Camping Essentials

Camping means different things to different people. I once had a business associate whose definition of "roughing it" was having to ring twice for room service so he wasn't much of a camper at all. I can't even imagine him sleeping in a tent or cooking over a campfire.  Then there are those who find "survival" expeditions invigorating. You know, like Les Stroud (Survivorman), trying to survive in the wilderness for a week with just a pocket knife or multi-tool and a gum wrapper! Most of us fall somewhere in between and very much enjoy having at least some creature comforts even when we are in the great outdoors:  at least a comfortable tent to shelter us from the elements, a warm, snug sleeping bag, a nice sleeping pad or mattress or even a luxury RV with literally all the comforts of home.

The ultimate in luxury camping is epitomized by the palacious bus-conversion motorhomes. With price tags running into the millions of dollars, these mansions on wheels make you wonder if their owners have any concept of what "camping" is all about. These rigs often include high-tech home theater systems as well as residential style appliances and literally all the amenities of home. I know for certain that some of those RVs are better equipped than my permanent residence. Those of us with more modest means "settle" for less luxurious motorhomes, trailers, and truck campers and yet still manage to bring a significant set of creature comforts with us. Heck! Just having a safe place that doesn't flap in every breeze to get in out of the weather is a good start. Most RVs offer comfortable sleeping, cooking, and sanitation facilities which add greatly to our comfort and convenience -- and even our health -- in remote locations. After having endured tent camping and camping out of the back of an old Suburban for many years, I don't feel bad about succumbing to the comforts of my motorhome and sharing them with my family. A hot shower and a warm, comfortable bed are a blessing after hours on the seat of dirt bike, soaking in your own sweat and being engulfed in dust from a half dozen or so other riders on the trail ahead.  And when the weather turns bad, it is really nice to kick back in a warm and cozy RV and watch a favorite video or two and let Mother Nature rage outside.  Likewise being able to escape hot desert summers in an air conditioned rig is nothing short of heavenly.

However, there is much to be said for tent camping too. There is often a greater sense of adventure setting up camp and sleeping in a tent. Of course sometimes Mother Nature deals a helping of adventure that is more than we bargained for, hence the proliferation of RVs. Tent camping has a lower start up cost and you can go just about anywhere. Scale it down to backpacking and you don't even need roads to get there.  You can go tent camping many places you can't get to in an RV.

If you choose tent camping -- for the adventure, the novelty, or the lower cost -- here are some essentials to consider, many of which can be applied to all kinds of camping.  Many of these suggestions can be adapted to RVing as well.  Of course having an RV as your basic shelter means you don't have to worry about a tent and you will most likely have blankets and quilts or comforters instead of a sleeping bag.

There are several basic categories that should be considered essentials for camping.  Here is the short list:

1. Shelter  (tent or RV)
   
2. Sleeping (sleeping bags, blankets, bedroll)
   
3. Food and water (enough to last your entire outing plus a reserve)
4. Cooking facilities (RV range, camp stove, campfire, BBQ)
5. Illumination (lanterns, flashlights, candles, torches)
   
6. Sanitation (RV, portapotty, access to public toilets, latrines)
   
7. Hygiene (Ways to keep clean -- soap and water, wet wipes, natural water source
8. Camp tools (axe or hatchet, knife, etc)
   
9. Miscellaneous camping supplies
   

Shelter: one of your most important concerns will be shelter. The kind of shelter you need depends on the climate and season. For summer afternoon beach trips all you may want is a sun shade, a canopy or an umbrella. For winter "snow camping" you're going to want a very sturdy 4-season tent and sub-zero sleeping bags -- that is, if you don't or can't opt for a cozy heated RV! For average summer weekend trips without an RV you will probably want a modest, light weight 3-season tent and sleeping bags. Tents provide shelter from sun, wind, rain, and many pests and offer a very welcome degree of privacy. They also take on a feeling of "home" that soothes our human psyche. When choosing a tent there are many things to consider. How many people will be sleeping in it? Do you need interior dividers for added privacy? What kind of weather will you be using it in? How much room to you have to transport it? How difficult is it to set up and take down? Does it include screened windows and doors? I've used everything from a tiny back-packing tent that is little more than a sleeping bag cover to a big 10x14 cabin tent my boy scout troop (I was the Scoutmaster) called "The Hotel". If you are car-camping where you don't have to carry your tent far, you can afford the luxury and convenience of larger, sturdier accommodations, but for hiking and back-packing you'll want something small and light weight -- just enough to keep dew and rain and any other precipitation off your sleeping bag. Color has little to do with the functionality of a tent, other than the obvious difference in how dark colors absorb sunlight and light colors reflect it, but it can have a psychological impact on the owner/user. Some people are lifted up by "happy" colors, like yellow and red. Others prefer soothing shades like green and blue. One of our favorite tents is blue (which happens to be my favorite color) and purple (my wife's favorite color).

Ground cloth: you'll almost always see ground cloths recommended whenever you are using a tent. Usually they suggest placing the ground cloth beneath the tent to protect the tent floor. My personal preference is to place it inside the tent when I have only one.  Using both one inside and one underneath to me is ideal.  On more than one occasion I found having the ground cloth under the tent simply funneled run-off from the tent underneath it, trapping it between the tent floor and the ground cloth, soaking through the floor and soaking our sleeping bags. Since then I put a light weight tarp inside my tent as an extra barrier between my sleeping bag and anything that might get under the tent floor and cause problems. It certainly wouldn't hurt to use two tarps, one under your tent and one inside on top of the floor. Just be sure the outside tarp doesn't become a catch-all for moisture running off the tent! If your ground cloth is larger than the base of your tent, fold it so it doesn't stick out to form a catch basin for precipitation dripping from the tent. Even if it doesn't rain, cool nights can cause enough dew to condense on your tent to generate a small deluge when movement shakes the walls and the droplets coalesce together and cascade to the ground.  The condensation from your breath inside the tent is going to create a light rain inside when the tent is bumped or flutters in the breeze.  That is one reason you should maintain at least some openings for ventilation.  Outdoor moisture may collect from dew, mist, or light rain and will run off when the fabric moves.  If your ground cloth protrudes beyond the edges of the tent, all that moisture will be trapped between the ground cloth and your tent floor, and guess which one is more waterproof!  That is one reason I like to put  ground cloth inside my tent too.  Even if you start off with the ground cloth safely inside the perimeter of the tent, wind or just moving around in the tent can cause things to shift so that by morning an edge or two may be exposed and funneling moisture under your domicile.

The size and complexity of your shelter will be affected by how often you plan to move it. A large, sturdy, multi-room tent with plenty of stand-up headroom is excellent for semi-permanent Army camps and even for base camps for car-camping expeditions where you plan to stay in one place for a while. If you plan to move every day, you might want to consider a lighter, smaller tent, perhaps even one of the "pop up" styles. These "pop up" tents are spring loaded and self erecting, a nice advantage when you're tired and ready to hit the sack. It takes about 10 seconds to set one up. Just take it out of its bag and toss it in the air. Poof! Instant tent! All that's left is to stake it down. Getting it back into its bag is a different story and may take some serious effort and may provide a bit of entertainment for your fellow campers as you try.   For back packing you may want a tiny little tent that is barely large enough to cover your sleeping bag.  The one I use is not much more than a glorified sleeping bag cover but its enough to keep rain off and cut down the wind.  For most camping, I suggest a tent that is sized for 1 more person than will be sleeping it.  That gives you a little extra room for gear and dressing.

Tent materials: tents have been traditionally made of canvas for hundreds of years. Canvas, when properly treated, is waterproof and provides excellent protection against all but the worst weather. Canvas is sturdy and withstands a lot of use and even some abuse. About the only drawback is it tends to be heavy and stiff and sometimes the waterproofing gives it a peculiar smell. Old time canvas tents were held up by sturdy wooden poles and anchored with strong ropes and stakes, which are also rather heavy. These days you can choose from a wide selection of nylon tents with strong, light weight fiberglass or aluminum poles and plastic stakes. It is quite surprising how much protection even a thin nylon tent can provide from the elements.  Consider the tents used by mountain climbers on peaks like Mt Everest.  Keeping out the sun, rain, and wind is obvious, but even a light tent helps hold in a surprising amount of heat on cold nights. One of my sons and I shared a 3-man dome tent on a scout outing one night.  We slept comfortably and when we woke up it was a little cool in the tent when we crawled out of our sleeping bags, but still warm enough to get dressed without freezing our fingers or other body parts.  Then I unzipped the tent and stepped outside.  Wow!  What a difference!  It had dropped below freezing that night and there was still frost in the shade.  I definitely gained a real appreciation for how much shelter a simple tent can provide.  It was truly surprising how much heat was generated overnight by two warm bodies and how much of it was retained in the tent.  I've read that the average human being generates about as much heat as a 100 watt incandescent light bulb.  Trap that inside a tent and you retain a lot of your hard earned heat that would otherwise slip away into the night.

While we're on the subject of tents, choose carefully where you set it up.  First consideration is finding a place that is generally level and fairly smooth -- free from rocks, twigs, and debris.  If you must set up your tent on a slope, do it so when you roll out your sleeping bags, your head will be uphill.  If your head is downhill, your stomach contents are likely to start making their way up your throat before morning and that is VERY unpleasant.  If you lie sideways across the slope you will most likely roll downhill during the night.  The only negative result I've ever experience sleeping with my head uphill was by morning my feet were sticking out of my tent!   A second consideration is overhead threats.  In warm weather it is tempting and even usually a good idea to set up your tent in the shade.  However, if it is windy, you could  be the target of branches blow out of the foliage above you.  In winter you may risk having snow that accumulated in the branches fall due to wind or even rising heat from your tent -- even it is only your own body heat.

Sleeping bags: next to your basic shelter, having comfortable sleeping accommodations may be the next biggest factor in comfortable camping. If you're in a an RV, you may have the luxury of a real bed, with sheets, blankets, quilts, and comforters. Sleeping bags may be useful even in an RV but are even more important when tent camping. Sleeping bags come in a variety of configurations to fit a number of uses and climates. They are rated by how cold the outside temperature can drop to before you get cold inside the bag. It is pretty obvious you will freeze sleeping in a 20 degree bag at zero degrees, but using a sub-zero sleeping bag in significantly warmer temperatures will cause you to sweat, greatly reducing your comfort and possibly even leading to getting chilled. So choose a sleeping bag that fits the climate you will be using it in. If you anticipate varying temperatures, use a layered sleep system just as you would dress in layers. Adding a liner and/or cover or having a second sleeping bag or some blankets are some ways of building a layered sleep system. Some sleeping bags are made so they can be unzipped to lie completely flat or be zipped together with a second bag, allowing couples to sleep together and share body warmth.

Since you will often be sleeping on the ground you will want to consider a sleeping pad or air mattress. They are not just a luxury for a softer sleeping surface. They are essential for insulating you from the cold ground. Sleeping pads are light weight and easy to use. They typically offer about 1/2" of foam between you and the ground. Even that provides an amazing level of comfort and insulation. If you, like the Princess and the Pea, are more sensitive, you may want to get an air mattress. When deflated, they take up little room. You can inflate them to your personal level of comfort and they provide 2-3" between you and the ground. Avoid cheap plastic air mattresses, often used as swimming pool toys, as they tend to be easily punctured and often leak, leaving you, quite literally, cold and flat by morning. Always clear the ground where you place your tent and sleeping bag of as much debris as you can. Sticks and stones beneath you will become excruciating by morning and can make holes in your tent floor.  For added protection and extra sleeping comfort, you can line your tent floor with foam tiles, the kind that are used as anti-fatigue mats at workbenches and other places workers stand.

Camp cots are a comfortable alternative to sleeping on the ground, but are too heavy for just about anything but car-camping where they only have to be carried a short distance. Being off the ground helps keep unwanted critters out of your sleeping bag as well as being more comfortable than lying on rocks, twigs, and uneven ground. You'll still probably want need a sleeping pad for insulation and additional padded comfort beneath your body.

Food safety and preparation: Your next priority will be proper nutrition. One of the most important considerations is hydration. It is very easy to become dehydrated during many outdoor activities (OHV riding, hiking, biking, swimming, or even just sunbathing). If you are camping in remote areas without a safe drinking water source you will need to bring enough water with you to sustain you and your party throughout your trip. In addition to water, your body needs electrolytes. These are chemicals that are lost through sweat and urine but are essential to health and energy. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, are formulated to replenish lost electrolytes so make them part of your provisions.  The Union Pacific Railroad used to provide salt tablets for their employees who were working outside in hot weather.  As I recall, not taking your daily ration of salt tablets was grounds for dismissal.  Salt is the main mineral that is lost through perspiration, but certainly not the only one. 

One of the biggest food safety concerns while camping is keeping perishable foods at safe temperatures. This is usually not a major problem in RVs equipped with refrigerators, although RV fridges are subject to being properly leveled and sometimes fail during high outside temperatures. Some smaller travel trailers and truck campers often have "ice boxes" instead of refrigerators. These look like RV refrigerators but functionally they are no more than vertical ice chests. You will need at least one ice chest, more if you have a large group and you are car camping so you can transport them. No matter which type of cooler or fridge you have, open it sparingly. Try to combine accesses to minimize how often you open the door or lid. And always monitor the temperature inside. If food is left above 40 degrees in an RV refrigerator or ice chest too long (more than a couple of hours) it will begin to spoil and you may end up with food poisoning and/or diarrhea or, at the very least, developing some interesting odors and science experiments and having to toss out valuable provisions. Refrigerator thermometers are available at camping stores for use in coolers and RV refrigerators. When all the ice has melted in an ice chest, seek to replace it as soon as possible or write off and toss out the contents before they make you sick -- or kill you! There are chest-type coolers available that can be plugged into a 12-volt receptacle (cigarette lighter) to extend their effectiveness. If you use one of these, be sure to monitor your vehicles batteries. You don't want to run your batteries down and not be able to start your vehicle when it comes time to go home or move on. You may have to plan on running the vehicle engine for an hour or so every day to recharge the battery.  These coolers usually use a thermoelectric process that can either heat or cool the interior, so always make sure the switch is in the right position and check it often to make sure it didn't get bumped the wrong way!  You don't want to find your pizza cold or your beer warm!

Restrict opening ice chests and refrigerators.   Regardless of whether you are using an ice chest or a refrigerator, you will want to limit how often and how long you open them.  You need to conserve the cold air inside as much as possible.   Try to plan ahead so you can take advantage of opening your cooler to do more than one thing:  get out drinks for the whole group all at once instead of one at a time; remove all the refrigerated ingredients and condiments for a meal in one pass; wait until you have collected several items to put back inside instead of opening it separately for each item.

What provisions to bring along depends on where you're going, how long, how many in your party, and what you like to eat. You want to strike a balance between having enough and not adding too much to the weight you and/or your RV is carrying. Keep in mind that most outdoor activities burn calories and stimulate appetite so you'll likely eat more than you do at home. Check out camping recipe books and on-line for suggestions for menus. These often take advantage of shared ingredients to minimize the space and weight provisions take up. And keep your meals simple. Whether you're cooking on an RV range, a Coleman stove, a BBQ, or a campfire, you won't want to generate tons of dishes to be washed, consume large amounts of fuel, or waste time. Paper or plastic dinnerware can usually be burned in your campfire, saving time, fuel, and water.

Cooking facilities: Most RVs come with built in stoves. In large motorhomes and trailers these may have multiple burners and even ovens that come close to matching residential functionality , but usually with a smaller capacity (a little more than half). Some smaller trailers and truck campers may have a only single burner, portable propane or butane stove or one can be added. When using any of these devices in an enclosed RV, be sure to allow for proper ventilation. They do give off combustion by-products and consume oxygen. For tent camping, the old stand-by is the Coleman stove. These are powered by Coleman fuel ("white gas") or propane. They are relatively inexpensive, fairly portable (unless you're back packing), easy to use, and economical to run. Be sure to use only the proper fuel in your stove. There are some stoves specially designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline as well as "white gas" but using regular unleaded gasoline in a "white" gas stove will ruin it quickly. Propane is a convenient fuel. It is usually a little more expensive than "white gas" or Coleman fuel but it is easy to transport and store and doesn't spill. Propane is pressurized so you don't have to pump propane stoves and lanterns like you gasoline fueled models.  Use your gasoline or propane stove outdoors only,not inside an RV, tent, or building.  If you are back-packing you'll want to look into light weight back-packing stoves. The veritable Coleman camping stove typically has two or three burners and can support cooking for average sized families. If you have a larger group you may need more than one stove. With a family of 8, we found it useful to heat water for hot chocolate and later doing dishes on one stove while cooking on a second unit. Once again, keep in mind the Coleman stoves are designed for outdoor use. Using them inside a vehicle or in a tent or other enclosed area is highly discouraged and can be VERY dangerous.

Campfire cooking can be a fun activity for the whole family. There are several ways to cook on a campfire. "Hobo Stew" is a very easy meal. Each person combines meat (stewing beef, burger, chicken, even hot dogs), potatoes, carrots, onions (if you like them) and seasoning in an aluminum foil wrapper and stuffs it into the coals.  Sometimes when we plan ahead we microwave our Hobo Stew at home (before putting in the aluminum foil) so it cooks faster in the campfire.  You can cook conventional soups and stews, make coffee, and heat water for hot chocolate and doing dishes directly over the campfire. While some pots and pans, especially cast iron construction, can be placed directly on the fire, using a grill or grid over the fire is more convenient and makes clean up a lot easier. You may be able to use the same grill for cooking hamburgers or steaks. Of course, hot dogs and marshmallows cooked on sticks or wires are a campfire staple. Just for fun, we sometimes use a cast iron "witches pot" that hangs on a metal tripod over the fire. It gives mealtime a true old-fashioned feeling. We've found it especially suitable for serving stew or chili on chilly days.  Keep an eye on what you're cooking.  It is said that a potato, wrapped in foil and baked in the coals for 1 hours make an excellent side dish. One baked for three hours makes an excellent hockey puck!

If you have a pioneering spirit, you might also like to try "ash cakes". These are simple flour and baking soda biscuits cooked directly on the coals. It is surprising how little ash ends up on the cakes when you retrieve them for consumption.   What does stick can usually be just brushed off.  They are especially delicious while hot and filled with butter and/or honey or jam.  Another easy campfire bread is Twist Bread.  Mix the dough so it is thick and sticky, cut or roll it into strips 1/2-3/4" wide, and wrap (twist) it around a stick.  Bake it over glowing coals.  Cooking it over open flames will likely blacken the outside before the inside is cooked.  You can also make Twist Bread from canned (frozen) rolls.

Another fun campfire cooking experience can be had using pie-makers. These are metal clam shell devices with long handles. You simply put a slice of white bread in each side of the clam shell, add pie filling of your choice, close the clam shell, and cook directly in the coals or over the fire. Makes a very fun, easy, and tasty campfire dessert. It is surprising how much the toasted bread tastes like pie crust.  Fresh hot pies are particularly fun and satisfying on cold days.  On warmer evenings you may want to have your pie a la mode if you can.  You can also use campfire pie makers to make hot sandwiches to warm you up on a chilly day.  Put a spoonful of Sloppy Joe filling or chili in a hamburger bun and warm it up in your pie cooker.  To borrow a phrase from a popular soup commercial its "Mm-mmmm good."  It would also be an easy way to make campfire grilled cheese sandwiches.

Dutch oven cooking: this is a popular form of camp cooking. It involves the use of a heavy cast iron dutch oven pot with a lid. Dutch oven cooking can be done using charcoal briquettes or the coals of a campfire. Charcoal gives you the best control of temperatures and cooking times. There are many dutch oven cook books and you can find recipes on the Internet. Dutch oven cooking takes some time, so plan ahead. The food is delicious and, if you have the time and the patience, preparation is fun and educational. I like to thing of my dutch oven as a pioneer crock pot.  You can pretty much toss in the ingredients, arrange the charcoal, and don't have to think about it again until its time to eat.  A rule of thumb for Dutch ovens is to cover the lid with a number of lighted briquettes equal to the diameter of the oven in inches.   For example, 9 briquettes on a 9" oven.  This is in addition to setting the oven on a bed of charcoal.  You can find charts online that tell you how many briquettes to use according the the temperature you want to achieve.

Hot dog and marshmallow cookers. You'll find several options for these at most camping supply stores and departments, including telescoping devices and devices for cooking multiple hot dogs at once, but you don't need a store-bought cooker. I've seen a steel spring rake used as a "redneck hot dog cooker" to cook a whole bunch of hot dogs at once. I suggest you burn the paint off and thoroughly clean the tines before trying this. Thousands upon thousands of hot dogs and marshmallows have been cooked on straightened out wire coat hangers and green willow sticks.  I mostly use wire coat hangers. If using wooden sticks, do try to use only fresh green sticks as dry ones will be likely to catch fire but check with appropriate local authorities (such as park rangers) before cutting ANY living plant. And always (ALWAYS!) use caution to avoid someone getting stuck in the eye or burned by the "business end" of a cooker. A trick I use to keep my coat-hanger wire hot-dog cookers organized in the storage cabinet on my RV is to slide them into a 24-30" length of 3/4" PVC pipe. That way they don't dirty or get all tangled with or leave marshmallow residue or grease on other items in the cabinet. And they're easy to locate and retrieve for the next campfire.

Illumination: If you're camping, you're most likely going to be involved in after dark activities: setting up camp, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, building a campfire, or just sitting around socializing. All these activities generally need light. The gasoline powered ("white gas") Coleman lantern has been the standard for years and years and years and is still preferred by many campers (including me). But today there are many alternatives, including propane lanterns and battery-powered lighting devices. I carry simple, inexpensive flashlights for each individual in my group. That way they have their own lights if they need to find something in the tent, or find their way to restrooms (or convenient bushes when camping in truly primitive areas). I have bright exterior lights on the side of my RV I can use for campground illumination when desired -- both 120-volt I use when the generator is running and 12-volt lights to avoid the noise pollution of running the generator. For direct lighting over picnic tables etc I still rely on the good old Coleman gas lantern. These produce a bright, white light, almost like an electric bulb. As with most appliances, take care and follow instructions when using gasoline or propane fired lanterns. An old fashioned alternative is the kerosene lantern. These are usually inexpensive and economical to operate but give off a yellowish light and a fairly strong odor unless you run them on liquid parafin instead of kerosene. All of these devices are generally safe but improper lighting techniques can result in fires or explosions and the globes and metal parts of the upper part of the lantern become VERY hot when in use so take care when handling them.  Modern battery powered LED lanterns are getting more affordable and they are safe to use in tents and RVs.  LEDs use a fraction of the power of ordinary incandescent bulbs so they greatly extend battery life.  I once accidentally left a 17 LED lantern on all night in my barn and it was still worked great for months afterwards!

Sanitation needs will depend on your camping style and location.  If you are camping in a self contained RV you will bring your sanitation facilities with you.  If you are camping in a full service campground they will be provided for you.  But if your RV isn't self-conained or your are tent camping and in a primitive camp site you will have to provide for your own needs.  A portapotty is one, quite civilized solution.  Digging your own latrines is another option.  Take care to dig them at least 200' away from any lake, stream, well, or spring and make sure you dig deep enough so you can cover it safely.  And don't forget the toilet paper!

Hygiene is necessary for both comfort and health.  Bring along enough water to accomodate necessary cleaning, like dishes, pots and pans, and washing your hands and face.  Personal needs can sometime be met using wet wipes, which are easier to carry.  Unless you are on an extended trip or in survival mode you will usually just collect your soiled clothing and wash it when you get home but if you do need to wash clothes in camp you will need sufficient water from your supply or access to a source of water (campground faucet, lake, stream, etc).  Take care not to pollute natural water sources with toxic detergents.

Camp tools: Like most other activities, there are certain basic tools you will find necessary for successful and comfortable camping. One of the most useful is an axe or hatchet. If space and weight are a factor, get a framer's hammer that has a hammer head on one side and an axe blade on the other. That way you both a hatchet and a hammer in a single tool.  If you have plenty of room, a 30" axe is a convenient size for most camping activities. Larger axes are powerful tools for lumberjacks, but are usually overkill for camping. Before using an axe or hatchet or even a hammer, always hold the tool by the head and swing it 360 degrees around you to make sure there are no people, pets, or obstacles you may accidentally strike while swinging the tool to chop wood or drive tent pegs.  Be sure to check over head as well as all around.  Keep your axe sharp. When you're cutting wood, you want it to cut, not bludgeon its way through. If it is dull, you might almost as well try pounding with a rock and you will be less likely to injure yourself or an innocent bystander than you will when a dull axe bounces back. You are far more likely to be injured by a dull axe or knife than by a sharp one. Dull edges cause you to use more force than necessary and can result it the tool being diverted in directions you don't want it to go with a force that is difficult to control.

A good knife is second on my list. I usually carry a Swiss-army style knife or a Leatherman style multi-tool because they provides multiple functions in a sturdy and compact package. A multi-tool is usually the one modern convenience Les Stroud allows himself on Survivorman.  I prefer a knife with a fixed or locking blade, for added safety. Like your axe, keep your knife sharp. What real use is a dull knife anyway? And, you are more likely to injure yourself or someone nearby trying to force a dull knife to cut something than you are if the knife is sharp and properly doing its job. The best knife recommended for survival situations is a modest size, fixed-blade knife like a 4-5" hunting knife, not those huge, Rambo-style "survival" knives. You'll find more carving than hacking applications around camp.  An old saying admonishes us that "a knifeless man is a lifeless man", and that would be especially applicable in a survival situation.

Campfire cooking utensils: the spatulas, forks, spoon, etc you use at home or even on your RV stove, are probably not appropriate for campfire cooking. For campfire use you will probably want items with longer handles and with wooden or synthetic grips. Avoid plastic utensils as they will melt. A good spatula will be needed for turning hamburgers, steaks, and hot cakes. A long spoon is needed for stirring soups, stews, chili, etc. A long, wooden-handled fork may be used for grilling steaks, hot dogs, and corn on the cob. Tongs are useful for inserting and removing foil-wrapped items such as hobo stews, potatoes and corn on the cob. If space and weight is a significant factor you may want to opt to use your campfire utensils in your RV instead of bringing along two sets.

Camping supplies: You will quickly figure out what kinds of supplies you need to bring along, but here are some basic ideas to get you started.   You will need toiletries for your personal hygiene (washing hands, brushing teeth, shaving [optional when camping!]), along with towels.  You will need dish washing detergent and a sponge or dish rag and a dish towel.  You will need matches and/or lighters and perhaps extra fuel for your stoves and lanterns.  Repair kits for various pieces of equipment (tents, sleeping bags, stoves, lanterns,etc) are nice to have is something breaks down or gets damaged.  Your provisions should include basic cooking ingredients and common spices to give you the option to make a variety of meals.

Camp projects:   There are a number of camp projects you can do for fun or to make your stay more comfortable. Here are some items I've found useful for camp projects over the years.

Tarps. Light weight tarps can be used in a variety of ways. They can serve as emergency shelters for equipment and people, sun-shades, and ground-cloths. In a medical emergency they can be used with or without poles to make a temporary litter for transporting an injured person. You might use one (along with some duct tape) to cover a broken RV window. Tie them over your tent for extra protection in particularly bad weather.

Binders' twine: This simple material has dozens of uses around camp. I've used it to tie sticks together to make tripods to hang lanterns and other camp items. You can use it to hoist food up into a tree, out of the reach of marauding animals. It can be used to anchor tarps to make shelters or sun-shades or simply secure them around equipment. It can be used to hold down awnings and anchor camp chairs in windy conditions. You can use it to lash sticks together to make a variety of camp furniture. It can be used to stitch up holes in a tent. And, in the spirit of a parody of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line", it can be used as an emergency belt to hold you your pants ("I Hold My Pants Up With a Piece of Twine").

Duct tape: Anyone who's ever seen the TV show McGuyver, knows the value of duct tape. It can be used for just about anything, from sealing holes in tents to keeping errant tent poles from banging around in your RV or tow vehicle to holding a sole back on your shoe and slowing down the leak in a rubber boot. It is also a good way to secure splints on a broken arm or leg to prevent additional injuries while transporting a victim to receive formal medical attention. It can be used as a bandage to hold a dressing in place on a wound.  It can even be used to secure out-of-control victims or intruders in a disaster situation. It has been used to make a eye-shield when a sherpa lost his goggles on a Tibetan mountain climbing expedition. I recently saw photos of a private plane in Alaska (check it out at Best Duct Tape Story Ever) that had been attacked by bears. The pilot had a lot of plastic sheeting and duct tape flown in and dropped and he repaired the fuselage and wings enough to fly the plane home! That plane all wrapped in duct tape was quite a sight! I think I mentioned in my post on Emergency RV Repairs that duct tape can be used to temporarily secure loose siding on RVs and minimize further damage while getting you home where you can make permanent repairs. It can be used to secure unruly victims or others in a disaster situation. I've heard it said that duct tape works on just about everything but ducts! Anyone who has tried to apply duct tape to a duct in a dusty attic knows what I'm talking about.

Happy camping and like a good Boy Scout, Be Prepared!

Tent Camping Tools and Maintenance Supplies

Tent camping requires fewer tools and maintenance supplies than RV camping or OHVing.  But there are still some basics you should bring along.  Tents, sleeping bags, awnings, lanterns, camp stoves, and lots of other equipment can get broken or damaged in camp.  Having the right tools can often save the outing, or at least reduce the impact of accidents.  Since you will very likely be using some kind of vehicle to travel to your camp ground, you should also think about what tools you might need to perform emergency repairs on that vehicle.  In this post we will focus on tools and supplies related directly to camping.  Check out the post on RV Tools and Maintenance Supplies for a list of tools to consider to support vehicle maintenance.

Basic camping tools include things like an axe and a knife.  A folding shovel is also useful.  You can usually use the back of the axe to drive tent pegs, but many people prefer to have a mallet for that task.  For one thing, the risk of cutting yourself, your tent, or someone else is reduced when you're not swinging something with sharp edge to drive tent pegs.  I like to carry a small pry bar to help remove tent pegs.  The one I use has a screwdriver type handle for comfort and bent tip for leverage.

Without the mechanical components of an RV, boat, or OHV to worry about, tent campers can usually get by with some very basic hand tools.  Of course you may need more mechanic's tools to do emergency repairs on the vehicle you drive to camp, but for tent camping itself, or back packing, a good multi-tool will usually handle most of the repair tasks you'll encounter.  If you have a gas stove or gas lantern you might need a small adjustable wrench like a Crescent wrench to change generators or tighten loose connections.  Alternatively, a small pair of pliers and a couple of screwdrivers or a multi-tip screwdriver, together with a good hunting knife, would cover most needs.  If you plan to replace generators on camp stoves and lanterns it would be better to bring along the correct size wrench rather than gorntle fittings trying to use pliers on them.  A pair of pliers or a multi-tool is handy for removing and installing the pins that hold packs on their frames and for removing cactus spines or splinters.  BTW, a surgeon once told me the very best tool for removing splinters is a pair of fingernail clippers.  Chances are if you have a good tool kit for your vehicle it will include what you will need to make repairs in camp.  But you may want to consider what you want to carry with you for emergency repairs on the trail.

A lot of tent camping gear is fabric based.  With that in mind, a good sewing kit is always handy.  Make sure you include some heavy duty needle and thread for repairing tents as well as the usual things you find in a pocket sewing kit.  If you have a heavy canvas tent you may need an awl in addition to some big needles and heavy thread.  And here's another place where pliers or a multi-tool can come in really handy.  Some self-adhesive nylon repair patches are good for fixing tents, sleeping bags, and jackets.  You may be able to make temporary emergency repairs using duct tape.   If you have shock-corded tent poles, carrying repair parts or some extra poles would be helpful if you have room for them.  A stick of seam sealer for tent seams is always a good idea or a can of water repellant spray like Camp Dry that can be used on tents, boots, gloves, jackets, duffle bags, etc.

Obviously you don't need the lubricants and spare parts you might need for motorized toys, but you probably want to bring along some waterproofing spray or a wax stick for waterproofing tent seams.  You should carry spare fluids (oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant) for your vehicle.  You'll also want to have an appropriate amount of dish soap and personal hygiene supplies.  If your tent has plastic windows you might want to include some plastic cleaner to keep them clean and clear.

Tool up!

OHV Tools & Maintenance Supplies

OHV units often require some special tools beyond those you should carry in your motorhome, trailer, or tow vehicle or have in your regular tool box at home. This is especially true if your main vehicle needs SAE tools and your OHV needs metric as many do! Furthermore, specially designed tools are sometimes needed for even simple tasks on OHVs. For example, our Honda dirt bikes need a special spark plug wrench. Fortunately our bikes are 4-strokes which don't require frequent plug cleaning or changes like 2-strokes, but when it IS needed, the only way to reach the plug is with the factory-supplied spark plug wrench. Be sure to check your owner's manual and the tool kit that may have come with your OHV to make sure you have critical tools with you.  I have found that a pair of wire-tie pliers makes securing hand grips fairly easy and kind of fun.  They have a locking mechanism to hold the wire and a twisting segment to pull it tight and wind it so it doesn't come off.  If you're like me you'll find trying to do it with ordinary pliers rather cumbersome, but it can be done.

Maintaining your OHV in good condition and carrying a few basic tools on the trail will help ensure pleasant and successful rides. When we first started riding I told my boys "Don't ride out any further than you want to push your bike back" in case they had mechanical problems. I soon learned that wasn't very practical advice and it was far better -- and a lot more fun -- to have reliable equipment and sufficient tools and knowledge to make emergency repairs on the trail.

Some of the basic tools in your RV tool box can be applied to your OHVs. Screwdrivers, pliers, even sockets and wrenches, if they are the right configuration (usually metric on OHVs). You may be able to minimize your tool cost and keep down the weight you're hauling around by relying partially on your RV tool kit. Personally, I like to have separate tool boxes for my RV and in my motorcycle trailer. That way, if I use the RV without the trailer, I have whatever tools I need for the RV already on board. Likewise, if I take the trailer out and the bikes out without the motorhome I have the tools I need for the bikes where I need them. If you choose to keep separate tool kits, determine what sockets, wrenches, and screwdrivers you will need to service your OHVs.

The very nature of trail riding exposes our OHVs to many hazards. Among the most common casualties are clutch and brake levers and flat tires. I've  patched tires on the trail and have had to ride a flat tire on my dirt bike many miles back to camp more than once. You can usually limp a dirt bike back to camp on a flat tire.  ATVs and UTVs, with their wider, softer tires, are more difficult to manage with flat tires. In any case, you want to fix the flat as soon as possible so you can continue to enjoy your outing. Changing a tire on an OHV is more tedious and frustrating than difficult. Anyone with modest DIY skills can manage it, but you need to plan ahead and bring the right tools. At least a pair of tire irons will be needed. A third one is often helpful. There are plastic clips you can buy to take the place of the third tire iron to hold the bead in place while you get a new grip. You will probably need a wrench, usually 12mm, to loosen rim locks. A spray bottle of soapy water is handy for lubricating the bead to make it easier to get it off and back on the rim. I also carry a can of baby powder to dust new tubes before installing them so they don't stick to themselves or the inside of the tire. When new tubes stick it makes it difficult to get them in place and increases the chance of pinching the new tube. Unless you will always have an extra pair of hands to help with changing a tire, another useful tool is something called a "Bead Buddy". I have seen a couple different versions. The one I have used is a set of yellow plastic clips you fasten to the bead at the point where you have one tire iron holding the bead so you can move the tire iron to get a bite on the next section. Another is a bent metal device that helps guide the bead over the rim. I haven't tried this one yet, but reviews give it good marks and claim its the best new tire tool in 20 years. Another alternative are tire irons designed with notches to hold onto the spokes. The one's I've seen are designed for bicycles but may be strong enough to hold motorcycle tires in place if not to lever the bead off the rim. The bottom line is, you almost always need 3 hands -- human or 'helper' -- to handle changing a tire. I also have bead tool that slips into the gap between the read and the rim. You use a hammer to driver it around the tire to separate the bead. I just came across another bead tool that clips to the spokes puts some leverage on the bead to hold it out of the way. Be sure to check out your options. Changing a motorcycle tire is a pain in the neck (or most likely about 2' lower!) so it is good to have all the help you can get.  I have a tire changing stand mounted on the tongue of my motorcycle trailer so I don't have to kneel in the dirt to change tires.  What a blessing that is after years of changing tires in the desert on the ground!

Once you've got a tire changed, you'll need to inflate it. I don't care how much hot air you and your buddies can put out around camp, none of you can inflate a tire with just your lungs. You'll need, at the very least, an old-fashioned tire pump. If you don't like the idea of all the effort it takes to pump up a tire (just try it sometime!) you may want to invest in some kind of air compressor. There are fairly inexpensive 12-volt compressors that plug into the cigarette lighter socket that make inflating tires on your OHVs pretty easy. Most of these are not adequate to handle larger truck or RV tires efficiently but may do the job on motorcycle tires, it may just take a little time.  I bought a 120-volt compressor specially designed for inflating vehicle tires for my motorhome. Of course I have to have the generator on the RV running to use it, but it has been a real time-saver (and tire saver) when I've needed to use it. If you have a 120-volt AC generator and have the room and weight capacity, you might consider bringing along a portable 120-volt compressor. I've found the "pancake" style compressors are adequate for most of my OHV/RV needs and are small enough and light enough to fit under the counter in my motorcycle trailer. And they're not that expensive, especially if  you get one on sale at Harbor Freight.  If you're into power tools they usually are adequate to run small impact wrenches and air ratchets for a short time. I keep an old fashioned tire pump in my motorcycle trailer just in case I can't use my compressor. I found a vintage heavy duty 12-volt compressor on ebay. It has a motor the size of an automotive starter instead of the little dollar-size things on the typical portable units and is capable of quickly building up pressure in the tank to inflate tires, clean parts, and run some small air tools like light duty impact wrenches.

Speaking of impact wrenches, there are cordless versions that are useful in camp but even non-powered impact versions that can be really handy for loosening tight, rusted, or corroded fasteners. Typically they are the same size drive as a 3/8" or 1/2" ratchet and also have a variety of screwdriver tips. You place the appropriate tip on the targeted fastener, hold the tool in one hand, and strike it with hammer. The strike both drives the tip solidly into or onto the fastener and the internal design of the tool causes it to twist, hopefully breaking loose the most stubborn fastener.   Make sure the mechanism is adjusted so it doesn't tighten the fastener when you are trying to remove it.  Grip the business end of the impact driver and twist the handle to change the direction it rotates when struck.  These sometimes work better than air powered wrenches at breaking loose a fastener without stripping it. The power and speed of air wrenches on the other hand will often strip or break fasteners if you aren't careful.

T-handle wrenches are a kind of specialty wrench that make a lot of dirt bike and OHV repairs easier and faster.   They are essentially sockets permanently mounted on T shaped handles. They usually come in a set of about 6 wrenches, ranging in size from 8mm to 17mm sockets. Some sets also include a both flat-blade, and Phillips tip screwdrivers. The T-handles let you get some pretty good torque to loosen stubborn fasteners and, once loosened, you can twirl the shafts between your fingers to quickly spin them off. The size of standard T-handles limits them to my motorcycle trailer rather than my trail kit but there are compact versions to put in your fanny or fender pack to expedite repairs on the trail. T-handle allen wrenches are easier and more comfortable to use than the standard 'L' shaped wrenches and make a nice addition to your trailer or vehicle tool kit.

Levers: levers are easy to change. The key is making sure you carry spares in your OHV tool kit or RV. In the "olden days" many dirt bike levers were pretty much a universal fit and the same replacement lever could be used for either clutch or brake on many difference makes of bikes. Today, many OHVs have hydraulic clutches and disc brakes that often require unique levers -- unique to each make/model and unique to each side. So check your requirements and stock up on what you need. Factory levers are often quite pricey -- I've paid around $30 each for some disc brake levers, but after-market replacements are usually less expensive and are certainly adequate for emergency repairs to get you through a weekend.

There are various suggestions for how to avoid breaking levers but eventually, you're going to break one and then the only option is to replace it -- or try to ride using whatever little stub is left (NOT usually very effective, let alone safe or comfortable). One suggestion for prevention is to wrap Teflon plumbing tape under the clamps so the levers will spin on the bars if they hit something hard enough to otherwise break them. I'm told that reduces the number of broken levers, but if you hit it square enough, it is going to break anyway. My solution has been to use "bark busters" on my handle bars. These are metal braces that mount to the end of the handle bars and attach to the bars after looping around the hand grips and levers. I like to add the plastic hand guards to mine as well and, although my kids and some other riders give me a hard time about my "flower pots", I've not broken very many levers and I've never bruised or skinned my knuckles on a passing tree, bush, or rock. I'd rather have the scars on my plastic hand guards than on my fingers! Its a lot less painful!  They also provided some protection for my fingers from wind chill on colder days.  By the way, bent levers can seldom be straightened without breaking them. The metal they are made of is quite brittle and, if it doesn't break on impact, it usually will if you try to bend it back where it belongs.  If you bend a lever, either replace it or live with it.  Using a bent lever may be awkward, but it is usually better than having to used the stub that is left when it breaks trying to straighten it.

You will quickly learn that the more complete, appropriate, and convenient your OHV tool kit is, the faster you will be able to make repairs and get back on the trail. T-handle sockets are one of the best investments I've made. They work on most fasteners on my dirt bike and make removing and re-installing them quick and easy. A full size set is too big for your fanny pack or fender bag, but they are good to have in your trailer or RV for in-camp repairs and adjustments. There are smaller versions with interchangeable sockets that will fit in your "take-a-long" tool kit. Over the years I've found it very helpful to bring along some basic tools on every ride. One year I took a lot of teasing about having "everything but the kitchen sink" in the tool kit on the back of my dirt bike -- and that from one of the editors of a prominent dirt bike publication. I really tickled me when, not 20 minutes later, he flagged me down on the trail, now very grateful for my "excessive" tool kit, to help with emergency repairs on his bike.

I include a "Leatherman" type multi-tool in my fanny pack. It comes in handy for a variety of things, from tightening and trimming cable ties, which I carry in my fanny pack, to removing cactus from a fallen rider's arm. This is similar to Survivorman Les Stroud's favorite survival tool. Another item I've found useful is a small pair of Vise-grips or locking pliers. In an emergency they can be used on many sized bolts and nuts -- just be careful not to damage the fasteners. They can also be used as a temporary replacement for a broken shift lever. By the way, if your budget can afford it, spare shift levers are good to have in your stash of spare parts. Sure beats wasting time making a trip into town to buy one if you break one. And, with judicious shopping, you will probably spend less getting one from you favorite OHV dealer at home than you will out in some remote location that preys on those unfortunate enough to break down on the trail without spare parts.

If your ride has handlebars, you'll probably want to bring along some safety wire and a pair of wire twist pliers.  Handgrips are easily damaged or may just get loose on the trail and it is good to have a way of fixing the problem.  You can buy special glue for securing had grips but a lot of guys simply squirt some ordinary hair spray into new hand grips to both make them easier to slip on and give them a bit of adhesive to stay in place one the spray dries. Most handgrips have groove molded in near the flare on the open end to accommodated safety wire to keep the grip in place.  You can twist the tie wires with ordinary pliers, but having a set of special wire-tie pliers makes the job easier, faster, neater, and almost fun.

For convenience, I keep a limited set of tools in my fanny pack in addition to those in my motorcycle trailer. Many of the tools in my fanny pack are compact versions of the ones in my trailer. Over the years I've built up a pretty complete set of tools that I keep in my motorcycle trailer, along with spare parts (levers, tubes, and a variety of bolts, nuts, washers, and screws). When we first started riding we just hung basket style carriers on the bumpers of our little Class C motorhome to carry the bikes. Our first trip out I quickly learned that the tool box I had in my RV was woefully inadequate for use on my dirt bikes, hence the continuous buildup of tools, supplies, and spare parts in the motorcycle trailer. Eventually we went through a variety of different types of motorcycle trailers, ranging from a simple 4-rail bike trailer to a 19' construction office trailer that doubled as a motorcycle shed at home. I'm not recommending the construction office trailer solution. It served its purpose for us but is was HEAVY. We dubbed ours "The White Elephant". Make sure what you're towing it with has sufficient power and brake capacity to handle any trailer you pull. Small light-weight trailers probably do not have nor need their own brakes, but they are necessary -- and often required by law -- on larger, heavier units. Some medium duty trailers have "surge brakes". These are hydraulic brakes operated by a piston device on the hitch that applies pressure to the braking system when the trailer pushes forward against the tow vehicle when the tow vehicle slows or stops. Most larger trailers will have electric brake systems that required a corresponding brake controller on the tow vehicle.

Race Kit: when my daughter was racing I put together a portable "race kit" for her to take along to her races. I placed all the essential tools and a supply of spare levers and fasteners in one tool box that she could easily load into the back of her truck. And yes, my daughter is a skilled enough mechanic to take care of her own bike at the track. One of the many benefits of having started riding at about age 5 and sharing in the responsibilities for each outing. Now that she's a full time mom, I continue to use the "race kit" for day-trips when we don't take the trailer and as a convenient way of packing tools over to help a fellow rider.

For sure, having three or four tool kits is probably overkill, but it works for me. I don't have to worry about whether or not the tool box is on the RV or the bike trailer or on me or the bike when we are ready to go somewhere. And having the "race kit" standing by allows us to throw the bikes and race kit in the back of the truck and hit the road without having to gather up the tools we need -- which usually results in leaving something behind.

When assembling a take-a-long tool kit for your fanny pack or fender bag on your OHV, try to keep it to a minimum. The less weight you carry, the better. But you still need to make sure you have all the tools you need. And make sure anything in a fender bag is securely anchored. I've seen tools strung all along the trail from ripped fender bags. Loose tools bounce around and sharp edges on wrenches and screw drivers can make short work of even the sturdiest tool bags. I had an expensive tool bag fail after only a ride or two. You'll want to choose a well-padded fanny pack made for carrying tools or wrap them in something to pad them if you carry them in a standard fanny pack or back pack so they don't pound you on the trail or if you crash or rip the pack. You can use a fanny pack or a back pack. My daughter had a unique back pack she used when she was racing. It was in the form of a teddy bear. It helped us identify her in a pack of riders and became her trademark at her races. Whatever you choose, make sure it is sturdy enough to stand up to the task of transporting heavy and sometimes sharp tools over rough terrain. Fender bags or tank bags that mount to the bike are also a good way to carry tools. I once adapted a zippered denim shaving kit that outlasted my expensive fender bags. Some bags attach with clips and straps, some bolt through the fender. Obviously those that bolt on will be more secure than the ones strapped on. If your fender bag didn't come with rigid bottom insert (or you're adapting a shaving kit), cut one to fit inside the bag and use large fender washer under both the heads of the bolts inside the bag and under the nuts on the bottom of the fender to distribute the stress and prevent the fasteners from tearing through. A thin piece of Masonite or plywood or even a piece of plastic cut from any old milk jug will help. These days you can buy plastic cutting boards at dollar stores and they would make excellent inserts for a tool bag. You can buy a tool roll or make your own. A sturdy tool roll to keep things organized can be made from a section of leg cut from an old pair of blue jeans. Cut the leg open and hem the edges, then fold it over and sew pockets for individual tools into the folded over part. Leave some extra material at the top of the back side to fold over the top of the tools to protect them and help hold them in place. Cut the folded over portion at an angle to create different depth pockets for different sized tools. Lay out your tools and mark where the stitching should be to make the pockets the right width. You might want to sew on some straps to tie it up with, or use a small bungee cord or Velcro strap to keep it tight.

Trail kit options.  A couple of good options for your trail kit (back pack or fender bag) are a flashlight, a light stick, a Bic style lighter, and a pocket first aid kit.  You can pick up little aluminum LED flashlights at your favorite dollar store.  They are pretty durable and the LEDs are bright and allow the batteries to last a long time.  I carry a chemical light stick protected in a length of PVC pipe with non-glued slip on caps on both ends.  I also like to carry a rain poncho and/or an emergency blanket (about the size of a folded handkerchief).

Supplies. I was not well prepared for my first dirt biking trip. I knew enough to bring 2-stroke oil for the bikes, but was sadly lacking other necessary items, like replacement spark plugs. 2-stroke engines have a tendency to foul plugs and finding yourself many miles out in the desert without replacement is a sad state of affairs. I also soon found that mixing the oil and gas for my 2-stroke bikes was something of an art. As we acquired more bikes to meet the needs of our growing family, I soon discovered one oil/fuel ratio wouldn't work for all the engines. When everything ran well on a 40 to 1 mix, I could just add a pint of oil to each 5-gallon gas can. To manage multiple ratios easily I bought a measuring cup called a "Ratio-rite" that takes the guesswork out of preparing the right ratio. It is graduated for the right amount of oil to add to various amounts of gasoline. Then, I used a 1-gallon plastic gas can to mix the fuel as needed for each bike. In addition to 2-stroke oil you should carry a bottle of brake fluid that is compatible with the brake systems on your rides. Check the "DOT" number on the filler cap or in your owners manual to make sure you have the right stuff. Mixing differently rated fluids can result in poor performance or even brake failure. If you have liquid cooled engines, bring along some extra coolant. Check to make sure what is in your cooling system and match it. There are different types of coolant. Green is ordinary automobile antifreeze, but some late model cars and OHVs use a different formula that is orange. Some OHVs have a specialized coolant that is more environmentally friendly, and it is blue. Combining different types of antifreeze is not a good idea. The additives may be incompatible, reducing effectivity and possibly causing internal problems in the cooling system. You will need the right lubricants for your rides. Some OHVs use the same oil in the engine and transmission, some use different oils, so check the specs for all your rides and bring along some of each. Running a machine low on oil is a recipe for premature and costly engine or transmission failure. Other moving parts, like levers and cables will also need lubrication. WD-40 is my favorite, but I also like to have alternatives, like both wet and dry Teflon lubricants, and a good penetrating oil. White lithium grease is also good, especially for places that may be exposed to water.  If your vehicle is chain driven you'll need chain oil. In a pinch you can  use WD-40 on your chain or soak it in 40 weight motor oil.   Forks also take special fork oil and need to be topped off from time to time to maintain proper performance.   Spare parts, especially those most vulnerable, like levers and inner tubes, have saved our weekends more than once. I have found it useful to carry plastic polish and goggle cleaner to take care of goggles. Some kind of solvent is often needed when making repairs. My preference is brake cleaner, but I usually try to have a can of carburetor cleaner on hand too. In addition to cleaning fuel systems, it can be used to clean fouled spark plugs if you run out of replacements. Anytime you have to work on one of your rides you're going to need hand cleaner. My favored brands are Goop and GoJo. Be aware that these have a fairly short shelf life, especially if exposed to extreme temperatures. If you don't replace them frequently you're likely going to find slimy and ineffective liquid in the can instead of the creamy cleaner that works so well. I keep a couple of cans of SC-1 in my dirt bike trailer. It is a detailing spray I use to clean and maintain all the plastic on my bikes and gear. Not only does it make things look like new, it helps keep dust and dirt from sticking. Keep a tube or two of silicone RTV adhesive/sealant on board. It usually makes a pretty good gasket sealer and sometimes can even replace damaged or lost gaskets temporarily when making field repairs. Thanks to my wife's input, we also keep some hand lotion in our dirt biking supplies. Working with solvents will seriously dry out your skin and sometimes it just feels good after the chafing of gloves on a hardy ride.  While  you're at it, include a tube of Chapstick or Carmex for dry lips.  All the vibration on OHVs tends to loosen fasteners and they fall out on the trail. Bring along a "workshop" of replacements designed for your specific machine or a good variety of generic nuts and bolts and screws. A little "Loctite" will help keep them from coming loose again.

With a little practice and by observing the preparations of other OHV riders you will soon refine your OHV tool kits to meet your needs and ensure dependable emergency service during your outings. Be sure to inspect your take-along tool bags and inventory your tools and supplies often to make sure you have everything, that it is good repair, and you know where it is.  Having the proper tools and supplies will give you confidence and allow you to keep your toys running during an extended outing.  You should be prepared to share your resources with your fellow riders.  They will greatly appreciate it and, who knows, the next time you need help it may be their turn to rescue you!

Happy OHVing!

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!

RV , Camping, and OHV Activities

There are many different activities you can enjoy in conjunction with traveling in your RV or tent camping. Sometimes, camping is a good way to support other desirable activities.  We brought our tent and sleeping bags along on a multi-day trip to visit family 3 states away.  We blew near $100 for one night in a motel on the way there but found a small, private campground on the way home where we could set up our tent for just $7.00.  In both cases we enjoyed a good night's sleep before resuming rested the next day. 

Just camping is a rewarding and satisfying activity in itself, but there are lots of options for other things to do in and around the campground. Most of my family activities have involved OHVs as well. RVs provide an excellent base camp for OHV rides and OHVs provide great recreation on RV trips. It is OK if you prefer tent camping to using an RV. It just may involve a little more work and a little less convenience. We've gotten to visit a number of remote locations that are rich in geologic and cultural history. I have found it enjoyable to do a little research on each of the sites we frequent. I learned that one of our favorite landmarks, an old railroad water tower, was all that was left of a small community that had served as a way-station for the famous 20 Mule Teams hauling borax out of Death Valley and later as a rail transfer station. 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 astronaut casualty. The concrete marker isn't grandiose, but it sparks the imagination. Try Googling "X15 crash site" for details and photos. Another popular OHV destination in the southern California Desert is the Husky Monument. I also enjoyed the ride report at Husky Ride Report and I think you will too. It includes some great photos of the jaunt from Randsburg over to the Husky Monument. The primary attraction here is an old Husquvarna 390 dirt bike anchored in cement in the ground. It was placed there as a monument in memory of rider Jim Erickson in 1987. It continues to collect flags and scarves and now has a number of other memorials surrounding it, including one dedicated to "OGRE", who, it turns out, is Ron Griewe, father of the 1996-2003 ATK thumper and long-term editor of Cycle World Magazine. Someday it would be interesting to collect the stories of all the riders now memorialized near the Husky Monument. I have several riding buddies who claim their final request is to have their ashes scattered at the Husky Monument. The Husky Monument web site mentioned above gives a pretty complete list of the riders already memorialized there along with photos of their plaques. But more are being added every year. It would sure be interesting to know the stories behind each one. In Utah we have ridden portions of the trails used by Pony Express riders and visited the Sunset Mine nicknamed "The Jeep In The Hole" where someone drove a Jeep into a vertical mineshaft. The driver and passenger survived and were rescued by a passing ATV rider. Everyone suspects part of their surviving the crash stems from the same level of blood alcohol that caused them to drive into the hole in the first place!

While I have a particular preference for dirt biking, there are many other fine opportunities awaiting the RVer or camper. Visit distant family members. It is convenient to have your own accommodations when you get there, to say nothing of the flexibility to check out interesting side trips along the way. There are many great state and national parks to visit. Museums and the historical districts of many towns and cities provide entertaining and educational experiences for the whole family either as a destination or along the way. We chose to drive the "49er trail" on our way to Oregon from southern California one year instead of cruising up the rather boring I-5 through the central valley. It follows much of the route used by the sudden influx of miners following the discovery of gold in California. Give yourself time to stop and avail yourself of the many museums and historical exhibits along the way.  The 49er trail added a day or two to our journey to visit my Mom and Dad, but it was fun for the family and actually quite educational.  Be aware some the highways are narrow and twisting and the streets in old mining towns can be very narrow.  I knocked off my right hand mirror when a large truck coming the other way forced me too close to the curb and I clipped a street sign.

Of course an RV or tent can also serve as a wonderful base camp for fishing, hunting, hiking, bird watching, rock hounding, swimming, boating, and simply exploring and sight seeing. Ranger- or self-led trails near many Forest Service campgrounds are educational, entertaining, fun, and good exercise.

Closer to home an RV makes great foundation for tailgate parties at sporting events. On that note I heard of a fellow who pretty much used his RV only for such activities so he converted the second gas tank to an extra holding tank for sewage. One morning, during a gas shortage, he came out to find a 5 gallon can, a length of siphon hose, and huge deposit of vomit on the driveway next to his RV.   Someone had apparently tried to siphon gas out of the tank that had been converted to hold sewage. Talk about poetic justice! Wow! Did that potential thief get what was coming to him!

When our kids were active in soccer we often used the RV to transport them to and between games. Many of the soccer fields, being school playgrounds, lacked basic sanitation facilities on weekends and having our own private restrooms was advantageous on more than one occasion. Of course, cold drinks from the fridge and an air conditioned interior were welcome after hours of sitting or running around in the warm California sun.

You don't need an RV to enjoy OHV activities, although having one greatly adds to the comfort and convenience. I've seen folks spend a 3-day weekend sleeping in their cars to go dirt-biking. My daughter, who raced women's desert expert class in southern California had a truck-tent she used in the back of her S-10 pickup. Prior to getting the truck tent she camped in a pop-up tent at her races. You'll quickly learn from other campers and riders what makes life easier, but here are some basic suggestions if you venture out without an RV: Ice chest, camping stove, tent, sleeping bag, ground cloth, first aid kit, camp stools or chairs, axe or hatchet and, of course, proper tools for your ride. And don't forget extra fuel -- and plenty of water. We've found that a Camelbak-style hydration pack is ideal for staying hydrated on the trail but you'll need a larger source in camp to refill it often. You don't even have to stop when you get thirsty. I added Velcro just behind the bite valve on the tube so I could attach it to a matching Velcro tab on the center of my chest protector where it would be easy to find and safe from getting caught on passing bushes. Those darned bite valves come off fairly easily and they are kind of pricey! On top of that, you'll likely loose your precious water and may end up with it in your lap or under your butt, neither of which are very comfortable or pleasant, even in hot weather. Some kind of canopy, awning or umbrella can add a lot of comfort in camp on hot sunny days. We sometimes add a mist system to our RV awning to make it even more comfortable when desert temps soar.

Where ever you go in your RV or on your OHV, be responsible: don't leave your trash behind, be considerate of fellow campers, and obey all signs and ordinances regarding use of the area you are visiting. Something all too many folks fail to take into consideration is noise pollution. No one, even fellow riders, want to hear your dirt bike rapping up way before breakfast, nor do they want to listen to YOUR loud music, not even in the afternoon, late alone late at night. I once encountered a bunch of teenagers who roared into a campground about 3:00 am and left their doors open and car stereos turned up to just below the threshold of pain while they set up camp. Fortunately they responded to a polite request to respect the fact that there were dozens of people trying to sleep nearby. Which brings us to another point: be polite and diplomatic even if your inconsiderate neighbors are not. While you will feel a lot like being nasty, it will probably only lead to an escalation that will far exceed the original problem. Sometimes they simply haven't thought about what they're doing. The teens in my previous example didn't think about there being anyone on the other side of the trees that surrounded their camp. Of course they should have, but they didn't. They weren't being deliberately belligerent, just thoughtless. In many cases, people will willingly adjust their behavior when they realize they are negatively impacting those around them, but not always. Some, even without being on drugs or alcohol, quickly become defensive and nastier. And there is little you can do about that but withdraw and endure the situation, unless you are willing to call in legal authorities to deal with the problem. For the most part we've found that, contrary to the image often portrayed in the media, RVers and OHVers are a thoughtful, considerate, and helpful bunch of people. I was among those skeptical of dirt bikers during some of our first family outings. I'd seen too many movies where the dirt bikers were always portrayed as bad guys. Then one day I was stopped on a low hilltop watching a couple of my sons riding in the off road "playground" on the flats valley below me. My younger boy managed to ride off into a narrow gully and went over the bars. I rode down as quickly as I could, but even before I could reach him, less than 100 yards from my position, at least a half dozen other riders who didn't even know us were already on the scene, checking him for injuries and helping extricate him and his bike from the gully. My opinion of my fellow dirt bikers significantly improved that day and it has been confirmed over and over again ever since.

Camp and ride!

Mermbership Camping

A lot of people participate in campground memberships. Like condo time-sharing, these membership programs usually offer members access to multiple RV parks (sometimes just one park) at reduced rates, sometimes even free. Is a membership program right for you? Depends on how much camping you do and where you like to camp. If you are doing a lot of off-highway activity and mostly boondock in remote areas, you will probably not benefit much from a campground membership. However, if you prefer camping in developed campgrounds with full hookups and near golf courses or other attractions and enjoy sharing the social atmosphere with other campers with similar interests you may find membership camping appealing. Compare your total cost with and without the membership. Count up how many nights you plan to use. For a basis for comparison, calculate how much you would spend at the normal, posted rate. Then see how much you would spend if you joined the "club". Be sure to include initial investment and annual dues as well as nightly fees. You may find that the payback may take several years before you break even and start saving money. However, money isn't the only reason to get a campground membership. Members often receive priority reservations and are offered discounts on local attractions. On top of that, there is often a social benefit to being part of a membership community. If you enjoy getting together with fellow RVers, the benefits of campground memberships may be appealing.

If you own an RV you are likely to receive unsolicited offers from membership campgrounds.  These usually take the form of an offer for one free night of camping in exchange for sitting through one of their sales presentations.  I've tried a few of these and found the sales tactics to be too high pressure for my taste.  An instant turn off for me is when they hit you with the "you have choose now or loose your chance forever" pitch.  I suspect they won't turn you down if you decide later you are interested.  It would be extremely tedious to keep track of every attendee and it just wouldn't be good business to turn people away.  As far as I'm concerned, quality products and services sell themselves.  High pressure sales tactics reek of inferior products or poor attitude toward customers.

Of course there are other RV clubs around you may want to look into. Probably the biggest and most famous is the "Good Sam Club" . Good Sam membership includes discounts at many campgrounds and often on merchandise as well as nightly fees. Good Sam membership now includes Camping World's President's Club, giving 10% discount on all Camping World merchandise. Many manufacturers sponsor or support clubs comprised of owners of their products.  There are also generic RV organizations, such as the Family Motor Coach Association. There are many local off-road motorcycle, ATV, 4WD, and RV clubs, as well as rock hounds, birdwatchers, dog owners, campers, equestrians, and those with an interest in history, rock collecting, bird watching, and mining. Most clubs are anxious to share their wisdom and their knowledge of local attractions and activities and you are very likely to make some new friends who share your interests and with whom you can enjoy outings.  Clubs are a good place to  hook up with like-minded people for social activities and service projects.

If you don't find an existing organization that meets your needs, you may want to look into forming your own. When I lived in southern California I was part of an unofficial, family-oriented group of recreational dirt bikers. We called ourselves the "Desert Rats" . We had no dues and no meetings and no formal organization. We came together through our common interest in dirt-biking and shared many memorable and exciting adventures. We got together just about every holiday weekend for some fun OHV activities and good companionship. You many want to form a more formal club or association. If so, be sure to check with your state parks officials to find out the rules and regulations for RV and OHV clubs.  After ten years living in Utah we still haven't been able to organize a similar group, so you may or may not be able to find compatible companions or create your own.  Registering your club or at least making local land managers aware of your purpose can help establish good working relationships with those in charge of the areas where you want to camp and ride. Properly organized as service organizations, donations to such organizations may be tax deductible. Be sure to check the tax status of any club you join or form. Contributions to many tax-exempt associations may be tax deductible.  A club, formal or informal, is a powerful unit for organizing and conducting service projects to maintain or improve facilities and help promote our sport as well as a fun way to enjoy your sport and support each other.

And the most important thing of all: Have Fun!