Camping hacks - A discussion

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by bc-chris

you don't even need to leave the lambo at home.....


https://www.kelownanow.com/watercool...und/#fs_125809

They actually make an off road version now.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Ultimate camping hack, backyard fireplace. That way you can stay home.

I'm so anti camping right now, no desire to ever go again. At home we have full sized, fully functioning bathrooms, big screen tvs, two full sized fridges and deep freeze, Air Conditioning, Endy king sized mattress, Power. Camping you have dirt, stink, food in a cooler (SHUT THE COOLER!!!) sleeping on an air mattress, out houses, dirty kids.

Conclusion: Campers spend a lot of money to go live like a homeless person for a week end.

There are only three good reasons to camp.

1. To spend quality time with a large group of friends who otherwise would be difficult to arrange a trip with ( booze soaked good times in other words)

2. To save money or driving time for a related outdoor activity. camping near hiking trails or fishing spots, or on a road trip.

3. to spend time quietly outside away from reception and the industrial world's stresses. This is not possible on weekends or in camp grounds. reason 1 often will interferes with this, and people find a way to be stressed about it.

[DoubleF]

Ooo. You should print off a few Calvin and Hobbes camping strips and give them to your kids before they actually go!

https://spaceenoughandtime.com/2017/...lds-character/

There's something about being able to just disconnect from super fast society and get that type of mental reset. But I also get the "eww camping" opinion. I'm starting to lean towards cottage or cabins now. A slightly poor set up and you're cold, wet (not even rain, could just be condensation inside the tent dripping down the sides), sore, bug bitten/itchy etc. More and more clueless rich and loud people are showing up at camping sites and the vibe is a little different than when we were young. You're roughing it out oldschool style and some rich kids are riding around on Segway ninebots while shooting at each other with electric water guns? WTF yo. Both jealous AND disappointed in my life decisions AND thinking those kids are over the top spoiled.

Easier to yell at clouds at a camp site though... I think.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Reading the ages of your kids...

Bring a 3-4 step folding step ladder to facilitate pulling lines for the tarps.

I vividly recall adults pushing kids up a tree 8-10 feet and telling them to throw a cord loop over a specific branch for the tarp. Many scared kids were scraped by branches after the feat was completed.

Tying a stick and throwing it at branches didn't always work because other branches might end up in the way of the cord.

Right of passage, man. No wonder kids are so soft these days. Never fallen out of a tree and needed to be rushed for an xray carried on a sheet of plywood into the back of a family ambulance(station wagon).

[octothorp]

After a few years of contending with a few different brands of big inflatable mattresses that get random leaks and end up deflating on you in the middle of the night, I went and bought cots like this.

Only works in a huge (8 man or larger) tent, of course, but since we're talking car-camping, I think it's an option worth considering. They take up a lot of space but it's also easy to keep the tent organized since there's lots of under-cot storage space. We've got a Coleman 8-man Tenaya tent and it's really spacious with three cots, we could probably do four if we needed. They also function as seating really easily.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

As someone halfway through a month long road trip and doing a bunch of car camping I’ll echo a few thoughts in here.
Concrete nails instead of tent pegs is the way to go
The best sleeping mat you can get is absolutely worth it. At least 4” thick. Bring a bedsheet to throw over it. Easier to shake it out and get dirt/sand/twigs off of that and will help save the mat. Your own pillow is also a pretty nice luxury of car camping.
Bring a clothesline, they come in handy

[Russic]

RoadGame wins the thread with concrete nails. I'm buying some today–what a killer idea.

As for my tips:
- Very specific to how you sleep as a family, but for us getting a tent that isolates the kids was massive. However it's done, be it room divider or an actual separate area, we all sleep better with fewer distractions

- You'll look like an actual serial killer, but a soft balaclava helps on chilly nights to sleep (not likely to be a problem until fall). Again, this will vary depending on how hot you run. I can always get sleeping bag temperatures right, but my face always freezes, waking me up.

- If you'd like to keep your kids occupied and get creative points, clean out an orange like you would a pumpkin, fill it with a boxed cake mix (2/3 full), cap it, foil it and toss it in the fire for about 20-30 minutes. Once you smell it, it's pretty much done. There's enough protection from the foil and moisture in the peel that you can't really burn them (as long as they're not inside a raging inferno).

- I'll just echo that there is no such thing as an air mattress that holds air. You have a car, so use the space and bring something solid.

- When making kindling, I've started placing the axe on small piece of wood and then tapping the blunt end of the axe with a mallet (or other piece of wood). We've got into watching Alone and the sheer number of people who damn near cut their thumbs off doing it the hold-wood-and-tap-into-ground method is astounding.

- Don't let anybody tell you what camping is. For years I ignored simple luxuries because I was a proper ###### of the Woods and thought camping was about <unique camping philosophy here>. Now I have solar panels and a giant battery hooked up to an ice maker and I don't apologize for having a good time.

- Keep your tent zippers in the same place all the time. Be able to unzip your tent and locate bear spray with your eyes closed. No reason. Don't worry about it. Call it a personal preference.

[Fuzz]

What, no tips about how to best punch wolves?

[DoubleF]

Russic's foil orange idea is kinda interesting. I was taught a variation of this but for s'mores which I do regularly for fire pits and BBQ, but I haven't done it camping yet.

- Get an ice cream cone, put mini marsh mellows and chunks of chocolate into the cone. For extra "depth", consider using Skor or Caramilk for the chocolate. Wrap in foil and toss by fire/bbq grate. Ready when inside is melted to desired level.

Don't use gigantic marsh mellows. I made that mistake (or success?). It expands and pushes everything else out. Basically turns into a bizarre cross between creme brule and soft serve. I didn't like it, but the kids did (probably because sugar).

It's less messy than traditional s'mores because the foil helps to keep sticky stuff off your hands. Also a little less likely to fail via flaming marsh mellows.

I've also boiled corn and sweet potato/yam and then wrapped in foil then tossed in fire for that extra tasty Maillard effect. The texture improves slightly when doing this as well. The yam concept is similar to a snack frequently found in Asia.

Make sure you have a good and reliable way to pull your foil wrapped food out of the fire.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

What, no tips about how to best punch wolves?

Punching is for fools, real men kick their asses

[8 Ball]

Taco in a bag. Once you discover this, camping problems go away.

[Lubicon]

Ha. All this talk about concrete nails took me way off on a tangent. I thought they were nails made of concrete, which I thought was both a great idea (disposable - just leave then in the ground) and also a bad idea (concrete not very strong when hot with a hammer). Took be awhile before it dawned on me what kind of nails they really are.......

I have pegs made of rebar with small inverted hooks welded on them. They are awesome.

[surferguy]

Is all of BC under a campfire ban? Including Kootney National Park (Marble Canyon).

I’m trying to get clear info but I’m also an Idiot.

I think it’s a blanket ban but does anybody know for sure?

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Is all of BC under a campfire ban? Including Kootney National Park (Marble Canyon).

I’m trying to get clear info but I’m also an Idiot.

I think it’s a blanket ban but does anybody know for sure?

Yes, whole province except for Haida G'waii is what I read a couple of days ago.

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/h...m_campaign=snd

Camping in BC is why we now own a propane firebowl, lol.

[troutman]

Solar camp shower!

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...r-camp-shower/

[CaptainYooh]

Great thread, surferguy! Lots of really good advice here already. I can add a few more from the "luxury" side of camping to make it a bit more enjoyable. Links are attached to each item for easy reference:

• Fire tripod;
• Dutch oven or any other cast iron pot to hang over fire (Canadian Tire has them on good sale periodically);
• Mr. Heater - Propane space heater; they come in smaller and bigger sizes. I bought mine at Cabela's but they're often sold half-price on FB Marketplace.
• Heavy-duty tent spikes - I saw the concrete nails suggestion and it's great; but they could be a pain in the ass to pull out of hard soil; and they're not that cheap too. I bought this set for $20 on sale and they're really tough.
• Pop-up change/toilet tent - this thing is stored flat and takes no space in transportation whatsoever; pops-up in seconds by itself. Put a sh.t-bucket in it and it becomes a private bathroom for kids and women.
• Over-the-fire portable folding grill - this thing is very useful for steaks, veggies, skewers, burgers and hot dogs.
• Folding shovel for anything that needs digging.
• Percolating kettle/coffeemaker - not a necessity, for sure, but a great thing to have.
• Camping table - we got Woods one at Canadian Tire. The base folds and the top rolls into a neat small package. It's all aluminum. Great little table.

We also bought a pop-up canopy to set over the table.

All of the above things are really cheap on amazon and, obviously, not for backpacking. But if you are driving with kids, they do not take a lot of room at all. A couple of axes (large and small), a good knife with saw, lots of rope etc.

P.S. I wouldn't waste my money on a Yeti cooler unless you're planning on transporting live organs for transplanting. Coleman, Igloo and Woods are all good coolers that keep the stuff in them cold for up to 4 days, if properly packed. They're four times cheaper than Yeti and go on 50% off sale every so often. Yeti is grossly overpriced for a plastic box with foam in its walls. This review sums it up nicely.

[surferguy]

What’s Sibbald Lake campground like? Is it boring? It kinda looks boring but I’ve never been there before.

[Fuzz]

I stopped in briefly and there were altos of bugs, that's the only review I can offer. It was after hiking Cox hill just south of there, something your kids might be able to handle. Trail is in good condition.

[chedder]

Hope everyone that goes to bc has their propane firepit. Entire province except on one spot on the island is under fire ban.

[Geraldsh]

When tenting make sure one of your coolers is big enough to use as a bathtub for the little kids. They don’t need a bath everyday but when they do….