I don't think I've seen it mentioned, but get a Thermacell. We have a permanent spot (private land, not 1 of those cram packed rv resorts) and we use the Thermacell a lot, for when we're sitting at our outdoor table or in the camp chairs, reading/drinking coffee/whatever. It really does help a lot with bugs. When we go out camping now, in the back of the truck, it's usually just the husband and I, and it's the first thing I pack into the truck and the first thing I get going as soon as we stop to set up.
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I don't think I've seen it mentioned, but get a Thermacell. We have a permanent spot (private land, not 1 of those cram packed rv resorts) and we use the Thermacell a lot, for when we're sitting at our outdoor table or in the camp chairs, reading/drinking coffee/whatever. It really does help a lot with bugs. When we go out camping now, in the back of the truck, it's usually just the husband and I, and it's the first thing I pack into the truck and the first thing I get going as soon as we stop to set up.
Was going to post! The thermacell laterns are leaps and bounds better than the off ones.
Well I know you're into carpentry Surferguy, so saving some of those wood chips/saw dust you can wrap up in little cloth bags nice and tight makes great firestarter.
Tarps. Lots of tarps. Rope. If you're tenting it a tarp under your tent is a good idea. One above to run any rain water and dew off. Building a windbreak and lean-to for keeping firewood dry is always a nice touch.
Bungee cords and tarp straps help take out the slack easier than rope once it's all half asses up.
Don't forget booze.
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Even though he says he only wanted steak and potatoes, he was aware of all the rapes.
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I actually have a whole pile of wood chip and beeswax fire starters I built last year. They are pretty great at starting a fire in crap conditions. I might invest in a couple more tarps as well
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Well I know you're into carpentry Surferguy, so saving some of those wood chips/saw dust you can wrap up in little cloth bags nice and tight makes great firestarter.
Tarps. Lots of tarps. Rope. If you're tenting it a tarp under your tent is a good idea. One above to run any rain water and dew off. Building a windbreak and lean-to for keeping firewood dry is always a nice touch.
Bungee cords and tarp straps help take out the slack easier than rope once it's all half asses up.
Don't forget booze.
One thing is if your Tent needs a tarp over it to stop it from leaking you have the wrong tent. Don’t accept leaky tents in any conditions.
I generally agree with your lots of tarps comments though and certainly agree with using a grind sheet to make the floor last longer.
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What’s Sibbald Lake campground like? Is it boring? It kinda looks boring but I’ve never been there before.
I guess it depends what you are looking for... the lake, is more like a pond that I don't think you'd really want to swim in.
There is a kids play park there, some hiking trails around the area to the east, west and south. A group picnic area. A number of people that go there seem to do a lot of mountain biking in the area. It is nice and close and relatively quiet. No cell service.
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One thing is if your Tent needs a tarp over it to stop it from leaking you have the wrong tent. Don’t accept leaky tents in any conditions.
I generally agree with your lots of tarps comments though and certainly agree with using a grind sheet to make the floor last longer.
When I tented I always used a tarp above to insulate from ant sun, and to wick water off instead of having dew or moisture on top of your tent.
Not to patch up holes. Cover it up anyways.
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Originally Posted by Yamer
Even though he says he only wanted steak and potatoes, he was aware of all the rapes.
We go tenting about once every two years and every time we take the tent down my wife and I bark at each other for forgetting about putting a tarp down underneath the tent. It's always wet and then we have to air dry it out at home. Grrrr
I actually have a whole pile of wood chip and beeswax fire starters I built last year. They are pretty great at starting a fire in crap conditions. I might invest in a couple more tarps as well
Dryer lint goes up surprisingly fast too. If you can accumulate about a base ball sized chunk of lint (maybe a months worth?) can really help to get things going. Loosely packing it in a toilet paper roll works great.
And then look at people with knee high socks to see if you can do the below is always good for a laugh.
If you're ATVing in inclement weather or snowmobiling, bring tampons to help start a fire. Just drop one in your gas tank and pull it out, always have a few in the tool compartment.
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You can also just get a big enough battery bank to keep you going the weekend, unless you are going longer. Something like this will get you at least 5 full phone charges, and still keep you entertained if it rains all weekend.
RE: Solar power banks... Don't. Unless you don't have an alternative for a long time. I think it takes around 30-50 hours to fully charge most power banks, but I honestly also don't know what the discrepancies are in terms of larger solar panels (ie: Fold out ones) and side of the bank itself (ie: 10,000 mAh vs 25,000 mAh).
I think it'll charge enough to top up the bank and be enough to keep a phone well charged in a regular state, but perhaps not enough to justify the difference between a regular vs solar panel power bank.
Like, if you're going to be days up to weeks between being consistently around an outlet to charge, like a back packing trip or traveling, sure. But for weekends, I don't recommend it as an upgrade. Just get a larger basic power bank for the premium you're paying (ie: 20K or 2x 10K mAh power banks and wireless charging features). It's honestly more nuisance than benefit.
I have a solar power bank. If the world goes to #### it'll be something I have to keep a phone on airplane mode as a flashlight and a place to look at pics of loved ones... but for premium camping, it ain't something I'm contemplating.
For those of you that use concrete nails as tent spikes - Tell me more. I broke/bent a few of mine a couple of days ago. I’ve see some at cabelas that have a small plastic tab on the top, are those the ones? Or are they just straight up large construction spikes?
Edit: the post above are the ones I’ve seen. They had them at cabelas a couple of weeks back for 88c a piece but I can’t seem to find that deal anymore.
I bought an Ecoflow River Pro and a solar panel (160W) this year to power an electric cooler and run devices. It's not at all cheap, if your spot is overly shaded it can run out over a weekend, and there's a lot more management of it required than I anticipated. It's great to have and I love it, but it's pricey and involved to venture beyond standard battery banks.
If charging devices is all you need, I think buying a bunch of little banks and charging them pre-trip is probably the best bet. Charging them there via solar might be a bit of a hassle.
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For those of you that use concrete nails as tent spikes - Tell me more. I broke/bent a few of mine a couple of days ago. I’ve see some at cabelas that have a small plastic tab on the top, are those the ones? Or are they just straight up large construction spikes?
Edit: the post above are the ones I’ve seen. They had them at cabelas a couple of weeks back for 88c a piece but I can’t seem to find that deal anymore.
We have had those same ones for over 15 years. Quite a few places here in Vernon sell them individually, if you can’t find any and want some just let me know.
Last edited by Lumby Lager; 08-03-2023 at 12:26 PM.
