Retro tentage for a backyard BAM



Pretty much state-of-the-art 35 years ago.

Is it a Saunders Space packer? My dad used to have one of those, I imaging it's still at my Mum's somewhere

Aye. It's actually the slightly larger Plus model. Bought when I was into motorcycle touring. It's been all round the Scottish Highlands, France, Italy. I sold it to someone a long time ago but got it back after they gave up camping. It's been languishing in the garage for years but this seemed like the ideal opportunity to press it into action again.

I found / reached my old tents recently.

North Face Bullfrog - been all over the world and is probably nearly 30 years old. Snapped the main hoop on a campsite in NZ, "repaired" the pole with the sleeve they included and some electrical tape. Repaired the ripped fly with zinc oxide tape (first aid kit) and added some gaffer once back in the UK. It stank a bit when I found it and there was a touch of mould but have aired it and me and youngest have spent a few nights in the yard.

There was also my bro's Saunders Jetpacker. In even better nick despite being (I guess) nearly 35 years old. Harder to pitch on a paved yard ;-)

That reminds me, I've got 2/3 man Sierra Designs tent from the early-mid noughties I need to dust off and put up while weather is nice. I still use the 1 man tent from the same era, it's just heavy by modern standards.

A classic design that Colin.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 2:52 pm Bought when I was into motorcycle touring. It's been all round the Scottish Highlands

That's a bit spooky as my Dad bought his originally for motorcycle touring round the Highlands but he had to ride there from the Isle of Wight, with my Mum on the back of his Kawasaki GT750

Mine was preceded by a Saunders Backpacker GC2

img014 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

img109 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

The GC2 referred to some super-duper fabric that was lighter than most everything else at the time.

Maybe we could have an Eroica camp out where participants must use their oldest tent, a Primus pump action petrol stove, Trangia pan set etc, full Carry On Camping vintage dressed in plus fours and knee socks. Optional early morning PT in Barbara Windsor style

Lovely little beastie that Colin.

Phreerunner

And still got Macpac Microlight.

Both withstood direct hits from any ordnance you care to name. I read somewhere they were proof against viruses as well, for at least a night anyway.

Oh, and once had a Lichfield one-person 2-hoop tunnel jobbie. First night on C2C walk, pitched up on cliff outside St Bees and discovered one segment of front pole missing. Slept that night with a 1-foot high door. Next night near Ennerdale, found a rusty needle-nosed file and used that as replacement. Kept me going until Robin Hood's. Well I was young.

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:00 pm Phreerunner

Phreak ! Still have it, last used at a snowy BB Winter Event a few years ago

Fantastic, Peter! Or, rather - "Phantastic, Peter!"

Pic? I don't think cameras existed when I bought mine.

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:53 pm Maybe we could have an Eroica camp out where participants must use their oldest tent, a Primus pump action petrol stove, Trangia pan set etc, full Carry On Camping vintage dressed in plus fours and knee socks. Optional early morning PT in Barbara Windsor style

Ahem - I have a primus omnilite running on panel wipe (or gas as an option) plumbed into a trangia 25 right next to me.

That tent looks higher than the saunders spacepacker tents i've seen (in photos and online)

Pretty much state-of-the-art 35 years ago.

Weren't we all Scots weren't we all
Now just a little bit loose and baggy at the seams

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:00 pm
And still got Macpac Microlight.

Had one of them too!

Camp spot, Glen Affric by Colin Cadden, on Flickr


I can't recall who I sold that to but it was when I bought my Scarp.

I have a Scarp. Love it. Wouldn't mind if it was green, although that would make it darker inside

I had a Phoenix Phreeranger as my first proper tent.

I remember at a campsite in Wales with my then-girlfriend, now wife that the lady would only charge for one person as it wasn't a two person tent.

benp1 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 5:09 pm I have a Scarp. Love it. Wouldn't mind if it was green, although that would make it darker inside

I'd love a Scarp. My Bg Agnes coffin is going on the classifieds shortly. Ben, what is the actual real world pack size?

Richpips wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:31 pm I had a Phoenix Phreeranger as my first proper tent.

Excellent - another fan . The Phreak was the interesting one, didn't have one but it looked like a church and the porch was superb. Probably appropriate location for the prayers required in some dodgy camping situations.

Just remembered it was the Lichfield tunnel thing that I took to Iceland in the late 80s. Lived in it for a month (well the bits where I wasn't kipping on the floors of ferries). Still had the Phoenix but didn't want to risk damaging it. Ridiculous decision.

This is a jolly bit of nostalgia for a Friday evening: http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/20 ... -1978.html. "A quick flip through the pages of the first issue of The Great Outdoors reveals advertisements for leather boots with stitched soles, non-breathable cagoules (lots of those), fibre-pile jackets, external frame packs, ridge tents, tartan wool shirts and cotton windproofs". Guilty as charged!

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:53 pm Maybe we could have an Eroica camp out where participants must use their oldest tent, a Primus pump action petrol stove, Trangia pan set etc

Good Idea. I was searching (one of) my sheds the other day and came across my old Primus 96 paraffin stove. The pump washer was shot but I made a new one. Hey presto it works. I think I'll use it on Mays' BAM.

I think that I still have my Phoenix Phreebooter somewhere. It seemed like an ultralight dream after the Famous Army Stores dome tent that I'd had previously, which had inexplicably survived many stormy youthful nights of bad pitches and fuckwittery.

Can feel a Phoenix Phan Club BBB meeting building up here

Does a bivi bag count? I'm sure I've got a vortex one from climbing days somewhere ...

I've got a Vango Hurricane Beta I got when I was 16, so it's 36 years
Old now, leant it an ex mate a few years ago, about 6 months later
When I put it up both pole channels had been ripped through
Thought of getting it repaired but not so far

Fat tyre kicker wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:00 pm I've got a Vango Hurricane Beta I got when I was 16, so it's 36 years
Old now, leant it an ex mate a few years ago, about 6 months later
When I put it up both pole channels had been ripped through

They probably fixed that with the production version.