A durable and inexpensive lightweight cord is available as an option when purchasing tarps, tents and bivysacks. 50 ft for $3, it is 1/16″ (2mm) and very light. 110 lb breaking strength. Misc colors, no choice at this time.
Tag Archives: Oware
New, Bright Neon Yellow Reflective Mini Paracord
Use on tarp and tent tie outs, the bright color and flashlight reflective tracer lets you know where your shelter is at night and helps avoid tripping over the guy lines. Same construction as paracord but half size with 4 internal strands. Breaking strength 275 pounds. Diameter 2.4 mm.
Buy here. Also if purchased as an add on option with some tarps of tent, get a savings.
Filed under Oware Backpacking Gear
Kettle Crest October Snow Peak Cabin NE WA
Snow Peak Cabin on the Kettle Crest Trail, Part of the Pacific Northwest Nations Scenic Trail
Filed under Oware Backpacking Gear
Light Inexpensive Multi-Use Hatchet
Backpacking where frozen ground makes pounding in tent stakes tough, a small hammer or hatchet is useful. If one is in an area of excess wood, campfires, wood tent stakes and poles might be part of the trip. Then a hatchet can be good to have.
Marble makes a small hatchet which weighs 13 ounces and I found for $17 plus shipping. Small enough it fits in my back pocket. It does a good job at pounding stakes, and is useful for light wood gathering. I like it for tapping away fire starting pitch chunks from the “cat face” of a pine tree, quickly limbing off the small dead pencil size “magic sticks” at the base of trees, making shavings and getting at dry wood in a dead stump. It is smaller than the usual hatchets, so won’t be up to larger tasks like felling anything more than a sapling. You won’t be splitting rounds with this, but for wood gettin’ I find it better than a pocket knife and sometimes better than a saw. I made a small leather sheath that leaves one side open for driving stakes and weighs 1/2 ounce. It came sharp enough for most tasks but if you like to whittle, it needs a bit of work with a stone to be shaving sharp. The wood appears to have a light varnish, but if you like could be sanded and tung oiled.
Pictures follow
New Fabrics for the Long Drawcord Bivy
Fits to 6’5″
Two different weights.
40 Denier DWR top in Tan #499, 70 Denier Coated in Coyote Tan 11.5 oz
30 Denier DWR top in Silver Grey, 30 Denier with double thick Urethane coated bottom in Tan #499. 7.8 oz
Filed under bivysack, Oware Backpacking Gear
How To Set Up The NetTarp
Items needed:
- 4 to 12 stakes (4 minimum with trees for ridgeline tie outs, more stakes needed if windy, snow load or using poles for support)
- 2 trees, trekking poles, or tarp poles (use of at least one tree is easier to set up for one person, if using poles two people holding poles on each end really speeds things up)
- 6 cords @ 3′ on corners and middle sides of fabric panel
- 2 cords @ 6′ on ridge line (having some extra cord is useful for trees spread farther apart, and needed for tarps large enough for more than one person)
First attach the Ridgeline tie out to a tree or pole at a height that allows the netting to sit 4″ on the ground.
I like to use a releasable tautline hitch.
If using a pole for the ridgeline, tie a clove hitch around the top of the pole and then run the line down to a stake on the ground. Adjustable trekking poles make height adjustments easier.
Have someone hold the pole upright and go attach the other ridge line to a pole or tree.
Stake out the four corners at a height that maintains about 4″ of netting laying on the ground.
Adjust cord length using the tautline hitches and by moving stakes so that the tarp is stretched snug with minimum wrinkles. In a wind, you want the tarp to hum, not flap.
If needed, tie out center side points and four corner points on netting. Shepherds crook type stakes work well for the netting. The netting should be snug but not tight along the sides of the tarp (gentle on the netting) and loose on the pleated ends so one can crawl under the netting easily without having to remove a stake.
Large duffle For Inflatable Kayak
Zipper opens on top and down one side so heavy item can be slid into the side then zipped up.
Side shoulder strap.
Filed under Do It Yourself, Oware Backpacking Gear
Extra Large Camping Tarp
Custom 11.5 X 20′ 70 Denier Tarp
Customer Photo by Douglas I.
New Swing Above Donner Lake, CA
Two Person Swing someone put up near Donner Summit over looking old Highway 40 and Donner Lake.
Filed under Oware Backpacking Gear, Tips for the Backcountry
Oware 