I know there is one of these over on the Toyota truck/4runner board, but I was hoping we could start one since the out suzukis are quite smaller than the yotas. Lets leave this open to anything. I would like to see how people store their camping equipment in their rigs for weekend trips. What are some essentials for every trip etc etc.....Lets hear what everybody has got to say. :D

Fine I will start....I just poted this on the toyota board.....:D
Alrighty, as far as camping equipment goes, I carry light. I have to with the small size of my samurai. I bring one of these little bad boys. Its an MSR whisperlite that runs off white gas. I also use it for backpacking. As far as tents. I got mine from the North Face outlet store in Berkeley. Its normally a $800 dollar expedition tent, but nobody has the use for those I guess, so I got it for $90. Its a two man tent and can with stand over 100 mile per hour winds....supposively. Works great in the snow too!

In my dad's samurai, the 87, I build him an MDF bench. It fits right over the wheel wells and has 3-4 supports holding it up... we put all our hardware underneath, and our capming gear on top.

Its an MSR whisperlite that runs off white gas.

I use a WWII tank stove, comes in an aluminum can, burns leaded or white. Too heavy for backpacking.

Its a two man tent and can with stand over 100 mile per hour winds

Kewel! I cudda used that in Jawbone Canyon at New Years a few years ago. I was in the shelter of a hill but the wind was SO strong my tent poles bent over so far that side of the tent bent down in my face.

[off topic]
Another year I was there with my family, same time, in my 26' 5th wheel. I camped in a N-S side canyon (east of Blue-point, AKA the Green D yke), the wind was howling down the E-W main canyon. Hadda stretch-cab, long-bed, 4x4 diesel F250. Parked trailer sideways to the wind. It kept increasing. Pulled my truck over windward to shelter it. OK for an hour. Kept increasing. Hooked up, turned the trailer end-wise to the wind. Disconnected, put the camper jacks on large flat timber slabs. Wind kept increasing. Blew the trailer offa the slabs, BANG!! it was loud and a big bump. Wind kept increasing. Hooked up the truck, put it in 1st under, jammed the tires, put some trailer weight on the truck, some on the jacks, put blocks under the tandem trailer tires too. Wind kept increasing... Knocked that camper around all night! I would not have lasted, out in the main canyon. Try to turn around out there, or even in my lil canyon, would have turned over right away.
[/off-topic]

GeoB

I have a small lockable fiberglass clam-shell trailer enclosure. I put it on a small trailer frame kit. I have room for plenty of stuff. I hate folding tents and rolling sleeping bags, now I just toss them in there, close the lid. I use that when my gurl and I go places.

When I travel by myself sometimes I take the rear seat and passenger seat out. I have a long piece of plywood trimmed to fit in that space. I put a block under the front, makes a level bed alla the way back. Lots of room to stretch out. Use a Coleman camp pad, throw my sleeping bag on top of that. Like a tent, my Zuke keeps the rain and the crawlies out.

What does everybody do with their less than full-bodied zuks for long trips? What about food? Thats the hardest for me, packing light in the food department.

What does everybody do with their less than full-bodied zuks for long trips? What about food? Thats the hardest for me, packing light in the food department.

food = beef jerkey.

food = beef jerkey.
I save the beef jerkey for backpacking trips thankyou. Seriously, for instance, what do you guys do when you go run trails like the rubicon and fordyce when you are wheeling all day and camping at night for a couple nights? Need: beverages(cold), dinner, lunch, breakfast, snacks etc etc...

This last labor day weekend I went to the Con with a small group of people. I rode/drove with a buddy of mine in a samurai. We took out the backseat and put alot of our small stuff in small totes and put them on the floor. Then we had 2 ice chests on top of those and then our sleepin bags and clothes bags just stuffed everywhere else. All of that was in a soft top zuk with the top ON. We actually had to put the ice chests on a couple other rigs because they made the zuk REALLY tipsy :eek:

We were on the Con for 4 days, so you can imagine how much crap we had and we were still packin lite! The only thing we cooked was dinner, the rest of the food was just stuff to make sandwichs and snack on until dinner. We cooked dinner on a small coleman BBQ.

Remove rear seat. I use a large rubbermaid style tote w/ hinged lid (takes up about half of bedspace). Load all small stuff and loose items in that. Cooler takes up most remaining bed space. I try to keep all the heavy stuff down low. all remaining light stuff i.e. bags, clothes, non perishable food, etc. gets staked on top of tote and cooler. I then bungee cord the sh!t out of everything and go. Bungee cords are your friend when camping with a Zuki :D

GeoB - have any pic's of the trailer? Lookin' at building a good 'camp' trailer once i find the right design.

Sounds similar to what I do. Anybody have any creative storage compartments on their sammis?

I use a WWII tank stove, comes in an aluminum can, burns leaded or white. Too heavy for backpacking.



Kewel! I cudda used that in Jawbone Canyon at New Years a few years ago. I was in the shelter of a hill but the wind was SO strong my tent poles bent over so far that side of the tent bent down in my face.

[off topic]
Another year I was there with my family, same time, in my 26' 5th wheel. I camped in a N-S side canyon (east of Blue-point, AKA the Green D yke), the wind was howling down the E-W main canyon. Hadda stretch-cab, long-bed, 4x4 diesel F250. Parked trailer sideways to the wind. It kept increasing. Pulled my truck over windward to shelter it. OK for an hour. Kept increasing. Hooked up, turned the trailer end-wise to the wind. Disconnected, put the camper jacks on large flat timber slabs. Wind kept increasing. Blew the trailer offa the slabs, BANG!! it was loud and a big bump. Wind kept increasing. Hooked up the truck, put it in 1st under, jammed the tires, put some trailer weight on the truck, some on the jacks, put blocks under the tandem trailer tires too. Wind kept increasing... Knocked that camper around all night! I would not have lasted, out in the main canyon. Try to turn around out there, or even in my lil canyon, would have turned over right away.
[/off-topic]

GeoB


The stove sounds cool, got a pic?

Take out our rear seats, build a small flat box)about 10-12 inches high) with a large board as a cover. You can now use the left over top space for additional storage. I also built a small rack( like the petroworks one) you now have three tiers of storage. The bottom box is used for spare parts, the mid for misc and the top for camping gear. It's not that difficult to get storage out of the zuk, ou just need to be organized. I am one of the support vehicles for our group and i carry almost everything you can think of in need. Looks like you might be local (Walnut Creek , Ca) if ou want to see it pm me. I still have room to recline my seats 1/3's

actually i am down in san luis obispo at cal poly for college. Are you in Walnut Creek too? I haven't seen many zuks around.

Here's the trick. You make your wife follow with the station wagon full of gear :smokin:

Seriously though; I always travel in packs for trips where I'd need camping gear. Between all of us we come up with enough room for storage. There's usually someone with a bigger vehicle that can hold stuff or someone following in a daily driver that can haul stuff.

I am planning on buidling a roof rack, but I have managed to get enough gear into my rig for three day trips into the Rubicon with my self, my wife, and daughter. Replacing the rear seat with a PRP junior racing seat gave me the room I needed. I do make them leave the blow dryers, curling irons, and most of the other hair construction equipment home though :D

leave the blow dryers, curling irons, and most of the other hair construction equipment home though :D

Damn...is that why I have no room? :D

2 plastic totes for food, foodstuffs, TP, a single burner propane stove, and stuff like that.
1 low wood box mounted to the bed floor that contains most of the everyday tools.
Tent is one of those quick draw instant setup ones that is a flat round deal, and fits perfectly on the outside of the spare tire inside a tire cover.
Cooler on bed floor, and all light stuff like duffle, sleeping bag, and tarp over the top.
I also have about 4-straps mounted to the top of the bedrails to cinch everything down, and can run top on or top off.

It also helps that I have no rear seat, 90% of the time wheel and camp alone.

For water proof storage, I like the Thule roof bag. It holds all my camping gear on longer runs.

for food i bring a single burner propane stove like Little_Red_Zuk and get all caned food that you can cook on it and eat outta mess kits. the cans save on space and you dont have 2 keep them cool. i have also used MRE's Meals Ready to Eat. they have there own heating element all you need is some water 2 make the heat.

http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/sacsammi/photos/view/9088?b=3
See photo for pic.

I have a soft sided ice chest (see list), tool bag, Hi-Lift jack, axe, rake, folding shovel, plastic tool kit from Kragen (117pc set), 12V air pump, large kitchen duffel bag, 9X9 tent, clothing bag with pillow, and a small butane stove. All of this is under the tarp with the bungee web holding it all down.

Soft sided ice chest; One mantle lantern, El Dorado / Tahoe / Plumas Nat. Forest maps (front pouch), paper tablet, ink pens (front pouch), First Aid Kit (heat pads in back), work gloves, hammock, ratchet tie down straps, rubber band ball (front pouch), waterless hand soap, razor blade knife (front pouch), flashlight (cranking power, no batteries), shop rags, toilet paper (in zip lock baggie), Kleenex, tree hanger for lantern, butane fuel, baseball cap, 2 pieces 15’ x ¼” rope with metal loops on end, electrical tape, duct tape, survival Knife (9” knife with compass, sewing kit, fishing kit, waterproof matches), multi tool (front pouch), sun screen, insect repelant, Shoe Goop, folding shovel, binnoculars, emergency fire starter (front pouch), Waterproof matches (front pouch), fire starter fuel (front pouch), laundry/duffel bag.

kitchen duffel bag; Left side pocket; cooking pot with lid. Right side pocket; 9” Coleman frying pan with folding handle, pot holders. Front pocket; Carabeener, Multi-tool, Swiss army knife, Ink pen, Tooth picks, Dairy pills, Knife sharpener, Neosporin & Band-Aid, Notepad, Magnifying glass, Stick-up-light. Back pocket; Spatula, Spoon, Knife, Tongs. Main Bag Pocket; Cutting board, 9” X 17” Griddle, Aluminum perculator Coffee pot, Instant oatmeal, Pam spray, Tall kitchen garbage bags, butane backpacking lantern and stove, Fuel, Salt, pepper, sugar, gallon zip-lock baggies, foil, 3 hot-cold mugs, butane lighter, instant coffee, 2 cans fruit cocktail, 3 cans chili, tuna fish in pouches, Spam, hot cocoa, 2 Cup-of-soup.

My camp chair goes on top of the tarp but under the bungee web. On the passenger seat is a 12V cooler (sodas & beer). In the passenger foot well I put my sleeping bag and a small duffel with more food and munchees. I also have a small 3 gallon Igloo water cooler for drinking and washing.

This stuff is all by my front door so I can easilly load it uo and go wheeling in less than 1/2 hour. I also have a 2 1/2 gallon gas can strapped inside the spare tire on the rear.

Heres my kayaks on top of the suzuki, can't have them up there while the tops on or it will rub holes through so Don't travel while raining! lol. I Camp alot during the summer and take the kayaks as long as theres water there.
I fit all my camping stuff in the rear with the top off, and rear seat removed just use lots of bunjee cords! I don't pack light either I hate having to run to buy something that I didnt bring or forgot. I also camp in style, and very organized my camp ground settup is sometimes nicer than my home.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k31/all_atv/zukkayaks.jpg


I have a problem with food too, it takes up so much space, and I need alot of food. I've taken MRE's before, and they're great I'd eat them for weeks at a time, great time saver (no cooking, no dishes to wash) dont take up much space, and everything you need is right in the weatherproof bag. However girlfriends wont eat them as well as I do Ive found out! Just have to get around to ordering them. Anyone know of places to order MREs? I thought i found them for $50 a case of 12 on the net but can't seem to find that price anywhere now. Also has anyone tried the emergency food bars with like 3600 calories per bar, there all fat but theyd be ok for a quick meal If theyre actualy pallatable! With me i'm always too busy to cook thats why i usually do drive through a minimum of 3 times a day or eat candy, or packeged foods that are quick so i can get back to whatevere im doing. Now I am a great cookbut it just seems like a waste iof time.

OK, here goes! I have had caffiene, I am 'caffiene sensitive' to the point I can't have any. So, understanding that I am under the influence of a psycho-active substance, forgive my volublility please.

I will try to remember to get pics of my trailer and stove.

I would like to get a better idea for foods to take. I take my stove depending on weather. And the nature of the trip. Some trips I wheel all day, then when it gets dark I park, gobble some food, go to bed. When I go to a nice place to un-wind, I set up a nicer camp. I use my lil stove for stuff like cup-a-soup, hot chocolate, if several people then I might make a mixture of 1 can tuna, 1 can peas, 1 box Kraft macaroni & cheese. Cook the mac & cheese, stir in the rest. Balanced meal!

Forget the cold drinks. Bum some from the others if ya hafta have it. I take several gallons of water. Water is good, it is good for you. For munchies.. it varies, I take fig newtons. They have energy, they are, after all, *fruit* so they must be healthy. Pop-tarts are the devil. Too darn sweet.

In the rare instances I take a cooler, I cook something like hamburger helper Lasgana. Quick. Easy. Manly.

Lots of times I just grab some cans of junk to gobble. Chef-boy-Ardee raviola. Yeah, ick, but when yer hungry... Sometimes maybe some corned-beef hash. As long as I dont see what the cow looked like whose meat was only good for hash. It has potatos in there too. Prolly not the same type of potato you might see on your plate at the Hyatt, but Hey!

I like a can of minestrone soup. Healthy. Veggies. And some crackers. Eat it cold, it won't hurt you.

Sometimes I take foil packaged milk, which needs no cooler, and eat dry cereal for breakfast. Or maybe a sweet roll. Or maybe with a stove, or better yet, borrow space on a stove, heat water for instant oatmeal. $1.50 at Wally World for 8 or so envelopes. It takes three for your larger manly man. Some of you wimps should stick with two. 'Peaches and cream' flavor should be seriously considered, as all the Best People eat that. Blueberry is a close second, of course.

They now package tuna, and chicken sald and stuff in foil that also needs no cooler. Nice for sandwiches. Stuff like dry salami can go a long ways before needed a fridge. In my hippie days (not necessarily congruent with the free-love days <sigh>) I found that hot dogs stuffed in an old army pack would be marginally edible as much as 2 fun-filled days after purchase. Yes, my bread would be a squashed homogenious mass of starch but I figgered the 'Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy' would ensure that despite the shape, the nutrition(?) was still there.

You can mix up some sugar-free instant breakfast or one of the look-alikes and call that breakfast. You may feel hungry, but you won't really be. That is just the preservatives in that stuff displacing the last of naturally occurring chemicals in your body. The feeling will pass.

I keep thinking I should just buy a case of MRE's. That would simplify the process.

Actually, though, you take a fat guy like me I can go quite a while before hunger becomes an issue. When wheelin', mostly food for me isn't an art or a pleasure, it is simply refueling so most anything I can choke down is OK.

My wife doesn't like to wheel with me. I dont know why. She needs her hair dryer, all of her food must be placed on a plate on a clean table cloth before it can be eaten. Pizza requires root beer, tuna requires potato chips, etc. Bed is not bed unless it has a mattress and is over 12" off of the ground. If you can't flush it it isn't adequate for ee-limma-nayshun of body waste.

My 15 yo daughter, on the other hand, cuts through all of the nonsense to the Good Stuff. No sitting in camp. If we are out there, we *must* be wheelin'. I don't get to sit and BS around the fire. When I get all puckered, where it takes a screwdriver to break the vacuum, [1] you know, the places where the jeeps aren't, she yells, "Kewel!!"

We have our own trail rating program. Eeek, squeek, Shriek and Scream! Each is worth a certain number of points. We just total up the score associated with her various spontaneous utterances for a given trail. I seldom get a scream, but I have had a couple. Eeks and squeeks are much more common.

My neighbor had a hot'n cold 12v cooler thingee. Nice one, $15. I wonder if I should get it? Wouldn't need no ice. Prolly sold it by now.

[1] I keep a bent coathanger in the rig to retrieve my seat uphoulstery from passengers when needed.

One mantle lantern

I had an antique lantern I got from an old lady from the Appalachians somewhere. This lantern had no fragile mantle, it was like an Aladin lamp. It had a metal tube with holes drilled in it IIRC for a mantle. It was stout, except for the chimney. Silver body, tall narrow chimney. It made a LOT of light! Like a coupla hunert watts worth. I grew up (to the extent that I actually did) on a ranch in the Sierras. I hadda do my homework by kerosene lantern, with just a stupid wick. I wudda killed for one of these but I didn't know they existed.

Anyway, maybe something like that would be more trouble-free than a mantle. I have several lanterns with mantles but I quit using them. I have a lil candle lantern I use in my tent for getting ready for bed sometimes. I have the crank flashlights too.

I have some of those lil orange lights from HArbor Freight on sale for a buck that plug into the cigarette lighter. The cord winds up inside them for storage. They have a magnet on the back, and it has a hinge. You can stick it in the side of your vehicle and swivel the light to shine on your prospective tent spot.

I have a flourescent light that runs offa 12v. I dangle that outside my Zuke sometimes to light up the general area.

I am putting four (4) large backup lights on my new bumper-to-be, and a switch to turn them on for campsite lighting.

Here's the trick. You make your wife follow with the station wagon full of gear

That doesn't even make sense. You want yer WIFE along when ya go wheelin'?

Seriously though;

Oh, okay. I just didnt read far enough! :-)

Here's a good trick. Go to your local sporting good store and ask for screen wire globes for your lanterns. If they don't have them, ask around. They work great! Don't break like the glass ones. can be cut down to fit different size lanterns. Are light and wind proof. Believe me, once lit you won't notice that it isn't glass.

BTW. Went wheeling a couple of weeks ago with a new club. When they saw my "wheeling bags" I was asked if I could make up a few for their members. Since they had been doing this a lot longer than me I thought they would be prepared better. Since thet were Toyota truck wheelers I guess they have always just thrown everything in the back of their trucks.

I dont camp out of my samurai very often but I do go on long rides on my ATV(2-3 days). I have had great luck with military surplus gear. It is usually compact and well made.I have a sleeping bag like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Military-Extreme-Cold-Weather-Mummy-Sleeping-Bag_W0QQitemZ320041065271QQihZ011QQcategoryZ87101Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It is very thin and light weight but warm. I carry it in a militay compression sack like this http://cgi.ebay.com/MODULAR-ARMY-SURPLUS-9-STRAP-COMPRESSION-STUFF-SACK_W0QQitemZ260045043477QQihZ016QQcategoryZ2021Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I have a couple of these sacks. One for my sleeping gear and one for cloths. You can really compact stuff in these.
I pack mostly canned food. It takes up little space and can be heated in it's can on a rock next to the fire. pop tarts are great for breakfast, they take almost no space. Jerky and trail mix are good to take also.
I find a camp next to a creek to cool down the beverages so no need for a cooler.
I stick all my stuff in one of these.
http://cgi.ebay.com/LARGE-BACK-PACK-RUCK-SACK-US-ARMY-MARINES-OD-GREEN_W0QQitemZ220041651766QQihZ012QQcategoryZ3607 7QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I also have a one man backpackers tent and a MSR backpackers stove, simillar to the one in this thread.
With all of my stuff I still have room for a couple of gas jugs.
This is for my atv trips up in the mountains, with almost no room for stuff. Even if you have a full on buggy you should have much more room then this.

OK, here goes! I have had caffiene, I am 'caffiene sensitive' to the point I can't have any. ...............[1] I keep a bent coathanger in the rig to retrieve my seat uphoulstery from passengers when needed.


Ya made me smile this CRAPPY RAINY COLD Saturday morning........:D

Good post Geo B! All this camp talk makes me want to camp, too bad it's turning winter though.

Here's a good trick. Go to your local sporting good store and ask for screen wire globes for your lanterns.

GREAT idea! I bet I could even make some. While I was conceptualizing about the globes, I began to wonder if I could build a mantle out of some kinda screen. Certainly not aluminum.. maybe steel? Copper? Where could I get some copper screen? Chrome steel?

^^ +1 man if you can get somthing thats not so horribly brittle

Cool little trick I picked up a few years ago, would work on any zuk except mayble you folks with buggies or severly doved rears.

A buddy picked up a piano hinge, some aluminum and some light gauge wire rope/crimp fittings. He basically afixed the piano hinge to the aluminum, which was cut to match the rear door, and to the bottom of the door. When it was up, it takes up virtually no space you were using for anything else and when it's down with the aid of the wire rope it forms a great little half suspended "counter". He uses is coleman 2 burner on it and still has enough room to prep eggs, bacon etc... Yes, I know -- real food while camping, too good to be true but it is possible. :eek:

Now for the storage part, the way suzuki formed the door you can actually pack some things in this newly formed enclosure. Albeit, if you are still using the door to support your spare tire this is not the tip for you. The standard joke around camp was his spice rack. Yes an OBSR. I added to this concept and we've successfully used stick on velcro to handle light weight "pouches" (like for your kids pencil crayons or it you are really fancy something like the wife uses for nail files etc...) for lighters, kitchen utensils and stuff you'd like to have handy while preparing some "grade A" camping grub. Your be surprised how much you can fit in there (keep in mind light weight) and it doesn't move with the "counter" flipped up. You can also use this storage area for light "emergency items depending on how well you pack. As a side line item, it makes a great tool counter if you are repairing something in your receiver mounted "vice" as well.

could you post some pics, i am having trouble trying to understand what you just said.

Now for the storage part, the way suzuki formed the door you can actually pack some things in this newly formed enclosure.
<snip>
Your be surprised how much you can fit in there (keep in mind light weight) and it doesn't move with the "counter" flipped up. You can also use this storage area for light "emergency items

I have carried stuff in there for years. A thing you might consider is to use double-sided tape and put a protective barrier up so hard things don't make a noticible dent in the back where all the J**ps can see. A piece of shower enclosure fiberglass is good. A painted piece of metal is good. It is quick, easy and doesn't cost much at all.

I like the counter idea. And even the hitch-mounted vice. Gonna build one!

hitch-mounted vice is always nice they work well.

115mm Tank round storage tubes help. Youd be suprized how much you can fit in there. There damn near airtight too. I welded them right to the 1/4"x4"x4" angle That I have as sliders. There not ment to bash but the steels pretty damn thick and I havent dented them yet. You can put them anywear you want anyway





http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d17/HUMZUKI/

Humzuki!
Saw yer pics! Looks like you have had a lot of fun building that.

Yea pretty much took the summer off though bc I set it up for 3/4 tons and like over a foot of lift and well over 100" WB then just it all out and put toys under it and droped it down to under 9" and 96" WB and with trimming and sitting on 39's (for now got a good deal Id rather have 37's)

humzuki nice rig. i like those tubes.

I read-up on the mantle stuff.. it hasta be the special brittle stuff. The flame itself isn't hot enough to produce an incandescent white light so a fella learned how to use chemistry to do a trick for him. The article didn't go into enough detail but it sounds like the material they use 'fluoresces' to produce the white light. (Brief Explanation: fluorescent lights have a coating that 'fluoresces' when excited by the electrons in the tubes. This means that certain electrons orbiting the atom of the coating get knocked out of orbit by colllision with a free flying electron provided by the AC voltage. They get knocked outwards towards a higher orbit which is also a higher energy state, like when yer basketball gets stuck on the roof. When the electron 'falls' back down to its original orbit, the orbit which it loves, the energy released is in the form of a certain frequency of light. Which designers can fool with to get the colors they want)

So, I will re-look at my fancy old lamp and see if it does indeed have a mantle.

Convert the swinging tailgait to a drop down - it adds a LOT of room to a samurai's small back end. I packed junk all the way to end and strapped it in. Since then, I have stretched the rig and it's offline until spring at least, but I will still keep the drop down tailgate.

Get a multi-fuel whisperlite (white gas, unleaded, or diesel/kerosene) - it's great to run your stove off of your rig-fuel -I used one in Europe when I rented a motorcycle - that way, I only needed a teeny fuel tank for the stove, after I figured out how to get the bike's fuel pump to as a filling station. As for packing, imagine two people, two-man tent, cooking/eating gear, food, sleeping bags, clothes, rainsuits and ALL of it fitting in two hard saddlebags and a waterproof stuff sack, for 3 weeks. I recommend instant oatmeal for breakfast :D

EDIT: here's a pic of the tailgate - AkDale made a kit for like $40-ish but no one was buying. The cables are teeny but I've seen 3 people sitting on it. The yellow is the gate extender I never built, lol :D

http://kyrias.com/deepmud/tailgate2.JPG