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Saturday, November 24, 2018

Tent Camping Setup



Now that my van's been sold some people have been wondering what we are going to do for camping. Don't worry we have that covered.

We have a small economy car, a Nissan Versa Note. One of the first things I did after buying it was to put good solid Thule roof racks. They are expensive but the quality is worth it. Roof racks are darn useful on a small car where storage space is limited.

The 105 watt solar panel from off the van was mounted to a wood rack that fits right over the roof racks. There's still room for things like folding chairs to be tied next to it. That panel charges a 12 volt deep discharge battery. From that battery we run our 12 volt refrigerator, and all our electronics.

Last fall we purchased a really good L. L. Bean tent at their half price sale. It has standing head room and the floor measures 9.5 X 9.5 feet. It also has an attached screened in area that has plenty of room for a couple chairs and a table. There's a huge difference between a cheap tent and a good one. If you are going to camp for longer than a weekend a good tent makes all the difference.

Our most recent camping addition is a double height, self-inflating, queen sized bed. It's super comfortable.

We have a good propane camp stove, compact lanterns, cookware, water jugs, and all the little bits and bobs needed for comfortable camping.

Everything fits in the little car and there' still plenty of room for the dog. We have everything we need to be comfortable. Now some people thing it's a step backwards to go from a dedicated RV type vehicle. That's one way to look at it. However, even when we still had the van we'd sometimes use a tent instead. We just really love tents. My lovely wife thinks it's romantic and who am I to argue with that?

-Sixbears

10 comments:

  1. Where did you get your comfortable queen bed? I am thinking it would come in handy for guests.

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    1. Amazon. You don't have to get the cheapest, but read the reviews and get a better one.

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  2. Wow, I wouldn't exactly call your kind of camping "roughing it".

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    1. Never claimed to be roughing it. :)
      Roughing it for a weekend is one thing, but for long term you need a few comforts. Never hurts to keep the lovely wife happy.

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  3. I must admit the older I get the less tolerance I have for discomfort. Never really camped down south, but the whole tent thing in the typical north-east bad weather is a put off. The truck with a cap was a godsend when we were exploring Newfoundland and Labrador a few years ago. Now with the Honda Odyssey it might just be even more convenient.

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    1. Winter in Fl is supposed to be the dry season. That helps. The only time tent camping gets old is if the rain goes on forever. However, tenting is cheap enough that we budget in some hotel time just in case. If the rain doesn't stop we take a room and dry out ourselves and our gear.

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