http://www.viewpoints.com/Camping-Outdoors Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:04:17 GMT Reviews about Camping & Outdoors http://www.viewpoints.com/REI-REI-Trekker-1-75-Self-Inflating-Pad-review-339e5 Need a new sleeping pad for your camping trips?  The REI Trekker 1.75 Self-Inflating Pad isn't a bad choice.  It's lightweight, easy to carry and does a decent job at providing you with a comfortable surface for a good night's sleep while camping. Featuring a heavy-duty polyester bottom that helps protect it from wear and tear, the top of the mattress is a non-slip polyester surface, so your sleeping bag doesn't slip and slide its way across the mattress while you are trying to sleep.  I've found both to work well - the mattress does well on rough surfaces without damage and in generally, my sleeping bag stay put on top of the mattress. — When it comes to use, all you have to do is open up the air valve and unroll the mattress and since it is self-inflating, it will fill itself up.  I do tend to add a bit of extra air though with a few puffs through the valve to give it some extra firmness, but that's just my personal preference. — This isn't a pad for... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:04:17 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/REI-REI-Trekker-1-75-Self-Inflating-Pad-review-339e5 jps246 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cabelas-Fleece-Sleeping-Bag-review-538f10 Sometimes I've been on camping trips during the dog days of summer when it barely cools off at night. The last thing you want on a warm, summer evening is a heavy, confining sleeping bag to sleep in.  You'll feel like you are going to smother! Luckily I have sometimes been able to use this Cabelas Fleece Sleeping Bag, which is like a light blanket. — The Cabelas Fleece Sleeping Bag I have measures 34 inches across and 80 inches long. These are also sold in a 90 inch length.  It has a fuzzy, comfortable texture that is light enough not to be confining on warm nights, but also provides some covering if you don't like to sleep completely uncovered. — The metal zipper on this fleece sleeping bag is adequate but not the best I've ever seen. But on the bright side the zipper goes all the way down the side and all the way across the bottom. You can easily open-up the whole bag and use it as a wrap while sitting outside, as a blanket to lay on top, or even stuff it... Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:20:36 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cabelas-Fleece-Sleeping-Bag-review-538f10 JovialCougar 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Innovage-Super-Bright-White-LED-Lantern-review-2c272 The Innovage Super Bright White LED Lantern seemed like a good deal when I bought it.  The lantern has some good features, a nice appearance, and was on sale for just $9.99.  But after using the lantern for a while I'm not so thrilled with its performance. — On the bright side, the Innovage Super Bright White LED Lantern has twelve small LED lights imbedded in a tube in its globe.  The light level is adjustable with a dimmer switch that is very easy to turn. The lowest light-levels are almost useless but the highest level provides a passable amount of light for a small area. — This camping lantern is about 9 inches tall, silver and black in color, and has a handle with a rubber grip on top. The four D cell batteries are imbedded in the base, which is easily removed for replacing them.  There is a plug-in near the globe for an optional AC adapter so you can plug it into a standard 110 V. outlet. However, the adaptor plus is sold separately. — The... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:01:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Innovage-Super-Bright-White-LED-Lantern-review-2c272 JovialCougar 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Nikon-Action-16x50-Binoculars-7223-review-76b84 The Nikon Action 16 X 50 binoculars are great.  I do a lot of bow hunting and a good pair of binoculars are important to me.  I can see a long ways with them and they are crystal clear to look through.  I would recommend these to any hunter, or any one else.  They are truely  worth the money I paid for them.   ... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:11:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Nikon-Action-16x50-Binoculars-7223-review-76b84 greg8728 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Ozark-Trail-Portable-Fan-Light-review-54603 It's often warm when camping in the summertime and a fan can come in handy to cool things off. And you almost always need a light too – so how about combing the two into one product? This Ozark Trail Portable Fan/Light does just that, and in a compact size too. — The Ozark Trail Portable Fan/Light operates on 6 D-Cell batteries and has a rather compact 6" X 9" size. The fan/light has a sturdy plastic handle that also doubles as a support for propping-up it up. You can also unfold a plastic piece in the back that will serve as a base. The fan has 2 speeds and both the light and fan operate independently with small switches near the base. — I have found the Ozark Trail Portable Fan/Light most useful in the tent when camping. The fan is good for moving some air around when it is hot, and the fluorescent light is bright enough to read by – but not too bright to hurt your eyes. It's also useful to prop-up on the picnic table. — A few drawbacks to this... Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:18:17 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Ozark-Trail-Portable-Fan-Light-review-54603 JovialCougar 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/REI-Quarter-Dome-UL-Tent-review-50204 My daughter and I took the REI quarter dome UL on a 4-day backpacking trip.  I loved the light weight, the ventilation, and the vestibules for our boots.    She found the interior a little too small . The excellent ventilation was important in the hot nights of a Georgia summer.We had no rain, but the interior stayed dry when tested with an arching spray from a garden... Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:19:51 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/REI-Quarter-Dome-UL-Tent-review-50204 MiamiProfessor 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Emergency-Poncho-review-0ae44 If you spend much time outdoors hiking, camping, or biking you've probably been caught in the rain at some point. Real fun, huh? If you are close to shelter it's not too big of a deal, as long as the rain doesn’t last too long. However, if you are off on a trail and don't have protection from the rain, you are going to regret getting wet. That's why I carry Coleman's Emergency Poncho with me when I'm in the outdoors. — The Coleman Emergency Poncho is a once-size-fits-all plastic rain poncho that is folded into a 4" X 5" plastic package before usage. If you need the poncho, it can be quickly unfolded and pulled over your head for rain protection. The rain poncho has long sleeves and a hood as well. The plastic is very thin and lightweight, but does offer rain protection if needed. — The Coleman Emergency Poncho I have is dark green, and is also sold in red and blue. I paid about $2 for the rain poncho I just recently bought, which is a good investment for rain... Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:57:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Emergency-Poncho-review-0ae44 JovialCougar 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/First-UP-10-X-10-Gazebo-Tent-review-dc030 My sister in law is an aspiring photographer.  So in order to promote her business, she attends a few events during the year.  During this time she acts as a studio doing mini-sessions on the spot.  One of the best times was the Boo at the Zoo event held here in town.  Instead of setting up shop in the open air, where anything could happen (especially here in Michigan), she invested in a First-Up Gazebo Tent to shelter at least from the sun and rain.  Just a few weeks ago I attended an event with her where we used this little gem and it is perfect for the vender on the go.  First-Up is Easy-Up — Available for around $80 at Wal-Mart, The First-Up Gazebo Tent creates a 10' X 10' covered space (100 sq ft), packaged in a compact, wheeled travel bag.  This size is great since this is generally plot size most even locations give you.  It's also good for family gatherings during the summer as a place for everyone to get some shade.  The... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:19:54 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/First-UP-10-X-10-Gazebo-Tent-review-dc030 lilsquibb 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-5-in-1-Inflatable-King-Twin-Sofa-Air-Mattress-review-6fc12 What a rip off!!!  You know I was very stoked about this mattress/couch but was extremely disapointed this weekend.  I used it for the very first time this and the very first night I woke up on the floor because the mattress leaked all the air out.  I know the drill with air beds and always put a blanket down below it to prevent any sort of sharpness from touching my bed.  So I know the mattress was of bad quality and had nothing to do with my negligence.  Anyways, I had to deal with blowing up the mattress atleast twice a day and I was on a 5 day camping trip...how annoying.  So I tried calling Coleman because they say not to take the mattress back to the store.  After spending 20 minutes on hold a very rude customer service rep picked up...she gave me the directions on how to send everything back for replacement but refused to send me a prepaid label.  I must say that if you sell somebody a defective product and ruined their camping trip you... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:19:28 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-5-in-1-Inflatable-King-Twin-Sofa-Air-Mattress-review-6fc12 mobskee 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Texsport-15-Piece-Aluminum-Cook-Set-review-58ab0 If you are thinking about buying camping gear but don't want to spend too much money, Texsport may be a good brand to look at for some decent entry-level camping supplies. One such item they sell is the Texsport 15-piece Aluminum Cook Set. This basic camping cook set has enough items for up to four people, and is best suited for short camping trips. — The Texsport 15-piece Aluminum Cook Set has the following pieces: a 6 quart stew pot, a 1.5 quart cooking pot, a 6 cup coffee pot, and a 9 inch diameter frying pan.  There is a detached handle and lid as well. For tableware the kit has four plastic plates, cups, and a salt-and-pepper shaker.  I paid about $14 for my set a few years ago, and the price is closer to $20 now. — In general this cook set is best for campers that only use their gear for a weekend of two/year and don't do too much cooking. Why?  Everything is pretty cheaply made.  The aluminum isn't very durable and will start to get pit marks... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:01:33 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Texsport-15-Piece-Aluminum-Cook-Set-review-58ab0 JovialCougar 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-16-Piece-Polycarbonate-Tableware-review-9d7f7 For a long time I used cast-off silverware for eating utensils when camping. However, at some point I got tired of the packing the heavy metal utensils that were all mis-matched, clanged around a lot, and in some cases, were bent out of shape. That's when I decided to switch over to Coleman's 16 piece Polycarbonate Tableware for camping. — This set of camping tableware consists of four forks, spoons, knives, and soup spoons. The polycarbonate material is fairly lightweight (the whole set weighs about 7 ounces) and is stain resistant and dishwasher safe. The color is tan and they are packaged in a resealable pouch. — The Coleman 16 piece Polycarbonate Tableware is durable (would be very hard to break with normal use) and is nothing like the cheap plastic ''silverware'' you often see at picnics.  The knife even has a decent serrated edge. I guess my only complaint is that the soup spoon is pretty shallow. — I paid about $7 for the Coleman 16 piece Polycarbonate... Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:45:26 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-16-Piece-Polycarbonate-Tableware-review-9d7f7 JovialCougar 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Packtowl-UltraLite-Small-Towel-review-fbaf1 I like some creature comforts when I'm out on longer camping trips and the Ultralite Small Towel from Packtowl is one of those comforts.  While it's not a full-size towel, the fabric does let you dry yourself off fairly easily and because it's small and very compressible, it's easy to pack away in your backpack. — The towel only measures 9 inches in width and 20 inches in length.  In size terms, that means it's only slightly wider than a piece of paper and about as long as two pieces of paper top to bottom.  Not only is it small, its light too at only 0.7 ounces when it's dry. — The trick with this towel is that it is made from microfiber fabric.  This kind of fabric can absorb a  lot of water, so you can use it to dry completely off if you've gone swimming or otherwise gotten yourself wet. You simply use it to dry yourself until it's absorbed as much water as possible and then ring it out and continue drying yourself of.  When you're done,... Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:17:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Packtowl-UltraLite-Small-Towel-review-fbaf1 jps246 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cup-pour-ri-One-Cup-Coffee-Steeper-review-82998 Do you like coffee? Do you go camping? — Do you hate instant coffee? — Yes to all three, then get yourself the Cup.pour.ri One-Cup Coffee Steeper and all of your coffee wishes will be answered when you're in the woods.  — Think of the Cup.pour.ri as a fancy spoon.  It holds about one tablespoon worth of coffee and is made from a mix of solid plastic and mesh.  Just put the Cup.pour.ri, filled with coffee and with the lid snapped shut, into your cup of hot water and you'll be off and brewing fresh coffee while you're out in the woods.  The coffee brewing takes only a few minutes and depends on exactly how weak or strong you like it.  When you're done with the Cup.pour.ri, just pull it out of the cup, open the lid, dump out the coffee grinds and rinse it out.  You'll be ready to start making your next cup of coffee. — Since the Cup.pour.ri is made from fairly lightweight plastic, it can cracked or broken if you're not careful. ... Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:23:37 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cup-pour-ri-One-Cup-Coffee-Steeper-review-82998 jps246 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Fire-Sticks-review-3eb03 I have to admit, I've never taken the Coghlan's Fire Sticks camping.  I just don't find them to be all that handy.  Where do I use them then?  In my backyard.  I've found that they make the perfect fire starters for my outdoor fireplace where I don't want to spend too much time or effort starting a fire.  I've also taken these car camping so I can just put them in the fireplace at the campsite and get a fire going. — Coghlan's Fire Sticks are made from what seems to be compressed sawdust that is soaked with a waxy substance.  They are supposed to be non-toxic, but I wouldn't be licking them or anything like that.  I make sure I wash my hands after I handle them too.  The Fire Sticks are also waterproof, just wipe them off and they will light right up.  With the sticks, you can start a fire in two different ways. The first is to just light the stick and then stack small kindling wood over it until it catches the wood on fire. The other... Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:57:33 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Fire-Sticks-review-3eb03 jps246 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Mountain-House-Freeze-Dried-Garden-Green-Peas-review-51390 Do you like peas? — Do you go camping? — If you answer yes to both, you should get yourself some of Mountain House's Freeze Dried Garden Peas.  While they won't make a meal by themselves, they are a great addition to almost anything you can cook in the backcountry.  — Peas you sigh?  Hey, I take anything that can spice up my freeze dried meals, even if it's other freeze dried food.  At the very least, the peas add some color and a bit of taste to my meals, plus they bulk them up, offering a bit more food when you're eating after a long day of hiking.  I almost always throw them in with whatever mix I'm making for dinner. — You might think because they are freeze dried they taste different, but not really.  They taste just like peas.  The taste isn't as strong as if you were eating a fresh pea, but it is unmistakable.  The only problem I've ever had with them hasn't been taste, but texture, sometimes not every pea... Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:46:17 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Mountain-House-Freeze-Dried-Garden-Green-Peas-review-51390 jps246 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/GSI-Outdoors-Lexan-Plate-review-bb972 The GSI Outdoors Lexan Plate is pretty much unbreakable, is tougher than a similar steel or aluminum plate and doesn't transmit heat quite so quickly as they do.  Considering how light and strong this plate is, I have found it to be a great addition to my backpacking kitchen. — Once you buy one, you're not likely to need another for a very long time. Probably the only way you're really going to wreck the plate is to drive over it or hit it with a hammer. The lexan material is simply so strong it won't dent or scratch through normal use like a metal plate can. — There's not all that much to know about this plate in all honesty, but I'll try.  The plate is almost 10 inches in diameter and weighs about 6 ounces. That's comparable to most stainless steel camping plates, if not a bit lighter.  However, this plate is made from Lexan, which is very hard and very durable, and it's not likely to break, bend or scratch through normal use like some steel plates can.... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:35:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/GSI-Outdoors-Lexan-Plate-review-bb972 jps246 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Campmor-Pioneerware-24-Ounce-Enamel-Cup-review-25fb2 I grew up hiking and camping with these mugs, but honestly nowadays this enamel cup is best used for car camping and for drinking things at room temperature. — Why?  Modern materials really have passed it by in terms of strength, durability, weight and their resistance to heat. — What about this mug?  It's an enamel coated metal and is practically unbreakable, but the enamel can chip and you can dent it.  At about 6 ounces it's not much heavier than more modern replacements, but the real problem with this mug is the fact that the metal transmits heat so efficiently that you can't keep anything really hot in the mug for more than a few minutes. Not only that, the handle of the mug gets hot too from the heat transfer, making it hard to hold when you've first filled it with your hot liquid. — So if you have a hot drink, this mug becomes almost too hot to hold, while with room temperature or colder drinks, it works fine. — My Take — I... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:03:50 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Campmor-Pioneerware-24-Ounce-Enamel-Cup-review-25fb2 jps246 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Picnic-Tablecloth-Clamps-review-ff044 While you might think that Tablecloth Clamps are a silly and unnecessary addition to your car camping supply chest, I know better.  They really are handy, especially after your first night trying to keep the table cloth on the table when it's windy. — I put these clips in the category of "things in the world that you never realize how great they are until you try them."  For only about $2.50, these clamps make quick work of holding down your table cloth on a picnic table or any other table.  There's nothing all that complicated about these clips.  They just clamp over the tablecloth by pushing and sliding them over the tablecloth and then your tablecloth isn't going to go anywhere. — You'll get 6 of these clamps in a package and you'll generally find yourself using four (one at each corner of the table) in most conditions or all 6 (the four corners and one on either side in the middle) if it's really windy. — The clamps are made out of stainless... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:46:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Picnic-Tablecloth-Clamps-review-ff044 jps246 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/GlacierDave-Timberline-Thermalite-Self-Inflating-Sleeping-Mat-2-1-2-review-d82e3 For my upcoming trip to see my daughters I will be camping some of the time, so I have been getting gear together. One of my needs was a way to sleep on the ground in comfort but it has to pack on my V Star, so it has to be light and compact at the same time. The best I could find local at a reasonable price was 1 1/2" mats but they met the light weight part. So I searched Ebay and the prices were higher but I found a few lessor priced auctions and took my chances. — — I got beat out on about 2 dozen but I kept hoping I could catch one that would actually be cheaper than buying a 2 1/2" from a Brick and Mortar Store. I finally won one on a $38 bid and with shipping beat the stores around here by about $25 so I grabbed it. The 2 1/2" mats that I did find around here were going for around $70 and up! — — GlacierDave Timberline Thermalite 2 1/2" Self Inflating Sleeping Mat — — I have never heard of them but the logo looks exactly like a Coleman... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:43:46 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/GlacierDave-Timberline-Thermalite-Self-Inflating-Sleeping-Mat-2-1-2-review-d82e3 kid-kansas 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/TecNu-Oak-and-Ivy-review-dae52 I don't react to poison ivy, oak, or sumac, but my boys do. Same with their Dad. Also my Mom, brothers, sister, and most of the other relatives. I got the good genes on something. No allergy to poison plants. But, I do get to try to clear up these awful red itchy bumps and blisters, since that's what Moms do. — Kurt from the Nature Center told me about TecNu. I went in the Center, so he could show me what TecNu looks like. His was a big industrial bottle from Forestry Supply online. He said I could also find it at drugstores but in tubes. I went right on to the CVS and got a tube for my boys, one for their Dad and one for my Mom. — The way TecNu works is that it soaks up the poison oil to prevent outbreaks. So, it's not a treatment if you get poison outbreaks. They say not to put this on outbreaks that are open and draining. It's to use when you've come in contact with poison to keep from getting rashes. — All you do is squirt some TecNu out and rub it on skin... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:11:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/TecNu-Oak-and-Ivy-review-dae52 CyndiA 4