GO GADGETS:Cheap tents are available for under €50, but you'll be fortunate if they last longer than a weekend in our not-so-gentle climate.
Tents from MSR (Mountain Safety Research), on the other hand, are like stone cottages with zips. The MSR Mutha Hubba three-person, two-door tent (€270, www.msrgear.com) weighs less than 3kg and has two large vestibules for storing gear or cooking out of the rain. For serious outdoor addicts, the company's one-man Carbon Reflex (about €240) weighs just a feather over 1kg. No friends permitted. MSR products are available at outdoor stores nationwide, including River Deep Mountain High, in Limerick (061-400944, www.rdmh.ie) and Galway (091-563938, www.rdmh. ie), and Maher Sports (021-4271244, www. mahersports.ie) in Cork.
• If you're so serious about your camping that you own a one-man tent, then you'd better make sure your jacket is up to the challenge. The 4 Seasons Trek from Berghaus (€380, www.berghaus.com) is ideal for a wind-whipped Carrauntoohil - or even for a rain-lashed Eden Quay during an extended wait for the number 31 bus. The jacket comes with a breathable Gore-tex shell, articulated sleeves, a tab-down fixed hood, map pocket and even "pit zips" to let the air in - and out.
• Dry, snug and lonely, it's time for a solo celebration. Thanks to all that weight saved by the MSR tent, you barely registered the extra pounds of the stainless-steel hip flask at the bottom of the backpack. Dubarry of Ireland makes an elegant leather-covered flask with a hinged screw top (€50, www.dubarryboots. com).
• aharvey@irish-times.ie