random norcal camping gear

After this weekend, some people are beginning to check out hammocks for a quick naptime before dinner.

So I figured, let's put together a mini gear thread.

Here's my offering. I got a few of the Sport-Brella XLs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgIYjK6ZvuE

Pretty easy to setup, though it might take a little extra time to put away when you're low energy. Just pop it open like an umbrella, use the stakes to stake it down. Don't be a dumbass like me and tie a knot holding the stakes to the inside of the umbrella, and it'll take minutes to put it away. Guyed down it handles wind great.

 

You put this up in the shade

 

Of course, because the sun moves through the trees and it blocked the wind, very comfortable inside. But I understand that because you didn't try it you didn't know how wonderful it was inside, that's alright. I won't hate. *cough* #nomorelambforyou *cough*

 

My new solar cooker by Solavore. It's a little pricy at $229, but you can totally just make one for yourself for $40 bucks in plywood, spray paint, and clear acrylic, but it came with two enamelware pots, clips, and neoprene carrying bag



The resulting food, Lamb Racks cooked to 135F over 4 hours in the sun. It stayed hot for another 2 hours while waiting for everything else to cook.



Same recipe in an actual electric oven, note that there's better browning since it was cooking at 225F instead of 170F and the meat was able to "sweat" a little bit so that the heavy mustard coating came off. Tastes the same even though it looks like something I pulled out of my ass.




All in all, it was a pretty good experiment since we were able to use zero fuel to cook. This set also came with reflectors that would let me cook during the winter on top of snow on a sunny day. I call that a win/win


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I used an Ivation wireless thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meat. For slow cooking it absolutely helps trying to figure out when food is ready.

For $40 bucks on kinja deals day, it was a total win.

 

That diarrhea lamb thoughhhh

 

If anyone is looking for some amazing insulation for the upcoming fall/winter/spring camping season, there's none other than Reflectix. Reflectix is a type of aluminized bubble wrap insulation, like Mylar, but way more effective at separating heat and cold from one another since it insulates not just from radiant heat, but from conductive heat as well. It's easy to cut and form since it's bubble wrap. Duct Tape and scissors is all you need. A fun weeknight project would be to line your chair's beverage holder with Reflectix and see how well your beer stays cool.


Insulate your cheap coolers

Making a cozie for rehydrating or reheating meals

Insulate your Cab if you're gonna sleep in it in 18F Weather

Keep your interior cool during the summer or keep the heat out in the morning if you sleep in your cab.


We've even used it to insulate ourselves from the cold in January at Yosemite by lining our folding chairs with a 60" x 24" piece of reflectix. Proved not only to be an excellent insulator from the cold, but we actually felt HEAT from the reflectix, which was our own body heat!

I usually use it to line my bed. Two layers of reflectix, one sleeping pad, one -25 F bag, pretty comfortable in the winter!

 

This stuff works really well. I used it to make a jacket for my 12 volt fridge. You can put your hand between the fridge and the bubble wrap on a cool day and it'll be cool between them. I made the one in the pic in about 5 minutes. I gotta redo so it doesn't look so wonky.

I have a sleeping platform I sleep in the back of my truck on. I use this stuff to block the morning sun if I feel like sleeping in late.

 

SUB'd

 

Can vouch for this stuff. Used it to put in the big rig widows doing deliveries to keep the summer heat out while sitting.
Still have 2 long rolls of this, 1 single and 1 dbl sided alum.

 

I'm thinking about putting some in my bedroom windows for when it's hot out during the day.

I wonder what the neighbors would think if I wrapped the whole house in it? I used to live in upstate NY, way up by Canada. It would get so cold in the winter some people would wrap the entire outside of their house in a few layers of clear plastic and cut holes for the doors.

 

Should help for heat, like dual pane window.

Going around the house seems extreme, but, you would think it would help like insulation.

EDIT... Mines more like bubble wrap, but, worked the same.

 

yeah, I have the bubble wrap stuff...it's great.

Most the houses I saw wrapped up were very old...like 150 years and on an open exposed field. If it's 45 below zero with 60 mile per hour winds the plastic would definitely make a difference.