My search for a tent has ended! In my living room is my much sought-after two-person tent. It's not erected at the moment, because there is too much rain in the forecast and my living room is not quite roomy enough to set it up and then be able to move around, so no pictures just yet. Deals from friends are the best!
I said in last week's blog post that I am planning to take some trips this year and need to test some of the gear to be used. This week, I'm testing some odds and ends that are very important (to me) for a successful trip.
Cirrus Air Pad from REIFirst up, a replacement of an old sleeping pad. From the REI website:
- 3 in. pad cushions well; alternating non-stretch baffles provide stability; rectangular shape offers room to roam
- Integrated dual hand-pump valves save your breath; flat profile keeps valves out of the way
- Polyester surface resists wear; all seams are welded
- R-value equals 2.8; most sleeping pads REI sells range in R-value from 1 to 9
- Pad baffles are insulated with ultralight and warm PrimaLoft® Infinity fill
- Comes with a stuff sack
- Size 78 x 20 x 2.5 inches (Long)
- Weight 1lb. 8 oz.
This is an REI exclusive brand.
Pepper's Sport Sunglasses Case
I needed to replace a hard-sided glasses case and the Pepper's really fits my needs: a zippered, lined and lightweight case for my glasses! The case is shaped like a doughnut so an extra security rope loop or lanyard could be run through the middle if the small carabiner isn't trusted.
- Constructed with a semi rigid outer shell, this case can handle the same abuse as a rigid case without the bulkiness and excess weight
- Zippered closure keeps eyeglasses secure; soft lining protects delicate lenses
A recent post on the BCP Facebook page showed glow-in-the-dark paracord. This brought up a point about security, and how you may not want to advertise your location by having tent lines and the like shining in the dark. Alternately, having tripped over support lines in the past, being able to see cordage at night can be a very handy thing. That lead me to purchase and test this:
This is from The Home Depot (sku #551-499) and should be stocked nationwide. The cord is all black with a white 'fleck' in normal light, but the reflective 'fleck' really shows at night under a flash! The cord is wrapped around the chair arm and the balance of the roll is on the seat. At least one roll of this is going into my backpack gear, along with some regular paracord.
The Takeaway
- The new pad replaces an ancient ThermaRest that finally died. This is a Closeout model which was previously marked down 20%, but all Clearance Items were an additional 25% off through today (March 8), and all sales over $100 (also through today) customers got a $20 Gift Card!
- My old glasses case is rigid, heavy, unlined and the latch is broken. This is a giant improvement.
- What can be said for paracord? Everyone has it, needs some more, and if it is visible at night, so much the better.
- Cirrus Air Pad from REI: originally $139, but $71.20 after all the markdowns!
- Pepper's glasses case from REI: $8.00.
- Reflective black paracord: Home Depot. $3.98.
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If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!
NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.
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