Tent and Stove advice - OT in Jan.

[Ehow84]

Hi all,

My boyfriend and I are planning to do the OT over new year and are planning to upgrade our tent for the walk. I want something light weight (about 2kg), room for two plus some gear in the tent. I'm really worried about reliability and performance in stormy weather. We're also on a budget so can't afford the MSR hubba that I would love!

We're looking at the Black Wolf Grasshopper - any advice or experience with the brand/tent or other suggestions would fantastic and greatly appreciated!

On a side note, I'm also trying to decide on getting a Trangua 27 cooking set. One blog I found was really pro-trangia and I've used one many years ago and liked it. But having read some discussion threads on this wiki, I'm not so sure... I want something efficient with easy to find/carry fuel.

Cheers,
E.

[Son of a Beach]

The Trangia is an excellent stove, although I would only buy it with the gas option these days (not the method version). However, it is quite heavy. I only use the Trangia if I'm using it to cook for a large group, or if I'm planning to do some serious cooking for a medium sized group. It's very good for real cooking, but substantially heavier than most of the alternatives.

For most walks, these days, I use a 60g Kovea Supalight stove, which screws onto the top of a gas cylinder. You would also need to buy a pot and buy/make a windshield to go with this kind of stove though (my wind shield is a cut out and bent piece of this alfoil from a disposable baking dish).

I'm not familiar with the tent you mentioned, but most tents would be sufficient for the Overland Tack. You just need to weigh up your budget with your other requirements (size, weight, strength, reliability, etc).

PS. I'm going to move this topic to the 'Equipment' forum, as it's more about the gear than about the track.

[Erica]

I've heard that my tent, the Mont Moondance 2, is a rip off of the MSR Hubba Hubba... maybe worth investigating? I love it. But then it is pretty small. I don't know much about the Black Wolf brand, but have heard that their tents are pretty good for the price.

I'm with Nik about the Trangia, they're great stove but have so many bits and bobs they're pretty heavy. Additionally, if you're just getting the Metho version then they can be really really slow to boil compared to the gas alternative (and other stoves out there). Personally I don't actually have a stove (have been scabbing off family...) but I wouldn't be getting a metho trangia (just too damn slow). My boyfriend has the gas adaption and I love it with that. On the plus side, trangias seem to be indestructible and the stove of choice for many schools (in my experience). If you're looking for something with easy to find fuel then the shellite stoves seem to be the most adaptable (as they will run on most things, or so i hear) but gas canisters are easy to find in most of the world, and not a problem in australia.

Erica

[abmacus]

I'm with Nik about the Trangia, they're great stove but have so many bits and bobs they're pretty heavy. Additionally, if you're just getting the Metho version then they can be really really slow to boil compared to the gas alternative (and other stoves out there). On the plus side, trangias seem to be indestructible and the stove of choice for many schools (in my experience). If you're looking for something with easy to find fuel then the shellite stoves seem to be the most adaptable (as they will run on most things, or so i hear) but gas canisters are easy to find in most of the world, and not a problem in australia.

Erica

Ive just bought a Hubba Hubba. Yet to use it but heard great reports from my son who works in outdoor education and several of his work colleagues. I will be field testing it in Dec on the overland track.
Ive had a metho trangia for a few years now. Its one of the hard anodized versions, with 2 one liter pots and a frypan/lid. http://www.trangia.se/english/5615.27_series_ul_ha.html

Ive found it wicked. I was in one of the huts on the Routeburn tracks in May this year and it was like a BHP blast furnace with several MSR Rockets and other boilers going on. I gave a couple of Welsh guys some of my boiling water to clean up their MSR burner as it was completely blocked and needed cleaning after their pasta boiled over and blocked the jets. Time isnt really an issue, wack the lid on makes it quicker. The bonus of having 2 pots and the frypan and everything being able to fit together as a neat package is awesome. I have a cutting board/strainer, matches, scourer, dishwashing liquid all stuffed into the trangia.
I have a mate who has the stainless steel skin over aluminium version. He can boil about 2 liters, puts it into his neat little platapus water bladder which has a mini shower head attachment. By the time he has finished his shower we have already heated up water in the other pot ready for ours. Works a treat! I cook up a wicked chorizo and cous cous meal when walking with my mates as the lid is a great frypan!
I reckon the trangias are the BomB (in a good way)
I also have a Kovea Titanium Ultralight Performance Hiking Gas Stove which is good but I found that I kept having half filled gas bottles left over and that I needed to be extra careful with balancing my pot on top. I still use it if I head off on my own for a one nighter with a packet of 2 minute noodles.

Cheers

Abmacus

[Gusto]

Since you mentioned that you love the hubba hubba it's worht you check out this tent. http://www.luxeoutdoor.com/eng/catalog-topic-gallery-view1.asp?id=1126&selfpath=/12/134 Locally in Aust it's would about $370. Online, ebay from Hong Kong it's about $200 posted

[etrangere]

I've seen a BlackWolf Grasshopper at one of the local Anaconda shops. I confess to being a bit of a gear snob at times but I was very impressed with it. For someone budget conscious I think they look like an excellent option. Easy to erect, freestanding and very study, I placed a fair bit of downward force on the roof which it coped with easily.

http://www.backpackinglight.com.au/prod36.htm

[mjdalessa]

In America you can get the MSR Hubba Hubba for between that price and $300

[Ehow84]

Thanks all for your advice!! I found an MSR hubba for under $300 on amazon and am excitingly waiting for its delivery!

[ignavus davus]

found an MSR hubba for under $300 on amazon and am excitingly waiting for its delivery!

Is it a hubba or hubba hubba (the hubba is 1 person)? Either way, the price is good - US suppliers won't normally ship MSR products to Oz (part of the agreement with MSR so they can massively hike their prices for the Australian market) so you've done well to find someone who will.