Thank every who’s entered to win the S2S mug giveaway & the full wild camping setup raffle. Still time to enter if it floats your boat. 🤝 www.messner.co.uk/competitions-giveaways
My new policy for gear is I’ve had to of absolutely needed it 3 times before I consider purchasing. It’s all to easy for us to come up with what if situations for every new thing that takes our fancy. Too many things can lead to decision fatigue and sometimes stop us enjoying actually being outdoors doing what we love.
My first night in the hills was with the scouts when I was 11yrs old. That was in 1964 so you can just imagine what sort of kit we had then. I dread to think what it weighed. These days I'm constantly looking for lighter kit because at 69 my "power to weight ratio" is not what it was! However the weight/cost/comfort balance is a complex one. Really enjoyed listening to you two rabbiting on.
Да выбирайте самое дешёвое, и проверенное. И не надо про года... Мне сейчас... 🙂 А, минувших три года назад, к нам с Братом, (мы тогда поминали 9-ть дней нашего Матриарха), своими ногами! пришёл с Дикого берега, один старичёк. Оцените любовь этого Человека к приключениям: мы, с братом приблизительно прикинули стоимость его одежды, рюкзака и фляги. Что лежало в рюкзачке, равно, как и стоимость палок, как Вы понимаете, мы определить не смогли. Однако. Этот Человек прошёл за день, по Дикому Берегу. Сам. Один. И мы с Братом, до сих пор не знаем, как его зовут!
Thoroughly enjoyed watching you and Andy with some gear talk, Paul. I've not been doing wild camping all that long, just a couple of years or so, but watching you both talking about your experiences was really good. Glad it's not just me always wishing I'd packed lighter! Atb.
The man on the left is a clever and wise bloke - some sound advice from experience and practice... the bloke on the right's not too shabby either. Some great questions asked and answered. I thought it was going to be a 'quick' 15 min video, but turned out to be an hour long interview. Loved it 👍
Love listening to folks say they gone lighter in last few years I’ve been doing it for ten years lol definitely worth it and funny when folks say they don’t care about weight good luck exactly as you both say carrying it Nice to hear you two rabbit on :) great to see you embrace talking videos lol
Hi Paul, I just wanted to say hello. Over the past couple of days, I've watched what must be hours of your videos. Your content is cracking. you're such a natural and engaging guy. Please keep doing what you're doing, I've never wild camped as you do, but I've spent many years camping with friends and family. Your videos have me convinced this is something I want to have a go at. So for that I wanted to thank you. Best wishes to you and the family.
I was wild solo camping 35 years ago with very cheap gear and I only have good fond memories of it. You really don't need it all to enjoy the outdoors, great content , thanks.
I was a rock climber/camper for years and every time a new piece of kit came out I bought it. At the end of the day, I had cupboards full of gear I wasn't using. The point is, that when I did go out I had total faith in the gear I carried.
Watching Scouts turn up to DofE expedition with most of their gear vango and the rest all budget gear makes you realise it's not all about price. Great video Guys
Yep as a DoE and scout instructor, I see the same, and makes me laugh the kit some kids turn up with way over the top and top end then the scouts turn up with low end stuff but know how to use it, like Iv always told them, a budget tent put up correctly will stay put longer then a any tent put up badly, I see people now days throwing money at stuff thinking it will stay up because it cost more
it's interesting to listen to what other people used to use years ago. I started walking properly over 25years ago and I tried to get below 35lbs, my rucksack was a Karrimor jaguar s 60-80 and weighed over 5lbs alone, I am trying to start back up again and I have got one of my sons interested. Good sound video, if people don't like a video then don't watch it when someone goes out of their way to share their experience and enjoyment. Carry on
I had a Jaguar back in the 90s and I was trying recently to find out the weight of it online (I no longer have the bag). Did yours have the have the SA7000 back system? That was so comfy for the weights I was schlepping back then! But I had a memory that the bag was around 7lb empty, am I way off? The reason I've obsessing over this is that this summer it struck me that my current base weight is probably about the same as my old empty Karrimor, which is a huge relief now I'm 60 and have to nurse some back injuries! Going out for a long weekend of backpacking now feels like carrying a day-pack used to back in the day.
i would recommend the banshee for a first time wildcamper 👍i have the same ethos as andy your pack weighs what it weighs just as long as your enjoying it. but just be sensible not too heavy lol . there is plenty of good budget equipment instead of needing to spend hundreds on equipment we dont need .
Well done lads, great format! p.s (genuinely!) love my Evernew stove set just goes to show it really is each to their own, which is exactly what you describe through the chat. Cheers gents
Thanks Paul for another great video. Really enjoyed hearing you compare notes about gear. Like yourselves I love trying out new things after lots of research and reading reviews. I still love bargain hunting for camping and bushcraft gear. Watched your video on the pocket stove and went off foraging on tinternet for Trangia style stove + 2 in one windshield pot stand. etc I'm well pleased with what I bought and it didn't cist an arm and a leg. Ended up I bought kit to make up pocket stoves (Highlander/Trangia style) for myself and my 4 adult children for their birthdays this year. 😁 Last year, I bought a single skin "5 second popup tent" , which is great! And this year bought a £7 lightweight tarp to give the tent a bit of extra protection against heavy rain, and a bigger porch area for storage and cooking. (Previously bought a pair of lightweight twist-telescopic poles which are ideal for supporting the tarp at the front of the tent). As of last year my survival gear includes a Millbank bag, Sawyer water filter and 1.5L stainless steel water bottle to collect water from the Millbank bag and sterilise on campfire by bringing to a rolling boil. (I once lost my water bottle on a 2 day trek to Beinn Eighe in Torridon, and had to melt and boil icecles. With the Sawyer filter I can drink from a swamp if necessary).. Your videos are a great inspiration. Thanks Paul.
Gentlemen - Paul, what an absolute brilliant video. Loved the chit chat and gear reviews. Totally with you both about the Atom pack mo50 my thoughts exactly. I’ve modified my Aeon Li to suit my liking, ditched the pegs etc for my own preference. Loving your new layout of video buddy more of real you ❤️
Same goes for motorcycle adventure - so many take too much rubbish, then struggle to pick it up when they drop it in the bush. Carry less, and have an amazing time RIDING the bike, like hiking with a lighter pack.
You hit it right on the spot with the dilemma of buying budget to start to see if you like it. I am sure there are a lot of people that hated it because of the weight and bulk, rather than the activity itself. I really wish there was a service where you could hire lightweight camping gear. It would let you try wild camping, without the burden of choosing weight or cost
Paul i think you should do a competition and take a newbie who wants to start camping with cheap gear and you go with the best and then swap half way through and see what works best
From you losing your mojo of late, to this, my favourite of your recent outings, is great. I gleaned more info from this post than anyone's other recent vids. Thanks to both of you
Really glad to see you've rediscovered your mojo Paul. My first wild camp was with friends just after we'd finished our GCSEs. We thought we'd head for the Peak District, but this was long before the era of smartphones and GPS, and apparently we couldn't even get ourselves organised enough to take a paper map. So we got the train to Matlock, then somehow managed to walk from the station there in completely the opposite direction to the actual Peak District. Obviously there was still some kind of countryside to the south of Matlock, but it's not really the Peaks. We camped a night in some random patch of woodland, and sometime the next day found ourselves on the outskirts of Derby, a bit confused about what had gone wrong.
I cannot tell you how much I love that discussion. Just like my life with my friends and the chats in these situations … plus, the honesty and experience (practical version thereof) is bang on. It is to Paul’s credit that he is sort of tearing the “gear, gear, new gear and latest gear” stuff to bits … while reviewing and potentially driving some of that traffic for a living. Honest and makes me respect both here for knowledge and experience. Overall, just vicarious enjoyment while I wait to go out tomorrow again for nights out again. If ever you pair get to SW france, you will have safe ground here.
I enjoyed the chat. I had it playing in the background while I churned my way through the morning admin for my business. Paul, we are all far more average than we like to think and so if you like this style of video, rest assured many others will too. Many may not but as mentioned before, your core audience will enjoy it and the rest can skim, flick and move on.
Totally agree on the Soulo comments, I’m an original owner from when they were first available, I can understand someone going for a black label but cannot understand the logic of selling a red to buy a black😅 really enjoyed listening to you both.
I am from South Carolina retired from BMW so used to hearing English with their accent. Even worked in Oxford for Mini for about 6 weeks. I need subtitles to understand your buddy 😂. Enjoying the channel.
unless I'm going on a day hike, I always carry a heavy pack full of gear and camera equipment. My empty rucksack weighs almost 5kg, and when it is full of heavy equipment it can weigh anything from 20kg to 45kg, which is certainly a load on the back when climbing almost vertically up mountainsides. I value quality over weight, and in almost all cases, heavier materials will outlive thin, fragile, ultra-lightweight materials. Winter ❄️🗻 always means heavy packs due to extra clothing, although I often take winter down bags and clothing to the high peaks during summer, due to the high possibility of changeable weather, or being hit by a sudden storm.
Hope your Deluxe works better than mine, under a year old and the valve didint close properly and the piezo took maby 8-15 attempts before it worked. Send it back and bought the SOTO Windmaster, that one works like (almost) 90€ water heater should work😅
I like too add my thoughts, this interview was very interesting too listen to two experience people casually talking about something they have a honest interest in , Paul this is a new way to talk a bout hiking.it would be a good thing to interview other TH-cam bloggers out in the field, sit them down and slowly getting answers about there love for wild camping, well done 👍
Great show... Camping/Backpacking is sort of like taking pictures. Once you familiarize yourself with your camera and gear, you will finally start to take really nice pictures and have fun doing it. You really don't need much to get great images. Camping/Backpacking I believe to be the same. Dang I'm envious of that cool weather. 93 F at 6pm here. Thanks for the video!
Really interesting and insightful stuff. Much appreciated. Only thing missing was a camp fire (maybe a camp stove in the foreground) since you can’t be lighting fires when wild camping. Paul, you’re a legend.
Nice chat over gear. Everyone really needs to do their own research. It's best to get out there (with any gear) & see if you take to wild camping first, because a lot of people find it isn't for them. Next is routes & navigation for me. That's my particular weak spot.
Enjoying this format and getting more of an insight into you two! I have so much spare gear I just turn up at my mates house, tell him to grab his boots, we're going camping! as I've packed him a bag with a full set up in it made from all my extras 🤦♂️
Great work Paul. You pair go well together 👍🏼 Hit the nail on the head. Costs for everything through the roof! But I also can’t resist kit/gear. Even love the research. Drive myself mad with the finer details. Then when I get something, if there’s something on it that’s not explained anywhere, I need to know what it is haha. Might be a small loop or bit of material and I’m like, what’s that for, need to find out! Cycling/Fishing yep, all the same! The kit I’ve got for Carp fishing is ridiculous. I vowed never to get a barrow, but just can’t carry the kit for even a single night’s fishing 🥴 There’s some stupidly over priced gear about, but often go back to basics and it’s still great. We love the kit though don’t we, but whether it’s cheap or more expensive, long as we’re happy and enjoying it 👍🏼 Cheers, Gary.
Great vid and nice to hear views of such experienced people. I wish I had the same positive opinion of Rab though but after being told I was lying about how the plastic fasteners on a down jacket had melted (they melted in the dryer), I’ll never pass up the opportunity to slag off their customer service. I’m still disgusted by it years later.
Balls to what else everyone else has said. Its all down to personal preference. If your comfortable, warm and enjoying pitching a tent in Odin' knows conditions and if it costs £15 or £1500, all that matters is your enjoying the experience.
I got a Vango Nevis 300 for my first tent, it was pretty good, bit heavy and bulky but good. I've now got a Vango Helium UL1, it's a lot lighter and less bulky, sacrificed a bit of space inside but as long as I keep my stuff tidy then there's plenty space.
Just paused the video on recommending a good starter tent. I did a lot of homework looking for mine, and for the price couldn't find anything better than the Robens Starlight 2. Cost me £180. Flysheet has 5,000HH waterproofing and the floor is 10,000. Had it over a year now, very happy with it and can't think of any negatives. There's a "washing line" that goes across the inside, rather the lengthways as with most tents that have them, great for hanging a tablet for watching films!
If you're out for a walk, fancy a quick brew, Gas is the way. But if you're on a trek and a camp, no rush, alcohol is so nice, so quiet and weighs nothing, 300g for an xboil setup.
I am so jealous, listening to you guys chew the fat over years of wild camping and the the kit you've used in the past and present is so informative in a stress free format, and your up a hill doing it🙂I'm 53 and when I uncle started taking me walking at weekends up Wales, Scotland and the lakes at the age of 16 I loved it. The one thing that has always stuck in my mind was going past 1 or 2 little tents pitched around around Stickle Tarn in the morning as we set off up Pavey's ark. Looking back I should have started years ago. Eh ho, i've started in the last few years, not done loads but it's growing, best one night great gable in winter, this Saturday was a night over looking Dovedale. Keep up the good work.
Great to see you back out & enjoying your camps again in your last couple of videos, Paul. I realise they won’t all be like this, but I’ve really enjoyed listening to you & Andy just having a chat, nice one 👍
That was a really enjoyable video to watch the chat you two had, great to hear from all your experience. I’m still very new to it all. My first experience was in my roof tent with my kids and then a few in my own in random places throughout the U.K. Now I’m I’m car camping in an estate car to see my kids but planning a wild camp on Dartmoor. Like you said you had in the beginning Paul I’ve got some bushcraft gear and military gear also but it’s not light as it’s all in and around my vehicles but now I’m having to look at smaller lighter gear for time away from the car. Problem I have is I’m not a small chap and I want comfort so finding it hard to get light weight packable gear. I bought a 3 man tent for me and the two kids, set it up in the garden to test it & I found I took up half the tent and wouldn’t have been room for my kids, I had to send that back 😬 Is there such thing has a lightweight 4 man tent or do I just accept the fact that it’s heavy and no good for back packing?
@johnny 71c Thanks for that Johnny, I did get a tent in the end it’s a Gonex 4 man lightweight tent with alloy poles from Amazon at just over 3kg. I’ve yet to try it out so fingers crossed. Hoping to do a wild camp in a couple days with the kids.
My view about seam sealing is if you are worried about it you've probably bought the wrong tent for you. There are so many ready to use tents that are amazing
Great video. I recently bought the Hilleberg Soulo, and if I’m being honest, I probably won’t use it in weather anywhere near that it is capable of handling. I bought it for piece of mind if the weather did change drastically from what was originally forecast. Buying outdoor gear is an addiction it’s a fantastic feeling when u arrive home from work to find your parcel. Then trying to explain to the wife why u need the said item 😂
That was a really pleasant video. Paul, I thought you did a great job of getting the topics to talk about, posing the questions, and keeping the conversation flowing. Was pleasant to listen to whilst doing other things, there might be a podcast in there somewhere, chats with different people about loads of stuff, but it'd probably be a heck of a lot of work. Great to see your passion flowing again ❤️
Loved this vid and the last one you did together. You're both so calming and so spot on, like hearing my own thoughts echoed. It's therapeutic to watch and I'm guessing for you too. Hope you're doing OK, but always here if u need owt. ATB 🙎♀️&🐕
I like it, about the clothes. I’ve not spent any money on going out gear for 3 years and when I go to my wardrobe I have to question myself what I wore last time I was out. But you look to the right there’s all my outdoor gear🤣
I agree with Andy on this one, I've swopped out the guys on a load of tents for personal preference. Cricket, Duomid, Plex Solo, Trailstar, Luxe Hexpeak, Southern Cross 1, Scarp 2. Personally I prefer longer guylines, enjoyed the video, like the new content 👍👌
I bloody loved that video. Don’t know what it says about me but I could have listened to you two talking about gear for ages. Very refreshing from the usual epic music and drone footage….nothing wrong with that mind but really enjoyed this one Atb.,
Regards boots I have a long narrow flat feet with a tendency to roll my ankles, I spent a few days driving to different stores like decathlon, go outdoors, snow + rock, Cotswold outdoors and finally Ellis Brigham in Manchester trying on boots. I finally fell in love with the LA Sportiva TX5 GTX boots, the best pair of shoes I have ever owned.
Another gem. Thanks Paul and Andy. I can identify with you both and your journey as well as the foibles you both have. Like you, there are some brands that are always in your adventures Rab, Mountain Equipment, Montane to greater or lesser degree and the rest you flirt with for a while because it caught your eye on TH-cam or in a sale.
100% I'm total opposite to this, I've still got and use budget gear from when I started but I started with a hammock/tarp and a polish lavvu then I got a old vango force ten mk2 fw and I've just built up kits around each shelter over the years for different styles of trips and now other than wanting to upgrade my pack I'm pretty happy with my gear. Granted I do have a few flash bits of kit I didn't "need" but they were 100% worth every penny/gram
Excellent video. TBH I just listened- worked well as a podcast. Really enjoyable and full of sensible facts. A must watch for all, especially those who are new / about to start.
Nice chat. I think with gear it largely depends what sorta camping you do. If you only parking up the car and then walking a few miles up a mountain it won't be a major disaster if gear should fail on you. You just gotta walk back to the car.In that case it's just not worth buying the most expensive gear. But if you multi day hiking 700 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere you are completely relying on your gear. So it pays to get something reliable. So do your homework thoroughly and learn from others.
Liked the easy-going style of this vid, and genuine thoughts/thought processes regarding gear👍 I get most bang for buck whilst learning something new. That is the key. A new hobby/interest, lots to learn, skills to acquire, things to try, seeing what others do. We are all prey to confirmation bias I guess too! As experience is gained, the thrills can level off and new thrills are sometimes not such easy pickings. Chasing new gear may result in micro-learning experiences, but beware diminishing returns… can be a costly way of re-living that elusive “fix” that came effortlessly and relatively cheaply whilst learning! Keep up the interesting and varied content on your channel, Paul🙂. I particularly liked the opening and closing parts of the vid by the way, the splendour that gets us all (who doesn’t like a good view?) and the bare bones reality that doesn’t always get published (miserable wet morning and gear to get packed up etc!).
Just bought my second vango soul 200 @ £45 I melted the goundsheet on number 1 by mistake, toppling over a hot, but off stove. These tents do all i want, after a poles upgrade.
Guys that was really fantastic. Love equally both of your choices of kit. I'm originally from between your homes. As we say you live in Hope and die in Bamford. Andy has the right idea with the alcohol stove (no noise) the jet boil basically sounds like a jet. The terra pants are great value for money........ I'm just getting to grips with the scarp 1...... Ps you two are the best and informative guys on TH-cam. Keep it up
I must admit some tents Iv swapped out guy lines and most tents I don’t use the peg suppled, but your so right about seam sealing, wouldn’t entertain buying a tent to waterproof it my self for cod sake
I loved this. Better than magazine-style reviews. Much of the toxicity in this community is "X is better than Y" like kids saying "Man United is better than Liverpool" and really tiresome - I thought this chat between the guys was way more mature than those such conversations and very refreshing. Each to their own though, Paul will never be able to please everyone.
Totally agree with what you're saying I've refused to join the Hilleberg Scarp bandwagon. Total overkill ... Also when everyone rushed out n bought Hilleberg Soulo during lockdown and they ended up on back order with a year wait... I always think the people who really do need them n would use them can't buy one because some dude who camps in a wood once a year and it lives in a cupboard had to have one.
Thank every who’s entered to win the S2S mug giveaway & the full wild camping setup raffle. Still time to enter if it floats your boat. 🤝
www.messner.co.uk/competitions-giveaways
🤞🤞
Great video as ever Howdon you entered the raffle for the equipment?
@@keithd5285 I’ve added a link in the comment above
How refreshing it is to listen to two normal blokes chatting about the outdoors on TH-cam. Cheers gents
I loved this episode , it was like sitting with you guys having a chat about the hobby we love , thanks guys
My new policy for gear is I’ve had to of absolutely needed it 3 times before I consider purchasing. It’s all to easy for us to come up with what if situations for every new thing that takes our fancy. Too many things can lead to decision fatigue and sometimes stop us enjoying actually being outdoors doing what we love.
I can quit buying expensive backpacking gear any time I want. I've done it dozens of times!
My first night in the hills was with the scouts when I was 11yrs old. That was in 1964 so you can just imagine what sort of kit we had then. I dread to think what it weighed. These days I'm constantly looking for lighter kit because at 69 my "power to weight ratio" is not what it was! However the weight/cost/comfort balance is a complex one. Really enjoyed listening to you two rabbiting on.
Да выбирайте самое дешёвое, и проверенное.
И не надо про года...
Мне сейчас... 🙂
А, минувших три года назад, к нам с Братом, (мы тогда поминали 9-ть дней нашего Матриарха),
своими ногами! пришёл с Дикого берега, один старичёк.
Оцените любовь этого Человека к приключениям: мы, с братом приблизительно прикинули стоимость его одежды, рюкзака и фляги. Что лежало в рюкзачке, равно, как и стоимость палок, как Вы понимаете, мы определить не смогли.
Однако. Этот Человек прошёл за день, по Дикому Берегу. Сам.
Один. И мы с Братом, до сих пор не знаем, как его зовут!
Thoroughly enjoyed watching you and Andy with some gear talk, Paul. I've not been doing wild camping all that long, just a couple of years or so, but watching you both talking about your experiences was really good. Glad it's not just me always wishing I'd packed lighter! Atb.
The man on the left is a clever and wise bloke - some sound advice from experience and practice... the bloke on the right's not too shabby either. Some great questions asked and answered. I thought it was going to be a 'quick' 15 min video, but turned out to be an hour long interview. Loved it 👍
Love listening to folks say they gone lighter in last few years I’ve been doing it for ten years lol definitely worth it and funny when folks say they don’t care about weight good luck exactly as you both say carrying it
Nice to hear you two rabbit on :) great to see you embrace talking videos lol
Hi Paul, I just wanted to say hello. Over the past couple of days, I've watched what must be hours of your videos. Your content is cracking. you're such a natural and engaging guy. Please keep doing what you're doing, I've never wild camped as you do, but I've spent many years camping with friends and family. Your videos have me convinced this is something I want to have a go at. So for that I wanted to thank you. Best wishes to you and the family.
I was wild solo camping 35 years ago with very cheap gear and I only have good fond memories of it. You really don't need it all to enjoy the outdoors, great content , thanks.
Brilliant chaps, loved the chat. Some really good tips and insight in there. All the best Paul, Si
I was a rock climber/camper for years and every time a new piece of kit came out I bought it. At the end of the day, I had cupboards full of gear I wasn't using. The point is, that when I did go out I had total faith in the gear I carried.
You are inspiring me .Don't listen to rude people they are not happy with themselves and jealousy is the worst.
Hi Paul
Keep it up, you kept me sane during lock down, carry on with what you're good at ,and that's this.
Cheers
Watching Scouts turn up to DofE expedition with most of their gear vango and the rest all budget gear makes you realise it's not all about price. Great video Guys
Yep as a DoE and scout instructor, I see the same, and makes me laugh the kit some kids turn up with way over the top and top end then the scouts turn up with low end stuff but know how to use it, like Iv always told them, a budget tent put up correctly will stay put longer then a any tent put up badly, I see people now days throwing money at stuff thinking it will stay up because it cost more
it's interesting to listen to what other people used to use years ago. I started walking properly over 25years ago and I tried to get below 35lbs, my rucksack was a Karrimor jaguar s 60-80 and weighed over 5lbs alone, I am trying to start back up again and I have got one of my sons interested. Good sound video, if people don't like a video then don't watch it when someone goes out of their way to share their experience and enjoyment. Carry on
I had a Jaguar back in the 90s and I was trying recently to find out the weight of it online (I no longer have the bag). Did yours have the have the SA7000 back system? That was so comfy for the weights I was schlepping back then! But I had a memory that the bag was around 7lb empty, am I way off? The reason I've obsessing over this is that this summer it struck me that my current base weight is probably about the same as my old empty Karrimor, which is a huge relief now I'm 60 and have to nurse some back injuries! Going out for a long weekend of backpacking now feels like carrying a day-pack used to back in the day.
You just be yourself Paul that's what people in the beginning tuned in for all the luck in the world Paul James
Goosebumps on first solo wild camp, I totally get that. Nothing quite like it! ❤
Your right budget gear is always better than NO gear!!😁✊️🔥✌️💚
Really enjoyed that Paul and Andy. A great discussion from two respected hikers who really know their stuff.
i would recommend the banshee for a first time wildcamper 👍i have the same ethos as andy your pack weighs what it weighs just as long as your enjoying it. but just be sensible not too heavy lol . there is plenty of good budget equipment instead of needing to spend hundreds on equipment we dont need .
I need more gear I can’t ever stop thinking about it. Especially stoves 😂
Well done lads, great format!
p.s (genuinely!) love my Evernew stove set
just goes to show it really is each to their own, which is exactly what you describe through the chat. Cheers gents
Thanks Paul for another great video. Really enjoyed hearing you compare notes about gear.
Like yourselves I love trying out new things after lots of research and reading reviews.
I still love bargain hunting for camping and bushcraft gear. Watched your video on the pocket stove and went off foraging on tinternet for Trangia style stove + 2 in one windshield pot stand. etc I'm well pleased with what I bought and it didn't cist an arm and a leg.
Ended up I bought kit to make up pocket stoves (Highlander/Trangia style) for myself and my 4 adult children for their birthdays this year. 😁
Last year, I bought a single skin "5 second popup tent" , which is great! And this year bought a £7 lightweight tarp to give the tent a bit of extra protection against heavy rain, and a bigger porch area for storage and cooking. (Previously bought a pair of lightweight twist-telescopic poles which are ideal for supporting the tarp at the front of the tent).
As of last year my survival gear includes a Millbank bag, Sawyer water filter and 1.5L stainless steel water bottle to collect water from the Millbank bag and sterilise on campfire by bringing to a rolling boil. (I once lost my water bottle on a 2 day trek to Beinn Eighe in Torridon, and had to melt and boil icecles. With the Sawyer filter I can drink from a swamp if necessary)..
Your videos are a great inspiration. Thanks Paul.
Gentlemen - Paul, what an absolute brilliant video. Loved the chit chat and gear reviews. Totally with you both about the Atom pack mo50 my thoughts exactly. I’ve modified my Aeon Li to suit my liking, ditched the pegs etc for my own preference. Loving your new layout of video buddy more of real you ❤️
Paul this is one of your best , simple content of 2 outdoor enthusiasts chatting, brilliant.
Same goes for motorcycle adventure - so many take too much rubbish, then struggle to pick it up when they drop it in the bush. Carry less, and have an amazing time RIDING the bike, like hiking with a lighter pack.
You hit it right on the spot with the dilemma of buying budget to start to see if you like it. I am sure there are a lot of people that hated it because of the weight and bulk, rather than the activity itself. I really wish there was a service where you could hire lightweight camping gear. It would let you try wild camping, without the burden of choosing weight or cost
Paul i think you should do a competition and take a newbie who wants to start camping with cheap gear and you go with the best and then swap half way through and see what works best
From you losing your mojo of late, to this, my favourite of your recent outings, is great. I gleaned more info from this post than anyone's other recent vids. Thanks to both of you
Really glad to see you've rediscovered your mojo Paul.
My first wild camp was with friends just after we'd finished our GCSEs. We thought we'd head for the Peak District, but this was long before the era of smartphones and GPS, and apparently we couldn't even get ourselves organised enough to take a paper map. So we got the train to Matlock, then somehow managed to walk from the station there in completely the opposite direction to the actual Peak District. Obviously there was still some kind of countryside to the south of Matlock, but it's not really the Peaks. We camped a night in some random patch of woodland, and sometime the next day found ourselves on the outskirts of Derby, a bit confused about what had gone wrong.
Love that story, made me chuckle at the end when you wondered what had happened lol
I cannot tell you how much I love that discussion.
Just like my life with my friends and the chats in these situations … plus, the honesty and experience (practical version thereof) is bang on.
It is to Paul’s credit that he is sort of tearing the “gear, gear, new gear and latest gear” stuff to bits … while reviewing and potentially driving some of that traffic for a living. Honest and makes me respect both here for knowledge and experience.
Overall, just vicarious enjoyment while I wait to go out tomorrow again for nights out again.
If ever you pair get to SW france, you will have safe ground here.
Hello Paul, This is one of the best conversations I've ever seen on TH-cam, covering all aspects of tents and equipment in a nutshell. Thank you.
I enjoyed the chat. I had it playing in the background while I churned my way through the morning admin for my business. Paul, we are all far more average than we like to think and so if you like this style of video, rest assured many others will too. Many may not but as mentioned before, your core audience will enjoy it and the rest can skim, flick and move on.
Totally agree on the Soulo comments, I’m an original owner from when they were first available, I can understand someone going for a black label but cannot understand the logic of selling a red to buy a black😅 really enjoyed listening to you both.
I am from South Carolina retired from BMW so used to hearing English with their accent. Even worked in Oxford for Mini for about 6 weeks. I need subtitles to understand your buddy 😂. Enjoying the channel.
unless I'm going on a day hike, I always carry a heavy pack full of gear and camera equipment. My empty rucksack weighs almost 5kg, and when it is full of heavy equipment it can weigh anything from 20kg to 45kg, which is certainly a load on the back when climbing almost vertically up mountainsides. I value quality over weight, and in almost all cases, heavier materials will outlive thin, fragile, ultra-lightweight materials. Winter ❄️🗻 always means heavy packs due to extra clothing, although I often take winter down bags and clothing to the high peaks during summer, due to the high possibility of changeable weather, or being hit by a sudden storm.
Hope your Deluxe works better than mine, under a year old and the valve didint close properly and the piezo took maby 8-15 attempts before it worked. Send it back and bought the SOTO Windmaster, that one works like (almost) 90€ water heater should work😅
I like too add my thoughts, this interview was very interesting too listen to two experience people casually talking about something they have a honest interest in , Paul this is a new way to talk a bout hiking.it would be a good thing to interview other TH-cam bloggers out in the field, sit them down and slowly getting answers about there love for wild camping, well done 👍
😅That's a brilliant idea OTWS; that format would certainly grab my attention.
Great show... Camping/Backpacking is sort of like taking pictures. Once you familiarize yourself with your camera and gear, you will finally start to take really nice pictures and have fun doing it. You really don't need much to get great images. Camping/Backpacking I believe to be the same. Dang I'm envious of that cool weather. 93 F at 6pm here. Thanks for the video!
Been following for a year or two. Really enjoying the videos and advice. You help us to spend our money wisely;)
Really interesting and insightful stuff. Much appreciated. Only thing missing was a camp fire (maybe a camp stove in the foreground) since you can’t be lighting fires when wild camping. Paul, you’re a legend.
Nice chat over gear.
Everyone really needs to do their own research. It's best to get out there (with any gear) & see if you take to wild camping first, because a lot of people find it isn't for them.
Next is routes & navigation for me. That's my particular weak spot.
Love the chats between you and Andy.
Nice to see you with a smile again my friend 👍
I'm Looking forward to the next one, keep up the great graft 🙏
Enjoying this format and getting more of an insight into you two! I have so much spare gear I just turn up at my mates house, tell him to grab his boots, we're going camping! as I've packed him a bag with a full set up in it made from all my extras 🤦♂️
Great work Paul. You pair go well together 👍🏼
Hit the nail on the head. Costs for everything through the roof! But I also can’t resist kit/gear. Even love the research. Drive myself mad with the finer details. Then when I get something, if there’s something on it that’s not explained anywhere, I need to know what it is haha. Might be a small loop or bit of material and I’m like, what’s that for, need to find out!
Cycling/Fishing yep, all the same! The kit I’ve got for Carp fishing is ridiculous. I vowed never to get a barrow, but just can’t carry the kit for even a single night’s fishing 🥴
There’s some stupidly over priced gear about, but often go back to basics and it’s still great.
We love the kit though don’t we, but whether it’s cheap or more expensive, long as we’re happy and enjoying it 👍🏼
Cheers,
Gary.
Great vid and nice to hear views of such experienced people. I wish I had the same positive opinion of Rab though but after being told I was lying about how the plastic fasteners on a down jacket had melted (they melted in the dryer), I’ll never pass up the opportunity to slag off their customer service. I’m still disgusted by it years later.
Balls to what else everyone else has said. Its all down to personal preference. If your comfortable, warm and enjoying pitching a tent in Odin' knows conditions and if it costs £15 or £1500, all that matters is your enjoying the experience.
Really good point that extreme tents are worse in the majority of conditions
This was an excellent conversation chaps.
I got a Vango Nevis 300 for my first tent, it was pretty good, bit heavy and bulky but good. I've now got a Vango Helium UL1, it's a lot lighter and less bulky, sacrificed a bit of space inside but as long as I keep my stuff tidy then there's plenty space.
Just paused the video on recommending a good starter tent. I did a lot of homework looking for mine, and for the price couldn't find anything better than the Robens Starlight 2. Cost me £180. Flysheet has 5,000HH waterproofing and the floor is 10,000. Had it over a year now, very happy with it and can't think of any negatives. There's a "washing line" that goes across the inside, rather the lengthways as with most tents that have them, great for hanging a tablet for watching films!
If you're out for a walk, fancy a quick brew, Gas is the way. But if you're on a trek and a camp, no rush, alcohol is so nice, so quiet and weighs nothing, 300g for an xboil setup.
I am so jealous, listening to you guys chew the fat over years of wild camping and the the kit you've used in the past and present is so informative in a stress free format, and your up a hill doing it🙂I'm 53 and when I uncle started taking me walking at weekends up Wales, Scotland and the lakes at the age of 16 I loved it. The one thing that has always stuck in my mind was going past 1 or 2 little tents pitched around around Stickle Tarn in the morning as we set off up Pavey's ark. Looking back I should have started years ago. Eh ho, i've started in the last few years, not done loads but it's growing, best one night great gable in winter, this Saturday was a night over looking Dovedale. Keep up the good work.
Great for you Paul, take no notice, enjoy life and look forward to your marriage to Jo.
Great to see you back out & enjoying your camps again in your last couple of videos, Paul. I realise they won’t all be like this, but I’ve really enjoyed listening to you & Andy just having a chat, nice one 👍
That was a really enjoyable video to watch the chat you two had, great to hear from all your experience. I’m still very new to it all. My first experience was in my roof tent with my kids and then a few in my own in random places throughout the U.K. Now I’m I’m car camping in an estate car to see my kids but planning a wild camp on Dartmoor. Like you said you had in the beginning Paul I’ve got some bushcraft gear and military gear also but it’s not light as it’s all in and around my vehicles but now I’m having to look at smaller lighter gear for time away from the car. Problem I have is I’m not a small chap and I want comfort so finding it hard to get light weight packable gear. I bought a 3 man tent for me and the two kids, set it up in the garden to test it & I found I took up half the tent and wouldn’t have been room for my kids, I had to send that back 😬 Is there such thing has a lightweight 4 man tent or do I just accept the fact that it’s heavy and no good for back packing?
@johnny 71c Thanks for that Johnny, I did get a tent in the end it’s a Gonex 4 man lightweight tent with alloy poles from Amazon at just over 3kg. I’ve yet to try it out so fingers crossed. Hoping to do a wild camp in a couple days with the kids.
My view about seam sealing is if you are worried about it you've probably bought the wrong tent for you. There are so many ready to use tents that are amazing
Great video. I recently bought the Hilleberg Soulo, and if I’m being honest, I probably won’t use it in weather anywhere near that it is capable of handling. I bought it for piece of mind if the weather did change drastically from what was originally forecast. Buying outdoor gear is an addiction it’s a fantastic feeling when u arrive home from work to find your parcel. Then trying to explain to the wife why u need the said item 😂
That was a really pleasant video. Paul, I thought you did a great job of getting the topics to talk about, posing the questions, and keeping the conversation flowing. Was pleasant to listen to whilst doing other things, there might be a podcast in there somewhere, chats with different people about loads of stuff, but it'd probably be a heck of a lot of work.
Great to see your passion flowing again ❤️
This was such an amazing conversation. Thanks lads
Loved this vid and the last one you did together. You're both so calming and so spot on, like hearing my own thoughts echoed. It's therapeutic to watch and I'm guessing for you too. Hope you're doing OK, but always here if u need owt. ATB 🙎♀️&🐕
I like it, about the clothes. I’ve not spent any money on going out gear for 3 years and when I go to my wardrobe I have to question myself what I wore last time I was out. But you look to the right there’s all my outdoor gear🤣
I agree with Andy on this one, I've swopped out the guys on a load of tents for personal preference. Cricket, Duomid, Plex Solo, Trailstar, Luxe Hexpeak, Southern Cross 1, Scarp 2.
Personally I prefer longer guylines, enjoyed the video, like the new content 👍👌
Love listening to you two chat , is this going to be a regular thing ?
I'm 6'4 I have a lanshan 2 pro and it's still a bit small for me sleeping diagonally. I don't think tents are generally made for people my height.
I'm the same just ordered a Durston x midd looks to be longer
I bloody loved that video. Don’t know what it says about me but I could have listened to you two talking about gear for ages. Very refreshing from the usual epic music and drone footage….nothing wrong with that mind but really enjoyed this one Atb.,
Great discussion about gear. Budget gear gets better every year; just replace it qs it wears out. My major upgrade was being able to take the dog.
Well done Paul. fantastic video again with Andy. it's nice to see a smile on your face. I think you should do one or two more like that.
Thanks for sharing an honest look at the hype and the reality of gear.
What tent is this again?
You would think that in this day and age of technology, we could rely on a tent to be waterproof, as a minimum…⛺️ Respect to you Paul 👍
Really enjoyed this lads....bit different for the good, full of knowledge! No nonsense honest Andy 💯
Regards boots I have a long narrow flat feet with a tendency to roll my ankles, I spent a few days driving to different stores like decathlon, go outdoors, snow + rock, Cotswold outdoors and finally Ellis Brigham in Manchester trying on boots. I finally fell in love with the LA Sportiva TX5 GTX boots, the best pair of shoes I have ever owned.
Was great to listen through all the wisdom the lads have picked up over the years.
Another gem. Thanks Paul and Andy. I can identify with you both and your journey as well as the foibles you both have.
Like you, there are some brands that are always in your adventures Rab, Mountain Equipment, Montane to greater or lesser degree and the rest you flirt with for a while because it caught your eye on TH-cam or in a sale.
100% I'm total opposite to this, I've still got and use budget gear from when I started but I started with a hammock/tarp and a polish lavvu then I got a old vango force ten mk2 fw and I've just built up kits around each shelter over the years for different styles of trips and now other than wanting to upgrade my pack I'm pretty happy with my gear. Granted I do have a few flash bits of kit I didn't "need" but they were 100% worth every penny/gram
Excellent video. TBH I just listened- worked well as a podcast.
Really enjoyable and full of sensible facts.
A must watch for all, especially those who are new / about to start.
Nice chat. I think with gear it largely depends what sorta camping you do. If you only parking up the car and then walking a few miles up a mountain it won't be a major disaster if gear should fail on you. You just gotta walk back to the car.In that case it's just not worth buying the most expensive gear.
But if you multi day hiking 700 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere you are completely relying on your gear. So it pays to get something reliable. So do your homework thoroughly and learn from others.
Great to see you out and about Paul!
Really enjoyed listening to you both.
Liked the easy-going style of this vid, and genuine thoughts/thought processes regarding gear👍
I get most bang for buck whilst learning something new. That is the key. A new hobby/interest, lots to learn, skills to acquire, things to try, seeing what others do. We are all prey to confirmation bias I guess too! As experience is gained, the thrills can level off and new thrills are sometimes not such easy pickings. Chasing new gear may result in micro-learning experiences, but beware diminishing returns… can be a costly way of re-living that elusive “fix” that came effortlessly and relatively cheaply whilst learning!
Keep up the interesting and varied content on your channel, Paul🙂. I particularly liked the opening and closing parts of the vid by the way, the splendour that gets us all (who doesn’t like a good view?) and the bare bones reality that doesn’t always get published (miserable wet morning and gear to get packed up etc!).
Just bought my second vango soul 200 @ £45 I melted the goundsheet on number 1 by mistake, toppling over a hot, but off stove. These tents do all i want, after a poles upgrade.
Guys that was really fantastic. Love equally both of your choices of kit. I'm originally from between your homes. As we say you live in Hope and die in Bamford. Andy has the right idea with the alcohol stove (no noise) the jet boil basically sounds like a jet. The terra pants are great value for money........ I'm just getting to grips with the scarp 1...... Ps you two are the best and informative guys on TH-cam. Keep it up
Enjoyed this vid Paul, and the format I feel worked well. Hope you are feeling better and enjoying yourself again.
Let's get back on track a superb informative piece a natural pairing you and the Beaver.
I can understand purchasers sorting their own guy-lines and locks, but I think all tents should be seam-sealed on arrival.
I must admit some tents Iv swapped out guy lines and most tents I don’t use the peg suppled, but your so right about seam sealing, wouldn’t entertain buying a tent to waterproof it my self for cod sake
I really enjoyed that chat Paul. Top video.
👍
this was great! I have been a subscriber for over a year, and this video made it seem like I was out there camping with you. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Paul
Totally loved you and Andy going through your thoughts and kit.
Was a great vid
Atb Graham 👍
Good one Paul. Interesting to hear the thinking of experienced campers like yourself and Andy.
I loved this. Better than magazine-style reviews. Much of the toxicity in this community is "X is better than Y" like kids saying "Man United is better than Liverpool" and really tiresome - I thought this chat between the guys was way more mature than those such conversations and very refreshing. Each to their own though, Paul will never be able to please everyone.
👍 with the time lapse. Cheers for your hard work and sharing your enjoyment on the hill.
I'm on my 2nd of those msr stoves Paul, 1st one fell apart and replaced under warranty. MLD is nice to have and use.
You mentioned the Six Moons Skyscape Scout Solo Tent
Could you further comments on it
how was it
Totally agree with what you're saying I've refused to join the Hilleberg Scarp bandwagon. Total overkill ... Also when everyone rushed out n bought Hilleberg Soulo during lockdown and they ended up on back order with a year wait... I always think the people who really do need them n would use them can't buy one because some dude who camps in a wood once a year and it lives in a cupboard had to have one.
Need subtitles when you fellows are having a chat. Automatic CC works surprisingly well.
If you pay what could be big money (dependimg on your budget) for a tent it should come seam sealed properly.
No. If they’re sil nylon you seam seal them. If you do it properly they shouldn’t leak.
Almost all sil nylon tents are self seal.
Best interview on camping gear ever..