Lets talk camping!

[AccordRanger]

So im looking to get some better camping gear this year.

What do you guys have as far as gear goes? (Axes, shovels, stoves, grilles, etc.)

[Chris]

I've been a non-camper for too long to be any help. Now that we have a RTT I plan to do a lot more.

My entire cooking gear is a single-burner Coleman and coffee pot. :D

[scout man]

Yea, I used to carry a single burner, but the :princess: didnt like that it could be kinda tippy and dangerous, so we picked up a 2 burner coleman from the outlet in castle rock for like $35. It is great. I carry and ammo can with a collapsible frying pan, a water pitcher for boiling water, and some utensils and a can of propane and I can just grab it and the grill and head out. Plus the ammo box works real well as a dry box both to keep food smells in and water out. I keep the food in it too. Other than that, we both have the air filled camping pads, which are great as a temperature barrier between you and the ground, and some good sleeping bags. Oh, and the tent of course. Pretty well covers most situations for us, and its great as most of it just lives in the scout and is ready to go... plus I have it all if I ever get stranded anywhere. And I carry 5 gallons of water.. that usually just lives in the rig for extended periods of time also.

I always have a good sharp hatchet and a good sharp knife. Pretty soon here I will have and axe and shovel in the rig too. Oh, and you cant forget toilet paper!!

[kemat]

I have a Laredo 245RL fifth wheel with all the goodies to be comfy, I pull it with my Dodge CTD. I can't pull the jeep behind it yet but someday I will.

[scout man]

ah, but the key word here was camping !!

[kemat]

It's a camper, so that should count.;)
Just because it has hot and cold running water and satelite TV doesn't mean I'm not camping, does it???:D

[Chris]

Does it have Wifi? No internet qualifies as camping in my book. ;)

[kemat]

No wifi of any kind, and it doesn't bother me when I get out of phone range either.:thunb:

[Chris]

That's camping in my book. Just use Verizon for your phone like I do and it's easy to get out of phone range. :lmao:

[BlackRubi]

Aside from an axe, a really good saw works wonders for deadfall trees.
The wife bought a large propane stove at Gander Mtn. and a Coleman griddle. They're awesome.
I have always been a fan of my folding grill that goes over a campfire. I got mine at Bass Pro.
I'm not a fan of Coleman tents. We have a large one and have used it for two or three outings. The last time we went, the fiberglass poles on one side of it shattered. If someone was going to go with Coleman tents, I would recommend the Xponent series.

[Pathrat]

Everything.

What I bring depends on the type of camping. Car camping? Pack camping? Water or no water available? Bathrooms or pit toilets? I am guessing you will load your rig.

tent
Sleeping bags
sleeping bag pads or a blow up mattress (my choice) and something to blow it up with
Crank or battery lantern, not just a flashlight but a lantern
flashlight
batteries
old cooler or canvas army bag for cookware (put your silverware in a flat tupperware type container, see Target)
pots/pans/metal plates/paper plates/large metal enameled mugs that double as bowls/knives/small cutting board
stove, 2 burner, coleman
coffee pot
propane
rope
hatchet
shovel
fire starter
TP
compressor
maps
water

hmmm, what else?

[Roostercruiser]

Nothing i lost my starcraft and evrything else. I have start all over again. But my burb is big enough to sleep in.

[Brody]

So im looking to get some better camping gear this year.

What do you guys have as far as gear goes? (Axes, shovels, stoves, grilles, etc.)

I'm going to assume that you are talking about car camping vs any other kind and base my reply on that. What you carry in your car to camp with and what you want to carry on your back are two entirely different things. I have been camping since I was 6 and am almost 60 now. Since I was 20, most of my back country camping (aside from car camping) has also involved carrying on my back 30-40 pounds (or more) of rock or ice climbing gear BEFORE any camping gear...again an entirely different ball game.

Basically, the closer you are to your rig, the cheaper and heavier the gear you can get away with. WalMart is your friend here. You can get a decent sleeping bag there for a song that is going to be both roomy and warm. Ditto with foam pads. The ensolite pads at WalMart are only about $5, where the approximate same pad at REI would be $15-20. Supplement these with an expensive ThermoRest style pad and you have a really good combo, but two of the ensolite pads will suffice. The 'contour foam' pads are also good, but take up some room. You can also get these at WalMart.

A cookset is worth spending a few buts on and the stainless steel MSRs can't really be beat for durability, but will run some bucks. A basic two burner Coleman style stove will work just fine and is a real workhouse that is simple and robust. If you plan to do cold weather stuff, get the gas version vs the propane as the propane will give you issues when it is cold. The Coleman lanterns, either the smaller of larger ones, also work well.

For tents, look at the REI 4 person dome tents. They are the perfect size for 2 people with gear, you can find them on craigslist for cheap all the time, and they hold up well. Do not buy a Coleman tent. You may also want to look for a used Mountain Hardware dome tent, a step up from the REI tents. What you pay for in a tent is what you get. The more $$, the better the tent. Bang for the buck, the REI tents probably offer the best deal. I use a 4 person REI dome for car camping, a REI 2 person dome for backpacking if I am not carrying a huge amount of crap and expect bad weather, a porta ledge for sleeping on a big wall, a bivi sack if I am traveling really light. and a Black Diamond MegaMid for when I am carrying a lot of grief. I also would advise on getting any of the much more roomier square design tents. They act as sails when it gets windy and simply aren't designed to stand up any abuse at all.

A cheap tarp with some poles is a good addition, too. It will provide a dry area for eating and firewood, act as an additional rain barrier for your tent, act as a wind break, etc. For a more expensive alternative, buy the biggest 'footprint' (tent base/protector) that REI sells. Tarps are a real lifesaver..

Silverware and plastic eating/drinking items are either a WalMart or Goodwill deal, as is other stuff like frying pans. A folding grill from WalMArt is also good. The interlocking 'knife/fork/spoon' combos you can get at a military surplus or WalMart for $5 are a nice addition to your other cook stuff.

Home Depo and Lowe's have the best prices on axes, especially the fiberglass handled ones. Get the size just under a full size and it will do almost everything you want it to do. Get a simple bow saw there, too. Between the two of them, you can get everything done you need. Knives are a mixed bag. A cheap one will work, for sure. A good one is better. But here is the rub: a really expensive knife you will need a sharpening stone to sharpen, whereas a cheaper one you can sharpen on a rock or another piece of steel. A big knife fills the gap between what the bow saw and axe can't do, but is a pain to carry. Look at the larger K Bar knife that is like a mini machete. It is relatively cheap, is heavy, good quality and can be sharpened on almost anything. The same size Gerber, for instance, costs about twice as much, is lighter and needs a whetstone to sharpen.

Shovels are another mixed bag. I personally like to have a smaller spade style shovel with a hand grip and a folding military shovel when I car camp. The folding military shovel will also act as a hoe (and makes a very good weapon if things come to that) and the spade style blades work well for everything except snow removal.

So, a combination of Goodwill, REI (or Gander or Sportman's Warehouse), WalMart and military surplus will get you set up for some decent and comfortable car camping junk at a pretty reasonable price. Your two biggest expenses are going to be the sleeping bag and the tent.

Happy to answer any backpacking questions as far as camping junk goes, too. Just PM me.

[greenramp]

Car camping...... food, a sleeping bag, and more food.

[tbalcome]

This is just a funny topic! It is so diverse what peoples options are!

[scout man]

yea, I have a Coleman tent, and it needs replaced. Tent was GREAT when we first got it. Very well made. The problem is it has these plastic windows in the rain fly, and the windows have hardened and now they crack any time they get moved. Not much in the way of a rain fly anymore. Good to know that others have had problems with Coleman tents, I guess I wont be buying the next one from them.

[4wdhunter]

I've been camping/backpacking/hunting most all of my life, and when it comes to the major gear items (tent & sleeping bag) all I gotta say is don't skimp, buy quality items. Quality gear is made to last if taken care of properly whereas the cheap stuff isn't. Example, I'm still using the same North Face tent my parents bought me when I was 12 (I'm 39 now). Look at some of the outlet stores like Sierra Trading Post, and REI outlet, etc. for deals. Me personally, I won't buy a sleeping bag rated above 0 and won't buy a tent less than 3-4 season.

[Funrover]

I've been a non-camper for too long to be any help. Now that we have a RTT I plan to do a lot more.

My entire cooking gear is a single-burner Coleman and coffee pot. :D

When did you get that.... YOU BUM!!!!

[Funrover]

Well I have misc. items. Jessica and I use our camper, our tent and we camp in the Rover. It all depends on what/where. What are you looking for? Just a beginners guide/gear?

[Chris]

You could have beat me to it Aaron but you weren't at the Anniversary Run. ;)

[Funrover]

You Suck Chris!! And Jess would have said no..... DANGIT!!

[AccordRanger]

Has anyone owned a Gerber axe? Looking to buy one within the week, just need to know if its worth it.

[Funrover]

Has anyone owned a Gerber axe? Looking to buy one within the week, just need to know if its worth it.

Have not owned one, but have used many times, yes they are worth it. I should get one myself

[AccordRanger]

Ok thank you been thinking about it just wasn't sure, the one i have now dulls instantly.

[scout man]

Has anyone owned a Gerber axe? Looking to buy one within the week, just need to know if its worth it.

I have a Gerber hatchet and LOVE it. Sharpens like no other and as long as you dont hit rocks and stuff it tends to stay that way. I, however, am not a HUGE fan of the axes just because they dont really have enough weight up there to get a good swing in. Great if you are conscience of the weight you are packing though.

[CR]

I use a Big R special. Maul. Its like a big axe, with a sledge on one end. weighs about 8 pounds and goes through just about everything. And for the really big stuff, I carry a wedge type thing.

[scout man]

I use a Big R special. Maul. Its like a big axe, with a sledge on one end. weighs about 8 pounds and goes through just about everything. And for the really big stuff, I carry a wedge type thing.

The problem with the mauls, is that they are great for splitting wood, but generally suck at chopping it up.

[Brody]

I have a Gerber hatchet and LOVE it. Sharpens like no other and as long as you dont hit rocks and stuff it tends to stay that way. I, however, am not a HUGE fan of the axes just because they dont really have enough weight up there to get a good swing in. Great if you are conscience of the weight you are packing though.

I have had a couple over the years and both, after a lot of serious abuse, broke right where you expect them to: right at the handle attachment. After the second one broke, I went back to a much cheaper solid fiberglass handled axe. BTW, the small Gerber hatchets make for great throwing hatchets because of they way they are balanced.

[Brody]

When did you get that.... YOU BUM!!!!

You can get the single burner Coleman's, either the big or small version, at any WalMart

[CR]

The problem with the mauls, is that they are great for splitting wood, but generally suck at chopping it up.
Oh yeah, and a chain saw for cutting stuff up.:D

[southpaws3]

FOOD- alot for both you and the vehicle then alot more
WATER-alot same as above
SHELTER - for sleeping bags i went w/ wiggy's (wiggy's.com) he is out of grand junction he suppies they military and alaskain/marine rescue he is pricey but for military he does 1/2 off plus i turned around and got a 4 season tent (for emergencies)
I pull a homemade camping trailer just to carry extra sh1t
PROTECTION-Beside your own mind/creativity you can fill that in yourself
Best of luck ! we all have so different backgrounds/experiences so hopefully all our ideas help get you a good idea on were to start


D!MN CHRIS THAT TENT REALLY LOOKS FAMILIAR :D;)

[Brody]

[U][B]
Best of luck ! we all have so different backgrounds/experiences so hopefully all our ideas help get you a good idea on were to start

Still haven't figured out yet if we are talking back packing crap or car camping crap...Huge differences. I have never carried an axe or a hatchet when I have been back packing. Rather have the extra food and water. You can always find ways to break wood.

[AccordRanger]

Im talking about car camping.

[billsbar]

I just up graded my camping gear last week, I'm ready to roll. Now I need to sell the old one. Guess I need to post up in the for sale area

but here's the new one, or at least new to me
11660

[kemat]

See billsbar and I are on the same page other than I pull my house behind me and he drives his:D

[southpaws3]

holy sh1t !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S CAMPING ????? d1mn i have been in the military toooooooo long :bang:

[Rob]

THAT'S CAMPING ?????

I'd call it a rolling hotel suite. (But only because I'm jealous and could never get my wife in one of those.:D)

[Brody]

And I have spent way too much time in these things and on the ground camping. You can still get a long, long ways away from people when you do not have to park a huge rig, but you can't deny the creature comforts. I do not go for creature comforts or people too much when I camp.

Oh...yes you do have to be a little dialed in when you are 'camping' a couple thousand feet off the deck. Or you simply die:lmao:

[Mporter]

Yet again Pete.....hardcore

[southpaws3]

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown: AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

[Brody]

Yet again Pete.....hardcore
Don't know about the 'hardcore' part, but after 8-14 hours of rock climbing, all you want to do is to get horizontal and weight off of your harness. Before some clever boy (or girl) came up with the portaledges, we were using hammocks like this one and they were about as uncomfortable as they looked, even with the expansion bar. This was assuming that you didn't make it to the next good ledge, providing that the climb you were on even had good ledges...

The very first time I ever did this, we practiced on a short (700') rock face that was up pretty high. When we got up in the morning, the cloud level was about 60' beneath us and we watched the sun come up over the top of the clouds, much like you see in an airplane. It was pretty spectacular to say the least. We packed up our junk, left it hanging, finished the climb, all in the sun. Then we started rapping down, grabbing our gear on the way. When we got into the clouds, we hit a full on snowstorm...Nothing like a day in the hills...

[RockyMtnHigh]

Or you simply die:lmao:

Yeah I roll around too much when I sleep and have to get up and pee at least once, my luck I would forget where I was and step off into thin air!

[Jackie]

That rig looks hard to step out of by accident. I don't think I could get out of it on purpose!!!! and you would NEVER catch me hanging off the side of a cliff like that! (My husband would though - as long as I didn't know about it)!!! Crazy stuff in my book!

[Brody]

You don't take your harness off ( they are designed so that with a little creative thinking both men and women can go to the bathroom without becoming completely untied) and you do have the harness anchored to a separate anchor point. Lesson pointed out when I was demoing a prototype wall hammock (Forest Mountaineering Wall Womb) in the mid to late 70's and a seam blew out in the middle of the night, leaving me hanging in space...Interesting times can be had up on rock climbs..

Trick to the old school hammocks was to sit in them like a chair, then put your feet into the pocket at the end and straighten out. Pop and you were then horizontal...

[Smash]

Wow. Brody you were young? :lol:

Sweet setup! Man, I used to love my asym hennesey hammock. Then I lost it. You have no idea the cuss words.....

[RockyMtnHigh]

That rig looks hard to step out of by accident.

I wasn't talking about the one on the 3rd page, I was referring to the rigs on the second page and regardless harness or not Brody no thanks, I tend to scratch a little too and that would interfere with that! :lmao:

[Zatticus]

Mann, You guys are lame, taking all kinds of fancy stuff.

Sleeping bag, Tent, Knife, Water, Freeze dried food for when you can't "live off the land"
: )

[Smash]

You live off the land?

[Rob]

You live off the land?

There's land underneath Safeway and King Soopers, right?

[Mporter]

You live off the land?

http://www.ldsfilm.com/ar/images/CinemaSouthwest12.jpg

[scout man]

You live off the land?

I was waiting for someone to point that one out. This could get entertaining

[Rob]

Can you skin griz, pilgrim?

[Zatticus]

Can you skin griz, pilgrim?

pshht.
Who can't?



There's land underneath Safeway and King Soopers, right?
You bet there is!




Aha, In all seriousness. I could hold my own out in nature.
I know enough, Or I could get one of those books to help you know safe plants to eat.
;)
They're small, cheap and lightweight.
I win.
:D

[Rob]

Or I could get one of those books to help you know safe plants to eat.

Eating plants isn't living off the land. You need protein. Griz have protein. Eat griz. But you gotta skin 'em first ...


















... kid.

[Brody]

Wow. Brody you were young? :lol:

Sweet setup! Man, I used to love my asym hennesey hammock. Then I lost it. You have no idea the cuss words.....

Check out the asym parachute hammocks that REI has. I picked one up a couple of years ago. Surprisingly cheap, too. It goes along on every trip now whether we set it up or not. Small, compact....and asym...

Glad I am not the only one who likes grits...Must be one of those southern things. Anyone not from the south thinks they are horrible...

There are some good books out there about edible plants, specifically "Edible Plants of Colorado" that shows edible plants in all seasons in full color. Rob is right...you do need protein...in whatever form you can get it in; animal or insect.

[Aaron]

I've got the camper (25ft rolling hotel) now but the bride and I are downsizing. This summer, we'll probably sell the truck and the camper. I'm looking into getting a small trailer to tow behind the Jeep to carry camping supplies and getting back to basics. And yes, I mean the basics of car camping :) For longer trips (>3 days) I'm looking at getting a good GP small tent. My father in law has one and its great!.

[Zatticus]

Eating plants isn't living off the land. You need protein. Griz have protein. Eat griz. But you gotta skin 'em first ... ... kid.

i said i coulddd

yu need nutrients too






sir

[Smash]

Brody - yeah a friend got us a 2 person parachute tent for christmas! It's uber comfy. I loved the hennesey for the bug net and fly. Man I camped in that thing a lot, especially on bike trips. You could almost always find something to tie it to. I think I only spent a few nights on the ground.

And. I love grits. The slow cooked butter + salt kind. Old school. And I grew up in Albuquerque. :lol:

[Zatticus]

And. I love grits. The slow cooked butter + salt kind. Old school. And I grew up in Albuquerque. :lol:



If I'm understanding correctly, I think oldrob was talking about griz, like grizzly bears?
Not grits. Grits are gross.
;)

[Smash]

Ah, well I was wrong. Atleast I know I can't live off the land. :lol:

[southpaws3]

aaawww don't be scared living off the land it can be fun pine needle tea,road kill,a few grubs purged in water of course,a few worms w/fresh robin eggs (scrambled), cattails fresh from a creek , that squirel,neighbors dog and last but not least a couple of drinking buddies (jack,jim,jose) to help cook there you go no problem;):thunb:

[RockyMtnHigh]

a few grubs purged in water of course,a few worms

He thinks grits are gross!:lmao::lmao:

[southpaws3]

GRITS!!!!!!!!!!!! GROSS?????????? you just tooooooooo d1mn cityfied that is all...... try cooking w/ lard .. you can feel your arteries harding ... THAT IS AWESOME !!! don't forget desert--1 stick of butter rolled in brown sugar w/ a touch of honey (too make it sweet) yum yum getting hungry just thinking about it ...

[Mporter]

1 stick of butter rolled in brown sugar w/ a touch of honey (too make it sweet) yum yum getting hungry just thinking about it ...

Alright Paula Deen

[Zatticus]

Oh,


i forgot to add
:hijack:

[Pathrat]

Alright Paula Deen

:lmao: Paula Deen...the woman who made fudge with Velveeta.

Some good lines on here! "kid"..."sir"....this is one of the reasons I log on.

[Pathrat]

back to camping:

I want a Fleetwood Off Road Camper!!!
http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/rvs/1674572024.html

Or a Coleman.
http://www.colemantrailers.com/

[Aaron]

Good choice of brands. They are actually both fleetwoods. Fleetwood pays Coleman to brand some of their campers. We had a Coleman popup before our current camper. Real good stuff.

[Pathrat]

Good choice of brands. They are actually both fleetwoods. Fleetwood pays Coleman to brand some of their campers. We had a Coleman popup before our current camper. Real good stuff.

Good to know. We can hardly wait to get one.

[Mporter]

We have one like http://www.colemantrailers.com/theamericanaleseries
It's a lot older model but has the same appearance. It's really nice.

[AccordRanger]

Ok so does anyone have any tricks as dealing with the insects such as bees, wasps, mosquitoes, and ticks?

[Brody]

Ok so does anyone have any tricks as dealing with the insects such as bees, wasps, mosquitoes, and ticks?

Well, what, besides insect spray, are you asking for? I usually just use some good insect repellent, especially one that repels ticks. I will spray that around the collar of my shirt and the cuffs of my pants, too. On my tent, I will coat around the opening with bug spray. Kerosene works the best of anything I have ever used for ticks, but the smell is bothersome to some people.

The bug candles (citronella) work well for keeping bugs away from the general area and away from tables, etc.

[Warrlord]

Or a Coleman.

I'm pretty sure you'd be happy with one.

Our Coleman has been a good little unit. It's a 1990 model that we bought in '96 & we have no plans to replace it. No hot water, no toilet. Just a sink & two burner stove & a little furnace. Keeps us dry & plenty warm. The sink has one of those pump type faucets so I bought one of these (http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pumps-water/rv-water-pump.htm) & a toggle switch. One of the many things I like about it is, my Ranger doesn't struggle towing it so I don't have to have a full size V8 truck to tow a camper & maintain highway speeds.

Basically, I consider it a tent on wheels with a solid floor. Great for keeping us off the ground especially when it rains.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Warrlord/60c74ef0.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/Warrlord/Various%20Pics/cmg11.jpg

[southpaws3]

that's awesome warrlord where did you find that??

[Warrlord]

that's awesome warrlord where did you find that??

Thanks, got it in Widefield. A friend I used to work with told me about his neighbor selling a really nice tent trailer for cheap because of a divorce, $800.00. I stopped at the bank to grab some cash & after work I went & looked at it. It was nice, just a few hail dents on the top so I gave him the cash, he signed the title over to me, I hooked it up & brought it home. After 14 years of owning it, we're still pleased with it. However, if the cable that lifts the top ever breaks, theeeeeeeeeen I might not like it so much :D

[Jackie]

Ok so does anyone have any tricks as dealing with the insects such as bees, wasps, mosquitoes, and ticks?

Yeah - This might sound wierd, but Avon "Skin So Soft" oil is GREAT for repelling mosquitoes. It's no secret to those of us who grew up in Minnesota where the skeeters are big enough to fly away with ya! (You might smell a bit "girly", but it beats the smell of other stuff (plus it keeps your skin soft)!!!

[Chris]

Another Minnesotan for "Skin So Soft" :thunb:

[Fordguy77]

Yeah - This might sound wierd, but Avon "Skin So Soft" oil is GREAT for repelling mosquitoes. It's no secret to those of us who grew up in Minnesota where the skeeters are big enough to fly away with ya! (You might smell a bit "girly", but it beats the smell of other stuff (plus it keeps your skin soft)!!!

X2 Thats where the real skeeters live

[Zatticus]

Avon "Skin So Soft" oil is GREAT for repelling mosquitoes.

x2 from Humid Missouri, where theres just plenty of mosquiotoessss.
: )

[southpaws3]

X3 i'm from iowa i think those d1mn bugs have runways

[Rob]

Minnesota and Missouri skeeters? Pshaw. Try the bugs in the deep South and Florida. They're often large enough to be counted in the dicennial census.

[southpaws3]

X2 d1mn i can agree w/ you on that too they have runways too and steal lil animals

[Rob]

and steal lil animals

and the occasional small child. :eek: