Tools to take Camping....

[Pizzaguy-TNT]

AAA card and a beverage

Don't forget the lawn chair!!!!

A guys gotta be comfortable while enjoying his beverage & waiting for AAA to show up!!!

How goes it Gary? Hope you & Cheri are doing well!!

Oh,..... and I'm off to Yellowstone in a couple of days!!

 

[Gary and Cheri]

Bruce,

Cheri is done with the cancer treatments and rapidly growing hair back. Five years of medicine only. I know you will take a lot of pictures. Make sure you PM me with where I can watch them.

Gary

ps, i'm jealous

 

[canned o minimum]

Jus got back from a 988 mile road trip and glad I put together a "parts" kit fer my vintage VW.. the brushes went bad on the alternator and I jus so happened to have put a new set in the road kit...

Ya never know WHAT yer gonna need, but ya gotta be sumwhat prepared !

 

[eamarquardt]

I bumped 12 volt connector on my Norcold chest this summer while at Applegate Lake. It was damaged to the point that it wouldn't work. Using a sharp knife, screwdriver, wire stripper, and soldering iron I was able to "MacGyver" it back in service.

I'll probably add a wire stripper, soldering iron, and solder to my "kit". If I hadn't been able to borrow em, we'd have been SOL.

Cheers,

Gus

 

[bobsmyuncle]

Hi. First post here, though I've been lurking for a while.

"I'm Keith and I'm a tool junkie."

I did a lot of camping when my kids were younger, but once they got into HS marching band, that got more and more difficult. We did tent camping and eventually a couple of pop-ups. As we approach retirement (well, I as *I* approach retirement, as my wife retired last year) we're getting interested in getting back into it.

In my "day job" I do furniture repair and have several well-tuned tool kits. When my daughters went off to college, I also outfitted them with a small tool box for dorm and later apartment dwelling.

Basic kit:
- Utility knife
- Adjustable wrench
- Putty knife
- Flashlight
- Pliers
- Multi-tip screwdriver
- Duct tape
- Small hammer
- Assortment of fasteners such as nuts, bolts, screws, brads, and nails

Add to for an intermediate kit:
- Toolbox saw, e.g., Japanese pull saw
- Socket wrench set, 3/8" drive
- Chisels
- Channellock-style pliers
- needle-nose pliers (with wire cutters)
- 35 pc Gear Wrench micro-driver (all sorts of Allen, torx, screwdriver bits and metric and SAE 1/4" drive sockets)
- Scissors
- Needle and thread, including curved upholstery needles
- Cheap VOM
- Cordless drill driver and drill bits. If you are off the grid, an egg-beater style drill
- Rope
- Camp hatchet
- Folding bowsaw for wood

 

[alex k]

always have wire/ zip ties .seems like i gave more out to others for quick fixes.
also carry a 6" x 6" self adhesive roof patch . have had to use it when a branch went through the roof of the old class c .

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Anyone driving a vintage vehicle I would relate a story....

Standing at the side of the road with a blown tire on the trailer
I came to a horrible realization that the bumper jack designed
for My big Jeep Grand Wagoneer was totally worthless in this situation.

I would strongly suggest a scissor jack for just such an emergency.

How did I change the tire you ask......

Took two stabilizer jacks and while they wouldn't lift the
trailer they did allow me to dig a hole under the tire with
my rip claw hammer while they supported the weight.

 

[Nite Ryder]

I have a 5th wheel trailer I use for camping unless I take my pickup with the camper on the back of it. I have an aluminum tool box in the bed of my pickup I tow the 5th wheel with. There is a variety of wrenches, screw drivers, and socket sets, adjustable wrenches, hammers, lug wrenches and other stuff in that box. Usually one of my chain saws is in that box, a small electric air compressor, a snatch block, ropes and tow chains, axe and shovel, fence pliers, block and tackle. I don't have most of this stuff when I use my camper, so I take a tool bag that holds end wrenches, adjustable wrenches, pliers, vice grips, socket sets, hammers, VOM and electrical tester. I can take this tool kit in any vehicle when I'm traveling. I've bought open end wrenches that fit propane bottle fittings and keep them with the bottle, so I'll always have the right wrench if needed.

 

[Martiangod]

Irwin Marathon 15" ProTouch hand saw.
Absolutly wicked saw, can fall a 8 inch tree in under a minute, cut up 10'downfall, 7 inches round in under ten minutes. Just keep your limbs out of its way, and takes up very little space

 

[campmaster-k]

Irwin Marathon 15" ProTouch hand saw.
Absolutly wicked saw, can fall a 8 inch tree in under a minute, cut up 10'downfall, 7 inches round in under ten minutes. Just keep your limbs out of its way, and takes up very little space

That is one cool saw. I want that!

 

[Laredo-TNT]

My truck's bugout bag: jack, handle, tire iron, 4-way, 50 feet of good heavy rope, pair of water pump pliers, medium-size crescent, 50 ft of 3/8'' nylon rope, canteen cup, lighter, flagging tape, safety goggles, and a big old towel / blanket (ever change a flat in the mud in your Sunday clothes?). My camper's bugout box: SO's dearly beloved BAL leveler, four (stacking) jackstands (for stabilizing), aluminum level, measuring tape, wire crimper and assorted wire ends, wheel and tire chocks, the biggest bottle of Green Slime I could find, roll of duct tape, hammer, pliers, crescent wrench, and the water hoses. Total weight? 50 pounds or so. Total dollars saved 'cause we didn't have to get this stuff somewhere at 2 am 1200 miles from home? Priceless.

I married an Eagle Scout. He's an overachiever. What I'd call prepared he'd call underdressed.
He married an Air Force vet. I'm an overplanner. What he'd call makeshift I call field-expedient.

We adapt, overcome, survive and thrive.

 

[PcHistorian]

So far I see missing, Tarps(4'x6' so you don't get muddy laying on your back fixing things under the trailer), a roll of the plumber's "pipe strap", metal tape with holes, because sometimes duck tape won't be strong enough to hold an axle in place when the weld or bolt broke. (couple wraps of that should get you to someplace you can get it bolted or welded.) This stuff is also good for so many things I can't list them all here. Replace rope/cable (clothes line, stake line.) Oh almost forgot, some extra full wire coat hangers, for those pesky mufflers etc, that come loose and you want a heat resistant, STRONG cord to hold it in place. (also can help to double for extending tv antenna in the wild... if you are going to use it for marsh mellows or hot dogs, first use the steel wool to clean off any plastic coating on it. while you're at it, bring the piece of steel wool. can compress to almost no space in any tool kit. (keep away from live battery terminals or you'll have a fire on your hands. Oh yeah, also good for fire starter... ;-)) Oh, matches lighter pieces of heat shrink tubing for electrical connection insulation... File to sharpen camping axe/hatchet. Sharpening stone for the knives in the kitchen. (can opener?) 2' piece of rerod and a 2' piece of pipe to use as "persuader bars/extenders" for leverage when you are prying up the trailer on rocks to get a brace underneath and fix the tire/bearing... Spare reading glasses so you can see what you are doing with the repairs (dollar store). Heavy carpet thread/cord to go with upholstery needles. Super/crazy - glue and gel for small things that break during field trials. A ratchet strap or two (dollar store item) so you can wrap it around your trailer if some wood frame busts loose cuz a tree bit it. Little ratchetting, some tarp and you don't have to go home early to repair it... How about a small can of "latex roof tar" or "spray tar undercoating?" If you are going to bring axle grease and bearings might as well pack a few NEW cotter pins. (med & lrge) Oh yeah, and a roll of that twist tie (metal core) stuff for like tomato plants, ($1 store)

p.s. thanks everybody!!!! You all rock maximus!(I need this whole list. Now, can I fit it into 1 medicine chest of space as a "tool closet"...? ;-)

 

[PcHistorian]

I haven't checked these lists yet, but I got this from another forum here and thought I'd best bring it over.
these link I just tested and they worked.

Teardrop Camping Checklist redux
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=15596

http://www.blogicalthoughts.com/zips/te ... cklist.xls
http://www.blogicalthoughts.com/zips/te ... cklist.ods
http://curriecoalition.com/teardrop_tra ... cklist.pdf

 

[Hndbskt]

Thanks for all the good tips for us Newbies.

 

[canned o minimum]

Jeepers Creepers ! Y'all got me thinkin now...Lemme see if I can recall ALL the thangs I carry :

Socket set( standard AND metric),crescent wrench,needle nose pliers,channel lock pliers,tape measure,hammer,duct tape,electrical tape,wire cutters,wire connectors, crimper,wire,screw drivers( multiple),assortment of nuts/bolts/washers,various sizes of zip ties,test lite( electrical),1/4 in rope(to tie thangs down),pair of collapsable wheel chocks,....

All of this stuff is in the trunk of my VW beetle along with a 2&1/2 gallon gas can( always full). Not to mention a buncha spare parts fer the car that are in thar also. All that stuff is ALWAYS in the car...Oh, there IS more, but I think y'all get my drift.. I carry everything ! ( Cept jumper cables)

 

[Wolffarmer]

Camping tools. Did any one mention a shovel? That is also my prota pot

Randy

 

[canned o minimum]

The shovel and hatchet are in the trailer...

 

[jstrubberg]

If you carry thread/light cord in your kit, replace it with unwaxed dental floss. Almost completely unbreakable, you can tease the fibers apart for smaller jobs and it's pretty much water and rot proof. I pull the buttons off of all my clothes and sew them back on with dental floss. You would have to rip through the cloth to get the button off. Good stuff!

Also makes a good saw for lighter stuff like wood and plastic.

 

[canned o minimum]

Dental floss... DING,DING,DING ! We have a winner here !! Great idea !

 

[Debdon Journeys]

My wife had this tool kit that had all your basic tools when I met her we called it the chick kit.I have since purchased one for camping it carries a lot of tools most of which do the job for a quick repair. In addition I have some real tools Cresent wrench, adjustable pliers, 6 in 1 screw driver Estwing 28 oz hammer. In addition on my truck I carry a High Lift jack, Dewalt 18 drill,sawzall,impact, 12 air compressor with tire kit, a Water fire extinguisher, dry chem extinguisher and a medical bag.

As a Fire Fighter/ Emergency Medical Technician I found myself being the fist on the scene. Twice I have had to use my tools to assist a ambulance crew in a remote area to rescue a person from a car. This was due to the the patient deteriorating conditions and a extended eta of the rescue truck both cases the Jaws of life were over 30 minutes away.