Five Gadgets Make a Happy Camper

I was recently asked to go on a three-day hike through the Everglades with primitive camping.  Wow.  That’s a big nope from me.  It sounds like something that might have fit 20 years ago but now? Well, if I can’t have ice for my big tumbler I get grouchy, and without a hot shower before bed, I get sticky and stinky.  Saa-aa-aa-d that I am so old and soft, but here we are.

Why can’t I live out of a backpack for three days?  Because there’s so much stuff that makes camping pleasant for me, and I need my car to carry it all.  And here’s some of what that stuff entails:

Canopy

We have had several canopies, from lightweight day use numbers to Coleman to EZUP.   By far, the sturdiest and easiest to put up and take down is the 10X10 ABCCanopy I bought from Amazon a couple years ago.  It has a super heavy-duty rolling bag, and individual sidewalls for each side. The walls are very nice when it is windy or cold, but we generally do not use them. I bought weights that hold 40 lbs of water for each leg. These are preferable to the sandbags that were included with the canopy because I don’t have to carry sand with which to fill them. It is an easy job to erect this canopy and take it down with two people, and if I really need to, I can do it by myself. On days when the sun is simply too hot to enjoy, or when a rainstorm blows through, it is pleasant to sit under this canopy and be shaded and/or dry. If you decide that you need a canopy, make sure the frame is sturdy, and try to find one which includes weights, tie downs, and sidewalls. And the better the storage bag, the longer your canopy will last.

Lights

Steve and I bought some terrific lights for the 10X10 canopy. They’re solar Edison-style bulbs, and they have become beloved. The light is nice and soft, so it’s definitely camp light. Plenty of light to read or play a game at the table, but not so much that neighbors can’t sleep if they go to bed early. If you use solar lights, it is a good idea to fully charge the battery in the sun before you get to your campsite, just in case there is not enough daylight to get a good charge before you need your lights.

These are perfect for us! Soft light that doesn’t disturb the neighbors, and the remote makes it easy to get into the pop-up and then turn the lights off.
We tuck the remote into a canopy pocket. Since we have two remotes, each of which works on both light strands, we also keep one inside the pop-up.

Mosquito Control

We use two different types of mosquito control.  Both Zapper Lantern and Thermacell have a place on my campsite. Mosquito control has come a long way since the Pic mosquito coils I used as a kid. I love the Pic coils, which work well when there is no breeze, but I don’t like having that burning coil in a tent or even in the pop-up

Zapper Lantern is a small bug-zapper style contraption that charges with a USB and weighs only a couple of ounces.  It has a regular light, too, which makes it very handy. When I first used it, I was surprised at the number of small flying bugs it had zapped.  It rinses out under running water and holds a charge for a couple of nights if you don’t use the light feature.  Even without the light on, this zapper casts a dim glow and can serve as a night light in a pop-up or tent.

Thermacell makes several different systems to repel mosquitoes.  I use the Patio Shield set-up.  The system uses a butane canister to provide heat which causes a plant-based mosquito repellent to waft from a small pad into the air.  There is no sound and no odor.  It is an ideal system UNLESS there is any sort of breeze at all.  The lightest of breezes will blow the repellent away, and your Thermacells will be useless.  I usually leave one running in the vestibule of my tent, but not inside the tent. Refill kits with fresh pads and butane canisters are readily available.

Propane Stove and Fuel Tree

I love cooking at camp, and I really love cooking on my propane stove. It is so much easier to light than my old fuel stove, and it is easier to maintain a steady temperature, too.  I used to buy the small propane canisters that are sold in sets of two, but then I bought a fuel tree so that I could run the stove and lantern using a single grill-size propane tank.  This has been enormously convenient!  I don’t even use the fuel tree for the lantern since we got our solar lights, but I’m never going back to those single-use canisters. The fuel tree has three outlets, so I can run three propane-powered tools at a time. I generally use the tree with only the bottom portion connected, since I don’t need a great deal of capacity when I’m camping alone or with only one other person. If you decide to buy a propane tree, make sure to get the hose that has the correct fittings on each end. The tree cannot be connected directly to the stove, and the one I bought did not come with a hose.

I spent about $40 total on the tree and hose. It was more than I wanted to spend, but a good investment in that I no longer worry about running out of the small propane cartridges or feel guilty about the waste involved. I love this thing. When camping with a large group, I can run two stoves and a lantern all at the same time.
How I love my Coleman stove! My old stove used liquid fuel and needed lots of pumping up to build pressure in the tank. It was also difficult to light if it rained or the humidity was high. This propane stove lights EVERY time, and brings water to a boil quickly. It is a joy to cook on this thing, and it’s easy to clean. The perfect camping tool!

Water Filtering Pitchers

A couple of trips ago, we bought a water filtering pitcher just to be on the safe side – who knows what critters have been in the faucet at the campsite?  It was so convenient that we bought a second one at a thrift store. We use lots of water in the morning and having two pitchers has been a nice little luxury. I’m an iced tea drinker, and the filtered water makes a really nice pitcher of tea. Don’t forget to pack an extra filter or two!

One is a name brand and the other is a Kirkland brand from Costco. We can’t tell any difference in the water.

What’s your list of camping essentials look like?  I’d love to hear how you use your tools to make your trips pleasant.

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