Welcome to The Gear House! We are striving to be your only needed destination and guide for information about ultralight backpacking and camping equipment. We also will be offering different camping and backpacking equipment that we think is useful for sale.
If you like to go camping, backpacking, and being in the outdoors, then we have the opportunity for you! Like to use different gear and write about it? Then this is for you! If you like gear as much as we do, like to use it, and write about it, please contact us, we would love to have you apart of our team!
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WoodsMonkey has a great article about the Grandpa’s FireForks from Light My Fire. I have sold many of these and have more on the way and believe they are great items. Look for them to be in the TheGearHouse store soon (which will also be getting a MAJOR revamp).
Cooking food directly over the flames is a practice that goes back as far as man has had fire, and the basic practice still hasn’t changed all that much. Take a look around any campground that you happen to be near and you’ll find folks roasting hotdogs and marshmallows on pointed sticks right over the fire. It simple, it works, and it’s fun for the kids to both cook that way and to make their sticks ahead of time. However, it isn’t always the most efficient way to do things. It’s not uncommon to lose your food into the fire with the old single prong pointed stick. Multi prong sticks work a little better and you can find metal two tined fire forks at most camping stores. The problem with those is either that the big ones are too long and bulky to take on anything but a car camping trip, and the smaller are generally all metal including the handle portion. They also tend to be rather short and quickly heat up since you have to be closer to the fire–not to mention the fact that the metal transfers the heat to your hands much more than it will with a wooden stick. Enter Light My Fire and their Grandpa’s FireForks.
Here is a cool little gadget for you backpackers and campers out there that like to do some cooking and want to enjoy toasted food items - the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Toaster. The toaster has a unique design that folds flat for easy packing and it is made of fine steel mesh which evenly distributes heat for easy toasting.
Weight: 5.8 ounces
Dimensions: 6.5″ x 5.5″ x 0.63″
If you want to be able to toast some bread, toast your bagel, or make a grilled cheese while out on the trail, then you should definitely check out the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Toaster. You can also pick it up on eBay from our store!
As a part of my effort to expand the number of products and variety of products that TheGearHouse sells, I have partnered with GSI Outdoors to sell some of the most popular and innovative camping and backpacking equipment around. One of the items that I just got in stock recently is the GSI Outdoors Ultralight Dualist cookset.
For a closer look, here is a review of the cook system that was posted on YouTube.
Crushproof lid made of Lexan® resin prevents deformation of your pot/lid and includes an integrated strainer.
Convenient folding handle locks into place for cooking and secures entire set for transport, eliminating the need for a stuff sack.
Unique bowl + mug solution with low center of gravity and Sip-It virtually eliminates spills while the integrated insulating sleeve keeps your drinks hot.
Ingenious, welded stuff sack holds set while traveling and doubles as a sink or wash basin in camp.
Weight: 1.169 pounds
Includes: 1.8 L Pot, Strainer Lid, 2 20 fl. oz. insulated cups, 2 20 fl. oz. bowls, 2 Sip-It tops, Stove Bag
To purchase the GSI Outdoors Ultralight Dualist Cook System, purchase it from our store and save off the retail price!
Outdoor Research gave their Men’s Specter Pullover Fleece a nylon face fabric to stand up to the abuse of hard days in the mountains. You won’t have to worry about a two-mile North Cascades bushwack because of the durable, tightly-knit face fabric. The Specter Pullover’s micro-polyester interior is incredibly soft and wicks away moisture, so you don’t feel clammy. Use this Outdoor Research fleece pullover as a layering piece or wear it alone—it’s happy as long as it’s in the outdoors.
Material: Motion fleece (nylon face with micro-polyester backing) Weight: 14.9oz Fleece Weight: Midweight Windproof: No Pockets: 1 Chest Recommended Use: Hiking, climbing, backpacking, skiing
Sizing Information for XXL outerwear:
Chest - 49 inchs; Waist - 41 inch; Hip - 48 inchs; Inseam - 35 inch
When dealing with a backpacking stove or camping stove, there are a lot of different things that could go wrong or be a problem. It is important to keep in mind a lot of differnet things when using the stoves to make sure that you are operating them safely. Here are a list of Do’s and Don’ts to help you keep your stove running season after season without any problems.
Do’s
Do carry fuel only in recommended/approved containers - Volatiles are best transported in aluminum liter bottles or in their original steel can.
Do frequently check the temperature of your stove’s fuel tank by feeiling it with your hand. If the tank is too hot to hold, reduce the stove’s heat and or pour cold water on the tank.
Do carr extra stove parts and tools - An extra pressure cap and leather pump washer are usually enough. Bring a small screwdriver and pliers.
Do empty the fuel in your stove at the end of each season - Impurities in fuel left in stoves can cause malfunctions. This is the most common cause of long term stove failure.
Don’ts
Don’t loosen or remove the filler cap of a gasoline stove when the stove is burning. This could result in an explosion
Don’t refuel a hot stove. There may be sufficient heat still available to ignite he gas fumes.
Don’t set oversize pots on stoves that have integral fuel tanks. Large pots reflect excessive heat back to the fuel tank, which may cause overheating of the stove. Run stoves at three-fourths of maximum heat output if you use oversize pots.
Don’t use automotive gasoline in a stove designed to burn white gas.
Don’t state a stove inside a tent or confined area; the resulting flare up could be dangerous.
Don’t operate any stove without suffieient ventilation. A closed tent is not sufficently ventilated.
Don’t set stoves on sleeping bags or tent floors. There’s enough heat generated at the base of the stove to melt or warp these items.
Don’t run stoves that have integral fuel tanks at full power for extended periods of time. The tank may overheat and cause the safety valve to blow. Stoves with seperate fuel tanks that are connected with an armored fuel line can be run on fuel power indefinitely.
Don’t enclose a stove with aluminum foil to increase the heat output. The stove may overheat and explode.
Don’t fill gasoline or kerosene stoves more than three-fourths full. Fuel won’t vaporize if there’s insufficient room for it to expand.
When you are deciding what kind of stove you want to purchase for your backpacking or camping trips, there are a ton of different features and different types to consider. Today, I’m writing about a few of the different features that you should look at when you are deciding on a stove for backpacking or camping. they can be expensive purchases, so you want to make sure you get the right thing!
Stability - There is nothing more frustrating than simmering a big pot of spaghetti on a precarious little ebast that wobbles with every stir of the spoon. Remember that just because it looks great in the store, the stove could tip over in the field.
Ease of starting - Butane and propane stoves start instantly. Gasoline and kerosene models reqire priming. Some models flare violentl until warmed so be careful! Fast, easy ignition is a plus for any stove.
Susceptibiltiy to wind - The firs time you have to build a rock wall around your stove to keep it perking you’ll undersand the value of a good windscreen. Avoid stoves with thin aluminum windscreens that burn up, or detachable ones that can be lost.
Adjustable Flame - If ou intend to fry pancakes or simmer stew, you will want an infinitely adjustable flame - a feature most compact trail stoves don’t have. The Coleman twin burner camp stoves probably offer the best adjustability, however, many backpacking stoves can offer you a great range of flame heights.
Plastic parts - Plastic is bad for stove parts. Plastic hardens with heat and age and will eventually break. If there is a stove flare up, plastic will melt and burn. Also, stay away from any stoev that does not have a flameproof armored fuel line.
In our next post, we will point out some of the do’s and don’ts for operating your stove and keeping it running as it should!
Finding the right tent for you can be a very long and difficult process. It is important to know what you want to get out of your tent and what you are going to be using it for. Here are a few things to consider when trying to pick that perfect tent for your trip.
Most modern tents usually have a large vestibule or extension of the rain fly that can be used for cooking in a downpour and to store muddy boots and other gear. Look for a spacious and sturdy vestibule.
Aluminum or carbon fiber poles are the lightest
Are there enough mesh doors and windows for adequate ventilation? Camping during the summer months can be horrible if you can not get some air flowing through.
Avoid single-wall tents
Is the tent large enough for you, the people you hope to take with you, and your gear to comfortably spend the night?
Are there inner pockets to hold your flashlight, change, contact lenses, or other small items?
How much does it weigh? Can you carry it all day on your back? If you are just going to be car camping, weight is not as much of an issue.
Hope that helps you find the right tent for you! Good luck!
I just finished watching the final episode of The Alaska Experiment on the Discovery Channel and was thinking about the different gear that you have with you when backpacking that can help make you warm. The main challenge that one of the groups faced while hiking out to the rendezvous point with a pilot was that they could not keep warm in the -20 degree temperatures. Although they were hiking as much as they could, they still needed to stop a few times to try to warm up their bodies, especially their fingers, so not to get frostbite.
The main technique that they used was building a fire to use for warm, however, here are some other different options based on the gear that you may have with you on a normal backpacking trip to help you get warm and stay comfortable! (more…)
Planning for an upcoming backpacking trip? Not sure what kind of gear you should take with you? Use the list below as an outline for things to consider carrying on your trip, but be sure to adjust the list to fit your needs and include the gear that will be necessary for your trip.
When you are putting together your personal packing list for a backpacking trip, experience is your best guide to go by. Backpacking is probably the only activity where the efficient packer is rewarded with a light pack and the over packer gets punished. Below is just a guide/outline for items that you should consider taking on a backpacking trip.
The Basics
Backpack
Sleeping bag
Tent
Sleeping pad (more…)
Today I did some testing with the MSR WindPro Backpacking Canister Fuel Stove. I have had the stove for a couple months but this was actually the first time I used it. I just wanted to give it a quick test to see how easy it was to set up, how quick it was with boiling water, and the overall use of it.
If you are looking for a great canister fuel stove that is compact and easy to use, the WindPro is a great option. MSR also makes the Pocket Rocket which is a nice stove if you are looking to cut down on weight, but the WindPro really provides a lot more stability then the Pocket Rocket does.
Weighing in at only 6.8 ounces this little bugger will boil a litter of water in 4.25 minutes and 2 cups of water in about 2 - 3 minutes. Not too shabby, eh?
Some of the other great features I noticed:
The burner is extremely stable
This stove is safer then others because the fuel canister is separated from the stove and the flame adjuster is on the canister as opposed to underneath the pot.
The coils and burner cool off very quickly so by the time you are finished eating, it is ready to pack up.
Package includes 1 large windshield and a ground reflector/cover.
Instruction manual comes in LOTS of different languages.
Whole package is very lightweight!
Here are the specifications from Backcountry.com for this product:
As a part of my effort to expand the number of products and variety of products that TheGearHouse sells, I have partnered with GSI Outdoors to sell some of the most popular and innovative camping and backpacking equipment around. One of the items that I just got in stock recently is the GSI Outdoors Ultralight Dualist cookset.
