general camping help.

[john warren]

thought it might be nice to share some general camping tips with each other. some things we have learned that while not exactly trialer related,,,can help with general camping comfort and emergencies.
since i was answering a question about pop up canopies on another thread, i will start things off with the rope tensioner, and carrying extra lines.
rope is really pretty cheap, and super handy. learn some knots to use and it becomes really a very usefull tool.

extra tie downs are specialy usefull when the wind kicks up.

i make mine out of 1 inch dowel rod, drill 1/4 inch hole threw each end and thread it with 3/16th inch nylon line.
this is the closest picture i coult find, just substitute dowel for the squared wood they used. i usually carry 6-8 of these all made uyp and they have saved me all sorts of trouble. can even tie a bicycle down in your truck with them.

[melissab]

Thank You, John! I was trying to picture what you were describing and I couldnt for the life of me. Of course now that I see it I feel silly b/c it really is quite simple, lol.

Melissa

[john warren]

lol yes,i'm so simple i frequently confuse people .lol

sometimes a picture really helps.

[Kevin K]

Another option.
Make this one out of wood.

[Pam Garlow]

Same things that I use on my rope and pole awnings. Put a loop at the far end of that rope and hook it around the top of your awning poles, and stake through the loop end. Just tighten up as needed using the wood slider.

[john warren]

ok...ever have a gromet tear out ? or need to atach a rope where there is no gromet?
easy yo fix. place a marble,(i know you carry some, or look for the ones the last guy lost in that camping space, god knows i frequently lose my marbles while camping) or a marble sized stone under the canvase or tarp. tie your roe end around the tarp trapping the marble in a little sack. now your rope is attached and you can tie it down.

[Roger Kimble]

They all are very nice, thank you for sharing with us.

[Hazel in Sk]

That first 'handy thing' is just like the guy ropes on old style canvas tents (like we used back in the 50's!) - we called them bails in those days and the lines needed attention frequently because of changing humidity allowing the canvas to tighten up or loosen.

One crucial thing for us is ALWAYS have the means to start a fire - and keep the stuff dry and in several places (car, backpack and camper). Newspaper and matches or flint are light and once you grab the ax or jacknife you have the means to get warm and heat food.

[theresa p]

like hazel, we, too, also make sure we can start a fire. i use cardboard egg cartons (the bottoms), fill the cups with dryer lint packed fairly tightly and pour melted wax over the lint. these starters are excellent....usually only one is needed and they just rip off of the carton.

[Thomas G.]

A couple of tricks to start a fire - even damp:

• cotton balls saturated with Vaseline
• trick birthday candles that won't blow out

[john warren]

fires are always a good thing. i carry a small bag of matchlight charcoal brickettes.
a few down light them then add some wood .

in places where you can;t have an open fire, but can have a bar b que
i carry a smll 14 inch kettle grill, a spred of charcoal and you have a toasty warming spot. the kettle radiates the heat real nice

[mary and bob]

fire starting, here again I'm lazy, I take with us a few of the Duraflame Firestart bricks. They are about 6" long, can usually just use half of one to get a fire going. I use the Coghlans guy ropes and tensioners too, $2.99 for two at Campmor.

[theresa p]

ahhh, bob...you're not lazy! i'm just too cheap to pay $ when all the ingredients for my firestarters would normally be garbage (dryer lint, egg cartons and old candle stubs).

[Cathy P.]

Always have a dedicated can opener as part of your camping equipment. I swear ours had legs of its own. Always prepare for it to be much hotter or cooler than you expect it to be and for rain despite what the weather says. These were the two areas that really caused us problems.

[Carol H]

The best $4 item I have added to my trailer box is a Water Thief

Comes in very handy when camping at state/national parks where the only water supply is from an unthreaded faucet. Saves on having to fill up water jugs and pour it into the tank.

[mary and bob]

Does it ever NOT rain when camping, and it's always when we are packing up to head home. Theresa, I like how something useful can be made from what otherwise will be thrown away. I do it a lot, but usually it's with some mechanical type thing as that was my field of work. The Connecticut state park we go to will give out a little paper cup fire starter when you buy their wood, it looks like wood shavings or sawdust in some solid substance, maybe wax. Being retired I should try to be more cost conscious.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

Does it ever NOT rain when camping, and it's always when we are packing up to head home. Theresa, I like how something useful can be made from what otherwise will be thrown away. I do it a lot, but usually it's with some mechanical type thing as that was my field of work. The Connecticut state park we go to will give out a little paper cup fire starter when you buy their wood, it looks like wood shavings or sawdust in some solid substance, maybe wax. Being retired I should try to be more cost conscious.

it never rains when camping, sometimes you get liquid sunshine is all.

[Perry J]

The only time I ever cussed about rain was many years ago and my boys were little.
We had a tent trailer and it seemed it never failed to rain when we were packing to leave.
John

[theresa p]

john----those two combined (rain and tent trailers) are the reason we purchased our FGRV!! the job of packing up wet and then unpacking and resetting it back up again at home to dry out became a major downer....sucked the joy right out of our camping experience.......

[SunraderMike]

We have a ripstrop nylon awning we use when it's really hot. It's home made from a cheap (but noisy) reinforced plastic awning kit. We just used the grommet sections and sewed them onto nylon yardage, then saved the telecoping poles for center and corners. We can bungee it to our roof rack, ladder, or side view mirror racks or use poles where we need them. It stores in a skinny roll behind the front seats.

Since we camp at bluegrass music festivals, the beach, the desert and the woods, we find ourselves on a variety of surfaces.

To peg our awning lines to the ground, we carry several cheap large screwdrivers. The largest size we've found (at the dollar store) are a foot-long, not counting the plastic handle. They are easy to drive in, and easy to retriieve when you're ready to move.

Thanks for the dryer lint firestarter idea! And the trick candles would be great for backpacking! We carry a small kettle barbeque also for places where fires aren't permitted.