A portable sink is surely a godsend for campers who prioritize hygiene and cleanliness while outdoors. You can use the sink to not just wash your hands and face, but also to wash your utensils after you cook up a delicious camping meal. At Deluxe Camping, we offer a multifunctional portable sink that comes with a hands-free, self-contained system. It is equipped with a built-in water tank and even a soap dispenser.
Camping during summer offers the convenience of allowing you to take a bath au natural, especially if have access to a water body. Winter, on the other hand, can be a little more challenging. The cold temperature may not allow you to enjoy an outdoor bathing experience, thus making it necessary for you to look for other options. A tent shower is the perfect alternative as it allows enjoying a hot, pressurized shower inside your tent. Check out our Deluxe Tent Shower that is equipped with a hot, pressurized shower.
While camping, you are bound to get sweaty and your clothes dirty, and unless you want to be stuck wearing the same clothes every day, you need to have some extras at hand. While it may be tempting to pack light for a camping trip, you must have enough change of clothes to last you the duration of your trip. Even if you carry fewer pieces of outerwear, you need to have at least two or three changes of underwear and socks.
Take your camping experience up a notch with Deluxe Camping’s innovative portable sink and tent shower. Check out our online store to find the best quality portable hand washing sink and other camping essentials.]]>Even experienced campers make mistakes. It is then obvious that first-timers would definitely run into some problems if they do not prepare themselves in advance for their much anticipated camping trip. It is important to note that not all mistakes will make your trip an unpleasant one but do know that there are some which are known for causing frustration, or at times, perilous outcomes. So, why not go fully prepared, with all the right tools and knowledge? To help you make your upcoming camping trip virtually flawless, we have listed down some valuable points. Let’s take a look at them.
While it is important to think about the aforesaid things, it is even more crucial to think about maintaining personal hygiene. Hiking and camping will obviously make you sweat, your clothes dirty, and force you to touch all sorts of surfaces. In order to prevent bacterial growth, becoming ill, or even getting a sudden rash, it is advised that you wash your hands frequently. This is why you should definitely get bucket utility sink online from Deluxe Camping to uphold your personal hygiene amidst a wild environment. Apart from washing your hands, you can wash the camping utensils as well with our Deluxe Camp Sink. So, get one now before you embark on your exciting camping trip!
]]>Sadly, not only is this way pretty mediocre for getting hands clean, but it also contaminates the water source at the cooler since the nozzle was touched with dirty hands. Anybody that comes to get a drink of water can then get infected by germs. Plus, it develops a mud puddle on the ground. It can also waste a lot of water. If you don't mind getting splashed all over your feet or have a mud puddle in your camp, that method is fine. However, if you want to maintain better hygiene and keep a tidier camp, there is a really cool way to wash your hands.
Introducing the Deluxe Camp Sink! With a built-in soap dispenser, the Deluxe Camp Sink is a multifunctional system and the ultimate portable hand washing station. In addition to hand washing, it fulfills dishwashing, and even drinking needs. A unique feature of the sink is its foot pump design that allows for hands-free operation and prevents your hands from touching any drinking water source. The small and compact design of the sink allows you to easily pack it up and take it with you wherever you go car camping.
So, why wait? Buy a foot pump sink and make your camping healthier and hygienic!
]]>If you are a first-time camper, here is a camping checklist to ensure an eventful and safe trip:
ClothingWhen you are heading out with a backpack on your shoulder, every ounce matters. Pack lightweight-fabric clothes that absorb moisture quickly so that you can wear them time and again. Depending on the type of camping, other pieces of clothing you may want to consider adding are:
While camping, you are most likely to prepare your own meal, as there won’t be any restaurant nearby. This means that you will need to carry a few kitchen supplies, such as:
Camping gear
You will need these items to sleep peacefully
Personal items
Safety
The key to safe and enjoyable camping is the preparation coupled with experience. First-timers can’t really have the required experience, but they can be well-prepared by packing all the camping essentials.
If you are looking to get a bucket style sink for camping, get in touch with us today.
]]>Solar energy is wonderful as long as the sun shines. The best method for obtaining and using electricity for long-term, off-grid living is solar generation with battery storage. There is much written about large-capacity solar generator batteries and I am not going to go there.
I am going to talk about small, rechargeable batteries that are used in personal appliances like flashlights, head lamps, radios, lanterns etc. Typical sizes are AAA. AA, 9 Volt, C and D. The fewer sizes we have to deal with the better off we are. If one could use only AA & AAA with adapters for C & D, life is simpler and better.
Here is my personal experience and recommendations –
Battery Type
I have found that the best rechargeable AA, AAA batteries are Eneloop. I have used them for 4-5 years and never had one go bad. They can be recharged up to 2100 times and they maintain up to 70% of their charge after 10 years (when not it use).
Pricing on Amazon for AA is $2.60-$5.00 each depending on quantity. AAA pricing is $1.69 $2.08 each depending on quantity. There are many different packages at Amazon – LINK.
A good friend of mine, Grant Johnson, has done some extensive research on batteries and shared his findings with me:
The testing I have seen shows that the japanese version of the eneloop cells can last for a good long time, even thousands of charge cycles... IF charged correctly.
However, there are other studies that show that the "XX" or "Pro" (Black 2550mah) model of eneloop have a much shorter cycle life compared to the standard (White 1900mAh) model of their cells. It's important to note that the higher the capacity of any brand of NiMH rechargeable batteries, the shorter it's cycle life will be. In other words if you want a battery to have a chance of lasting a 1000 cycles or more its capacity needs to be about 2000 mAh or less. Any cells that have a capacity of 2400 mAh or above will likely only last about 150-250 cycles... even the eneloop brand has this limitation. There are good uses and needs for higher capacity rechargeable cells just know that they will need replacing more frequently than the lower capacity cells.
I have bought NiMh rechargeable cells from many different manufacturers over the last 10-15+ years and the brand I've had the best success with is eneloop. I've only had a couple eneloop cells fail over that time frame while just about every other brand I've bought (Energizer, Duracell, Tenergy, Powerizer, Harbor Freight, Titanium, BTY) and others have long since been scrapped or are underperforming compared to what they were brand new.
There are actually other brands now that are rebranded "eneloop" cells, what that means is if the cells were made in Japan at the FDK Takasaki factory there you are likely to get a very good battery. The white and black Fujitsu rechargeable batteries are the factory brand that are identical to eneloop cells. Be aware though that after 2014 the eneloop brand was bought by Panasonic and even though the same FDK plant in Japan is making eneloop cells, not all eneloop cells being sold under the Panasonic name are made in the FDK factory in Japan. If you find an eneloop cell made in China it will not have the same long life and performance of the made in Japan version.
The AmazonBasics AA Rechargeable batteries are made in the FDK plant in Japan and have the performance of the 2nd generation of eneloop cells. That's not bad for a little less money.
Battery Charging
Not all chargers are equal. You can damage batteries using a poor quality charger. I have used the La Crosse Technology BC1000 battery charger for several years and have no problems. It has the ability to charge, discharge, refresh, and test AA & AAA niCd and NiMH batteries. It automatically switches to trickle charge when charging is complete to ensure maximum battery capacity.
It comes with -
* Adjustable nylon carrying tote bag
* Spacious inside double pockets
* Webbed side sleeve for additional storage
* Includes 4 AA & 4 AAA NiMH rechargeable (shrink-wrapped) batteries
* AC power adapter
* Front zippered kangaroo pouch includes individual pockets to carry included 4 C size 1.2v battery adapters which are included inside 4 D size adapters.
For 9 volt batteries, I researched and recommend this 9V smart charger. It includes 4 rechargeable 9V batteries.
It should be understood that these battery chargers run on AC. They must be plugged in to standard AC outlet. In an off-grid situation this would be via an inverter.
Battery Storage
A few basic principles that will help your batteries last longer:
* Temperature – room temperature or lower. No need to put in the fridge or freezer
* Plastic storage – original packaging is good
* Keep dry. If high humidity, keep in an vapor proof container
* Don’t let + / - ends touch
* Store by age – keep older and newer batteries separated
* Recharge periodically
I have found a battery organizer that has really helped me not only keep my batteries organized, but keeps them from touching each other. It is called Storacell. You can see from this picture how nice stored my AA & AAA batteries are. I just ordered some more Storacells for my 9 Volt and CR123 batteries. They shouldn't be floating around in my battery box. I like the idea of having different colors for the various sizes of batteries. In this picture my AA battery holders are green and the AAA holders are clear. They come in red, green, yellow, black, clear, and moonshine glow in the dark.
When I swap out batteries, I put the discharged batteries with the pointy end up. That way I can easily identify which batteries need charging.
I highly recommend Storacell. The best price I have found is on their own website. The shipping on my latest order was $5.95. If you order 3 different types of products they give a 10% discount.
Here are my new holders for 123, C, and 9V.
I store all of the batteries and charger in this ammo box. It keeps everything in one location, keeps out humidity, and is easy to pick up and move.
Summary
Keep it simple: standardize on as few sizes as possible, i.e. AA & AAA.
Charge effectively: use a quality charger that will properly maintain your batteries.
Store properly: keep batteries organized by size and don’t let ends touch.
PS
I recently had to replace some batteries for my power tools. Batteries do wear out. Make sure you have sufficient, functional batteries for you power tools otherwise you will find yourself cutting and drilling the old-fashioned way.
One of the best ways to cook off-grid, outside is the Rocket Stoven Combo. Using just sticks and twigs for fuel, you can bake, boil and fry with this versatile stove that can be used in any weather. Watch how it works - Rocket Stoven Video.
]]>I remind you that I am not a shade cloth expert. I do not yet own any. I have some insulation for my tent and will be sharing my experience with it in a future blog post. The campers that shared their experience with me are all personal friends and we have camped together many days.
Here is the camp from respondent #3 from the earlier post. You will notice the shade cloth extends from the poles on the left, over the seating area, over his tent and then attaches to his trailer. There is about a 5-foot gap between the tent and the trailer. His creative method of securing the shade cloth to the trailer was described in the previous post and expanded on later in this post.
A question a reader asked was could the shade cloth not just rest right on top of the tent and be tied down like an additional rain fly. I had wondered this same thing. I was in Korea last year and saw shade cloth used widely on green houses. I thought if they could use it on a green house like that, why couldn’t one use it on a tent. An important consideration however, is that green houses are made of Plexiglas material so it is a much more durable than a rain fly. If anyone has experience in using a shade cloth right on top of a rain fly for an extended period of time, please comment and share with us. Two advantages of having shade cloth off you tent - First it allows air circulation so the heat that the shade cloth blocks is more effectively dissipated. Second, you can extend the shade cloth beyond your tent to create a more comfortable seating/meeting area.
Camper #3 didn’t have his shade cloth secured right on top of his rain fly, but he did have the shade cloth resting on the top of his tent as it extended from his trailer to the poles on the other side. He found that this was unacceptable since the shade cloth fabric and the fly moved differently in the wind. If he had camped several weeks with this setup, the shade cloth would have worn right through the rain fly. That would be a terrible situation; to have a rain fly with holes along the peak of the tent.
His counsel was to not have the shade cloth directly on the tent, as it could comprise the integrity of the fly and the tent roof. However I do not know for sure that the shade cloth would damage the rain fly if it rested directly on top of the rain fly and was secured with the same rope.
This camper came up with a creative solution that I am excited to share with you. Here is his list of parts:
1. 11" plastic disks from Deluxe Camping. (This is 1/2" cutting board material - the remains of the hole that is cut in the Deluxe Camp Sink counter top). There is nothing magic about the size and material of the disc. Something is needed that sufficiently supports the shade cloth, doesn't abrade it and is sturdy.
2. Find the center point of the disc
3. Drill 3/8” hole
4. Use 16” length of 3/8” all thread (grind one end rounded
5. Use 2 - 1 ½” x 3/8” washers (one washer on each side of the plastic disc)
6. Use 1 - 3/8-16 locking Nut for the top nut (do not run the bolt all the way thru the nut)
7. Use 1- 3/8” locking washer (use this locking washer between the bottom large washer and 3/8-16 nut)
8. Use 1 – 3/8-16 nut
9. Use 3/8” standard thread coupler to attached to tent threaded top bolt where tent attaches through grommet
This support system keeps the shade cloth off of the rain fly, allows air circulation between the fly and the tent and provides a sturdy platform for the shade cloth to rest.
Here is additional information regarding how he secured the shade cloth to his trailer.
1. He used 3 lengths of awning track and attached it to aluminum angle metal and trailer using 1-1/4th” self-tapping screws. Purchased at sailrite.com.
2. 3/16” thick aluminum angle metal (this is used for rigidity purposes)
3. 14” Length of 3/8th inch paracord
4. ¼” ID x 1” length tube washer/insert washer
5. Carabiner
Regarding poles -He is using Military Aluminum Poles that are 4’ lengths and can be added together for desired height. I am also using two different kinds of tops, one that is round, and the other that has three prongs that can adjust to fit are it is holding up.
Other general comments and questions -
There was a comment about the shade cloth slipping on the top of the support poles. It seems like a solution for that is to make sure the shade cloth is tightly anchored to eliminate slippage. Some are going to glue some anti slippage pads on top of the spreaders to eliminate slippage.
It was asked if shade cloth could/should be left up in the winter. There are several reasons this is a bad idea. First, one would want the heat to enter your tent in the winter. Second if living in area where there is snow in the winter, the shade cloth would restrict the snow from sliding off the the rain fly, putting unwanted weight/stress on the tent.
It was asked weather black, green or tan is the best color for shade cloth. Black is typically cheaper and lasts the longest. It is recommended that you get shade cloth with finished edges and grommets.
Thank you for your interest in this important topic. There is still much to learn. If we share with each other we can come up with solutions that will help all of us.
BTW, at this camp I saw dozens of Deluxe Camp Sinks and Deluxe Tent Showers. Several women sought me out to thank me for making their camp more clean and comfortable. If you haven't got your camp sink and shower don't wait.
]]>I was the only tent that used insulation and I will share my story in another blog post. Of the other five campers surveyed for this article, four used shade cloth and one used an extended rain fly/tarp, which covered his tent and extended 10 feet over the two sides and the front of his tent. The tarp user is respondent #5. His comments are in red to distinguish them from the shade cloth users.
Here are the questions I asked and their responses:
Why did you purchase shade cloth?
1. Two reasons: 1. We noticed a significant difference at the camp last year compared to the previous year in the temperature of the tents that had shade cloth over them. This was noticeable again this year as so many more camps had shade cloth. 2. As camp captains this year, we had a responsibility to provide some shade for class and eating areas that just a couple of pop-up awnings would not adequately provide.
2. Originally I purchased shade cloth to provide shade for classes at the camp. After last year’s experience that was so hot, I decided to cover all of my tents and out buildings.
3. Due to my experience at last year's camp and wanting to be more comfortable this year. I also experienced the cooling effect of others who had shade cloth over their tents last year.
4. To make camp more comfortable.
5. I wanted greater protection from the sun, the heat, the rain, the wind, etc.
What size did you buy?
1. Our shade cloths are repurposed from a previous use. These were originally 6 ft wide and came in rolls of about 75 ft long. We elected to sew them together to make ~18 ft X 35 ft shade cloths, which we then set up side by side for approximately a 36 ft square area.
2. I purchased 2 pieces 25 by 50 and connected them together for a 50 by 50 piece. That was large enough to cover everything.
3. Two 30x30 ft cloths with grommets every 2 feet. I connected them together for a 30’x60’ covering.
4. Two 25x50 pieces, hooked together for a 50x50.
5. 28’ x 40’
What area did you cover? Tent, seating/eating area, meeting area?
1. We set this up over our food prep / dining / class common area in our camp. You can see our camp to the left with the green shade cloth, white trailer and the tipi. The green shade cloth at the left is where pieces were tied together. This was the eating/classroom area. The tent to the right has shade cloth draping over their tent. I don't have information regarding the effectiveness of draping the shade cloth or suspending it with poles.
2. Tent, seating/eating area, and meeting area. These photos show the 50x50 ft. shade cloth. Notice the cord that is threaded through the grommets. This is explained in a later comment.
3. Tent, seating/eating area, meeting area? My shade cloth covered most of the kitchen and main section of our tent, which is 35' long x 18' wide. Unfortunately there are no photos of this camp, but this camper had a very creative way of attaching one end of his shade cloth to his trailer. His description -
We wanted to take advantage of our trailer parked next to our tent to attach and secure our shade cloth. To facilitate this I purchase some awning track, which I attached to some angle aluminum for increased strength and stability.
I attached this to the frame on my trailer that holds my solar panels. This track could be installed directly on the trailer since most trailers will not have a rack like I do. It is best to use self-tapping screws. There are small sliders that fit into the awning track.
I threaded some cord through the sliders and attached a carabiner.
I placed the sliders/carbiners into the track and then attached the shade cloth to the carabiners.
This system provided a secure method of attaching one side of the shade cloth to the trailer. I used the military poles on the other side. My trailer was parked about 5 feet from my tent, which created a nice shady spot to store my coolers and other gear.
4. Tent, seating/eating area, meeting area? We covered a 15 ft long pop up trailer, 10x20 kitchen tent, a 18x18 tent and had enough left over to have an open space for our evening potluck meals.
5. "I covered my tent but it also extended out 10’ on both sides and in the front." Unfortunately there are no photos of this camp, but the owner provided some drawings.
How effective was it in reducing temperature, very, medium, not much?
1. An observation: the tents that had the shade over them, especially with an air gap between the shade and the tent, were much cooler than those that were exposed to direct sun.
2. I did not measure the temp but people could tell the difference between being in the full sun and under the shade tarp.
3. Very effective – a 10 degree reduction in heat
4. Very effective. You could feel the difference when the sun was out by leaving the shade cloth and returning back.
5. It’s difficult to say because the weather (heat) was mild. But, I was very satisfied with it.
What type did you buy - % darkness?
1. Ours were 60-70%. We have investigated commercial shade cloth, both standard and custom sizes. They are available as woven or knitted, some with a multitude of color options. Mostly we have looked at 87% sun filtering shades. While the 60-70% cloths make a significant difference when standing under them in direct sunlight, we still found ourselves seeking full shade in the middle of the afternoon. We did enjoy the breezes that could move through and under the shade in the classroom seating area.
2. I purchased the 60% shade tarp. It was better priced and already made into the size I wanted.
3. 90%
4. 60%
5. NOT a shade cloth – but an extended fly, so I assume that would be 100% darkness
Where did you buy it?
1. Cal Ranch
2. greenhousemegastore.com
3. growersolution.com
4. Father in law bought it. I don't know where.
5. emergencydisasterprep.com
Pricing - I priced a 30x30 feet 90% shade cloth with grommets every 2 feet which weighs approximately 25 pounds. Total price, including shipping to Provo, UT is:
1. greenhousemegastore.com - $330.70
2. growerssolution.com - $396.90 (free shipping)
I do not know the comparative quality of the products from these two companies
What size/types of poles did you buy?
2. I purchases the military camo poles on a group buy from surplus. (4-foot extension poles and the butterfly extenders for the top against the shade cloth. They cover a larger area than the mushroom type.
4. Military camouflage support systems. We used a total of 36 4' poles to hold up the shade cloth and approximately 12 spreaders.
5. Old military poles & guy lines
How did you determine how many poles to buy?
2. I put my tent(s), kitchen, shower, and bathroom on a grid and figured out how many to get.
4. We positioned 2 4' poles around the perimeter about every 12 1/2 feet. Then we placed 3 4' poles (12 feet high) to go over all the high geodomes or military tents. We used 4 of those at that size.
5. I counted the eyelets in the fly because it was designed specifically for my TEMPER tent.
Any suggestions for someone considering shade cloth for long term camping, i.e. grommets, size, poles, % darkness, etc.
1. We are likely to look for another cloth to cover our Geoshelter dome, but might decide to just get by with the makeshift shade we had.
2. Had I to do it again I would pay the extra $ and get the 90% shade cloth. It requires more tie downs and poles because the weave is closer together than the 60% thus making a bigger risk for wind. I recommend grommets every 2 feet. I weave rope between all of the grommets to go around the perimeter of the shade cloth. I secure the tie-downs with a small carabineer (dollar store) to the shade cloth and stake it to the ground. I learned the hard way not to tie rope to the individual grommets. Severe wind can rip the material around the grommet. The higher the percentage of shade the greater the need to secure the shade cloth against wind. Another thing I learned was to tie off the support poles about 4 feet down from the top of the shade cloth to a 3-point anchor. There is so much movement in the shade cloth during a windstorm that any poles over 8 feet would fall over. The 3-point anchor made a huge difference keeping the shade tarp up during a windstorm.
3. We modified our trailer so that we could attach our shade cloth to it for stability and giving us space between the trailer and tent shade enough to keep coolers cooler.
4. Quality counts here. Some were purchased without grommets and it made a difference. Tension is very important, the shade cloth has to pulled tight. As wind billowed through camp, it would push up the poles and spreaders that were in the middle of the shade cloth and they would fall over. As we got the tension tighter, it happened less. (We finally fixed it completely by securing the spreaders to the shade cloth with zip-ties.
5. I think the shade cloth is a good idea, however I feel my extended fly will serve me better long term because it is more versatile. The shade cloth does a good job shading but won’t protect your “stuff” from the elements. I can easily lower and secure my fly by kicking out the poles on the sides and staking the fly to the ground to force the wind right over the top of my tent. The only down side to my fly is that it weighs A LOT – probably 200 pounds.
Some additional information from these campers -
Regarding poles and spreaders - Aluminum poles are more sturdy and are recommended. Several campers had fiberglass poles break. The type of spreader is the one with the three prongs. These are more secure and do not slide like the smaller mushroom style. The poles are interlocking so you can have 4, 8 and 12 foot poles. You can find poles and spreaders at ebay, military surplus stores and online. Here is a site that has them: Colemans Military Surplus
The information in this article is provided by campers that are still learning and would not consider themselves experts on shade cloth. If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please post a question and I will do my best to find out the answers. Suggestions from others that have learned lessons about shade cloth are appreciated.
Free Sink Carrying Case
BTW, at this camp I saw dozens of Deluxe Camp Sinks and Deluxe Tent Showers. Several women sought me out to thank me for making their camp more clean and comfortable. If you haven't got your camp sink and shower don't wait.
]]>We have returned from camp again and have once again learned a lot, just like we did last year -
Day One at the Tifie Prepper Campout, and Tips on How to Set Up a Wall Tent
Keeping Cool, Water, Parade of Tents and a Mouse Trap
My wife and I enjoyed camping with 450 other campers. It was a great camp with classes during the day, parade of tents, pot luck dinner in the evenings and a fantastic speaker every night. The camp was organized in groups of 50. I was a captain who, along with an helpful co-captain, assisted those in our group set up their tents and did our best to help things run smoothly. It was gratifying to see so many of my sinks, showers and rocket stovens being used in camp. I had several ladies tell me how much they appreciated their sink and shower and how they could not imagine camping without them.
Here is our tent and us with our good friends and co-captains, Ron & Sherri Clark.
One of the benefits of this annual camp is to setup my gear, use it, and learn what works and what needs improving. Here is my list of things that I learned this year.
Foam Pads
Leveling Wood
Shade Cloth / Insulation
Water Usage
Potty Tips
Ceiling Fan
Electrical System
DC vs AC Fridge
Silverware Tray
1/8" Cord
Water Pump Hose
Swing Set
Wire Shelves
Mice
Battery Placement / Container
Solar Panel Placement
Foam Pads
I developed a sleep system for sleeping on a cot that works well for my wife and me. It is fully described in a free eBook, “12 Tips for Great Sleep While Camping”. One of the main components of the sleep system is a 72” x 30” x 3” foam pad. We purchased our pads 6 years ago. They are available from Home Depot or Smiths Marketplace in Utah for about $20.
My wife noticed this year that her pad seemed softer and didn’t provide as much support. Apparently, over time, this open cell foam pad breaks down slightly. When we got home from camp I saw that I had one that had been stored stored in a plastic garbage sack. It was cleaner and seemed a bit firmer, plus it hadn’t been used. There isn’t a lot of natural light in the garage so sunlight has not been the culprit. I think that with use and storage, over time, that there is some degradation. I will probably get some replacement pads and store them in garbage bags. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things we can do when camping. Having a sleep system that enables that good sleep is critical.
Leveling Wood
Trying to get every thing level that needs to be level takes time. Our tent spot this year had its ups and downs. There were a lot of things in camp that needed to be level: stoves, cots, cooking table, sink, tables, etc. I had several pieces of thin wood that that I cut up in small pieces to set under legs to help level the camp items. What I soon learned was that the pieces weren’t large enough surface wise or height wise. Because the pieces were so thin, I had to stack them and because they were small in surface area things kept slipping off. I was fortunate to find some 1”x 6” and 2”x 6” pieces of wood that someone had brought for firewood which we ended up not being able to use. I sawed these up in pieces that worked out well for leveling blocks. You can see in the picture the three sizes. Don’t level things with too small/thin pieces of wood (on the left). You will be frequently adjusting the leveling blocks. The two on the right are a good size. I included the tape dispenser in the picture so you will have an idea of how large the blocks are. I now have two small boxes of leveling blocks in my prep supplies.
Shade Cloth / Insulation
This was the year of shade cloth at the camp. Last year the daytime temps were in the high 90s. This year it was milder in the 80s. Because of the heat that people experienced last year, especially in their tents, several campers added shade cloth over their tents, which helped keep their tents livable. I was in a spot that was shaded from the afternoon sun, but we did install insulation in the ceiling of our tent on the east side to fight the heat from the morning sun. It did help.
I am going to write a more extensive article on this issue of shade cloth and insulation as it a broad topic by itself. I will include comments from 4-5 campers who used shade cloth this year for the first time. I will include tips and buying suggestions.
Water Usage
You will be amazed how much water you use on a hot day. In our homes we take water for granted. When camping, we have to get water to our tent, make sure it is potable, and get rid of the dirty water.
One of the big water users is washing dishes. One of the issues I had to deal with was the large amount of water that had to be disposed of from washing dishes. If one uses less water to begin with, then less water will have to be disposed of. Here are a couple of articles that talk about how to conserve water when washing dishes by hand:
How To Hand Wash Dishes Using Minimal Water
A few tips from one of the articles:
In a previous blog, Clean, Running Water in Your Tent, I shared the water system that I developed to avoid lifting heavy water jugs. One of the features is a water alarm system that warns you when the drainage buckets are full and need to be emptied. The warning system worked. I was outside the tent visiting with someone and my wife was inside the tent doing dishes. All of a sudden I heard a piercing alarm. I didn’t recognize the sound, but knew it was coming from inside the tent. So I went inside and my wife asked me what that horrible sound was. She didn't know either. I quickly determined it was coming from underneath the sink, and one of the buckets was full. I am glad the alarm worked, because last year we didn’t have them. The drain bucket overflowed and we had a mess in our tent kitchen.
Potty Tips
There were porta potties located throughout the camp. The nearest one was about 80 yards from our tent. Instead of traipsing to the porta potties every time, we set up a commode in the shower area of our tent. This was separated by a hanging wall divider for privacy. We then emptied the commode bucket in the porta potties as needed. Here is a link for a folding commode. It is sturdy and folds up for easy storage and transport. This is such a superior solution than a bucket with a lid.
Ceiling Fans
Last year we added a couple of DC fans to our tent and they were a big hit. It was nice on those hot days to move some air in the tent, especially if someone wanted to take a midday nap. We saw that some friends last year put up ceiling fans, so this year I hung our two fans from the ceiling, one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen above the picnic table. It felt great to have air moving and not have the clutter of a fan on a table or on the floor.
I used this gear tie to attach the fan to the frame of my tent. It worked great.-
Electrical System
Last year I learned about my water system. This year I fine tuned my electrical system. In our current homes we flip a switch and lights go on. We don’t think about how the electricity got from the power company, to our home, to the switch, and to the lights. But in a tent, we have to consider where the power is coming from, how much we use, where we want it to go, and how we are going to get it there. Here is a great article on solar power for your long term camp. Solar Power for Your Long Term Camp.
But once you have a power generator in your tent, you need to get the electricity to the appliances you have. These are the things that I power in my tent: lights, fridge, ice maker, and pump for my water system. So I have to have cables to those appliances. For DC, direct current, appliances, such as my lights, fridge and pump, I use a cable with cigarette lighter ends. This is the cable that I use and like. Here is the link to purchase it - DC extension cord.
I also use a splitter so that I can run several cables from one location. Here is a nice one: DC Splitter. I was taking all of my DC power from one port on my electrical system and noticed that the connector was hot, so I now have two connectors that I will use to eliminate any overheating of system components.
For AC appliances you can use a regular extension cord that can plug into your inverter.
DC vs AC FridgeI have this Coleman DC fridge. It is a thermoelectric cooler and cools 40 degrees below ambient temperature. I like it because it is DC and I don’t have a 15% loss going through an AC inverter. But it seems like the motor is always running. It was drawing about 4.25 amps. And I can’t keep things below 40 to avoid spoilage and there is no freezer compartment. My friend has a small AC fridge with a freezer compartment. With his fridge, when he makes ice, he can store it in the freezer compartment. I just did some shopping on homedepot.com and found a 4.3 cubic feet mini fridge that uses only 1.5 amps and costs $249. It has a freezer compartment. I now have this new AC fridge in my supply trailer.
Silverware Tray
We have a deluxe Cabelas camp kitchen and appreciate the countertops, hooks and storage. We bought some containers that fit in the cupboard area. We kept our eating utensils in one of the containers but it was a hassle to open every time we wanted a spoon, fork or knife. I had a silverware tray that I left home thinking we wouldn’t use it. I wish I would have taken it. It would have been much more convenient to have on a counter top or shelf for easy access.
1/8" Cord
A good friend of mine told me about 1/8" cord that was fairly inexpensive. He has a 5,000' spool. I asked why he has so much. His reply was that this cord for him is like duct tape. He uses it on everything from camp gadgets, to bow drill, shade tarp tie down, boot lace, cloths line, tent reinforcement, etc. I purchased several 1,000' rolls and found, like him, that it is very helpful. I used it on the wire shelves. It is a bit less expensive than paracord. I have both. This is where I bought it - 1/8" nylon cord.
Water Pump Hose
I learned about an issue with my tent water system that I need to fix. The system is designed to pump water from portable jugs into a 55 gallon barrel. When I put the hose into the water jugs, the hose curls and has a hard time getting to the water at the bottom of the jugs. I am going to attach a piece of PVC to the hose so I can place the hose/pipe into the jug and will be able to pump out all of the water without having to adjust the hose.
Swing Set
I know, some of you are thinking, “Why is he talking about a swing set while camping? He teaches to prioritize, with “A” Survival, “B” Comfort and “C” Luxury, see The Four Lists of Preparation. Where does a swing set fit in and how does one store and transport such a thing?” I have had grand children with me the past several camps.
The past several years I took some swing seats and rope to camp so the kids would have a place to play. The kids loved this play area. I plan on having young grandchildren camp with me and find something like this for them to play on a close A/B ranking.
This year, our camp area was fenced off and there were no trees to tie a swing to. So I found a free used swing which I refurbished. I set it up at camp, installing some leg anchors, and the kids had a great time swinging. I also brought a foldable slide. It was used not only by my two grand daughters, but other kids from the camp. The swing set is again disassembled and stored away until we have another long-term camp.
Wire Shelves
I had previously designed some wooden shelves that attached to my tent frame. I found that system awkward and unwieldy. I had some wire shelves from another project in my supplies and I found that if I use a zip tie at the back of the shelf tying it to a vertical pole and a piece of cord at the front of the shelf attaching it to a rafter that I had usable shelving that was inexpensive, compact and functional. This year I put up some in the kitchen and one section in the shower area to hold toiletries. I forgot to take pictures of how I installed them at camp, but I am including some pictures of when I tested the concept. I did a couple of things differently at camp. I put the lip on the shelf facing down at the back. This added stability. I used cord only on the front and not the back. A zip tie attaching the shelf to the frame in back was sufficient to hold the shelf securely. I used the tautline hitch when tying the front of the shelf to the frame. This adjustable knot allowed me to adjust the height of the shelf.
.
Mice
There were mice in our tent. I placed a trap out but didn't catch any. Here are two things that we should have done better in order to catch the mice and not have them wandering all over our kitchen. First, we weren't diligent in keeping food droppings off the floor. We had two grand daughters with us, 5 and 3. Spilt food was a common occurrence and we weren't diligent in cleaning it up. Second, we should have stored our food in plastic bins during the night so the critters couldn't get to it. We forgot to bring some bins, so there was food left out at night. I think that if we had done a better job of not providing ready food for them then they would have been attracted to the trap and we could have caught and relocated them.
By the way, here is the mouse trap I recommend. It can hold multiple mice.
Battery Placement / Container
I have batteries with my home solar system. When I go camping, I take one along and use it with my solar power system. I was told by a friend who has done extensive research on batteries that I should have the battery outside the tent. Even though it is a non-venting battery, he said that it still gives off some fumes. The fumes are not healthy and are detrimental to the cotton in my wall tent. He suggested that I store them at least two feet outside the tent in an insulated box that is vented. I figured the best way to do that is to find a cooler that is the right size, drill a few holes for the required cables, and store it outside the tent. The batteries are 29”x11”x11” and weigh almost 100 pounds. I’ll need to find a sturdy cooler. That is one of my next projects. This is probably the cooler I will end up with. It has the size needed to hold my batteries. I will also need to get longer cables to connect the batteries to each other and my power panel.
Solar Panel Placement
I noticed that there are more and more campers using solar power. I love having electricity in my tent. As I walked around camp I saw that there are some real issues on how people place/position their panels. This works for a short term camp. But it is evident that there needs to be some work to properly protect them and accommodate for bad weather (snow, wind) and from people stepping on them.
Here is a picture of my panels that can be adjusted for the sun angle, can be secured for wind, allows snow to sluff off, and fold up flat for easy storage and transport.
I provide a complete description of these panels in the blog post: Solar Power for your Long-Term Camp. I do make these custom frames. If you are interested, email me at michael@deluxecamping.com.
I hope that my experiences help you make your camping experience more clean and comfortable.
Look for the next blog post soon on how to make your tent more comfortable using shade cloth and/or insulation.
]]>I have a good friend in the Boy Scouts who told me that he had never slept in a sleeping bag. I was dumbfounded. I knew that he had spent many nights in the wilderness with the scouts and I was puzzled how he slept outdoors without a sleeping bag. So I asked what he meant. He replied that he didn’t say that he hadn’t used a sleeping bag; he had just never “slept” in one. For many, it is a challenge to “sleep” in a sleeping bag.
Sleeping is one of the most important activities we do that contributes to how well we function and feel. When we have a restful, restorative night’s sleep, we feel better and do better during the day.
I am not a sleep expert, but I have found 12 tips that have helped me “sleep in a sleeping bag”.
Let’s talk about each of these items and how they might help you. I will focus on a long-term camping situation where one would have a large tent, and a greater amount of gear than what one would carry while backpacking.
1. A comfortable bed. First of all, I recommend that you sleep on a cot, not on the floor. A cot is more comfortable, more like our beds at home, makes it easier to get in and out of bed, and provides storage space underneath.
There are many sizes of cots:
Width options are: Narrow 24” to 26”, Regular 28” to 30”, and large, wide, extra large, extra wide, oversize, jumbo 32” to 43”.
Length options are: Junior 52”, Regular 74”, Tall 78”, Large, X-large 78”, XX-Large, Super, King, Jumbo 84”.
It is important to get a cot that fits you. A narrow cot will not work for a person whose shoulders would be hanging over the edges. An extra large cot might sound attractive because it provides more sleeping space, but realize that an extra large cot takes up a lot of additional space in the tent. Both width and length are important when sizing your cot. If you are tall and your feet hang over the end of the cot, I guarantee that you are not likely to sleep well. I am 6’ 2” and personally use a regular size cot.
Now that you have your cot, the pad(s) you put on top are also very important. The size of your cot will affect the size of your pad. It doesn’t make sense to have a 40” wide cot with a 24” wide pad. Make sure your pad(s) fit your cot.
I have found that using two pads makes for comfortable sleeping for my family. The first pad is a self-inflating pad like a Therm-a-Rest or Alps Mountaineering. This pad helps fill in the bow that is an inherent feature of most cots. I can adjust the firmness of this pad by the amount of air I put in it. This helps me have a sleep number bed while away from home. This also provides an important insulating layer.
.
The next pad is a 3’ open foam pad measuring 30”x72”. I buy this pad from a local store for about $20-$25. There are different firmnesses of foam pads, so please lie down on them and determine which is right for you. I have about ten of these for members of my family and while camping I realized that there are different firmnesses. Neither my wife nor I liked the firm one, but a daughter-in-law loves it. In order to protect the foam, you can cover it with a twin, fitted sheet. This keeps it clean, allows you to wash the cover, and keeps children from picking at the foam.
Since I am 6 foot 2 inches, I have found that the 72” pad was too short for me. My feet were hanging over the end. So I cut off a piece from another pad and glued it to the end of mine. A child will use the shorter pad. The best spray glue for foam is 3M Super 77.
With this combination of pads, my sensitive-sleeping wife sleeps comfortably. I also sleep well with this setup. So if it works for us, it will hopefully work for you.
2. Sleeping bags. There are many sizes, shapes and types of sleeping bags. The first criteria in selecting a sleeping bag is if it keeps me warm in the winter. If it won’t keep me warm, I won’t have it. Be warned, that the ratings on sleeping bags do not always reflect reality.
There are many personal preferences regarding sleeping bags. Some prefer rectangle shaped bags, some mummy, etc. Then there are foam bags that are promoted as highly effective in keeping you warm. I haven’t tested a lot of bags, but I have found that the Wiggys FTRSS system works great for my family. This is a two-bag system. Per the Wiggys website, “The FTRSS allows you the option to zip an overbag to a core bag to achieve a lower temperature rating”.
My wife sleeps cold. She needs a warmer bag than I do. I sleep well with Wiggys core bag while she does better with the core and overbag. Plus, the overbag can be used as a light bag in warmer weather. Another feature of their bags is that they can be stored in their stuff sacks. Other bags require to be stored lofted or in loose bags. That takes up much more space.
3. A pillow that is right sized. It might seem curious that I am concerned about the size of a pillow. It is understood that your pillow should be comfortable to you. The reason the size is important is for cold weather sleeping. If you are using a mummy bag in cold weather, you can’t fit your king-size pillow in the hood of the bag. If you are fine having the pillow under your bag, then the size of pillow doesn’t matter. But if you have your pillow in your bag, you want a smaller camp pillow. Wiggys provides a small pillow with their bags. I like that size when I have the hood over my head to keep my bald head warm. When the weather is warm and I am not worried about head temperature, I use my regular large pillow.
One more suggestion regarding temperature – When camping in cold weather, I sleep with a fleece beanie to keep my head warm. A cold head is like cold feet; it is hard to sleep with either.
4. Keeping it level. It is best to pick a level spot to pitch your tent so that your cot will be level while sleeping and you won’t slide from one end to the other. If your tent spot isn’t totally level, still make sure that your cot is. This can be accomplished by putting something under the legs of the cot to level it out. I have used pieces of bark, wood or a rock. Sleeping level helps you sleep more comfortably.
5. Keeping my pillow on the cot and off the floor. There is a reason that your bed at home has a headboard or your bed is positioned against the wall. It is to keep your pillow on your bed.
I have slept many nights on cots. Getting a good night sleep away from home is a challenge. One of the biggest hassles I have experienced is keeping my pillow on my cot. Some nights it seemed like I was chasing my pillow all night. Several times during the night I would find my pillow missing. So I leaned over, in the dark, to find it on the tent floor. Interruptions like this effect the quality of sleep.
To solve this problem, I invented the Cot Headboard. This simple device keeps my pillow in place and provides a separation between my head and the wall of the tent. This additional barrier is especially beneficial in cold weather.
My wife also loves using a cot headboard. It isn’t just for tall people. It only weighs 3 ½ lbs and folds up flat, so it takes little space and weight to store and transport. Although it is a small item, it can make a big difference in the quality of your sleep.
6. Quiet. I am a very light sleeper. The sound of a ceiling fan keeps my awake. I wear earplugs every night, regardless where I sleep. There are different types of earplugs. I use foam plugs with high decibel ratings. There are also different sizes. Make sure you get ones that fit your ears. And remember to take them with you when you go camping.
7. Snore chinstrap. You are probably wondering what a snore chinstrap is. It is not something to help YOU sleep better. It is something that will help EVERYONE ELSE sleep better. I didn’t know about it until a year ago when my wife told me that I had to do something about my snoring. So I did some research and found a cushioned strap that goes under my chin and around the top of my head, keeping my mouth closed. It takes a little getting used to, but is worth wearing to help my wife sleep better. Here is a great one: Anti Snore Chin Strap.
8. A breeze on my face. This is a really personal thing, but a light breeze helps me sleep better. This is only in the summer, since otherwise it is already cold and I will have my head in my sleeping bag hood. I have as many windows as possible in my tent and screen doors to take advantage of any breeze in hot weather. I also have some DC Fans that I use. This fan plugs into my solar power system with a car charger plug. Using fans in your tent helps the air feel cooler.
Ventilation in a tent is a huge issue. Make sure your tent has plenty of windows and allows condensation to escape. And use a fan in hot weather.
9. Darkness. If it is nighttime and there is no light on in the tent, darkness is a given. But if I want to take a nap during the day, or if someone has a light on in the tent, I put on my sleep mask. Make sure your sleep mask is comfortable and effective. Here is a really good one Natural Silk Sleep Mask.
10. Bathroom issues. OK, I saved the potty stuff towards the end. This isn’t a fun thing to talk about, but everyone has to deal with it. There are few things worse than camping in the winter and having to go outside to relieve yourself. That is miserable. Not only do you get cold, but also your warm sleeping bag is no longer warm. It takes time to get comfortable again and fall asleep.
It is not only unpleasant in the winter, it’s a hassle during any season. No one likes to get up in the middle of the night, find their flashlight or headlamp, put on shoes and head outside. My solution is to have a "night" bottle. The best one I found is a large salsa bottle with a wide mouth and a handle. I store it under my cot.
My wife was jealous. She said, “It’s not fair!” So she did some research and found a female urinary director that allows women to urinate in a standing position. There are several brands available. The one my wife likes best is the Freshette. I recommend all the females in your group have one.
11. Clean body. I always sleep better when I am clean. Some people shower in the morning and some in the evening. Regardless of when you shower, you always feel better afterwards. There are a number of ways to shower when it is warm outside, but when it is cold outside most will not go outside to shower. That is why the Deluxe Tent Shower is a helpful and very useful piece of camp gear. It provides a hot-pressurized shower in the privacy and comfort of your tent, while capturing the water and draining it outside.
Take a shower before you go to bed. It will enhance your sleeping experience. Plus it keeps your sleeping bag cleaner, reducing the need for frequent washing.
12. Keep a light handy. There are two types of personal lights that I really like. One is a head-lamp for a high intensity beam that is wearable. The other is a lantern type called a Luci Light. This is a durable, solar LED light. It is light-weight and doesn’t need batteries. I even let my grandchildren use Luci Lights without worrying about breakage. They store compact and is inflated when using for a lantern effect.
]]>
There are many ways to wash your hands when camping. Some are better than others. A university study reported that only 5% of people washed their hands enough to kill infection and illness causing germs after using the bathroom. To make matters worse, 33% of hand washers didn’t use soap, and 10% skipped the hygienic step altogether.
The Center for Disease Control explains that people need to vigorously wash their hands for about 15 to 20 seconds to kill any type of dangerous bacteria. Most people wash their hands for about six seconds. Without executing the correct hand sanitizing techniques, grime, dirt and bacteria that would typically be sent down the drain stays on the hands and increases the host’s likelihood of becoming seriously ill.
So understanding how important proper hand washing is, let’s explore some of the methods that campers use.
One is the gallon bottle method where one pokes a hole at the bottom of a gallon jug, plugs the hole with a golf tee and hangs the jug or sets it on a table. Pull out the golf tee and you get a small stream of water. Put the tee back in the hole to stop the water.
Pros -
Cons –
Another method is a water cooler. This method has one pushing the button with one hand while getting the other hand wet. Then switching hands to get the dry hand wet. Soaping up and then doing the switching hands trick again to wash off the soap.
Pros –
Cons –
A third method is the jug method. The jug typically rests on a table. One turns the spigot to let out water while washing their hands.
Pros –
Cons –
Wouldn’t it be great to have a self-contained sink with running water that you could use anywhere? That is what the Deluxe Camp Sink is.
People use this sink for:
• Family camps
• Boy/Girl Scout camps
• Family reunions
• Church camps
• Fishing camps
• Tailgating
• Classroom
• Garden Shed
• Trade Show Booth
It is great for:
• Cleaning up before and after a meal.
• Dutch oven or BBQ outdoor cooking even if you are miles from running water?
• Grilling on the back deck (don’t have to run into the house for a quick hand wash)
• Brushing teeth before going to bed at night when camping.
• Washing hands in an out building where there is no plumbing.
• Outdoor group hand washing before meals
• Makes it easy for the cooks to cleanup before and after a meal.
Happy Wife
My wife is a city girl that endures camping. My objective has been to make her as comfortable camping as possible. The first time I took this sink camping, she fell in love all over again. Happy Wife = Happy Life. She said that it was the most important camp item that we have and that she never wants to go camping again without it.
How it works
A foot-pedal pumps clean water up from the bottom bucket and out the spout on top. You pump water to get your hands wet. Then you wash with soap from the built-in soap dispenser and pump again to rinse off. Clean water flows from the spout, over your hands, through the stainless steel bowl (sink) and drains into the wastewater bucket. No splashing – no mud puddles! The wastewater can be used to put out the campfire, water plants, and if long term camping, it comes in handy to rinse out the privy bucket.
If you are in an environment where you don't have clean water to use in the Deluxe Camp Sink, the Deluxe Filtration Camp Sink is the solution for you. With the filtering technology included you can use lake, pond or stream water and still have clean, potable water come out of the spout.
Results – Cleaner Hands and Better Sanitation
• People wash their hands much more frequently. It’s easy and fun to use...so it gets used! Even children like to use it.
• You get a better hand washing since both hands are free to scrub.
• You don’t need to push a button or touch a know with dirty hands. You operate it by foot pressure.
• No contamination of your water supply.
• No splashing water and no mud puddles
• It can be used inside a tent or a building as well as outdoors.
• The built in soap dispenser makes it easy to always use soap while washing hands
• No bar of soap or countertop soap dispenser to keep track of.
• Convenient built-in paper towel holder
• Uses a lot less water compared to washing your hands at water jug spigot.
Components
Storage and Transport
As you can see from this picture, the Deluxe Camp Sink consists of three compact components. The plumbing, the pedal and the bowl all fit into the top bucket. And the two buckets nest together. The entire sink weighs just a little over 18 lbs. You can see the sink in operation Here.
]]>
Michael 1967 Kevin receiving Eagle Award 1971
I asked Kevin which troop he was in at the national jamboree but he couldn’t remember. I couldn’t remember either, but I remembered the scoutmaster’s name since he was from Payson as were most of the members of the troop. That night I looked in the shoe box that contained all of my national jamboree memorabilia. Inside, I found the roster for troop 20. On that list was not only my name, but also Kevin’s. We had met 43 years earlier and had spent several weeks together at the 1969 National Jamboree.
Michael at Jamboree Kevin at Jamboree
Here we are now, both in our early 60s and both still involved in scouting. Kevin was the district commissioner and I was a unit commissioner. Several months later, Kevin received a different assignment and I was asked to serve as the district commissioner where I have served for three years and now am the district chairman.
A number of years ago I started a camping gear company selling sinks and showers. He is not only a friend, but also became a customer. Both Kevin and I are interested in scouting and camping and we have been on several week-long camps together. Eventually Kevin developed a stove that was unique in that it allowed one to bake in an oven and fry food in a fry pan at the same time, using only sticks and twigs as fuel. I invited him to sell his Rocket Stoven on my website and we became partners in providing unique camp gear to customers all over the United States.
We, along with our wives, enjoy camping together, going out to dinner and just getting together and visiting. It is amazing, after our initial experience together at a campout 47 years ago that we finally met again through scouting and now work together in building quality camping gear. We are both big fans of the Boys Scouts of America and what it does for boys. We have both served as scoutmaster and in many other scout positions. We have both been to Philmont, both received the Silver Beaver Award, and we both still love camping. But our camp gear is much better and more comfortable than what we used 47 years ago.
Kevin & Sue Card with Michael & Debbie Robertson - Summer of 2016
]]>
This past summer while camping we had a difficult time getting water from the 6-gallon water jugs to the sink. It involved lifting the heavy jugs to pour water into a 55-gallon barrel, and using a sloppy hand pump to pump water to a 15 gallon barrel above the sink. Then the water would flow down to the sink through a hose with a shut off valve. The results were spilled water on the floor of the tent, a lot of work hand pumping water, wasted water because of the continuous flow of water from the barrel above the sink, and strenuous, dangerous lifting of water jugs. We had clean water at this camp, but if it needed filtering, this system would need to be modified.
We knew we had to have a better way to manage this precious resource when camping long term. So I set out to build a system with these objectives:
This new water system accomplishes every objective. This is for the food prep and dish washing area of my kitchen. I strongly suggest that one have a separate hand-washing sink to keep germs from hand washing away from where your food is prepared and your dishes washed.
Let’s start at the beginning of the system –
One of the easiest ways of getting water to your tent is a garden cart. Here is a cart with five 6-gallon jugs. So the weight of the water and jug is around 50 pounds each – 300 pounds. This is the cart that I swapped out the pneumatic tires and installed flat free tires. You can read about that in my blog post Garden Carts and Flat Free Tires.
I put my wagon next to the 55-gallon barrel, take the lid off one of the jugs and put the long hose into the jug. The hose is connected to a 12 volt DC water pump that pumps about 3 gallons a minute. The pump is powered by a 12 volt solar system. On this side of the pump is an inline filter. This is the first of a 3 step filtering process. This inline filter provides:
There is a low voltage toggle switch on the upper right side of the sink back splash. It is easy to reach and use. It is important that the switch be low voltage or it won't work.
The water goes through the filter and the pump into the bucket that includes two more filters. First the water goes into this one-micron polyester felt filter bag that filters everything out down to the one-micron level. I cut out the lid and the filter fits nicely allowing the water to quickly filter through.
Next the water gravity feeds through a fitting on the bottom of the bucket through a Sawyer Point One filter. This highly effective filter cleans out any E. coli, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium or other bacteria.
Because the water is pre-filtered before it hits the Sawyer, it avoids clogging the filter fast. Plus the Sawyer has the ability to be cleaned out should it become clogged. This five-gallon bucket takes about 60 minutes to filter. I have the ability to add a second bucket on top and filter water through both holes on top. So the system can filter up to 10 gallons an hour.
The reason for the extra lid on the bucket is so I can easily lift the lid off to see how full the bucket is while pumping, making sure it doesn't overfill. When the bucket is full, I slip this over the bucket to keep any dust getting into the bucket. I like the style of lid found at Home Depot. It slips on easily.
I like having a 55-gallon barrel for storage. That means that I don’t have to worry about processing water every day. To determine how much water I have in the big barrel, I just give it a push. If I can’t move it, I have enough water. If I move it easily, I know I need to process some more water. I can also look down one of the whole on top to see exactly how much water is there.
Fresh Water - If I was getting water from a clean source and didn’t need to filter it, I would simply pump the water from the water jugs directly into the barrel, eliminating the need for the filters.
Next, there is a shut off valve at the bottom of the barrel that can be turned on or off with a foot. The water flows to a heavy duty, high-capacity foot pump. This is a double-action pump meaning it pumps water when the pedal is going down and when it goes up. It pumps 4 gallons a minute, which is three fourths as much as my kitchen faucet.
I recognize that this is a system that only works in warm weather when water is a fluid. In freezing weather everything changes.
Here are links for the major parts for this system should you want to build it yourself.
Don’t hesitate to email me at Michael@DeluxeCamping.com with any questions.
]]>When we planned this trip several months ago we asked ourselves if we wanted to be out of the country during most of September. There had been a lot of chatter about things happening in September. We felt that things would be ok so we bought tickets and left for Korea early September.
One of the emotional struggles, we preppers have, is that we want to control our future as much as possible. That is why we prepare so that we are not dependent on others or allow ourselves to be in dangerous situations. When we travel, we give up most control over our lives. We are cooped up in a plane, ride public transportation, travel in areas we are not familiar with, have no means of self-defense except our hands (fight) or feet (flight). And we have no supply of food/water. The local market is our lifeline.
Seoul is a HUGE city. The Seoul area has about 24.5 million people which I read is the second largest city in the world, behind Tokyo. It has an extensive, and easy to use, public transport system. We felt comfortable traveling anywhere anytime. It took us two hours to get to the temple for a session. Luckily we had a ride to church on Sunday so it didn’t take as long.
We found the Korean people, warm, friendly and helpful. They are obedient to laws. There is little theft. My son leaves his strollers and children toys in his carport. He never locks his car. There are surveillance cameras everywhere.
Anglo children are a novelty, especially babies. Often we were traveling with little children. Many Koreans smile at and greet the kids. Many touch the baby – ugh. It is fun to bring joy to others lives just by escorting small children. Yesterday as I pushed two granddaughters to a park in the stroller, a number of people stopped us and spoke to the children. After several stops, the 4 year old said, “I don’t want to say hello to any more people.”
One day we went to a large market, Dongdaemun. It is a six story building and has thousands of small shops. This is a fabric market. There were so many types of fabric, along with assorted buttons, baubles, and accessories. It is a paradise for those interested in quilting, sewing, etc. I escorted three women and one baby. The women were focused on shopping and I paid attention to where we were. At one point, when it was time to get something to eat, one of the women asked how do we get out of here, where is a stair case. They had zero situational awareness. I told them to go down two aisles and turn to the right.
I share that story to demonstrate that even though we didn’t have much control, at least I could get us out of the building quickly if needed.
We had another interesting experience in this building. In many places there is public Wi-Fi. I didn’t sign up for a phone plan while in Korea so I was dependent on Wi-Fi at my son’s apartment and any public Wi-Fi to message, email or browse the web. During the morning I checked if there was public Wi-Fi and found an unsecured connection that I was able to use. Thus I thought there was public Wi-Fi throughout the market. I was mistaken. When two of our group needed to go find a place to feed the baby, I told them my DW and I would continue to look around and would connect with them via text message. So we separated. After a while, my DW and I decided to reconnect and go get something to eat. There was no public Wi-Fi. Oh no! Well my DW was tired, so I had her sit and stay in one location then I wandered around the market trying to find a Wi-Fi spot that I could use. After a few minutes, I found one, then realized I didn’t have my daughter in law’s Korean phone number. Oh no again! I did, however, have my son’s tel number, so I texted him and asked him to have his wife text me so I would have her number. He did and she did. I found out what floor she was one and she said she was by the stairwell. I told her to stay there and we would come to them. I then went and picked my wife, several floors down, and made our way to the stairwell which we used when we came in the store. The others weren’t there and there was no Wi-Fi there either. Oh my!
Next step – find the other ladies. I had my DW, who was getting tired by now, sit and wait while I tried to find the others or find a hot spot to connect to the internet. After searching for about 15 minutes, unsuccessfully I returned to my wife. With her now were the two other women. They had waited by the stairwell, just like I had told them, but it wasn’t the one we had come up on earlier. The floors were so big that there were multiple stairways throughout the building. (I could say something about women and directions here, but I will refrain.) Anyway, all’s well that ends well. We were tired, hungry, and ready to head home on the nearest subway.
This whole situation would have been avoided if I had followed a prompting I had when we first entered the building. The prompting was to give directions to all that if we got separated we would meet again right here where we entered the building. I didn’t follow that prompting and thus went through unnecessary stress and waste of time. How many times do I need to learn the lesson of following promptings?
Another thing I share is that things don’t always go as planned in traveling or in life. If one stresses about broken up plans, it sucks up energy that could be used in productive ways. Some things we have control over and can change. Most things work independent from our influence. Thus it is important to remember the 9th beatitude – “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not get bent out of shape.”
When considering future travel, there will always be chatter about an impending disaster. We should not be immobilized by fear, but must be wise and judicious. The most important consideration is to do what the Spirit directs. This was a wonderful trip for us even though the world continues on its crazy downward spiral.
]]>
I am not going to get too detailed and confuse you but will write as if you were me several years ago when I knew little about portable solar systems.
There are several components of a portable solar system.
Some companies sell system in a functional, easy to use package. Examples are Humless, Goal Zero and Total Solar Technologies. You can also build your own system. Sometimes people might buy a Humless or Goal Zero system but buy panels somewhere else. For most it is easier to buy a package system.
Each system has its pluses and minuses. I am not going to get too detailed. One of the smartest guys on this subject I know is Grant Johnson. He guided me in was the best system/components for my needs. I purchased everything except my batteries from Grant. I already have heavy duty solar batteries from the solar system in my home.
What size system should I purchase?
One of the main questions is, “What size system should I purchase?”. That depends on what electrical appliances you want to use. My first system was a 60-watt system that I bought at Costco several years ago. I planned on using it to run lights for my tent and recharge batteries for headlamps and power tools. I was using a deep cycle marine battery. That system would work great for that application.
Then my wife and I visited a tent one of my clients had set up. They had a beefy solar system and had enough power to run whatever they wanted. They ran fans, a small fridge with a freezer, a microwave, and lights. When my wife saw this, she started thinking about appliances she would like to run when camping long-term. Fans were on top of her list. You can read about keeping cool at camp in this previous blog - Keeping Cool. Then she thought of a fridge, an ice maker, a wheat grinder, Bosch mixer, blender and electric tooth brushes. When she brought up a hair blower, that was over the line. Hair blowers eat up so much electricity because of the heating element. I want to have my wife be clean and comfortable when camping, but a hair blower is not happening. I think there are going to be a lot of women with short hair and ponytails after the grid goes down.
How many watts?
In determining the size system you need, you have to know how many watts you will be using. Each appliance will list the number of watts it uses. Add the watts from the appliances you want to have. Realize that you probably won’t be running everything at the same time. For example, we won’t be running the wheat grinder, the blender and the Bosch mixer at the same time. Most of the time none of these will be used and only one at a time when they are used. If the watts add up to 500, that gives you some guidance on the size system you should purchase.
Remember that the solar system generates DC. It is more efficient to use DC appliances. If you have AC appliances, the electricity has to go through an inverter which changes the current from DC to AC. This conversion typically has a 15% power loss. Because of this, my fans, fridge and lights are DC. The other appliances are AC.
Solar Panel Frames and Stands
One issue that isn’t talked about much, but is very important is frames and stands for solar panels. There are some advanced stands that will track the sun, adjusting during the day, thus generating maximum energy. Some companies have a tripod that hold their panels. On the other end of the scale, I have seen some people lean their panels on a bin as they rest on the ground.
When I considered the different stands, I didn’t see anything that met the criteria that I felt would be important in a long-term camping situation. My criteria were:
Here is a picture of my panels and frames.
I have five, 100 watt panels, so I made one frame that holds three panels and the other that holds two panels. My panels are 47 X 21.3 X 1.4 inches and weigh 16.5 pounds. If you have an even number of panels, I suggest you use a two panel frame.
A couple of features you should notice. See how the panels are raised 12 inches off the ground. This allows snow to slide off the panels so that I don’t have to brush snow off after every storm. If there is a big storm, I will have to shovel show from the front of the panels so it doesn’t build up and block the panels from the sun. Also notice the gap between the panels. This allows air to pass through in the event of a strong wind. The panels can act like a sail in a stiff wind. By putting a gap between the panels, it allows the wind to more easily pass through and around the panels.
Here are some pictures with additional detail.
Front view
Side view - you can see how the frame folds up into itself, providing a narrow profile.
Back view
Adjusting holes
Pin
Chain support
Chain storage - the chain cleanly attaches to the frame when not in use.
Eye bolt - there are two eye bolts on the top of the frame. In the event of a strong wind, one could string paracord through the eye bolt and tie it to stakes in front and back of the frame. This will secure the frame, eliminating being blown over and possibly damaged.
Is this something you would buy?
At a recent camp, a couple inspected my solar panel frames and asked if I would build a double frame for them. I am going to do that this week. I wonder if there are any other people that would like to purchase a kit with all the parts made along with assembly instructions. If you are interested in such a kit, let me know in the comments at the end of the blog. No commitment is necessary. I just want to know if there is enough interest to make it worthwhile. I don't know yet what the price would be.
A Big Boy Solar System
I have a friend that has installed his panels on top of his 26 x 8-foot trailer. He has six 235 watt panels and a 6,000-watt system. I tease him that he could be the neighborhood power company. His panels can pivot four ways - front, back, left right. They can also be removed from the trailer and placed on the ground with the ability to be adjusted and moved for the maximum charging position. He has cables from the panels to the solar system in the trailer. From the trailer, he runs electrical cords into his tent to power his appliances. He is hopeful, as am I, that we are allowed to park our trailers next to our tents when camping long-term.
Here are some pictures of the trailer, his panels and his dear wife sewing in the trailer. The trailer, with the ramp open in back and the side door open in front, was the coolest place in camp.
Panels in traveling position
Cables entering roof of trailer through a water proof fitting
I share this example of what is possible. Not all have the same needs or resources. Whatever your electrical needs are, there is a solution for you. There is a lot of material on the internet regarding portable solar systems, in fact, so much that it is confusing. That is why I recommend that you determine the watts you want to use and then have someone you trust, like a Grant Johnson, to help you get the system that will provide for your needs.
And while considering your electrical needs, don’t forget these important low-tech solutions for keeping clean and efficient cooking; the Deluxe Tent Shower, Deluxe Camp Sink, Rocket Stoven Combo and Norwex Towels.]]>Practicing cooking skills in preparation for a grid down situation has been a priority of mine. I knew that in a real grid down situation we would all be stressed, burn lots of extra calories and ultimately have lots of hungry mouths to feed. Practicing before hand would give me the confidence I needed to actually be able to cook anywhere in any weather.
For alternative cooking methods, we had purchased three sun ovens, two thermal cookers and I had sewn a wonder oven. I diligently practiced cooking and baking using these various methods and experienced success with them all. This gave me a sense of empowerment and I knew I could feed my family healthy meals in any situation.
Soon after my husband purchased our wall tent and stove with a chimney oven, I began wondering how I would be able to bake in a chimney oven. Setting up that heavy wood-burning stove in the backyard to practice cooking was just not practical. I remember wishing that one of my great grandmothers would help me know how to stoke the fire so I could bake eatable bread.
Last winter one of our prepping friends, Kevin Card, told us about a special rocket stove he had designed and built. He was able to attach a Cylinder Stove chimney oven to the top of the rocket stove. He tested it out by baking bread out on his patio on a cold snowy February day. The bread baked successfully and thus the Rocket Stoven was born. Here is his story about inventing the Rocket Stoven - click here.
When I first saw the Rocket Stoven, I was very excited. This would give me the opportunity to practice baking in my backyard without a lot of hassle. Kevin shared with us that the oven's thermometer located on the outside of the door did not give an accurate reading of the inside temperature. He learned by monitoring the inside temperature that the oven was about 120 degrees hotter. For example: a temperature reading of 230 degrees on the outside thermometer was 350 degrees inside the oven.
With this information and my new Rocket Stoven, I was ready to practice. I decide to make a favorite family casserole and a pan of brownies for my first try. With the outside temperature reading 230 degrees, I opened the oven door and slid in the casserole. I baked it for about 40 minutes. It turned out perfectly!!!
Next I slid in the pan of brownies and set my timer for 30 minutes. I felt a little uneasy about this so I opened the oven door a few times to check on it. Towards the end of the cooking time, I realized that opening the oven door multiple times had caused the brownies not to cook through on the side closest to the door. So I just turned the pan around and cooked it another five minutes. Again, I had another success. Yeah!!!!
With all this cooking, which amounted to 1 hour 15 minutes, I had cooked a dinner and a dessert with a few sticks for fuel. This was just amazing! I still had a hot oven, which I easily could have boiled some water on top had I been in a camping environment and needed to wash some dishes. Actually, I could have heated water on top while I was cooking.
A few weeks ago we were camping and I was cooking lasagne in a sun oven. We had a potluck dinner that began at 6 PM. While the lasagne was cooking, some clouds rolled in and the sun oven cooled down. It couldn’t maintain sufficient heat to cook. There was no way to finish the lasagne with the sun oven. So I started a fire in the Rocket Stoven. It heated up quickly and I was able to put the lasagne in the oven and have dinner ready on time, even in cloudy weather.
We placed the Rocket Stoven Combo right outside the door of our tent on a metal cooking table. I would not want to cook in my tent in hot weather. It was easy to heat water on top for washing dishes, while baking in the oven.
Let me just say that I LOVE MY ROCKET STOVEN. So now I am ready to successfully cook for my family regardless of the weather while using very little fuel.
]]>
Keeping Cool
At the July camp it was in the 90s every day. Most of the tents were in the sun all day long. Fortunately there was a breeze in the morning and evening and sometimes during the day. Since we were in a dry climate, if we were in the shade and there was a breeze we were more comfortable. There were a several factors that helped make the heat bearable.
1. Shade Cloth If needed, have a shade cloth over your tent. Some tents are more comfortable in the heat than others. This has to do with color and the type of fabric. A lighter color tent that breathes will be much cooler than a dark color tent that is plasticized and doesn’t breathe.
There were several campers that put up agricultural shade cloth awnings. These helped provide shade and reduce heat. One camper with an Alaknak tent had such an unbearable camp last year with the heat in their tent, that they put a shade cloth over their entire tent. It made a tremendous difference in the livability of their tent. Shade cloth was also used in several classroom areas.
2. Fans Use fans inside your tent. We had two DC fans in our tent this year and it made a huge difference in our comfort. We positioned the fans either on a table or on the floor depending where we wanted air circulation. Some campers put the fans in the top of their tents and pointed them down like a ceiling fan. I prefer DC fans since they run off my solar system and don’t have to go through an inverter. Whenever you have to convert from DC to AC, you lose about 15% of your energy. I plan on getting more fans.
The 3 speed fans I have use 15-35 watts, depending on the speed. Here is what I have:
3. Spray Bottle When we first arrived at camp, our two little grand children were overheating. Fortunately, a friend shared a small spray bottle filled with water. By spraying the children they were able to cool down and be more comfortable. The oldest one even liked spraying himself.
3. Tent Placement Place your tent in a position to take advantages of the breeze. The breeze went down the canyon in the morning and up the canyon in the evening. We placed our tent so that the breeze could blow through our tent, end to end.
Have plenty of windows in your tent. When I had my tent made, I had the tent company, Cylinder Stoves, put in as many windows as possible. If you are in the market for a tent, don’t just assume that you can only buy the tent that is pictured on the company site. You can add extra windows, screen doors, etc. Add as many windows as possible. I promise that you will be more comfortable if you have extra windows.
Have screen doors in your tent so you can keep the doors open. Fortunately there were very few flying insects, so it was possible to leave your tent doors open all day long. If there were bugs, it would be necessary to either keep your tent doors close or have screen doors on your tents. Once again, if you are considering a tent, add screen doors to both ends.
I learned a helpful tip from my co captain. He has a tent the same as mine. There is a loop on the corner of the screen door that allows one to attach the loop to the door clasp, holding both open at the same time.
By the way, I am a dealer for Cylinder Stoves. They make excellent stoves and tents. If you are in the market for some shelter and heat, let me know if I can help you.
Water
We used so much water during camp. We had to haul it every day. We had three adults and two small children. We used about 25-30 gallons a day. Water was used for washing dishes, hands and clothes, drinking, showering and general cleaning. It is amazing how much water we went through. It seemed like every time I turned around I had to go refill our four, six-gallon containers. I wish I had brought more containers so I didn’t have to get water so often. By the way, if you haven’t yet read my blog about Garden Carts and Flat Free Tires, you should. A heavy-duty cart is a tremendous tool at camp.
Parade of Tents
This is one of the most popular events of camp. On three days we scheduled time to visit two of the six camp areas. It gave us an opportunity to see how other campers have solved long-term camping issues. We also were able to view many different types of shelters, from a tee pee to domes, army tents, canvas wall tents, nylon tents, etc. It was fun visiting with so many people and sharing.
Here I am giving a tour of our kitchen.
A few pictures of my tent.
This is the entrance. Notice the cooking area with the Rocket Stoven Combo on the left. One day we were cooking a casserole in our sun oven for the pot luck dinner, but the afternoon became partly cloudy. The temperature in the sun oven couldn’t maintain enough heat to cook. We fired up the Rocket Stoven and were able to cook the casserole with no hassle. That is the beauty of the Rocket Stoven Combo. It can be used cleanly in all weather and uses very little fuel.
You will also notice the patio mat on the ground. This keeps the entrance area clean and avoids bringing so much dirt into the tent. We had a separate "mother-in-law" tent on the right for a friend. The canopy over the entrance was nice for shade. In a real long-term camp situation I will set up a 10x20 carport for an entrance. This is more heavy-duty, has sides, and will provide an area for outdoor cooking in warm weather.
This is our kitchen. From left to right – Deluxe Filtration Camp Sink (I like to have this right by the front door so when someone comes back from potty, before prepping or eating food or brush teeth or wash face), food prep table with fridge. Notice the shelf above the food prep table and the kitchen sink. There is a folding picnic table in middle, Cabelas Deluxe Camp Kitchen, double sink, water system, and a propane stove. There is a step trash can between the camp kitchen and the double sink. This is such a handy item. You open the lid by stepping on a pedal. You don’t have to touch anything as you discard trash. Also notice the fan and ice maker sitting on the counter in the middle of the picture. The ice maker was wonderful. It is AC but worth the energy. My wife loved the ice maker. She called it a "life saver". Having cold drinks was wonderful.
I am going to revise the water system. I don't like having to pump the water from the big barrel to the smaller barrel above the sink. I have purchased a marine foot pump and am going see if it has sufficient volume to pump directly to the sink. This will free up 12 foot shelf above the sink.
This is our bedroom. From left to right – hanging closet organizer for each person, cot night stand on the side of cots provides additional personal storage. Cot headboard for each person keeps pillows on the cot. In the rear, left corner there is a hanging mirror and the shower area where we use the Deluxe Tent Shower. If you didn't know how much my wife and daughter-in-law enjoyed taking a warm pressurized shower in the privacy of our tent, let me tell you - they really enjoyed it!
In the rear, right corner is where the two Pak n' Plays for the two babies’ sleeping area.
We hung a room divider to separate their sleeping area. On the right side is the “kid cage”. This was very helpful to keep the babies contained for a while.
The hanging solar system panel is usually covered. I will be building a cover for the battery and cables.
You will notice in the pictures the two different floor coverings in the kitchen and the bedroom. When I bought my tent several years ago the only floor option was the heavy-duty vinyl that you see in the bedroom. Since then, Cylinder Stoves also offers the mesh floor you see in the kitchen. I like the mesh floor best. It allows dirt to sift through the mess and if something is spilled it also goes down through the floor. Underneath both floors is a used billboard banner. When I set up permanent camp I will use interlocking foam pads between the banner and the tent floor.
Mouse Trap
One other item I want to mention in this blog and that is rodent control. There were not many flying bugs at this camp. There were a number of crawling insects. But a pest that we need to be concerned about is rodents.
I have long promoted a mouse trap that can catch multiple mice. I brought my mouse trap along on the camp, put a few nuts in it for bait and set it on the floor of our kitchen. After the second day, it had an occupant. I really like this mouse trap and suggest you get something like it. Our food at camp will attract rodents. With this trap you can catch multiple mice. You can see when you have caught one, and you don’t have to touch a dead mouse.
You can find this at: Mouse Trap
In future blogs I will be discussing electricity, conserving water and washing clothes. There is a new clothes washer that I am testing that I am pretty excited about.
]]>
We arrived at the camp around 4 pm and selected our spot. The camp is divided in six areas with a captain for each. We are anticipating 300 campers so each captain will have 50 members in his company. One of the advantages of being a captain and the first to arrive is the ability to select whatever camping spot you want. We selected an area that has shade in the afternoon. We are camping in a hay field that has had its last cutting of the year. It is late July in Utah. The temperature today was around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Shade is my friend in the summer. Shade however is not good for solar panels. Tomorrow I will set up my solar panels. They need to be in a sunny place.
When we were putting up our tent it became evident that we were missing some poles. The tent is 18x21 and the attached porch is 18x15. It is like a 3 wall tent that attaches to our main tent. That is our kitchen area. We had enough poles to put up the kitchen. The first thing my wife wanted to put in the kitchen was the Deluxe Camp Sink so she could wash her hands. Then we put up a table to prepare a sandwich for dinner. We were very tired and are now in a dome tent we set up for a friend that is coming in a couple of days.
My wife used the sink also to wash her face and brush her teeth prior to coming to bed. We are using a new light in the tent, a Luci light. It is an inflatable solar light and does very well in this 10x10 dome tent.
I put two cots in the tent with the blow up pads, the 3” foam pad and cot head boards. This system is a great sleep system. You can get more detail about the sleeping system in this blog post: 10 Tips for Great Sleep While Camping
Tomorrow we are going to finish setting up camp with all of our gear. This will be the first time that we will have set up our kitchen with all shelving, ice maker, fridge, double sink and water system as well as our solar system.
There have been some questions from other wall tent owners regarding how to set them up. Here are some pictures and tips that might help.
Step one – assemble the roof. When one section is formed, use a strap to keep the poles and brackets together. Notice the orange strap and bungee cords that hold the rafters and side brackets together. This helps the frame hold together as you lift it up and install the legs.
Once you have the roof frame assembled, slide the tent on top of the roof while it is still down low. Then slide the rain fly on top of the tent, positioning both in preparation for putting on the legs. Make sure that the tent and fly grommets sit on the bolts on top of the end brackets.
After the tent and rain fly are on top of the tent frame, lift up one side of the tent and install the legs. It is usually a good idea to start on one end and move towards the other end. Do this on both sides. With the tent at full height, zip the doors at both ends and stake the tent. You might need to move the legs in a bit so the door zippers aren’t stressed and pulling. Then stake in the bottom of the tent. Cylinder Stoves provides a stake with a hook on it to go in the grommets all around the tent.
Next you stake down the tent and the rain fly and your tent is up. Here is a picture of our completed porch and a view looking out of the open end.
Here is a picture of my co captain pulling in on Saturday. He has a 26x8 foot trailer and is well equipped. He has a 1,500 watt solar system and basically runs whatever he wants in his tent.
I will provide more information and pictures in subsequent posts.
]]>This is my bedroom tent. It is 10’x12’. I make a distinction between a bedroom tent vs a living tent. A bedroom tent is where you go at night to sleep. Then during the day you go outside to play or work. A living tent is large enough that you could be inside for long periods of time without going crazy. When considering the size for a living tent, one must consider how much space is needed to sleep, prepare food, sit while eating and have some space to move around. It will need to be much bigger than a bedroom tent.
There are two cots per tent. The tents are on a nice wood platform. There is the front door with small windows on each side. There is no opening on the back wall (bad design for ventilation). Without a flow of air each direction, lack of ventilation and the resulting heat can be a big problem. All who are looking at shelters, make sure that you have proper ventilation with screened windows and doors. Our tent had no shade, which will be the case for many when long-term camping. If your shelter is not properly ventilated or is of the wrong material, it will be a sweat box.
Temperatures were in the high 80s during the day and low 50s at night. We had electricity in each tent so we had a light and a fan. My tent mate strapped his box fan to the top pole of the tent so we have a ceiling fan (thanks tent mate).
I highly recommend fans for your tents. During the day tents can become extremely hot and uncomfortable. There are both AC and DC fans. Of course you will need a sufficient solar system to provide electricity for your fans. I purchased DC fans for my tents because AC appliances use about 15% more watts because of the loss of going through an inverter. This is the fan I purchased: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AY2Z6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I will try them out in two weeks when I go camping with my big tent and all of my camping gear.
The week at Philmont was Western Region week with key leaders from all states from Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico to the west. I serve as a District Commissioner of the Alpine District in the Utah National Parks Council.
I had a nice conversation with Charles Dalquist the first evening. He is a former Young Men President for the LDS Church. He is now serving as the National Commissioner for the BSA.
He is in a position to know what the LDS church’s relationship is with the BSA. He said that there are no plans for any separation. He mentioned the number of church news articles that have recently talked about BSA and the church. I asked him about the comment made in the Church’s official statement last year after the “gay” decision. In that statement the phrase “at this time” was used. He said that that phrasing could have been made by Heber J. Grant, David O. McKay or any other church president. As long as scouting serves its purpose in the Aaronic Priesthood program it will be used. If it is no longer useful the relationship will be discontinued.
I expressed that the church has never come out with a statement as forceful and direct as that and because of it there were many donors who sat on the sidelines and didn’t participate in last year’s Friends of Scouting campaign. They felt like the church’s BSA relationship was short lived and they didn’t want to invest in something that was going away. He assured me again that that is not the case and offered to attend a meeting with potential donors, share what he knows, and encourage them to continue to support their young men and the Boy Scout program.
Philmont has great facilities. They have wonderful restrooms and showers. I took a nice warm shower each night prior to going to bed. I talked about taking a shower in my blog post “10 Tips for Great Sleep While Camping”. I always sleep better when camping if I have a clean body at night. When camping long-term there won’t always be nice restrooms and showers available, but I will be able to take a shower in my tent with a Deluxe Tent Shower.
I also wore earplugs, which I wear every night no matter where I am. My tent mate is not a regular earplug wearer but brought them because they were on the suggested items to bring list. He wore them part of the night then took them out part way through the night because they felt a little funny. In the morning the birds started their singing and woke him up. He hurriedly put the earplugs back in and was able to get some more, much needed sleep. I didn’t hear any birds. The first thing I heard in the morning was his alarm clock. Another item listed in the blog post which came in handy was my “night bottle”. Who wants to be traipsing around outside in the middle of the night to go to the restroom.
The last thing I will mention about my sleep is how glad I am that I brought a cot headboard. The bed has a frame about 6 inches above the mattress. I thought maybe it would hold my pillow in place. Not so. The first time I nudged my pillow it went right under the frame and onto the floor. I put my cot headboard in place and had no problem the rest of the night.
I walked over to the trading post to buy an engraved leather belt and a Philmont belt buckle. On the way we passed the LDS chapel. There are LDS, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish chapels on the ranch. Here is a pic of the LDS chapel and a stained glass window inside. Notice the BSA fleur de lis at the bottom of the window.
I also saw some different tents that have an elevated fly. This type of fly not only helps with moisture, but creates an insulating air barrier that helps with the heat inside the tent. It basically shades the tent.
One evening we had a special presentation from some Indian dancers from Amarillo, TX. They perform all over the world. Here are a few princesses with an old, bald brave.
On day 4 we had a morning of leadership training. I appreciate that the week at Philmont is not just scouting talk, but also how to become a better individual, leader, husband and father. As I learn things, I often think about how this would apply to and be helpful for our soon to come tent city living experience. A concept shared was how we react to a new situation, confrontation, surprise, etc. Most of us first have an emotional response. That emotional response could be fight, flight, wilt, etc. The emotional response lasts typically about 30 seconds until a different part of our brain kicks in and reason can crowd out emotion. I think we all agree that we usually want to make decisions based upon reason rather than emotion. I find that if I use reason, I make better decisions, treat people with more kindness and have less to repent of because the emotional me did or said something stupid, rude, unkind, etc.
So the lesson I learned, that can apply to all of us, is to be slow to respond and let reason kick in and replace the emotion. It was recommended to one participant that he take a number of deep breaths and wait about 30 seconds before he responds to a potentially stressful situation.
My wife and I talked about this last night. She, my daughter in law and I recently went through one of our trailers to review what we had packed several years ago to see it the items still had relevance to what we currently think we will need in the camp. My daugher in law and I were very logical about the process but my DW was very emotional. Her reaction was, we did this several years ago so why do we need to do this again. It was a frustrating experience for all three of us. When my wife and I talked last night about what had happened, we realized that her response was all emotional while ours was logical. If my DW could have realized what was going on and taken off her emotional hat and put on her logical hat, things would have gone more smoothly. Actually what happened is my wife told us to just go ahead and do it. She didn’t want to participate.
I use my dear wife as an example of reacting emotionally, but it is something we all have done and all need to improve on. When we are in a camp, we will be out of our comfort zones, will be stressed and will need to really work hard on being long-suffering and slow to anger.
If you look again at the earlier picture of the pillow and cot headboard, you will see my Wiggy’s sleeping bag. This is the outer bag of their two bag system. It is a lighter weight that can be used alone in warmer weather but is used with their cold weather bags in cold weather. For two nights I slept fine, but my legs got cold the third night. They were right by the window. I should have zipped up the window, but instead I curled up tight to try and stay warm. After that I zipped up the window and did fine.
My tent mate brought a sheet and a blanket and enjoyed that better than a sleeping bag. I share this to help all understand that a sleeping bag on a cot is not the only option. With proper padding, one could use sheets and a blanket and have a sleep environment more like home. I describe the sleeping system that works for my DW and me in the blog post, “10 Tips on How to Sleep Great While Camping”.
A question was asked, “How do they attach the tent to the wood platform at Philmont?” Here a few pics. BTW, notice the frames on each side of the tents to which the tents are attached. By having these vertical frames, it greatly reduces the space needed between tents. That allows many more tents in a smaller area.
And here is a picture of the east tent city showing some of the many, many tents.
I recommend the Philmont experience to any that have the opportunity to attend. They have excellent activity tracks for wives and children so they have fun things to do while you are in class most of the day. I also recommend that you practice camping when ever you can. The more one practices, the better prepared they are for when they camp for a long, long time.
]]>
I have cooked outdoors with various methods for 50+ years. Each method has its positives and negatives. But I had found no solution that met all the criteria that are important when long-term off-grid cooking. I love rocket stoves for cooking. They use little wood and burn cleanly. I built my own and like it better that most commercial versions. But a rocket stove alone, doesn’t provide an important cooking method that is essential for others and me with stored wheat. One of the best ways to eat wheat is to bake it. I needed an efficient, clean way to bake.
On a sunny day, a sun oven is a great method for baking. But on a cloudy day, a sun oven is not an option. That is why my solution is so valuable. It works whether it is sunny, cloudy, windy, snowy, rainy or calm. It works in any weather. This is important because I can’t control the weather, but I can control how I prepare for living off-grid in any kind of weather.
I had a chimney oven that was purchased with my Cylinder Stoves tent stove. It works well with the tent stove, but that is used inside my tent in cold weather for heating and cooking. And the tent stove uses a lot of wood and I would never want to use that large stove to cook in warm weather. I wouldn’t be able to be in my tent it would be so hot. I needed a better solution.
The inspiration came to me in the wee hours of the morning on how to connect my rocket stove and the chimney oven. It was a cold, snowy, February afternoon when I cooked my first loaf of bread. It worked! The Rocket Stoven was born. I have made a number of modifications since that first successful test, and now have a solution that can be successfully used by everyone to cook efficiently in any kind of weather.
I named it the Rocket Stoven because it allows a combination of a rocket stove and an oven. I call the combination of the Rocket Stoven and oven the Rocket Stoven Combo.
Here are the important factors I considered when designing the Rocket Stoven:
What do I do with all of my stored wheat? - If you are like me, you have a lot of stored wheat. I have a wheat grinder and can make flour for bread, cakes, and pastries. But how would I bake it? My sun oven will work when there is sun. A Dutch oven will work until the briquettes run out. I have cooked bread in a Dutch oven with wood coals but it takes a lot of wood and time to get the coals just right. If I want to bake bread efficiently, consistently and timely, I need an oven.
Fuel-efficient - The Rocket Stoven uses only 4 or 5 sticks of wood to bake anything you would bake in your oven or cook on your stove or do both at the same time. If you want to continue to bake/cook just add a few more sticks. The Rocket Stoven conserves wood, briquettes, coal, or anything that burns. Once the fire starts it creates a natural draw for air to the burn chamber to keep the fire going.
Use in any kind of weather - I have used a Dutch oven enough to know that wind and rain are the enemy. The nice thing about the Rocket Stoven is it can be used in the wind by placing the burn chamber opening in the opposite direction of the wind. I have used it in a snowstorm and under a canopy in the rain.
Portable - The Rocket Stoven can be set up almost anywhere. The stove only weighs 23 lbs and the oven weighs 25 lbs. The stove has a convenient handle so you can easily carry it to put on a table, a forest service barbeque grill, or on the ground. The oven is attached with the collar clamp that provides a secure, stable connection.
Dual usage - The Rocket Stoven can be used as a stand-alone stove or you can attach the oven on top, providing two cooking areas. An oven to bake and a cooking surface on top where you can use a pot or pan. That way you can cook your sweet rolls and bacon and eggs at the same time for your breakfast. I cooked sweet rolls and 2 batches of cookies in the oven and sausage on top of the stove at the same time. The nice thing is I only used a handful of sticks. The oven comes with a cake pan and a cookie sheet.
Insulated - The burn chamber in the stove is insulated with pearlite to channel as much of the heat from the fire to the oven or upper cooking surface. Unlike a campfire where most of the heat is lost the Rocket Stoven directs the heat to your cooking surface or oven. The burn chamber generates temperatures well over 1000 degrees. (My heat gun only goes up that high) It gets so hot that the burn chamber glows red. With the oven on top of the stove, heat from the Rocket Stoven circulates completely around the oven chamber, providing an even heat for baking. Smoke does not come in contact with the food.
Long lasting - The simple design will last for years. The burn chamber is made of 1/8 inch steel unlike many of the commercial ones that use sheet metal. The potholder, angle iron stand, and 4 wide metal plate are designed to withstand the high temperatures generated in the burn chamber.
Saves money - There are many types and styles of rocket stoves. Some homemade versions are made of a #10 can or cinder blocks. There are commercial versions that cost over $300. When designing the Rocket Stoven I wanted to provide exceptional functionality, value and durability.
Cooks cleanly - The burn in the Rocket Stoven is much cleaner than an open fire. Once the fire is going there is very little smoke. Because of the high temperatures in the burn chamber most of the wood is consumed and all that is left is ash.
Able to regulate temperature - Oven temperatures, up to 500°, can be regulated by controlling the amount of fuel in the Rocket Stoven and by opening the oven door a small amount. The oven includes a thermometer that measures the temperature inside the oven. I have found that the actual inside temperature is hotter than what the thermometer says. I will share more information on cooking temperatures in a subsequent blog. The door latch, with a wire-ring handle is easy to use, even when hot.
Can be used outside or inside a tent - If you already have a Cylinder Stoves Chimney Oven, you can simply remove the oven during warm weather and attach it on the Rocket Stoven outside. For use inside the tent, the Rocket Stoven provides the fuel efficiency of a rocket stove. If you already have a tent stove you can simply take the stove flue off the tent stove and move your Rocket Stoven Combo under the flue attaching the flue to the top of the oven. Now you can use the Rocket Stoven Combo to do all your baking inside a tent, using far less fuel than the tent stove.
Unique - This design is the only of its kind. It provides a stovetop and an oven that is portable, clean, efficient, versatile and safe. The Rocket Stoven Combo is the best solution for those who want to bake and cook at the same time.
]]>It has been packaged up nicely in the box that it came in. I plan on using it to haul water from the camp water source to my tent, wood from wherever it is available, and anything else that is heavy. I have water containers that are 6 and 8 gallon. That means they will weigh 48 and 64 lbs. when full. The weight limit on this cart is 1,000 lbs. So I can load it up with water containers and it should handle the weight.
Here are some specs for the cart:
The problem with this cart is #2 - pneumatic tires. I don’t want to worry about a flat tire on my cart, especially if it is loaded up. The solution was to change out the tires to flat free tires. The type of flat free tire I wanted was closed cell foam not hard rubber. Closed cell foam gives a bit so it feels like a pneumatic tire.
So here is the story about how I solved this problem.
I heard that Les Schwab tire would fill pneumatic tires with foam so they will be flat free. So I took my tires to one of their stores to find out. The manager told me that they do provide that service, but when he looked up the price for my four tires, size 13x5-6 it would cost $212. OUCH!!! The nice manager suggested that I go to Harbor Freight and buy flat free tires that would fit my cart.
I got on the Internet and did some research to find the right replacement tires. I found them at Harbor Freight for $21.99 each. The rims on my tires are held together with bolts, so it is easy to take the tires off. Some tires have rims that you cannot take apart so you have to be sure that the rims and tires are exactly what you need.
Here is a good tutorial that will make your tire replacement experience successful.
I had to deal with an offset hub. Notice how the hub on one side sticks out more on one side than the other. Rims on some tires are center hubs.
The tires I got from Harbor Freight were also offset hubs also but the hub length was different. Since both my rims and the rims on the new tires were connected with bolts, I was able to take the new tires off the new rims and put them on the old rims. The old rims are a bit wider and the new tires don’t fit snugly; they can slide around the rim. But since they don’t have to hold air, they will work just fine.
Notice that the old tires on the right are wider.
All you that have carts with pneumatic tires might want to consider getting flat free tires and avoid a major hassle in the future. Being able to haul heavy loads will make your camping experience more comfortable, along with your Deluxe Camp Sink, Deluxe Tent Shower, and the new Rocket Stoven.
Here are links for the garden cart and the flat free replacement tires. I can't comment on the quality of the cart or tires since I have not yet used them.
]]>
Recognizing that we can’t take everything with us in a long term camping environment, we must plan and prioritize (see earlier blog, “The Four Lists of Preparation”). We must also consider space, weight and utility. How much space items require is not only important in storing the items right now, but transporting them to camp and then having space for them in a tent. How much an item weighs is also important to consider. Less is better. The last consideration is utility. If I have a choice between two similar items, the more effective one is the better choice.
So, are there better options to use when camping than the items we presently use? I have found some that take up less space, weigh less and are more effective. They are microfiber cloths made by a company called Norwex. The microfiber in these cloths is 1/200 the thickness of a human hair creating much more surface area for picking up the smallest debris, bacteria, and anything else you can think of. They are embedded with a silver agent that prevents bacteria from growing within the cloth and spreading to the next surface. Norwex can also remove up to 99% of bacteria from a surface using only water.
Let me explain how I see these products in a camp environment for personal hygiene and overall cleaning.
Personal Hygiene – Several years ago, when I packed bags for each family member and stored them in my trailer, I included a hygiene kit that included, among other things, a bath towel and wash cloth. These are the same cotton type we use at home.
A couple of months ago I was testing different camp laundry methods. I washed some items including a bath towel. That is when I realized how big the bath towel was, how hard it was to wash, rinse and put through the wringer and how heavy it was when wet.
Recently I did a test with a cotton bath towel and the Norwex body towel to measure drying times. I soaked both of them and put them twice through the wringer. Then I hung them up in my garage to see how long they took to dry. The temperature was in the 60s and the humidity level was 54%. Drying time is an important consideration, because when living in a tent we will be doing laundry by hand and drip drying. There will be some days when we will be drying our clothes on a rack inside the tent when the weather doesn’t allow us to use an outside clothes line.
Here are the results:
Size | Dry Weight | Wet Weight | Drying Time | |
Regular Towel | 30" x 56" | 28 ozs | 76 ozs | 23 hours |
Norwex Towel | 20" x 40" | 5 ozs | 14 ozs | 8 hours |
This is what I learned:
Hand towels and wash cloths – Because of the absorbency and ability to kill bacteria, Norwex microfiber is also the best option for drying hands, and washing our bodies. When showering, I use the Norwex wash cloth without soap. It is made with the same micro silver technology and it removes bacteria, oils, and grime from your body with just water, and the micro silver prevents bacteria from growing in the cloth and making it smell. Since the cloth is used with just water, it is ideal for those with sensitive skin. My wife uses it to clean her face at night. And just like the body towel, it dries quickly.
General cleaning - Paper towels are a common item in most kitchens. They are convenient for wiping up spills or drying hands. But I don’t think many people are going to take a year’s supply of paper towels to camp. Think of the space needed to store and transport them. The Norwex Envirocloth (I call it a hand towel) eliminates the need for paper towels. Norwex microfiber can remove up to 99% of bacteria from any surface using only water. And no more smelly dish cloths.
My wife likes to use the hand towel with the Deluxe Camp Sink. It has a loop on it, so she just hangs it on the horizontal part of the water spout. It eliminates the need for paper towels and provides a clean, convenient way to dry hands.
Recommendation - Norwex microfiber towels are light weight, durable, easy to pack, and incredibly efficient. Every camp would benefit from the sanitation, ease of use, and extra space these products provide. Plus there is no need to wait for camp. They are great to use right now as well as providing you a more clean and comfortable camping experience.
To purchase, contact Chelsie Robertson at http://chelsierobertson.norwex.biz. You will at least want a body towel for every person.
]]>
I built my first Deluxe Camp Sink four years ago. Since that time, I have used it many times. I want to share with you some advanced tips.
Sink placement – I have been asked by many, where I put my sink in my tent. I put it right inside the door of my kitchen. This is the front door of my tent. My kitchen is an attached, enclosed porch where food is prepared and eaten. By keeping it there, it is conveniently accessible. When someone starts preparing food, they wash their hands. When someone is going to eat, they wash their hands. When someone goes potty, whether inside or outside the tent, they wash their hands. In the winter, when things begin freezing, I will move the sink close to the wood burning stove in order to keep the water liquid.
Water flow - Some people like a narrow stream of water coming out of the spigot and have the tube poking out of the spigot to do this. Some like a more dispersed stream and have the tube inside the spigot creating a wider stream of water.
Using a water jug as supply source – in the event that you are bringing water for your sink in a jug such as a 5-8 gallon container, you can use that as the water supply for the sink and eliminate using the supply bucket. Set it near the sink and simply attach a length of tubing 4-6 feet long to go directly from the pump bulb into the water container. This eliminates having to pour water into the supply bucket. The tubing is 3/8” ID x 1/2” OD.
Extra pump bulb - some have asked me what is the weakest part of the Deluxe Camp Sink. Since we might not always have a place to buy spare parts it is good to have a backup. I think it would be the pump bulb. Because of this, I will soon be offering them on my website as a separate item. I personally have a couple of extras in my supplies.
Sealing the edge of the countertop – Some have asked me the best way to seal the edges of the countertop. I did some research on this and have found that if you get some Titebond II wood glue and mix 50% glue with 50% water it makes an excellent seal. Titebond II is listed as water resistant, Titebond III is listed as water proof. I did a test with both. I put two coats of each on the edge of a sink countertop, separated by a non-treated area. After the glue/water mixture dried, I soaked the edge of the countertop overnight. You can see from this picture that both glues eliminated any water absorption into the press board. The dark area in the middle absorbed a little, but when dried, was as smooth as the treated areas.
It is interesting that none of wood nor the melamine edge, in any of the three areas, bubbled. The glue used in the pressboard must be pretty good glue. By the way, the Titebond glue is paintable. You only need the smallest bottle to have enough glue to seal the edges.
Hand towel - This year I added capability to have the vertical portion of the pipe as a paper towel holder. We might not always have paper towels, so what my wife did is put a grommet in a small towel and hang it from the horizontal pipe with an O ring. She likes the Norwex brand towel as it is impregnated with silver and fights germs.
I hope these tips help your camping experiences be more clean and comfortable.
]]>Prepping to the sweet spot is a lot like hitting the ball on the sweet spot. It gets you to your goal quicker, less expensively, and with less effort. When you have a plan and know what you need, you can acquire those supplies, whether it is the right kind of food, water filters, sleeping bags, boots, tent, etc. If you don’t know what you need, or the right kind of item, you miss the sweet spot and end up buying too much, too little, the wrong size, the wrong kind, or something of poor quality that won’t last.
How to hit the sweet spot
Have a plan-know what you are prepping for. You can’t prepare for everything, so figure out what scenario you are prepping for and plan to that scenario. I cover this in an earlier blog post about the four lists of preparation, http://deluxecamping.com/blogs/news/19168099-expo-follow-up-and-four-lists-of-preparation
Don’t buy too much or too little. One of the challenges many preppers have is knowing for how many they are preparing. This is especially true for those that are planning on a “Gathering”. I have met many that have children and grandchildren and they don’t know if they will be gathering with them. Because of this, it is difficult to know how much gear and supplies to buy. Preparing for two is a much different scale than preparing for 20. For a family with multiple couples with children, the requirements for shelter, food, clothing, transportation, etc. can become overwhelming. Keep track of what you have and what you need. After you have what you need, you can get more as you feel prompted.
Prioritize – ABC. We can’t take everything with us and we don’t want to. The purpose of the gathering is to say farewell to Babylon, not take it with us. When making a list of potential preps, I suggest a simple ranking system that will help you get the most important things first, and if there is a choice of what to buy and bring, focus on the A items before the Bs and Cs. Here is the ranking with some examples. I realize what might be comfort for some might be survival for others (chocolate).
A – Survival (food, shelter, water, clothing, sleeping bags, sanitation)
B – Comfort (cots, sleeping pads, solar electrical system)
C – Luxury (padded tent floor)
Learn from others. There are experienced preppers that have made many mistakes. That’s how they became experienced. Learn from those who are willing to share so you can avoid those same mistakes. There are a number of blogs and YouTube channels that have very helpful information. Some that I have learned from are survivalblog.com, ldsavow.com, survialistboards.com, prepper-resources.com, LDSprepper.com on YouTube and some Facebook groups that are dedicated to prepping.
There are some vendors that are experienced preppers themselves and are selective in which products they carry, having tested several alternatives and selected that which they understand is best. I recently upgraded my solar system and had someone I trust help me determine and acquire the components I needed. Find a vendor that knows what they are doing and learn from them. I have spent time with many of my customers and shared with them what I have learned.
Attend trade shows: There are a number of prepper tradeshows around the country. Take advantage of these to attend the presentations and speak to the vendors. Go to the show with a plan of what you want to learn, instead of just wandering around and missing important presentations or vendors that you specifically need to speak with.
Prepare with wisdom and prudence. By prepping to the sweet spot you will be able to get ready faster, less expensively and more thoroughly than by just going out and buying stuff without a plan.
]]>
I presented two days on the topic, “Useful Camp Gear – How to Make a Tent a Home”. I shared some of the things that I have learned about sanitation, sleeping comfort, space considerations, keeping clean, play and handy tools. Then I talked about the four lists of effective preparation and how to prioritize. Here is a link where you can view/download my presentation - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B379M2RVQQFaRkpVVGtXSE5jMTA/view?usp=sharing
I presented two days on the topic, “Useful Camp Gear – How to Make a Tent a Home”. I shared some of the things that I have learned about sanitation, sleeping comfort, space considerations, keeping clean, play and handy tools. Then I talked about the four lists of effective preparation and how to prioritize.
Let me explain more about these four lists. The first list is the things you would need for your most likely scenario. When I say, “most likely scenario”, I mean what is the most likely place you are going to end up when the fan gets dirty. When I first started prepping, I thought I would be bugging in and prepared for that. Then I learned that I would be bugging out, and my preps did a 180 degree change. Planning to live in a tent city, and having to get my supplies there, made a huge change in what I needed.
The first list is, is what I need to have to bug out and live in the wilderness.
The second list I developed is what I had – my inventory. If one doesn’t know what one has, prepping becomes more stressful and expensive than it needs to be. By having an accurate inventory, it provides a scorecard of how prepared one is, and eliminates duplicate buying. This is especially important for those that have been prepping for a while. After you have bought something and stored it, it is easy to forget. When you forget what you already have, it can create worry that you need that item and you go buy an unneeded duplicate. This is a waste of time, energy and precious resources.
The second list is your inventory.
The third list is the difference between what you need and what you have. I call this my “Need to Buy” list. This list is dynamic. When I obtain something on the list, I move it to list #2. When the Spirit tells me something I need, I put it on this list. This list grows and shrinks, but eventually gets much smaller. This list keeps one’s purchases focused so one doesn’t make duplicate purchases.
The third list is what I “Need to Buy”.
The fourth list is my evacuation list. Much of my gear is preloaded in my trailers, but there are items in my home that I want to take when the time comes. The night we move, is going to be stressful. It is best to have a plan already thought out of what needs to taken from the home, how it is going to be packed, and how it is going to be transported. My wife and I have made a list of things in each room that we want to pack and bring. Then we assigned the rooms to members of the family. They are responsible for packing those items and bringing them to the trailers. Each person also is allowed one personal bin. This is for things like scriptures, laptop, etc. I have requested each make a list of the items to be included in their personal bins so that someone else could pack it for them if they were not able to.
The fourth list is the evacuation list.
One last suggestion that I used to help with my prepping and packing. There are so many “what ifs” that goes through one’s mind when prepping. If we follow all of those “what if” scenarios and try to prepare for each one, it can not only be discouraging, but almost immobilizing. We cannot prepare for every contingency, and I am sure the Lord doesn’t want us to. As a husband and father, I am to preside, provide and protect. Because of my especially strong inclinations to provide and protect, I want to eliminate any depravations that my family might experience. But it is impossible to move from our home to a tent and not be deprived of the comforts and luxuries that we now experience. I also recognize the limitations we have regarding the space and weight of what we can transport. All of us are concerned about being able to fit our supplies into our vehicles and trailers. Because of this, I did a ranking of my supplies.
It is a simple ranking of A-survival, B-comfort, and C-luxury. If there is a choice of bringing an A item or a C item because of space and/or weight limitations, it is an easy decision. That is, if I make the decision prior to the stress of the moving day. It is too easy to make emotional and imprudent decisions regarding what is really important to bring, if we wait until moving day to decide. A sleeping bag is more important than a family heirloom. We will all have to leave things behind that we love and cherish, but we need to keep focused on the A list (survival). As you prioritize, you will focus on “A” items first, then “B” and then “C”.
So the four lists are:
I hope that this info on the four lists helps some of you be more effective in your prepping. The better we are prepared, the more able we will be to help our many future neighbors that might not have the same level of preparation.
]]>To shower in warm weather is not a big deal. For years I have simply set up an enclosure outside, used my pressurized tank and stood on a shower platform. I heated the water economically in shower bags that were placed on the hood of my truck. If there was no sun, I heated water on my propane stove. But to take a comfortable shower in a tent in the winter is a real challenge.
Take care of my wife – My wife is a reluctant camper. Anything that I can do to make her more comfortable, within reason, I will do. (No, we can’t take a recliner with us. There isn’t enough room in the trailer). Being clean is very important my wife. I am a country boy and long-time scouter. It doesn’t take much for me to get along. But there is no way that sponge bathing for months during the winter is going to work for my wife and the other women in my family.
Over time, I have learned, a very important lesson - that what is important to my wife is important to me. Thus I have been working on a tent shower solution for several years and it has finally come together. She can now take a comfortable, private shower in the winter while living in a tent.
Easy to store and transport - Must be compact and light weight (space and weight are always considerations in our preps) The Deluxe Tent Shower weighs only 27 lbs. and fits in a box 12”x24”x36” for shipping. There are six components that you can store separately or together – tub, enclosure (includes shower curtain and rings, and water capture system), tank with sprayer, bamboo shower platform, drainage hose, and shower rod (1/2” wooden dowel).
Conserve water – Includes a 3½-gallon tank. This is enough for three showers for my family. Since the water is not constantly on like our showers at home, you only have to get wet, soap up, and rinse off. The sprayer nozzle has a button right where you hold the nozzle. You don’t have to reach down to the tank to turn the water off and on. Having the on/off button at the nozzle instead of on the tank is something users really like.
Pressurized Hot Water- It was important to have enough water pressure to quickly rinse off our body and rinse out hair. My wife and daughter both have thick curly hair. The pressurized tank provides plenty of pressure. If the pressure gets low, just pump it up again.
Hot water – I heat the water for our shower in the water tank(s) on our tent stove. The shower tank has a wide mouth that fits nicely under the spigot on the water tank of the tent stove. We have the longer legs on the stove. If the stove is in use, which it will be in the winter, there is always hot water available. BTW, I have a water tank on each side of my stove, so I always have 10 gallons of water available. If you heat water in a pot over a fire, the wide mouth of the tank makes it easy to pour the water from the pot to the tank. Plus you never have to lift a water container over your head.
Safety - There is nothing heavy to lift. The water tank is on the ground. The only thing lifting needed is to move the tank to the shower. A shower bag is really not a good solution to use in tent. There are several problems with a shower bag – It has to be hung up high. Water weighs a lot. If you put three gallons in the bag, that weighs 24 lbs. For younger people it might not be a problem, but for older folks that is a dangerous proposition-trying to get that bag up and down whenever they want to take a shower. There isn’t much water pressure, making it difficult to rinse out hair and rinsing off areas of our body where you needs to spray upwards. A plastic shower bag is not very durable and is susceptible to developing a leak. I have 6 shower bags in my gear and will use them for heating water on sunny days during the warmer months.
Water Capture – the Deluxe Tent Shower not only has a tub that is 36” x 24” x 8”, but it captures all water from the shower by having a vinyl drape around three sides of the enclosure and a shower curtain in front. The water in the tub then drains through the hose attached to the tub and ends up outside the tent. After taking a shower, there no heavy tub filled with water that you have to figure out how to get outside to drain. If you only have a tub, but no method of capturing all the water that splashes off your body, you will end up with some water on the floor of your tent. With the Deluxe Tent Shower, not only do you avoid standing in your own dirty water, but there is no water buildup from multiple showers that you would stand in until the tub was emptied. If someone wants to save the water for secondary use, just plug the hole where the hose is attached.
BTW, I recommend that the hose be brought inside your heated tent after a shower so that water doesn’t freeze and clog the hose. If needed, cut a 1” hole in your tent to facilitate the hose when in use and stuff an old sock in the hole when not in use.
Comfortable – The Deluxe Tent Shower provides complete privacy and comes with a bamboo shower platform for the bottom of the tub so you aren’t standing in water while showering, not even the water from your own shower.
Multi-purpose - The enclosure is designed so that the tub can be tipped up when not in use. This provides plenty of space for other uses where privacy is needed – potty or dressing room. Plus, the enclosure is big enough 4’x4’ that a chair can be placed inside next to the tub while showering. This makes it easier to dress/undress.
Durable - This is a low-tech solution. It utilizes the resources we will have in a wilderness setting and doesn't require propane or electricity. The only moving parts to this setup are the pump sprayer and the pump bulb. The Deluxe Tent Shower comes with a top of the line metal pump sprayer. The pump bulb is top quality, not a cheap part from a discount tool store.
]]>
I thought most people would want the Deluxe Camp Sink, but the majority of sinks purchased were the Deluxe Camp Sink with Filtration. Many people understood the necessity of washing hands with clean water and that their water source in the future will likely be a stream or lake.
I had been working on a shower solution for several years. It wasn’t until recently, at a camp with other preppers, that I found the missing piece to my shower puzzle. By attaching vinyl to the lower part of the shower enclosure, the water would run off the enclosure walls, onto the vinyl and into the tub. I incorporated that in my design and then I added a shower curtain to keep the water in at the front of the enclosure. The Deluxe Tent Shower was born!
I built three showers for the expo. I sold more than that the first day and had to take orders the rest of the show. The response was tremendous because there is nothing available to fill that need of taking a shower inside a tent. Many thanked me for making the shower, especially women. I was grateful that I was able to provide a much needed product.
My wife was a great help in the booth, explaining our sinks and shower and sharing personal experiences. It is interesting how meaningful it is for women to hear experiences of other women. Thank you, thank you to my wonderful wife! By the way, as I shared with those who came to the booth and those who attended my presentation, I told them that my motivation for my camp gear is to help my city wife be more comfortable while camping. I was surprised to hear a number of women tell me that they wished their husbands would take care of them like that. Come on guys. What is more important than to take care of our wives? My wife wants me to share with you that she is a well taken care of wife.
My presentation of “Useful Camp Gear for Long Term Camping” went very well. The first day the room was packed with over 300 people. There was a lot of exchange between the audience members and me. We had several people tell me and my wife afterwards that it was the best class they had attended. One man told me that he had driven from northern Utah, just to attend my class.
The next two days’ presentations went well. I added some additional information and pictures to the PowerPoint because I remembered some other important gear that people might not think about, like a dish drainer and a commode. Regarding a commode – a bucket with a lid is not the way to go.
It was great to meet so many people at the show. Our booth was next to the Cylinder Stoves booth. They had one of their best shows. They make a great tent and stove. I have several of their tents and stoves and highly recommend them. I am a dealer for them and have helped a number of people properly configure their tent for long term camping. A basic tent isn’t enough. There are some modifications that will help you be more comfortable and secure.
After the expo, I spent a lot of time building showers. It amazes me how much time it takes to acquire all of the parts and then assemble them correctly. After getting all of the back orders finished, the shower is now on the website.
Thanks to all who made the expo a success for us. There were some suggestions for additional products and accessories that I am considering for the future.
]]>
I will be sharing several items I have found that improve the quality of life while living in a tent. I’ve learned these things by using our large wall tent and also by observing other experienced campers.
Here is a list of the gear that will be discussed:
Camp Sink – washing station: Of course I will be talking about this - one of the most important camp items we have.
Warm, pressurized shower for inside of tent: I finally figured out how to have a private, hot, pressurized shower in a tent while keeping the water contained and drained outside. In warm weather, it is fine to have your shower enclosure outside, but what about winter? This shower setup is one of my wife’s most treasured camp items.
Cot nightstand: This handy item provides a lot of storage space without taking up any floor space. Space is such a premium in a tent, so anything that one can do to add storage but not take up floor space is a bonus. Plus this is super convenient because it hangs on your cot.
Cot headboard: I am 6’2” tall and found myself, when sleeping on a cot, chasing my pillow all night. Too often my pillow would end up on the floor. There were two results to this problem – I wasn’t sleeping well and my pillow got dirty. So I designed a simple cot headboard that keeps my pillow where it is supposed to be. Plus the headboard is compact, and easy to make.
Tent shelving: Again, trying to provide more storage without taking up precious floor space. I modified closet organizer shelves so they hang from the frame of my wall tent. I put one of these next to each cot so everyone has some personal shelf space.
Coat rack: During our family’s last camp it snowed in June. Fortunately I brought a coat rack along. It came in super handy to hang coats and jackets on. We placed it right inside the door of the tent. This is an inexpensive rack that packs up nicely into a small box about 5”X5”X24”. So it doesn’t take up much space when stored.
Bellows: At the camp in June, it was the first time we used our wood-burning Cylinder Stove. It was cold enough that we heated the tent every night and even one day. I brought along a small, hand-held bellows. It was nice, when stoking the fire to speed along the process with the bellows. I just stuck the point of the bellows through the air vent in the stove’s front door and pumped away. All who visited our tent were impressed and said that they were going to get some for their next camp.
Boot scraper: Mud is one of the things I like least about camping. Although it is important to bring your boots inside the tent, you don’t need to bring mud or dirt if you have a sturdy boot scraper by the door. It is important to secure the boot scraper to a piece of wood so you can stand on the wood with one foot while you scrap the other.
Patio mat: I learned about this gem from another camper. They had this 9’X12” mat outside the door of their RV. It not only looked nice, but also created a clean area, almost like a patio, outside. The next time I went camping, I put this outside my tent door. It was great to not have dirt right outside the tent.
Chuck box on wheels: When I was investigating chuck boxes, I looked at different ones that people had made. I just couldn’t get excited about heavy wooden boxes that would strain my back to lift them. One day when I was in Lowes, I saw a large toolbox on wheels. It had compartments, wheels and a pull-up handle like a piece of luggage. It was perfect for getting kitchen gear to and from camp.
How to make a cot as comfortable as your "Sleep Number Bed": Sleeping is one of the most important parts of camping. We don’t function well if we don’t sleep well. This is one of the main complaints many have about camping – They can’t sleep on the ground, on a cot, in a sleeping bag. In fact a friend of mine who is a big time scouter and has camped many nights told me that he has never slept in a sleeping bag. He has spent a lot of nights in a sleeping bag, but has never slept in one. It took me a few seconds to understand his joke, but sleeping while camping is a real problem for many.
My wife has a difficult time sleeping and loves our sleep number bed. Here is what I learned about making a bed that allows my wife to get a good night’s rest. HAPPY WIFE = HAPPY LIFE! First of all I use a cot. You notice how a cot has a dip in the middle. This is bothersome to some. I put a self-inflating sleeping pad on the cot to fill up this space and add a foundation. Next, I use a 3” foam pad. This is bulky to store and transport, but oh, so comfortable. Making sure you sleep well while camping is worth the extra bulk. Now add the cot headboard and a warm sleeping bag and you’ll sleep like a baby. If my wife likes it, you will too.
]]>
I’ve used this sink for:
• Family camps
• Boy Scout camps
• Family reunions
• Church camps
• Fishing camps
It is great for:
• Cleaning up before and after a meal.
• Dutch oven or BBQ outdoor cooking even if you are miles from running water?
• Grilling on the back deck (don’t have to run into the house for a quick hand wash)
• Brushing teeth before going to bed at night.
• Washing hands in an out building where there is no plumbing.
It has been ideal for outdoor group hand washing before meals. When cooking at camp, having a sink with running water makes it easy for the cooks to cleanup before and after a meal.
My wife is a city girl that endures camping. My objective has been to make her as comfortable camping as possible. The first time I took this sink camping, she fell in love all over again. Happy Wife = Happy Life. She said that it was the most important camp item that we have and that she never wants to go camping again without it.
How it works
A foot pedal pumps clean water up from the supply bucket and out the spout. You pump water to get your hands wet. Then you wash with soap and pump again to rinse off. Clean water flows from the spout, over your hands, through the stainless steel bowl (sink) and drains into the wastewater bucket. The wastewater can be used to put out the campfire, water plants, and if long term camping, it comes in handy to rinse out the privy bucket.
Better Sanitation
• People wash their hands much more frequently. It’s easy and fun to use...so it gets used! Even children like to use it.
• You get a better hand washing since both hands are free to scrub.
• You don’t need to turn a knob on and off with dirty hands. You operate it by foot pressure.
• Most campers wash their hands at their water jug spigot. This results in a contaminated spigot and a mud puddle under your water jug.
• The built in soap dispenser makes it easy to always use soap while washing hands. No bar of soap to keep track of.
Conserves Water
• The Deluxe Camp Sink uses a lot less water compared to washing your hands at water jug spigot.
• An open faucet would use two to four times as much water.
• The flow of water stops as soon as you raise your foot
Components
Storage and Transport
As you can see from the pictures, this compacts into three convenient components. The plumbing, the pedal and the bowl all fit into the top bucket. And the two buckets nest together. The entire sink weighs just a little over 18 lbs.
User comments
I love these sinks so much that I just bought my 2nd one! These will promote hygiene so much in camping situations and also reduce the amount of water wasted.
Becky
Thank you for putting these together. They are really well made, and I'm glad I have a few.
Brian
I do love this sink. I am amazed with this thing!!! Who would have thought that a sink like this could mean so much?
Laura
Thank you for getting this out there. I love mine. And it does not use that much water to get the job done. This field sink has gone with me to outdoor activities all summer long and it is a big hit with kids and their parents. It is a must have in my book. Mine is sitting in the corner of my camp kitchen.
Natalie
The sink was a hit at the family reunion. People were amazed at how easy it was to use and how much better it was for washing hands. No more washing hands at the water jug for us. And we all washed our hands more often because of this sink.
Leslie
Options
The Deluxe Filtration Camp Sink adds a water filtration system, allowing you to use pond, stream or lake water. The filter is good for one million gallons.
Shipping Information
In order to reduce shipping costs, your sink will arrive in two packages. One package will arrive from me and the folding stand will be shipped separately. The quoted shipping is only for the lower 48 states. Additional shipping charges apply for Alaska and Hawaii.