Let's Talk Outdoor Camping Tips, Tricks, Hacks

[swamp2]

Not sure where you get the whole "recreational vehicle" nonsense you keep harping on, as mine is simply a daily driver that can also go off-road. In fact none of the 4x4s I have ever owned have ever been dedicated trailer queen, off road rigs. They ALL were the vehicle that got me back and forth to work during the week. With one (73 Bronco) still able to run the Hammer Trails on the weekend.

Rationalization, rationalization.... So, it cost no more to have a nice, almost new off-road capable rig than a cheap daily driver? Sure, having a multi-purpose rig is great and that certainly has guided my choice of off road rigs. That said, there just isn't any way that a $49k off-roading oriented/capable rig isn't spending way more than is required to camp and wheel. So you wanted it and had the money to burn. Great. Stop the hypocrisy.

There is no requirement to spend stupid amounts of money to get out and wheel or camp.

So, don't do it and then call out others for doing it with 100x less expensive things!!!

And mine doesn't change despite others attempts at shouting it down.

Not shouting anything down, just pointing out hypocrisy, inconsistency and opinion touted as facts.

An honest reply would have been, "because I want it and have the money to burn"...end of discussion. But there is no way to make a valid case that buying that $500-1000 stove is in any way a "good value" or "will outlast" the tried and true Coleman.

An honest reply is what I provided above. Appreciating fine details such as craftsmanship, materials, durability, appearance, longevity, serviceability and made in USA. I don't even know what other stuff on their site is above $500 (or $1000), but a large, complete stove from them is $500. So you can dispense with the $1000 for a stove bit.

As much as you want your OPINION of value to be a fact, you just can't shout that enough to make it so.

Lastly, even though I don't quite plan to river raft with my stove, I can guarantee it can and would outlast a Coleman under particularly harsh environments. So, overbuilt for overlanding, yes, but overbuilt for its original niche market, absolutely not. Guess what else is massively overbuilt for one of its primary use cases. Your Bronco as a daily driver .

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[Steve_In_29]

Rationalization, rationalization.... So, it cost no more to have a nice, almost new off-road capable rig than a cheap daily driver? Sure, having a multi-purpose rig is great and that certainly has guided my choice of off road rigs. That said, there just isn't any way that a $49k off-roading oriented/capable rig isn't spending way more than is required to camp and wheel. So you wanted it and had the money to burn. Great. Stop the hypocrisy.

So, don't do it and then call out others for doing it with 100x less expensive things!!!

Not shouting anything down, just pointing out hypocrisy, inconsistency and opinion touted as facts.

An honest reply is what I provided above. Appreciating fine details such as craftsmanship, materials, durability, appearance, longevity, serviceability and made in USA. I don't even know what other stuff on their site is above $500 (or $1000), but a large, complete stove from them is $500. So you can dispense with the $1000 for a stove bit.

As much as you want your OPINION of value to be a fact, you just can't shout that enough to make it so.

Lastly, even though I don't quite plan to river raft with my stove, I can guarantee it can and would outlast a Coleman under particularly harsh environments. So, overbuilt for overlanding, yes, but overbuilt for its original niche market, absolutely not. Guess what else is massively overbuilt for one of its primary use cases. Your Bronco as a daily driver .

There is zero hypocrisy in my posts. I have clearly stated several times that I will indeed pay the increased price for something that brings value to the table for that added cost.

The $500-1000 comment is because that is the range of prices on their site for the stoves they sell and I have no idea which one you went with to impress people at the campsite. Unless a stove is being used in a commercial setting on a daily basis, there is no added value from paying 10x-20X what a Coleman stove costs. And even then the cost/benefit ratio is a bit suspect. As if the stove is lost during a raft accident, they are out $500 instead of $50. Though of course they can just raise their rates for a trip to offset that I guess.

I freely agree that my Bronco (and EVERY other Bronco to include a stripped Base) is overbuilt for a daily driver role BUT it is not overbuilt for ALL of its use cases. Which is a KEY difference between it and that stove. If I bought a cheap off-roader that then destroys itself getting over a rough trail was any money really saved? On the flip side, there is NOTHING you will ever use that stove for which will REQUIRE its toughness over a run of the mill Coleman. And claiming you will is just copium to justify the inordinate amount of money you spent buying an as you say, "niche market" item to then use it WELL outside its niche. In fact that stove is likely even less suited than a Coleman for the use you are putting it to based on size and weight when being transported in a vehicle that is limited on both space and load capacity.

There are reasons that people still buy and use Colemans that are getting close to 75yo. Often with just a replacement leather pump seal being required to bring them back to full function.

Cheap daily driver + off-road vehicle (with a Wildtrak's capabilities) is going to cost as much or more than the Bronco did. Plus multiple registrations, insurance, maintenance, etc. Even buying a cheaper Base Bronco WILL end up costing more in the long run after going the aftermarket route for upgrades. So it is a false economy to buy a less well equipped vehicle as a starting point. when one with a factory warranty is available for roughly the same (or possibly less) cost

And my "thriftiness" did save me $15K (almost 25% off list) on the purchase of my Wildtrak as I don't think it was worth its original $64K at all.

 

[KABQ]

So anyway...

 

[swamp2]

There is zero hypocrisy in my posts.

Go ahead and keep telling yourself that.

...you went with to impress people at the campsite.

I've honesty stated, in excruciating detail my motivation for my choice and you keep twisting it to your hypocritical and false premises world view of "value". This had zero to do with my purchase and only I can know that not you.

You wasted money on your Bronco and didn't need to. You obviously did so to impress folks on that trail. Its overkill for a daily driver and therefore a waste of money.

I don't actually believe that, but see how it works...

Its so simple but you can't see it. We both like nice things, but have different values and limits for "value". Which are again, nothing but opinions.

 

[EasternSierra]

Well, I just use my old backpacking stove (20+ y.o.) and a little propane tank. If I wanted to use it, I have another old backpacking stove that runs on white gas. It goes back to the early 1990s, and it's still in great shape despite a lot of prior use. Current cost to use either is $0 plus fuel used.

I previously used my old truck's tailgate to cook on, up through my most recent camping trip back in 2022. Now I'll be using the tailgate table on my Bronco when I resume camping shortly. Gonna be a blast, and nobody will be talking **** to me either.

 

[RBF 1401]

So anyway...

Getting back to the discussion about pillows...

I have tried so many different types of travel pillows and camping pillows and other pseudo-pillow options to rest my head over all of the years I've been camping, and finally after more than 40 years, I came up with the perfect solution for me...

I roll up one (or two) of my favorite IKEA extra fluffy feather pillows and cram them in a compression sack... and compress. They don't take up much room, and stay clean and dry in the compression sack. If you have ever bought feather pillows from IKEA, you know that they come compressed and are quite small when not fluffed up.

So I figured out this hack when I had a fleece-lined Sam's Club puffy camp quilt that somebody gave me for Christmas. The blanket took up more room than my old REI quilt, so I decided to cram it in an extra compression sack I had lying around.

And this one particular morning, while I was packing up my bedding, I thought to myself, hey, this giant pillow I brought with me might fit in that sack and could be compressed down very small... and it worked great!



My other favorite hack...

I sleep on a DeepSleep mattress, and in the summer, I only use the camp quilt. So I was bringing a sheet to put on the mattress each night.

I figured out that if you get a super stretchy cotton T-shirt knit twin-sized sheet, it will fit on the mattress and stay snug, so you can roll it up with the mattress each morning, and your bed sets up and packs down faster.

 

[GroovyGeek]

Highest impact hack: never, ever, RTT. As far as I can tell RTT accomplises several permanent objectives a) degrade mpg b) increase wind noise c) provide a shitty low quality alternative to a standard tent d) increase the setup time because now the vehicle needs to be level. But I digress....

Best hack for me is Deep Sleep leveling mat plus a $30 Amazon self inflating mat. Sleep like a baby in the back regardless of whether it is hailing, snowing or windy outside. 3 mins to set up, no tear down time. Works particularly well in cold weather in the winter.

Tailgate table is essential for cooking and saves you from having to bring another table.

Two LED strips in the rear provide excellent lighting both inside and outside the vehicle. Cost is less than $30.

Comfortable yet compact camp chair. You don't want.to be spending any time in a stupid Helinox.

For weather above 20F or so I sleep in a quilt. Very handy in camp at night after sundown. Sit in the chair, wrap yourself in the quilt and read a book until it is time to go to bed.

2x Dometic water jugs fit nicely into the gap behind the passenger seat. Since I am 6 ft tall I need to fill that gap so I can sleep in the back. Nice dual function.

Sticking with the water theme, the Dometica are a PITA for daily use. I have two 1 gal tall and flat water bottles that provide me with water for daily use over a day or two.

4 Liter Space Saver with White Ribbed Cap with F217 Liner | U.S. Plastic Corp. https://share.google/LqXzuS3DqnK2XmkvQ

As much interior lighting as you can get. You can never have too much in the middle of nowhere.

Chinazon molle panels in the rear. Yes, not as nice as the premium ones but at 1/3 or less of the cost they are perfect. Allows me to strap the above mentioned water bottles, food boxes, and other gear in the back so it does not slosh around on the trails.

3 gal trash bag that hangs off the driver's headrest. I hate those giant spare wheel trash bags. I generate very little trash on the trail. Whatever I have goes inside ziplock bags, and then inside the 3 gal trash container. That is plenty to last me for 3-5 days.

 

[ICUGAZN]

Saw a couple people post about pillows- This is the best compromise I have been able to find between a household pillow and a "Camp" type pillows.

Klymit Drift camp pillow

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/klymit-drift-camp-pillow?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas|Shopping|PMax|Camping|General|NAud|Google|NMT&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19581383988&gclid=CjwKCAjwr8LHBhBKEiwAy47uUg6uZYzUNfko_s1zATJn3BBDOttZx7vHH2ORbh0uo-p2JDxBTK-AchoCaywQAvD_BwE

What size did you get?

 

[Pops]

haven't seen this small idea mentioned yet.....

I almost always have a gallon of DISTILLED water with me car camping -- it can be used for more than just drinking.

maybe it's a holdover from the days of topping off battery cells , but I am thinking of emergency things like window washing fluid, radiator, and whatever doesn't like hard water salts.


anyone gonna badmouth me for this ??

 

[Techun]

I mounted two KC Fex Era 1's as chase lights on Bad Ass mounts: one can rotate horizontally the other perpendicular. So I can light up some part of the campsite as needed.

Ice Chest: I run tie down straps through the child restraint mounts in the back seat so I can mount the cooler and have easier access for longer road trips. We make a 'Clean Ice Bag' for keeping drink ice clean but it makes a nice airbag for high speed offroading when even cans can sometimes break.

I re purpose my whitewater rafting gear for camping.
None of it is light but its all robust and has no issues with water.

Paco Pads are awesome: (Deep Sleep makes great stuff too)
https://jpwinc.com/product-category/paco-pads/

Stove: (easy to rebuild - 100% aluminum)
https://www.utahwhitewatergear.com/camp/kitchen/stoves/?max=950

Using a 3 # propane tank to save space.

$500 sleeping pad? $600 propane grill?

*Blink*

 

[The Green Flash]

I hadn't thought about those stoves since I was over on Expedition Portal back in the day ...$500 - $1000 for a camp stove is simply insane.

$1,000??? For a CAMP STOVE??? Someone craps golden coins. And has diarrhea.

$20 -$30 at a garage sale for a classic forest green Coleman 2 burner stove, and $15 for a whole GALLON of white gas... and you've got a stove that won't need to be rebuilt in the next 50 years, and enough fuel to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for a month.

And an extra $950 to buy live Maine lobster and Japanese wagu beef kabobs for the entire camping season.



$1,000 for a camp stove. Y'all are soft in the head.

 

[swamp2]

Highest impact hack: never, ever, RTT. As far as I can tell RTT accomplises several permanent objectives a) degrade mpg b) increase wind noise c) provide a shitty low quality alternative to a standard tent d) increase the setup time because now the vehicle needs to be level. But I digress....

There are always counterpoints and in this case strong ones. I used to car camp with ground tents for a long time now exclusively RTT and I'd never go back.

1. If you worry about mpg, you just can't be that much of an off roader and the impact in a Bronco isn't huge.
2. Noise too is minimal increase, but again in a rig with a removable hard top, it's already very noisy.
3. Set up and packing time is, by my own experience with others with ground tents, SIGNIFICANTLY, decreased, including vehicle leveling. In addition, many nice sites don't have a good flat place for a tent. I've never found it hard to get my rig extremely level. Most ground tenters I camp with have or really want to UPgrade.
4. One and ones gear stays cleaner in a RTT, part of which is no (or minimal) cleaning of tent nor ground tarp.
5. Minor, but more storage in vehicle without tent.
6. You stay much drier.
7. Comfy mattress included (often).

Again, having done lots of both, I'd never go back.

Key critical question. Do you actually have first hand experience in a RTT?

 

[swamp2]

$1,000??? For a CAMP STOVE???

As noted prior, that number was incorrect. These all aluminum, hand crafted in the USA stoves, that are made to survive any class of river rapids, are actually $500.

That's not likely to change your opinion, but is still relevant.

 

[Deadpool392]

What size did you get?

I have the large size and it is great, if space isn‘t an issue I would definitely go with the large.

 

[Figmo]

haven't seen this small idea mentioned yet.....

I almost always have a gallon of DISTILLED water with me car camping -- it can be used for more than just drinking.

maybe it's a holdover from the days of topping off battery cells , but I am thinking of emergency things like window washing fluid, radiator, and whatever doesn't like hard water salts.


anyone gonna badmouth me for this ??

Distilled water won't kill ya. But...

Drinking distilled water regularly poses several potential health risks, primarily due to its lack of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are important for cardiovascular health, bone strength, and electrolyte balance. While distilled water is safe in the short term and free from contaminants, long-term consumption may lead to nutrient deficiencies, reduced hydration due to poor taste, and increased leaching of metals from storage containers.

• Distilled water is molecularly unstable and can leach metals and other harmful substances from pipes, storage tanks, and containers, potentially leading to ingestion of undesirable compounds.
• The absence of dissolved minerals and oxygen gives distilled water a flat, unappealing taste, which may discourage adequate water intake and reduce overall hydration.
• Long-term consumption of demineralized water is associated with an increased risk of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, higher fracture rates in children, preterm birth, and neurodegenerative diseases, according to epidemiological studies cited by the World Health Organization.
• Individuals with inadequate dietary intake of calcium and magnesium may be at greater risk of deficiencies, leading to symptoms like fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, and weakness.
• Athletes, the sick, or malnourished individuals are particularly vulnerable, as distilled water lacks electrolytes needed to replace those lost through sweat or illness.
• Distilled water also removes fluoride, which may increase the risk of dental cavities, making proper oral hygiene essential for those who consume it exclusively.
• Although the World Health Organization states there is insufficient scientific evidence to make definitive recommendations on long-term consumption of very low mineral waters, it acknowledges that drinking water contributes to daily mineral intake.

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