Chuck Box

The idea of a "Chuck Box" has been mentioned in several posts as an asset for camping.  So what is a chuck box?  It is kind of like a portable kitchen, mostly used for camping.  Since its likely that many people have never seen one, here is a link to project plans to build your own chuck box.  To some extent they are based on the trail proven techniques used to build chuck wagons for wagon trains and cattle drives in the Old West.  Ideally, your chuck box is a complete, portable camp kitchen.  If you camp in an RV you probably won't need a chuck box since all its features are built into your rig, but some RV folks like cooking outdoors and may find them useful.  There is even  a trend for RVs to have outdoor kitchens and a chuck box is a pretty good substitute if your RV doesn't have one.  For tent campers, a chuck box can deliver a lot of utility and convenience.  A chuck box can be carried in a pickup, SUV, or even in the trunk of your car.  Unless your RV has enormous "basement" storage compartments you may need a rear cargo carrier or a small trailer if you want to add one to your RV.  One advantage to building your own instead of buying one pre-built is  you can design it to fit and make best use of the space you have available to transport it as well as customizing it to safely hold a exactly what you need it to hold.  You can set up your chuck box on the tailgate of our pickup or SUV or on a picnic table or bring along a portable aluminum stand (like a so-called "camp kitchen") to set it on.

Chuck boxes are an adaptation of the concepts used in chuck wagons on cattle drives and wagon trains in the Old West.  They were designed to secure all the basic ingredients and cooking gear needed to provide meals for the cowboys moving herds of cattle across open range and across rivers -- no roads, no bridges.  They excelled at making maximum use of minimum space, conserving weight, and keeping everything dry and secure during what was often rather wild weather and rough travel.  They often had specific bins for basic ingredients like flour, salt, sugar, beans, and coffee. These days you will probably use plastic containers you can stack on the shelves.  Ease of use was a key factor as they had to serve up 2 or 3 meals for lots if cowboys every day out on the trail.   Keep in mind the cuisine on cattle drives wasn't fancy and everything had to be made from just a few key ingredients.  You may recall the warning "Cookie" gave the would be trail hands in the movie "City Slickers":  "You ain't getting no nouveau, almondine, bottled water, sauteed city food!  The food's hot, brown... and plenty of it!"   Which means they were pretty much eating beans and bacon and the coffee was boiled in a pot not a percolator and you had to strain the coffee grounds through your teeth, kind of like Army coffee!  Here are some examples of chuck boxes:

                                                       

There are commercially manufactured chuck boxes you can buy (see Classic Chuck Box, but many people like to build their own.  The one shown in the link is freestanding on its own legs so it doesn't need a table or the back of a vehicle for a platform.  Buying one ready built is an attractive option if you don't have the tools or skills or desire or space to build your own.  Just check the dimensions carefully to make sure it will fit in your vehicle.  Building your own allows you to customize the size and shape to make maximum use of your available space to transport it and the accommodate the things you need to put in it and how you want to use it.  Consider the loaded weight as well as the size.  One that is too big or too heavy to move isn't going to you much good.  So building one that takes up the whole bed of your full size pickup probably isn't a good idea.  It might make an interesting conversation piece and be useful on your patio at home but if you can't pick it up and put it in the back of your vehicle it won't work for camping.  If  you find you can't fit everything in one box, you can supplement it with additional bins or design a second unit to provide additional capabilities as well as additional space -- if you have somewhere to carry it on your  camping trips.

You can design your own chuck box to fit your specific vehicle and your personal requirements.  There are two major limitations you need to take into consideration:  1) size and 2) weight.  The dimensions of your chuck box will have to fit within available space in the vehicle you plan to transport it in.  Another advantage to building your own is you can customize the shape to take advantage of available space in your vehicle.  Sometimes square boxes won't fit inside a closed automobile trunk.  You can get pretty big and fancy if you'll be using it in a pickup truck or large SUV, but will have to scale things down if your means of getting to camp is a sub-compact car.  If you make it too big, it won't fit in your vehicle.  Even if you have a large vehicle to haul it around in you won't want to make it TOO big or it will be too heavy to move, especially when you load it down with utensils, cookware, and provisions.  One solution is to build it in two or more pieces that can be easily moved and then quickly assembled in camp.  When choosing materials, consider that it will most likely have to stand up to rainy days in camp.  A good quality marine grade plywood would be much better than particle board.  Sure, particle board is cheaper, but it is also very heavy and tends to fall apart when it gets wet.  While you will probably want to have space on the front door/shelf for your camp stove and sink, you probably shouldn't try to store and transport the stove inside the chuck box.  That space could be better used for organizing ingredients and utensils.  Most stoves either are either self contained or come in pretty good carrying cases so they can be packed separately.  Designing your own chuck box  lets you choose the size to fit your available transport space and to customize features to accommodate your specific gear and camping style.  One innovation I found that I thought was quite interesting was a two-sided chuck box that opened to provide counter space on both the front and the back.  Such an approach gives more room for a stove, a sink, and food prep space for those of us who like to spread out.  One side might be used as serving space for a buffet style meal while the other side is used for food prep and cleanup.

The rear outdoor kitchen in teardrop trailers is often based on a chuck box or chuck wagon design.  It is probably the closest most people will every see to a real chuck wagon.  For some ideas about how to build  or chose your personal chuck box, stop by an RV show or a dealer and check out some teardrop trailers.  Some key features you will usually find are lockable drawers and cabinets to prevent things from falling out during travel.  Most of the storage spaces will be fairly small but actual size should be determined by your specific needs.  In some configurations the main door covers all the interior cubbyholes to keep things in place.  You'll probably need at least one cabinet large enough to store your cook kit or pots and pans.  It is often convenient and secure to have small, individual compartments or bins for things like flour, sugar, and spices.  You will most likely find it convenient to include some kind of sink even if its just a plastic dishpan.  It can be convenient to have a shelf or platform on which to set a water jug high enough so gravity can supply water directly into your sink or be available for cooking, cleaning, or drinking.  Another option is to use larger water jugs and a battery or manually operated pump to transfer water from the jugs to the sink.  The sink and water system are good candidates to be separate from the chuck box itself.  You'll soon learn you need the space in the box to corral all your kitchen items and provisions where they'll be secure in travel and easy to use in camp.   For smaller chuck boxes, the "sink" will probably be a plastic dishpan you can set on the shelf when the box is open.  The front of the box is normally hinged at the bottom so it opens out to create a shelf.  This is different than a teardrop trailer where the back is often hinged at the top so it opens up to form a canopy over the cooking area.   An umbrella or stand alone canopy can provide shelter over your chuck box.  If you're building your own you will probably find it well worth the slight extra cost to use piano hinges on the main door/shelf.  These hinges run the full length of the opening and distribute the weight better than individual hinges and are less likely to pull loose or twist during use.  You will want to waterproof the outside so it is resistant to wind, dust, and rain.  Ordinary residential foam type weatherstripping will help seal the doors.  Joints should be caulked and the whole thing sealed in a good quality outdoor paint or varnish.  You can be as creative as you like with the paint scheme.  Some paint them to match their vehicles, some just to be bright and cheery.  Or you might decorate it with favorite club, sports, or organization themes or logos.  You will  want to add sturdy handles so it can be easily moved in and out of your vehicle as necessary.  If you have large chuck box in the back of a pickup or SUV you might use it in place, but you still need to be able to load and unload it at home.  Smaller boxes you might carry in the trunk of the family car will probably be moved to the end of a picnic table for use.  If you plan to move your boxes often in camp you will definitely want to make sure they aren't too bulky or too heavy.  It would be good if they could be handled easily by one person, but if you camp with your family you may need and be able to manage something that requires two people to carry it.

If you want the extra convenience of a large chuck box but need to hold down the weight,  consider toting all the utensils, ingredients, etc separately in plastic tubs and just putting them in your camp kitchen when you get to camp.  While that defeats some of the organizational benefits of a self-contained chuck box, it does give you the option for more convenient storage of utinsels and more food preparation space in camp while spreading out the weight for easier carrying.  Individual tubs also allow you or organize supplies by category for more convenient use.  Plastic or rubber tubs are also waterproof and usually provide adequate protection against small pests.  You might need steel containers to protect against larger intruders such as bears, raccoons, or even squirrels.

A handy addition to a chuck box is some sort of canopy or umbrella to provide shade and protection from rain.  Something like a beach or patio umbrella might be attached directly to a large chuck box.  For smaller units you may want to employ a dining fly or a free-standing canopy which could also shelter the entire picnic table for eating.  Of course you may want some kind of canopy over the picnic table whether your chuck box is there or not.  Sometimes it is advantageous to include mounting brackets for a canopy or umbrella on the chuck box itself.  The rear door of a teardrop trailer is usually hinged at the top so the door serves as a canopy for the chuck wagon style galley area.

A friend of mine built what could be considered the ultimate chuck box.  Or, since it was on wheels, it could be considered a modern chuck wagon.  He started with a large gas powered iron griddle (about 3' x 3') that had been part of a decommissioned Forest Service camp kitchen along with a similar size grill for steaks and burgers and a couple of large gas burners for stock pots etc. He converted all the orifices on the gas appliances from natural gas to propane and ran the whole thing from a large, mobile home size propane tank that fit under the cooking platforms.  It was all assembled on a small (4'x'8') trailer frame.  The lift-off lid had fold down legs to turn it into a convenient serving and preparation table.  A shepherds crook style lantern holder held a Coleman gas lantern high above the whole setup for ease of use in low light conditions.  The extra space left in the trailer around the stove and propane tank carried cook ware and utensils, ingredients, and condiments.  I helped him serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner to more than 100 people at a time using that trailer on several occasions.  It was quite fun to use and drew a lot of comments from the crowd.  Just two or three of us could easily cook breakfast, lunch or dinner for 100 people.  Surprisingly enough, even cleanup was kind of fun.

You might combine a chuck box with a camp kitchen for maximum culinary space.  Typical camp kitchens from companies like Coleman are folding aluminum frames to hold your camp stove and provide food preparation counters.  Some even have sinks or  place for a plastic wash basin.

My wife and I adapted a home made chuck box to serve as a "sliding galley"in our sailboat.  The original owner had built it for tent camping but his family had outgrown it and he had moved up to a larger unit.  We lucked out and his old one was exactly the right size to fit under the cockpit seat of our Macgregor 25 sailboat as a sliding galley and give us a place for a small plastic washtub for a sink and room to organize galley items, like utensils and pots and pans.

Chuck it!

RV Cabinets and Closets

RV designers face a difficult task of balancing available space, cost, and usability.  You can't usually do much about the overall floor plan, but you can sometimes make smaller improvements to existing closets and cabinets to improve convenience and usability.  Interior storage areas include closets, drawers, and cabinets.  Exterior storage areas are usually called compartments.

Tent campers don't usually have a lot of cabinets to deal with, but some of the suggestions given in this article might  be applied to a "chuck box", that is sometimes useful to tent campers as a portable kitchen.

How you organize your stuff in your RV cabinets and compartments will make a big difference in usability.   Adding a permanent or temporary extra shelf inside can make retrieving items more convenient, especially in large or deep cabinets.  Plastic bins to corral small items are quite helpful.  Without them small items tend to shift during travel and may come tumbling out in an avalanche when you open the door when you get to camp or simply get lost in a jumble of stuff in the bottom.  Plastic shoeboxes are a convenient size to corall lots of the stuff we squirrel away in our RV cabinets.  You ca also use cardboard boxes buy plastic is more durable and does a better job of containing spills if something gets broken.

Adding lights to dark closets or cabinets is a fairly easy and inexpensive upgrade.  Automatic lights in closets are particularly useful.  They can be hard wired into the vehicle's 12-volt electrical system or battery powered.  They are usually controlled by a plunger type switch that turns the light on when the door is opened and turns it off again when the door is closed.  Closet light kits are sometimes available from RV stores.

Battery powered LED lights are really easy to install in just about any closet or cabinet and do not require any wiring.  They can usually be attached using double-sticky tape so you don't even need a screwdriver.  My preferred choice are "tap lights", which are turned on or off by simply tapping the lens but  versions with normal switches are also available.  The only down side to tap lights is that shifting contents inside the cabinet could turn them on during travel and run down the batteries.  Fortunately, LEDs don't draw a lot of power so if they do get accidentally turned on occasionally it probably won't be much of a problem.  Mounting the lights high in the cabinet minimizes the chances of contents striking them and turning them on accidentally and gives you the best illumination.  You usually get best coverage inside the cabinet by mounting them inside the front of the cabinet.  The little LED lights that look like a light switch are good option for closets and large cabinets.  They are extremely bright and the switch, which is like a normal household light switch isn't as likely to get flipped by shifting contents.

Deep cabinets can benefit from the addition of sliding drawers, bins, or shelves.  Some luxury RVs come with sliding shelves or drawers in outside cabinets.  This is especially useful since these large spaces tend to accumulate a lot of stuff and it can be difficult, frustrating, and time consuming to have to dig through multiple layers of stuff to find what you're looking for.  Another good candidate for sliding shelves are the deep, narrow "pantries" in some units.  Having the space to store canned goods etc is a real boon -- until you have to try to grab that can of chili from the very back of the top shelf!  Adding sliding shelves to these cabinets is fairly easy and not too expensive, unless you opt for fancy self-closing slides and expensive hardwood shelves.  Simply cut a shelf just wide enough to fit through the open door and slightly shorter than the depth of the cabinet.  You will sacrifice about 1" of height for each shelf, but the gain in access and convenience is well worth it.  To make it easy to pull the shelves out, drill 3/4" or 1" hole in the middle at the front of the shelf or cut the shelf short enough to add a handle.  You may be able to find pre-finished shelves that closely match existing wood or stain common pine shelving to match.  You might want to add a not-slip shelf covering to help keep contents from shifting and rattling.  You could also add plastic bins to further contain small items or group like items for convenience and containment to prevent shifting during travel so cans don't fall out the back when you slide the shelf open.

Speaking of plastic bins, they can be used to good advantage in just about any cabinet to group and contain items.  Translucent bins or baskets with holes you can see through will let you glimpse the contents without having to remove them from the cabinets.  Bins can sometimes be stacked which gives you more options for organizing and accessing items.  Instead of having to move a half dozen bottles to get to what is behind them you can just move one bin, get what you need, then put the bin back in place.  Another benefit of using plastic bins is they will often capture spills to they don't spread throughout the cabinet or drip out the door.  I wish I had been using plastic bins when a bottle of green food coloring tipped over and spilled in one of my galley cabinets.  It leaked out and left permanent streaks down the face of  the otherwise pristine and beautiful oak cabinet.  It is also a lot easier to clean sticky spills from a plastic bin than it is to scrub them from a cabinet shelf.  Being able to take the bin out and thoroughly wash it with hot water is much nicer than scraping and scrubbing in the confined space of the cabinet.  In the worst case scenario you can always throw the contaminated bin away and replace it with a sparkling clean new one.  Plastic bins are almost essential for storing extra motor oil and other automotive chemicals in your outside compartments.  The bins make getting things out much easier and they are much easier to clean when something spills.  Confining spills will help prevent contamination of other contents.  It can be really nasty if your fresh water hose gets soaked in spilled motor oil or antifreeze, but storing potential offending liquids in plastic bins can prevent this from happening.  Of course, it is better to keep your water hose in a different place than oil and antifreeze -- if you have enough room to do that.

Cabinet hardware (hinges, latches, and pulls) do eventually wear out or break down or may be damaged by accidents or abuse.  This is especially true of the light weight plastic catches often used in RVs.  They are pretty easy to replace, if you can find an exact replacement.  Finding and exact match for cabinet hardware on older units may be a problem and you may have to adapt new hardware to solve the problem.  Avoid damage in the first place by NOT slamming doors or otherwise abusing the hardware.  Store heavy items only on bottom shelves where they can only slide against the door and not catapult into it.  Using non-slip shelf lining will reduce sliding too.  Take a second or two to make sure there is nothing in the way before closing the door.  Anything that interferes with the door closing completely and smoothly could damage the hinges, latch, or the structure of the door itself.  That includes things that protrude past the shelves or get caught between the door and the frame.  As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  You can probably get replacement hardware for newer units at your local RV store or through the dealer or manufacturer, but you'd have to be really lucky to get an exact match for older units.  For them you may have to scour junkyards for units of near the same vintage. Sometimes you can find matching hardware even in different brand vehicles than yours if they're about the same vintage.  You might even find suitable replacements at your local hardware store or home center.  If you can't match hardware exactly, one option is to replace all the hardware so everything still matches.  Fortunately, hardware isn't terribly expensive.

Normal wear and tear will affect hinges and latches and many problems can be resolved by tightening hinges and adjusting latches. If the screws have pulled out you may be able get them to hold again by inserting a wooden match or toothpick into the hole and reinstalling the screw.  If that doesn't work, sometimes a larger size screw will solve the problem.  You can also get kits to repair screw holes.  They consist of a cone-shaped tool for enlarging the hole and several wooden cones.  You ream out the hole and glue a cone into it, then drill a small pilot hole in the cone and reinstall the screw.  This works pretty well  in solid materials like cabinet and door frames but not so well in paneling.  One way to solve stripped screw problems in paneling is to use molly bolts, that have components containing a threaded nut that expand behind the paneling.  Some have spring-loaded "wings", others are slotted cylinders that collapse and spread out as the bolt is tightened, gripping the paneling from behind.
 
Some extra large cabinets may benefit from adding more shelves.  Make sure you don't create small spaces that will be difficult to get things in and out of.  Shelves may be added permanently or installed so they rest on rails and can be easily removed if you need a taller space.  Wire racks can often be found in houseware departments that can be used for temporary shelves.  I've even seen folks make shelving from styrofoam insulation slabs to hold light weight items like clothing.  Adding a shelf to a very tall cabinet can often double the usable space.

Non-slip shelf lining can help keep items from moving around during travel and reduce rattles.  Keeping things from sliding around as the vehicle moves will help prevent damage to the contents and the cabinets and minimize unwelcome noise.  Be creative in protecting and securing your items.  One woman used colorful socks around glassware to prevent them from constantly banging into each other during travel.  Another cut holes in styrofoam blocks to anchor her fancy glasses.  Non-slip shelf lining can also be cut into smaller pieces to pad cookware to reduce rattles and prevent damage to the Teflon coating on pots and pans.

Some catches and latches aren't up to the task of resisting the forces of contents shifting during travel and pounding the door.   Weak latches will allow stuff to fall out during turns.  You may be able to upgrade the latches to something more substantial.  You can also limit movement of contents inside cabinets using spring-loaded braces like those designed for refrigerators.  Sometimes you can tie adjacent door handles together with mini-bungee cords to keep both cabinets closed.  Another option are the "baby-safe" devices used to prevent little children from opening cabinet doors at home.  Of course proper loading of cabinets to minimize weight and possible shifting is always a good idea.  I have seen some creative owners install "thumb locks" for positive latching.  These require drilling only one hole.  The latch swings up inside the cabinet to secure the drawer or door.  Done right they even look OEM professional.

Top-hinged outside cabinets are more convenient to use if there is a latch to hold the door open while you are accessing the cabinet.  If your RV doesn't have these convenient latches they are fairly cheap and easy to install.  Often they can be screwed to the side of the RV but the preferred way to attach them is using pop rivets.  Take care to properly align the latch before you being drilling.  Some latches may simply catch the edge of cabinet; others are designed to reach over the lip and catch inside the frame of the door.

Some cabinets have gas assisted struts to hold them open.  If these become worn, bent, or damaged they may have to be replaced.  If your RV doesn't have them and you would like to add them, they are usually fairly inexpensive to buy and not too difficult to install.  Sometimes the screws attaching them to the cabinet and/or the door may get loose.  If the hole is stripped so the screw won't tighten, try sticking wooden matchstick or toothpick in the hole with the screw to take up the slack.  Badly stripped holes might be repaired using  special plug kits, available at home centers and hardware stores. They consist of wooden cones and an auger to shape the holes to fit the cone.  Glue the cone into the hole and let it dry completely, then drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw and reinstall the screw.  Note, this will only work if the screws go into wood to hold them.  Some exterior cabinets may have thin aluminum or fiberglass skins.  To repair stripped fasteners in these, replace them with molyscrews.

When loading  your cabinets, try to put light items in the upper cabinets and keep heavy items (like canned goods) in the lower ones.   This has several advantages.  For one, it will be less stressful on your body lifting light items than heavy ones into overhead cabinets.  A second major advantage is light items will be less likely to become  unguided missiles if a door come open during unexpectedly violent maneuvers.  And finally, by avoiding putting too much weight in overhead cabinets you decrease the likelihood that the cabinets will come loose from the wall and or ceiling.  Overloading overhead cabinets often leads to failure of the support systems and then you face a serious and potentially expensive repair.

RV closets sometimes have special closet rods that use proprietary clothes hangers to keep articles from falling off the rod from rough roads or unusually violent maneuvers.  If yours does it can be tedious to switch hanging garments from their normal hangers to the special hangers and back for each trip.  To keep hangers secure on a standard closet rod I've found a clean, dry car wash sponge fits well between the top of the rod and hangers and the ceiling and will hold the hangers in place without adding too much weight or interfering very much with hanging or removing clothes from the closet.  If your RV is short of dresser drawer space, as many are, you might want to add one or two plastic drawers at the bottom of the closet.  Unless it is unusually short, there should be space available underneath the clothes you hang in the closet.

Make it better!

Washing Dishes In Camp or On A Boat

OK, so what's so special about washing dishes in camp or on a boat?  After all, we all have plenty of experience washing dishes at home.   And even if we're used to having automatic dishwashers, there are still times when we've all had to resort to washing dishes by hand, so what's the big deal?  Of course, for many of us, the best way of cleaning dishes in camp is to simply toss the paper plates into the campfire.  But even when we use paper plates there are usually some other, non-disposable dishes (or pots and pans) used in preparing the meal that have to be washed.

If you're camping in an RV there is usually a tendency to wash dishes the same way we do at home.   RVs have a similar sink (though noticeably smaller) and (hopefully) plenty of hot water.  But doing things the same way in your RV or camper wastes water, fills holding tanks more quickly, uses more propane to heat water, and sometimes introduces garbage into the gray water tanks that cause odors or even blockages when dumping.  One way to avoid these problems is to use disposable (paper or styrene) dishes.  Then doing dishes is mostly as easy as tossing them into the campfire or the trash can.   But you usually can't cook in paper or styrene and when you do use real dishes, there are things you can to do mitigate potential problems.  First, clean your pots and pans and your dishes as quickly as possible when you're done using them, before food has chance to dry and "bake" on. Dump some water in them before they cool completely.  Then use paper towels or crumpled newspaper to wipe off the dishes instead of pre-rinsing them.   If you really must pre-rinse, don't run water from your faucet to do it. Use a dishpan or an empty gallon jug to collect water while you're waiting for the shower to get hot and save that for pre-rinsing dishes.   Dumping some of the saved shower water into pots and pans while they're still hot and letting them sit while you eat can make them a LOT easier to clean. Then use a good quality concentrated dish soap.   It will cut grease faster and better than the cheap stuff and the smaller bottle will take up less room in your RV or camp kit.  Organize your dishes before you start washing.   Do the things that require the least cleaning first.   For me that is usually cups and glasses, then silverware.   Bowls and plates are next and pots and pans last.  Pots and pans will be much easier to clean if you dump some of your saved pre-rinse water in them while they're still hot, as soon as you're done cooking in them.  That instantly begins to loosen sticky, stubborn material and it will continue to soften as it sits while you eat. (Yes, that is worth repeating!).  For your final rinse, fill a dishpan or the second sink and dip items in it rather than rinsing under running water.  Rinsing under running water wastes lots and lots of hot water!  These techniques will reduce water usage, minimize filling of holding tanks, and nearly eliminate accumulation of food residue in your plumbing and holding tanks.  Some RVs are now equipped with dishwashers, usually a drawer style under the kitchen sink.    Pre-clean dishes by wiping as described above and follow the manufacturers recommendations for detergent and rinse products.

Doing dishes while tent camping can be a tedious task.   First of all, unless you're in a campground that has a dish washing sink available for your use, you'll have to do everything in one or two dishpans right at your site.  You'll need to plan ahead and have a pot of water heating while you're eating so you have hot water ready when its time to clean up.  You can do dishes in cold water, but the results may not be as sanitary as you would like and it will take more soap and more elbow grease.  Washing dishes in cold water may leave a greasy or soapy residue on your cookware and dinnerware.  That is definitely NOT a good thing!  A fellow scoutmaster once quipped he didn't worry too much about the boys getting their dishes clean because it "solved the constipation  problem".   I suppose you could consider diarrhea as a solution to constipation, but not necessarily one you want to encourage.  I strongly suggest is is well worth the time and effort to heat up some water for doing dishes.  You might put an extra pan of water on the campfire or on an unused burner while you're preparing dinner.   If that doesn't work out for you, take minute or two to fill a pan and put it on the stove so it can be heating while you're eating.  From there, many of the suggestions given above for RVers will be helpful to tent campers as well.  Wipe off the dishes, put things in a logical order so you can do the ones that need the least cleaning first, use a good quality soap and remember to start pre-soaking pots and pans as soon as you finish using them.  Once you're done, you'll have to dispose of the dishwater.  There should be a designated dump location or you can dump it down the drain if there is community sink.  Lacking either of those options (when you're boondocking for instance), dump it somewhere away from camp sites, trails and roads and at least 200 feet from any lake, pond, spring, well, or stream.  Dump the soapy water first, then use the rinse water to rinse out the soapy dishpan as you dump it.  Always dry your dishes and put them away right away.   Sometimes it may be tempting to leave dishes out to air dry instead of drying them and putting them away.   I don't recommend it.   Leaving them out leaves them exposed to insects and vermin that might carry dangerous germs.   Chipmunks and squirrels are cute running around camp, but I wouldn't want them walking on  or licking my dishes! They are not very careful where they walk so you never know what they might be tracking.   And when it comes to flies, well, we all know what they've been walking on and we definitely don't want THAT on our dishes!  Not even tiny little fly footprints of it.  Not only is it unappetizing, it may contain e.coli bacteria, which can make you very sick.  Some campgrounds have community sinks where you can do your dishes.  Be sure to clean the sinks with detergent or an antibacterial household cleaner before and after use.  Don't pre-rinse your dirty dishes at the shared faucets.  That makes a mess that everyone has to deal with.  Pre-clean them at your site as previously described.

Hot water usually does a better job of cleaning than cold water, but in some situations you may have to resort to washing your dishes in cold water.   You might find yourself in an area with fire restrictions where you can't have a campfire to heat your water and if you don't have an approved stove you're out of luck.  You might have to use a little more detergent when using cold water, but you should still be able to get your dishes clean.  Any greasy or soapy residue left on your dishes, silverware, or pots and pans, could lead to stomach distress and what is commonly known as 'the runs' so make sure they are thoroughly cleaned and well rinsed before you dry them and put them away.  A scoutmaster I once knew said he never worried about making sure the boys got their dishes clean because it "solved the constipation problem in camp".   Not sure what planet he's been camping on but from what I've seen, the more common problems when camping are just the opposite of constipation!   By the way, be sure to buy a good quality, concentrated dish soap.  It will take up less space in your RV cupboard or camp bins and will work better than the cheap, watered down stuff. You want something with good grease cutting power.

Washing dishes on a boat usually has its own unique foibles.  For one thing, you may have to deal with movement.  Many small recreational boats don't have hot water systems so you will have to heat the water in a pan.  Try to use pot restraints to keep the pan from spilling if wind waves or a wake from a passing boat rocks yours.  The galley sinks on many small boats drain directly out into the water so avoid putting anything down the drain that might stain or damage the finish on the hull or contaminate the water, especially if you are in a fresh water lake or river that may be a drinking water source.

 
In a survival situation where you don't have any detergent, you can use ashes from you fire to scour your dirty dishes, especially pots and pans.  Really stubborn deposits might require rubbing with a little fine sand.  BTW, ashes mixed with cooking grease will create a kind of soap itself, so you can get things pretty clean that way.  You can make real soap from ashes and cooking grease or animal fat but it is time consuming.  Basically you start by leeching lye out of wood ashes, then mix the lye with animal fat.

Portable sinks can be useful in camp.   But since they don't usually have a supply of hot water, you still have to heat your water on the campfire or camp stove.  I have found portable sinks really handy for washing your hands and face or brushing your teeth, but not for doing dishes.   Simple dishpans are a better size and shape for washing dishes.  The cheap plastic ones from the dollar store will do the job, but heavier, better quality rubber versions will last longer and be less likely to crack in transit or in the middle of the job.

Dove brand dish has recently been advertising a spray and wipe product that might be useful in camp.  My wife has been using her own version for years.  She simply mixes dish soap with about an equal amount of water in a spray bottle.  It is an easy way to clean a few dishes without wasting a lot of water or time.

Doing dishes in camp doesn't have to be an onerous task.   If you plan ahead, get organized, and use the right tools and techniques, it will go quickly and you'll enjoy clean dishes and avoid the 'runs' that sometimes result from poorly cleaned pots, pans, and dishes.

Portable hot water systems can provide convenient hot water for tent campers (or RVs and boats that don't have water heaters) for dishes, showers, etc.  They are a little pricey -- somewhere north of $100 but you may find them well worth the cost if your budget can handle it.  However, you can heat water for doing dishes in any pan or pot right on your camp stove or campfire.  A portable hot water system will also let you have hot showers, so it might be worth the investment.  Another way to get hot water in camp is using a "sun shower", a black plastic bag you fill with water and leave in the sun to get heated.  Proper hygiene is essential for good health as well as comfort and presentability.

Wash up!

RV, OHV, and Camping Public Events

You may find it fun and interesting to attend various organized RV, OHV, and camping events. There are many types of events you can choose from.   Some are industry based events to showcase (and sell) new products.  Some are consumer or club based "camporees" that are just for fun.  There are numerous trade shows throughout the country.  State and federal agencies sometimes sponsor events to promote parks and other attractions.  You may get invited to a "free" weekend at a commercial campground.  These are usually tied to a mandatory presentation about their membership camping organization.  If you're already considering membership camping, it is a good way to get information about the resources and costs for the sponsoring organization and begin comparing offerings. In my experience the presentations are usually well done but too often I've found the sales pitch afterwards to be pretty pushy, usually hitting you with a "buy it now or never get another chance" scenario.  To me that is an immediate turn off and my queue to head for the door!  Other events may be sponsored by local communities, pubic agencies, camping organizations, etc.  Many are free or low cost.   Look for outings sponsored by local Good Sam chapters or other camping or OHV clubs for fun social activities with fellow campers.  Some events may require membership, but others may be open to visitors.   Camping with other folks with the same brand of RV or with the same interests as you adds a measure of fun, sharing, and education and can help you develop a network for assistance if needed.

Trade shows, put on by industry organizations, manufacturers, and dealers usually provide access to a variety of new products and services and are an excellent way to get some close up experience with new equipment.  It can be a lot of fun to wander from vendor to vendor and learn about new options. Many times they will offer special show pricing on products and services.  Sometimes you will see new products being introduced that aren't in the stores yet and it is a good time to snatch them up while you can.  Not all the good ideas you'll see at trade shows will make it into full production and distribution so keep that in mind.  If you see something you really like, you should probably grab it while you can.!  Trade shows usually include some workshops that are often very well attended.   Some are free or included in your admission.   Some premium workshops may charge an extra fee but they are usually well worth it if you are interested in the topic.  Some workshops are designed to demonstrate new products and, of course, they will want to sell you those products before you leave the area.   Cooking classes often have a lot of good ideas for camp menus and preparation but are sometimes a thinly veiled pitch for cookware or specialized camping food.  They may be sponsored by dealers of cook sets, utensils, or food products so expect them to include a sales pitch.  A big turn off for me is when they use the "you only get this one chance" line.  I figure if they have a good product but I'm not ready to buy it right now, there is no legitimate justification for such limitations.  In fact, even if I may have had some interest in making a purchase I may walk out when they start with the arm twisting tactics.  I don't think it is ever a good idea to reward bad behavior.

Forest Service, BLM, and State Parks agencies sometimes have open houses at various places to familiarize potential patrons with the facilities.  Or they may have booths at other RV/Camping/OHV events where you can learn about their offerings.   Camping at government facilities is usually reasonably priced, sometimes even free!

Pubic celebrations, local holidays, and festivals, are all good excuses for an RV/OHV/camping experience.   Even if you only "camp" in your RV for the day in the parking lot or along the street, your RV will make a good base of operations to explore the activities.  Watch for events sponsored by the US Forest Service, National Parks, your local county and state parks, and the Bureau of Land Management.  These events will usually be free and loaded with good information about local destinations for your outdoor exploration.   Sometimes commercial campgrounds will have an "open house" where you have an opportunity to explore their facility.  National parks may require a fee for some destinations and activities.

Camping clubs such as the RVer's Good Sam Club or local outdoor organizations based on specific interests such as hiking, fishing, bird watching, horseback or OHV riding, are an excellent opportunity to socialize with fellow campers with similar interests.   Many RV brands have their own clubs where you can share experiences and tips about your RV and your camping experiences.  Look for local organizations for your favorite activity too and check with rangers at county, state, and federal recreation areas to identify clubs that might be of interest to you and your family.  A good example is Tin Can Tourists, an all make and model vintage trailer and camper club. 

OHV clubs can often be found at the local and state levels and each may offer unique opportunities for group activities.  Events may include rides, service projects, and educational activities.  Sometimes an event may combine multiple functions.  Here in Utah we have the Utah Trail Machine Association (UTMA).  California has the California Off Road Vehicle Association (CORVA).  You can find similar organizations in almost every state.  Our Utah Trail Machine Association sponsors "High Five", a clean-up day at Five Mile Pass every spring.   In addition to being a service project where we pick up trash and clean out and rebuild fire pits throughout the Five Mile Pass Recreation Area, we provide rider education through literature and presentations by relevant organizations, then wrap up the day with a family ride to a local point of interest.  The stated goals of High Five are: public service, rider education, and family fun.  Many OHV or campground service projects follow a similar pattern.  Even without the family ride, doing a service project as a family can be a lot of fun as well as making a nice contribution toward supporting our outdoor resources. 

Family events lend themselves very well to RV and camping activities.   Family reunions make excellent camping activities.   An extended family may include people from many walks of life having various camping lifestyles.  An ideal location for a family event in cases like this would be a resort that includes cabins or motel rooms, RV spaces, and tent camping spaces.   That way, everyone can be comfortable and enjoy the family associations and activities rather than have to focus on adapting to an unfamiliar lifestyle.   In some cases you might have an extended family that all are RV/OHV fans.  In that case, you can have your event in a remote, primitive camping area where you can all take advantage of your OHVs.  Some things that will enhance the event and make it more convenient and fun for everyone might include staking out an area large enough to "circle the wagons" in the tradition of the Old West wagon trains, with a central campfire for shared activities.   If you have a large group, having an easily identified event headquarters, such as a labeled EZ-up and a portable PA system can help facilitate coordination of activities.   Schedule various activities to appeal to different age groups and interests.  A fun tradition at our family reunions was a gift exchange.   Each family was requested to bring a home-made craft gift to share with other families. You can be creative on how the gifts are distributed.   Sometimes you might use them for prizes for the winners of certain games or you might just put all the names in a hat and use a raffle format.  I still have in my motorhome the crocheted napkin holder we got at one family reunion and we use it regularly.  Family reunions are particularly good places to share family history and exchange information with people you may not see very often.

Sports events, such as auto racing and football, have become magnets for "tailgate parties".  These are social gatherings in the parking lot or at a nearby park before or after the event itself.   RVs are convenient for these gatherings since you have built in cooking, sanitation, and entertainment facilities, but you can have a fun tailgate party from the back of your pick up or even from the trunk of your car.  You will usually find you'll be more comfortable if you have some form of shade (RV awning or free-standing canopy) and comfortable chairs in addition to a supply of your favorite foods, snacks, and beverages.  Beer and wine are often favored at tailgate parties but be sure to check with local rules and regulations to avoid unpleasant consequences and always drink responsibly. After all, you'll be hitting the road soon after the party is over.

We found our RV was a good base of operations for attending our kids' weekend soccer games.   Not only did it allow us to comfortably transport our family of 8, we had ready access to first aid supplies, snacks, and clean or warmer/cooler clothes as needed.  Many of the recreational soccer venues lacked restrooms so having the RV nearby during a full day of going from game to game was a godsend.

Public shows are often presented by rangers at local parks.  They usually focus on the history, geology, or ecology of the local environment and are usually quite informative, educational, and entertaining.   Its a good way to become familiar with your local resources.

Public service projects can be fun for the whole family as well as productive.  These are good opportunities to teach our children respect for our public lands and demonstrate our appreciation to the land managers.  Service projects help us maintain our camping facilities and prove their value to the government organizations that control them.  Seldom used areas or often abused areas are likely to be eliminated during difficult economic times while frequently used facilities where users take an active interest in preserving and maintaining them have a better chance of survival or even improvement.  Most service projects involve simple tasks, like trash clean up, that the whole family can participate in.  If you have the skills and interest, trail maintenance projects are a lot of fun and often take you into some beautiful and more remote locations than you might ordinarily visit.  Many service projects include some recreational and educational activities where you can have fun and learn more about the local facilities and their history.   Can't find a project to suit you?  Organize your own!  Perhaps your family can volunteer to work with a local park ranger to perform needed maintenance and cleaning.   For larger areas, recruit your camping buddies or extended family to join you.  You'll need to coordinate your plans with the land managers in charge of where you want to work.   You will usually find they are grateful for your assistance and happy to work with you.

Your own camping events can be customized to fit the needs of you and your family.   If you still have kids in school, you'll probably want to plan your outings around holiday weekends or other times the kids are out of school.  Choose locations that are convenient and inexpensive and provide adequate facilities for your chosen activities.   Our family dirt bike outings in southern California eventually grew into a group we called Desert Rats.  We were an unofficial, family-oriented group of recreational riders who shared common riding and camping interests and schedules.   On some occasions only a few families showed up; at other times there were a lot!   One time we counted at least 175 people! The more people you are expecting, the better organized you need to be.   For two or three families we could change our location easily if we wanted to and could choose the trails and times we wanted to ride together.  For larger groups, we needed to ensure we staked out sufficient camping space for our group and usually posted signs along the highway and access roads guiding people to camp.  The signs don't have to be fancy.  A lot of times I see directions scribbled on paper plates with Magic Markers.  I once had some very nice reflective, aluminum signs made for my Desert Rat group.  The first time I used them half of them were stolen!  Since they were unique to our group I kind of think whoever stole them was just being malicious.  You will find it helpful to be consistent.  Whether it is just your own family planning and especially if you are sharing activities with other people, maintaining a recognizable and consistent pattern will usually make things easier. For instance, you might want to use the same camping/staging location for a particular holiday every year so everyone knows where to go.  We also took advantage of electronic communications to send out announcements and maps for events via email and posted activities on our our web site (www.desertrat.org).

Have fun!

Kitchen Utensils for Camping

You probably haven't given much thought to choosing kitchen utensils for camping.  And that's OK.  Most people have enough experience in the kitchen to know that they're going to need and just duplicate that, or as much as they think they'll need for camping.  However, there are some choices for camping that work better than what you normally use at home and having dedicated utensils for camping will make loading and unloading for each trip easier.  What you take with you may depend partially on whether you're in an RV or are tent camping.  If you're in an RV, you probably want to maintain a pretty well stocked kitchen, similar to what you have at home.   However, you may have space limitations.  If you're tent camping, you may need to limit the amount of stuff you have to carry around.   Even in an RV your drawer space will probably be a lot smaller than at home so you may want to downsize some items and seek multi-use tools to reduce how many things you have to sort through when you need something.  You probably won't need everything you have at home.  Your menus will, to some extent, dictate what utensils you will need.  If you stick to a simple menu, you should be good to go with basic utensils. Another factor is the potential to be cooking on a campfire.  For campfire cooking you will not only need fire resistant utensils, but you will probably want ones with extra long handles for  safety and comfort.  Plastic utensils that work just fine at home and may even be preferred for non-stick pans may not be the best choice for campfire cooking.

The biggest difference will be the need for durability and resistance to fire.  The plastic utensils we favor to protect our Teflon cookware at home may not hold up to the rigors of camp cooking, especially if you're cooking on the campfire.   Camping also brings frequent distractions and plastic utensils left in the pan may quickly begin to melt.  I prefer solid stainless steel utensils, but steel items with wooden or heat-resistant plastic or wood handles usually work well, are sometimes less expensive, and last a long time if you keep the handles away from flames.   Stainless steel items can get hot so you might need gloves or hotpads.  Old-fashioned porcelain covered "speckleware" has a nice pioneer ambiance and works well for camping.   I have a meat fork, serving spoon, and ladle in "speckleware" or "graniteware".   I also have a set of speckleware soup spoons that are fun to use.  For really heavy duty stainless steel utensils, check out a restaurant supply store. However, you probably don't need to invest that much.   I've used the ones I bought at my local "dollar" store for decades without any problems.   The only issue I've had, is my wife liked my ladle so well she commandeered it for the home kitchen and I had to find another one.

Which utensils you need will ultimately depend on your menus and cooking style, but here are some basics most everyone will find useful:

      * cooking/serving spoons (I suggest at least 2)
      * slotted spoon
      * meat fork
      * spatulas (again I suggest having 2)
      * ladle
      * paring knife
      * small and medium butcher knives
      * dish towels and/or paper towels

 If you are into basting, you'll need a baster and/or a basting brush.  I would get a plastic baster rather than a glass one since it is less fragile and less likely to break rattling around on the road.  If you like spaghetti or pasta, a claw-style spaghetti spoon is good to have.   You'll need some cutlery too. I like to have at least a couple of different sized butcher knives, a bread knife, and a paring knife or two. Having sharp instruments rattling around in the kitchen drawers dulls them and makes retrieving anything from the drawers dangerous so I like to keep them in one of the wood-block knife holders on the counter or in a cupboard and secure it with Velcro or small bungee cords.  Another good way to keep them safe and handy is to store them on a magnetic knife rack.  Or you can put protect each one in its individual PVC pipe container.  Cut a section of PVC pipe  a bit longer than the knife from pipe with an inside diameter big enough to accommodate the widest part of the blade and/or handle.  Then cap it on both ends with PVC pipe caps, but don't glue them on!  Then mark the pipe using a permanent marker so you know exactly what is inside (3" paring knife, 5" butcher knife, etc.).  The only problem with this solution is it takes up more room in the drawer.

Make sure you have can and bottle openers.   I once arrived in camp many miles from home and didn't realize until I started to fix some canned chili for dinner that I didn't have a can opener on board.   Now I make sure I have manual can opener in my motorhome, in my truck camper, and in my tent camping tub.   And I carry a supply of Army "P-38" or "P-51"can openers.  They are small and sometimes difficult to use, but they are better than trying to open a can with a pocket knife.  P-38 and P-51 can openers are especially convenient for hiking and back packing but are a handy addition to any camp kit.  They take up almost no room.  P-38s are about 1 1/2" x 1/2".The P-51s are larger, giving  you a bit more leverage.  Either one can be carried on a key ring with your keys but I found the sharp edge sometimes cut my pockets.

Measuring cups have many uses in camp.  Most sets stack within themselves so they take up little room but collapsible measure cups are even more compact.  They can even be hung on the inside of an RV or chuck box cabinet door for convenient access without taking up much usable space.

An item I've seen promoted as the best kitchen utensil ever for RV use is a pot strainer.   This is a flat, crescent shaped strainer with a handle that you can use on just about any pot or pan, eliminating the need for a collander or bulky strainer.  Would be really handy if you cook a lot of pasta.

Having dedicated utensils for camping adds convenience and helps reduce the possibility of forgetting something you need.  I have a Class A motorhome, a truck camper, and a tent camping setup and I keep all three stocked separately so I'll have what I need when I need it without having to remember to transfer things for each outing.  My RV and camper stuff is conveniently stored in the galley cabinets and drawers.  Our sailboat has its own sliding galley made from a chuck box that we keep fully stocked.  Tent camping utensils reside in a translucent plastic tubs that are easy to transport to the campsite and keeps things clean and sanitary in camp and between trips.  I know for sure from experience that if I have to switch things around for each trip, I will forget something!

Don't let these recommendations keep you from camping with what you have on hand.  If dedicated utensils for camping aren't in your budget yet or you don't have time to get them before your trip, borrow from your kitchen and hit the road.   Just be careful that you don't destroy or lose your home utensils in camp.  When you are ready to buy a set of utensils dedicated to camping, check our your local dollar store or thrift store before spending lots of money in department or restaurant supply stores.   That way, if something does get lost or destroyed, you're not out a lot of money and can easily replace it.  Sometimes it makes sense to upgrade your home cookware and re-purpose the old stuff for camping.  Also, before you head to the store, be sure to check out what you have on hand.  If you have duplicates you can spare or some old stuff you were saving to give to charity, you may be able to fill your camping needs without spending any money.  If painted handles have worn you can easily sand them down and repaint them to give them new life in your camp kit.  That way you can even make a matching set out of a bunch of odds and ends.  Using a unique color will also help you keep track of your stuff in camp and avoid getting them confused with other people's stuff or with the stuff you use at home.

Camp cooking is fun!

Tent Camping Gear Storage

You will probably store your tent camping gear in your garage, basement, or a shed.  If you live in apartment you may have to stuff it in a closet or under a bed.  Wherever you choose to store it, the area should be clean, well organized, easily accessible, and secure.   If possible, keep all your camping gear in one secure location.  You may need to store your stove, lantern and fuel separately in a well-ventilated outside shed for safety reasons.  Never store anything with fuel in it in or adjacent to a living space.  That includes gas cans, propane cylinders, and lanterns and stoves with residual fuel.

Organize your camping gear in plastic tubs to protect it from dust, pests, and weather and to make it easy to find, transport, and use.  I like to use translucent tubs so I can see a little of what is inside.  I also find it useful to label each tub with its contents using a Magic Marker or adhesive labels.  Most storage tubs have recessed lids so they stack nicely on top of each other without sliding around a lot. How you organize your stuff is up to you.  Make it easy on yourself.  Sometimes soft-sided suitcases or duffle bags may fit more easily in limited spaces.  Here are some general suggestions if you don't know where to start:

Put all your galley/kitchen stuff together in one or two tubs or bags.  I use one for big stuff like pots and pans and a second one for smaller stuff like plates, utensils, pot holders, measuring cups, spices, lighters, etc.  You will want to put foodstuffs in a separate tub also.  Put all your cleaning supplies in a separate tub.  That way, if any bottle leaks, it won't spoil anything but other cleaning stuff and won't contaminate your cookware or pollute your food.  Be aware that some cleaning solutions may interact with each other so take care not to store potentially reactive items together.  Ammonia and bleach come immediately to mind as when combined they will toxic fumes, mostly chlorine gas.  Choline gas can cause severe problems but usually isn't fatal if treated.

Sleeping bags should NOT be stored all tightly rolled up.   It compresses the filling and makes them rather useless.   I learned that the hard way.  I had left my cold weather bag tightly rolled after a back packing trip and the next time I tried to use it I about froze!   When I felt it and held it up to the light, I could barely find anything left of the filling.  I it was like having just two very thin sheets of nylon to protect me!  If you have someplace you can hang them, that is one of the best ways to store them.  If not, fold them loosely and store them in plastic tubs to keep them safe from moisture, dust, and pests or stuff them in a "stuff sack".  Even though packing them into a stuff sack compresses the filling somewhat, the random way it is packed and looser environment is less damaging than when it is tightly rolled.   If possible, it is a good idea to hang sleeping bags so they can air out and the fill can expand.  At least do this for a day or so before you store them if you don't have a safe place to hang them between trips.  Putting them through a warm cycle in a clothes dryer with a few tennis balls can also help restore loft as well as removing any residual moisture.

Tents often come with their own storage bags and those should be sufficient for most storage needs.  Sometimes it is hard to get a tent back into its original bag.  In that case you might pick up a larger duffle bag from a sporting goods store, military surplus store, or even a thrift store.   Keep all the parts together -- tent, poles, pegs, ropes, rain fly.  Also keep any tools you need to erect the tent with the tent.  I usually keep a hammer or mallet and a pry bar with mine.  The hammer is, obviously, needed to drive the pegs and the pry bar makes it a lot easier getting them out when the time comes. Another trick for pulling tent pegs is to grab the tent and the loop so you can get a good grip.  Then pull the peg straight out of the ground.   If is was driven at an angle, pull it out at the same angle.   Exercise caution when doing this or you are likely to tear the loops or the tent.  A tent peg removal tool can also be useful.  It has a hook on one end to lock onto the peg and a handle on the other, allowing you to stand up and use the strength of your legs to pull the pegs out of the ground.  I have some other tools and accessories I keep with my tent: a small broom or whisk broom (for sweeping out the tent daily), a battery powered lantern, and a small rug or welcome mat.   Since these are all part of my tent set up, I like to keep them all with the tent.  If you use a tent heater, store it with your tent too, if you can.  It doesn't have to be in the same duffle bag, but putting next to it on the shelf will keep it handy.   Keep in mind the heater may contain residual fuel or fumes and for safety reasons, should be stored in a well-ventilated area separate from any structure connected to your living area.

Camping tools should all be kept together in a convenient tool box, duffle bag, plastic tub or crate.   If you have a lot of stuff, you may need to break it down into to multiple containers to make it easier to handle.   Better to have two smaller tool boxes than one big one that is too heavy to move. Always clean and inspect your tools before putting them into storage.  Not only will this help prevent rust and corrosion, it will help you check for damage and provide an inventory control to ensure everything is ready for your next trip.  Unfortunately, things sometimes tend to disappear on camping trips and its always better to discover it sooner rather than later so you can replace missing items before you need them.

Camp clothing will probably need to be laundered before it goes back into storage.  Anything that doesn't normally live in your regular closet or dresser, should be neatly folded and stored in well-marked plastic tubs.   An exception might be rain coats or other long coats that you might want to hang up in plastic zipper bags.

Camp stoves and heaters are mostly self-contained or come in their own cases.  Traditional Coleman style gas stoves are self-storing within the main structure of the stove.  If you have an oven or toaster you use with your camp stove, store it with the stove.  You might find a small briefcase, duffle bag, or suitcase that will fit your collapsed oven and toaster, making it easy to keep everything together and easy to store and transport.   Because your gas stove probably contains unused fuel or fumes, store your stoves only in a well-ventilated area outside of your living space.  Propane stoves are pretty safe to store anywhere once the propane cylinder is removed and properly stored.

Camp lanterns, with their glass globes and silk-ash mantles, can be quite fragile.  There are special carrying cases made for many of the Colman gas lanterns and you'll find them well worth the investment.   Lacking one, wrap your lantern in an old towel and put it in a plastic tub that is just big enough to hold it and any related items, like spare mantles, spare generators, lighters, etc.   Make sure it is ventilated so any fumes that may leak from the lantern don't accumulate in the container.  Store your gas lanterns only in a well-ventilated area away from your living space.  Like propane stoves, propane lanterns can be stored inside once the propane cylinder is removed and safely stored.  Most currently available lantern cases are plastic clamshells that surround the lantern.  I kind of like the older steel cases because they are more square and fit in storage areas better.  Not all lanterns are the same size and shape.  Make sure any case you buy will fit your lantern.  Speaking of lantern storage, I found the "accessory safe" that clamps to the base of Coleman lanterns a good place to store spare mantles, generators, and the wrench that came with my lanterns so they're always handy.

Camping fuels need to be stored safely in a well ventilated area.  They should only be stored in approved containers.  Never put fuel into an any old plastic jug!  Many plastics will be eaten up by the fuel.   Don't believe it?   Pour a few ounces of gasoline in a styrofoam cup for an accelerated demonstration.  Be sure the cup is sitting in a leak-proof metal pan because within seconds, the cup will have dissolved and the gasoline will be going everywhere!  Plastic gasoline containers are made of special materials that are impervious to gasoline and are safe for transporting and storing gasoline, but old milk jugs, water bottles, and bleach containers are not safe. They won't melt immediately like styrofoam, but they will deteriorate over a fairly short time, allowing fuel to leak out.  If, in an emergency, you must transport gasoline in an unapproved container, use an old oil bottle or jug. Those have at least some resistance to petroleum products.   Don't store fuel inside your home, not even in your basement or garage.  Any leak that might develop from improper storage, abuse, or accident, and release fumes that could be explosive.  Storing fuel in an attached garage isn't a good idea.  Better to keep it an an outside storage building away from your residence.   Storing it in a detached garage reduces the risk to your home, but may place vehicles and other contents of the garage at risk.   Water heaters are often located in garages and basements and can be a source of ignition for any fumes that escape from improperly stored fuel.  Water heaters installed in garages are placed on elevated platforms to keep the igniters above the level where leaking gas normally accumulates.  Fumes are VERY dangerous.  If you fill an open 1 gallon can to the top with gasoline and drop a match into, the match will go out.  But if you put about an inch of gas in the bottom of the can, then drop in the match, the fumes on top will explode violently!  I read about a guy who left an acetylene tank for his welder in the trunk of his Mercedes.  Apparently the valve wasn't tightly closed.  About 3:00 am the electric clock way up in the dashboard created enough of a spark to ignite errant fumes that had accumulated in the trunk and seeped into the passenger compartment and the resulting explosion destroyed his garage and knocked out windows for a 3 block radius!  On another occasion a flight line worker at an air base spilled jet fuel on his coveralls.  He wisely went to the line shack to change but once inside  got distracted watching some other works on break playing cards.  The fumes from his wet coveralls filled the room until they reached the flash point and were ignited by the heater, blowing the entire shack and everyone in it to smitherines.  If you fill a #10 can to the top with gasoline and toss in a match, the match will go out.  If you put a little gasoline in the bottom of the can and toss in a match, the fumes will ignite with explosive force!  The flash point is different for each kind of fuel and sometimes low enough that you can't smell the fumes before they reach the ignition point.

Many storage areas, such as sheds, garages, and basements, may subject your gear to an accumulation of dust over time.  If this is the case where you are storing your equipment, cover it with a tarp or put individual items or containers in plastic trash bags to protect them from the dust. When it comes time to use your equipment again, it will be a lot easier to remove the dusty tarps or bags than to clean the equipment or their individual containers.  The dusty bags may be cleaned and reused or discarded and new ones used when equipment is put back in storage.   Either way, dealing with the dusty plastic bags will be easier and faster than letting your gear become contaminated in storage and having to clean it before you can use it again. Y ou might even want to put covers over your plastic bins so you don't have to spend time cleaning them before a trip.

Organization is a key to having things ready to use when you need them -- for your next camping trip or as emergency supplies.  A good suggestion to follow is to keep related things together.  Store sleeping bags, blankets, cots, and sleeping pads near each other.  Put all your tents and canopies in one place.  Put lanterns and flashlights in close proximity to each other.   Store all your kitchen and cleaning supplies together.   First aid kits and other medical supplies should be together.  Wood cutting tools, like axes, saws, and wedges should be grouped .  Coats, jackets, and other camp clothing should be grouped in plastic bins or stored hanging in plastic protectors.  The flimsy little plastic covers you get back with dry cleaning are better than nothing, but I prefer to use suit bags or heavy contractor rated garbage bags for optimum protection.

If you don't have good space in your garage or basement consider purchasing a small enclosed trailer for your camping gear.  The trailer can be used both to transport your gear to camp and to store it at home.  We snagged an old stripped down Apache tent trailer to tote our camping gear.  It has a clam-shell roof that provides excellent protection from weather and rather good security. We have found it a good place to keep our camping gear year round, freeing up space in the garage for other things and being ready at a moment's notice for spontaneous outings.

Long term storage.  When putting your stuff in storage for winter you'll want to make some special preparations to ensure it will be in good condition when you take it out again next season.   Make sure your tent is clean and dry.   Unpack sleeping bags and hang them out or fold them loosely to avoid over-compressing the loft and destroying the insulation.  Empty fuel from stoves and lanterns. Remove any provisions that might freeze or leak.  Place all dry ingredients in pest-proof/leak-proof plastic containers.  Make sure all your gear clean and in good repair.   Discard any outdated provisions and medications.Sharpen axes and knives and rub a light coat of oil on them and other metal parts to inhibit rust and corrosion.  Rub a little linseed oil on wooden handles to help preserve them as well.

Where to Get Camping Equipment

The simple answer is: wherever you can find it!  But you have to look.   Don't wait until you need something specific for an upcoming outing.  If you feel pressured to get something right away you're likely to settle for something less than you want or pay too much for it.   Always be on the lookout for good deals on equipment and supplies.  There are many places in addition to camping, outdoor, and sporting goods stores, some you might not ordinarily think of:  department stores, thrift stores, home centers, garage sales, flea markets, ebay, craigslist, local classified ads, and magazines. TV, radio, and email may bring you ads for sales.  You may find things you need or want at camp stores or may be able to purchase them from fellow campers who have duplicates or no longer need them. You may also find things you need in your own kitchen, garage, or attic!  I recently found a lot of brand new camping equipment on a year-end sale at 50% off at my local farm and ranch store.  Such closeouts are fairly common as retailers clear out seasonal merchandise to make way for a different season.

New or used is a question you want to answer before you go very far in your search for camping equipment.  If you have an unlimited budget, you can fill your shopping cart at L.L. Bean, REI, or Cabella's with wonderful new equipment and you're set to go.  However, most of us don't have that luxury and have to seek more cost-effective alternatives and almost everyone likes to get a bargain. Some highly desirable and venerable items are no longer available in stores so you may have to search the used market to find them.  Funny how once popular staples of camping can be discontinued, but I've see it happen more than once.  And just about everyone enjoys getting a good bargain.  Watching for and taking advantage of seasonal sporting goods sales can net good savings on new equipment, but used equipment at good prices is more readily available year round.  Keep in mind that new equipment is only new once -- before you use it the first time.  After that it is used anyway.   Some people have reservations about using personal items that others have used.   Sleeping bags are at the top of this list, with tents and kitchen items following close behind.  If you have any concerns about the cleanliness of any item, it can be taken care of.  Sleeping bags can be dry cleaned. Tents can be washed and sanitized.  Kitchen items can be cleaned and sterilized in your dishwasher.  Even Port-a-Pottys can usually be easily cleaned and sanitized.   The question of "new or used" will most likely be answered by how much you are able to spend and whether the item is still in production.  Very often the "used" camping items you will find in garage sales or classified ads will have been gently used if at all.   Perhaps the used car dealer euphemistic designation of "pre-owned" might be a better way of thinking of it.   Many of these pieces of equipment find their way into garage sales because of dis-use or even non-use.  People sometimes accumulate duplicates over time or receive them as gifts and never get around to using them.  Used camping gear can be an excellent investment.  It is not unusual to find brand new camping equipment for sale by private parties.  People sometimes buy stuff thinking they will use it or receive items as gifts and just leave them on the shelf.   Over time, many of us accumulate duplicates as we find good deals on things we like, creating additional candidates for garage sales.  Unless there is a significant factor of durability, wear, damage, or warranties, new usually has little real advantage over used.  After all, as I said before, something in only really new once -- the first time you use it.   Some vintage items aren't even still available in stores so the only way to get them is to buy used.  Sometimes stuff finds its way into garage sales, thrift stores, and classified ads because it is worn out, but most often things fall into dis-use long before their useful life is over.  Even so, you want to carefully inspect each purchase to be sure you know what you are getting.  Sometimes you can find used items that are no longer available new in retail stores.   I much prefer the old style metal containers for Coleman lanterns over their modern plastic "clamshell" counterparts and the only way to get them these days is to buy them used.  The metal containers are more square and fit better in cabinets and trunks.

Many department stores offer camping supplies.  Places like Walmart, K-Mart, Target, and Sears have large, well-stocked camping departments and are good choices.  Camping specialty stores and sporting goods stores like REI, Cabellas, and Big 5 of course have super selections.   However, you may find some camping supplies in your local grocery store and places like Rite Aid or even at truck stops.   I have had very good luck at farm and ranch stores.  I like to browse through the camping displays at any store whenever I have a chance.   You never know when you'll come across a new gadget or a "Manager's Special".   I once picked up a $125 Camp Chef stove for $25 on a year end close out by checking out the Clearance Table at Big 5.  I found a rather unique T-handle socket set at a truck stop when we stopped for gas on a routine family car trip.  Granted, a socket set is not directly a camping tool, but with several RVs and OHVs to maintain, it is closely related.   It has been very useful and I've never found one like it anyplace else.   A good rule to follow is, if you find something you like, get it while you can.   On a few occasions I have found items later at a better price, but not nearly as many times as I've passed up an item, then wished I had gotten it, usually because I can't find it anyplace else.

Ebay and craigslist are also good places to look for camping stuff.   Be sure to do your homework on checking prices before you bid on ebay or run out to buy that "bargain" tent on craigslist.  I've seen people over-bid for common items on ebay, things they could have purchased at their local Walmart for 2/3 their bid or less.  You may run across unique items for which you can't get any price comparisons.  In that case, set your maximum price based on your budget and how much the item is worth to you.  I got into bidding war over an Autolite 12-volt air compressor I wanted for my motorcycle trailer.  It was a very unique item, not one of the flimsy little toys that plug into a cigarette lighter, but one with a motor the size of an automobile starter.   I suspect the other bidders also recognized the uniqueness of the item and together we probably pushed the price higher than it should have gone, but I have never regretted having purchased it.  It serves the function for which I bought it and there is no doubt I would have kicked myself if I had let it get away since I've never seen another one.  On the other hand, I saw bidding for a Marine grade (water resistant) 12-volt socket soar past $17 when the very same item could be purchased at the local Walmart for under $8. Of course, if you don't have a local Walmart, snagging something on ebay may be your best course of action and it may be worth paying a little extra for the convenience of having it delivered to your door.  But it could have been purchased on line for less from walmart.com.  While you can get true bargains on ebay, keep in mind that in order to win an auction, you have to be willing to pay more for the item than anyone else in the world!  Getting a good price is often a matter of timing.  Bidding early or waiting until near the end of the auction are both strategies that have merit.  Bidding early makes you the first winner and if the minimum bid is near the actual or perceived value or you don't have a lot of competition, you might not get outbid.  Bidding at the end of an auction limits the possibility of being outbid.  There are even computer programs that can monitor your bids and bid for you just seconds before the auction ends so no one has time to outbid you.  I like the "Buy It Now" option that completely eliminates the possibility of being out bid.  Always check the shipping and handling.  A few unscrupulous sellers offer unbelievable (and unrealistic) low prices on items only to hit you hard on "shipping and handling" charges.

Local classified ads and garage sales can often be the source of excellent bargains.   Here again, perform due diligence to know the quality and price of the products you are interested in buying.  You will often find gently used or even brand new products at a fraction of their original prices.  People sometimes buy or receive as gifts items they seldom if ever use.  Unfortunate as the circumstances may be for the seller, estate, moving, and divorce sales can produce good opportunities for the savvy shopper.  Loss of employment in today's lousy economy has forced a lot of people to liquidate recreational items.  Don't be afraid to negotiate for a lower price or seek a discount for purchasing multiple items.   Getting to a garage sale early in the day ensures the best selection, but shopping late in the afternoon can get you the best price on anything that is left.   Since garage sales are random events and the availability of any particular item even more random, your best bet is just to browse every garage sale you see.   You may find that tent or camp stove you're looking for stuck under one of the tables or behind boxes or furniture.  Or you may come across interesting and helpful items you hadn't even considered.  I lucked out one day when I stumbled on a set of 4 manual RV leveling jacks for a fraction of their retail price. They were mechanical jacks designed to work on a travel trailer but with a little creative engineering I was able to make them work on my 28' Class A Motorhome.  They were not nearly as convenient as automatic levelers, but a lot easier to use and more stable than leveling blocks.

You cannot predict what you will find at garage sales but you can often find great bargains on camping equipment there.  I've found good deals on both tent camping items and RV accessories at garage sales.  Be sure to check out the condition and functionality.   Even items that need repairs can be a great find, as long as you know what it will take to restore them -- and have the ability or funds to do so.  Gas stoves and lanterns often need the pumps rebuilt or the generators replaced and both are easy and inexpensive tasks.  Leaking fuel tanks, on the other hand, tell me to keep looking.  Sometimes you might pick up an item you can use for parts but make sure it is compatible with what you are fixing.

Thrift stores can be an excellent source of bargain camping equipment, especially kitchen items. Tents, sleeping gas, camp stoves, lanterns, and ice chests may be harder to find but when you find them you will likely save a lot of money over new prices.   Thrift stores usually have a large supply of kitchen items at all times so you can fill out your cooking and serving needs or replace lost or damaged items very quickly and economically.  You may have to keep checking back for other camping equipment.   I suggest getting cast iron cookware unless you need it for hiking or back packing.  Cast iron is durable and can be used directly in your campfire.  If you plan to cook on a campfire, avoid light weight aluminum cookware.  I've seen aluminum pans melted into shimmering puddles in a campfire.  A little breeze acts like a blacksmith's bellows and can create pretty high temperatures, high enough to melt pans and completely consume aluminum cans.   An advantage of building your camp kitchen using thrift store items is you won't be out a lot of money if something does happen and they get damaged or lost and you can easily and cheaply replace them as needed.

"Dollar" stores are an inexpensive way to augment your galley and other provisions.  Pots, pans, glasses, cups, plates, dishes, kitchen utensils, spices, and cleaning and hygiene supplies can be found at most dollar stores.  I've found a lot of good first aid supplies and OTC medication there too.  I like to check out their hardware section and have found some useful hand tools from time to time. I can usually count on finding bungee cords, a package of 2 each of 3 different handy sizes.   They aren't big enough for securing loads in my pickup truck but they are perfect for packs, keeping lids on camping totes, controlling sleeping pads and sleeping bags, etc.   I stocked my camp kitchen with large, sturdy, stainless steel spoons, forks, spatulas, and ladles from Dollar Tree.  You can often find inexpensive flashlights and batteries at dollar stores.  Flashlights may not be as convenient as Coleman lanterns for general campsite lighting, but getting them at the dollar store will be a lot cheaper.   Even efficient LED lights are starting to show up there now.   LED lights last hundreds of thousands of hours and batteries last a LOT longer (about 10-12 times longer) than when using ordinary flashlight bulbs.  Dollar store flashlights are perfect for kids, who have a tendency to break or misplace them fairly regularly. I tried to avoid letting my kids use my $30 Maglites and when they did get their hands on them the results were disappointing and expensive. My son once "borrowed" my brand new, blue anodized Maglite to explore a local cave. It came back in one piece but it looked like it had been through a war!  Dollar stores have "D" and "C" cell plastic flashlights and "AAA" powered aluminum LED models that are perfect for pocket, purse, fanny pack, or little hands.  Cheap flashlights make good loaners too, since you don't have to worry too much about getting them back.  Recently they've had solar walkway lights,that are good for marking your tent pegs so you don't trip over them in the dark or to mark your RV steps and sometimes you can remove the stakes and add some kind of hanger or stick the stake into a can filled with sand, beans, glass beads, or rice to use them as small, general purpose hanging or table lights.

Military surplus stores can be an excellent source of camping gear.   Tents, sleeping bags, tarps, first aid kits, mess kits, canteens, and troop cook kits are just the start of what you may find there. You can always find creative ways to use surplus parachutes and paracord.  Boots, coats, and other combat uniform items make great hiking and camping wear.  One word of caution: the popularity of surplus military items has created a market that invites imitations.  Be skeptical if the Army coat or skillet has a label that says "Made in China" -- unless it is a Chinese army coat.  Hand tools designed for military use can be handy for camping.   Folding shovels and axes are among the favorites. Bayonets are popular as hunting or survival knives, but most survival experts recommend a smaller fixed blade knife, with a 3-5" blade.  It is more convenient to carry and works better for more survival tasks, which tend to be more carving than hacking.  Unfortunately, the popularity of military surplus items for camping has inflated the price over what it once was when I was younger and there was a lot of "war surplus" items to be had, but you will still often find sturdy merchandise that is well suited to camping at reasonable prices.  Military first aid kits are compact and usually pretty complete.  Sometimes you find things there you won't find anyplace else.  You probably won't have much use for troop sized cooking and first aid kits unless you have an  unusually large family or intend to regularly support some other large group.  Some of the military field medical kits contain far more supplies than most people would know how or be qualified to use, so make sure you buy what is appropriate for your needs and your skills and training. Most of us would have little use for a field surgical kit but it might make a good addition to your emergency supplies if you have, know someone who has, or are able to get some appropriate training. 

Home centers and hardware stores can also be a source of camping supplies.  Tools are among the more obvious options at these locations.  I like to carry a "roofers hammer", which is a combination hatchet and hammer.  Some home centers and hardware stores have extensive camping sections.  I even got a great close-out price on a tent at a home center.  I've also found it more economical and more convenient to purchase my awning mats from home centers.  They sell indoor-outdoor carpet in bulk in a variety of colors, including an artificial grass style, that works well for awning mats.  You can buy just the length you need to correspond to the length of your awning and I've usually found it to be less expensive than pre-made awning mats from RV supply stores.  However, some of the awning mats are made of materials that lend themselves better to their intended use.   For example, some will let rain pass through whereas indoor-outdoor carpet might retain water and other spills.   By buying just the length you need to match your awning you avoid paying extra for two mats when one isn't long enough for your awning.  I add grommets to each corner and about every 3' along the long sides, plus one on each side of where the RV step will be.  I use 12" nails with flat fender washers on them to secure the mat to the ground.   If you have a welder, tack-weld the washers to the nails so they don't get lost.  If you don't have a welder cut some discs from heavy plastic like motor oil bottles and push the nails through them so they retain the washers against the heads of the nails so they don't get lost in storage between uses.  When parking on asphalt, I use a 22 caliber nail gun to literally shoot my mat to the pavement where tent stakes won't work.  One of our favorite camp sites was on a once paved cul de sac in an abandoned housing development in the Mojave Desert near California City.  There was enough pavement remaining beneath the sand that had blown in to completely cover the old roads that it was impossible to drive ordinary tent pegs.

Most department stores have camping sections and often the prices are lower than you'd pay at specialty camping, sporting goods, or RV stores. Walmart, K-mart, Sears, and Target always seem to have pretty complete camping selections during camping season.  Pre- and post- season sales can deliver excellent bargains, but selection may be limited.  If a Coleman lantern isn't in your current budget, kerosene lanterns are a lot less costly.   The light isn't as white and bright as a gas lantern and it gives off a distinctive kerosene odor similar to a jet engine, but they were the staple of lighting not only in camping but in homes and businesses for many, many years before electric lighting came along.  If you find the kerosene odor objectionable you can burn scented lamp oil or unscented liquid paraffin.  Using citronella oil will also help repel insects.

Camp stores.  Whenever you stay at a commercial campground, check out the camp store.  They often stock unique camper related items you won't find anywhere else.  Prices may be higher for regular RV and camping supplies, but it is usually worth the convenience if you happen to need something right now.  If nothing else, you might get some ideas of things you'd like to add to your gear and can shop around for better prices when you get home.  Be sure to hang on to a business card or receipt from the camp store so you can contact them if you can't find an alternate source.  They might be willing to ship it to you.   Just to be sure, grab anything that is manufactured or produced locally when you see it.  You probably won't find it anywhere else.  It just might be worth paying more for something when you see it rather than miss out on it entirely.  I have NEVER bought something on the spur of the moment and then regretted buying it but many times I've regretted NOT buying something when I had the chance.

Gas stations and travel centers often stock a few camping and RV supplies especially in areas where camping is prevalent.  This can be convenient if you need something while on the road.  You probably won't find the lowest prices here but you sometimes find unique items you won't find any place else or be able to pick up a necessary item without having to make special trip to town for it.

Garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets can be an excellent way to get real bargains on pre-owned camping equipment.  Sometimes you may even find brand new items.  Flea market vendors often purchase liquidated merchandise and offer it at a fraction of its original suggested retail price.  Individual owners may have brand new equipment they received as gifts or simply never got around to using. Even used items will often be in excellent condition.   Often the reason they are being sold is they have gotten little use.   Check used items to be sure they are complete and look for damage that you might not be able to repair.  You will want to set your own guidelines for what you'll pay for used gear.   My usual target is 50% of retail. I might pay more for a particularly rare item or one in exceptionally good condition -- like new-in-the-box.  It mostly depends on now badly I want it and how much disposable cash I have available at the time.

Your own garage/basement/attic.   You may find useful items you already have in your own garage, basement, or attic.  Tools and kitchen implements and small appliances you set aside when you upgraded or replaced them may find new life in your camp gear.  Or you may have duplicates that have accumulated from gifts over the years.  Old clothing, towels, and linens might serve well in camp.   Some tools, like axes and hammers, may have multiple uses around the house and in camp. Why spend money if you already have items you can use?  Allocating duplicate or "retired" items specifically for camping makes spontaneous trips easier.  The old 2-slice toaster you replaced when your family outgrew it may be just the right size for your camper.  Converting items for camping might give you a good excuse for upgrading your kitchen stock at home.   If you have duplicates, or your budget will allow you to acquire extra tools specifically for camping, it will make hitting the road easier and reduce the chances of leaving something important at home. You can save money by using some of your home tools for camping, but you'll have to remember to pack them when you go and to unpack them when you get back.  I may go overboard in this area -- I have separate tools in my motorhome, my garage, and my motorcycle trailer, plus a "race kit" I can toss in the truck when we're going somewhere with the dirt bikes without taking the enclosed motorcycle trailer.  I've never been sorry I brought along any tool.

Rummage sales and church auctions.   Like garage sales, these events can often produce amazing bargains.   It may take some searching through tables of uninteresting junk or piles of musty smelling clothing to find something you want or need, but it is often worth the time and effort.   Since items for these events are usually donated, the seller has no cost-of-goods to recover.   Like garage sales, you'll find the best selection early in the day and can negotiate the best prices near the end of the event.  An old Army field jacket makes a great camping/hiking coat, and it is even more versatile if you can find the fleece liner that adapts them for colder weather.  I've seen them in rummage sales and thrift stores for a few dollars each, often in remarkably good condition.

Make your own.  You can make some of your own camping equipment.  Not only can this be fun, it can save you money.  Don't have a camp stove?  Make a rocket stove from an old 1-gallon tin can and a couple of soup cans.  Hot coals from charcoal briquettes or wood fires will burn through the thin tin over time, but it will be sufficient for preparing several meals, which may be adequate for a short camping trip or to get you through a few days during an emergency, especially if you only burn small twigs.   Check on the Internet for how to make your own "alcohol stoves" too. These usually consist of a roll of toilet paper placed in a 1 qt paint can and saturated with denatured alcohol.  You can make a very efficient "rocket stove" from a #10 can an 4 soup cans.  Rocket stoves can prepare a meal for 4 using just a handful of twigs as fuel.  Simple tents can be formed using inexpensive tarps. They probably won't provide the 360 degree protection you get from a commercially made tent with screened windows, a zippered door, and a sewn-in floor but they'll keep most of the rain off.  You can make up your own "cowboy bedroll" instead of buying expensive sleeping bags.  The ideal and authentic cowboy bedroll is made from sturdy waterproof canvas, but again, an inexpensive tarp will be OK to get you started or in an emergency.  You need enough of this outer material so it is a little longer than as you are tall and wide enough to fold over and under your body.  You lay it out, then lay out blankets, quilts, or comforters, and fold it over in thirds.  When it is done you should have at least 2 layers of the outer material on the bottom and two or three on the top to protect you from cold, wind, and rain.  Having the finished product a little longer than your height by 2 or 3 feet allows you to fold it over to protect your head once you're snuggled inside.   For detailed instructions search "how to make a cowboy bedroll" on the Internet.   If you expect to use it frequently or for a long time, investing in good quality canvas duck for the shell is a good idea.  If you just want to try it out once or twice and inexpensive poly tarp will do.  Simple hotdog and marshmallow cookers can be made from wire coat hangers. I like to bend a handle into one end. Then I slide them into a piece of 3/4" or 1" PVC pipe before I put them in my outside RV cabinets.   It keeps the mess off everything else, keeps them from getting tangled, and even helps keep them cleaner than they would be loose in the bottom of the cabinet.  Burn the paint off the end before you cook your first hot dog or marshmallow so you don't cook the paint into your treat.  After that you'll probably want to burn the rust off the end before mounting your treat.

Get it when you can.  When you see something you'd like to add to your camping gear, get it if you can.  Many times I've thought I'd wait and pick it up later only to find that it was no longer available. I snagged some half price bargains a few weeks ago and when I came back the following week they were already sold out so I was glad I bought them when I could.  There have been many times I've thought "Gee I wish I'd bought xxxxx" but I don't think I have ever looked at any of my camping gear or tools and said "Gee I wish I hadn't bought that!"   Even though I have sometimes accumulated duplicates that later had to be sorted out and passed along to other family members or garage saled, I have never regretted getting any of it, but have often regretted passing up an opportunity.  My wife keeps telling me we need to thin out our camping gear but the last time we did that the kids came asking to borrow stuff shortly thereafter -- even though they had been strong proponents of putting in a garage sale in the first place.  Likewise, it wasn't very long before we found ourselves lamenting having disposed of some of the items.  Being a pack-rat usually isn't productive, but it often pays to be judicious in choosing what to get rid of.  Sometimes, when you're traveling, you'll come across things you don't usually find near home.   Try to give yourself a little room in your budget and your vehicle, to take advantage of such discoveries.   I discovered a locally owned discount auto parts store in the distant city where my parents lived and often augmented my home and RV tool boxes with great bargains I never saw at home almost every time we visited.   But don't assume you can get the same deals on stuff at big box stores when you get home.  I bought some battery powered LED above ground pool lights with remote controls on sale at a Walmart in Colorado to use as tent lights.  I like them so much I wanted more, but I had trouble finding them at any local Walmart and on the Internet when I got home and when I did find a few they were 4 times as costly!  Remember, "Manager Specials" may or may not be the same across different locations of the same retailer.

Shop smart!