Camping stuff

Wolfgang wrote:

Coleman's two burner gasoline stove is still the best I've seen for camp
cooking. A lot of people prefer the newer propane models. John told me a
couple of weeks ago in NC that he refills his propane tanks, thus
eliminating one of my major objections to them, but others remain.

You can buy an adapter (approx. $25) that lets you hook an ordinary
propane tank to your two-burner Coleman stove. That stove isn't exactly
backpacking equipment. There's no excuse to throwing away those little
green tanks.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Larry L" wrote in message
...

Fellow roffians ( ok I'm just a fringe roffian, but you get the idea ) how
about a car/tent camping check list? Be specific if a particular brand/
type of item is preferred

Hey Larry:
I went through a similar metamorphosis. Spent my 20s doing the 45-pound
Kelty Backpack thing, with ensolite, MSR (Svea actually, back then), bivvy
sack, headlamp, down bag that doubled as a cooler (wrapped around the cold
items).

Then I moved into canoe camping, where it was a 150 pound kit. Larger, more
comfortable tent, thermarest pad, coleman propane stove, candle lantern,
fold up chairs, roll up tables, Igloo cooler.

Then I moved into car camping, and have discovered that a lot of my canoe
camping gear is perfectly suited. It stows down very compactly, covers the
comfort criteria, and I don't have to carry it in. My current car camping
set up has the following:

-Tent: a Latvian version of a northface VE24, 4-man tent with the external
vestibule and lots of little pockets and an overhead net. Under it a
'footprint', and inside it a blanket that serves as a carpet. There's also a
carpet outside the front vestibule to wipe off my feet. And a portable
radio/tape deck with little battery-operated speakers, and two battery
lanterns. I also keep a small dustpan and brush to get out the grit. I hate
grit.

-sleeping bag: a Northface fiberfill BigFoot, with a pillow, a sheet and an
extra-thick Thermarest pad.

-stoves: a Coleman 3-burner propane stove, with pisoelectric lighter, and
also a portable barbeque grill that folds in on itself to store no larger
than a briefcase.

-Kitchen kit: pots, pans and plates that nestle easily, cups and mugs.
Regular kitchen style (not camping gear) cutlery and utensils. It all packs
into a meduim-sized action packer, along with the stove and a cutting board,
the washing up liquids and a few odds and ends like beer coolies.

-Table: from CampMor, a blue roll-up table with aluminum legs. This thing is
excellent! When stored, its about the dimensions of your leg, but it unrolls
and makes a table that is about 1x1 meters, with lots of room for cooking,
eating, etc.

-chair: fold up 'captains chair' with fold up footrest. Ahh.

-lantern: Coleman gas lantern as well as several flashlight lanterns.

-cooler: I know about these; we used many brands on the rivers, and my
experience is that nothing, (nothing!) beats the Igloo brand. The others
either warm up too soon or leak or only last a few seasons, but the Igloo
coolers are the best quality out there. I freeze several platic jugs of
water for the ice and drink them when they melt. I put a large rectangle of
ensolite in the cooler to section off a bottom (long term storage) part and
a top (in and out) part. I also have an electric cooler that runs off the
car battery so I can refreeze stuff on long trips, and have a cold drink
when I'm driving in.

Goodies: solar powered blender, frisbee, fly tying kit, etc, extra tarp to
cover kitchen..

All this stores neatly in an average trunk.

Have fun!

--riverman

"Larry L" wrote in message
...

Fellow roffians ( ok I'm just a fringe roffian, but you get the idea ) how
about a car/tent camping check list? Be specific if a particular brand/
type of item is preferred

Hey Larry:
I went through a similar metamorphosis. Spent my 20s doing the 45-pound
Kelty Backpack thing, with ensolite, MSR (Svea actually, back then), bivvy
sack, headlamp, down bag that doubled as a cooler (wrapped around the cold
items).

Then I moved into canoe camping, where it was a 150 pound kit. Larger, more
comfortable tent, thermarest pad, coleman propane stove, candle lantern,
fold up chairs, roll up tables, Igloo cooler.

Then I moved into car camping, and have discovered that a lot of my canoe
camping gear is perfectly suited. It stows down very compactly, covers the
comfort criteria, and I don't have to carry it in. My current car camping
set up has the following:

-Tent: a Latvian version of a northface VE24, 4-man tent with the external
vestibule and lots of little pockets and an overhead net. Under it a
'footprint', and inside it a blanket that serves as a carpet. There's also a
carpet outside the front vestibule to wipe off my feet. And a portable
radio/tape deck with little battery-operated speakers, and two battery
lanterns. I also keep a small dustpan and brush to get out the grit. I hate
grit.

-sleeping bag: a Northface fiberfill BigFoot, with a pillow, a sheet and an
extra-thick Thermarest pad.

-stoves: a Coleman 3-burner propane stove, with pisoelectric lighter, and
also a portable barbeque grill that folds in on itself to store no larger
than a briefcase.

-Kitchen kit: pots, pans and plates that nestle easily, cups and mugs.
Regular kitchen style (not camping gear) cutlery and utensils. It all packs
into a meduim-sized action packer, along with the stove and a cutting board,
the washing up liquids and a few odds and ends like beer coolies.

-Table: from CampMor, a blue roll-up table with aluminum legs. This thing is
excellent! When stored, its about the dimensions of your leg, but it unrolls
and makes a table that is about 1x1 meters, with lots of room for cooking,
eating, etc.

-chair: fold up 'captains chair' with fold up footrest. Ahh.

-lantern: Coleman gas lantern as well as several flashlight lanterns.

-cooler: I know about these; we used many brands on the rivers, and my
experience is that nothing, (nothing!) beats the Igloo brand. The others
either warm up too soon or leak or only last a few seasons, but the Igloo
coolers are the best quality out there. I freeze several platic jugs of
water for the ice and drink them when they melt. I put a large rectangle of
ensolite in the cooler to section off a bottom (long term storage) part and
a top (in and out) part. I also have an electric cooler that runs off the
car battery so I can refreeze stuff on long trips, and have a cold drink
when I'm driving in.

Goodies: solar powered blender, frisbee, fly tying kit, etc, extra tarp to
cover kitchen..

All this stores neatly in an average trunk.

Have fun!

--riverman

"Larry L" wrote in message
...

Fellow roffians ( ok I'm just a fringe roffian, but you get the idea ) how
about a car/tent camping check list? Be specific if a particular brand/
type of item is preferred

Hey Larry:
I went through a similar metamorphosis. Spent my 20s doing the 45-pound
Kelty Backpack thing, with ensolite, MSR (Svea actually, back then), bivvy
sack, headlamp, down bag that doubled as a cooler (wrapped around the cold
items).

Then I moved into canoe camping, where it was a 150 pound kit. Larger, more
comfortable tent, thermarest pad, coleman propane stove, candle lantern,
fold up chairs, roll up tables, Igloo cooler.

Then I moved into car camping, and have discovered that a lot of my canoe
camping gear is perfectly suited. It stows down very compactly, covers the
comfort criteria, and I don't have to carry it in. My current car camping
set up has the following:

-Tent: a Latvian version of a northface VE24, 4-man tent with the external
vestibule and lots of little pockets and an overhead net. Under it a
'footprint', and inside it a blanket that serves as a carpet. There's also a
carpet outside the front vestibule to wipe off my feet. And a portable
radio/tape deck with little battery-operated speakers, and two battery
lanterns. I also keep a small dustpan and brush to get out the grit. I hate
grit.

-sleeping bag: a Northface fiberfill BigFoot, with a pillow, a sheet and an
extra-thick Thermarest pad.

-stoves: a Coleman 3-burner propane stove, with pisoelectric lighter, and
also a portable barbeque grill that folds in on itself to store no larger
than a briefcase.

-Kitchen kit: pots, pans and plates that nestle easily, cups and mugs.
Regular kitchen style (not camping gear) cutlery and utensils. It all packs
into a meduim-sized action packer, along with the stove and a cutting board,
the washing up liquids and a few odds and ends like beer coolies.

-Table: from CampMor, a blue roll-up table with aluminum legs. This thing is
excellent! When stored, its about the dimensions of your leg, but it unrolls
and makes a table that is about 1x1 meters, with lots of room for cooking,
eating, etc.

-chair: fold up 'captains chair' with fold up footrest. Ahh.

-lantern: Coleman gas lantern as well as several flashlight lanterns.

-cooler: I know about these; we used many brands on the rivers, and my
experience is that nothing, (nothing!) beats the Igloo brand. The others
either warm up too soon or leak or only last a few seasons, but the Igloo
coolers are the best quality out there. I freeze several platic jugs of
water for the ice and drink them when they melt. I put a large rectangle of
ensolite in the cooler to section off a bottom (long term storage) part and
a top (in and out) part. I also have an electric cooler that runs off the
car battery so I can refreeze stuff on long trips, and have a cold drink
when I'm driving in.

Goodies: solar powered blender, frisbee, fly tying kit, etc, extra tarp to
cover kitchen..

All this stores neatly in an average trunk.

Have fun!

--riverman

"rw" wrote in message
m...
Wolfgang wrote:

Coleman's two burner gasoline stove is still the best I've seen for camp
cooking. A lot of people prefer the newer propane models. John told me
a couple of weeks ago in NC that he refills his propane tanks, thus
eliminating one of my major objections to them, but others remain.

You can buy an adapter (approx. $25) that lets you hook an ordinary
propane tank to your two-burner Coleman stove. That stove isn't exactly
backpacking equipment. There's no excuse to throwing away those little
green tanks.

I'm not sure whether you're suggesting that a propane burner can be adapted
to run off the big tanks, which is a good idea both economically and
ecologically, or that the gasoline burner can be converted. In the former
case, that sort of thing has been around for a long time. I rigged a torch
to run off one of the big tanks a few years ago when I was doing a lot of
soldering. In the latter case, it would be a neat trick (if safe) but
personally I don't see any great advantage to the propane that offsets those
of gasoline. I view it more as a matter of individual taste than any real
practical significance.....once we get passed the tiny propane tanks.
Anyone looking to buy a new stove should get whichever he or she prefers.
The only people in the market for such a conversion would be those who
already have a gasoline burner and then discover that they prefer the
propane.

Wolfgang

"rw" wrote in message
m...
Wolfgang wrote:

Coleman's two burner gasoline stove is still the best I've seen for camp
cooking. A lot of people prefer the newer propane models. John told me
a couple of weeks ago in NC that he refills his propane tanks, thus
eliminating one of my major objections to them, but others remain.

You can buy an adapter (approx. $25) that lets you hook an ordinary
propane tank to your two-burner Coleman stove. That stove isn't exactly
backpacking equipment. There's no excuse to throwing away those little
green tanks.

I'm not sure whether you're suggesting that a propane burner can be adapted
to run off the big tanks, which is a good idea both economically and
ecologically, or that the gasoline burner can be converted. In the former
case, that sort of thing has been around for a long time. I rigged a torch
to run off one of the big tanks a few years ago when I was doing a lot of
soldering. In the latter case, it would be a neat trick (if safe) but
personally I don't see any great advantage to the propane that offsets those
of gasoline. I view it more as a matter of individual taste than any real
practical significance.....once we get passed the tiny propane tanks.
Anyone looking to buy a new stove should get whichever he or she prefers.
The only people in the market for such a conversion would be those who
already have a gasoline burner and then discover that they prefer the
propane.

Wolfgang

Car or Humvee or mini cooper?

john
"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Well, my camping has been in two, very different styles. (1)When I was
young ...backpacking and mountaineering, bivy bags, MSR stoves, etc (2)
For
my business and in my current not young state .. travel trailer, TV,
microwave, generator, shower, etc

But, each of the last few summers I've wanted to go visit a stream(s)
where
taking the trailer was too big a pain, or no place to park it exists.
And
my bivy bag days are long gone ... comfort is priority #1 for this old
grump.

So, I'm thinking of getting a minimal amount of in-between "car camping"
gear so that I can leave the trailer and go stay in the Slough Creek
campground ( example) for a night or two and thus make the FDR ( fishing
to
driving ratio ) reasonable. I have plenty of storage room in my truck,
but
I'd like suggestions on what I need to consider getting and taking to be
reasonably comfortable in tent camping mode.

Fellow roffians ( ok I'm just a fringe roffian, but you get the idea ) how
about a car/tent camping check list? Be specific if a particular brand/
type of item is preferred

Car or Humvee or mini cooper?

john
"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Well, my camping has been in two, very different styles. (1)When I was
young ...backpacking and mountaineering, bivy bags, MSR stoves, etc (2)
For
my business and in my current not young state .. travel trailer, TV,
microwave, generator, shower, etc

But, each of the last few summers I've wanted to go visit a stream(s)
where
taking the trailer was too big a pain, or no place to park it exists.
And
my bivy bag days are long gone ... comfort is priority #1 for this old
grump.

So, I'm thinking of getting a minimal amount of in-between "car camping"
gear so that I can leave the trailer and go stay in the Slough Creek
campground ( example) for a night or two and thus make the FDR ( fishing
to
driving ratio ) reasonable. I have plenty of storage room in my truck,
but
I'd like suggestions on what I need to consider getting and taking to be
reasonably comfortable in tent camping mode.

Fellow roffians ( ok I'm just a fringe roffian, but you get the idea ) how
about a car/tent camping check list? Be specific if a particular brand/
type of item is preferred

Car or Humvee or mini cooper?

john
"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Well, my camping has been in two, very different styles. (1)When I was
young ...backpacking and mountaineering, bivy bags, MSR stoves, etc (2)
For
my business and in my current not young state .. travel trailer, TV,
microwave, generator, shower, etc

But, each of the last few summers I've wanted to go visit a stream(s)
where
taking the trailer was too big a pain, or no place to park it exists.
And
my bivy bag days are long gone ... comfort is priority #1 for this old
grump.

So, I'm thinking of getting a minimal amount of in-between "car camping"
gear so that I can leave the trailer and go stay in the Slough Creek
campground ( example) for a night or two and thus make the FDR ( fishing
to
driving ratio ) reasonable. I have plenty of storage room in my truck,
but
I'd like suggestions on what I need to consider getting and taking to be
reasonably comfortable in tent camping mode.

Fellow roffians ( ok I'm just a fringe roffian, but you get the idea ) how
about a car/tent camping check list? Be specific if a particular brand/
type of item is preferred

"rw" wrote in message
m...
You can buy an adapter (approx. $25) that lets you hook an ordinary
propane tank to your two-burner Coleman stove. That stove isn't
exactly backpacking equipment. There's no excuse to throwing away
those little green tanks.

Wolfgang wrote:
I'm not sure whether you're suggesting that a propane burner can be
adapted to run off the big tanks, which is a good idea both
economically and ecologically, or that the gasoline burner can be
converted.

Coleman makes adapters (high pressure hoses with big and small ends) for
this and also has a three outlet 'tree' so you can run two stoves and a
lantern off of a bulk tank. The one I used to have was obsoleted when they
changed the connector on the bulk tanks a couple of years ago. I could
screw a propane lantern on top of the tree, and run my stove and portable
grill at the same time.
--
Stan Gula
http://gula.org/roffswaps