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Equipment
Reviews
As
Submitted By Our Members
Review Off The Campingaz Party Grill
Price around £30 with a pouch or around £25 without.
Well, not so much a review, but more my humble opinion.
A very compact portable grill which
doubles as a camping stove. It runs from Campingaz Easy Clic
resealable Cartridges CV270 around £3 or CV470 around £5. It has a
piezo ignitor, a non-stick cooking surface and a fat collection bowl
which you fill with water when grilling. This bowl also provides
effective wind shield for the burner whether using as a stove or a
grill.
Where the Party Grill differs from many other gas grills of this
type is that the 30cm diameter cooking surface has a smooth area for
eggs or vegetables on the same side as the griddle for bacon or
other meats, and a unique feature of this griddle is that it is an
open griddle, enabling meat fat to drip through producing some smoke
which gives the food a slight barbeque flavour. The best steak I
have ever tasted was cooked on the Party Grill.
I have used my Party Grill so much that the non-stick surface is
coming away, the water bowl is rusty and the Piezo igniter no longer
works so I have to light it with a match. Having looked around the
market for a replacement for the Party Grill, I have realised there
is no comparison for me, even among the other Campingaz Party Grill
range, so I may be replacing it with another the same when necessary
if I still cannot find a comparable alternative.
It can be bought with or without a pouch which will carry all parts
including one large gas cartridge.
Submitted by
missElaineous
Review Off The Cobb BBQ
This is the most versatile BBQ that I have come across. You
can grill, roast, bake, smoke and simmer a variety of different
foods on this amazing little grill. The design of the Cobb
originated with safety in mind, a cooking system for people in rural
Africa.
The Cobb has a polymer plastic base as a heat shield and air pockets
that help it keep cool to the touch. It is fuel efficient, using
only 8 heat beads for 3 hours of cooking. The unique construction
prevents accidental burns while the Cobb cooks food up to 600
degrees inside, the outside stays cool and can be picked up and
carried indoors, which is a great safety feature for campers.
It is much easier to clean than the more traditional bbq, and it
takes up little space when camping and packs neatly away in the
carrying bag.
It weighs 5.5 lbs, is 12 inches high and 12 inches in diameter. 8-10
beads will cook almost anything.
I have used my Cobb safely in the house and in the awning whilst
camping. Use it camping, on the beach, for picnics or anywhere else
you can think off. You can cook many things on the Cobb from bbq
food, bake pizza’s and bread, make a full roast dinner, curries and
much more.
I have used mine mainly for bbq’s and roast dinners and have roasted
duck, chicken and pork complete with crackling with great success. I
will be trying beef with red wine gravy at the weekend. The
vegetables can be wrapped in foil and placed around the meat on the
grill or dropped into the moat. Water, wine or beer can be added to
the moat to help keep your food moist and then using it to make a
delicious sauce or gravy.
When you have finished cooking your main meal pop a few bananas on
the grill for your dessert or warm up an apple pie. Rice can also be
cooked in the moat whilst cooking your curry on top, I haven’t tried
this so do not know how successful it is.
The set up that I have, Cobb, carry bag, recipe book, and roast rack
costs around £100, but I got the bargain of the year and only paid
£4.50
Submitted by Redc
Review Off The Combicool 3-way absorption coolbox
If you like you beer
frosty ( is there any other way to have beer ?? ) Then the Combicool
is for you !
Make no mistake this is no ordinary coolbox ,it can chill to 30
degrees below ambient temperature ,and can even make ice cubes !! in
the small cube trays provided that sit on the cooling element at the
back of the coolbox.
We originally bought our Combicool for longer trips ,when freezing
and refreezing ice packs seemed too much of a bore and we didnt want
to waste our holiday shopping for fresh supplies every day .but now
we have it ,we find we always want to take it ,even for a weekend !
Its not a small object to transport however,the dimensions of the
combicool are 498(w) x 445(h) x 460(d) and weight 16.3kg and its
internal capacity is 40L ,so bear this in mind !although you can
pack other items inside the Combicool en route to save some space!
We found that the Piezo ignition system was pretty much useless and
have taken to lighting with matches ,but otherwise we have had no
problems with our Combicool atall!
The Combicool is not fussy what power it uses :EHU ,Gas ,12v !If you
are going to run the cooler on gas you will need a gas bottle
,regulator and hose ( not provided ) or EHU lead (not provided )if
you wish to run on electric ,the unit already has a cable and plug
for use with a 12 cigarette lighter socket.
We would recommend the Combicool to absoloutly everyone provided you
have the space to transport it !
Submited by Skatty
Review of Coleman Blackcat ,portable gas heater
We have been using this
heater for a few years now in several different tents ,and find that
it provides
ample warmth even in the largest of tents.The heater does not
however provide instant heat ,it can take half an hour to warm the
air in the tent.
We have found the heater is great for chilly nights during the
summer season ,but if camping in the colder months an EHU and heater
would probably be more suitable.The coleman cartidges are a
butane/propane mix so work at lower temperatures than butane alone
and they last aprox 5hours on full power .Although the blackcat does
not burn with a flame ( after initial ignition ,best done outside
the tent,as it can flare whilst lighting ) and gives off minimal
carbon monoxide gas ,it is still advisable ( as with any gas
appliance ) not to use whilst sleeping .
We would recommend this heater to anyone who wishes to camping
throught the warmer months but find some evenings cold and
uncomfortable ,and to anyone wanting small portable heating without
being restricted to EHU .
Submitted by
Skatty
Review of
Outwell Indiana 6
This is a large 6 berth tent
measuring 5.3m x 4m x 2m (6.8m long with sun canopy attached) which
is packed into two bags, one for the flysheet and bedroom pods, the
second for the poles. The tent has two good sized sleeping pods and
a spacious livin g
area and has four generous windows which let's in ample light. The
sleeping pods and the side door have a zipped mesh screen which
allows for good ventilation of the tent but keeps all the flying
insects out on warm nights. There are six ventilation ports, two on
each side and two at the rear of the tent which can be either opened
or closed depending upon the weather conditions. There are plenty of
pockets for storing items along the sides of the tent and also
hanging between the bedroom pods. A night light hanging loop is
located on the ceiling in the middle of the living area and a series
of velcro cable ties are fitted to keep any electric light cabling
neat and tidy.
The bedroom pods are spacious enough to sleep 3 adults each but are
far more comfortable with two. The pods can be unzipped from each
other and one pod rolled away to increase the living area. There are
three storage pockets in each pod. When packing the tent way, the
bedroom pods can either be removed and packed separately or left in
place and packed along with the fly sheet.
I do like the ground sheet for the living area, which can be
attached to the inner walls of the tent to reduce drafts or left
down to increase the ventilation. I suppose it's the best middle
ground between a SIG or non SIG you can decide which.
When erected, the tent is very stable due to what Outwell call their
'Power Stability System', and I'm pleased to say it does seem to
work. During two stormy nights the tent behaved itself and there was
very little movement during the high winds and rain. There are
plenty of bright yellow guy ropes to ensure the tent is well
anchored to the ground
I feel the sun canopy gives the tent a nice shape and was also
useful on those hot days in July and it can be unzipped and put away
in bad weather The hydrostatic head of 5000 mm ensures that in all
but the worst tropical storms you and your belonging should stay
dry.
I am very pleased with this tent and it fulfils everything I need as
a family tent, the only downside is that I do struggle to put it up
on my own due to the weight. In calm days it behaves and I can put
this up on my own but if there is any breeze I find I do require
help...it's not a one person operation.
Submitted by Patch666
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