CheapTents.com Outdoor Gear Blog

Here at CheapTents.com we all love the MSR Hubba tents, but do find the naming system slightly confusing at times.  So we got in touch with Mountain Safety Research to find out where the name comes from.

What is a Hubba?

The Hubba name is something we (MSR) came up with, based on the tent’s unique hub and pole frame. The “hub” is the circle that connects various tent poles sections together, thus cutting down on the total number of poles needed. In the photo below, you’ll see how the pole branches out into two legs–the sections join together at the hub.

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Groundsheet protectors are something that very few people I know carry, mainly due to the extra weight. I recently started thinking about whether or not there was a real need to carry a groundsheet protector or whether it was just unnecessary bulk.

What do Groundsheet Protectors Do?

So is it worth carrying the extra weight and what does it actually do?
Well the main purpose of a ground sheet protector is to protect groundsheets! With tents becoming lighter all the time groundsheets are thinner than they used to be. This is fine if you are camping on grass and can clear the site before pitching. However this isn’t normally the case with tents needing to be pitched in a hurry and sometimes your only choice is rocky ground. In these cases a groundsheet protector is well worth the extra weight to prevent against punctures from twigs, thorns or stones.

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You might have heard of social media and/or social bookmarking sites, well here’s an intro into the topic to help you along the way!

Simply click on one of these icons to bookmark the content you want to your social bookmarking account – give it a go!!

What is Social Media?

Social media is the online version of the pub.  You know when you’ve been out walking in the Lakes and you duck in to the local pub at the end of your trail, covered in mud and looking forward to that first pint and a hearty roast dinner, sharing stories of how you were nearly blown off a cliff in a gale once, and how your new waterproof jacket from your new favourite outdoor shop is even better than what you hoped it would be…social media is just like that!

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Please share this warning with fellow walkers!

There has been an avalanche warning put out by the Live for the Outdoors forum around the Snowdonia area, as there has been instances of snow falling away from cornices.  Here are the tips provided by the article advising on walking in the hills, especially avalanche prone areas….

1. If you are sinking in over ankle deep, just maybe you shouldn’t be there..
2. Avoid leeward slopes (if the wind’s blowing from the north the leeward slope is the south side).
3. Know that slopes are at their most dangerous between 25º and 50º- even low angle innocuous looking slopes can avalanche.

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Outdoor People

Outdoor gear, sports and camping are definitely our thing.  Each of the team at CheapTents.com, enjoys their own range of outdoor sports and activities from leisurely walking to travel and triathalons, or from climbing to mountain biking and bivouacking.  For this reason, we take a great interest in a wide range of outdoor gear and how it performs for it’s designated purpose.  So for this matter we thought we would plant this knowledge down into a library of outdoor resources for others to share…

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What is a Nunatak?

The obvious answer is that it is a situation in which you are accosted by lady who has dedicated her life to god.

In terms of mountaineering however,

A Nunatak is a mountain or rock that protrudes through an ice field.

Nunataks are usually identifiable landmarks or reference points in glaciers or ice caps.

Supposing we were to enter another ice age and glaciers flowed into the Lake District…Sharp Edge could become a nunatak, as in the artists impression on the left!

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Always happy to help

Here at CheapTents.com, we are keen to provide as much help and understanding for people interested in outdoor sports and activities, so we have compiled a great range of advice on outdoor sports gear, travel and camping in our outdoor blog and on our website so that you are never a click away from the help that you need.

Glossary of Terms, Definitions and More…

In addition to the regular posting of gear reviews, athlete interviews, advice and more, we have compiled a glossary of outdoor gear definitions to help you with understanding the technology available in today’s outdoor clothing and equipment.

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We have a very exciting interview coming very soon for visitors of the CheapTents.com blog but we thought it would be best to introduce a few other intricacies of bouldering and the terminology used in facing a climb. We hope this help and advice page will be helpful!

What is bouldering?

Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope but with crash pads, and normally limited to relatively short climbs so that a fall will not result in serious injury. Bouldering draws on the more technical aspects of climbing, where the difficulty in the climb lends new challenges to the climber that tackles them.

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