Camping Gear Tech Thread

[steveh]

I thought it would be fun for us to have our very own Camping Gear Tech thread. I'm known as a comfort weenie when it comes to camping. I like my luxuries, Hot shower, Large Tent, comfortable Sleeping bags etc.

Full on gourmet cooking is a must! Scotte is known to bring a Traeger Wood Pellet BBQ on our trips!

I'll start of with a new item I got yesterday. It is the Trail Gear double Wide Sleeping pad. It's the self inflating kind. Pretty damn good quality product! It's just enough padding to be comfortable, and it will insulate against the cold ground for winter camping.

It's basically 2 single pads side by side, so it can be easily folds over to make a double thick single pad.

Comes with a nice stuff bag and a strap to keep it rolled up when stored.

[pr0ject42]

If you've got the room, I've found a standard futon mattress fits nicely in the back of a 4runner. I've been tempted to cut wheel wells out of it so I wouldn't get the taco-shell effect, or making a platform, but things are cramped enough back there.

The good thing about the futon is you can slap that bad boy down on top of anything and you won't feel a thing AND you don't start sweating profusely like when sleeping on plastic.

Not horribly tech, certainly is unweildly to manuver and takes up a crap-ton of room, but try it once and you'll be hooked too.

[4RnrRick]

Screw that thin foam crap.... Inflateable air matress's is where the comfort is at! Plus they don't take up much room to pack.

[steveh]

Originally Posted by 4RnrRick

Screw that thin foam crap.... Inflateable air matress's is where the comfort is at! Plus they don't take up much room to pack.

That's fine in the Summer, but in the winter they suck ass, and make you cold!!!

[archer1965]

Here's a pretty cool canopy setup, if your truck has a bed

[chartdog]

I'm partial to my foam roll too. It is super dense, 2 1/2 inch egg crate, 6' by 30 inches. It is bulky even when rolled up but it is truely comfortable and warm. I got it at a foam supply place and saved a few bucks over one with a cover and a brand name.

We always bring a full camp kitchen and eat very well. Two things make it even better starting with a full size table. 6' folding tables fit great in the bed of Toy P/Us and if you load them first, they take up very little room. Then I bring an extra, empty, 3 or 5 gallon plastic water jug. This gets lake or river water once at camp so that the wash up station is in a good spot away from the water source.

Last item for this post is a good toilet. I use wagg bags and a custom toilet made from a 5 gallon paint bucket, an air tight screw on lid and a plastic toilet seat fabed to fit the top of the bucket when the lid is off. I like it so much that I find myself using it even at places where digging a hole is still cool.

Whenever I pack my 4Runner, I feel that I am bringing too much stuff and that I have to cut back. Then I get to camp and am comfortable and have what I need and next trip I bring it all again.

[steveh]

Really, it was not all my stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[uselessdub]

what are some camping food recipies (sp) that are good etc... I always eat like crap when camping... Except when we bring steak....

[4x4_Him]

Since this is in the Toyota tech section I'm wondering if only 'Camping Gear Tech' that has to do with Toyotas will be allowed.

[UGET IT]

Great Thread Steve. Now that I have a Runner again I plan on getting back to the well prepared/well packed trips.

I'll have to check out those sleep mats from TG. They have been awesome with parts for the new rig.

Shoot me a call about the POR Movie Premiere. .........I have some tickets for you!

[4RnrRick]

Originally Posted by steveh

That's fine in the Summer, but in the winter they suck ass, and make you cold!!!

True - but thats why you bring another sleeping bag to lay under you....



Another personal favorite of mine is a 10x10 quick shade.
5 minutes to set up by yourself. 2 minutes with a buddy.




BTW this is my rig loaded up for a 2 person 3 night Rubicon trip....

10x10 quick shade, Pett(Toilet,tent,poo box)
8 man tent, sleeping bags, clothes, flashlights
Air matress, Probably 7 days of food, 8 gallons of water propane stove
Chairs, Tons of Tools, Spares, Recover Gear and Extra fluids

[Fo-runna]

Originally Posted by 4RnrRick

True - but thats why you bring another sleeping bag to lay under you....



Another personal favorite of mine is a 10x10 quick shade.
5 minutes to set up by yourself. 2 minutes with a buddy.




BTW this is my rig loaded up for a 2 person 3 night Rubicon trip....

10x10 quick shade, Pett(Toilet,tent,poo box)
8 man tent, sleeping bags, clothes, flashlights
Air matress, Probably 7 days of food, 8 gallons of water propane stove
Chairs, Tons of Tools, Spares, Recover Gear and Extra fluids

That's pretty good because it doesn't look like you're carrying much at all.

[tanman2003]

cooking in foil packets you can put on camp fire coals is awsome, just carry some foil seasoning and chicken and vegitables, make a packet with the foil, add ingredients and toss it on the coals, then flip it over. then your done.

[CTENG]

Originally Posted by pr0ject42

If you've got the room, I've found a standard futon mattress fits nicely in the back of a 4runner. I've been tempted to cut wheel wells out of it so I wouldn't get the taco-shell effect, or making a platform, but things are cramped enough back there.

The good thing about the futon is you can slap that bad boy down on top of anything and you won't feel a thing AND you don't start sweating profusely like when sleeping on plastic.

Not horribly tech, certainly is unweildly to manuver and takes up a crap-ton of room, but try it once and you'll be hooked too.

I don't kow if anyone has done this...if they have, link?
I want to build a pull out drawer even with the wheel wells in my runner to create a platform to sleep on...then maybe remove the back seats (no friends anyway) and use that area for storage of mare gear.

[88wildrunner]

Originally Posted by steveh

I'll start of with a new item I got yesterday. It is the Trail Gear double Wide Sleeping pad. It's the self inflating kind. Pretty damn good quality product! It's just enough padding to be comfortable, and it will insulate against the cold ground for winter camping.

It's basically 2 single pads side by side, so it can be easily folds over to make a double thick single pad.

Comes with a nice stuff bag and a strap to keep it rolled up when stored.

x2 on the trail gear sleep pad. i was lucky enough to win one of these in one of there giveaways, they work great when folded over.

[Richard]

I use one of these , they work great

[AddictedOffroad]

12V Cooler. A couple years ago I picked up a Coleman 12V cooler. You know one of those 50* below ambient temps type coolers. I keep all of my food for the day in it and keep the other coolers closed as much as possible. I only use it when the rig is moving, and with a couple frozen water bottles in there it keeps the temps around 35* normally.

I also don't use any loose ice. I freeze a bunch of water bottles solid so they double as drinking water when they begin to thaw and the ice itself. I have been able to keep things cold up to seven days in my "5 Day" coolers.

I also use a small propane catalitic heater in my tent. I hang it with a shoestring from the middle of a two person tent and it easily keeps me warm all night. Kept me plenty warm on the Dusy last year with temps into the teens outside.

[Grim Reaper]

I made a 12v Refrigerator last week for camping. Gets down to 14f Draws about 2.5 amps. I have about $40 in it

[metchosin joe]

i recently moved up from sleeping on the ground with just a sleeping bag to a double wide hammock......rolls up and takes up no room at all

[archer1965]

Originally Posted by uselessdub

what are some camping food recipies (sp) that are good etc... I always eat like crap when camping... Except when we bring steak....

I like to bring brats and cook em up in a kettle of beer. when the beer boils off, brown them with cut up onions. all you need is some stadium rolls and your set

I pre-made casserole or lasagne in a tin container heats up nicely on campfire. The best camp dinner, IMO, is elk steaks, corn on the cob, and amber ale

[archer1965]

Originally Posted by CTENG

I don't kow if anyone has done this...if they have, link?
I want to build a pull out drawer even with the wheel wells in my runner to create a platform to sleep on...then maybe remove the back seats (no friends anyway) and use that area for storage of mare gear.

check out http://www.bajataco.com/Camper1.html
There are a couple of examples of custom built storage/sleeping in the bed of a truck. Would probably work in a Runner too.

[300sniper]

Originally Posted by Grim Reaper

I made a 12v Refrigerator last week for camping. Gets down to 14f Draws about 2.5 amps. I have about $40 in it

um yea, how about a write up?

[hillbilie]

here is some must have camping gear

[Grim Reaper]

Originally Posted by 300sniper

um yea, how about a write up?

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2604
I am surprised you didn't recognize what that was. Its off a Marconi A Box.

[300sniper]

Originally Posted by Grim Reaper

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2604
I am surprised you didn't recognize what that was. Its off a Marconi A Box.

i never worked with a marconi box. when i was in wireless, pac bel-pac bell wireless-pbms-cingular used ericsson base transceivers (and nortel for about 5 minutes ). i am sure i still have access to all sorts of them that now one even knows still exist. off to read your write up.