New (to me) camping accessory review
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:56 pm* As is my usual custom, I try new equipment, modifications, and set-ups on each and every trip. I added several items and made a change in my towing gear this time out.
* 1) LED porch light: a 10-watt IP66 light that I mounted on a camera stand above my main door. $15 light + $8 mount gave the right amount of illumination right where I needed it.
* 2) waterproof SOCKiTBOX (electrical connections inside): I used it to run four branching lines from one extension cord, all from the parkpower pedestal. One line in, four out, waterproof. I used a 3-ft GFCI cord & a splitter tap inside the large box, and had plenty of space to store other stuff inside, too. $22 (+ $24 GFCI +$3 splitter tap).
* 3) IKEA stepstool ("Bolmen"): the right height and firmly-planted, despite wind & rain, this stepstool helped this old guy in/out of the trailer. Best one I've tried. $6
* 4) West Bend electric skillet (with glass cover): easiest to use and clean cooking system I've tried at camp, this 26 year-old (but fresh out of the unopened box, after discovery in a closet) skillet was all-around easier to use in a rainy camp than my Coleman fuel stove or IKEA charcoal grill. $42 (latest model equivalent)
* 5) IGLOO IMX 24 quart cooler: this injection-molded item will be my new go-to cooler for camping and travel use, supplementing older, less capable blow-molded coolers. Not as high-end as Yetis, Orca's, R-tic's, it still has 90% of their features & cooling ability, but at a friendlier price. $80 (at Sam's Club)
* 6) Husky 13.5" rise/8.25" drop ball mount shank: though I used this on a previous trip, I tried it without using a weight distributing bar attached (for the first time in over 20 years). Since it made my trailer level, instead of nose-up, I hoped it would track straight % true without sway or shimmy. It did, perfectly. Now I can travel and back up, without having to remove the WD spring bar. Worth every cent. $65
* I've already made a shopping list of new items I'll add to my trailer prior to my next outing. Amazon, Home Depot, Academy Sports, and IKEA love to see me go camping!
* 1) LED porch light: a 10-watt IP66 light that I mounted on a camera stand above my main door. $15 light + $8 mount gave the right amount of illumination right where I needed it.
* 2) waterproof SOCKiTBOX (electrical connections inside): I used it to run four branching lines from one extension cord, all from the parkpower pedestal. One line in, four out, waterproof. I used a 3-ft GFCI cord & a splitter tap inside the large box, and had plenty of space to store other stuff inside, too. $22 (+ $24 GFCI +$3 splitter tap).
* 3) IKEA stepstool ("Bolmen"): the right height and firmly-planted, despite wind & rain, this stepstool helped this old guy in/out of the trailer. Best one I've tried. $6
* 4) West Bend electric skillet (with glass cover): easiest to use and clean cooking system I've tried at camp, this 26 year-old (but fresh out of the unopened box, after discovery in a closet) skillet was all-around easier to use in a rainy camp than my Coleman fuel stove or IKEA charcoal grill. $42 (latest model equivalent)
* 5) IGLOO IMX 24 quart cooler: this injection-molded item will be my new go-to cooler for camping and travel use, supplementing older, less capable blow-molded coolers. Not as high-end as Yetis, Orca's, R-tic's, it still has 90% of their features & cooling ability, but at a friendlier price. $80 (at Sam's Club)
* 6) Husky 13.5" rise/8.25" drop ball mount shank: though I used this on a previous trip, I tried it without using a weight distributing bar attached (for the first time in over 20 years). Since it made my trailer level, instead of nose-up, I hoped it would track straight % true without sway or shimmy. It did, perfectly. Now I can travel and back up, without having to remove the WD spring bar. Worth every cent. $65
- except for vintage skillet, Sam's Club for the cooler, and IKEA for the step stool, all other items came from AMAZON
- new stuff for 4-2019 camping trip.jpg (178.64 KiB) Viewed 5694 times
* I've already made a shopping list of new items I'll add to my trailer prior to my next outing. Amazon, Home Depot, Academy Sports, and IKEA love to see me go camping!