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!

RV Tools & Maintenance Supplies

Those of you who are experienced do-it-yourself mechanics will quickly identify the kinds of tools you will want to take along to handle emergency repairs on your RV and motorized toys. But for those who may not share that expertise, I thought I'd make a few suggestions.  Of course, you will need some basic mechanical skills for any tools to be useful, although you might luck out and find a fellow camper who has the skills and could make use of your tools until you can get trained.  If you have no mechanical skills or interest in obtaining them, you might pare down the following suggestions and only bring along what  you can make use of.  If you need training, check out your local adult education and community college classes.  You can usually find some basic mechanical courses there at reasonable prices.  You may even find having those skills productive and rewarding in other aspects of your life besides camping.

I keep a small tool box with frequently used hand tools behind one of the lounge chairs in my motorhome.   Major tools live in a larger tool box in an outside compartment.  My inside tool box includes frequently used things like pliers and screwdrivers.  The outside tool box has the heavy duty stuff, like socket sets and wrenches for bigger tasks.

For the major tool kit I would start with a good basic socket set, including 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drives. Make sure you get the right set for your vehicle: SAE for those with standard nuts and bolts and metric for metric fittings, almost always found on foreign vehicles and many newer American motorhome chassis and tow vehicles. If your budget and space will allow, you might want to have a full set of both SAE and metric sockets. You can also get "Metrinch" brand sockets and wrenches that fit both.  Some metric sizes have corresponding SAE sizes.  For example, 14 mm  and 9/16" are  equivalent. However, others may be close, but not close enough.  1/2" SAE is smack in the middle between 12mm and 12mm metric sizes.    A 12mm is too small for a 1/2" fastener and 13mm, while close, will be loose enough to risk slipping and rounding off the fastener.  Metrinch tools  are engineered to cover most popular SAE and Metric sizes with a minimum number of wrenches or sockets.  You will want a good quality set of tools that you can depend on, but you probably don't need to buy a high grade professional brand like Snapon, although that would be nice. I would LOVE to have a complete set of Snapon tools for my motorhome and my motorcycle trailer. But I'm afraid they are beyond my budget. Expect to pay at least $30-40 for each socket set. Anything priced less than that (I've often seen sets containing all 3 sizes for under $40) is likely to fail the first time or two you use it, leaving you as helpless as if you had no tools, but probably with skinned knuckles and screwed up fasteners.  Typical failures include stripped out sockets and internal failures of ratchet mechanisms as well as rounded off fasteners.  I like to carry deep well as well as standard depth sockets. It adds to the space and weight of my tool kit but gives me options for dealing with extra long bolts I sometimes encounter.  You may or may not find them necessary for your applications. Fancy things like universal-joint sockets are optional and, unless you know of critical places you need absolutely them on your RV, are probably not worth the space, weight, or expense. Craftsman brand hand tools, sold by Sears and K-Mart, are good quality at a reasonable price and come with a lifetime guaranty. Another pretty good brand for the "shade tree mechanic" is Husky .   Harbor Freight offers their own house brand (Pittsburg) tools at really good prices (especially if you wait for a coupon sale) and they also have a lifetime guaranty. Their tools are foreign-made and, based on my personal experience, aren't as quiert reliable and durable or as precision made as Craftsman, but they are certainly adequate and they are quick to honor their guarantee if you do break one.  I have found that nice, shiny chrome looking wrenches are usually more precise than the those cast with rough surfaces.  The textured surface may give you a little more grip, but they are also harder to keep clean.  I have had occasion to use Harbor Freight's lifetime guarantee a couple  of times and they honored it without any hassled.  I once twisted a couple of T-handle allen wrenches so the flutes were cork-screwed and they gave me an entire new set without any argument. I was certainly impressed by the strength of the plastic handles as well as by them honoring the warranty! BTW, I have had to use Crafstman's lifetime warranty a couple of times too -- and again without any hassle whatsoever.  I once bought some Craftsman screwdrivers at a garage sale.  One of the Philips tips was broken so I went to Sears to buy a replacement.  The salesman insisted on replacing it under warranty, even I explained I was not the original purchaser.

Second, a good set of combination wrenches. Again, either make sure you have the right set (SAE or metric) or a set that includes both. Also go for fairly good quality wrenches. I've seen some cheap sets that look like they were poured in sand molds. Look for tools with clean, square cut edges that contact the fasteners neatly and have smooth, comfortable grips. If they don't fit right, there is danger of them slipping and ruining the nut or bolt -- and your fingers! I like the polished chrome finishes because they clean easily, feel good, and they're nice to look at. While we're on the subject, always keep your tools clean. Dirty tools can be slippery and contaminants can affect their ability to grip fasteners. Cheap tools have a tendency to fail under stress. I've experienced enough bruised and bloodied knuckles to develop a strong appreciation for good quality, clean tools.  It may pay to invest in a few extra quality wrenches of commonly used sizes, like 10 mm and 12 mm for dirt bikes.  Because of frequent use they tend to get lost easily and you sometimes need more than one to use on the bolt and nut simultaneously.  By the way, if you come across some Craftsman "crossfit" wrenches they are really nice to have.  They look a little different than ordinary wrenches because the ends are turned 90° from the handles.  Ordinary wrenches have the ends flat with the handles.   Crossfit wrenches let you push against the flat side of the handle instead of against the edge.  This makes them for comfortable to use and lets you exert more force when needed.

If you do choose to include both SAE and metric wrenches and sockets in your RV tool box, that may provide you with most of the tools you will need for your OHV, so having both is not necessarily overkill if you have the room for them. And you never know what opportunities you may have to help others if you have the right tools on board.  On my first dirt bike trip I quickly discovered the fairly complete set of SAE tools I had in my motorhome were pretty much useless on the metric fasteners on the bikes.  Only  made that mistake once!

Next on my list is screwdrivers. I like the Craftsman professional set. These have comfort grip handles and tempered tips.  Craftsman is also a good choice, although somewhat pricey, for sockets and wrenches too. One distinct advantage to all Craftsman hand tools is their lifetime warranty. I've only had to use it once or twice, and Sears was happy to handle the replacement. One of the biggest advantages to Craftsman's lifetime warranty is that the tools are high enough quality that you probably won't need it -- and having dependable tools that won't fail when you're at some remote campsite is invaluable. Regardless of the brand, choose a set that gives you several sizes of both flat and Phillips head screwdrivers. You will find different sized tips required for different sized fasteners and will often need extra long or extra short handles to access screws in some places. Those with tungsten tipped or tempered blades are usually sturdier and grip better than untreated models. A set of screwdriver tips to fit a 1/4" drive handle or power drill/driver can be helpful. These sets often include other useful tips, like the square drive (clutch head) used on many fasteners on interior trim in RVs. You can also get torx bits, even those designed to work on "security screws" that ordinary torx bits don't fit (the screw has a pin in the middle of the opening and you have to have a bit that has a matching hole).  I keep a set of "through the handle" screw drivers in my dirt bike trailer.   The steel shaft goes all the way through the plastic handle and is topped by a hex form that allows you to use a wrench to turn the screwdriver when your own grip isn't enough.  You can also tap on the top of the metal end to help "set" the bit into the fastener, which  can be useful on dirty or rusty screws.

Another basic tool that is good to have on hand is pliers. I carry both 6" and 8" regular pliers and at least one pair of 8 - 10" slip joint, Channel-lock style pliers. A pair of diagonals is also handy if you need to cut wires or shorten radiator hoses (which often have wire reinforcements). I also like to have a pair of linesman pliers. They have square nose and are equipped with a wire cutter. An especially useful form of pliers are Vise-grips. Like most pliers, these come in various sizes. For my motorhome I carry medium-sized Vise-grips (about 6"). I carry a small set in my fanny pack or fender bag on my dirt bike because I can use it for many fixes on the trail, including as a temporary replacement for a broken shift lever. A variation I've found useful is something called "Meyers pliers". They look like a pair of Vise-grips with a C-clamp welded to one handle, making a good portable vise for holding parts. My tool box in my motorcycle trailer also includes a pair of safety wire pliers.  These are designed to lock on to safety wires like those on hand grips and twist them tight.  A good wire stripper and wire crimp tool can be helpful when you have to make electrical repairs. While we're on the subject of electrical repairs, you'll at least need a test light for basic trouble shooting. An inexpensive multi-meter will give you even more options, if you know -- or learn -- how to use it.

I have two or three hammers in my tool kit. One is a carpenter's hammer for driving and pulling nails and I usually have two or three ball peen hammers of different sizes for driving chisels and punches or hammering metal. I also have a small (2 1/2 lb) one-handed sledge hammer I mostly use for driving tent pegs, but it also comes in handy when changing tires on my dirt bikes.  If your worried about weight and/or space, you can leave out some of the hammers.  Only bring along what  you will use.  If you only have room for one, I suggest using a roofer's hammer that has a regular hammer head on one side and a hatchet blade on the other.

By now you already have a pretty full tool box and it probably weighs more than you would like it to, but you should be covered for most emergency repairs you could handle in the sticks. Sometimes you can get a fairly complete kit all in one plastic molded toolbox for a quite reasonable price that will be adequate for most emergency needs. These are usually quite compact, making them easy to store in the limited space in most RVs. Just be careful of the quality. Flimsy tools may be worse than not having any tools because they may cause further damage to your RV/OHV -- or injury to you! Believe me, it is cheaper -- and a lot less bloody and painful -- to buy good tools than pay the doctor bills when cheap tools fail and you get injured.

I have personally had pretty good success with relatively inexpensive hand tools from Harbor Freight Tools. And they do have a lifetime guarantee if you should break one. I have had to take advantage of their guarantee a couple of times and have never encountered any resistance. Most of the time their products have proved to be quite durable and effective -- and at a considerable savings over brand names. I find it a good way to expand my options without breaking the bank. Since they only get occasional use, I have found them to be quite adequate for my DIY needs.  As I mentioned before, I prefer the polished versions.  They seem to be more precisely manufactured than those with a grainy or dull finish and I like the way they feel in my hand.

Some other things you should have include a jack of sufficient capacity to lift your RV to change a tire, and a lug wrench to fit the lug nuts and provide enough torque to loosen the them. Best to try it out at home sometime. Lug nuts on RVs, especially large motorhomes, are likely to have been tightened using large air-impact wrenches. I've even seen road side assistance technicians with 10' extensions on their lug wrenches still not be able to break loose the lug nuts on a motorhome. We finally had to limp the rig into his shop where he had a 3/4" air impact wrench.  BTW, if you do have a behemoth motorhome, you may want to invest in an RV roadside assistance program instead of a heavy duty jack. 

I've found it helpful to carry my own windshield cleaning tool in my motorhome. The ones in ordinary gas stations aren't long enough to reach the huge windshield on the RV. The ones in truck stops usually are but there isn't always a truck stop when I need gas -- or need to clean my windshield. Ones with telescoping handles are particularly handy since they take up less room when not in use and easily fit under or behind the driver's seat.

Not really tools, but often necessary to effect repairs, you should carry some useful materials such as electrical wire, electrical tape, tie wire, cable ties and duct tape. I've added an assortment of solderless terminals and pair of terminal pliers.  A variety of lubricants will also be useful.  WD-40 is one of the most popular but having some silcone based lubricants and even dry teflon lubricants may also some in handy.  Dry teflon, for example, is good for lubricating curtain tracks and zippers to ensure smooth operation.  Ordinary wet lubricants may drip onto the fabric or collect dust.

Add to that spare fuses and light bulbs for you vehicle. There are several different styles of fuses used on vehicles and RVs so check to see which style -- and amperages -- you need. There are tons of lights on most RVs, including marker lights, taillights, stop lights, turn signals, dash lights and interior lights, and almost all of them are different from each other, so make sure you have an adequate supply of spares of each type. Check the numbers on the bulbs, not just what they look like. Many times the bulbs in the interior fixtures have the same size base as turn/stop lights, but the interior lights are single contact, single filament bulbs while turn/stop lights usually have double contacts and double filaments.

Miscellaneous stuff. I've found many uses for nylon cable ties too. They are inexpensive, light weight, take up little room, and can be used to secure lots of things that come loose. A can of WD-40 will come in handy to eliminate squeaky hinges, reduce wear on moving parts and help loosen rusted bolts. By the way, the "WD" in WD-40 stands for "water displacing". It also works well as a hand cleaner or even to pre-treat grease stains on clothing and for cleaning lots of greasy stains just about anywhere.

Take a look around your RV and see what, if any, special tools might be required. Many RVs use square-head drive instead of slotted or Phillips screws on interior panels and trim. Having one on hand to tighten loose fasteners may, keep your RV from literally falling apart! Other popular styles of fasteners are allen (hex) head bolts and screws, and Torx heads, which use a kind of star-shaped tip. You can often find inexpensive tool kits with a single drive handle and multiple tips that include various shaped bits -- or you an buy additional individual bits at your local automotive supply or hardware store.  Some OHVs required special tools too.  Our Honda dirt bikes have to have  special spark plug wrench.  It is literally impossible to change the spark plug with out it.

Power tools are usually not necessary for emergency repairs, but I carry an inexpensive, Harbor Freight house brand 18-volt drill-driver in my motorcycle trailer, along with an assortment of screwdriver bits, nut drivers, and drill bits. Since I have an air compressor in the trailer I also bring along a small air impact wrench. I recently splurged and bought a cordless 1/2" impact wrench from Harbor Freight too.  I know it will make in camp OHV repairs easier and faster.

Supplies. I already mentioned a few items (electrical wire, safety wire, electrical tape, bulbs, fuses, nylon cable ties, and WD40) but there are some other items I've found useful. I try to keep an extra set of fan belts on board. Extra engine oil and coolant are essential to have. And duct tape. You'll find dozens of uses for duct tape, from temporary repairs to torn awnings to emergency radiator hose fixes and broken windows. I usually keep some general purpose automotive wax/cleaner products in one of my outside cabinets, if there is room. That allows me to touch up the exterior when I have some "down time". It is also useful for removing road tar before it permanently stains the surface. I once found small cans of battery cleaner and protector that I added to my RV supplies. The normal sized cans (about the size of spray paint) take up too much room and will very likely become clogged or loose their propellant before I'd ever use them up. I've seen fellow RVers carry belt dressing to quiet squealing fan belts but hair spray works just about as well and it can also be used when installing hand grips on OHVs where it works initially as a lubricant to slide the grips on, then, as it dries, it helps glue them in places so they don't slip. And while hair spray may relieve the symptoms of squealing belts, the tension of squealing belts should always be checked and tightened or replaced if necessary.

Happy repairs!

Tent Lighting

There are many good options for tent lights these days.  Some years back, candles, a kerosene lantern or a trusty Coleman gas lantern or flashlights were about the only choices.  Anything with a flame is a potential hazard in a tent, although a Coleman or kerosene lantern, if used cautiously may be OK and will also serve as a heater.  Kerosene gives off fumes that are offensive to some people and somewhat toxic.  A propane powered propane lantern will be almost odorless but will still consume oxygen.  Always provide adequate ventilation when using a flame powered lantern inside your tent to avoid suffocation.  Keeping a window on opposite sides about 1" is usually about right.  Ordinary handheld flashlights are kind of cumbersome to use and the narrow beam isn't very good for area lighting.  Fortunately today they are many battery powered lanterns that work very well and are very safe to use in a tent.  For optimum battery life, choose an LED lantern.  Rechargeable lanterns are good if you have a way to recharge them in camp or on the road.  Many offer charging via 12-volt plug that fits a standard car cigarette lighter.  Solar powered lanterns are great, as long as you remember to put them outside in the sun regularly to recharge.  Might not be so good if you get a lot of rainy days  or stay in the shade where you go camping.  You can even get battery powered lanterns with remote controls so you can turn the light on and off without having to get out of your warm sleeping bag.

Some tents have loops sewn into the top of the inside of the tent or built into the framework for you to hang your lights on.  If yours doesn't, you can usually use a clip like those used to fasten accessories to RV awnings or ID badges to your pocket or lapel, to secure your light by clipping them to a seam or tent pole.  Another option would be to sew your own loop inside the roof of your tent.  Be sure to seal the stitching with seam sealer or you'll probably get a drip when it rains.  While it would be ideal to make the loop from matching tent fabric, it may be hard to find.  A scrap of denim from an old pair of jeans will do the trick.  And, since it is very small, and mostly out of sight, will most likely not be at all offensive.  Some tents come with matching bags for tent stakes and you may be able to steal a strip of fabric from one of those to make your loops.  Another handy way to secure lights is using a spring type paper clamp.  You can also use ordinary binders twine to tie them up just about anywhere you need a light.

I've had one of my favorite tent lights for years, long before LED lights were available.  It is very small, about 1 1/2" x 3/4" x 4".  It runs on AA batteries and has both a spot light and a flood light mode.  Its light weight and small size makes it ideal for hanging from the top of a tent and the flood light mode does a fair job of illuminating a pretty large area.   The spot light is handy for looking inside packs or illuminating trails after dark.  It fits easily in a pocket or in pouch on your back pack.  These days I'd opt for an LED version to get better battery life.  I also have a pocket sized LED light, with both spot and flood light modes.  Again, it is small enough and light enough to hang from the top of the then and the LED bulbs do not generate enough heat for it to be any danger to tent fabric, even if it is hung directly from a fabric loop at the top of the tent.  I bought mine at Harbor Freight.  They are often on sale for $2.99, but even at the regular discount price of $3.49 they are a bargain.  Hey, the advertised retail price of $7.99 isn't bad, considering the functionality and utility of this handy LED light.  Quite often you can even find coupons in the Harbor Freight ads to get one for free!

I have a new possibility I am looking forward to trying out.   It is a remote controlled above ground LED pool light.  It has a magnetic base that would normally attach to the steel walls of a Doughboy type pool,  but it also came with a steel plate that would go on the outside of a plastic pool so it could be used when there are no steel walls.  I plan to use the steel plate on the outside of my tent so the magnet has something to stick to. The remote control should be a nice convenience.

If you end up using your Coleman lantern in your tent, make sure to keep it away from the tent fabric.  It will probably be kind of heavy to hang from the top of the tent, but even if you have a very sturdy tent or sturdy frame to hang it on, be sure to keep it away from the fabric.  Since heat rises, having it within a few inches of the tent roof could damage the roof or even cause a fire.  Better to set it on something, like an overturned bucket or an ice chest.  That keeps it away from the roof and will usually provide better heat distribution.  And, as mentioned before, be sure you have adequate ventilation.  Coleman lanterns put out quite a bit of heat.   A Coleman gas lantern was all a friend with a camper van used to heat his van on chilly nights.

Candles have been used for hundreds of years in residences and in tents and are still a viable option, if you use them wisely.  The open flame means you have to exercise extra care to avoid setting your tent on fire.  Using a lantern style candle holder (also known as candle lanterns) is one way to minimize fire danger while retaining a nostalgic appearance and economical operation.  They provide a little protection against the open flame coming in contact with fabric or other flammable materials if they get knocked over or pushed up against the side of the tent.

Modern LED lights offer many useful advantages.  Battery powered LED lights run cool so there is little danger of them starting a fire even if they come in contact with tent fabric.  LED bulbs use far less electricity than incandescent counterparts making batteries last a LOT longer.  A visitor once left a single 12-volt light on in the bathroom of my RV and it totally drained two large deep cycle batteries in afternoon.  Contrast that with an 17 LED lantern powered by 4 " D" cells I inadvertently left on in barn over night.  Not only did the lantern still work the next day, the batteries held up for 3-4 months afterwards.  Solar lanterns are available too.  Just remember to put them out in the sunlight every day to recharge.  You can even get camping lanterns with remote controls so you don't even have to get out of our sleeping bag to turn them on or off.

During the day, you may be able to take advantage of natural light.  If the tent fabric is light enough, it may allow enough light in that you won't need any artificial light.  Opening windows and doors will also let light in, but if you use a tarp over your tent for shade or extra rain protection, you might still need artificial light during the day.  You may be able to lighten up the interior of a double wall tent by temporarily removing the rain fly.

At night you might want to light up your tent inside so it can be seen to avoid someone running into it with a vehicle or even walking into it in the dark!  LEDs would be best for this since you wouldn't have to worry too much about the batteries running down if you need to leave them on for several hours.

Light it up!

Log Splitting -- A Basic Camping and Survival Skill

Log splitting is a very useful skill for campers.  Even if you don't cut your own firewood you will probably need to split some pieces of commercial firewood to make kindling.  Sometimes chunks of commercial firewood might be bigger than you want to use in your campfire and you can split them down to any size you like.  If you do cut your own firewood, split logs dry more quickly and are easier to ignite in a campfire than whole logs.  You might want to split longer logs to make split rails for functional and decorative fencing.

Use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is always a good idea for any activity.  Log splitting is certainly no exception.  There are obvious risks and physical stresses you need to guard agains.  You should wear heavy leather gloves to protect your hands and goggles or safety glasses to protect your eyes against flying chips.  Prescription eye glasses or sunglasses might be better than nothing but are not designed to provide the true protection you get from safety glasses or goggles.  If you use a chainsaw to cut your firewood, you should also wear protective chaps and ear plugs.  Note, chainsaw chaps don't shut down electric chain saws like they do gasoline powered saws.  The chaps are designed to clog the chain and stop the engine.  Electric motors don't stop as long as there is power and the switch is on but chainsaw chaps might provide some reduction in the movement of the chain and give you  a little extra time to react before you cut off a leg!

For splitting kindling you may only need an axe or hatchet.  Place one end of the piece of wood you want to split on a stable solid surface (rock, wood, concrete, hard ground),  Use a small stick to hold the top end of the piece you're are splitting steady while your swing your axe or hatchet with the other hand to split it.  If you should miss and cut the end off the little stick you can easily replace it, unlike replacing your fingers if you should cut one or more off while holding the wood with them!   A good size for kindling is about 1" wide and 1/4" thick.  Pieces a little larger or smaller are just fine.

A maul is another great tool for heavy splitting.   Mauls have very heavy, fat heads.  They look a lot like an axe but they are not designed for cutting but are great for splitting.  The extra weight and the fat taper of the head slams into the wood and splits it apart.  The only downside to using  a maul for splitting is that it is very heavy and may be difficult for smaller people to use and more tiring for anyone.  The blade on a maul is not always sharp like an axe.  A maul will be overkill for splitting kindling but is very useful for splitting large logs. 

                                                           

I have seen wall-mounted kindling splitters that use leverage instead of pounding it with a big axe or hammer.  That might be less effort but I haven't found a good place to mount one on any of my RVs.  Might be nice for a cabin or country house!

Just came across another great way to split kindling.  It is called the kindling cracker.  You can buy them at Amazon, Home Depot, and many other places.  Just GOOGLE "Kindling Cracker".   You put the piece of wood you want to split in the top and hit it with a big hammer or back of an axe to drive it down onto the splitting wedge inside.  It is safer, faster, and easier than using an axe or hatchet.  It is probably too bulky to carry around when tent camping but you might find room for it in your RV.  Here is what it looks like:

                                                         

                                                              

When using it make sure your log will fit through the top ring.  If it has knots or flares out or is simply too tight it may get caught before it splits.   You always want a little free space to allow the log room to split.

Another handy tool for splitting kindling is a wood splitting auger.   They fit into your drill so you can use them in a cordless drill in camp.  The one I saw demonstrated had a reverse thread so you had to run the drill in reverse to get it to work.  A wood splitting auger and a cordless drill can make splitting kindling quick and easy.  Hand held augeers aren't recommended for splitting larger logs but can be a fast and safe way to split kindling.  There are larger version available for splitting large logs, some are designed to bolt onto a car or truck wheel to provide the power.  Exercise caution using devices like this.  Make sure the driving wheels are off the ground and the vehicle properly chocked before any use.   Here is an inexpensive examples on Amazon.com.    

                                         

For splitting larger logs a wedge is a useful addition to your tool set.   Wedges aren't usually as sharp as axes and they usually have a fatter head and they don't have handles.  The larger head both makes it easier to drive them with the back of an axe or a large hammer (sledge hammer) and also spreads the wood faster for better splitting.  Some wedges are a flat tapered shape similar to an axe head.  Others are conical.  Flat wedges will split wood along the point of the wedge.  Conical splitters are used in the center of logs to try to spit them into multiple pieces at once.  However, every log WILL split along the lines of least resistance so you won't always get multiple splits with one placement nor will the pieces be of equal size.  I have seen people use a large single-bladed axe as a wedge, but the taper isn't really optimal for splitting and you might damage the axe head or handle pounding on it.  Sometimes you might use a maul as splitting wedge but usually it is easier to just swing the maul as it was intended to be used.  Here is an example from Harbor Freight.

                                  

                         

A wooden glut is a fairly good substitute for an iron wedge.  A wooden glut is a wedge-shaped piece of wood.  Sometimes they are used to split rocks but can also be used to split logs that are too large o split with a hatchet or an axe alone.  Start with a short piece of hardwood about 3" in diameter.  Sharpen one end to make a flat, wedge-shaped point.  The other end should be square and flat.  Prepare the piece of wood you want to split by scoring a line all across it using your axe or hatchet.  Then drive the axe or hatchet blade into the scored line at one edge of the log so it begins to spread the log along the scored line.  Place the sharpened edge of the glut into the crack and drive it in as far is you can.  Then remove the axe or hatchet and move it to the other side of the glut.  Drive it in as far as you can and hammer the glut down again.  The log should start to split.  If not, keep repeating the process until it does.  Sometimes it is helpful to have more than one glut so you can use them side-by-side to speed splitting large logs.  Knowing this little trick might be helpful if you find yourself in a survival situation or if you simply forgot to bring your steel wedge with you on a camping trip.  Or if you need a bigger wedge than the one you brought along.  Try to use a harder wood for your glut than the wood you want to split.  But you can use the same wood if you have to.  It may just wear out faster.  If it is softer than the wood you are splitting it will probably crush or break instead of splitting the target.  A wooden glut is similar in size and shape to a splitting wedge made of steel.

                                

Whenever splitting, with a wedge (or glut), axe, or hatchet, try to take advantage of any existing cracks in the log.  Many, but certainly not all, pieces of wood will have existing cracks.  Even if they are tiny, they represent a weakness you can take advantage of.  Line up the pointed end of the wedge with the crack.  This makes splitting easier and can save you a bunch of work.  When working with large logs with no existing splits I usually try to make the first split about in the middle, then split each half in the middle again and again until I have them split down to the size I want.  Some folks like to split narrow pieces off the edges instead.  Try it both ways and do whatever works best for you.

A hydraulic log makes splitting a lot easier, especially if you are working with large logs or have a lot lots to split.  Make sure the pieces you want to split will fit into the log splitter between the wedge and the head of the hydraulic jack.  Sometimes, if they aren't TOO much longer than will fit you can notch the end that goes on the wedge to make room to get the log in place.  The hand operated log splitters I have used have two handles.  One moves the jack a small distance but increases the pressure.  This is useful for starting almost any split and pretty much essential for splitting pieces that are difficult to split.  The second handle doesn't apply as much force but mores the jack further with each stroke, speeding up the splitting process.  I often work both together to maximize splitting force and speed once it begins to split.  You will usually hear a distinct "crack" when the wood begins to split and will definitely notice a decrease of resistance on the handles.  I have found I usually need to go about 10 pumps on the handles after the initial split to push the pieces far enough apart that I can fully separate them by hand when taken out of the splitter.  Hand operated log splitters can be purchased for a few hundred dollars.  I believe I bought mine at Harbor Freight several years ago for between $100 and $200.   They are probably too big and heavy to cart along on camping trips, but very useful for preparing your fire wood at home.  If you have extra room in your vehicle you could take them camping but I wouldn't unless I expected to do a LOT of splitting!  Even when I haul firewood from the forest I usually wait until I get it home to split it.

A power log splitter is the ultimate tool if you are splitting lots of wood.  Power log splitters are hydraulic splitters powered by gasoline engines or electric motors instead of being hand operated.  Just put the log in place and press a button or pull the handle and the machine basically does the rest.  I've seen some commercial grade splitters that have an X shaped wedge that splits large logs into 4 pieces at once, greatly reducing splitting time and increasing productivity, but they are very, very expensive -- like around $18,000!  I've seen simpler, gasoline powered simple log splitters for home use starting around $1,000 plus or minus a hundred bucks or so at home centers.  They are fairly big and heavy and usually have wheels and are designed to be towed like a trailer.  You can also get less expensive electric powered log splitters.  Harbor Freight has one for under $500.  I wouldn't expect it to deliver the power or performance of the larger, gasoline powered models, but one would definitely make splitting a pile of firewood a lot faster and easier.

Like many other jobs, proper preparation is the key to success.   The main thing to do is to make sure your logs are cut to the right length before you begin.  Also trim off any branches or stubs that might interfere with their placement or movement on the splitter.  I have a piece of PVC pipe I have cut to proper length for my log splitter and (usually) use it to measure my cuts so the pieces are the right length.  If I forget to measure or somehow end up with some that are too long, I set them aside and trim them all at once after I've split the ones that fit.  Also, sometimes you will run into logs that are really hard to split.  I once watched my Dad try to split some old Madrone Pine with an axe and it just bounced off!  If you else all else fails you might try boring some holes in one end and lining up the edge of the wedge with the holes to get things started.  One large, center hole might be enough if you're using a conical wedge.

Some really knotty pieces of wood may be extremely difficult to split.  Avoid them if you can but if that is all you have, you might have to cut it into smaller pieces, making cuts where the knots are so you can split between the knots.  Sometimes a combination of strong steel wedges and fatter wooden gluts can be used in conjunction to coerce a particularly tough log to split.  Having a really big hammer may also help.  My dad had two "hammer"rules I really found useful:  1.  If it can't be fixed with a hammer it can't be fixed and 2.  Don't get mad at it, just get a bigger hammer!  Lacking a large hammer in a camp you might use a big piece of firewood or even a big rock.  Make sure to keep your fingers clear of where the log or rock strikes your target!

If you are going to split, split logs!