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Well, spring is here, summer is around the corner who all are getting out that old or new tent and other gear ready for some fun camping trips?
I myself just purchased a few newer items including a new tent, air mattress, I will be camping this coming weekend, 4/13-4/15, can't wait. I have another trip lined up for last weekend of the month too.
Unless you're camping is limited to the well developed tent sites with running water (and maybe even if it is)
I'll repeat a suggestion I've made more than a few times since I discovered it around 2004:
A clean garden pump spray will make for a terrific shower.
It's also good for washing up dishes and pans after meals.
The one gallon size is big enough for most but look for a BRASS wand.
They'll last longer -durable- and you can shorten them without breaking it.
(they're getting harder to find now - most are cheap fiberglass)
Fill it with clean water in the morning, set it out in the sun then go off on your days hike.
When you return you'll have plenty of clean warm water to shower with.
Great suggestions, MrRational, lucky for me. I almost always camp at sites that have bath houses, I can't remember if Carolina beach in NC, had showers in their bathrooms, but most every place else I've camped had both and some had drinking water near the sites. I do often make sure to bring extra water and wipes with me though. I'll only ruff it so much.
Unless you're camping is limited to the well developed tent sites with running water (and maybe even if it is)
I'll repeat a suggestion I've made more than a few times since I discovered it around 2004:
A clean garden pump spray will make for a terrific shower.
It's also good for washing up dishes and pans after meals.
The one gallon size is big enough for most but look for a BRASS wand.
They'll last longer -durable- and you can shorten them without breaking it.
(they're getting harder to find now - most are cheap fiberglass)
Fill it with clean water in the morning, set it out in the sun then go off on your days hike.
When you return you'll have plenty of clean warm water to shower with.
I'm picturing it but not quite sure....you mean you take a brass garden sprayer and attach it to your solar shower? It sounds great but then I started to wonder how you attach it. Can you maybe post a pic?
We make a couple of camping trips each year. We may go out this weekend or next. A few things have made it easier/more pleasant.
1. Easy up tent. We always seem to arrive late at night in the dark, often in cold or rain. A tent you can put up in three minutes or less is a godsend. They are not as sturdy, but unless you arrive in a windstorm they will do well enough until morning when you put in the ropes and stakes. Once fully staked, they are as sturdy as the next tent. Our tent is huge. It is rated for something like fourteen people which means it can hold four or five. Yet two people can have it up in a couple of minutes. One person will take ten minutes, but it is still way faster and easier. Our last tent, one person could not even put it up at all, you had to have help.
2. Sun showers. These are specially dark colored bags with a shower nozzle attached. They hold about two or three gallons of water. You hang them in the sun, and even on a chilly day, the water heats up considerably. One bag is easily enough for a decent shower (military style). We bought six of them at an auction for $10. You can buy a hanging shower curtain, some of them even have a stand alone frame, but it is just as easy to shower in a swimsuit. The curtains and frame things are super flimsy and break even in a light breeze. Plus they are made for short people. Not worth it IMO. They are pricey too.
3. A propane stove. To me this was a concession to yuppie camping. I always felt you are not camping unless you cook over a fire. My wife hated camping after the first three trips with me. Then we got a stove, and suddenly she does not mind and even enjoys it sometimes. It is a worthwhile concession.
4. Air mattresses. I always though these were for pansies, not for camping. Then one year i took my 9 year old twin daughters camping in the mountains and it was blizzard snowing when we arrived. We quickly discovered sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags (the proper way to camp) was impossible. We needed up sleeping in my Camaro with it running and the heat on. In the morning we found a KMart and bought air mattresses. We were fine for the rest of the trip. Now I have gotten soft. If I even try to sleep on the bare ground, I find I am unable to walk the next day.
5. Kayaks and or Canoe. We almost always camp on or near water of some kind. Even if you will just use it a couple of times at the campground, we find it is always worthwhile to bring them along. Canoe and be a PIA to carry on a vehicle though. Kayaks are much easier.
ColdJ, I'm with you on the easy up tent and they're not for everyone, but they are definitely for me. I just order a bigger one as I have the four person one which you can't stand in and I wanted more headroom unfortunately, that means a much bigger tent and it shall be arriving today according to the UPS tracking site. I can't wait. It's not the normal 72" hight, more like 66" which is just about enough for me to at least not have to bend forward or every time I take a step, my head will just touch the ceiling.
This is the one I bought, but in blue. I know a lot of people don't like this brand, but, my first tent was and ozark and I remember my outing at Ocracoke beach and massive thunderstorm hit and my friends expensive tent and others around their tents had issues while my little cheapie tent held up like a champ. Maybe I was just lucky, but I was all smiles.
As far as cooking gear, I camp with a group, the others always bring camp stoves, I myself when I just want something quick have my handy little cat stove.
My tent arrived just a little while ago, I had it up and down in under five minutes. Less than a minute to raise it than you know I had to look it over for a few, was just as easy to snap down. I'm really loving this tent. Also, it has way more headroom than advertised I think the 66 inches must be for the corners of the tent because the center and much around it had to be at least 6 ft clearance that or I shrank 6 inches.
Friday can't get here fast enough. We're supposed to get some rain, I'll report back as to how it held up and I'll hopefully be able to provide some pictures.
We recently spent two nights near Payson, AZ. Temps were pleasant. We heard lots of coyotes both nights. My wife heard a javalina one night after I’d fallen asleep, which freaked her out a bit because we’re really not familiar with them and what they might do.
We have an old Armadillo 4-person tent. It’s nice enough, but not big enough to stand in. I posted a question about inflatable tents here several months ago but didn’t get any response. It seems they are most popular in Britain, and I’ve never even seen one here. Some of them are extremely roomy, and the videos on YouTube make it look pretty easy to pitch them (of course!). Anybody see one of these in person?
Sorry Hickernut, I've only seen the inflatables on youtube as well. I hope someone will be able to answer your question.
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Can you maybe post a pic?
I just order a bigger one as I have the four person one which you can't stand in and I wanted more headroom unfortunately, that means a much bigger tent and it shall be arriving today according to the UPS tracking site. I can't wait. It's not the normal 72" hight, more like 66" which is just about enough for me to at least not have to bend forward or every time I take a step, my head will just touch the ceiling.
