Corey

iTrader: (1)

How cool is this?
Saw this over on Expo.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ad.php?t=15608

I will be ordering one today.
It is a royal PITA to fill water jugs from a Pure water filter off of the kitchen faucet.

For dish water, I use water from the bathtub faucet I fill the 5 gallon water jug (same type as a fuel can) and that is good, but I would not drink it.
I have H20 in my ARB fridge to drink, but I really hate throwing away those 12 oz bottles you buy at the store, they are not good for the land fills.

This 12 volt pump will fit a standard water bottle like you can get at the supermarket for a water cooler like you have at work or at home.
My local Safeway has the big bottles to buy with filtered H20 in them.

Set one of these on your picnic table while camping for the weekend, and you have plenty of fresh good water to drink.

Here is a video of the pump hooked up to an Adventure Trailer water tank that they use for the trailers they build.

[YOUTUBE]Cw2dx8322AQ[/YOUTUBE]

Here is the pump mounted to a bottle.



The outfit to order one of these from

I can also envision like Miss R2FJ is thinking of doing by mounting a tank in the rear of the FJ, and using one of these pumps.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Here is an elcheapo video I made of the shower in action after I heated the water.
You can easily use the cooker to cook with a big pot of grub on it too.

Using the shower is easy.
Use a match or one of those barbecue matches with the butane ( I own several) and crank open the gas valve and light.
Adjust the flame, and put the tank of water on top.

Make sure the pump handle is out, or you are looking for trouble.
There is a temperature strip on the side of the tank that shows the water temperature.
They say to heat it to about 100 degrees.
I only let it run for about four minutes or so, and I got tap water from the sink up to about 70 degrees.

After it is heated, you take the tank off the heater and set it on the ground.
Insert the hand pump, and pump away.
I charged it up to around thirty pumps or so.

Then you flip the red valve on the tank, and you have water coming out of the shower head.
Pretty cool.
Will be doing a change of the shower head at a future date.

I let the water run for awhile, then I stopped the flow and pumped it up again.
2.5 gallons is not going to go very far, so it would be best to get wet, turn the water off and lather up, then turn the water back on to rinse off.

Looks like it will do the job.

Please excuse the cheesy video, but it gives you an idea of the water spray/pressure the stock head puts out.

I normally work on vids too with my desktop, but this time I tried Windows Movie Maker on my new laptop with Vista.
Movie Maker has a few more options than the one with XP, and it worked out well.

End video was saved to a DVD widescreen format at around 27 MB, then uploaded to the Tube.

And yes, my table on the porch needs cleaning
Same tree that drips pitch onto the FJ is also over the table.

[YOUTUBE]C9hrjcbRsYM[/YOUTUBE]

PS, looking for female models so I can shoot a better video of the shower in action on my next camping trip.

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

dang man, why dont ya just buy one of them high falootin campers!

Campin....yeesh lol

Course, you will be the clean comfortable one on the 22nd/23rd and I'll be the dirty disgruntled young guy wondering why the heck I didn't get one of those things....

89-4run

Corey,
Have you had a chance to try out that awning? I'm looking for something similar and hadn't seen that. I had bought a Kelty Car Port shelter and that thing was monsterous!! I'm looking for something 1 guy can setup and teardown pretty easily. Also, it didn't jump out to me, but is that awning more shade or does it provide protection from rain?

Can you throw out a ball park how much it was?

Thanks,
Rob

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Rob, pics are in my buildup thread of the awning.
https://www.yotatech.com/50832002-post251.html

The awning is for both shade and rain.

Paid $200 for it, a smokin' deal.

One person can setup and take it down.
A little awkward at first for me, but it will be easier for me next time.

89-4run

That is a great deal!

One last question. I'm assuming the front 2 aluminum poles are telescoping? What's the height variations you can go with?

I forgot, you're in Washington! I'm getting my items together for a trip through N. Cali and Oregon You would know about wet weather, huh

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Yes, all four poles are adjustable.
Not sure of the variation, as I have only set it up once, but you can vary the height.

Yes, I hate camping in the rain, and if it does rain after I am setup, this should help some.

With my luck it has rained on about 50% or more of my trips.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Looking for a new shower tent now, as seen in my gear review in this same section, the PETT tent is to small.
It is OK for pinchin' a loaf, but for showering in, it is a bit to small.

Googled some bigger ones.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007IS656
It has a floor with drainage too, a plus.
The PETT has no floor, and dirt splashes up on you.

The base on the Columbia is 5'x5', while the PETT one is 3'x3' I believe.



Reviews

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Now this is what I am talking about.
I knew I had seen the HUGE Cabela's one before.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...097&hasJS=true



They have a smaller one too, but if camped for four + days, I like the idea of this big one.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...097&hasJS=true

Corey

iTrader: (1)

The Cabela's shower arrive Friday instead of tomorrow.
Have not set it up yet though.

Also while I was on my camping trip, I used the picnic table at Mt. Rainier to hold items, while I dined on my Cabela's folding picnic table instead.

I am thinking ahead here now, as I am not always going to be camping in pay campgrounds that have tables.
In the past I use to camp a lot up at Greenwater where I wheel, and it is all rustic pull in type spots, some by a stream or river, which are the best ones to camp in.

I will need a table to set a few things on, and Cabela's (gosh, they have just about anything a camper needs ) has two rollup tables.
Cabela's Deluxe Roll-Top Tables


Large



Small



There are cheaper ones out there, but the nice thing about the Cabela's one is that it has adjustable legs for height variation on uneven terrain.

Here is one that is much cheaper, but no leg adjustment



Anyone using a rolltop table, and how do you like it.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Update on the Camp Chef Oven I posted earlier
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f172...l#post50797588



Has anyone seen one of these in action yet?
Most of the reviews I have seen online give it high marks.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...004000_350-4-4

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=7857646

Nothing wrong with my old propane stove and Foxhill oven though.



The Camp Chef setup looks pretty impressive though, and would be kind of cool if you are setup for a whole week on vacation.

This guy here on an outdoor camp cooking forum bought one for his teardrop trailer.
http://www.camp-cook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1150

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I thought I had posted about the Oz tent in here before, but I guess not.

http://www.oztent.us/
Video
http://www.oztent.us/the-30-second-tent.asp

Another really cool tent is on that you inflate from AirZone Products.
You can use C02, a compressor, or a hand pump to inflate them.

It uses no poles, the air channels are on the outside of the tent that get inflated to erect the tent.
They have a ton of videos on their site too.
http://www.airzonerecreation.com/

http://www.airzonerecreation.com/tech/demo.htm

neoworm0

Have you guys ever heard the saying "Everything but the kitchen sink"? Well I think you guys have that too, eh? lol!

Nice toys but I can't imagine setting all that crap up and then tearing it down again. At what point are you no longer camping. I suppose if you are going to spend a week or two in one spot.

Anyway to each his own. For me camping is about getting away from all that crap. The less junk I have to bring the better.

I will admit those RTT's look nice though.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

That is why I do not own a motorhome or a travel trailer.
I have had two tent trailers in the past that I enjoyed very much, but the RTT lets me get more back to the basics.

Granted I have some toys that I do setup, but most of that is for a trip lasting a week or more.

Some of my stuff would be staying home if it was just a quick weekend get away.
But the stuff I took to Mt. Rainier back in August would be great for a long trip.

n16ht5

I got a $10 inflatable twin mattress from target for the back of my runner. then I have a 2KW inverter for whatever appliances I need. a big rubbermaid container with a stove, food supplies and water filtering gear.

jpmountainboy

my new favorite piece of gear is a big ol' inner tube. it packs up small, you pump it up when you get there, usually camping on rivers, so take er down some rapids, beer in hand. Then, at night, just fold your sleeping pad in half to make a chair like shape, and stuff it into the hole in the tube...guaranteed the most comfy beer throne of all time.

TurnerR

THATS BRILLIANT!! I must get a tube for this summer.

Another favorite camping accessory for me is my Eagles nest outfitters doublenest hammock. Its awsome!



Packs up small too! This is with the slap straps.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Mr. Heater Portable Buddy 9,000 BTU Propane Radiant Heater



Looking at picking up one today when I go to the propane shop to pick up my 5 lb tank that they are reconditioning.
Switching over my propane stove to use the 5 lb bottle instead of the throw away 1 lb bottles.

Reviews are at Amazon and other sites with
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Port.../dp/B00005LEXI

Mr Heaters website.
http://www.mrheater.com/

They make two models, the bigger one has a fan in it that runs on batteries.

This will only be used to take the chill off the morning in the roof top tent if it is really cold.
And to heat up the tent before retiring.

I would NEVER use one of these while asleep, although they do have a sensor built in that turns the unit off if it detects a low oxygen level.
So again, if I use one of these, it would be only for a brief moment.

I ran a similar one years ago in my tent trailer to take the chill off in the morning while shaving and getting dressed.

My other choice was a 12v truckers heating pad that many do use in tents and roof top tents.
You can run them off your rigs battery, or get a separate power pack that can do both 110v and 12v as seen by this post from IH8MUD.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/4120967-post38.html

I think the heater though would suffice, and many seem to like it from the thread at Mud too.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Got the heater at my local propane shop cheaper than any place online.
Sometimes the 'Net is not always the cheapest.
Heater works great, I tried it out for a few minutes.

Found this online at Cabelas, a bag to transport it in.



Also ordered a cool Gerber knife that uses their FAST technology which is pretty close to a switchblade from what I have heard.
Knife is on back order though, will get that delivered next month.
I went for the full size one with serrated edge.
Gerber F.A.S.T. Covert Knife

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Going to order one of these too.
http://cozywinters.com/shop/ew-rvhmp.html



Been reading up a lot on them, and placing one of these under your sheets or a sleeping bag in a roof top tent or ground tent will make for a very comfortable night if it is very cold out.

Here is another one that has a different colored controller, but I bet they are are same unit.
http://www.electrowarmth.com/fleet.php



These draw very little amperage, and they are made to cycle on and off via the controller.
There are others on the market that have a built in timer to shut them off, but I am not worried about that with the low amperage they draw.

Both of my 12v outlets in the rear are wired to the main battery.
One is used for the ARB fridge, the other would be for this.
I may end up though rewiring my BlueSea aux fusebox to the Optima Redtop instead.

Down the road I may end up going with a nice solar panel too so it can charge the battery that I draw camping power off from to keep it topped off.

Another option is to use one of these battery packs that have a built in inverter for 120v and 12v, and just run the heating pad from it.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...=nosim/ihco-20
Scroll down the page some and you will see a band of a ton of these.
I am not to fond of the one in the URL above, I do not need a compressor.
They have other models too that are a better choice.
One of these can start a rig if you wear the battery down to far, or you can power stuff off of it.

Myself though I would lean more towards a nice solar panel setup to keep the rigs batteries topped off.