Camping Accessories
Camping Accessory Information
Archive for January, 2010
Family camping tents have come a long way over the time I have been camping. An Eureka tent that is a good example of this is Eureka N!ergy 1210. The cost of this camping tent is reasonable considering that it sleeps 8 and is wired for power. It has two rooms to give the privacy you need on long camping trips. It has two doors dome style tent.
The dome style means there is more room inside and making it easier to stand up or take care of your children. The nice part about this camping tent is it is wired for power. You can plug in your cell phone and let it charge while you sleep. Of course you could also not use your cell phone while on vacation.
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There are many reasons to get a camping tent that isn’t real big. The Stansport Orion is a camping tent that works for several special needs since it works for up to three people without a lot of weight. The Stansport Orion is a camping tent that works for backpacking, canoe trips and even trips to faraway places. One different use for this tent is taking it with you on an airplane to get to areas you can’t drive to.
I realize that with current luggage requirements doing this is a little more difficult. However, considering the cost of resorts it is still a lot cheaper to take it along. You can always send it back UPS or donate it to Good Will.
A camping sleeping bag that works well for women is the Women’s Silver City. The problem with most sleeping bags is they were designed with a man’s body in mind. The summer sleeping bags don’t require different design as they are bigger and more versatile. However, when a mummy type bag is called for she will be happier in one designed for women.
Many beginning campers think it is a waste of money to buy right equipment for camping. Been there done that. The problem with using the wrong equipment is you don’t enjoy it as much then prefer more expensive routes.
Camping with young children does present some interesting challenges but also some great memories. I recall a picture we took about 30 years ago showing one of my boys roasting marshmallows over a fire. We were in Canada in August before we heard of global warming and could have used some. The picture is priceless as he was about 5 years old in a jacket toasting the marshmallows.
Children are hard on sleeping bags both from accidents and just not realizing that sleeping bags shouldn’t be tossed on the ground when breaking camp. For that reason I often recommend a Stansport sleeping bag or Swissgear. Both sleeping bags are lower in cost and can be replaced when they are beyond cleaning.
During the long winter nights people often think about what they will do during the summer. Camping can be one of the items they think about. Since it never rains while planning the thoughts assume they will be cooking over an open fire. After all that is part of the fun of camping. Unfortunately rain does occur around meal times and backup plans need to be made. A camping stove does make a better backup plan then a trip into town.
Camp stoves come in the traditional or they can have a grill for stakes. If necessary you can go to a sheltered picnic area and eat there. Even then some good memories can be made. With luck by the time you are done eating the sun will be out.
The kids want dinner at their normal times and since they were active all day you eat around 5 pm. At some point your put them to bed and now have a chance to enjoy the evening around a fire. The problem is it is close to midnight and you feel like a snack. Cookies just won’t do it. You didn’t travel all that to a campsite just to eat cookies.
With the right camping accessories there is a solution. Cook dinner and make coffee using a grill and when done add wood to keep the coals hot. Bigger pieces are better so fire isn’t too hot. Put potatoes in tinfoil and add them to the hot coals. They won’t burn and do cook fairly fast. The result is something that will make you want to come back. Of course you can cook dinner on a camp stove but the grill is more fun.
Fiberglass tent poles make pitching a tent easier
Thursday, January 28, 2010
posted by Gary 10:00 AM
In my opinion one of the better improvements to our camping experience is fiberglass tent poles. I know there are many fans of the aluminum ones and they do have valid points. However, it is easier to replace fiberglass tent poles should they break and I think they make it easier to pitch a tent.
Modern day tents have fewer poles and more interchangeable poles than the ones we had years ago. Even so I always suggest that you pitch your tent before you go camping the first time for the year. Not only does it give you a chance does to check your equipment but refreshes your memory about how to pitch your tent. I always hate getting late to a campsite and then trying to remember how the tent goes together. Color code the poles if there are a number that look alike but are different.
Camping tent accessories aren’t something that make our heart beat faster, yet without them we can have a miserable camping trip. Years ago we didn’t need tent floor protectors as the tent floor was made out of heavy canvas and normally the tent pole gave out before the floor did. Since it was difficult to get new poles we often replaced the tent.
I had one camper tell me that the tent floor protector should be placed inside the tent to help keep moisture from getting through the bottom of the tent. It might be ok to have a floor protector inside if you are confident that you won’t trip on it but you need it under the tent to protect against tree roots and rocks.
Despite the fact that my dad told me to always carry a flashlight I never did. The reason is whenever I needed it the batteries were dead and the light burned out. I tried many different types with the same result. That changed when the LED flashlights came out. You can get LED flashlights, headlamps, and other lights for almost nothing but the ClipMate has a couple of nice features.
The ClipMate is a great light where there is a possibility of it getting wet. It is water resistant and you can slip it to almost anything to be able to get the light where you need it. Sounds great for night fishing or taking care of children.
My dad always stated that you should always carry a flashlight with you when you are traveling. You will wish you had it if you have to change a tire in the dark. Fortunately we don’t have to it very often any more. Improvements to tires are one of the better improvements to our lives. However, that doesn’t mean the advice was wrong, just not as critical. The problem with carrying a flashlight for the purpose of changing a tire is you can’t hold it while working so you still are working in the dark. Sounds like me most of the time.
I love the LED camping lanterns for all around portable lighting needs. The old fuel based camping lanterns worked great for what they were designed for but you shouldn’t carry fuel with you all the time and they were a pain to light. The Brunton 4 LED lantern runs 250 hours on 4 AA batteries so can use it all week for camping and still have it available for other needs.