Let's explore those things that you thought you needed

[Monica M]

First of all, I love the idea that when you all give me advice, it is also here for future full-timers, eggers to see forever!

This thread is based on my other one really, I keep hearing that people find they took to much and end up getting rid of it. So, for posterity's sake, can you tell us what those things were that you took and ended up not needing?

[Frederick L. Simson]

I'm not a full-timer, but I do use my trailer frequently.
I used to pack a 110volt house type Coffeemaker for when we had hookups AND a stovetop Coffee Percolator for when we boondocked. Now we have one Coleman Stovetop Coffee Maker that we use all of the time.

[Monica M]

I'm not a full-timer, but I do use my trailer frequently.
I used to pack a 110volt house type Coffeemaker for when we had hookups AND a stovetop Coffee Percolator for when we boondocked. Now we have one Coleman Stovetop Coffee Maker that we use all of the time.

How does it work? With heat from the bottom? Never seen anything like it...

[Frederick L. Simson]

How does it work? [b]With heat from the bottom?

Yes, you place it over a burner on your stove, which provides the heat.

[Raya]

I guess that explains the Stovetop part

[william russell]

Monica:

Here is an address showing a picture of the coffee maker I use....on the road as well as when I'm home. It makes good coffee, is easy to use, relatively small in size and every cup is fresh....

http://aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm

[Joy A]

Things I ended up tossing

LOTS OF STORAGE CONTAINERS

It took me quite a long time to settle in on containers that worked for me based on where I wanted to put them and what went in them. Rubbermaid in particular made lots of money on me, they shouldn't need a bail out.

[curtis c]

nothing beats a french press for coffee. your tea kettle for hot water soups tea... etc just add water press and presto perfect coffee and only 3 parts to clean with no filter to replace.

[Owen Lindsay]

What a valuable thread for trip planning!
My Mother always told me to plan a few days ahead of your departure time. That would give you time to eliminate half of the clothing you packed and double up on the money. It works well so far.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Link to my Trailer's Inventory List

Since I wrote that list I have weeded out the following items:

• 12. 1 crocheted afghan lap throw (hand made) it's back in the house
• 13. 1 commercially woven lap throw ditto
• 14. 4 stuffed teddy bears (plus 1 vibrating frog) keep only 1 in trailer, rest are back in house
• 25. Corning ware 9 cup stovetop coffee percolator replaced it with the Coleman Stove-top drip-ulator
• 26. Mr. Coffee 8 cup electric drip coffee maker (with thermal carafe)
• 28. Hamilton Beech 12 speed blender I'll let someone else make margaritas
• 42. Plastic 3 drawer chest in closet reconfigured closet with shelving
• 46. 12 Volt battery Camping Lantern repacked with tent
• 47. 1 each 25’ extension cord & 50’ extension cord gave away 25' 30amp cord

1 item been ADDED.

• removable 5000 btu window air conditioner

It rides in a box under the bed/dinette until needed because I'm too cheap to buy a roof mounted one.

[Flygal]

??????

• 14. 4 stuffed teddy bears ([b]plus 1 vibrating frog) keep only 1 in trailer, rest are back in house

[Raya]

My Mother always told me to plan a few days ahead of your departure time. That would give you time to eliminate half of the clothing you packed and double up on the money. It works well so far.

Ha, good one!

I used to use a French Press on the boat, but even with using one of those Rubbermaid type spatulas to "pre-clean" it, I still found that it took a lot of water to rinse it out (supply limited). When friend broke mine accidentally, I decided to try something else.

Now I'm using a Chemex, which is essentially a drip coffee maker and has filters. Even though I liked not using filters, the water saved in not cleaning the press pot has driven me to them. I like that it is glass.

I think if I were to head out again, I might get a drip filter to fit over a metal Thermos™ I don't like that they are plastic and you are pouring boiling water though them, but maybe I can find one that isn't. Or maybe I'll just lug a smaller Chemex.

I drink most of my coffee cold, so I've also been thinking of trying cold brewing, but haven't yet.

Raya

[Pete Dumbleton]

I use a Bialetti stove-top espresso maker with the built-in filter. Easy to clean out, even without water (paper towel).

http://www.bialettiusa.com/bialetti/

[curtis c]

do all of them have a filter? after our last camping trip during easter we broke the French press. this would be a great replacement. it wont be as delicate as glass.

[John Hussey]

I use a Bialetti stove-top espresso maker with the built-in filter. Easy to clean out, even without water (paper towel).

http://www.bialettiusa.com/bialetti/

I too use a stove top cappuccino maker but I have the 6 cup model-a mistake-too small for one of my cups. I should have gone with the nine. And, you can clean it with just a finger and a tiny piece of tp, too, with no water. No filter to toss, just biodegradable spent coffee grounds.

[John Hussey]

do all of them have a filter? after our last camping trip during easter we broke the French press. this would be a great replacement. it wont be as delicate as glass.

There is no filter. Water is placed in the bottom reservoir. Coffee is in it's own container above it, connected with a hollow tube to the water below.There is a built in metal filter below and above the freshly ground coffee beans. Heated water is forced up into the coffee through the tube, through the fresh coffee, then on up into the brewed coffee reservoir. When you hear the burbling of the last of the water forced up, the coffee is made and is now on top, ready to pour. Once cool you can unscrew it, dump out grounds and clean with a finger around the used coffee grounds and they just fall out. Ingenious in its simplicity. Almost all southern Europeans homes have them. I add powdered milk to it and pretend it is a "Cafe con Leche" from Spain. Really, It is not even close but it is better and simpler than drip variety-to me, at least.

[Joy A]

Curtis,

If you like a French press they are made in plastic. Our local sports shop carries them as well as REI sports outlets throughout the US. I have one I purchased many years ago to carry in my backpack, it now resides in the closet as I have a stainless steel. Here's a link to the various presses they carry

http://www.rei.com/search?query=french+pre...amp;button.y=11

[Pat Goodwin]

Link to my Trailer's Inventory List

Since I wrote that list I have weeded out the following items:

• 12. 1 crocheted afghan lap throw (hand made) it's back in the house
• 13. 1 commercially woven lap throw ditto
• 14. 4 stuffed teddy bears (plus 1 vibrating frog) keep only 1 in trailer, rest are back in house
• 25. Corning ware 9 cup stovetop coffee percolator replaced it with the Coleman Stove-top drip-ulator
• 26. Mr. Coffee 8 cup electric drip coffee maker (with thermal carafe)
• 28. Hamilton Beech 12 speed blender I'll let someone else make margaritas
• 42. Plastic 3 drawer chest in closet reconfigured closet with shelving
• 46. 12 Volt battery Camping Lantern repacked with tent
• 47. 1 each 25' extension cord & 50' extension cord gave away 25' 30amp cord

1 item been ADDED.

• removable 5000 btu window air conditioner

It rides in a box under the bed/dinette until needed because I'm too cheap to buy a roof mounted one.

HI, removable? Please elaborate on this - need one for my Compact II. Thanks, pat

[Pete Dumbleton]

I also have the plastic French Press mug like that in Joy's REI link above for backpacking (Can also be used for tea, soup, etc.) -- I keep it in the back of truck with small camp stove in case I want a roadside cup of coffee in pleasant surroundings.

I also have the Bialetti Mukka Express which makes a Cappuccino or a Latte with real milk (or dried milk if you mix it up first) and I came to love -- More expensive, however!

BTW, dried milk seems to actually be skim or no-fat milk, when I look at the nutrition tables.

Right now, for me, all that is in the past, although I hope it will be again in the future. I had more cancer in my tongue, so they took the whole thing out in December. I am currently getting all my fluids, nutrition and meds through a PEG (stomach feeding) tube -- I could pour cooled coffee in there but wouldn't be able to taste it, just get the caffeine effects! Likely, I have a lifetime sentence to the PEG for primary nutrition, but they did leave a tiny bit of my original tongue, along with some taste buds, so when the swelling finally goes down (I also breathe through a tracheostomy tube), I may be able to learn to swallow again and have a cup of coffee!! I really miss the coffee!! The canned food, poured or pumped down the PEG, does make menu planning a lot simpler!

[Raya]

Easy for me to say, without a tongue problem, but one of my favorite parts of coffee is the smell. Same goes for bacon.

Pete, I had just a very minor taste of what you're going through when (a number of years ago) I had a small polyp type thing taken off the end of my tongue. Until it healed it was in pain and basically out of commission. Boy, until then I had no idea how useful a tongue is, and how hard it is to eat/drink/talk without it. Of course that first weekend I went with friends on a fall trip to Apple Country and as we went from orchard to orchard could only watch while they were all biting into crisp, juicy apples and sampling tempting hunks of caramel.

I hope your healing progresses well, Pete, and that you're soon sipping coffee again.

Raya