Camping Accessories
Archive for November, 2009
Looking Like a Miner Never Seemed So Smart
Apparently all those miners have the right idea, because headlamps are a favorite tool of some of the most avid campers. But what makes these little lights so popular?
Headlamps are a fantastic way to see what you’re doing in low light situations, while still keeping both your hands free. When you’re camping, that becomes very important. With the aid of a headlight, you can set up your tent, cook, or make a fire all with an adequate amount of light. Flashlights can be bulky to pack and leave you with only one hand to perform your tasks. As an added benefit, headlamps are simple and easy to use. You merely attach the strap to your forehead and turn the bulb on.
The only thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to be stuck in the woods with a busted headlamp and no alternative light source. Consider packing two headlamps, or stash some extra batteries in case of emergency.
I wrote an article suggesting that when buying a family tent sometimes getting a little extra will save money in the long run. An Eureka tent that accomplishes this real well is the Eureka N!ergy 1310 tent. It will sleep 10 and is wired for power. The room divider gives the privacy that many people want. Some campers feel that the extra size isn’t need since they don’t have enough children to sleep 10 people. There are a few reasons to reconsider.
You might have only two or three children but they may want to bring friends. In addition if you stay in the same place for several days the extra room is great for clothes and other things you need take along. The gear lofts are great for keeping insect repellants and medicine from getting lost. You won’t regret the extra space on long camping trips.
Many times at Christmas we order things that will be enjoyed by the entire family. With the current economic slowdown there is an additional thought that we need to be more practical instead of buying something we really don’t have a good use for. That is one reason we purchase camping tents that can be used for the entire family. Many campers who don’t camp a lot might be tempted to purchase camping tents with the budget in mind.
However, there can be a couple of reasons not to do that. First of all since it is Christmas time getting a camping tent that has a little luxury can be justified. The second part of it is if the tent is large enough to have for the entire family room dividers can make everyone more comfortable. That means everyone is willing to camp more often and the money you save instead of paying for a resort will pay for the tent.
In a recent article I commented on the need for power at remote campsites. Remote campsites can be very special in the sense that you can be by yourself and truly enjoy nature. Water is one of the basic requirements that we need to make any site habitable. Assuming that there isn’t a reliable water supply available you have two options. You can carry all your water in and carry the containers out again or you can filter your water from a stream, river or lake.
A Katadyn water filter was designed for those types of situations where safe water isn’t available. They are used by the U.S. military and others to ensure the safety of the water. That sure beats carry bottled water to those remote locations.
Camping solar panels provides power in remote locations
There are many reasons to go camping. Sometimes it is fun to camp with friends where all the luxuries of home are possible. Other times we want to camp where only some of the luxuries are available, but we get some satisfaction of getting away from it all. Then there are camping trips where no resorts or other sleeping arrangements can be made because of the remoteness of the location. The U.S. and Canada have many such sites.
Many of these sites you may have to walk a fair distance just to get your site. That doesn’t mean that we necessarily want to get away from all the toys that require power. Maybe we want to work on our lap top or just listen to music. That is where a camping solar panel comes in. They can provide the power you need without a lot of extra bulk.
I enjoy fishing at night when there isn’t anyone else on the lake. Often I will troll for hours and when it is time to go back start wondering where I am. The first time I did that I had a sinking feeling I was lost and wondered if I was going to find out what it was like to spend the night on the lake. Fortunately the resort had a big night light and when I found it I was able to get back.
Since then I leave a camping lantern on or some kind of a light on the dock if I am not 100% sure I know where I am compared to where I will need to go. L.E.D. lights allow me to leave a light there for several hours without creating a huge expense. It is also nice when I can see the dock when I get out of the boat.
Camping tents with taped seams on the inside in the floor and rain fly to ensure abrasion resistance and increase the water proof ability are a must. A fly that can be set up on its own using poles can come in handy when you need an ultralight tent. Small vents in the fly and over or under the doors keep the fresh air rolling in when the doors and windows are battened down against a storm. If you want fast setup look for quick clips although sleeves weigh less. For easy assembly look for a tent with color coded clips, sleeves, or grommet tabs that many of the Eureka brand tents have. Glow in the dark zipper pulls and reflective guy-outs mean no more fumbling or face plants when nature calls at 2 a.m. You can easily add this feature to any tent with glow in the dark stickons. We have many shaped like stars that make things easy to find.
A camping air mattress is works that works great and doesn’t cost a lot is the Classic Downy from Intex. There are times when you want the top of the line and there are times when just the basic air mattress is the thing to have. The determination of which to have is based on intended use.
The ideal place for a basic air mattress is when you have time to inflate it but you don’t need it real often. Also if you use it where it might be wet I would suggest that you don’t have one with a built in pump. An air mattress as a backup bed that is used every year or two can just as well be a basic air mattress. In other situation the ones with the built in pump is great.
This time of the year we think of Christmas gifts and sometimes birthday gifts. Although many camping accessories may not be thought of as gifts, a real handy gift is a portable pump to inflate your inflatable toys. It is reasonable to think in terms of a 12 volt or ac pump since we are power inclined. However, there are times that we carry our inflatable some distance for example to the lake before inflating.
Consider a hand pump that will inflate your toy rapidly when you don’t have power handy. The double action pump Coghlans will take the work out of inflating your toys when power isn’t available. Actually it works great even if power is available.
Fiberglass tent poles are a relatively new concept it tent poles. They are great for traveling since they require very little storage space. When you are storing or transporting them be sure nothing heavy is placed on them. Fiberglass tent poles will last and can be easily replaced if lost or stolen.
Aluminum tent poles were better than the old wooden ones and have a value in large tents. They do have an issue with getting bent and causing the tent to sag. During storms the sagging can add extra weight to the tent and encourage leaking.