Tent Camping Luxury Options

A penchant for the comforts of home isn't limited to RVers but what kind of luxury options could there possibly be for tent campers?  Aren't luxury and tent camping more or less mutually exclusive? We all enjoy a bit of extra comfort and convenience, even when roughing it -- epitomized by multi-million dollar motorhomes.  Here are a few luxury options for tent camping.

Portable generators are now light weight, quiet, and fuel efficient enough to be viable for use by tent campers, allowing them access to many of the conveniences of an RV, such as microwave ovens and electronic entertainment systems.  Count on spending several hundred dollars for a portable generator.  Older units that you might find good prices on will probably be heavy and noisy, so look for newer Honda or Yamaha powered models.  They are light weight, quiet, and fuel efficient.  You won't need the high wattage required to run the air conditioners on RVs.   I have an 850 watt unit I use to charge the batteries and run lights and small appliances and power tools in my motorcycle trailer when we aren't using it together with our motorhome.  It isn't enough to run roof AC on the trailer or the 120-volt air compressor.   Portable generators used for AC equipped travel trailers usually need a minimum of 2,000 - 2,500 watts and most factory installed units are at least 4000 watts.

Portable hot water systems give tent campers hot water for showers and doing dishes.   Prices are around $100 - $300 or so.  Add a shower enclosure (about $50) and you can enjoy hot, private showers in your camp site while tent camping.  Washing dishes is a whole lot easier when you can fill your sink with hot water just like you would at home instead of having to heat it in pans on your camp stove.

Air mattresses have reached the point where they sometimes rival traditional mattresses for comfort. Top of the line models may include built in manual or 12 or 120 volt pumps for added convenience. Individual, one person air mattresses are pretty cheap.  Full size or larger mattresses with electric pumps push $100 or more but are far more comfortable.  So-called self-inflating air mattresses expand when they're unrolled reducing or eliminating the need to huff and puff to fill them.   Larger residential style mattresses usually inflate to 6-8" deep so, unless they spring a major leak, you're not going to feel anything that's under the mattress.  Some air mattresses are so good you won't miss having them on a cot, but camp cots are another way to increase your nighttime comfort, especially if you have problems getting up off the ground in the morning.

Luxury sleeping bags give you 4-season comfort even on the coldest nights.   You can get good summer bags for around $30.  Good 4-season bags are going to cost a lot more, $80 to over $500! The pricier bags are light weight, down filled, and suitable for backpacking as well as car camping. The extra fill in 4-season bags tends to make them softer and more comfortable to lay on.  They may be too warm for summer nights but you will appreciate the extra insulation on colder fall and winter nights.  That extra padding gives them a very luxurious feel too.

Tent heaters take the chill out of "off season" camping and cool nights.  Catalytic heaters, either powered by white gas or propane, are available for under $100.  Take care to follow instructions and allow adequate ventilation to prevent suffocation.  A popular propane powered tent heater is the Buddy Heater.  They include a shutoff if they get tipped over and a low oxygen shut down to make them safer to use in confined spaces.  I still have an old Coleman white gas catalytic heater that works very well, but it takes about an hour to warm up so its not the most convenient appliance.  You can buy wood burning stoves designed for use in tents but most tents are not designed to accommodate them.  You need a fire-proof opening in the roof for the flue and should have a fire proof or at least fire resistant base on which to put the stove.  They are mostly used in heavy canvas cabin tents.  Anytime you have a flame-driven appliance in tent, whether a simple candle, lantern, or heater, always make sure  you provide adequate ventilation.

Portable sinks make routine tasks like washing your hands, shaving, brushing your teeth, and doing dishes more convenient.   I have one that has its own water supply built in.  Essentially, the sink is molded into a water jug and equipped with a hand operated pump.  When using a portable sink you'll need to figure out a way to dispose of the water.  Mine has a drain hose so I can let it drain into a bucket.  Some other options are glorified plastic dishpans and you have to take them somewhere and dump them.  In any case, having any kind of sink at your campsite sure beats repeated and frequent trips to the campground sink -- if they even have one!   Check out portable sinks at your military surplus store.   One option is field surgical sinks, but less expensive and more portable one-person sinks can also be found.  They usually consist of a plastic bowl that fits in a canvas and metal folding stand that folds up like a camp stool.  You can even get collapsible portable sinks that take up little room when stored in your camp kit.  Some portable sinks include a built-in 3- gallon water reservoir so they're mostly self-contained.

Luxury tents. Tents themselves come in many styles with many different features. You will or did probably start out with a very simple tent but options include multi-room family tents and tents with attached front porches, closets, vestibules, and awnings.  I've even seen some that look like a Swiss chalet, with double peaks and plastic windows with the appearance of multiple panes of glass.   Self-erecting "pop-up" tents are fun to use.  Just take them out of their bag and toss them in the air. Poof! Instant tent!  All that is left is to stake them down.  Wrestling the springy things back into their bags is a different matter and may provide several minutes of amusement for your fellow campers.  Truck tents and SUV tents might be considered luxuries by some people or essential by others.  More than one user has gotten a bloody nose when the spring-loaded tent poles got away from him as he tried to twist it back into its compact storage mode.

For a luxurious tent floor, bring along some foam anti-fatigue mats.  They are about 1/2" thick and lock together like a jig-saw puzzle or dove-tail cabinetry.  These days you can even get bright colors instead of the dull, grey/black originals.  They will protect you against a lot of the small debris that often pokes through the tent floor and makes standing or lying on it uncomfortable.  They also supplement your sleeping pads, giving you extra padding and extra insulation against cold, damp ground.

Tent and camp site lighting was once limited to kerosene or Coleman lanterns and flashlights. Today there are an endless list of battery powered lanterns including those with built in solar chargers and those with remote controls.  That luxury "remote control" quickly becomes a "must have" item on cold nights when you don't have to get out of your sleeping bag to turn the lantern on or off.   LED lanterns and flashlights are far more efficient than the traditional incandescent models so batteries will last a LOT longer.  I recently came across a 20-light string of battery powered LED tent lights, much like small Christmas lights, they are a bright white and, being LEDs, the batteries should last a long time.  They were under $12 including shipping on ebay.

Canopies provide protection from sun and rain. Ranging from simple and inexpensive "dining flys" to cover your picnic table, to large "EZ Up" canopies, there is an option for just about everyone. Dining flys are essentially tarps with a set of poles, stakes, and guy ropes.  They are typically set up over the picnic table, hence the name, "dining fly".   The "EZ Up" models usually have the fabric permanently attached to the poles.  They may require guy ropes in the wind, but are otherwise self supporting.  This style is usually used as an independent shade for kicking back in your camp chairs. This is the kind of canopy often used by vendors at fairs, flea markets, and trade shows.   Dining flies are typically around $30, self contained EZ up style canopies can run hundreds of dollars, depending on size and rated strength.  You can sometimes find fairly inexpensive 10x10 canopies for around $75.  One of my favorites is made like a dome tent -- light weight nylon fabic and shock-corded fiberglass poles.  It is compact, light weight, takes up little room during storage or transport, and is easy to set up and take down.

Advanced ice chests range from "5-day" chests to 12-volt powered coolers.   The "5-day" chests reportedly will keep ice in them frozen for up to 5 days, depending on how much hot stuff you add and how often you open the chest.   Regular ice chests are usually adequate for most outings and are often a lot more affordable.  Cheap styrofoam chests cost only a few dollars.  Regular plastic  chests are typically $20 - $50, depending on brand and size.  5-day chests run a bit more and can be found in both plastic and very durable stainless steel.  Consumer tests during a hot San Fernando Valley, California summer with temperatures over 90 showed they DO work better.   5-day ice chests at Walmart range from about $30 to $110.  12-volt powered coolers are usually about the same size and shape as ice chests but instead of relying on ice to keep the contents cool they have thermo-electric systems that cool.   Many of them have switches that allow them to be used as warmers instead of coolers.  Truckers often use these to keep their food and drinks cold -- or their pizza warm -- on the road.  They typically cost around $100 - $200 but I saw one small soft-side version for $39.99.   Some include a 120 volt adapter so you can plug them in at home to pre-cool them.  Using them in 12 volt mode allows you to keep things cool on the way to camp and, if you have sufficient battery reserve or run your vehicle engine periodically, in camp.

Camp cooking was once limited to the campfire but today there are many options.   The venerable Coleman stove is considered a camp essential by most tent campers.  Options such as ovens and toasters that sit on top of the stove extend its flexibility.  A really nice luxury alternative is the portable stove and oven.  These usually have two burners on top of an oven compartment all in a stainless steel framework.  They are very attractive and mimic most of the features of your home range albeit in a smaller package.

Entertainment systems have come a long way.   Long ago entertainment consisted primarily of a ball to toss around or perhaps a horseshoe set.  Today the sky is the limit.  With portable generators, you can bring along complete home theater systems for quality audio/visual performances in camp. Dozens of simple camp games, like lawn darts, have been developed that take up little room yet provide hours of fun.   With a little imagination you could use a LCD projector with your computer or DVD player and entertain the whole campground.

And don't forget cordless tools.  These modern wonders can add a lot of convenience to camping.  While they may be more easiler carried in an RV, having a few appropriate pieces of equipment in your tent camping tool box isn't a bad idea.

Camp in comfort!