Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Talk about anything.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by ScotRoutes »

Retro tentage for a backyard BAM

Image

Pretty much state-of-the-art 35 years ago.
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by sean_iow »

Is it a Saunders Space packer? My dad used to have one of those, I imaging it's still at my Mum's somewhere :smile:
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by ScotRoutes »

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.
User avatar
Cheeky Monkey
Posts: 3915
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:48 pm
Location: Leeds ish
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

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 ;-)
Attachments
20200424_150346 (2).jpg
(138.9 KiB) Downloaded 1374 times
User avatar
PaulB2
Posts: 1952
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:32 pm
Location: Stafford

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by PaulB2 »

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.
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

A classic design that Colin. :-bd
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by sean_iow »

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 :smile:
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by ScotRoutes »

Mine was preceded by a Saunders Backpacker GC2

Imageimg014 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

Imageimg109 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

The GC2 referred to some super-duper fabric that was lighter than most everything else at the time.
Last edited by ScotRoutes on Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
pistonbroke
Posts: 2123
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:39 am
Location: Southern Cataluña
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by pistonbroke »

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 :wink:
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9009
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by RIP »

Lovely little beastie that Colin.

Phreerunner :-bd

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.
Last edited by RIP on Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
psling
Posts: 1606
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:36 am
Location: Forest of Dean

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by psling »

RIP wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:00 pm Phreerunner :-bd
Phreak ! Still have it, last used at a snowy BB Winter Event a few years ago :-bd
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9009
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by RIP »

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

Pic? I don't think cameras existed when I bought mine.
Last edited by RIP on Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
benp1
Posts: 4051
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:36 pm
Location: South Downs

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by benp1 »

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 :wink:
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)
Lazarus
Posts: 3598
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:49 am

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by Lazarus »

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
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by ScotRoutes »

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

Had one of them too!

ImageCamp 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.
User avatar
benp1
Posts: 4051
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:36 pm
Location: South Downs

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by benp1 »

I have a Scarp. Love it. Wouldn't mind if it was green, although that would make it darker inside
User avatar
Richpips
Posts: 2140
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:57 pm
Location: Peak District

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by Richpips »

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. :lol:
User avatar
TheBrownDog
Posts: 2107
Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:46 pm
Location: Chilterns

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by TheBrownDog »

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?
I'm just going outside ...
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9009
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by RIP »

Richpips wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:31 pm I had a Phoenix Phreeranger as my first proper tent.
Excellent - another fan :-bd . 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! :smile:
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
frogatthefarriers
Posts: 777
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
Location: Wrexham

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by frogatthefarriers »

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.
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
The Cumbrian
Posts: 462
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 7:42 pm
Location: Cumbria

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by The Cumbrian »

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.
“I want to see the wild country again before I die, and the Mountains..."
Bilbo Baggins.
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9009
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by RIP »

Can feel a Phoenix Phan Club BBB meeting building up here :wink:
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
Cheeky Monkey
Posts: 3915
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:48 pm
Location: Leeds ish
Contact:

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

Does a bivi bag count? I'm sure I've got a vortex one from climbing days somewhere ...
Fat tyre kicker
Posts: 982
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:39 pm
Location: Cheshire

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by Fat tyre kicker »

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 x(
Thought of getting it repaired but not so far
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Before Cuben, carbon and Dyneema

Post by ScotRoutes »

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 x(
They probably fixed that with the production version.
Post Reply