Comments by "Jack Voss" (@jackvoss5841) on "MyLifeOutdoors" channel.

  1. 45-50 years ago I had a Coleman tent, an 8’X10’ family tent. It was a single wall tent made of Egyptian long staple cotton. Moisture breathed through to the outside. Two adults and 2 grade schoolers, plus wet towels and swim suits were dry and comfortable. But the tent and frame were quite heavy. My guess is that the wool felt yurts in Mongolia are similar. No internal sweating. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  2. The REAL lesson here, is that we have some choices. We didn’t used to have the many choices that we have now. Any one of nearly any other of the tents out there are pretty darned nice. When we have to use small comparison points between Exhibit A and Exhibit B, we are in a privileged group. Just my thoughts. But, they’re pretty much true. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  3. In the Great Lakes areas, it’s different than when I camped in the Sierras. A “relatively high” spot of ground is important. An inch or two of elevation can help prevent sleeping inside an invasive water bed. EVEN ground can be both important to good sleep, and a detriment to good sleep. I often scoop out a 1” deep hip hole. It can make up for an air mattress that isn’t quite thick enough. The next step, after scooping out a hip hole, is to scrape away all debris from the area that will be under the tent, and in the entry way./s. That is both to protect my tent, and my sleep. I do not waste my time, money, or energy carrying a footprint for under the tent. They only prolong the inevitable leaky tent floor. Already knowing that my tent floor cannot be depended to be water proof, I work to protect myself. I make and use a visqueen plastic “bathtub” for inside the tent. Hardwares sell large sheets of visqueen. Cut a piece that is about 6”-8” longer AND wider than your tent floor. Fold up the edges and miter the corners. Secure each folded corner with duct tape. This bathtub goes into the tent first. Several campsites and rainstorms have conspired to let me see water puddled - or flowing - in my tent, but UNDER the bathtub. I, and my gear, were dry. If you have to pitch on sloping ground, pitch to sleep ALONG the topographical line, not ACROSS it. Then stuff clothing and gear along under the downhill side of your sleeping bag. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  4. Tooth paste replacement - baking soda. Also makes a nice paste on bites & stings. Light weight sandals - Crocs. Good for wet work in watery terrains. Pot holder - bandanna. Good cooler when dampaned. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  5. Water can be treated by (1) boiling, (2) filtering, or (3) purifying. Both boiling and filtering do only a partial job. Purifiers do the most complete job. (Thar’s why they’re called “purifiers!”). After only a few minutes of vomiting and diarrhea are enough to convince most folks that a purifier is worth a few extra bucks. Some take, say, an hour of puking and (other uncomfortable activities) to get the message. And, of course, a few will never learn. Each of us are free to choose for ourselves. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  6. I like your methodical, analytical approach to situations. You narrow the fields of examination down to a very few options, all of which are rational and good. Thanks. I like the advice that you offer. (But - like any self respecting maverick - I still make my own choices. It used to irk my Dad.) Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  7. I camp in weather that is from near freezing temperatures, on up. I use only a 3/4 length pad. I don’t need a pad below my knees. In 65 years of camping, me feet did get chilly 3 times, I placed my seat pad under my feet, and dozed on. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  8. JMHO: A camp,chair should seat us at normal chair height. A seat that was designed to be comfortable to a pre school child simply doesn’t hack it. Even a $25 kindergarten chair that sells for $125-$150. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  9. I watch to learn knowledge, and about skills. Watching somebody walk along, burdened by a backpack isn’t all that fascinating. I camp from a canoe, kayak, or motorcycle. We use the same or very similar gear. Our personal experience varies, so our favorites of gear will vary. Gear is usually a situational fit. plus, we all have our own opinions. Kind of a similar situation with knowledge and skills - except they weigh a lot less. Happy trails to you, mate. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  10. About 30 years ago, I bought a hooded rain jacked, and rain pants. Both were Goretex garments. They were water proof for a few years. Then, they were magnetic to water. After several years of various treatments, I discarded them. I now wear a light weight plastic jacket, and pants. As a trail buddy of mine sez: “Rain gear won’t keep you dry. But it can help to keep you warm.” That assessment applies to every piece of rain gear I have ever seen. Period. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  11.  @nedanother9382  G’day, Neda. I understand your confusion. Here’s my train of thought. All tent floors will leak or seep water; if not today, just wait. Most of them not when new, but will with use. A bit longer if a good footprint is used. I have had brand new tents that weeped or seeped in nonrainy weather, so that water droplets covered the floor. Tent floors will leak or seep right through the fabric. Or water can enter through seams or sidewall fabric when standing or flowing water is around the tent. I scrape away debris from the tent site before laying out the tent. This helps to protect both the tent and my air mattress. Lotsa junk in campgrounds. Lastly, I’m more concerned about protecting the camper (me) than the tent. The plastic bathtub has served to do that several times. When, not if, a tent didn’t meet expectations, the bathtub does. I strongly concur about the Sierras.. I was up around Route 49, Foresthill, Lady Canyon, and Ruck-A-Chucky Rapids. My best to you. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  12. Two suggestions that I have used. (1) Wear wool socks. Wool does not support bacterial growth. (2) wash the boots in warm, sudsy water. I use the washing machine! This removes the cause of the problem..Then air dry the boots. DO NOT put them in the drier. Once dry, you can reapply neatsfoot oil to the leather. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  13. Wool is another way to get there. And, a combination of wool and down is a very good option. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  14. Quirky? Or, eccentric? I think that you have to be rich to be eccentric? The rest of us are just crazy. I guess. And - a sane friend is a waste. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  15. Sleeping bags can be trusted to be over rated. Often by about 20 degrees F. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  16. CHAIR: Yes, I take a chair. A chair has a seat at normal chair height. I don’t use chairs that are kindergartener height. Period. And it has a back, so it isn’t a stool. Roll-A-Chair sells nice ones that don’t remind you of where the teacher would sit you when attending a teacher conference for your small child. UGH!!! Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  17. I’m pretty unconcerned about whether a camp stove heats water in 3, 4, 5, or 10 minutes. In camp I’m relaxing. Speedy time isn’t an important part of the equation. I don’t buy shoestrings by the time it takes me to tie them either. There are interesting things that I can be doing while water is warming up to, say, 190 degrees. Which takes less time and fuel than a full boil. Also, it cools to drinking temperature more quickly. Birds, butterflies, knots in trees, etc draw me away from a stopwatch. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  18. What is an undulating jacket? Did spell correction change “insulated” into “undulating”? Or, are there jacket types about which I don’t know yet? My best to you. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  19. Good call on thinking through these choices. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  20. Price $450 on Amazon 19 Apr 22. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  21. I’m curious. Why do you say that a sagging silnylon is better than a nonsagging silpoly? The rest of the tenting community is thinking in the other direction. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  22. I like your analytical thinking process. Here’s a suggestion that was recommended to me by Cliff Jacobson. In my experience, he is correct. All tent floors either already leak, or will. A footprint - no matter how much overpriced they are - can prolong the leak starting. But seldom prevent the final onset of seepage and leakage. The emphasis here, should be to PROTECT THE CAMPER, NOT THE TENT. A cheaper, more effective approach is to get a piece of visqueen plastic drop cloth. Measure the tent floor, and cut a piece of visqueen that is 4” longer, and 4” wider than the tent floor. Fold up a 2” high edge on each side and end; miter each corner; and secure the folded corners with duct tape. You now have a waterproof bathtub to use inside the tent. In several camps, I have had rain seep, soak, or leak in. It ran between the plastic and the floor. I and my gear remained dry every time. When the plastic does get a pinhole, duct tape on both sides is a temporary patch. A new piece of plastic starts you out all over again. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  23. There are a lot of nice tents available today. Physical differences of only a few ounces and an inch or two. This appears to be one of the good ones, and above midrange of price. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  24. HMM. A few years ago, it was reported that a large, underground fungus growing in Michigan’s upper peninsula was the oldest, largest living thing on earth. I’m not interested in competition here. I’m interested in all of Mother Nature’s phenomena. Well, maybe not the snakes and mosquito parts? 😏 Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  25. Here’s a thought about airplanes flying overhead. We should say “Thanks!” Every time. They are OUR aircraft with peaceful intentions. That’s not the case all over the world. And, if silence was that critical to you, this video wouldn’t have been narrated. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  26. Favorite tent, Durston X-Mid 1p version 2 Favorite water PURIFIER (not an only partial-job filter) First Needs Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  27. My experience with ponchos was disappointing. They drip onto pant legs from the knees down to the toes. Then, as I walked, it wicked upwards, reaching my belt loops. In the meantime, if there’s any wind, it flapped around - once in a while becoming a sail. I gave it away to a guy whom I didn’t particularly care for. Goretex jacket and pants was my next try. When new, they kept out the rain, AND kept in in the sweat. As they age, water from the outside started to join sweat on the inside. Upshot: Goretex - and likely other “breathable” treatments - don’t work. As proof of that, when the rain starts to come inside, the professional advice is to “treat the fabric to restore water repellency”. HELLO! That is the job of the manufacturer - NOT the purchaser. Here is the sum of over 50 years of experience on various rivers and trails in rainy weather: rain gear will not keep you dry. It can help to keep you warm. So, for half the price - or less - I now have plastic rain gear. I do not back pack any more. At 85, I camp with a canoe or a motorcycle. So, I also carry a rainfly, under which, a candle lantern can dry me out. Other people will have reached different conclusions. We will all get wet together when it rains. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  28.  @Andy-Mesa  G’day, Andy. Each makes their choices. My best to you. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  29. Whether we choose to enjoy ourselves, or choose to misery ourselves, it’s OUR choice. Bad gear is a distraction from our trains of thought. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  30. Your analyses translate well into my costs for canoeing and camping. A problem is: “the gear we left behind us”. Previous tents, footwear, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, jackets, etc etc. sigh In some gear categories, I’ve done “not bad”. (NOTE: not really sterling either. But, not bad). In other gear categories, I have a fairly well populated trail of “previously best gear”. A trend that I can see only by looking back, is that my gear is working its way back toward the fewer, simpler things that I started out with 60 years ago. The fewer part, doesn’t offset the more expensive part. But, it’s at least a step in the right direction. another sigh Thanks for looking at this in a “cost per trip per year” format. Also, thanks for including the costs for only the gear currently being used, If we include costs for ALL of the gear we have. . . . . WELLLLL, we really don’t wanna do that, do we. 😌 Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  31. Carrying duct tape: I cut out a piece from a smooth side of a plastic (or cardboard) milk carton. A piece about 2” wide, and 4”-6” long works nicely. Wrap on a few yards of tape. The bundle is bendable, and packs in small places. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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  32. Speed of boiling water should be a weighted value; a low weighted value. It deserves less weight than other considerations. When you’re sitting around camp anyway, the value of a couple or three minutes is low. Conservation of fuel is a more important consideration. So is availability of fuel. Those two areas should have heavier weights. Soot on a pot can be easily contained in a cloth bag. Another low weighted consideration. Heavier weight should be applied to performance in wind. WHY was the pre-warming operation of a white gas stove botched so badly? Flames that high are from poor technique - carelessness or on purpose. Leading me to have doubts about your ratings. Not a good job here. You are capable of better work. I have seen you do much better. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
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