MthrNature
In the past I've done a lot of car camping. However, even in a full size 4 door sedan, I am using up all kinds of space with clothing, gear, ice chests, etc...so much so that with 2 people, the trunk and back seats are fully occupied.
I'm in a position right now to order a new set of camping gear. How should I go about it so that the gear all fits into the large trunk of my full size car? I envision being able to provide for 4 people in my trunk with food and gear, and still have the seats to transport them.
I'm not a poet or an English major, so if I need to add details, please let me know.
Thanks!
Answer
The first thing is to try to reduce the amount of gear and clothing you bring with you. While you need fresh socks and underwear every day, pants and shirts can usually go two days between changes. Exchange bulky clothing such as denim and flannel for more compact chinos or synthetics. Trim out unnecessary items from your toiletries kit. If you have a properly-rated sleeping bag you won't need to bring blankets. Leave your pillows at home and stuff your pillowcase with your extra clothing. Minimize your cooking gear down to the bare essentials.
After you eliminate or swap all you can to save weight, then you can look at replacing items with gear that's more compact.
The first easy swap is to get rid of those cotton bath and dish towels and switch to synthetic pack towels.
Things like lanterns and bug lamps can take up a lot of room. If you have huge gas or oil lanterns, consider replacing them with more compact (and longer running) LED lanterns. Instead of bug lamps or citronella candles bring mosquito coils. Replacing folding tables and chairs with roll-up tables and bag chairs will save space.
Also look at the size of your coolers and how you pack them into the trunk. Sometimes going with a different cooler design will allow you to pack your car more efficiently without sacrificing cooler capacity. And if you're bringing more than two coolers, (one for beverages, which gets used most often, and one for food), you've got too many.
Do you bring both a stove and a grill? Maybe you can consolidate by using a Coleman Grill/Stove unit (just don't use the grill side for pots and pans, it _CAN_ melt; don't ask how I know). You can also get a griddle accessory for this unit, which might replace your frying pan entirely.
Next look at your sleeping bag. Although they can be a bit expensive, you can find sleeping bags that compress down to 1/4 the size of a cheap unit. 9" x 15" pack size is easily obtainable without spending over $100 per bag. Then look at what's going under your sleeping bag. Is it a huge cot or mattress? You might be able to save a bunch of space by switching to a more compact-folding cot or self-inflating mattress.
Then look at your shelter(s). How much room could you save if you went with a smaller tent design? Is it worth the trade-off in space? Maybe you could find a tent with similar floor space that packs into a smaller footprint. Do you also bring along an easy-up, screen room or gazebo to shelter your kitchen/dining/sitting area?
Finally, if the above doesn't solve your packing problems, or the cost exceeds your budget, you can always add additional storage space by using a removable roof-top basket and/or waterproof cargo bag to handle additional gear. Just be careful to adequately secure everything before heading out on your trip.
.
The first thing is to try to reduce the amount of gear and clothing you bring with you. While you need fresh socks and underwear every day, pants and shirts can usually go two days between changes. Exchange bulky clothing such as denim and flannel for more compact chinos or synthetics. Trim out unnecessary items from your toiletries kit. If you have a properly-rated sleeping bag you won't need to bring blankets. Leave your pillows at home and stuff your pillowcase with your extra clothing. Minimize your cooking gear down to the bare essentials.
After you eliminate or swap all you can to save weight, then you can look at replacing items with gear that's more compact.
The first easy swap is to get rid of those cotton bath and dish towels and switch to synthetic pack towels.
Things like lanterns and bug lamps can take up a lot of room. If you have huge gas or oil lanterns, consider replacing them with more compact (and longer running) LED lanterns. Instead of bug lamps or citronella candles bring mosquito coils. Replacing folding tables and chairs with roll-up tables and bag chairs will save space.
Also look at the size of your coolers and how you pack them into the trunk. Sometimes going with a different cooler design will allow you to pack your car more efficiently without sacrificing cooler capacity. And if you're bringing more than two coolers, (one for beverages, which gets used most often, and one for food), you've got too many.
Do you bring both a stove and a grill? Maybe you can consolidate by using a Coleman Grill/Stove unit (just don't use the grill side for pots and pans, it _CAN_ melt; don't ask how I know). You can also get a griddle accessory for this unit, which might replace your frying pan entirely.
Next look at your sleeping bag. Although they can be a bit expensive, you can find sleeping bags that compress down to 1/4 the size of a cheap unit. 9" x 15" pack size is easily obtainable without spending over $100 per bag. Then look at what's going under your sleeping bag. Is it a huge cot or mattress? You might be able to save a bunch of space by switching to a more compact-folding cot or self-inflating mattress.
Then look at your shelter(s). How much room could you save if you went with a smaller tent design? Is it worth the trade-off in space? Maybe you could find a tent with similar floor space that packs into a smaller footprint. Do you also bring along an easy-up, screen room or gazebo to shelter your kitchen/dining/sitting area?
Finally, if the above doesn't solve your packing problems, or the cost exceeds your budget, you can always add additional storage space by using a removable roof-top basket and/or waterproof cargo bag to handle additional gear. Just be careful to adequately secure everything before heading out on your trip.
.
Living in the canyon for the summer--being voluntarily homeless?
Q. So I'm seriously debating over whether it is a good or bad idea to go live in the canyon this summer instead of renting an apartment. I love the outdoors and I could save a lot of money by just camping up there. No rent, no utilities, and natural living! I also think it will be a really good learning experience.
My plan so far is to rent a storage unit with electricity for all my crap. That way I could have a mini fridge and a place to plug in an electric griddle if need be. I would still have my car. I am a student at the university so I'd use the gym's showers, campus internet, etc... Then I could rotate through campsites every week so I'm not too suspicious.
I think this town consistently rates one of the top safest towns in America so I really doubt I need to worry about creepers. And the campsites are usually well kept so I feel like large animals will steer clear. And like I said, I still have my car in case of emergency.
Am I forgetting anything? Should I be worried about anything else? Any personal experiences?
Thanks
My plan so far is to rent a storage unit with electricity for all my crap. That way I could have a mini fridge and a place to plug in an electric griddle if need be. I would still have my car. I am a student at the university so I'd use the gym's showers, campus internet, etc... Then I could rotate through campsites every week so I'm not too suspicious.
I think this town consistently rates one of the top safest towns in America so I really doubt I need to worry about creepers. And the campsites are usually well kept so I feel like large animals will steer clear. And like I said, I still have my car in case of emergency.
Am I forgetting anything? Should I be worried about anything else? Any personal experiences?
Thanks
Answer
In order to obtain a master's degree, I camped in developed campsites for two summers in a van down by the river. Due to all of my papers and an electric-powered non-stick pan for meals, I was glad to have electricity provided in camp. Fees were cheap, but transportation and loss of time were costs. I also paid for one restaurant meal each day due to time constraints, usually a Chinese lunch for economy and healthy components in the meal. Your willingness to move camp weekly is very responsible and will allow you to leave-no-trace. Therefore, you will not be in conflict with law enforcement as long as you are following the local regulations for dispersed camping. In my circumstances, I was not near any lands where dispersed camping was allowed. I figured that my daily living costs were $20 per day.
Today, I could have adequate battery storage to run a laptop computer between charging at school. I would use propane-butane canisters for cooking now. During my education, internet was not a source of research materials. I slept comfortably in a +15 degree sleeping bag, especially because the van retained some heat. I did shower and shave in the university gym early each morning without ever being challenged. During the past decade I have never applied any of my university education from three degrees, five certifications, and spent two decades being either underemployed or moving every few years for career changes. Of course, I answer questions, write articles and books, but do not recover the costs of outdoor gear or transportation from my work.
I have known a few homeless men. One froze to death in winter on a below-zero night where alcohol was involved. Another beat a fellow homeless man to death at his campsite and is serving a sentence for murder. A woman was killed by her homeless man companion associated with a knife-stabbing during an alcoholic binge in their campsite. Several young men have frozen to death in snowdrifts near me due to being disoriented on their way homes from bars. No one ever had a conflict with a wild animal, except one man stored canned goods in his tent that were eaten by a black bear when he was away from his dispersed camp near town. I attribute that problem as stupidity of the homeless man and proximity to a community that trains bears to eat refuse. I have never had any encounter with a bear in my remote wilderness dispersed camps. Human communities educate bears badly and help create alienated homeless men. Military veterans, alcoholics, and mentally-ill men are typically homeless and estranged from "civilization." Perhaps, you will be able to write a balanced thesis on homelessness in American after you get a taste of it.
In order to obtain a master's degree, I camped in developed campsites for two summers in a van down by the river. Due to all of my papers and an electric-powered non-stick pan for meals, I was glad to have electricity provided in camp. Fees were cheap, but transportation and loss of time were costs. I also paid for one restaurant meal each day due to time constraints, usually a Chinese lunch for economy and healthy components in the meal. Your willingness to move camp weekly is very responsible and will allow you to leave-no-trace. Therefore, you will not be in conflict with law enforcement as long as you are following the local regulations for dispersed camping. In my circumstances, I was not near any lands where dispersed camping was allowed. I figured that my daily living costs were $20 per day.
Today, I could have adequate battery storage to run a laptop computer between charging at school. I would use propane-butane canisters for cooking now. During my education, internet was not a source of research materials. I slept comfortably in a +15 degree sleeping bag, especially because the van retained some heat. I did shower and shave in the university gym early each morning without ever being challenged. During the past decade I have never applied any of my university education from three degrees, five certifications, and spent two decades being either underemployed or moving every few years for career changes. Of course, I answer questions, write articles and books, but do not recover the costs of outdoor gear or transportation from my work.
I have known a few homeless men. One froze to death in winter on a below-zero night where alcohol was involved. Another beat a fellow homeless man to death at his campsite and is serving a sentence for murder. A woman was killed by her homeless man companion associated with a knife-stabbing during an alcoholic binge in their campsite. Several young men have frozen to death in snowdrifts near me due to being disoriented on their way homes from bars. No one ever had a conflict with a wild animal, except one man stored canned goods in his tent that were eaten by a black bear when he was away from his dispersed camp near town. I attribute that problem as stupidity of the homeless man and proximity to a community that trains bears to eat refuse. I have never had any encounter with a bear in my remote wilderness dispersed camps. Human communities educate bears badly and help create alienated homeless men. Military veterans, alcoholics, and mentally-ill men are typically homeless and estranged from "civilization." Perhaps, you will be able to write a balanced thesis on homelessness in American after you get a taste of it.
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