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We have three small children and want to camp in comfort - we have seen a trailor tent for a very good proce on eBay - what are your views?
I want to go away for 3-4 weeks and cannot bear the thought of staying in a normal tent for that time, and cannot afford a hotel...
Answer
Pop-up campers are ideal for families with small children. Most are light enough to be easily towed behind a 6-cylinder vehicle without a huge sacrifice in fuel economy. Unlike motorized RV's, a pop-up does not need separate liability insurance or expensive maintenance (though inexpensive RV insurance is advisable on newer units that still have good value).
One big advantage of a pop-up versus tent camping is your camper can be cleaned and re-stocked after each trip so you just need to add perishable foods and clothing to head out on your next adventure. There is enough storage space to keep all of your gear permanently inside the camper, either in the cabinets or in storage bins on the floor. So you don't need to shoe-horn your tent, sleeping bags, cooking gear, food and clothing in the car with the family, making the driving portion of your trip more comfortable and enjoyable.
The other big advantage is the additional comfort and protection. Thick foam mattresses and heavy canvas tent material, combined with the solid roof, floor and partial walls of the main body, offer additional insulation, weather protection and security versus a tent. You can choose a model that has a propane furnace to safely heat your camper in cold weather, and fans or even air conditioning to keep cool in the summer.
Most pop-ups have a galley with a sink, fresh water supply, and a propane stove that can be used inside or outside. They carry one or two 20Lb propane tanks externally so you don't have to deal with disposable propane canisters (you might need adapters and extra hose if you want to use a gas BBQ grill). There is a 12V battery to run lights and small appliances when no AC electrical hook-ups are available, but you also have the option to hook-up to "shore power" to run your air conditioner (if equipped or added), microwave oven (again, if equipped or added) or other higher-power devices. Small 3-way refrigerators are common in larger pop-ups.
Some things to consider when choosing a pop-up:
1. Where will everyone sleep?
_ a.) Small kids can share a bed, 3 small kids fit on a king-size mattress.
_ b.) The dinette folds into a bed, but only 48" wide, so sharing is "intimate."
_ c.) The dinette might be too short for a single teen/adult. Check before you buy.
_ d.) Older boys don't like sharing beds. Make sure you have sleeping options.
_ e.) Kids like to invite relatives and friends. Complicates all the above.
_ f.) An add-a-room and some cots can provide additional sleeping options.
2. Bathroom or not?
We never had a bathroom in our pop-ups and didn't miss it. Worst case is you setup a chemical toilet and shower bag in a privacy shelter outside, but mostly we relied on the campground facilities for toilet and shower needs. Our hybrid camper (a full-box travel trailer with fold-out bed ends) has a small bathroom, which we use when dry camping, but we prefer to use the campground facilities when available to avoid adding humidity or smell to the camper. No built-in bathroom also eliminates the most hated of RV chores: dealing with the sewer line and holding tanks.
3. Water heater or not?
Even without an inside bathroom or nearby facilities, a quick hot shower is a welcome luxury. When dry camping it is much preferred to bag showers, and at a full-service campground it makes quick clean-ups after swimming more convenient. The only disadvantage is a shower will use up water quickly when dry camping, and takes-up storage space.
4. Air conditioner or not?
They often ice-up and stop working when you want them the most, particularly in a pop-up camper that's not as well insulated as a full-box travel trailer or motorized RV. The A/C requires an electrical hook-up or a minimum 3500-watt generator. A/C is noisy and a generator makes things worse. We found that even in the desert during summer, once we acclimated to the temperatures, nights were comfortable with only fans. But in hot and humid, A/C might be desirable.
5. Awnings
One awning is highly recommended. Two is even better. We rarely ate or just hung-out inside our campers, even with the large hybrid, even in the rain and cold weather. With our last pop-up we had one awning on each side. The "front" awning was used as our hang-out area, sometimes with an add-a-room to keep out the bugs. The "back" awning was where we setup our kitchen and dining area.
6. Storage
An outside storage trunk is a great feature. Just remember to unload it before extending the front bed slide. Some pop-ups have a slide-out drawer that can be accessed when the bed is extended, but this cuts down on storage capacity and doesn't allow large items. Use stacking storage bins to storage space; small in cabinets, large to stack on the floor during transit.
Always buy used. Most people use their camper 2 or 3 times a year, so even a 10 year old camper - if well maintained - can be in great condition at huge savings.
Pop-up campers are ideal for families with small children. Most are light enough to be easily towed behind a 6-cylinder vehicle without a huge sacrifice in fuel economy. Unlike motorized RV's, a pop-up does not need separate liability insurance or expensive maintenance (though inexpensive RV insurance is advisable on newer units that still have good value).
One big advantage of a pop-up versus tent camping is your camper can be cleaned and re-stocked after each trip so you just need to add perishable foods and clothing to head out on your next adventure. There is enough storage space to keep all of your gear permanently inside the camper, either in the cabinets or in storage bins on the floor. So you don't need to shoe-horn your tent, sleeping bags, cooking gear, food and clothing in the car with the family, making the driving portion of your trip more comfortable and enjoyable.
The other big advantage is the additional comfort and protection. Thick foam mattresses and heavy canvas tent material, combined with the solid roof, floor and partial walls of the main body, offer additional insulation, weather protection and security versus a tent. You can choose a model that has a propane furnace to safely heat your camper in cold weather, and fans or even air conditioning to keep cool in the summer.
Most pop-ups have a galley with a sink, fresh water supply, and a propane stove that can be used inside or outside. They carry one or two 20Lb propane tanks externally so you don't have to deal with disposable propane canisters (you might need adapters and extra hose if you want to use a gas BBQ grill). There is a 12V battery to run lights and small appliances when no AC electrical hook-ups are available, but you also have the option to hook-up to "shore power" to run your air conditioner (if equipped or added), microwave oven (again, if equipped or added) or other higher-power devices. Small 3-way refrigerators are common in larger pop-ups.
Some things to consider when choosing a pop-up:
1. Where will everyone sleep?
_ a.) Small kids can share a bed, 3 small kids fit on a king-size mattress.
_ b.) The dinette folds into a bed, but only 48" wide, so sharing is "intimate."
_ c.) The dinette might be too short for a single teen/adult. Check before you buy.
_ d.) Older boys don't like sharing beds. Make sure you have sleeping options.
_ e.) Kids like to invite relatives and friends. Complicates all the above.
_ f.) An add-a-room and some cots can provide additional sleeping options.
2. Bathroom or not?
We never had a bathroom in our pop-ups and didn't miss it. Worst case is you setup a chemical toilet and shower bag in a privacy shelter outside, but mostly we relied on the campground facilities for toilet and shower needs. Our hybrid camper (a full-box travel trailer with fold-out bed ends) has a small bathroom, which we use when dry camping, but we prefer to use the campground facilities when available to avoid adding humidity or smell to the camper. No built-in bathroom also eliminates the most hated of RV chores: dealing with the sewer line and holding tanks.
3. Water heater or not?
Even without an inside bathroom or nearby facilities, a quick hot shower is a welcome luxury. When dry camping it is much preferred to bag showers, and at a full-service campground it makes quick clean-ups after swimming more convenient. The only disadvantage is a shower will use up water quickly when dry camping, and takes-up storage space.
4. Air conditioner or not?
They often ice-up and stop working when you want them the most, particularly in a pop-up camper that's not as well insulated as a full-box travel trailer or motorized RV. The A/C requires an electrical hook-up or a minimum 3500-watt generator. A/C is noisy and a generator makes things worse. We found that even in the desert during summer, once we acclimated to the temperatures, nights were comfortable with only fans. But in hot and humid, A/C might be desirable.
5. Awnings
One awning is highly recommended. Two is even better. We rarely ate or just hung-out inside our campers, even with the large hybrid, even in the rain and cold weather. With our last pop-up we had one awning on each side. The "front" awning was used as our hang-out area, sometimes with an add-a-room to keep out the bugs. The "back" awning was where we setup our kitchen and dining area.
6. Storage
An outside storage trunk is a great feature. Just remember to unload it before extending the front bed slide. Some pop-ups have a slide-out drawer that can be accessed when the bed is extended, but this cuts down on storage capacity and doesn't allow large items. Use stacking storage bins to storage space; small in cabinets, large to stack on the floor during transit.
Always buy used. Most people use their camper 2 or 3 times a year, so even a 10 year old camper - if well maintained - can be in great condition at huge savings.
Does anyone know of a large backpack that can be apart to a smaller size?
Kyle
I'm in the military and I'm looking for a backpack that can pack 3 days worth of stuff, but can still be taken apart into a smaller size for like patrol and school use. I would prefer ACU, Black, Tan, or OD Green
Answer
For military use - forget it. You can only used what is issued.
For civilian use, I have seen such backpacks at Bass Pro Shop and Big 5 here in California. You should be able to find them online as well at Cabellas and other outfitting/outdoors companies. I do recommend that whatever you get you touch and feel it first to make sure it is what you really want. Often times the frames are weak aluminum and bend quite easily making the pack useless where you have to abondon the items or treat the pack as a hand-carry sack.
Interesting that you mention "3 days". A basic WWII, Korea, Vietnam (up to about 1986) combat pack provides plenty of room for someone who knows what they are doing for a 3 day hike/camping trip. I packed on for over 20 years and speak from experience. My pack had a mess kit, extra socks (2 pair), C rats and later MREs, poncho, extra skivvies and trousers, blanket, shelter half with pegs and tent pole, entrenching tool, 1st aid kit (in addition to the one on my cartridge belt), plus a few other items like bug juice. You just need to know who to properly pack your pack so that every cubic inch is used. The blanket and shelter half are carried on top of the pack and strapped on.
Water and another 1st aid pouch is on a cartridge belt that has pack suspenders to balance the load. If you want to add more, pick up a cargo pack that is strapped to the bottom of the marching pack. I have carried a can of 7.62 ammo in it plus extra gear. That was no fun because the ammo is mostly lead! : )
By the way, the color is OD Green. You can stil get these packs at most Army/Navy surplus stores around the country. I still have mine that I have used for over 40 years. Works great, been through hell, and still excellent condition. There are sprays for water repellenancy - have to use them on current nylon packs also but more often.
Lieutenant Colonel, U S Marine Corps-Retired (27 years active and had both my canvas and ALICE pack. preferred the canvas since it never broke).
For military use - forget it. You can only used what is issued.
For civilian use, I have seen such backpacks at Bass Pro Shop and Big 5 here in California. You should be able to find them online as well at Cabellas and other outfitting/outdoors companies. I do recommend that whatever you get you touch and feel it first to make sure it is what you really want. Often times the frames are weak aluminum and bend quite easily making the pack useless where you have to abondon the items or treat the pack as a hand-carry sack.
Interesting that you mention "3 days". A basic WWII, Korea, Vietnam (up to about 1986) combat pack provides plenty of room for someone who knows what they are doing for a 3 day hike/camping trip. I packed on for over 20 years and speak from experience. My pack had a mess kit, extra socks (2 pair), C rats and later MREs, poncho, extra skivvies and trousers, blanket, shelter half with pegs and tent pole, entrenching tool, 1st aid kit (in addition to the one on my cartridge belt), plus a few other items like bug juice. You just need to know who to properly pack your pack so that every cubic inch is used. The blanket and shelter half are carried on top of the pack and strapped on.
Water and another 1st aid pouch is on a cartridge belt that has pack suspenders to balance the load. If you want to add more, pick up a cargo pack that is strapped to the bottom of the marching pack. I have carried a can of 7.62 ammo in it plus extra gear. That was no fun because the ammo is mostly lead! : )
By the way, the color is OD Green. You can stil get these packs at most Army/Navy surplus stores around the country. I still have mine that I have used for over 40 years. Works great, been through hell, and still excellent condition. There are sprays for water repellenancy - have to use them on current nylon packs also but more often.
Lieutenant Colonel, U S Marine Corps-Retired (27 years active and had both my canvas and ALICE pack. preferred the canvas since it never broke).
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