The Joys of Picking a Tent and Sleeping Bag

History:

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I am not doing a product review; this is simply what I bought for my endeavor.

I have spent many of nights “camping out” as a youngster my family would go camping at Glacier National Park, and other areas around Montana.  The church that we attended would have annual camping trips on Memorial and Labor Day weekends.  I’d go out with the Cub Scouts or the Boy Scouts for a weekend here or there.  These were great times!  I didn’t have to worry about a tent at all.  My dad took care of it.  Once I got older, I would use the family tent.  No big deal.  Put it up, take it down, put it back up to dry out, take it back down and store for next time.  Take care of a tent and it will take care of you!  THEN I joined the Army!  During Basic I did get a tent, well half a tent, my buddy had the other half.  That was a very cramped two-man tent.  Needless to say, that was the ONLY tent that was issued to me.  The Army does have tents.  They are huge and sleep up to 20 people in them on cots.  Normally those tents were in a staging areas, once we left there we were left to fend for ourselves.  There is one thing the Army got right.  That is the sleeping bag!  That was a shelter in of itself!  I have slept many of nights on the ground under the stars, the falling rain, the ice-cold snow under and falling on top of me in Alaska.  That sleeping bag provided!  Then I got married and promptly went camping in the Great Smokey Mountains.  We bought a small 3-person tent that did us well.  We camped in it in the back yard with our sons and got a lot of years of use out of it.  I actually still have it.  I pulled it out for this endeavor. As I set it up in the living room, I quickly found that the tent has had its best use!  Our sleeping bags are the big summer sleeping bags that roll nicely into a big 3 foot by two foot 10 pound ball, so I knew a new sleeping bag was going to be purchased as well. Off to the internet I went!

Shopping

I quickly decided that I did NOT want to spend an arm and leg on a tent or a sleeping bag.  I wanted something not supper expensive, yet was light weight, easy to set up and take down, that the poles weren’t three feet long so they could fit into my backpack, mostly within my budget.  I surfed and surfed many sites and found several that fit my liking. The task was very daunting!  It took me a while to pick the tent and sleeping bag out.  I found a sleeping bag that came with a bug net built into it.  I bought it!  The Snugpack jungle bag weighs in at 32oz  I ended up getting the Eureka Midori 1 tent weighing in at 3 lbs and 11 oz.  Not bad!  I’m keeping the three main parts of hiking UNDER 10 pounds!

Delivery Day

After a few days of exciting and anxious waiting the tent and sleeping bag arrived! On the same day, at the same time, by two different carriers!  I was excited, the cats came out of hiding and were excited too!  They had boxes and shipping material to investigate!  I quickly unpacked them and set the tent up right there in the living room.  The first time setting up the tent took about 5 minutes.  The sleeping bag came out of its little stuff sack and has plenty of room in the tent.  I can lay in the tent with plenty of room at my head and feet.  I could easily put my pack in the tent to use as a headboard to keep my pillow in place. I need a headboard no matter what I don’t sleep well without one.  Taking it all down was very simple and took no time.  My son came home asked what it was.  We put the tent up in no time at all.  I am very happy with the tent.  I have gone on hikes/walks came home, set the tent up in the rain, in the dark with no problems.  I really am enjoying the tent.  It’s going to fullfill my needs.  I use a ponch as my footer so no water can get under.  The tent has the  normal part that is mostly mesh and then the rain cover.  This should make condensation less likely to form.  I’m still making good on weight.  THE SLEEPING BAG on the other hand. Yes its a jungle sleeping bag that says that it is good downt to 45/36 degrees.  I sleep hot, very hot, every night I have to get up to dry off type of hot.  Yes with a fan on!  When I have tried to sleep in it though I’m cold and it’s going to be cold in GA, NC, and TN along with ME.  So now I am back on the hunt for an additional sleeping bag.  I have found another Snugpack that goes down to 0 degrees.  I am planning on getting the Snugpack BaseCamp OPS Sleeper Expedition that weighs in at 92 ozs or 5 pounds next month.  That brings my sleeping weight to 10lbs.  I still have to get a sleeping pad and a backpack. The backpack that I am looking at is at REI and is just over 2 lbs.  I have not decieded yet on a mat. I am not wanting one that inflates.  SO now I am over weight on the main three.  Does this bother me?  NO I am use to carring heavy loads around for miles and miles. Yes a pound here and there does add up so I will have to carefull on the total weight.  Could I have gotten a differant sleeping system?  Probabley I would be really hot during the summer and freezing during the winter though.  I could send the heavier one home when it warms up.  OR I could use it as an additional sleeping pad!  I am going to go with that.  The thinking behind this is that I will need that warm sleeping bag once I hit Maine.  I can carry it and not inconvenience anyone.

That would be my tent and sleeping bag story for today.  Please if you could subcribe and follow along with me on this journey!