Today there are many options for light and cooking, plus tent heaters and even portable hot water systems to add convenience and comfort to our outings. Portable generators, having become smaller, quieter, and less expensive, are also becoming more popular, allowing tent campers to enjoy electronic entertainment systems and small appliances previously only available to RVers. Many portable generators are fairly light weight and easy to transport. They are very quiet and quite fuel efficient. If you have room for them they make a good addition to a truck camper, small travel trailer, or tent camping gear.
Camp stoves. Where once the legendary Coleman gas stove dominated the scene there are now many options to choose from. Coleman has added propane powered stoves in both the 2-burner and 3-burner sizes in addition to their traditional gasoline models. There are advantages to each fuel. Propane doesn't spill. Gasoline is usually cheaper, especially if you have a dual-fuel stove that will run on ordinary unleaded gas in addition to "Coleman Fuel" or white gas. Such a stove would be a good candidate for emergency preparedness since you could siphon fuel from your vehicle if necessary. For tent camping, backpacking, or anytime space is limited, there are single-burner butane powered stoves, the camping equivalent of a "hot plate". They are compact and light weight but require special fuel cylinders about the size and shape of a can of shaving cream. The small size and relatively high cost of these fuel cylinders make them more expensive to operate and require more frequent changing of fuel cylinders than propane-powered units. There are some small single-burner propane stoves, sometimes called "grasshoppers" because of their silhouette. They usually run on the small, 1-lb propane cylinders. Extremely light weight backpacker stoves are also available. They usually run on small butane canisters and take up little space in your pack. They are suitable for preparing single servings. It would take a long time to cook a meal for a family of 4 using one of these. There are conveniently sized butane powered stoves that come in a plastic case about the same size as cordless electric drill case. The are handy for fixing meals or hot drinks for one or two people. For larger groups, Camp Chef offers a variety of larger propane-powered stoves with a delightful set of options including grills, griddles, and a BBQ box. These tend to be a little bulky and heavy if you have far to carry them so they're best used in car-camping or to supplement the RV lifestyle. They are especially useful if you have to prepare large quantities to feed a group. The size and BTU ratings allow you to use full-size stock pots that would overwhelm ordinary camp stoves or be difficult to manage on a campfire. Another fairly recent addition are propane powered residential styled stoves like this one from Coleman, that look and function much like a gas range at home. The are smaller, but have 2 or 3 burners on top and a fully functional (if a little small) oven. They're quite a bit more expensive than the traditional camp stoves, but offer more familiarity and convenience. They run around $250 new but I've seen used ones on ebay for as little as $100.
Tent heaters. For years the gasoline-powered Coleman infra-red heater was the standard for tent heaters.
I used one of these to heat an enclosed motorcycle heater for several years until I installed a propane furnace out of a wrecked camper. One downside is you have to plan ahead to get them going outdoors for about an hour before bringing them into the area to be heated. The style I had required you to hold it up-side-down until a dollar-size spot of wet fuel showed on the fabric dome. Then light it and wait several minutes for the flames to die down. Once the flames died down the heater could be moved inside the trailer or tent. The dome usually gave off a faint red glow when it was working. You may have to search ebay or other online sites for "vintage coleman tent heater" to find one for sale. More modern, propane powered catalytic heaters are easier to ignite and use but while catalytic heaters do not give off smoke or toxic fumes, they do consume oxygen so they MUST be used with adequate ventilation. Even seasoned campers have been known to lose their lives when they forgot to leave a window open when using a tent heater. Military style tent stoves sometimes used gasoline or used motor oil or wood as fuel. You might still get your hands on one of these at a garage sale or army surplus outlet. They are usually rather heavy and bulky and can be dangerous to use if you are not familiar with their operation and follow instructions precisely. These types of stoves do give off smoke and toxic fumes and require a chimney to the outside, which presents its own hazards. The area where the stovepipe passes through the tent fabric to the outside must be fireproof. Large tent heaters are only practical in base camps where you don't have to carry them far from your vehicle. Some of the smaller propane-powered catalytic heaters might be light enough to carry in your back pack.
Illumination. The venerable Coleman lantern is still a standard fixture for most campers. Propane versions avoid the dangers of spilling liquid fuel and eliminate the need to periodically pump up the fuel pressure, but you can't easily refill them if you run out of fuel. However, they share the vulnerability of the gas lanterns in the use of silk mantles that are burned to ash to be used and are very delicate. If you are using a lantern that needs mantles, always bring a pack of a half dozen or so for a weekend outing. Your lantern will be useless without them. Battery and solar powered lanterns are becoming more popular as battery technology provides longer life and higher power and LED bulbs reduce power requirements. Battery powered lanterns eliminate the fire hazard often associated with gas or propane lanterns and therefore are ideal options in tents. However, gas and propane lanterns are also a source of heat that is sacrificed if you use battery lights. Some battery powered lanterns include remote controls so you can turn them on and off from the comfort of your sleeping bag, a very nice feature on cold nights. Some are rechargeable and can be recharged from an ordinary 120 volt AC power source or from the cigarette lighter style power receptacle in your vehicle. Some have built-in solar chargers so you can charge your lantern for free during the day and have it ready to use at night. Some use ordinary "D" or "C" cell or big square 6-volt batteries so you can just bring along plenty of spares and you'll be in good shape. The most efficient versions use LEDs instead of energy-hogging incandescent bulbs.
Larger propane cylinders can be refilled at propane sellers. The smaller ones normally used in lanterns are usually just tossed and replaced but you can but an adapter that lets you refill them from a bulk propane cylinder, like the one used for your BBQ. The easiest way to deal with running out of propane is to carry plenty of spare cylinders. Stock up on them when you find them on sale.
Portable hot water heaters. These days you can buy portable hot water systems you can take tent camping. They are propane powered and usually provide enough hot water for 1-2 showers. They are too big and heavy to consider for back-packing, but if you are car-camping, they might be a nice addition. Bring along a shower enclosure and you can have an almost residential-style shower anywhere. These can be nice additions to any RV that is lacking shower facilities or if you have so many people you overwhelm the hot water heater as well as serving tent campers. Sunshowers are solar-heated bags that rely only on sun to heat the water and on gravity to feed the shower head to they are environmentally friendly and economical to use. Simply fill the bag with water, let it lie in the sun for a while. Putting in the hood or roof or your vehicle or laying it directly on hot blacktop are good options. When it has been heated to the desired temperature, simple hang it from a tree, canopy, or any convenient location. Here again, use a portable shower enclosure for privacy.
Electricity in camp was once almost the exclusive prerogative of large motorhomes. Even few travel trailers had on-board generators in "the old days". Today many travel trailers come with generators as options or sometimes standard equipment and many more owners bring along portable units. Many portable units are also suitable for car-camping in a tent. Large motorhomes and trailers need 4000 watts or so to power roof air conditioners. Smaller units are less expensive, quieter, are easier to transport, and are more fuel efficient while providing adequate power for most camp use -- TVs, laptops, battery chargers, simple kitchen appliances like mixers and blenders, and even microwaves. Come night time, they can be used to run electric lights to illuminate your camp site as well as power entertainment systems. Modern portable generators are light weight and quiet, lending themselves well to tent camping. In a pinch you might also run a small electric heater in your tent. Just be sure to keep away from the walls or anything else combustible. Or hook up your electric blanket!
Portable refrigerators. Motorhomes and travel trailers usually have propane powered refrigerators that provide performance that nearly matches that of your residential unit. Tent camping has traditionally been limited to using ice chests to preserve perishable foods and keep our drinks cold. Today there are ice chests that use theromelectric technology that can either heat or cool the chest. Most of these units run on 12-volt DC power and can be plugged into any cigarette lighter style 12-volt receptacle. Long haul truckers often use these to good advantage on the road but they can also be used in camping and avoid frequent trips to the camp store for more ice. As with an RV refrigerator, turn it on a day or two before your planned departure to get it cooled and ready to use. Keep an eye on the charge level of your batteries so you don't run down your starting battery keeping your beer cold! And periodically check the function switch to be sure it hasn't accidentally been turned from "COOL" to "WARM".
Solar and wind power. Solar panels are slowly becoming more affordable and more portable. A small solar panel for helping maintain battery charge in storage is available at automotive supply stores for under $20. You plug it into your cigarette lighter and leave it on the dashboard to provide a trickle charge to help maintain batteries during storage. These little units aren't enough to recharge depleted batteries or meet the demands in camp. Larger units are available, with enough power to run TVs and laptops, but they are still quite expensive and fairly bulky. I've seen some innovative campers set up wind generators. I haven't tried this so I can't attest to the effectiveness, but it might be worth looking into. Commercial wind generators can be quite expensive. I've seen home-made ones that use an automotive alternator that may be able to provide enough power to maintain the charge on a couple of 12-volt deep cycle batteries -- if you get enough breeze. The trick is building and then transporting the blades and support tower. The tower must be tall enough to reach the wind, sturdy enough to withstand the wind and the vibration of the alternator, and yet be light enough and able to be dismantled for transport. Plans for such home-made wind generators can be found on the Internet. Personally I would think a home-made wind generator would be better suited for a mountain cabin or emergency retreat than for tent or even RV camping. Solar panels can be mounted on RV roofs or set up externally outside a tent or RV making them quite convenient. Initial cost and installation is bit pricey, but once installed or set up in camp you get your energy from the sun for free!
Tent cooling. I've yet to see a practical air conditioner for tent camping, but there are plenty of battery-powered fans that can help evacuate heat from tents and provide a comfortable breeze to improve personal comfort. I have seen people spray the window screens with mist or even hang wet towels near windows to create a kind of rudimentary evaporative cooling system. If you want to try either of these techniques, take care not to let the mist or wet towels drip on your sleeping bag, clothing, or gear, or create puddles on the floor of the tent. Use your rain fly, if your tent has one, or add a tarp over the top of your tent to shade it from direct sunlight to help keep it cooler. Or just set it up where it will be shaded most of the day. I did see plans for a tent air conditioner Basically it is a foam ice chest, a battery powered fan, and a LOT of ice. I don't know how well it would work and you would need a continuous supply of ice to keep it going. I have tried small battery powered cooling units (about the size of a softball) that use specially frozen cold packs or just evaporative cooling pads and found they didn't put out enough air to be very helpful. They might work as personal cooling systems to cool your face but they're too small to cool very much space in a tent or RV.
Power up!
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