2014 Camping Thread - Page 11 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

macker · 08-03-2014, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydorn

So we're heading to Montana pretty soon to spend a few days camping at Fish Creek in Glacier National Park.

I'm wondering if anyone here has experience crossing the US/Canada border with a car full of camping gear? Aside from the food (we're planning to buy groceries in Whitefish) is there any other "no-nos" we should be aware of?

Camping fuel, bug spray? Anything you'd find in your typical gear that might cause issues?

Went down there fully loaded earlier this year with all of the above and didn't have any issues. Even packed some bear spray which I know they will take away at the border but it is a few years old so if they want it they can have it. They don't really take the time to sort through gear in my experiences going every summer. More concerned about the big ticket items like fruit with seeds

SHOGUN · 08-03-2014, 09:05 PM

Where's the best place to have a overnight that allows campfire near Banff?

pgsieve · 08-04-2014, 04:38 PM

Anyone seen these yet?

http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/Activitie...relaxnews.html

GGG · 08-04-2014, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macker

Went down there fully loaded earlier this year with all of the above and didn't have any issues. Even packed some bear spray which I know they will take away at the border but it is a few years old so if they want it they can have it. They don't really take the time to sort through gear in my experiences going every summer. More concerned about the big ticket items like fruit with seeds

They wont take bear spray at the boarder going into the US. They wont take bear spray coming back into Canada if it has a clear label on it saying it is for use on wildlife and not humans. Canada will confenscate US bear spray if it doesnt have that warning on it and all other pepper spray.

I will see if I can find a link. I believe if they ask you if you have any weapons or firearms you are supposed to declare your bear spray. I have been asked going into the US, declared it, and they let me keep it without any comment.

Edit heres the link:https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...y-into-the-u.s.

ken0042 · 08-08-2014, 07:36 AM

We had been talking before about solar power, and this past long weekend I finally had a chance to put my solar panel to the test. We were dry camping for 4 days; which would normally either cause a great deal of strain on the battery, or we would have really had to ration power.

The solar panel I have is this one: Coleman 40 Watt panel

Where we were camping we had morning sun, and then shade by 3:00. That meant shade for a full hour of the peak sun. However I did find that there was still significant power coming from the panel in the shade. I didn't have my good power meter with me; my judging of power use was based on how low the power dropped when using things like the water pump.

I had also unplugged the solar panel at 4:00 the day before we were leaving, and then didn't plug it back in until noon the next day when it looked like we might be staying an extra day. (Losing the morning sun charging I had the pervious days.) We still pulled out of the campground with 12.3 volts showing on the battery; my battery is "full" at 12.55 volts. And yes, that 12.3 volt measurement was taken an hour after taking the panel off; so it isn't artificially high.

For this to work, you have to also keep in mind that I have LED lights. As I always say, the LED bulbs are the first step in conserving power when dry camping. The one thing that was a massive power draw for us was the water pump. As we were camping by the beach and I was the only person in the group with a trailer, the outdoor shower got a workout. We had to refill the fresh water tank, and didn't come close to capacity on the waste tanks. So easily 75 gallons of water pumped through; which is a huge power draw. We also had quite a few lights on, and we even leave on light going all night. We also had the TV and BD player running for about 3 hours per night; once again both of those drawing 12 volt power from the battery.

So the solar panel worked well. A buddy had lent me his 1000 watt Honda generator, but I'm glad I didn't bother bringing it.

bossy22 · 08-08-2014, 08:01 AM

^^^
I just bought that solar panel this week for 50% off. I was curious if it was enough to top off the batteries. I did also pick up a eu2000i Honda generator, so I figured I could use the solar panel and top off when allowed with the generator.

Did you have to get anything extra to connect the panel?

ken0042 · 08-08-2014, 08:28 AM

Yes, I forgot to mention that- thanks for reminding me. That panel will go on sale for 1/2 price a few times per year, and occasionally as low as $100. It's a good deal when it's on sale.

It came with everything I needed. The only complaint is that the alligator clips for the battery are just barely far enough apart to reach the two posts of my Group 27 battery. If you have a group 31 battery you may need to extend one of them. It has the main cable, and extension cable, and then several adapters to connect to your battery.

Canehdianman · 08-08-2014, 08:38 AM

If this is the Coleman 40W from Canadian Tire you are talking about, it's pretty easy to slice the covering on the wires to give you more slack on the wires.

I just installed 15' of LED strip (in different lengths, each with a on-off switch) in my cabin this summer. Running it all off a few deep cycle batteries hooked up to 80W (40Wx2) of solar panels.

Works great!

Slava · 08-08-2014, 09:01 AM

I wish I knew that thing went on sale again! I have been trying to watch for the deal, but I guess I missed it again!

ken0042 · 08-08-2014, 09:24 AM

You can sign up for their spam, and then have it set to email you when certain products are going on sale. I think I get the email the Wednesday before they go on sale.

bossy22 · 08-08-2014, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

I wish I knew that thing went on sale again! I have been trying to watch for the deal, but I guess I missed it again!

CDN Tire honours the previous weeks sale, so you should be able to get it this week.

Slava · 08-08-2014, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bossy22

CDN Tire honours the previous weeks sale, so you should be able to get it this week.

That's wicked! I'm going to give this a shot today and see if I can get one before we leave for the weekend. Thanks!

Ducay · 08-08-2014, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bossy22

CDN Tire honours the previous weeks sale, so you should be able to get it this week.

Since when? Only on the before day the sale begins does this apply. (ie they put up signs for new sale on Wednesday for the Thursday sale, meaning you get both weeks' sale prices on Wednesday). Once Thursday kicks in the prior weeks' sale price ends.

And that is only due to the signage getting changed out, prices in the system are correct.

bossy22 · 08-08-2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducay

Since when? Only on the before day the sale begins does this apply. (ie they put up signs for new sale on Wednesday for the Thursday sale, meaning you get both weeks' sale prices on Wednesday). Once Thursday kicks in the prior weeks' sale price ends.

And that is only due to the signage getting changed out, prices in the system are correct.

I was told this last week by one of the staff at Canadian Tire here in Cochrane.

ken0042 · 08-08-2014, 10:42 AM

I've found them honouring the sale price after the sale is very much a "Your mileage may vary" type of thing. If you go in today (the next day after the sale), and you are nice, and get somebody who knows what they are doing, you can usually get it. However change any of those variables........

4X4 · 08-08-2014, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macker

More concerned about the big ticket items like fruit with seeds

WTF is with that, anyway? They jacked my daughter's orange at the border the other day. The orange probably came from Florida to begin with, silly Americans.

macker · 08-08-2014, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4X4

WTF is with that, anyway? They jacked my daughter's orange at the border the other day. The orange probably came from Florida to begin with, silly Americans.

Same thing crossed my mind at Peace Arch one time when we had the meat stripped off of our McDonalds burgers

Serves us right for eating badly and importing meat

bossy22 · 08-08-2014, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

That's wicked! I'm going to give this a shot today and see if I can get one before we leave for the weekend. Thanks!

I went in to Canadian Tire. It is still on sale until the 14th in Cochrane. I did ask the manager about honouring the flyer, and he said it's store by store. In Cochrane they will honour the week before and the week after the flyer.

Slava · 08-08-2014, 02:28 PM

I was at the Shawnessy location and too lazy to wait in line. I don't need to have it this weekend, so I will see about getting it later this summer I guess.

hedge · 08-09-2014, 01:41 PM

Don't buy the cdn tire stuff, it's complete junk and the $ per watt is not good. You can get a quality panel for about a $1 a watt. Buy the stuff from a solar shop not a retail store that dabbles in it.

Look for controllers made by morningstar, blue sky etc.

I'm looking at putting a system together, it'll be minimum 140w.