Fall Has Fell!

Fall has fell!  Well, almost.  Friday, September 23, is the official first day of fall.  It is the autumn equinox.  Twice a year, in March and September, the length of the day and night are the same and that marks the beginning of spring (March) and fall (September).  The actual date may vary by a few days, from the 21 to the 23, depending on the year.

The equinoxes, as well as the solstices (longest and shortest days of the year) have been significant events historically, with each typically having its own holiday(s) and marking the time for major events.  In days gone by, the fall equinox was often associated with harvest time.  Now, since most of us are long distanced from farming, it just marks the first official day of fall.

For outdoor enthusiasts the beginning of fall is often tied to the beginning of September and  back-to-school rituals.  That is frequently when folks start putting away their summer toys.  If you haven't already done so, the first day of autumn (September 23 this year) is a good time to start!  There should still be time to get things cleaned up, serviced, and properly stored before the winter storms begin.

Tent campers usually have it easiest, especially if you observe good protocols for each outing.   Hopefully you clean your tent, sleeping bag, stoves, lanterns and other equipment and store them properly after each outing.  If you do, you shouldn't have very much left to do.  You might want to inspect everything so you can arrange to make necessary repairs or get replacements lined up during the off season.  Also it is a good idea to double check your provisions and make sure there isn't anything perishable or that might freeze left in there.  If you do any winter camping, now would be the time to swap out summer sleeping bags and clothing for winter equivalents.

RVers and Boaters usually have a LOT more to do.  RVs and boats need to be prepared for winter storage and that means winterizing water systems, servicing engines and drive systems as well as clearing out perishable provisions.  RVs and boats should be properly covered to protect them from winter weather.

OHV riders winter procedures will differ depending on what kind of OHV(s) you have and whether you will continue using them as the weather changes.  Dirt bikers usually put their machines away for the winter.  ATVs and UTVs with 4 wheel drive are more likely to continue to be used when the snow flies so you may invest your time preparing them for winter use instead of putting them into storage.

Of course, fall is when the leaves fall!  It is a good idea to make sure your RVs,  OHVs. and boats are properly stored or covered to prevent accumulated leaves from staining the surfaces.  Such staining can usually be removed with a good scrubbing, but you can save yourself a lot of effort by covering your  units before they get stained.  If you don't live in an apartment or condo, fall usually means raking leaves.  For many of this, it will be an unusual level of activity, not as bad as shoveling snow, but enough that it is prudent to exercise some level of caution to avoid muscle strains or even heart attacks!  Dry leaves are a LOT lighter than wet ones, so either rake them up before it rains or give them a day or two to dry out after it rains before raking them up.  If you have limited strength or mobility, it might be useful to start early so you only have a limited amount of weight to move around.  However, that will mean doing it multiple times as the leaves continue to fall.  I kind of favor waiting until all or at least most of the leaves are off the trees and doing it all at once, but that does mean the pile will be bigger, but if necessary I can always shovel the piles into trash cans or trash bags as I go and I only have to do one major raking.

One thing that NEVER goes away, is our desire and need for outdoor activities.  Whether you choose to continue going on outings as the weather changes or not, you will still have the urge to get out.  You might use the ''off season'' to perform maintenance or upgrades on your equipment or to research new destinations and activities for next year.  You might even explore options for new winter activities.  Skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and winter camping are all fun possibilities and just might be worth exploring.

Get ready!

Is Spring Ever Going to Get Here?

Spring seems to be reluctant to show itself this year.  Here in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon we celebrated the first day of spring (March 20, 2023) with a Winter Storm Alert, forecasting up to 48" of new snow above 3000'!  Fortunately we didn't get nearly that much at our 1300' elevation, but even 2/3 of the way through April we are still getting snow.  Of course this is good news for areas so hard hit by recent drought.  Last I heard, Oregon was at 172% of normal snow, California about the same, and Utah at 201%!   All the extra snow should help refill some of the lakes and reservoirs that are at historic lows but it will take several years for them to fully recover from so many years of drought.

The late spring may have caused some RVers and campers to postpone spring cleaning and other preparations for a new recreational season.  Although we might not be able to get out and enjoy all of our favorite places for camping and outdoor recreation for a while yet, it is still a good idea to being preparations.  It usually takes a little time to get everything out of storage, cleaned, re-provisioned, and ready for the new season.  It seem like no matter how carefully we perform our winterization procedures, we always find something that needs repair or extra cleaning or other extra help before we are ready to hit the road.  Pests can infiltrate tents, sleeping bags, clothing, and provisions even when we have them stored in the most secure ways we can devise.  The last thing you want is to unroll your tent or sleeping bag in camp and discover is has been soiled or devoured by ravenous insects!  Such a discovery is never fun, but it is a lot better to make it at home where we can do something about it well in advance of needing to use it on an outing.

Having a delayed start on our outdoor activities can also give us a chance to do a little more research and a little more planning.  Doing so can enhance our summer activities more than you can imagine.  Whether you are looking for new places to go and things to do or just learning more about your favorite haunts, spending a little time on the Internet asking some relevant questions can yield a plethora of fun and useful information.  Knowing more of the geological and historical aspects of where we are headed can be a lot of fun and add greater depth to out enjoyment.  My family and friends had been dirt biking around Randsburg and Searles Station in the Mojave Desert in California before I learned that one of our usual campsites (Garden City) had once been a major stop for the famous Borax 20 Mule Teams and then a primary rail center.   All that remained when we were there was a decaying railroad water tower.  Not too far from there is also a small monument erected by an Eagle Scout at the site of an X15 crash to recognize the sacrifice of Major Michael Adams, American's 27th Astronaut (having flown the X15 to more than 266,000 feet) and the first official astronaut casualty. The concrete marker isn't grandiose, but it sparks the imagination. Try Googling "X15 crash site" for details and photos.

Given the long history of many of our state and national parks, you can almost always find lots of interesting stories regarding past and even regular ongoing events that can be fun to know and fun to share.  Some places, like Yellowstone and Devils Tower, have tons of geological features you will enjoy learning about too.

I have a couple of "spring" poems I find kind of fun:

FIRST:

Spring has sprung

The Grass has riz

I wonder where the flowers is! 

SECOND (actually kind of focused on summer, but starts with spring):

Spring has sprung

Fall has fell

Summer's come

And its hotter than ... it oughta be!

About a week after posting this lament on the delayed spring we suddenly had several very warm days, with temps getting up to 95F!  But now the highs are back down in the 60s and even down into the 50s in the coming days.  So, you never know what the weather is going to do!  Don't like the weather?  Just wait a minute!

Well, only a week or so after the late Winter Storm Alert we are back to 80 and 90 degree days.  The trees have leaves and lawns need to be mowed every week.  Guess it is about time to start planning this season's outings.

Enjoy the delay!

Spring Is Just Around The Corner -- Time To De-winterize Again

Today is March 6.  The first day of spring is about 2 weeks away.  Of course, what the calendar says and how the weather behaves are often two very different things.  A couple of years ago we got around 3'of snow in late March!  That being said, it is still time to start thinking about getting ready for your next season of RVing, OHVing, camping, and boating.

Unless you live the in sunbelt you will probably have put all your RVs, OHVs, boats, and camping gear in winter storage several months ago.  Hopefully you did that correctly, making sure everything was clean and properly serviced before being put into storage.  If so, getting it ready for service now should be pretty straightforward.  If not, you may be facing a lot of tedious, unpleasant and possible expensive surprises!  Failure to properly prepare things for storage can result it premature failure of many pieces of equipment.  Damp tents and sleeping bags can mildew and rot.  Perishable provisions can go bad and create a nasty mess.  Gasoline motors that were left with fuel in the fuel system may need expensive cleaning before the engines will run again.  Tools may have gotten damp and rusted.  Camp stoves and lanterns may need tune ups.

Regardless of the current status of your equipment, the sooner you inspect it, the sooner you can address any problems that might have developed and get them scheduled for repair.  If you put everything away correctly, preparation for the upcoming season should be pretty simple, mostly unpacking and inspecting things, updating expired provisions, and preparing motorized equipment for operation.  RVs and boats that were winterized to prevent freezing in cold climates will need to be purged of antifreeze and the water systems flushed and refilled for use this season.  All camping equipment should be carefully inspected as varmints can sometimes damage soft goods in storage and hard goods, like tools, may have rusted in damp climates.  Any damage should be promptly repaired.  Items beyond repair should be replaced.  Appliances, such as camp stoves and lanterns and in RVs and boats should be tested to ensure they are ready for use.  Spiders seem to have an affinity for propane and often build webs and nests inside the propane lines and burners.  They can sometimes be cleaned out with compressed air but often require a thorough brushing with a special tubing brush to remove them.  Most rusty tools and equipment can be cleaned and lubricated so they can be put back in service.  Some badly rusted joints may require treatment with penetrating oil or even heat from a blow torch to loosen them up again.  Surface rust can be removed by light sanding.  Dull tools should be sharpened.  Wooden handles on hammers, axes, and hatchets may need to be sanded and rubbed with linseed oil.  All your tools should be inventoried, inspected, and properly organized.

Getting an early start can help you deal with more difficult and expensive repairs more easily.  Having more time to work on things, order needed parts, or locate replacements will reduce the stress and allow you to spread the expense over more time before you need them for your first outing of the new season.  Having more time can let you shop around for the best prices on things you need.  I once paid about $3.00 for 1 or 2 cord clamps for the ties on my sleeping bags when I needed them right away for an outing.  After getting home I was able to stock up on 50 similar cord clamps off of ebay for about the same price! 

If you are like me, a lot of camping equipment may be getting kind of old, but still useful.  Older equipment is sometimes difficult to find parts for.  One of the first places I look for obsolete parts is ebay.com; craigslist,com is another pretty good option.  You might find good used equipment at garage sales, thrift stores, and second hand stores that can serve as replacements or as donors to repair what you have when new replacement parts are no longer available.  How camping equipment is used is both good news and bad news.  The good news is that when we find it, it is often still in good shape.  The bad news is most of us never get to use it enough (which is why we can still find older stuff in good shape!).  Sometimes I would rather buy an older piece of equipment in good condition that even a brand new one.  One prime example that comes to mind is the carrying cases for Coleman lanterns.  The older ones were made of metal and had a nice square shape that fit well into storage compartments.  The newer ones are made of plastic and are kind of bulky and have a strange, barrel shape that doesn't fit anywhere well.  The plastic may actually provide more shock protection and are more resilient to dents and corrosion, but I still prefer the older ones.

After a winter away from outdoor activities, getting our stuff ready to use can be kind of fun and cathartic.  Sometimes we may have even forgotten about some of  the pieces of equipment or the tools we have in our kit.  Going through everything and inspecting it refreshes our memories of what we have and where it is so we can find it when we need it during this new season of fun.  So spring preparation can have a lot of useful benefits as well as being kind of fun after our winter hiatus.  Sometimes rediscovering forgotten equipment is almost like getting extra Christmas presents!

Spring also means the beginning of Daylight Savings Time in most US states.  "Spring ahead; fall back" is a good way to remember which way to change the clocks.  I kind of like the "fall back" change better as it yields an extra hour of sleep instead of stealing one!  Almost all of us have forgotten the change the clocks at least once and showed up an our late or an hour early for a meeting or an appointment. 

 Spring?  Well, maybe!  Here in Oregon we got a Winter Storm Alert on the first day of spring, predicting up to 48" of new snow above 3000'.  Some friends in Utah and California reported similar weather anomalies.  Some areas have around 170% of normal snow pack.  Utah is up to 201%!  The extra snow is certainly good news given the long drought we have been experiencing, but it will probably take several years of above normal snow fall before things begin to get back to "normal".  In the mean time, we still need to get ready for the upcoming season.

Spring into spring cleaning!

Winterization Reminder

Just a quick reminder that if you live in a 4-season climate, it is time to winterize your RVs, OHVs, and camping equipment.  Since I have covered winterization in detail in previous posts I won't repeat it here, just cover a few basic topics to help remind you of what you need to be doing.  Not properly winterizing your RVs, OHVs, boats, and camping equipment can expose them to severe damage caused by freezing in cold climates and may invite mold and mildew or damage by pests everywhere.  Water systems are usually a primary focus of winterization.  In cold climates unprotected systems can freeze and since water expands when it freezes, freezing can cause significant damage that can be expensive, sometimes impossible, to repair.  In milder climates water systems stagnant water may develop bad odors and can even accumulate toxic mold and mildew.  Winterization focuses mainly on freeze protection because that is most likely to cause severe damage, but properly cleaning and storing everything is critical to keeping it in good working condition and prevent unwanted damage during storage.  Soiled tents, sleeping bags, and clothing will attract pests that can wreak severe damage on the soft materials.  Bugs (including moths) eat holes in things; mice chew things up and leave nasty droppings everywhere;  mold and mildew weaken fabrics as well as giving them bad odors that are sometimes impossible to get rid of.  A little extra care in preparing your items for storage and prevent a lot of this kind of damage.

Keep an eye on the weather, especially dropping temperatures.   You want to make sure you have winterized all your camping gear and recreational vehicles BEFORE you get regular freezing days and nights.  As long as the temp remains above 32F water and water-based products won't freeze but below 32F they will begin to freeze.  RVs will usually withstand a little freezing overnight temperatures but when it drops below 24F or so at night and never gets above freezing during the day they will be very likely to experience frozen water systems if they have not been properly protected.  Water expands when it freezes with enough force to rupture even sturdy steel pipes.  The plastic pipes and water tanks on RVs are even more susceptible to freeze damage if not protected.

Any vehicle or piece of equipment that includes water needs to be freeze protected.  Either completely drain any water based systems or replace the water with potable RV antifreeze.  Engine cooling systems should be protected with automotive antifreeze of the proper concentration, usually 50-50.

RVs and OHVs that will be stored for next season need to be cleaned and serviced.  If they have water cooled engines, make sure the coolant contains enough antifreeze to protect them against freezing.  Today's gasoline with ethanol deteriorates quickly so it is best to drain fuel and purge fuel from fuel systems.  Turning off the fuel at the tank and letting the engine run until it runs out of fuel usually does the job.  Then drain the tank.   Additives such as Stabil can extend the usable life of gasoline but draining the tank is more reliable.

Camping equipment needs to be clean and dry when put in storage for the winter.  Damp and/or dirty items are subject to rot, mold, mildew, and insect damage.  Perishable provisions should be removed and each one stored appropriately.  Gasoline fueled appliances liked stoves and lanterns need proper fuel treatment.  Camping and OHV clothing along with tents and bedding should be cleaned and stored where it will be safe from pests (insects and rodents mostly).  Adding moth balls or used dryer cloths to the storage container will help deter pests.   Using dryer cloths avoid having the unpleasant smell of moth balls on your clothing or linens.

Camping tools, such as axes, hatchets, shovels, etc. should be properly cleaned, repaired, and oiled before storage.  Metal parts that are not protected are likely to rust.  Wooden handles benefit from being wiped down with linseed oil to prevent them from getting over dried out while in storage.  Canopies and camp furniture should be clean and dry before being put into storage.  Any moving parts should be lightly lubricated.

The off season is usually a good time to perform preventative maintenance and/or upgrades to your equipment.  Doing so during this time lets you take advantage of  "down time" to work on stuff without impacting normal usage and gives you something related to your hobbies to do during the off season.  You might also be able to take advantage of reduced off-season prices.  Or, if you snagged some bargains during year-end clearance sales, now is a good time to get them assembled and or installed.  You might have to wait until next season to try them out, but you will have them ready to go when weather does permit taking out your rig.  Go over your "to do" list for your camping stuff.  Winter is a really good time to make repairs or improvements without impacting your camping schedule.  It is also a fun way to stay involved with your hobbies when heading outside isn't desirable or practical.

You can also use the off season to review and catalog the last season's activities and do research and make plans for next year.   The sooner you document your activities, the better chance you will capture accurate memories of them.  Converting camping log books into more detailed histories for example.  You might be able to expand on some of your camping notes before the memories fade.   Or copying hand written logs into electronic format for easy long-term storage and retrieval. Researching new equipment and new destinations can be a fun way to use the time you normally spend participating in your chosen activities the rest of the year.  Finding things to add interest, fun, or convenience to your camping experience is always a productive use of time.  Identifying new places to go and explore expands your options along with bolstering your knowledge of your environment.  I found it was a lot of fun to learn more of the history of the mining camps and communities where we went dirt biking in the Mojave Desert.   We even got to visit the crash site of one of the X-1 test planes.

Make good use of your off time!

 

Keep It All Going -- RVs, OHVs, Boats, Camping Gear

Our outdoor recreational equipment often represents a significant investment and we will want to protect that investment so we get as many years use from it as we can.  Lack of maintenance or improper maintenance can quickly result in premature wear and tear and/or complete failure of equipment and gear.

No matter what form your outdoor recreation takes, you have to invest a little time and effort and sometimes a little money to keep it all going so you can use it when you want to.  Motorized equipment usually requires the most effort and attention but even non-motorized camping equipment needs a little attention now and then to keep it in top shape and extend its useful life.  If you let things go, sooner or later it will catch up with you and your equipment will let you down -- usually at the worst possible time and place!  You might be surprised how little effort it actually takes to keep things in good shape.  Pretty much always a lot less time, effort, and money, not to mention inconvenience, than it takes to fix things once they break down.

Preventative Maintenance is the term usually used to describe what we do to keep our gear and equipment in top condition.  It consists primarily of performing required cleaning, lubrication and adjustments and is usually done before any problems have begun to show up.  Taking care of apparent problems falls under the category of repair rather than Preventative Maintenance.  Proper Preventative Maintenance can usually prevent many problems from every reaching the level where repair or replacement is required.

Motorized equipment (RVs, boats, OHVs) usually have owners manuals to guide you in required maintenance.  If yours didn't come with one you can usually purchase one from the dealer or find one online.  Lacking any owner's manual basic, some basic regular maintenance needed is to change the oil, oil filter, air filter and fuel filter.  Most vehicles also required regular chassis lubrication.  Chain driven vehicles like motorcycles and ATVs need to have the chains cleaned regularly and lubricated before every ride.  Air cooled vehicles need to have the cooling fins cleaned and any air access ways kept clear.  Liquid cooled vehicles need to have the coolant level checked frequently (before any trip in an RV and before any ride in an OHV) and changed according to vehicle and or coolant manufacturer's recommendations.  Coolant does break down and it can also get polluted by oil or engine gases.  Low coolant, caused by leakage, can result in catastrophic overheating which is usually VERY expensive to repair.  Radiators need to be kept free from dirt and debris and checked for leaks.

RVs and many boats are equipped with convenience systems that also required periodic maintenance.  Whenever your unit has a stove, furnace, refrigerator, water heater, water system, air conditioner, or any kind of electronic navigation or entertainment systems they will also need to be inspected and serviced as needed.  Owner's manuals for each device or system are the best source of maintenance schedules and procedures.  If you don't have owner's manuals for all your systems and equipment plan on inspecting and evaluating every one at least once a year, more if they get a lot of use.  Some things to check include any electrical or fuel connections, condition of burners on stoves, water heaters, and even gas refrigerators, lubricating any moving parts, and proper operation of on/off switches and safety devices.  Furnaces and air conditioners may have filters that need to be cleaned regularly.  Refrigerator cooling cools need to be clean and have nothing blocking the normal air flow required for cooling.  Water systems need to be checked for leaks.  Fresh water tanks may need to be purged and sanitized.  Waste water tanks need to be dumped and cleaned regularly and proper chemical levels maintained.  Electronic devices may have wiring or connectors that need to be inspected.  Any frayed wiring or loose connectors should be repaired or replaced ASAP.  Damaged circuits may not only degrade performance but may cause loads that can burn out internal components or even cause a fire.

Any vehicle with wheels and tires will need to have the wheels and tires checked before every trip and wheel bearings service according to manufacturer's specifications or at least once a year.  Tires need to be checked for proper inflation, adequate tread, and inspected for any sidewall damage.  Tires with inadequate tread or sidewall damage need to be replaced ASAP.  Proper inflation is necessary for comfort, performance and safety.  Of course this includes boat trailers as well as RVs, camping trailers, and tow vehicles -- as well as your daily driver!

Most motorized equipment needs to be exercised regularly to keep it in good shape.  If possible, it is best to take your RV, trailer, or ATV for a shore drive or ride at least once a month while it is in "storage" during the off season.  If that isn't possible, just starting the engine and running it for 10 or 15 minutes to let it warm up and shifting through the gears will help lubricate at least the engine and transmission.  When running your ATV, be sure to turn off the gas and let it burn up all the fuel in the system before storing it again.  Today's ethanol containing fuels go bad and gum up the fuel system pretty quickly if you let fuel sit there for a while.

Boat have their own special maintenance needs.  Motorboats have engines and drive trains that require service; sailboats have masts, rigging, and sails to take care of and often have auxiliary engines too.  In order to get the most of of any boat, you will have to keep it in good condition.  Not only that, you must keep them in good condition for safety!  Mechanical failures out on the water can be far more vexing and dangerous than in a camper or OHV on land.

Non-motorized camping equipment still needs to be inspected and taken care of on a regular basis.  Burners on appliances such as camp stoves and lanterns need to be cleaned at last once a year.  Pumps on liquid fuel appliances need to be checked and properly cleaned and lubricated periodically.  A few drops of oil on the leather gasket on lanterns and stoves will help keep it from getting dried out and stiff.  Fabric items, such as tents, awnings, packs, and sleeping bags need to be kept clean and stored where they are protected from moisture, sunlight, and pests.  Any tears or other damage should be repaired as quickly as possible.  Zippers on sleeping bags and packs need to be checked and possibly lubricated.  Tent poles and stakes need to be inspected and any damaged items repaired or replaced.  Tools need to be inspected and properly serviced according to the needs of each tool.  Axes, hatchets, and knives need to be sharpened.  Wood tool handles should be kept smooth and lightly oiled.  Metal parts of all tools should be lightly coated with oil to prevent rust or corrosion while in storage.

Disposable provisions can be both perishable and non-perishable.   Perishable items are usually removed after and replenished again for the next trip.  Non-perishable provisions, such as cleaning supplies and many first aid items need to be regularly inspected to make sure they are still serviceable.  Some items may have marked expiration dates, some may get used up, some may get worn out, and some, like Bandaids and adhesive tapes may lose their ability to stick.  All non-perishable items should be checked at least once a year and doing it more often (like before every trip!) will likely save you a lot of disappointment and aggravation.  Depleted provisions, sundries, cleaning supplies, camping supplies, automotive supplies, first aid supplies, etc., should be replenished before each trip.  Some specific things to check might include shampoo, dish soap, lantern mantles, motor oil, and spray lubricants.  Also be sure to check out any medicines (OTC as well as prescriptions) to make sure you have enough for each trip and they are not expired or contaminated.

Battery powered devices may be subject to battery failure or even corrosion.    Always remove ordinary batteries from flashlights and other devices before leaving them in storage for any extended length of time.  Check all battery powered devices and replace or recharge dead batteries prior to each trip.  If you find corrosion, clean it out as quickly and thoroughly as you can and put in new batteries.  A trick to prevent batteries from discharging excessively in storage is to flip one of the batteries in a multiple battery system around.  That lets you keep the batteries in the device but it can't get accidentally turned on.  Some LED flashlights depend on correct battery orientation and flipping batteries in them might damage the circuitry so exercise extra caution.

Things like camping chairs and beach umbrellas usually need very little maintenance but they can benefit from regular cleaning and occasionally the hardware may need to be adjusted and/or lubricated.  Greasy stains or bird droppings may speed deterioration or attract insects that can damage fabric.  Bent, rusted, or poorly lubricated components can cause excessive wear and premature failure.  Often even aluminum chair frames have steel components that can rust and could fail at the most inconvenient moment and leave you sitting on the ground!  Bent components might be carefully straightened but bent parts are likely need to be replaced eventually as bending (and straightening) them will have weakened the component.

Tools, like axes, hatchets, hammers, saws, and shovels should be inspected and kept properly sharpened.  Believe it or not, sharp tools are actually safer than dull ones.  Handles should always be smooth and tight.  All the tools in your tool box(es) should be checked regularly so make sure they are still there and are in usable condition.  Unpainted metal items should be protected by coating of light oil like WD-40.  Wooden handles usually benefit greatly from being rubbed with linseed oil.

Cooking utensils should always be kept clean and inspected for damage, such as loose handles or ragged edges.  Damaged items should be repaired or replaced.  Knives should be kept sharp and edges protected in storage both to maintain sharpness and to prevent you getting injured getting things out of the drawer or compartment.

Camp clothing should be cleaned and inspected.  Repairable items should be properly repaired as soon as it is reasonable to do so.   Often you can patch camp clothing in ways that are quite attractive and the patches themselves can become part of the camp ambiance.   Decorative patches or even recycled military insignia can often be used to make attractive repairs. Worn out or unrepairable items should be discarded and replaced.  No sense letting useless stuff take up valuable room in your valuable and limited space!  Some worn clothing might be recycled as cleaning rags or, if you are really crafty, braided into rugs!

Keep it going!

A Trailer For Hauling Your Camping Gear

Do you need a trailer to haul your camping gear?  Well, maybe.  Depends on your camping style, how much gear you have, how many people are in your group, what kind of vehicle you have, where you are going. what kind of activities you will be involved in, and how long you are going for.  The larger your group, the more complex your activities, and the longer you plan to be gone, the more likely you will need room to haul more stuff.  You might also need extra supplies if your destination is very remote and you won't have reasonable access to additional supplies as needed.

If you normally go camping in a motorhome, camping trailer, or truck camper, you probably won't need a utility trailer to haul your camping gear.  You can usually stow everything you need in your rig.  But sometimes you may want to bring along more stuff than you have room for in your normal recreational vehicle.  Having more people than usual or going on a longer trip than usual typically requires bringing along more stuff.   In such cases or if you are a tent camper and don't have a large vehicle to transport your gear, you will probably want to consider buying or making a light-weight utility trailer to tote your stuff around.  Pickups, vans, and large SUVs might have enough capacity but ordinary passenger cars, especially the small, compact, fuel efficient ones we generally prefer for daily drivers, will probably need extra cargo carrying space.

Even if you are a tent camper you may or may not need a trailer to haul your camping gear.  If you drive a large SUV or a pickup truck you probably have all the room you need to transport your normal camping equipment.  Even a station wagon or a full-size sedan may be adequate.  However, in these days of steadily increasing fuel prices you may choose a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicle for your daily driver.  Or if your family or regular camping group is large your gear might not fit in any vehicle, especially a smaller one.   If either is the case, you might need a small, light-weight trailer to transport your camping gear.  When I was a teen our family of 4 went camping in a '57 Hudson with sleeper seats and were quite comfortable for several days of travel and camping in and around Yellowstone Park and everything we needed fit comfortably in the trunk.  The same trip in a regular passenger car a year or so later required motel stops.

Some alternatives to a trailer might include a roof top carrier or hitch-mounted cargo rack or box.  If you have a vehicle with a roof rack you may be able to carry a lot of the bulky, lighter weight items like sleeping bags in a waterproof cargo bag secured to the roof rack. If you live in an area that gets little rain you might get way without covering your cargo, but whether you use a cargo carrier or a tarp it is still a good idea to cover the load to protect it from sunlight, wind, possible rain, and prying eyes.  Simply keeping things out of sight can provide a certain level of  "security by obscurity" and reduce thefts of opportunity.  Whenever you haul cargo outside your vehicle make sure it is securely anchored so it doesn't blow or bounce off during travel.  Avoid putting heavy items on roof racks.  Getting it up and down risks injury and having heavy loads up high can affect vehicle handling and could damage the roof.

A lightweight utility trailer isn't hard to come by.  Many home centers sell small trailers for home use and for transporting lawn mowers and other power yard equipment.  If you have a bent for do-it-yourself projects you can build your own trailer using trailer kits like those available at Harbor Freight.  They have kits for different size trailers.  A popular size is 48"x96", just right for a single sheet of 3/4" plywood to make the floor.  It is small enough and light enough to be pulled by a small vehicle yet large enough to carry almost all the camping gear you will need for the average family.  Flat bed trailers or utility trailers or even enclosed box trailers are all good possibilities.  What you choose will depend on your individual needs, budget, and availability.  Flat beds make it easy to load and unload wheeled toys.  Utility trailers help keep things secure in transit without having to tie them down.   You may be able to tarp both flat bed trailers and utility trailers to protect your gear against sun and rain.   Enclosed trailers provide the most security for your gear on the road and in camp and provide convenient extra protection against the weather.  You can often find small, inexpensive trailers for sale on craigslist.org.  I have used old tent trailers that were repurposed as motorcycle or utility trailers.  You might pick up an older tent trailer with a ruined tent pretty cheap (maybe even free!) and strip it down to make a utility trailer.

I have a camping trailer that started life as an Apache tent trailer.  Someone before me had completely gutted the little trailer to turn it into a utility trailer.  I actually got it for free on craigslist.  It needed a little work (including a LOT of cleaning and a new paint job to match our Jeep) and I upgraded from 10" wheels and tires to 12" for extra road clearance and an added safety margin.  One advantage to this particular trailer is that is has a clam-shell top that completely closes it during travel.  On one of our first trips we encountered very heavy rain.  So heavy there was about 2" of standing water on the freeway on a 6% grade!  Once out of the storm we pulled off the freeway and opened the clam-shell to access and mitigate the damage and were pleasantly surprised to find only 2 or 3 drops had gotten inside!  The clam-shell can even be locked for extra security.  It also gives us a convenience place to haul and store our camping equipment so it saves storage space in the garage and is always ready to go.

Packing your camping trailer may take some fore-thought and a little practice.    Basically you will want to load the heaviest components over the axle but you will need to maintain a certain amount of weight on the tongue to keep the connection secure and to avoid swaying.  Tongue weight for most small trailers should be in the range of 200-300 lbs but ultimately will depend on the overall trailer weight and how the load is distributed.   If there isn't enough tongue weight on the hitch (shoot for about 10% of the total loaded weight) the trailer may sway back and forth, kind of like the tail wagging the dog.  If there is too much weight on the tongue (more than about 15%) your vehicle may become less responsive, especially when turning and braking.  You may have to take your loaded trailer to a weigh station to find out how much it weighs.  You might be able to use a home bathroom scale to weigh the tongue, but use caution.  If it is too heavy for the scale you can damage the scale.  Trailer sway can be a serious problem.  My family and I have experienced at least two significant accidents due to excessive sway.  In one case the 28' toy hauler trailer  my son was pulling was too big and too heavy for the 1/2  ton pickup pulling it when it got caught in heavy crosswinds.  The other problem occurred when one of the bunk boards holding our sailboat broke, dumping the boat onto one of the fenders and crushing it down onto the tire so it created excessive drag on one side causing the trailer to sway.

Plastic tubs are a good way to pack and organize the things you put into your trailer.  Things like tents, sleeping bags, stoves, and camp chairs can usually be loaded in their own factory bags or even as is but cooking gear, provisions, linens, and clothing will be safer and easier to manage in plastic tubs.  I prefer translucent tubs so I can sort of see what is inside.  If you use opaque tubs you might want to label each one with what is inside to make it faster and easier to locate stuff in camp.

If you store your camping gear at home in your camping trailer be sure you remove perishable items between trips.  Putting perishables in a separate plastic tub makes this a lot easier.  Also make sure all your equipment is cleaned up before putting it away.  Left over food scraps will attract all kinds of pests, from microbes to raccoons and bears.  Microbes will turn scraps into nasty rotten messes and larger pests can do considerable damage to your gear and maybe even your trailer.  Bears have even been know to break into locked cars in search of food.  Animals in search of food may not be able to smell the difference between a few leftover crumbs and a whole sandwich, so cleaning everything up is critical!

Camping trailers can sometimes find additional uses in camp.  Once the gear has been unloaded you might put up a pipe frame to support a tarp over the top of an open trailer to provide a nice kind of pavilion to keep you out of the sun and rain and up off wet ground.  Some people even add sides or set up a free-standing tent in the trailer and use it as an off-the-ground shelter.   Not quite as complete as a tent trailer, but a step above sleeping on the ground.  You probably should not plan to cook in it, just as you normally would not cook in your tent, but it can make a safe and comfortable place to get out of the weather and for sleeping and to protect your personal gear.  Sometimes even an empty utility trailer makes a good playpen for younger children you might want to keep up off the ground and away from snakes and insects on the ground in many remote campgrounds.  You can install an awning on a box trailer to provide patio shade and protection from light rain in camp.  For an economy awning you might make your own using an inexpensive tarp and arms made from PVC pipe.  Similar canopies can be installed over the bed of open trailers.

If you use an open utility trailer you will want to tarp it to protect your gear against rain.  Having it tarped also provides a little bit of "security by obscurity" by keep your desirable items out of sight, reducing the chance of some passerby helping themselves to your property and helps minimize getting dust and dirt in your gear.  If you haven a enclosed trailer (like our little Apache trailer or a box trailer) you might even use the trailer for permanent storage at home.  Not only does that save space in your garage, shed, or basement, it keeps everything all packed and ready for your next trip.  Be sure you have a tongue lock or other security so it can't be easily stolen!

Some accessories you might want to add to your camping trailer might include a portable toilet (Portpotti) and a chuck box.  Portable toilets will give you comfortable sanitation where ever you go and a chuck box makes a good portable kitchen for use in camp.  A camping trailer may also give you room to carry extra tools you might need in camp or on the road.   I have a large, heavy-duty vinyl bag I use to carry firewood.  Firewood can also be carried in a box or even laid loose where ever there is extra room between items in your trailer, but having it in its own container keeps things cleaner and makes the wood easier to collect for your campfire.  Having a trailer may give you room to carry cots to make sleeping more comfortable.

Loading your trailer.  I talked a little bit a few paragraphs above about using plastic tubs to load and organize your camping trailer.  The other thing you will want to do is put the things you need to get to first when you get to camp where they are easily accessible.  Normally you will probably want get out your tent and camp chairs first, perhaps along with a canopy or dining fly for shade.  Sleeping bags should go into the tent once it is set up.  All your kitchen gear and supplies should be easy to get to because you may very well be more than ready for a good meal after your travels.  Lanterns and flashlights should be close at hand in case you arrive at your destination after dark.  Heavy tools usually find a good home somewhere near the bottom of things and often kind of out of the way since you probably won't be using them right away or often.   While placement for convenience is important, it should never override the need to load the trailer for correct balance and a proper tongue weight.d  Also make sure things are loaded so any shift during travel won't damage items or the trailer.

Used trailers can be a good option.  Few of us get to go camping as often as we would like and even personal utility trailers probably get little use so used trailers and likely to still have plenty of miles left in them.  Check out your local craigslist to look for bargains in your area.  Things to check will be tires, brakes (if so equipped), hitch, lights, safety chains, springs, an door/tailgate latches.  Tires will often look very good but may have ''aged out'', so check the date of manufacture.  Tires typically have a maximum usable life of around 6-10 years, depending on how they have been stored or protected.  If you are looking at box trailers, also look for any signs of leakage.  Check to make sure the floor is solid.  Used trailers might have been commercially made or homemade.  Homemade trailers can be very good trailers but you may want to pay special attention to how they are constructed.  A popular option for homemade utility trailers is to mount an old pick up bed on an axle.  The axle may be a trailer axle or an old car axle.  Old car axles are very sturdy but also add a lot of weight.  Commercial axles come in different weight ratings so make sure the axle is strong enough to handle the weight of your trailer and anything you plan to haul in it.  Most single axles are rated at 3500 lbs but you can find heavier duty models.  My custom made enclosed motorcycle trailer is on a single axle that has a 5500 lb rating.  You want to be sure whatever you buy will have the capacity you need (cubic feet of storage and weight rating) to handle whatever you need it to carry.  In most cases, almost any trailer is going to have more than enough capacity to haul all the camping equipment you need for the average family.  If you plan to haul ATVs or any other large, heavy pieces of equipment or have an unusually large family or regular camping group, you may need a larger trailer.  I once picked up an old 19'construction office trailer to haul camping equipment and dirt bikes.  It was big, ugly and heavy but it was cheap and it did the job.

Make sure the vehicle you use to tow your trailer is properly configured with a correct hitch for the trailer weight, has adequate power, tires, and suspension, and has appropriate connections for trailer lights and safety chains.  Trailer brakes may be required on heavier trailers, along with brake controllers on the tow vehicle.  Surge brakes are an alternative that provides self-contained brakes on moderate sized trailers.  Surge brakes use a special, articulated hitch on the tongue that pushes a rod into a brake master cylinder to apply the brakes on the trailer whenever the trailer pushes against the hitch as the tow vehicle slows or stops.

Small, light-weight trailers may or may not have to be licensed.  Some states required ALL trailers to be licensed, but some only require licenses on trailers over a certain loaded weight.  An unlicensed trailer may save you annual registration fees, but having it licensed may guard against theft or make it easier to identify and reclaim your trailer if it is stolen.  Normally if you are towing an unlicensed trailer with a licensed vehicle from the state of residence where the trailer license is not required, you will not need to have a license even a state where residents are required to license all trailers.  However, having the license might prevent you from getting pulled over from time to time when driving out of your state since local law enforcement might not know your home state regulations.  You may be able to defend against a traffic ticket but avoiding the potential problems in the first place might well be worth the modest cost of registering the trailer, even it isn't required in your home state.

Haul away!

Nylon Webbing for OHVing, RVing, Camping, and Boating

Nylon webbing is useful for OHVing, Rving, camping, and boating.  It is light weight but very strong.  Typical 1" nylon webbing can be rated as high as 4,000 lbs.  It is available in a variety of colors so you can choose a color you like and can use different colors for different applications.  Different brands, sizes, and qualities of webbing may have different strength ratings so be sure to choose webbing that is sufficiently strong for your application.  1" webbing is often used for tie downs and load-securing ratchets straps.  You will also see heavier webbing used for tow straps, snatch straps, and heavy-duty ratchet straps.  I use 2 1/2" ratchet straps to secure my 25' sailboat to its trailer.

Most tie downs for OHVs are made of nylon webbing.   They may have simple friction catches or ratchets.  Simple catches are usually appropriate for dirt bikes and ATVs where ratchet straps may over-compress and damage the suspension while tied down if over tightened.  Tie downs come with "S" hooks on both ends to easily attach them to anchor points.  You can also loop the webbing around larger contact points and run the webbing back through the "S" hook if needed.  To avoid marring the surface of handle bars you can get "soft shackles" which are nylon web  that wraps around the handle bars and you attach the "S"hooks to loops on the end.  Some higher end tie downs come with their own built in soft shackles.  Strong 1" nylon straps, even your regular tie downs, make good tow straps for dirt bikes and most ATVs.  Side-by-sides may require a sturdier tow or snatch strap.  Dune buggies, Jeeps, and other larger 4x4s will definitely need an appropriately sized tow strap, tow rope, or tow chain.

Many RVs have roof racks to carry additional cargo.  Whenever you put something up on the roof of your RV you want to make sure it is secure.  Nylon ratchet straps are a good way to do this, just don't over-tighten them or you may damage the roof rack, the roof, or the load.  Here again, 1"straps are usually more than adequate.

Ratchet straps normally used to secure loads on pickups and utility trailers are usually 1"straps.  Pay attention to the rated strength when you purchase ratchet straps.  The rating takes into consideration all the components:  the nylon strap, the stitching, the hooks, and the hardware.  If you cut or break the strap you may able to repair it if you are comfortable doing the necessary sewing.  Choose replacement webbing that is at least as strong as the original and used appropriately sized UV resistant thread and a box stitch for webbing to secure the webbing to hooks and anchor points.  You can purchase bulk webbing online or at most fabric stores.  I get mine from a discount store for just ten cents foot, much less than even buying it direct from the factory!

A fairly new and convenient invention are self-storing ratchet straps.  As you might expect, they are a bit more expensive than regular ratchet straps but are spring loaded to take up the slack for you instead of having to pull it all through the hub of the ratchet.  I haven't used them yet, but the reviews I have seen have been pretty favorable.  I suspect the mechanisms will be slightly heavier than ordinary ratchet mechanisms and might get in the way in some tight applications.

Campers find nylons straps useful for securing tents, sleeping bags and back packs.  Many bags for tents and sleeping bags even come with nylon straps sewn to the bags for convenience but you can add your own or use free-standing nylon straps anytime.  You can buy straps with buckles or just tie them around your bundle.  Buckles are usually easier to fasten and unfasten and allow the straps to lie flat.

I use nylon webbing for sail ties on my sailboat.  I use different colors for different length sail ties to make it easier to quickly locate the right one for each position for securing the mainsail to the boom for temporary storage.  Sail ties an also be used to tame excess halyards and dock lines and the secure loads on deck and in the cabin and storage compartments.  Sail ties have a loop in one end, usually made with a twist to make it easier to get your hand in.  Normally they do not have an metal hooks because those could chafe and damage sails and sail covers.  You can thread the loose end through the loop to pull the strap tight around the sail, then tie it off securely.

As mentioned above, I use 2 1/2" ratchet straps to secure my 25' sailboat to its trailer.  They hold it down nicely and the wider straps spread the load to avoid excess pressure on point of contact with the fiberglass hull.  If you use ratchet straps to tie down your boat, make sure you don't crank them down too tight.  It is too easy to put enough tension on them to crack fiberglass or dent aluminum hulls.  I once noticed tiny stress cracks forming under the heavy duty straps on my sailboat.

As a volunteer firefighter I have roll of 1" nylon webbing in one of the pockets of my turn out gear.  Just about all firefighters do.  We can use the webbing to help move an injured or unconscious victim, to lift tools up a ladder, or even to help us make an emergency escape out a window.

Nylon webbing or straps is not usually used for guy lines for tents or awnings but it can be.   It is often stronger than most of the light weight ropes usually used in such applications.  It also has the advantage of being wider and more easily seen so you aren't as likely to run into them or trip over them.  You might find ratchet straps useful as guy lines on really large, heavy tents.  On occasion I have used ratchet straps to secure the awning on my motorcycle trailer.  The ratchet straps allow me to easily pull the awning taught.  If you do use ratchet straps in this way, take care not to over-tighten them as they can easily damage the awning or attachment hardware.  The only possible downside I see to using straps as guy lines is they might flutter in the wind, which can be annoying and the vibration can sometimes cause them to loosen.

Webbing used to used a lot on aluminum-framed camp chairs.   Most camp chairs these days are bag chairs with cloth seating and backrests but you can still find aluminum-framed chairs here and there.  The webbing strips are usually about 2-2 1/2" wide and made of some kind of fiberglass or plastic material, not usually the kind of heavy duty nylon you find in tie downs and ratchet straps.  If you have any of these old chairs you might still be able to get replacement web kits for them.  I have even seen kits on amazon.com. In a pinch you might be able to re-web your chairs with sturdy nylon webbing and they would probably last a very long time.  It would make the chairs a bit heavier and they might be warmer to sit in than the original webbing.  That might be nice in cold weather but less comfortable on most warm summer days in camp.

Good web to get caught in!

Keeping Your Feet Warm When RVing, OHVing, Camping and Boating

Your feet, like your hands, are ''extremities'' and, as such, are subject to difficulties keeping them warm in cold weather.  After all, your toes are the furthest away from your heart, which supplies warm blood to your entire body.  The distance blood has to flow and the amount of blood available to those areas limits how much heat reaches your toes.   Further more, your body reduces blood flow to extremities when it gets cold to preserve the heat in your core to keep your organs functioning.  Wiggling or exercising your toes can sometimes help increase blood flow enough to help keep them warm.

Good, dry, insulated boots are a first good step toward keeping your feet warm.   In really wet weather you may need to wear rubber boots or galoshes or over-shoes to keep your feet dry.  Insulated work boots help prevent you from losing the heat from your feet.  Snow-boots are usually made of fabric and can be quite warm and comfortable but might not provide the impact protection you need for many outdoor activities.  You can buy insulated OHV boots, cowboy boots and insulated hiking and work boots.

A good sock system is another way to keep your feet warm.  And yes, that is a sock system, not just a pair of socks.  A proper sock system will include a fairly thin layer next to your skin that can wick away perspiration and protect your skin against abrasive movement that can cause blisters.  On top of that you will want to wear appropriate layer(s) for insulation to prevent heat loss and keep the warmth your feet get from your blood from escaping.  Wool is an excellent material for socks as it continues to retain its insulating quality even it it gets wet.  Summer and winter I usually wear a pair of thin dress socks beneath my motocross socks in my OHV boots to prevent chafing and blisters.  They make my feet noticeably hotter in the summer but do seem to ad a bit of insulation in the winter.

Tall boots will keep your feet warmer than low topped shoes.  Close fitting tops will retain heat better than loose, open tops.  Tall boots or gaiters will help keep your legs warm, which in turn, will keep the blood going to your feet warmer.  With that in mind, wearing full length thermal underwear can also help keep your feet as well as your legs warmer.

Chemical heat pads are available to help keep your feet warm.  You usually place them near your toes as they are the most vulnerable to heat loss.  They typically last about 8 hours but sometimes will need to be pulled out and reactivated by shaking.  Do that in a warm environment if possible so you won't lose more heat than you gain!

Battery-powered electrically heated socks are another option.  Personally, I haven't found them to be very effective.  In the first place they didn't get very warm and in the second place the batteries didn't last very long.   I also found the bulk of the batteries banging around my ankles kind of uncomfortable.  I only tried one brand so there may be better ones out there.  For me warmer boots and warmer socks are a better solution.

Just stomping your feet or wiggling your toes can help simulate blood flow to help ward off the cold.   Rolling your ankles might help bring more blood to your feet too.

Getting your feet next to a campfire or other heat source is a good way to warm them up.  Just be careful you don't get too close for too long.  You can easily get up the soles of your boots enough to burn your feet if you aren't careful.   When dirt biking in the desert we liked to build our campfire in what we called R2D2, and old washing machine tub.  I put it on an outdoor RV table pedestal to lift it a few inches off the ground so we could stick our could toes underneath to get them warm.  I've seen people put their boots right into a campfire to get their feet warm but be aware that by the time you begin to feel the heat the soles and steel shank may have gotten hot enough to burn you before you could get your feet out of your boots so exercise caution if you every resort to this!   Campfires and stoves are also a good pace to warm up your boots before you put them before going outside for a little added comfort on cold days.  Be aware that it takes time for the heat to penetrate your boots.  Don't keep your feet too close to the fire for too long.  If you wait until it starts to feel too hot the residual heat will probably cause burns even after you move away from the fire.  If your footwear or pants start smoking, back away from the fire immediately!

If you have a warm environment available (RV, cabin, vehicle, tent, etc) you can go inside and remove your cold boots and tuck your feet into a blanket, warm towel, or sleeping bag to get them warm.   I find that kind of sitting Indian style and tucking one foot behind the knee of my other leg and clamping it between the thigh and calf helps warms my foot from both sides, then switching sides every few minutes until both feet are warm.  That might a really important if you are think you are starting to get frostbite.  I use an old pair of snow boots as my ''desert bedroom slippers" when camping.  They are easy to get on and off and keep my feet warm around camp.

When boating, keeping your feet dry will go a long way towards keeping them warm.  Being out on the water means you have a good chance of getting water in your boat and your feet are likely to be subject to more extensive exposure than other parts of your body.  In wet weather or when dealing with a lot of waves splashing into the boat, wear waterproof shoes or boots instead of the canvas shoes you normally wear.  When you feet do get wet, change into dry socks and shoes as soon as it is practical.  Lacking waterproof footwear I have seen folks tie plastic bags over their shoes for some protection.  Some folks prefer going barefoot on their boats.  While it exposes your feet to abrasion and other injuries proper foot gear might protect against, it does allow you to dry your feet quickly and avoid the consequences of sitting around in wet shoes and socks.  Allowing your feet to remain wet can result in additional injury or damage to your skin so keeping them warm and dry becomes a priority.  Weather permitting, going barefoot will let you dry your feet more easily as needed.

Speaking of frostbite, contrary to a very old bit of folk medicine NEVER rub snow on frostbitten areas.  This practice was definitively proven  ineffective and even dangerous way back in the 1950s.  Frozen areas should be rapid warmed up using moist, controlled heat.  Putting frozen skin near a campfire or hot stove can result in burning the frozen flesh!  Tuck frozen extremities next to warm body parts (yours or someone else's), put them next to hot water bottle, or cover them in warm water.  BTW, don't rub frozen skin with anything as rubbing will further damage the affected tissues.

Now you're hot footin' it!

Keeping Your Tent Warm

Tents are a lot harder to warm than RVs and campers.  That thin tent fabric just doesn't provide a lot of insulation.  That being said, it is surprising just how much protection a simple tent can provide against cold weather.  Temperatures once dropped below freezing during an overnight scout outing with one of my sons.  We were sharing a 3-man dome tent.  It was definitely cool inside when I got out my sleeping bag in the morning, but it was down right cold outside the tent!  It was cool enough inside that I needed to get dressed quickly and was glad I had tucked my clothes into the bottom of my sleeping bag so they were already a little warmer than they would have been lying in the open.  But it wasn't until I stepped outside that I needed a jacket!  Don't know what the temperature was in the tent but it was around 24F outside!  Just having a tent to keep the breeze off helps a lot.  It also helps retain the heat released by your body instead of letting it simply blow away.

In the first place, tents have only a very thin fabric to provide insulation against heat loss.  Even the walls of the heaviest canvas tents are only a fraction of an inch thick, compared to 4-6" walls in our residences and at least 2" thick walls in most RVs and campers.  And it isn't really very feasible to add insulation to tent walls.  However, tents with a rain fly do gain a little in the way of insulation from the air gap between the tent walls and the rain fly.  This air gap helps keep tents cooler in summer and warmer in winter.  For one thing, the rain fly protects the tent itself from direct wind.  Some people add a skirt to the rain fly to ensure it reaches all the way to the ground to reduce heat loss.  Putting a tarp over your tent might add little protection but unless there is some way to keep it from touching the tent fabric you will still lose heat through conduction between the tent fabric and the tarp.  Rain flys are usually held a few inches away from the tent wall by the external framework of the tent.  Using flexible fiberglass tent poles to hold a tarp a couple of inches above your tent fabric might be an option.  Or just set up a dining fly over your tent.

One place you can add insulation to keep your tent warmer is the floor.  Tents should always be placed on a sturdy ground cloth to protect the floor from being punctured or damaged by debris and to keep moisture out.  A good ground cloth will also block a little bit of heat loss through the floor. Unless you are back packing, you can add foam anti-fatigue mats on the floor or your tent to protect the floor from damage, make it more comfortable to sleep on , and to insulate the interior from the cold ground.  Of course you won't be carrying anti-fatigue mats anyplace you have to hike in very far, but having a good foam sleeping pad will help you sleep warmer and more comfortable.

Tent heaters are one way of warming up the inside of tents.  The most commonly used tent heaters are catalytic heaters that use propane or white gasoline to generate heat.  They must be used with adequate ventilation to prevent suffocation and need to always be kept a safe distance from all fabrics and other combustible materials.  If you have access to 120 volt shore power or have a portable generator you could use an electric heater.  While electric heaters will not consume oxygen you still need to ensure they are kept a safe distance from combustible materials and you have to keep the generator a safe distance from your tents to avoid breathing exhaust fumes.

The human body generates about as much heat as a 100 watt electric light bulb.  That means that YOU and any companions will contribute to the heat inside your tent.  I once had to open the windows in my house in Utah when outside temps were in the teens because it was getting too warm inside with 20 people in the living room -- and without any heat turned on inside the house!    To keep warm use the smallest tent that is suitable for your needs.  A big tent just means more air you need to warm to keep it comfortable.  I typically recommend using a tent that is rated for one more person than will be sleeping in it to provide space for gear and room to get dressed etc.  Using one rated for just the number of people sleeping in it might be a bit warmer, but you would sacrifice a lot of convenience and might end of having to leave some or your gear out in the weather.  Using a lot bigger one gives you more room for gear or visitors, but will be harder to keep warm while you are resting.

Propane lanterns generate quite a bit of heat.  But they can put out toxic fumes and definitely consume oxygen so you must provide adequate ventilation when using inside a tent.  I know, it seems counterintuitive to open windows when you are trying to warm up your tent, but it is critical to provide adequate ventilation.  Failing to do so could be fatal!

Sometimes you can make yourself comfortable inside your tent by simply dressing warmer:  thermal underwear, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, etc.  I don't recommend dressing a lot warmer at night than you are used to.  Wearing warm, flannel "bunny" jammies instead of your regular PJs might be OK, but dressing in lots of layers will most likely be uncomfortable, confining, and you could get too warm and sweat which would then cause you to get even colder!  Dressing differently than you normally do at night may interfere with sleeping.  At night extra bedding may be enough to keep you warm enough to sleep comfortably, regardless of the temperature inside the tent.  One trick I used when tent camping was to lay out an old sleeping bag opened up on the floor of the tent before rolling out the sleeping bags two or us would be using.  Then putting another old sleeping bag opened up covering both sleeping bags.  Outside temperatures were in the low 20s that night and we slept very comfortably.

Thermal mass is another way of adding heat to a tent.  A thermal mass can be anything that can be safely warmed up and brought into the tent.  I've seen people use hot water bottles, baked potatoes, and hot rocks.  Just be sure nothing is hot enough to damage your tent fabric.  Using leather gloves you may be able to carry hot rocks that are hot enough damage rather fragile tent fabrics so check them carefully or put them in or on fire resistant surfaces.

You can sometimes make it easier to keep a tent warm inside by setting it up where it is already protected from the wind.  Solid wind breaks, like large rocks, walls, or buildings provide the best protection but you may get some benefit setting up next to vehicles or even trees and bushes.  Vehicles may block a lot of the wind but usually allow quite a breeze underneath that can still blow on your tent and draw the heat away.  You might also avoid shade to take advantage of any solar heating during the day. Tent fabric doesn't capture or retain a lot of heat but getting the tent and the air and gear inside as warm as possible during the day can help make it more comfortable after dark.

Keep warm!

What Can Campers Do This Time of Year (January)?

It is the middle of January here in the western United States.  Not exactly ideal weather for camping in most places in the Northern Hemisphere.  So, what, if anything, can campers do this time of year besides wish camping season were here?

Well, actually, there are lots of things we can do, if we have a mind to.  Our options for heading out onto the trails or into the forest (or even the desert) might be limited  by weather and temperature right now, but there are other things we can do to stay active and productive.  Winter is a good time to do some good preventive maintenance on our equip, perhaps do some shopping for new camping clothes and gear, look into new equipment we might want to try out, and research places to go when the season opens in in a few months.

Preventive Maintenance should include inspecting all our gear and repairing or replacing damaged items as necessary.  It is a good time to re-oil the leather seals on camp stove and lantern plungers, clean burners and gas lines (spiders like to nest in them!), inspect tents, sleeping bags, and camp clothing.  These items might need to be cleaned if they weren't cleaned before storage or if they have become contaminated during storage.  Tents might benefit from a new coating of waterproofing.  Any missing or damaged loops or fasteners should be repaired or replaced.  Tears in tents, sleeping bags, and camp clothing should be stitched and any tent repairs sealed.  Hiking and riding boots should be cleaning and inspected and sprayed with waterproofing.   Look for missing, worn, or damaged latches and laces and repair or replace as necessary.  Worn soles or heals?  Now is a good time to take them to the shoe repair shop and get them fixed so they will be ready to use when you are ready to use them.  Check flashlights and other battery powered equipment.  Hopefully you removed the batteries before putting them in storage.  If not, you may now have corroded batteries that need to be removed and the compartments and contacts thoroughly cleaned.  

The off season is also a good time to make wanted improvements or enhancements to our equipment.  Major additions to RVs, campers, and boats can be done now without impacting use during the normal recreational season.  Of course, if any of our mechanical devices need repair, now is a generally a good time to get it done.  Anything in the interior can usually be done regardless of weather but some external repairs or additions (roof repairs for example) might require waiting until better weather, but you may be able to perform inspections now to make plans and get the necessary materials you will need when you can work outside.  It is a good time to check batteries and make sure everything is properly lubricated.  If your equipment is sheltered from the elements you can most likely proceed with any desired improvements regardless of weather.

The off season is a good time to do research on new equipment, new activities, and new destinations.   You will probably not want to take time for it during actual camping season when you can get out and go places and having some lead time to prepare for new adventures is always helpful.  The Internet provides lots of resources for researching new gear, activities and destinations. You can usually find a plethora of articles and videos to help you evaluate new options and find the best prices and fastest delivery of  purchases.  It is nice to be able to read reviews and watch Youtube videos before you spend a lot of money on some new gadget.  You might even want to do some background research on your favorite destinations and activities to learn more of their use and history.  You never know what interesting or even useful information you might gain.  I had been dirt biking the Mojave Desert for several years before I learned the stories behind some of the familiar landmarks we explored or encountered during our rides.  One of our favorite campsites had, at one time, been a way station for the famous 20 Mule Teams hauling borax out of Death Valley and later a railroad switching center.   A popular rugged desert site we often rode our dirt bikes to and through had been used to train astronauts for the moon landings and used in many movies.  I even located a memorial marking the crash site of an X-15.   I also like to learn what I can about the flora and fauna of areas we go to.  It can be helpful to know what precautions you might need to take against animal attacks.  Our most frequent threat in the desert was rattlesnakes and scorpions.  Many plants may be edible or even have medical properties in an emergency.  However, what might be useful in any given area is dependent on what grows there.  Knowing the wondrous medical properties of esoteric tropical rain forest plants isn't going to do you much good in a North American forest or desert, but knowing the benefits of things like willows, poplars, and even sage brush, might very well be.  BTW, the bark of willows, poplars, and aspens, contain salicylic acid, the natural equivalent of aspirin and sage brush can be used to make an effective disinfectant solution as well as providing a fragrant, easy-to-light fuel for campfires.  I have found that chewing the bark from about 6" of small (1/8") willow branches had about the same affect as taking two aspirin.   While it may not taste like candy, the taste is not too unpleasant.

Some adventurous people actually do go camping in winter weather.  If you choose to explore these options, make sure your equipment, including your clothing, is properly configured for winter use.  most RVs, campers, and boats, are designed or adapted for use in mild weather.  They must be appropriately "hardened" for use below freezing temperatures, not only for your comfort, but to prevent serious damage to the equipment.  Water expands when it freezes you must protect anything that hods water:  plumbing, water jugs, cooling systems, etc.  Simple things like parking an RV, setting up a tent, or making a campfire, require extra considerations when camping in snow or freezing weather.  Having shelter and clothing appropriate to the conditions you are in could literally mean the difference between life and death and will certainly be necessary for comfort!  You might find it useful to try some cold-weather camping as a means to prepare for winter emergencies.

Get off the couch and do something!

Harbor Freight forTools and Supplies for RVers, OHVers, Campers and Boaters

I have mentioned Harbor Freight in a number of posts.  That is not because I receive any sponsorship or compensation from Harbor Freight, it is just because I have some experience with the products involved and have found them to be useful and cost effective and thought my readers might too.  They have lots of hand tools, power tools, garden tools, and other items that are useful to campers -- like tie downs, towing products, tarps, hardware, and even wheels and tires that fit some small tent trailers.  I became really familiar with their products when my wife worked as a rebuyer for their purchasing department.

You can find lots of Youtube videos about Harbor Freight tools.  They will include both positive and negative opinions.  Be sure to consider the background, qualifications, and bias of the reviewer together with both their intended use of the tools and your intended use.  You may need professional quality tools if you use them regularly on your job but less expensive options may be adequate for home or DIY use.

I have found Harbor Freight to be an excellent source for many tools for my RVs, OHVs, boats, and camping as well as for my mechanics and home maintenance tools.   You will sometimes see negative comments about the quality of tools from Harbor Freight.  While it is almost certain that high end name brands like SnapOn, Husky, and Craftsman will most likely last longer in professional use, I have pretty much found Harbor Freight tools to be more than adequate for my do it yourself projects.  The lower cost also allows me to purchase specialty tools that make jobs easier and sometimes allow me to do tasks that I could not otherwise do at all.  It also lets me afford duplicates to create convenient specialized tool kits for my motorcycle trailer, camp kit, RV, and boat.  Harbor Freight also offers a lifetime guarantee on just about all their hand tools.  In more than twenty years of buying and using their tools I have only had to utilize the guarantee a couple of times and both times they were very quick and friendly about replacing the damaged items, no questions asked.

Harbor Freight offers about the biggest selection of tarps I have seen anywhere.   They include light weight blue "poly" tarps, green farm tarps, more heavy duty silver tarps, and even real canvas tarps.  The selection and reasonable pricing always makes them my first stop when I need a tarp.  The normal prices are usually pretty good but keep an eye out for coupons and sales for even better savings.  Of course you an also find really light clear plastic painter's tarps too.

Another pretty complete category of useful items for RVers is the towing section.  You will find hitches, couplers, ball mounts, towing balls, lights, hitch pins, tie downs, safety chains, towing straps, anti-sway bars, tongue jacks, just about everything you need for towing trailers and even hitch-mount racks for carrying additional cargo and mounting winches.

Harbor Freight offers a variety of jacks and jack stands that can be useful, ranging from small bottle jacks to 10-ton floor jacks and tall farm jacks like the ones often used off-road by 4x4 users.

Harbor Freight has a large selection of hand tools -- wrenches, pliers, screw drivers, sockets, ratchets, hammers, clamps, and pry bars.  They also provide a lifetime warranty on almost all of their hand tools.  I have had to use the warranty a couple of times.  One time I twisted a socket completely off of a cross-bar lug wrench trying to remove a stuck lug not on a 3/4 ton off-road truck.  Another time I twisted a T-handle allen wrench until the flat sides were twisted from tip to  handle.  I was impressed with the strength of the plastic handle!  In both cases I was clearly exceeding the normal application but received replacements on the spot without any hassle.

The reviews of Harbor Freight power tools are mixed.  If you look for Harbor Freight on Youtube you will get a variety of videos listing the "10 Best" or "10 worst" Harbor Freight items.  Sometimes they may tell you what to buy or not to buy at Harbor Freight.  Remember, all of these videos are personal opinions of the people who made the videos and they may or may not have their own bias and they may or may not have any real qualifications for evaluating the products.  My own experience has been mostly positive.  I have found things like cordless drills and even cordless impact wrenches to be well worth the modest price.  Did they hold up as long as brand names like Dewalt?  No, not usually.  But the prices were significantly less and usually the performance was similar or at least adequate while they lasted for my DIY projects.  In general I have found most DIY reviews were pretty positive while many of the negative reviews were from professionals who normally use expensive, high-end tools and use them a lot.  An inexpensive cordless drill was a welcome addition to the tools in my enclosed motorcycle trailer.

Harbor Freight offers a wide assortment of portable generators, ranging from small "tailgater" units to large ones that provide enough power to run your whole house in an emergency.   I have seen Youtube videos that both praise and criticize Harbor Freight generators.  Generally the ones from Harbor Freight will be considerably less expensive than well know name brands and may still be a good value even if they don't meet the same performance or longevity of the higher priced brands.  I have a 4500 watt unit I use frequently due to power outages in my rural area and in the two or three years I've had it, it has performed flawlessly.  It cost way less than half a "brand name"generator of the same size.

Harbor Freight is offering a line of winches that is an extraordinary value.   I have personally used a couple of their 2500 lb ATV winches and been very satisfied with them.  I have been eyeing the 12,000 lb Badlands winch for my 4WD truck.  At a regular retail price of $599 it is about 1/3 the cost of a similarly rated name brand winch and I have seen several very favorable reviews on Youtube from highly qualified professional users.  I have even noticed that a couple of popular off-road recovery teams uses the 12,000 lb Badlands winch.  I recently saw the 12,000 lb Badlands winch on sale for just $319!  And they have a hitch-mount rack specifically designed for it for just $75.  A similarly sized Warn brand winch typically retails for around $1800!

Harbor Freight has recently introduced some higher priced hand and power tools.  These might be of particular interest to professionals or those whose budgets can accommodate the higher prices.   Supposedly they will be closer in fit, finish, and quality to the high-end name brand tools but still less expensive.  When purchasing hand tools, especially things like pliers and wrenches and sockets, I look at the fit and finish and prefer those with precise edges and a smooth, shiny finish.  I have seen wrenches that looked like they had been cast in sand molds and avoid them!  Most of the hand tools that have failed me in the past would not have passed my current fit and finish selection criteria.  A lot of the wrenches and socket sets at Harbor Freight have a very nice fit and finish.

Harbor Freight often offers a variety of hardware you won't find any place else.  I find their "storehouse" offerings particularly appealing.  These are collections of small parts (nuts, bolts, fasteners, o-rings, nylon clamps, hitch pins, cotter keys, etc).  They usually come with their own plastic storage bins to organize them for ease of use.  A quick glance at my supply cabinet shows o-rings, hitch pins, cotter keys, metric nuts and bolts, SAE nuts and bolts, hose rings, hose clamps and cable clamps.  Having an assortment of commonly used hardware on hand has saved many projects and many trips to town!  They also usually have a good assortment of cable ties, ranging from tiny little ones handy for controlling phone charger cables to huge ones big enough to secure tents and sleeping bags.  On a related note, I figured out a way to keep the little plastic tubs in my dirt bike trailer nut and bolt storehouse from sliding out when traveling:  I cut some pieces of thin welding rod to match the height and width of the cabinet, then heated the ends and suck them into the plastic frames so they crossed in front of the drawers. It was a quick, cheap, and easy way to keep things from getting tossed all over the place towing the trailer to off-road locations.

Garden tools.  There are a surprising number of garden tools that might be useful for campers as well as for home use.  Axes, wedges, rakes, bow and pruning saws, and shovels are among the most appropriate camping choices as well as chain saws. Harbor Freight offers gasoline, electric, and cordless chain saws.  Bow saws and folding pruning saws are especially well suited for camping.   Folding saws are handy if you are hiking or backpacking.  Bow saws are a little stronger, cut faster, and are easier to use if you have a place to carry them,

Harbor Freight also has a wide assortment of gloves:  work gloves, garden gloves, welding gloves, mechanics gloves, latex gloves.  I rely almost exclusively on work and latex gloves from Harbor Freight for my home improvement, yard, RV, boat and car maintenance projects.  Their regular prices are usually very reasonable and they often have coupons that make them even more affordable.  I have noticed a dramatic increase recently in the cost of latex and nitrile gloves, thanks to COVID-19!

I have found  many uses for foam anti-fatigue mats which Harbor Freight has at a good price .  Be sure to watch for coupons for even greater savings, sometimes as low as $4.99 for 4-6 mats!  I have them in front of the workbench in my garage and in my motorcycle trailer.  I have also used them for a comfortable, anti-skid deck around and under my inflatable spa.  They can also be used to insulate the inside of boat cabins and are especially nice around the v-berth so you don't rub up against the cold fiberglass or metal hull in the middle of the night.  In addition to insulating the hull, the pads also reduce condensation inside the boat.

Harbor Freight stocks a good supply of safety items, such as goggles and face masks.   You will also find lot of other safety products, some you might not even have thought about before.  It can be educational just looking through the safety section.  I picked up some non-skid tape that has been useful on my RV, my motorcycle trailer, a utility trailer, and my sailboat as well as around the house.

Harbor Freight used to regularly offer coupons via print ads in many publications but has recently switched to online coupons.  Their coupons often provide substantial savings on their already low prices.  Use your favorite search engine to look for "Harbor Freight Coupons" to get the best prices on things you need.  Sometimes I peruse the coupons and take advantage of them to get items I might not even have an immediate need for if they are at a good price if I think I might have a use for them someday.  I like to be prepared.  They usually have a 20% off any item coupon that is especially useful when buying higher priced items at regular price.  Coupons are often a way to get customers into a store in hopes they will buy other things.  That being said, I have never had any negative experience buying coupon-only items at Harbor Freight.

They also offer an ''Insider's Club'' that gives additional discounts on selected items from time to time.  There is a modest annual fee to maintain your Club status but you usually recoup the cost quickly, especially if you purchase more expensive items where the Club savings on one purchase can often offset the annual fee.

Many Harbor Freight stores have side-walk sales from time to time.  These an be an especially good time to get excellent bargains.  Sometimes the inventory includes returned items offered at substantial savings.  When we lived in southern California we were even close enough to take advantage of the large side-walk sale at their warehouse in Camarillo, California.

In summary, I generally find Harbor Freight tools and hardware to be a good value.   As always, you should examine anything you are buying to make sure it meets your personal needs.  I would look to their higher-end offerings or maybe even defer to brand names for ongoing professional use but do-it-your-selfers may be able to expand your tool inventory at reasonable prices from their standard lines, allowing you to add many tools that would be way outside your budget if you bought professional brands and they will more than likely hold up well in occasional homeowner use.

Tool up!

End of Season Tasks for Campers, RVers, and Boaters

We are almost into September.  Soon the kids will be back in school and it soon will be time to start winterizing our summer toys.  There might be time for one last hoorah in the motorhome, out on the boat, or riding off road toys, but before long it will be time to tuck them away until next season.  All of our summer recreational equipment should be properly prepared for winter storage.  Failure to do so may result in serious damage over the winter or, at the very least, make getting it ready to use again next season more difficult.  For more information on winterizing, check out this post.

Motorhomes and campers  and boats need to have their water systems winterized before the onset of freezing weather.  That means draining all the holding tanks and either blowing all the water out of the system or filling the plumbing with RV antifreeze to keep the pipes from freezing -- if you live where you get freezing weather.  Folks who live in the sunbelt don't have to worry about freeze protection.  Check out this post  or more detailed motorhome winterization .

Anything with a gasoline engine will need to have the fuel system treated to prevent deteriorating fuel from clogging up the works.  For small engines, like motorcycles and outboard motors, you can turn off the fuel and run all the gas out of the system to reduce the problems old fuel causes in carburetors and injection systems.  Then treat the remaining fuel in the tank with a fuel stabilizer or drain the tanks.  For motorhomes and boats with inboard motors add the fuel treatment, then run the engines for 10 or 15 minutes so the treated fuel fills the system.

 How you deal with your boat depends on whether you plan to leave it in the water or haul it out for the winter.   Trailerable boats and other smaller boats are usually hauled out and either tarped or shrink-wrapped to protect the against winter weather.  Of course water systems on boats require the same winterizaton in freezing climates as campers.  For more detailed suggestions for winterizing your boat, click here.

Camping equipment should be inspected and cleaned and repaired as necessary before putting it into storage.  Fabric items such as sleeping bags, blankets, and tents, are particularly susceptible to damage from mold and mildew if they get put away damp.  You will also want to protect them against pests such as moths using moth balls or dryer cloths.  Sleeping bags should NOT be tightly rolled for long term storage as it will crush the filling and destroy the lift that provides the warmth and comfort.  Kitchen items, such as pots and pans, dishes, and utensils should be clean and dry before storage and should be packed to protect them against breakage or other impact damage.  Fuel should be drained from stoves and lanterns.  Perishable provisions should be removed and all remaining cooking stuff should be stored in tightly closed plastic tubs.  

Camping clothing should be laundered and properly stored in closets or in moisture-proof plastic bins.  Before putting it away inspect each item for any damage that needs to be repaired or might relegate the item to be recycled.  Here again items need to be protected against moths using moth balls or dryer cloths.

There is at least one other task on the end of season list.  This last one is a little more fun.  It is checking out the End of Season Sales where ever you like to shop for camping supplies.  Retailers often offer great savings on seasonal summer merchandise to make room for winter items.  Sometimes end of season sales will start as early as July or August.  Some retailers take large price cuts right away to quickly move inventory.  Others may start out with smaller discounts, say 10%, and gradually increase them over time.  We will each have our own idea of how much of a discount will motivate us to buy something and that discount will probably vary depending on the total cost of an item and how much we may want or need it.  Personally I usually take a close look at anything with a discount of 50% or more to see if I want to expand my back up resources to try something new.  Lesser discounts may be worth grabbing on items you need or want, especially if they are popular and will sell out quickly.

Of course, this isn't the end of the season for everyone!  Some people continue to enjoy their motorhomes and boats and even camping year round, although it typically requires some special preparation to accommodate more harsh weather.   Some off roaders enjoy the challenge of riding in the snow and, or course, snowmobilers are anxious for winter to come!  If you are one of those folks, instead of putting everything away until next spring you will want to make the necessary preparations to protect your resources against winter weather and make it ready for winter use.

Winter is sometimes a chance to take a break and review last year's fun activities.   Now is a good time to complete documenting your summer trips, review your want lists, and begin making plans for next year.  It is often an excellent time or make needed repairs, perform annual maintenance, or make updates or additions to your equipment.

There doesn't have to be anything off about the off season!