Fun fact: Everybody needs water! If you didn't know that, you've probably had a rough time in life.
Being a backpacker, and general adventure seeker, a staple in my gear garage (yes, most of my garage is filled with gear! Don't judge me...) is a water filter. Going on any sort of multi-day excursion requires clean, drinkable water. My wife and I took our first backpacking trip on our first anniversary and we packed in our water in gallon jugs! Obviously, we learned a valuable lesson in keeping our pack weight down. A year later, we took a week long, 30 mile trip through some of the Lost Creek Wilderness area around Woodland Park, Colorado, and used filter straws to get our water. Let me explain what it's like to drink for a week from a charcoal filter straw... it would be similar to sucking glue through a coffee straw... while it kept us all from getting giardia, it wasn't a fun drinking experience. On a side note; if you've never been to that area of Colorado, you are doing yourself a great disservice! It's absolutely gorgeous year round! Wonderful summertime temperatures, and nice, cold winters. Anyways, back to our review here... Here's what the website says about this nice little filter: "Stay healthy and comfortably hydrated as you hike through large patches of wilderness thanks to the pump-action Katadyn Hiker Water Microfilter. Long backpacking trips require lots of water, and carrying this Backpacker Magazine-approved, eleven-ounce microfilter works much better than carrying ten gallons of water on your back. Easy to use and clean in the field, this reliable microfilter transforms random water sources into thirst-quenching satisfaction throughout your long trek or backpacking trip." Quickly converts suspect water to safe drinking water at rate of one liter per minute, or around 48 pump strokes
a couple minutes to fill up a nalgene. The Katadyn Hiker series water filtration system is a lightweight, easy-to-use filtration system with an intake and output hose attached. It has an easy-to-change filter, and it packs into a little carry bag. This is a fairly no nonsense filter and has held up great in a number of backpacking situations. Once you get back home, all you have to do is pump some bleach water through it and take the filter out to dry. It has attachments that fit on most waterbottles (at least ones that are used for hiking/backpacking), as well as a little nozzle that hooks up to your bladder (not your real one; the hydration bladder). I got this guy for a reasonable price at backcountry.com, and I am fairly certain that you can find them on sale somewhere on the interwebs. Bottle adapter makes it easy to hook up to almost any bottle! Katadyn's website has a pro version for sale, and a different colored version than the one I bought, but really color shouldn't matter when it comes to something like this. There really isn't much more to say on this little filter. I would highly recommend it to those of you looking for an affordable water filtration system for your camping or backpacking adventure. The only downside to this filter system is the plastic ends that they cover the hose nipples with. They are small and can get lost VERY easily. Otherwise, I didn't find any other negatives. It felt well built, and sturdy! Remember that this is not a NEW product, but it is something that is affordable and reliable. That is our goal at Bob's Adventure Blog! Pick yours up here: http://www.backcountry.com/katadyn-hiker-water-microfilter?ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6a2F0YWR5bjoxOjI6a2F0YWR5bg&skid=EXT0072-ONECOL-ONESIZ or here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009T7IYIA/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944579842&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0007U012U&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0FV9TD0XAM2T53E0VQT4 Let me start off by stating that this is not a review of a NEW product. This hammock has been on the market for some time, but for those of you who've never hammock camped, I wanted to give a cost effective option to get into hammock camping. :) ENJOY! I had people tell me that once you tried hammock camping, you would never go back to tent camping... This was something that, for a long time, I refused to believe. I love tent camping. I love getting new tents, and looking into the technology that comes with them. For whatever reason, I decided to give it a shot... I researched hammocks for what seemed like ages. In the end, we chose the Grand Trunk Goods Skeeter Beater hammocks. Here is the websites description of them: "The Skeeter Beeter Pro Hammock boasts a godsend for summer camping: attached no-see-um mosquito netting overhead that keeps biting little buzzers away so you can actually enjoy the fresh air. The larger Skeeter Beeter Pro Hammock can support up to 400 pounds. * No-See-Um mosquito netting hangs overhead and away from your face so you can still read a book or sip a drink without feeling claustrophobic * Just sit in the hammock and zip yourself in with the double-sided zipper * If the coast is clear and you don’t need the mosquito netting, just flip the hammock over and sit on it as a normal hammock" Our friend's Byer of Maine Travel hammock. It packs a bit smaller, but doesn't seem quite as strong... What attracted us to these was the fact that they have an enclosed sleeping area. Mosquitos in Arkansas have been known to carry away small children, and annoying dogs (it's a joke people...) PLUS, if you didn't want to be inside the covering, you can just flip the hammock over, and use it like a normal one! It's almost like one of those 2-for-1 deals! NEAT-O! The hammock comes in a football sized/shaped stuff sack. It DOES come with a hanging system, however, for you folks worried about the trees, it is a simple nylon rope system. It is preknotted, but you can add more knots for more spacing options. I chose to purchase the seperate hanging system with the tree protectors on them. Overall, our experience has been fantastic with these hammocks. They are sturdy, well built, have a great weight capacity (400lbs), and pack up reasonably small. When deciding whether to take this or a tent camping/backpacking, remember that the hammock will save a tremendous amount of space, and weight. There are ultralight tent options out there, but we don't all have the $ to drop on those. "What about when it rains?!", you may be asking? Fortunately, somebody has found a solution to that problem. Grand Trunk, Eno, and many others make rain flys that you can purchase as well.
Sleeping in a hammock is closely related to sleeping in a cloud, or angel's arms. Your back and booty are cradled in the most ellegant way, you can sleep on your back or side, and if you're lucky a gentle breeze will rock you to sleep! When you wake up, you then have a chair to sit in for breakfast....That means no extra camp furniture. Wowzers gang! If you like camping, and you like comfort, go buy a Grand Trunk Skeeter Beater hammock system. You won't be disappointed. http://store.grandtrunkgoods.com/skeeter-beeter-pro -or- http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Trunk-Skeeter-Beeter-Hammock/dp/B001AIFLX2 *This review was not endorsed in any way by Grand Trunk Goods and was purchased with my own funds. |