Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have 0 plans on starting a fire...I plan on using a camp stove, I do love camp fires, but I wouldnt want to try to start one on my own least not right now

Im thinking bout a ThermaRest

ARKPAT wrote:Amy I use a 12 volt air pump with a air mattress in the trailer and air it up with a Jump start battery. Use it anywhere and have a LED Light for the tent / Tear / car. Some jump Start batteries have tire pump, lights and jumper cables / 400 watt invert ( 110v AC ) for about $70 ~ $100 ( makes a good power source for both 12 volt and 110 volt A/C outlets ).



Pat

PS: I have two of these multi-purpose jump start batteries in the trailer and love them. You can charge them form a car or any 12 volt source ( plug included ) or a 110 volt A/C outlet ( using a 110 volt plug in module included - Wall-wart ). You can use it if you run your car battery down to start your car. I always include a roll of Gorilla Duct Tape for leaks and other uses.

Those battery starter things are really good to have. At the cloudcroft gathering my battery went dead and Pat got his jumpstart and gave me a boost. Thanks Pat.

firestarting's the easiest thing in the world. matches will do it.

Fire rings are part of most campgrounds. If you're boondocking, it's easy enough to make a container for your fire. Coffeecans work. Cokecans work.
Hubcaps work too.

Thermarest sleeping pads.

I have the top-o-the-line, "old man can't sleep on the ground anymore" model. Stupidly expensive, but I'm and old man who can't sleep on the ground anymore.

Go to REI, and try some out on the hard floor. See if you like them. Other places carry Thermarest, but they won't have a bunch of tryout pads for you to , well, try out.

When I was your age, I could sleep like a baby on the thinest Thermarest. Heck, I could sleep on the tent floor if I put a bunch of leaves under the tent.

BTW, air beds are great for keeping cool in the heat of summer, and terrible at keeping you warm in the cold of winter.

CD

caseydog wrote:Thermarest sleeping pads.

I have the top-o-the-line, "old man can't sleep on the ground anymore" model. Stupidly expensive, but I'm and old man who can't sleep on the ground anymore.

Go to REI, and try some out on the hard floor. See if you like them. Other places carry Thermarest, but they won't have a bunch of tryout pads for you to , well, try out.

When I was your age, I could sleep like a baby on the thinest Thermarest. Heck, I could sleep on the tent floor if I put a bunch of leaves under the tent.

BTW, air beds are great for keeping cool in the heat of summer, and terrible at keeping you warm in the cold of winter.

CD

I like being cool, even in the winter. I sleep with a fan on me all year around.

In real cold weather I'll slip a fleece between me and the air mattress.

eaglesdare wrote:one other thing i would make sure you have is a good sleeping bag, (right hikerchick). LOL

Right-o.

And always pack the long underwear.

One essential I 've used since day 1 and still carry today is a space blanket; a sheet of aluminum mylar. If you really get cold; this is a life-saver

mandy
PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject:

Those battery starter things are really good to have. At the cloudcroft gathering my battery went dead and Pat got his jumpstart and gave me a boost.

Thanks Mandy!:thumbsup:
It was also handy running my laptop across the new highways as I drove to Cloudcroft campsite. The inverter I had for the laptop did not work any more after popping the fuse I plugged it into ; so I used the same Jump start battery for three more hours before getting to the campsite. I did no need to recharge it. I also used the light as a night light in the tent.

When it is warm outside I turn the sleeping bag inside out and sleep on the nylon side for a cooler sleep.



Pat

Ed and I are whitewater paddlers, both kayak and open canoe. To keep as much water out of the boats as possible, we use air bags that need to be blown up. The kayak bags are small, and lung power is fine, but the open canoe bags can be a major pain. We use (and most other canoeists that we know use) a Coleman battery powered air pump.

Check out Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-4D-Univer ... 553&sr=8-3

It also works as a deflator to make it easier to pack the mattress back up (stick the nozzle on the other end).

Hi, Amy--I was reading along here, catching up, thinking, "She needs to hang out with some Girl Scouts to learn how to start a small campfire." Girl Scouts are big on small fires (my husband, Mr. Big Fire usually ends up doing our fires, though, darn it!) Maybe you could volunteer with a local troop and pick up some tips. One typical Girl Scout method is to gather some small dry twigs from the woods near your campsite, and a few dry leaves (not too many--they make a lot of smoke) and maybe crumple up a piece of paper or two and put them in the fire ring or pit with the paper on top. That's your tinder. Then arrange some bigger sticks in a teepee shape over the top. That's your kindling. Then light the paper with a match. Assuming it isn't windy, the paper will light the leaves and twigs, which will then light the sticks after awhile. When those are going good, add a couple of logs. It's good if one leans up against each other or you can do another teepee. Once the logs are going, poke them with a long stick every now and then to keep the fire active. Then, before you go to bed you can toss some water on it, so it's out for the night.

It isn't rocket science, but you will need matches for this experiment! Oh yes, and a lot of places are worried about the Emerald Ash Borer and so you would need to purchase logs near the campground. Usually there are places that sell bundles of logs or scraps of wood. Sometimes you can scrounge enough off the ground in the park, depending on how busy the park tends to be. Keep the wood covered with plastic if it's rainy. And if it's windy or the park has a no fires warning out, then obviously you wouldn't have a fire.

The fire is at least one third of the fun of camping, IMO!

And as for the potty--most tent campers don't feel they need that. Just take a big flashlight and go before you turn in for the night. We've never had one. The trek to the latrine is part of camping, IMO!

I think I could manage a fire, but of course its dangerous...I love camp fires. I dont think I would camp without a facilities for bathroom and shower, even if it cost money. Im a quick shower-er. All I would really need is to rinse myself off and wash my hair...I could wash my face in tubs with a washcloth or something like that.

Be prepared, the vast majority of camp grounds DON'T have showers (at leasts those that are public like state and many national parks). Doesn't mean you can't improvise. There are solar showers, and pop up shower enclosures, and even instant hot water heaters. I'm good with campground potties, but I found I really wanted to be able to wash my hair at least every two days, and mostly don't camp where there are showers, so we got a pop up shelter ($45) and I made my own heat up shower out of a metal (unused) weed sprayer. Attached a length of hose, a $2.00 shower nozzle from REI and there you are. Just put it on the campfire for 5 mintues or so and you have hot water for a shower! Works great for dishwashing too. Teardropers are big on baby wipes too, they work great for an in between "touch up" pretend shower.

And how is back to school? I am a school nurse and we don't go back for another two weeks. AND we go to 4 days school week this year. Yeah, more Fridays off for camping!

nevadatear wrote:.

And how is back to school? I am a school nurse and we don't go back for another two weeks. AND we go to 4 days school week this year. Yeah, more Fridays off for camping!

School is going good. Its really at the beginning of the year after a long(er) break. The kids got a week and a half off and thats really the longest consecutive break. Its hard to get kids with autism back in their routine after a long break, so its gonna be fun for the next week or so. It'll calm down in a week or so.

Friday's off all year?!!? now thats awesome. Lucky you. AND you dont go back for 2 more weeks....wow. Even better

Not quite every Friday, If there is a Monday holiday, then we have to work Friday, but then again, most Monday holidays will turn into 4 days off due to the Friday from the week before. Should be interesting with the kids going the longer day. The plan is to cut cost by only running buses 4 instead of 5 days, cut utilities, etc. I work in a tiny district, only 650 kids in the whole district, but some have to travel 2 hours on a bus each way for school. Sports will be on Fridays. I work with mostly special needs kids myself. Autism is tough!