summers without it.
    Heh heh heh.... Thought about putting in a disclaimer, but it just turned into a love letter to my tent.

    I haven't used it as much as I'd like, but I get it out a few times a year. I also have a Big Agnes Pine Island 4 person I use occasionally. Its a three season tent that's a bit taller and roomier, and has a rain fly that completely covers the tent. Pretty decent, but haven't had it out in inclement weather.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  21. #21
    The Pan Scar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    White Castle
    Posts
    8,583
    Looks like Overkill probably won't be tested in Idaho. One of the hunting crew is getting an 8 man canvas expedition monstrosity that you put a stove in. Overkill nods approvingly.
    “What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, er... an eating machine. It's really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks and that's all.”

  22. #22
    Director bac0n's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Monster Island
    Posts
    6,501
    On the other end of the spectrum from Overkill, my family uses The Thunderdome, an 8 person tent I got at Costco. It's no longer for sale, but there is an equivalent at CostCo or Sam's Club for sale pretty much every time I'm in there between April and September.



    It's nice in that it can very comfortably accommodate the four of us and the dog and our gear, with extra room besides. Could probably shove another four in there if we had to. It also goes up and comes down in about 5 minutes. The rain fly comes off if there's no rain in the forecast and you want to sleep under the stars. Also, we bought it for a fraction of what you could expect to pay for a similar-sized tent at Cabela's, and a pittance compared to what you would pay at REI.

    The main drawbacks are that it is not that rugged - the pole that held up the awning snapped pretty early on. It's also rather heavy and bulky in its bag - certainly not suitable for backwoods camping, or situations like backpacking and canoeing where weight is a serious consideration. Also, its size means that it's probably the only tent that's going to fit in your site. Oh, and setting it up is not a one person job.

    Still, with kids, we're a drive-in site camping family, so it's served us very well over the past five years and 15 camping trips or so. We just got back from 5 days near the boundary waters, and it's outside airing out as I type this.
    Losing is like fertilizer: it stinks for a while, then you get used to it. (Tony, Hibbing)

  23. #23
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    37,786
    Speaking of Costco. Are they not the best?
    Twitch / Youtube / Film Diary

    Quote Quoting D_Davis (view post)
    Uwe Boll movies > all Marvel U movies
    Quote Quoting TGM (view post)
    I work in grocery. I have not gotten sick. My fellow employees have not gotten sick. If the virus were even remotely as contagious as its being presented as, why haven’t entire store staffs who come into contact with hundreds of people per day, thousands per week, all falling ill in mass nationwide?

  24. #24
    Director bac0n's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Monster Island
    Posts
    6,501
    If you wanna get gear for entry level camping on the cheap, costco or sams is def the way to go.
    Losing is like fertilizer: it stinks for a while, then you get used to it. (Tony, Hibbing)

  25. #25
    Director bac0n's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Monster Island
    Posts
    6,501
    speaking of which - anyone have any camping meal recipes they wanna share? I'm looking to mix things up a little.
    Losing is like fertilizer: it stinks for a while, then you get used to it. (Tony, Hibbing)

Page 1 of 10 123 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
An forum