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!
When you are deciding on what kind of rain gear to buy for your outings, you want something that will last because more often than not, the better quality gear is more expensive. So, raingear is not neccessarily an area that you want to pinch pennies and try to get by with “the cheap stuff”. But, there are a lot of different materials out there that can make picking the right rain gear a bit of a problem for you. So, to help out with making the choice a little easier, here is a small comparison of 3 different types of materials: Gore-Tex, Activent/DWR, and Plastic.
Raingear Comparison
Advantages
Disadvantages
Gore-Tex
Waterproof; breathable; excellent construction; perfect for cool and cold weather
Expensive; impractical for warm-weather walking
Activent/DWR (Durable Water Repellent)
Mostly waterproof, breathable, less expensive than Gore-Tex
More expensive than a poncho; not completely waterproof
Plastic
Very inexpensive
Traps perspiration; not breathable; practically disposable; not durable
You really want to look for something that is comfortable, that is breathable, durable, and fits your price range. Like mentioned, a plastic poncho can be very cheap and it may work for you if you just want something “in case it rains” and are not too worried about it. But if you are going to be doing a lot of hiking, backpacking, or other outdoor activities, investing in a higher quality mostly waterproof rain gear set is a good idea!
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!
Carrying a light pack is easy. Carrying a lighter pack is harder. In Lightweight Backpacking 101 (reference at the end of the article), we extol the virtues of lightweight backpacking. More important, we offer practical advice for lightening your pack.
Following is the basic framework that nearly every ultralight backpacker considers when embarking on her quest to reduce pack weight. We call this, of course, the path to enlightenment.
Evaluating your Equipment Kit
The first, and most obvious place to start is your equipment kit. The two governing principles here are:
Analyze your current equipment kit; and
Select the lightest equipment.
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.
