Prepping shed

As the final part of our move from the original home of Apocalypse Equipped Actual, we installed a garden shed in order to store my copious accumulated camping and prepping gear. No room in the new house or garage. My parents were kind enough to gift us this flat-pack, DIY ABSCO 3x3 shed. We built it over a couple of weekends, in a quiet corner beside the house, which was a nice project for me and my good-father. The shed consits of a frame to which pannels are afixed. Assembly is made easier with the help of pre-drilled holes and Absco’s patented SNAPTiTE technology that allows panels to lock into channels without the need for screws. (note, it came with screws and is screwed together, but self-tappers all the way.)

We found there was some manufacturing variance on the pre-drilled holes that needed occasional modification to set things secure and square. The shed is designed to be bolted onto a pre-poured concrete slab, but rental property constraints meant that we instead used a treated pine sleeper frame we anchor-plated together and bolted down to star-picket anchors we pounded into the soft ground. The bare grass we built over was covered in places by salvaged pallets or timber sleepers to set things upon. I put a long table in, along the back wall and a couple of ‘duckboards’ to avoid any seepage that might occur. 

I loaded my collected camping gear ( tents, sleeping systems, cookware and other needfuls, into some old ikea shelves on the table, and many, many stacked Tactical Milk Crates full of my other preps (canned goods, MRE's, and the like) that i'd collected before and during the Covid years. I also have spare tools, crockery and other super-numerate supplies. I also had a number as as-yet unpacked boxes of stuff from the previous house. Initially I just tetras-packed it all in, floor to ceiling in order to get it all in so I could free up other spaces and make them functional. This didn't lead to a very accessible and orderly storage system. 

A process of consolidation and rediscovery over a couple of sunny weekends enabled me to make a little more sense out of my collection, both for ease of access but also to make room to store more stuff and even use the space for additional supplies and furniture, like this cupboard unit, which makes for good assorted pack and kit storage (I have sleeping bags, hydration systems and some tools). 

I also managed to collect all our only occasionally used cold weather snow gear, as well as my various cammo outfits. Under the big table, I've been able to stack my foldable tactical crates. which makes good use of that space whilst having these easily available in the event of a bug-out or camping trip.

 The placement of the shed puts it in the shadow of our side fence and beside some trees and the back corner of our house. It's in the full daylight ark, but has some wind shelter. We placed it on a flat spot but the area is in a slight depression so the duckboards and pallets  keep all the stuff off damp ground. (I open the doors of windy/ sunny days to ensure it doesn't get too humid in there).

I'd noticed condensation on the roof and walls, so I made sure to space my stacks so there was some clearance on all sides (which also improves ventilation)and even though I have  a mix  of storage containers ( crates, chests and bags) I've managed to make an orderly store for my preps, in a safeish, dryish, dark place. I haven't yet put a thermometer in there. but I expect it gets pretty warm in there  (which will obviously affect shelf life of my food preps) but that's a next stage concern. 

How do you store and organise your preps?

 

Review: Go! Outfitters - Landing Pad

A well made tarp is a crucial bit of kit that every outdoors expedition could benefit from, be it rain or wind shelter, shade or just a dry and prickle free place o picnic upon. Though at times a 9  x 12 tarp may be a bit too much, especially if you're just planning for a bit of a trail hike. Then there is your gear, be it packs, cook gear, bedding or even boots at the end of a long day. If like me you prefer a slung hammock to a ground tent there is the question of what to do with your gear, if whatever fly system you have doesn't cover it. The clever people at GO! Outfitters came up with something to fit that niche, the Landing Pad.   

It’s made from durable 70D polyester, with a 1000mm waterproof polyurethane coating on the bottom and a silicone coating on the top for extra protection and easy clean up. This makes the Landing Pad extremely waterproof. 

 The Landing Pad is 137cm (54") in diameter and has eight stake loops and four sets of drawstrings with cord locks around its outer edge. It comes with a set of steel hook-style tent stakes in a draw string bag to stake it down as needed. At 137cm in diameter, the circle is big enough that 4 people could sit on it back to back or three facing inwards, if legs can be managed. Certainly big enough for a trail-side picnic or to drop bags and boots on whilst hopping into your hammock. Stake it down under your hammock for a soft place to step onto once you swing your legs over but before you put your boots on. 

The four drawstrings around the edge of the Landing Pad allow for the lips to be drawn up into a low bathtub to keep damp ground run-off out. It also allows for the whole circle be drawn up like a purse to wrap your gear in a highly water proof bag. Obviously the opening isn't covered, so don't be throwing it in a pool or leaving it under a waterfall. By pulling two opposing drawstrings the landing Pad converts into a gear hammock,  stretching 2.4m (7'10") overall with a 1m (3') hammock space. Though it can be drawn tighter doing so reduces the capacity. I would use it as an along-side sling, rather than bunk-style to keep things in reaching distance and act as a buffer.

 This drawstring rim also enables the Landing Pad to be fitted over a backpack to shelter it from the weather and could supplement a poncho to keep both you AND your gear dry.  I found it big enough to be able to wear it like a turtle-back poncho, covering my back, butt arms and back. Its even big enough that I could shelter under it like an umbrella when couched, staying totally covered. 

I found that the tan/brown material made for quite the unobtrusive "hide" when crouched down under it when just off-trail. It occurs to me that with an expanded hiking stick or appropriately padded branch you could make a small single pole shelter with the Landing  Pad, properly staked out.The Landing Pad, with stakes and stuff-sack weighs 285g (10oz) and by itself 15g (5.3oz) and packs down to a pocket sized 4cm X 13cm X 18cm (1.5" X 5" X 7").

More than compact enough to stuff in a pocket or day-pack when going for a hike to provide a clean dry spot to break on. I have two  ( one brown one charcoal grey) and they make for an easy addition to any adventure without adding excessive gear load.

Review: Great Outdoors Silver Grande 9L tent

Having an ultralight bivy tent is all good and well for a bit of  a solo over-nighter off the trail when ounces mean pounds, but there is also a time and a place for a big tent that will fit the whole family, and gear. Sometimes you need to go big, and one such biggness is the Great Outdoors Silver Grande 9L a four room, 9 person tent.We jokingly refer to this beast as the Tent Mahal. All told this huge tent weighs 29.7Kg (65.5 lbs) so its definitely more suited to back yard or drive-in camp sites, though i have carted it in to a couple of sites in a trolley and/or hand wagon. 

This rather palatial tent with measures 6.4m (21') in overall length (2.1 x 2.2 x 2.1) and 3m (10') wide in the middle, 2.15m at the end rooms. The front room adds another 2.1m to the width to a total of 4.3m (14'). The side rooms are a little bit shorter than the main central room, which tops out at a very respectable 2m15m (7') tall enough for me to stand and stretch in nay room, quite a luxury. Each room has a door out wide zippering allows for good clearance around the bathtub bottom of the tent. The three off-rooms all open onto the central room with a low-trip edge of similar width as the external doors for ease of access. 

The internal doors are made of the same lightweight and breathable fabric as the inner walls of the tent, and self-stow in fabric pockets beside each door.  Each outside door features a flyscreen outer, with the opaque option as an in-set. these all wrap up with their self-storing toggle and loop attachments. The interior is really very spacious and airy. The walls are at a high angle, so you maximize the available space, which is often lost in lower dome tents. The internal walls are all a very light, breathable material, and well fitted. 

Each of the off-rooms have window panels on the sides which can be rolled up to add airflow and views. Structure is provided by two sets of colour coded fiber-glass poles, and each is designed to slot into sleeves built into the inner shell, and mount on captive pegs attached to split rings, attached to the base, in the corners of the main room. These also have clip-on stays to keep the inner walls taut. The off-rooms each have a similar system, forming an arch over the external doorway. Plenty of peg-loops around the edges provides for a well pegged-down base. 

Each room features clips in the corners to suspend a light or string a clothes line to air out what have you. The main room has two "window" panels in the roof and the fly has two clear PVC panels corresponding for light and ventilation. The windows throughout make for a very well lit and comfortable home away from home. 

The main room has two zippered ports in the bathtub floor wall to feed power or other cables in without exposing yourself to too many bugs and critters. Perfect if you have a powered site, a generator or the like. You might even feed an LPG hose to a cooker if in-tent cooking was your thing, though I wouldn't recommend it myself. There are also two sets of four mesh pocket sewn into the main room walls for all manner of small items; phones, sunglasses, tissues, spare socks, gloves, caps. This little touch helps organize personal effects that might otherwise vanish until pack-up time. (I once "lost" a wallet, went as far as cancelling all my cards only to find it under the tent when we packed up). The fly is silvered on the inside which adds significant protection from the sun, and radiant heat, and as previously mentioned has clear PVC panels matching the windows on the sides and top of the inner layer. 

The zippers are set under a lip for rain shedding and have a reflective cord loop for easy pulling at night. Numerous guy-lines are built in to strategic locations and the ground- reaching corners feature a heavy-duty shock-cord loops for pegging it down. The "front door" has a door-matt built in, perfect for keeping muddy feet out of your nice clean tent. The fly features a pop-out pavilion with two poles to form an annex that is billed as being able to join up with the back-cabin of a truck or van, for even more enclosed space, though i haven't had the ability to try that out. I have managed to set the whole thing up on my own, under good conditions, but it's easier with help. I have set the fly up the wrong way around several times, prompting me to write on the corners of the fly and tent ("tab A, slot B" type notes for next time I set it up. The tent nominally fits in a light nylon carry bag, with carry and drag straps, and a wheeled base, but I have had great trouble re-packing it every time. 

After use, I like to lay the fly out to dry, ( and the inner, too,inverted if possible) if space and time allows to have it dry for pack-down. In summary this is a great tent, spacious, roomy and airy, but its very large and heavy. With all the pegs in place, and well guy-lined down, the chain-of-domes structure is very stable in even quite high winds, and in the light rains I've had it up in we've had no leakage or seepage problems. Given its capacity, it could even do as a short to medium term bug-out home, once a suitable location has been scouted, whilst more permanent habitations are established. This was a second hand gift from a festival going friend of ours, and i probably wouldn't have bought one as large on my own. Looks like its no longer on the market, but if you have the need for a big tent, something like this would suit you well.

Review: Alton Goods bathtub groundsheet

 Sometimes its the little things that can turn a good experience into a great one, or an bearable one into a bearable one. Like turning cold and wet into warm and dry. One such item is the Alton Goods bathtub groundsheet. I'm normally a fan of hammock sleeping to keep me off the ground, but its not always an option or practical. Having a lightweight, waterproof groundsheet can offer you the protection from wet ground, mud and sticks, to provide a comfortable and pleasant platform to set up on. Or a dry spot to have a stretch-out on damp grass. 

I received my groundsheet as a birthday present, in winter, and took it on a number of walks, where its small packed size of  21.5x8x11cm (8.5"x 3.25"x 4") and light weight 295g (10.4 oz) made it an inconsequential daypack or cargo pocket addition.

Made from a tough Ripstop nylon construction, dual-coated with 3000mm Silicone and PU, it is fully seam-sealed with heat tape to be both 100% waterproof and puncture resistant. When staked out the Bathtub Groundsheet measures : 210x90x15cm (6'11"x2'11" x 6"), plenty big enough to fit me, and my gear, and the bathtub wall height is plenty big enough to keep my bedding in, or incidental wet out. 

The corners are heavily reinforced and tailored to stand upright without stressing the seams and feature tape reinforcement to hold upright without sagging. This is bolstered further by built-in metal posts in the corners to hold it up, as well as sewn in buttressing peg-out loops extending outwards. the top edge of the corners also feature a loop sewn in to fit fly poles if used, and sewn in snap-points allow the groundsheet to marry up with the compatible Ultralight Ground Bug Net to create a fully-enclosed sleep system by pairing with this groundsheet. Nice forethought. 

The included 4 Y cross-sectioned 7001 aluminium pegs have retention notches and a built in pull-cord for ease of removal.

When fully staked out and pulled taught, the bathtub effect is very stable, and provides a good barrier against the outside. the ripstop nylon is smooth and whilst not breathable, very comfortable to lay on directly, even after being in full sun. 

I liked that it was big enough for me to fully stretch out on, as i'm quite tall. i'd want a tarp strung up over it to sleep on, just to give some cover, and I suspect leaving the most down-hill corner flat to allow any water a drain-off spot might be prudent without one. 

I've woken up in a pool of water once whilst camping and don't recommend it. 

The whole system comes with own drawstring bag for ease of carry and is small and light enough to be stuffed in a cargo pocket. I have been keeping it in my car along with some light picnic hiking gear and have used it as a picnic blanket a number of times. I think i'll be picking up the bug net and one of the Alton goods tarps to complete the set, and will test it out for sure.

Review: County Comm - Minnow Gripper

String, rope and string accessories. I like them. One such accessory that caught my eye was the Minnow Grippers offered by gear treasure source County Com.

What are they ? They are tarp clips. Clipping onto tarps to provide an anchor point where grommets don't exist. They can be used to hold onto and fasten plastic sheeting, drop cloths, tarps. canopies, awnings, pool covers, towels, BBQ covers, sails, cables and bags, netting and hunting blinds. All manner of covers you don't want flapping about.

 These clips clamp down on a surface  by means of  a two piece jaw which closes on the surface with friction locks on the back end of the scissor arms, much like those found on locking forceps. The jaws of the Minnow are cross-hatch grooved to provide "teeth" by which it holds fast  to many materials.

Made from molded fiberglass reinforced polypropylene, the Minnow is a dense and sturdy piece. The central pin has a over-hang lip and channel to feed through at full-open position, otherwise holding the clip together with little or no lateral movement. The jaws themselves open wide enough for clamping materials up to ¼" thick and the molded locking teeth have 6 positions to allow it to cinch down onto material in increments for a very secure bind.

At the back of the jaws, behind the "teeth" where cables can be secured without damage from  the teeth. This gap can also hold paracord to create a perpendicular attachment on a running cord.  Either in the locked teeth or in the gap behind the teeth in a sliding configuration.   The material is reported to crack resistant to 35° below zero (-37C). it is chemically stable and resistant to most solvents and marine conditions.

The tail end of the Gripper features a hefty hook on each arm for capturing cordage. the tips of the hooks are double wide, matching the maximum width of the Gripper. This means it is stable and flat on it's side. the base of the hook features a hole which is a perfect match for standard paracord, but will also accommodate thicker cords, especially if they compress a little. The hooks are 15mm deep and are angled, providing a depth of capture to reduce slippage of cord coming loose in vigorous flapping.

The twin tail hooks allow cordage to be looped over, one, the other or both hooks as the need arises or situation permits. Fixing one guy line or two or rigging  a single cord perpendicularly from the clamped material. The twin hooks also allow for some creative knot-free attachment, not unlike those possible with the Fishbone and Piranha knotless ties. Forces pulling back on the Minnow will act to tighten their grip , with an action not unlike squeezing on a pair of pliers.

The locking teeth of the Minnow Gripper first engage at around 9mm (4/10") at the tip which is about 6mm at the " back" of the jaws. That puts the maximum thickness of material they can close on, but each Minnow Gripper is purported to hold 175 lbs (80kg) whist only weighing 0.35oz (10g).

I haven't tried this for max weight, but the sail-cloth awnings I strapped down with it flapped a fair bit in the wind overnight without coming loose. That seems fit-for-purpose to me. Not a single Minnow came loose, in several configurations. I'm quite pleased with the utility, form factor and ruggedness of The Minnow

 

They come in two colour options: Tactical black and Coast Guard Orange. I opted for dont-loose-me orange for my 8. (two tarps worth) half od which I store clamped to my redoutable Mystery Ranch 1DAP  it's my regular day to day and Get Home Bag  so it seemed apt to keep some there too.

Home Front: Rules of Threes (or more)

In survival, the rule of threes is a quick reference guide for how long one can generally stay alive in a survival emergency.

Originally posted on my birthday on Breach Bang & Clear you should go check out the other good reads there too! go there t orea dthe full article. 

Normally, it contains the following:

•   You can survive three minutes of severe bleeding, without breathable air (unconsciousness generally occurs), or in icy water.
• You can survive three hours in a harsh environment (extreme heat or cold). Think blizzards, the North Sea, at a Celine Dion concert ...
• You can survive three days without drinkable water.
• You can survive three weeks without edible food.

• When the Radiation alarm goes off, get out of Engineering, immediately . I'm looking at you, Midshipman 1st Class Peter Preston

Review: Range - Treeo hammock

An innoxious bundle concealing great potential

main sheet, tree-straps and guy-lines unfurled

My idea of ideal hanging out  usually revolves around a hammock.  I'm very fond of them. They're my preferred camping option in a variety of settings and I've amassed quite a collection of them, from the massive  Hummingbird family hammock to the versitile Sierra Madre nube tent family of hammocks and accessories  to the unconventional lines of the hooded Go! outfitters  hammock tent and the inspired Tensile style sky-tents all the way to the classic lines of the Eagles Nest Outfitters hammock.

So, it takes something a little different to catch my eye in new hammock design. The kind of design seen in the Treeo. You may remember I did a Wish-lust piece on the Treeo a while back, well, it finally arrived and I eventually got around to testing it out. Designed with the outdoors in mind, the designers wanted to create a product that could be utilized by anyone, anywhere:

Easy set-up made easier with extra hands

From the avid adventure seeker to the family who spends summer nights at the park, the simplified design can be taken full advantage of with it's 3-in-1 capabilities. From hammock to ground sheet to rain fly within seconds (minutes, realistically), the Treeo is like the Swiss Army Knife of hammocks.


The real magic behind the Treeo is the Quick Draw Cord System found at either end (inspired by the simple draw-string backpack). By pulling the cords tight on each end, it creates the hammock function which then attaches to the tree strap and carabiner. The heavy Blaze Orange paracord of the draw-cord adds other slinging options too, depending on the space you have at hand.

By slinging the guy lines up high you can hang the Treeo above your encampment to provide shade from the sun or shelter from rain. And finally, by pulling the cords apart and staking each corner down, the Treeo can be used as a beach blanket or ground cloth. Made from Ripstop Nylon Material known for being lightweight, durable, and waterproof thanks to its PU 2000 coating. It features triple-stitched & taped seams preventing any rips or tears. The heavy paracord style drawstrings are made from single length of looped to enable it to be tightened from both corners of each end simultaneously.

accessories in a zippered side pocket

Doing so gathers up the corners and the short edges 213cm (7') to bundle into a hammock. The generous 274cm (9') long edge makes for a large hammock. The drawstrings then becomes part of the suspension rig. The double thickness 198cm (6.5') webbing 6.5' tree straps  are wide enough to be grippy to tree-bark without being bulky. They feature 8 loops sewn in at the working end with heavy bartacking to make very stiff and secure points to feed the included carabiners.

bomb-proof webbing loops for optimal hang adjustment

The webbing has a triple line of bright green trace threads run through it which helps identify twists in the webbing when setting it up. Twists in webbing reduce the stability of the loop against the surface it is holding onto and reduce the overall strength of the webbing to support the load (you). The webbing also has a eye-loop at end of its length to facilitate forming a knotless loop for hanging the hammock by feeding it through itself. The included steel carabiners slip neatly into these loops and take the drawstrings ably to ensure a very secure attachment.

The combination of the long drawstrings, long webbing and the overall length of the hammock makes for a long span that can be bridged by this system, shorter distances are easily managed by adjusting the point at which the webbing and drawstrings are connected.

snug as a bug in a rug. deep sides to snuggle under

The four corners and the midpoint of the long edge feature well sewn-in webbing loops to be used as anchor points and tie-down points when used as a cover sheet or ground sheet. Four hefty aluminium tent-pegs and a bundle of guy-rope with slider tensioners are included to make staking out or stringing up as a shelter very easy.
When in hammock mode, the corners are all drawn in tight so aren’t really usable but the midline loops are and could be used as gear hangers or stabilising tie-points if desired. The attached stuff-sack, (sewn into the mid point) also affords gear-storage, by putting a draw-string closing bag with a zipperaeble side-pocket. The pegs and guy-ropes all stow away neatly In that zippered side pocket when not in use.

When packed down in its stuff-sack the system packs down to a mere 28cm x 23cm (11" x 9") and weighs only 1.3kg (2.8 lbs)

solid stitching and impeccable finishing

As a hammock, the ample expanse of fabric used affords a comfortable hang. Even with is classic “banana” shape, the broad sides allows a good spread and stretch in its folds. The PU coated fabric was smooth and whilst not breathable, it also cut the wind nicely, adding to the comfort on a cool windy day whilst testing it. I chose to lay on the uncoated side to avoid the “laying on plastic” feeling and was happy. The triple-stitched and taped seams held weight nicely and gave no impression of stretching . The Treeo certainly catches the wind, so staking out when used as a ground sheet is crucial. I suspect that when used as a rainfly, care will need to be taken ensure sufficient tension is maintained to avoid rain collecting in pools, nor the sheet blowing around negating cover.

well placed stuff sack for slung gear stowage

One thing I noted was the tie-down loops are not placed such that the Treeo can be used as a hootchie tent without some additional work. A couple of extra loops of webbing would suffice and I may look into setting this up myself. It’s certainly good size for it and that PU coating will make it excellent at shedding rain.

included accessories from the zippered side pocket

as a ground sheet it is Tactical Baby approved

lots of leg room for lanky bloggers

a comfortable and supportive hang for supervising playground antics

Fourth mode: improv sail for kayak adventures?