Outdoor Adventure USA

The net this week will be on one of our favorite topics - Comfort Camping. We have discovered or have made our own camping items during our years of camping that have made for a very comfortable camp. Comfort while camping doesn't have to mean pulling a 35 foot trailer or an RV, but stuff you can easily carry into a wilderness camp over roads that often require 4WD. And it doesn't mean that you have to "rough it". With some clever planning, the right equipment and a need to get away, your camp can be very comfortable and pleasant. And, there's no better way to introduce new campers to the outdoors.

We know what works for us and we want to hear about your ideas and products that have made your camp comfortable. Some of our best ideas have come from the suggestions we hear on these nets and right here in the forums. Between now and all the way up to net time, we will be posting pictures, information and links. Check back often for updates.

Here is our starting list of comfort camping topics:

1. showers
2. kitchen equipment
3. shelter options
4. sleeping bags
5. Ham radio equipment and comms options
6. outdoor furniture (chairs, tables)
7. outdoor lighting
8. clothing
9. personal gear (toilets)
10. water carriers and purifiers
11. cleaning equipment (dishes, hands)
12. food storage
13. first aid kit

Any others???

The things that make for a comfortable camping trip may differ slightly from one person to another, but for the most part, most of the things we will mention are universal. Keeping in mind that the equipment we carry must be capable of being conveniently stowed in the motor vehicle that you use. Our trips are usually for durations longer than a traditional weekend and into places where we need to bring everything that our camp requires. Therefore, compactness, functionality and quality are the criteria that we use to judge which gear we carry.

At the top of the list of comfort items are:

Hot water showers Without doubt, the best showers are those that can heat water, regardless of the temperature, and can be used for more than a single use at a time.

1. Zodi. The Zodi company makes several models of showers and related equipment, all of which fit the requirements mentioned above, (see: http://zodi.com/hot-showers .) For average camp use, their Hot Tap series of propane powered showers are an excellent choice. The Hot Tap HP double burner unit can heat very cold water (in the 30s) without the need for recirculation. They come as a complete kit and the only options that you may require is an enclosure.I have been using the Zodi Hot Tap showers for many years and can state without reservation that works well and that the Zodi Company offers top notch customer support (made in the USA). From the Zodi website:
Here is the completed shower, with enclosure. Set-up and take-down time is about 15-20 minutes.

2. Mr. Heater. Their shower is a portable water heater and shower, also powered by 1 lb. propane (see: http://www.mrheater.com/sporting/aquacu ... hower.html ). The obvious new feature that the Aqua Cube offers is the opportunity to have a hot water tap for dishes, hand washing etc.

From the Mr. Heater website:
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3. Solar Sun showers. Solar shower bags are a convenient and space saving shower option. The bags range in size from about 2 gallons to 5 gallons and some models (Stearns) come with a thermometer so you can gauge the temperature of the water. Solar showers by Stearns are one of the most popular and come in several sizes.
4. Vehicle mounted hot shower by Helton Water Systems. These showers require the unit (some plumbing and a heat exchanger) to be mounted in the engine compartment of your vehicle. With the vehicle running (at normal operating temperature) the system will heat fresh water for use as a shower. Here is how it works:

The heat exchanger is permanently mounted in your vehicles engine compartment. It is then plumbed so the hot water that travels from your engine to the vehicles heater passes thru the heat exchanger.v Connect the three hoses that come with the system. Warm your vehicle to normal operating temperature. Connect the pump to your vehicles battery

Cruiser Outfitters, (http://cruiseroutfitters.com/helton.html )sells these showers. Also see the Helton website: http://www.helton.com.au/.

Camp Chairs

Quality portable outdoor furniture can make for a very comfortable camp. Whether you are sitting around the campfire, eating dinner, or just relaxing with friends, the camp chair is an indispensable part of a good camp. We'll mention a few of our favorites, and want to hear yours.. In the comfort department, there are many candidates and the choice is purely personal, but the one of the qualities of a good chair is that the seat not form into a V when you sit down. If you look at the picture of the MacCabee chair (below) you can see that the seat is flat, and it stays that way even when seated. The chair is durable, with a steel frame, and folds up into a very compact sack (included). The chair is available from the manufacturer and goes by the name of "Aviator Portable Chair, see: http://www.macsports-store.com/The-Avia ... 04s-bl.htm. Or, Amazon carries it. For about $50.00, it's hard to beat!
For the camper seeking the ultimate in comfort, the zero gravity chair is really taking camping to a much higher level. If you have some room on the roof, this addition to your camp gear will turn you into an instant hero at camp. It folds flat, making it easier to carry.

Over the years, we've found that the little things can sometimes make for a more efficient camp, as well as a more comfortable one. Here is where innovation and imagination most often come into play (translation: you have to make the item).

For example, there is rarely a camping trip where the wind doesnt blow (except when I bring my wind turbine). I can't count the number of times we would return from a day's activity to find that the wind had unrolled most of the paper towels from the holder and spread them all over the dirt. Solution: make a "keeper" that would prevent this from happening while at the same time allowing unrestricted access to the towels. All that was needed was a thick piece of aluminum, attachment hardware, and some screws and now the paper towels stay put.

I had a Zodi shower basically melt down (never spend that kind of money on such a thing) . . . most trips I go stinky but when I need to bring a shower, I bring a 7 liter pot and a Coleman shower pump. I fill that pot with water, heat it on the fire or stove and when it hits the right temp, I shower ("Navy Shower"). I have a solar shower as well. I have a folding “floor” I made that is the same as the cedar ones folks buy. I do have a “shower tent” but find that in the backcountry folks ain’t around to see me anyway so . . . ummm… I am behind that tree over there.

Kitchen Equipment

Meal time should be one of the highlights of any camping trip. Just like at home, having a well equipped outdoor kitchen, can make a huge difference. The picture below is an example of our kitchen set-up:
Nothing needs to be fancy, expensive, or bulky. Comfortable chairs for mealtime, sturdy tables for eating and cooking, and the right equipment to conveniently and easily prepare meals, all make for a very comfortable camp. Here are some examples:

Stove Top Oven by Coleman
Compact folding Tables

KK6CTT, Rick, web check-in.

Phases of comfort camping for an Infantryman:
1. Poncho liner and Poncho that eventually become a poncho hooch with mosquito bar side and poncho liner blankie.
2. P-mattress also known in a more derogatory way. Cut down to fit between rucksack frame with only enough there to really be used for the upper torso.
3. Graduate to Thermarest torso mat and DXed just short of half-dozen 'cho liners by this time. The best are just old enough to be pliable and pack really small (butt pack size) but just enough to give you some form of insulation from the weather. Common phrase in use for years up to this point, "Wow, that was a two liner night!" and "I broke ice this morning when I got up, darn it was cold!" or "Travel light freeze at night..."
4. Night in desert with the wind blowing and the woobie, 'cho liner, flapping in the wind like a flag 40 feet up on a flag pole in a 50 mile/hour constant wind...it is time to start carrying an ultra light sleeping bag.
5. For those times when you are not really camping but enjoying life because you don't have to carry everything in a rucksack...in comes the Army folding cot and sometimes a cot with the full length mattress pad.
6. Continue sleeping on a Thermarest and require one for the family as well but they go big and buy an air mattress. Old ways are hard to change.
7. You sleep one night on the air mattress and you are sold! It is now, in a tent, on an air mattress in a poncho liner. Some things just don't change. I am a poncho liner using Muldoon and that will probably be the case unless there is snow on the ground and maybe, just maybe, I break out my sleeping bag.
8. Still enjoy sleeping under the stars on a cot and sleeping bag when I car camp by myself but roughing-it is no stranger in my camp and probably off topic tonight!

Just in case I can't make it into the repeater I'd like to ask for a check-in for myself KD6GCO and a courtesy check-in for KN6VL.

Thanks,

I hope I can make the repeater...but I haven't had any luck the last 2 or 3 weeks, I guess due to cloud cover / weather issues...so in case I don't make it, please check me in

Larry W6LPB Thanks

The recording of this net is available at Comfort Camping.