I have both units and do like the Haven XL in some ways, the Helsdon in others and overall I prefer the Helsdon. SO long as the wind doesn't get up or ambient temps are 20C and up you don't need insulation. On out recent snow camp my daughter was cold in the Haven at -6C, even with insulation below the mat and on top of it. I find the mat loses air and thus shape every night. The Haven is better for 'hanging' out wth the raisable sides and all. Horses for courses, thanks for the comment.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 My Haven XL already came with the improved "True Level pad" which is thicker, has a tapered shape and supposedly more reliable too (well no leaks so far). I also got the Haven insulated pad cover that I felt was needed to go below 10°C, however due to the nature that you're lying on top of it (compressing the foam) it runs out of steam pretty quickly and my butt felt cold again when approaching 0°C outside. Since you've got both products, you should make a comparison video (setup, comfort, kit weight with air pad and insulation..)

Sorry, mine is nothing like that.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 thx for the reply

@@WhiteBoyMikey21 I gave your post a little more thought and I think the rubbery feeling is the material and any coating it might have reacting to possibly years, even decades, of being rolled up and stored. I still haven't seam taped mine. The seams along the front where the door flap ties are is where the water soaked in the most. A simple repair but to be honest I just hang in y Helsdon Hammock these days. Will I sell my F1 (of F2 or f3 or whatever it is)? No! I love the thing and whoever dies with the most toys, wins!

But you have the one thing we can't always get any of before getting too much.... rain. I grew up in the UK until I was in double digits and I can still remember how wet, cold and miserable it could be day after day. And that was just summer...

@fatmanfaffing4116 yes last winter was mild but we had so much rain. And this summer hasn't been great. But as the old saying goes; "There's no such thing as bad weather, it's just the wrong clothing ".

It was cold but... we had the right kit and were prepared for it.

sstilllegal in Oz but not in the UK... unless you pay 39 quid for a license. Terrorists never pay for licenses, see...

so long as you stay dry you will be warm. Sweating or getting soaked is the danger. Parked where we were in a camper van you would be fine. If it is a camper trailer so long as you have the right insulation under you and a decent top quilt or bag you will be toasty.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 good point will take then on makes total sense mate, keep the sunny side up, explore more and more so say hello to the family, we were in Sydney last fortnight stayed at Coogee beach for 4 days, didn’t hear anything back from you but will try next time to catch up mate.

@@billfiskilis4539 I grew up in Coogee as a teen. I rarely check Fb if you tried to message me there.

What for? Evidence? Hahahah. It was truly bizarre; especially the way he grudgingly replied to my 'Evening!'. I wondered why he was wandering into the dark with the stuffed sheep toy but figured there was a camp nearby with his kids and they needed the sheep to sleep...but when he walked back with it with the sheep smoking a cigarette and with a grin on its face...

@@fatmanfaffing4116 haha the mind boggles and certainly an eye opener we live in, but great experiencing these phenomenon things mate.

It was a great experience. All my planning and training came together and got us through; which is always confidence building.

Always welcome cobber.. My brother in law is driving across the SImpson Desert at the moment so that could be another little destination after checking out the snow.

The weather was superb. Cold but clear, no wind. The only negative was the deep snow making it treacherous to walk in it.

It is a great adventure, for sure. I'll do it again but either take snow shoes or picj a spot where I can camp next to the car and not risk my knees and back just walking around. Should have done it 35 years ago!

Each have their pros and cons. Overall while I like the look and style of the Haven XL the inflatable pad is the achilles heel. If it gets a hole or deflates enough the thing doesn't work. If it is on the ground when this happens it is an uncomfortable night. But the ability to abdul the sides for cover and shade is great, the interior is good but the single zip can get tight and trap you inside. The straps are also too short. The Helsdon is so easy to set up and I can use a 10mm closed cell $10 yoga mat for insulation. Bags of room inside so you can keep your gear dry and safe. It does need a tarp overhead to shelter you getting in and out but so do swags and bivys and if you're quick you can get in without it. Bottom line it is the Helsdon and the speed of set up and take down.

I was practicing for tomorrow when we go and camp in the snow; a first for me. Stay tuned cobber!

@@fatmanfaffing4116 Ah, there's finally a snow video. Yes, I'm looking forward to it. Please do that.😎

Luckily I live very close to the secret Whalan testing grounds...

I believe you but can you point me to where I can read this for myself and any other info? I'm only going on what the surplus store called it. I do know there is the olive green version in F1 and F2; one is open both ends, I think. Interestingly, a good mate of mine did 5 years in the French Army (FFL) 1985-90 and he says they were never issued to their unit and he never saw one in the field. They had ponchos or usually slept in a farmer's barn

This Snugpak SF Bivy is really light and so easy to throw in the pack or webbing so you'll always have it with you.

Yes, contact Anders in Sweden via the website and he can arrange delivery. I like them and the new bag, very easy to pack away and now it fits in the bottom of my Australian Army Aus70 field pack.

I has gone down to -2C here where I live and -5C in the hills surrounding Sydney (that I know for sure). We have more land covered by snow every year than Switzerland! Make sure you gt out and give that Aussie gear a good working over. I'm going to do a night in my NVA zeltbahn soon. Cheers Perry

@@fatmanfaffing4116 I can't even imagine it. Minus 5 degrees in Sydney, especially since Australia is always considered a hot country 😅. The summer solstice is now over and the nights are getting a little longer here again. It won't be long now and autumn will be upon us again.

I won't touch the asbestos but I might move the bottles. Or just avoid the area... As you say, your own adventure falls by the wayside.

No, it's a spork and a frothy coffee. It is you who has done a Biden! Thanks for watching, cobber.

I know but I have only had to add 1litre recently! Spooky.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 yeah, us subaru owner knows that we need to check oil level every 2 weeks, the new one burn less.... I have a 2019 and it does burn so much that I have to put some back before oil change.

They seem fine. The latest issue is all of a sudden I get warning lights for ABS, AT Trans Oil Temp, Hill Descent and the cruise symbol flashes! Car drives fine. I've disconnected the battery and it goes away. Had to do it twice so I think a relay or sensor is playing up. Video on that coming up.

I took a few years to go from buying a hammock to actually sleeping comfortably in one. Now I love my lay flat Helsdon Hammock tent. It can be used on the ground if no trees. For hiking it is a bit heavy but I mostly car camp so no problem. If hiking I will use a tarp and inflatable mat, bug net and ground sheet.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 I rarely use a hammock, even though I have two of them. One for me and one for my brother when he visits. I just don't feel like setting up the hammock and disguising it is a bit more difficult but not impossible. I think I made a video about it once.🤭

The British Army dixies are deeper than the Australian Army ones. Not the best but I'm familiar with them and they do the job and are pretty versatile.

It is a handy place to have; not the most scenic but no other people!

@@fatmanfaffing4116 Where there are no people there is less stress with them. 😏

It is a nice spot but gets crowded. Mid-week in winter you can have it to yourself.

It is on 113,000km (70,600m). I have had to add 1litre (1qt) twice between oil changes, but not every oil change.I change oil every 10,000km (6250m) I bought it at 75,000km and changed at 80,000, 90,000, 100,000 and 110,000. I refilled oil between 90 &100 and 100 & 110. What about yours?

@@fatmanfaffing4116 My one has 85000km , I change oil between 6k and 10k max , the most I have topped up was 600 ml . The service book recommends 0w20, I never liked that oil engine sounds rough , I exclusively use 5w30 Castrol magnetic which has the same standard as the manufacturer I live in a super cold climate . I checked with the dealer in the hottest countries they even use 20w50. Therefore I don't believe they designed the engine specifically for a super light oil.

@@supernova1976 I had the Castrol magnetic last change because it is recommended due to the single most annoying thing in the car... auto stop. I despise that and myself if I forget to switch it off every time I start up. As I serve legal documents for a living I stop and start sometimes 20 times a day and the auto stop has cut in while waiting to make a turn. But I digress!

@@fatmanfaffing4116 Yes I don't like stop start systems it doesn't save anything in most situations, thankfully my car doesn't have it. My other car a honda has it , another extra cost is the battery, they use a special battery that costs more than 3 times compared to a standard led acid battery. All in the name of fals claim emissions figures to meet the requirements, thin oil, stop start , plastic engine parts, and 20 computers low friction piston rings causing oil burning issues which eventually damage the cat. Can we just have a simple car please 😂

@@supernova1976 Sadly they will just get more and more complex till they drive themselves.

Coldest I have slept in that I know for sure was -5C. We get a few nights below 0C where Iive but if I camp up in the Blue Mountains or just over the Great Dividing Range in the Lithgow or Oberon areas it regularly gets below zero and there is the chance of snow overnight. And then it can hit 42C during the day in summer but then it will usually be 20C overnight. Alton make some good gear; very 'teur' but good quality. I have their -10C unltralight top quilt and a -5C underquilt, the tarp, the bugnet, the bathtub groundsheet, a standard ground sheet and the chair warmer.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 my coldest night was a icy and stormy snow night with - 15°c. The Rucksack was frozen outside 👋😅

@@BushcraftOst that kind of weather can be lethal. One reson I love my Helsdon Hammock is that the rucksack comes inside with me so nothing is left outside to get wet... or freeze. Being on the ground in that weather... awesome.

Except for the High Country, our bush stays green all year long. Or brown if it gets a bit dry but always leaves on the trees.Go up in elevation and the trees will soon start shedding their leaves like in Europe. Years ago in the army we had Swedish made barracuda cam nets which were two sided; summer and winter. Up close, struggling to get them over your vehicle it was hard to tell but from a distance if you used the wrong side up in the mountains it stood out like the proverbial canine genitalia.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 I also have a camo net green brown lying around here. I rarely use it because I can camouflage much more effectively with the homemade camouflage nets. This works quite well from spring to autumn and in winter without snow.

@@BushcraftOst I hate camo nets with a passion having struggled with them back in the day. Try camming up a low loader semi with a bulldozer on it with just three of you. Your home made jobs certainly look like they work. No camo net survives scrutiny once people get close and then they start asking why are you hiding?

Doesn't bother me. I am fat. I used to be pretty well built when a professional self defence instructor but age, diabetes, double hernia, arthritis, bursitis, cellulitis and heart disease mixed with a fair amount of laziness and lack of self discipline means I am now fat. Or obese, whichever. What word do you use to describe the fat on a steak?

Well I don't eat steak

@@Philipwaltho Are you a vegan? I wonder why you bothered to comment as you did. It tells me so much, coupled with your lack of any content on your channel. You can refrain from using any words you like, just don't bother telling random strangers. Have a nice life, Phillip.

@@fatmanfaffing4116Hey bro, I lost a LOT of weight going paleo and simply walking and hiking. Don't let these low-T vegans hold you back from success. Things like eggs, steak, butter and liver are the real super food combined with going low carb.

@@bigmambahful I lost 20kg doing low carb, carnivore based eating. Got ill and put another 10kg back on but I'm getting back down; slow and steady.Cutting out sugar has helped and lowering carbs. Appreciate the comment.

So true! Which is why I am sending the DPCU 'Jelly Bean' large field pack and the hootchie to a fellow You Tuber to use in Germany. I know he will use it. I love the thing but I have two and prefer the old AUS70 style pack (the green one) as that is the same design as what I used in the army in the 70s and 80s and weighs less. I don't walk far when I hike in but far enough at my age and fitness.

@@fatmanfaffing4116Hey man, if you're walking slowly, you're lapping everyone that's sitting on their couch.

@@fatmanfaffing4116No matter how slow you're moving, you are lapping everyone on their couches.

That is the DPCM, Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Material that was in from the mid 80s to the mid 2000 teens, say 2015. It is extremely effective in the Australian bush. we also called it the jelly bean pattern or Gucci-flage. The zeltbahn is called a hootchie, 1.9mx2.3m approx, from memory. It has press studs so you can join them together, the more you join the bigger your 'Taj Mahal'. If you are up for the postage I'm happy to swap some Aussie kit for German. I have two NVA zeltbahns but open to discuss. I just think it would be awesome to watch one of your videos and see Aussie kit used in Europe. I'm sure you'd get a few comments. It would also be interesting to see if it is effective in European landscapes.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 I think the Jelly Bean fits in well in some areas here. East Germany is the drier part of the entire country and some places have an almost desert-like character with heather growth. This could be a good camouflage pattern.

@@BushcraftOst it does remind me of that early NVA pattern, the flower one before the raindrop. I just checked postage and it would cost E50 just to send the hootchie there, maybe E120 for the large field pack and hootchie. I'd be happy to swap kit or just cover the postage and you can have the stuff as it is not getting much use here; I've got more gear than I can ever use. At least I know you'd use it and share that on RU-vid.

Not much, frankly. I was surprised it only leaked at those seam points; easily rectified. I like the traditional look of the tent and will keep it but I use a Helsdon Hammock, personally. When you say 'no rain fly', it reminds me of when I was a kid, all tents came with a rain fly. Then they seemed to do away with it and just be single skin. I also recall how an Aussie gear specialist, Paddy Palin, used to make tents out of jappara, one of those 'new, miracle' fabrics. Too expensive for my budget but a mate had one and it was good kit.

I just assume no tent is waterproof and use a ground cloth and an inexpensive tarp over it even after seam sealing. Saves hassle and regrets.@@fatmanfaffing4116

I'm just uploading my first snow camp video (part 1). Much respect to you guys camping in snow. I learned a lot.

Last year some in the Land ROver Club said it was worth $30K , but none of them were in the market. It is worth what someone will pay and I'm hoping for around $15K. I had th seat rebuilt; just needs some love. I am open to offers.

186cm or 6'1"

@@fatmanfaffing4116 oh wauw, can you sleep comfi or all curled up?

@@OlijfJePT I can stretch out. I sleep alone (or slept as I have since sold the car) and can go diagonal so I get the extra length. I also leave the tail gate up, usually but there was always enough room to lie flat. I now have a Subaru forester but use a Helsdon Hammock tent.

@@fatmanfaffing4116 Thanx so much for answering, very valuable. Yes so you do go diagonal, I think there is the key and probably the extra space of the front seat is more than I think now. Thanx again and will try it out soon!! Open tailgate won't be possible with the cold but I love to know it is possible to sleep in my car with my length (without a lot of adjustments). Traveling up and down a lot and my hip and back problems make hotels to a bit of a nightmare. The flexibility of sleeping in one's own car is a huge advantage as well.

@@fatmanfaffing4116good idea leaving the tail gate up. But I mostly camp in the forest where occasionally the wild animals show up it’d not be safe to keep the gate up all night. Btw I am 182cm