Hey Campers I need a few suggestions!

[crazyme5kids]

My daughter and her boyfriend are in the process of gearing up for a cross country (east-west-south-north) trip around the USA. They will be traveling at least 6 months, or at least that is the plan. Most of the time they will be camping.

As an early Christmas gift, I bought them a tent, sleeping pads (self inflatable), a small foldable camp table, two chairs, water proof matches and some fire starter type cubes and pepper spray bear repellent.

Can anyone give me a few ideas for one or two other items that would be good for them to have? I saw a portable toilet thing that folds like a suitcase and uses plastic bag as the bowl , I thought would be good, if not gross, but hey, it's better than digging a hole. Has anyone used this type of item?

Suggestions?

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Do you know where they'll be camping? If they're not going into the "backcountry," they'll probably be close enough to restrooms to not have to bother messing with anything else.

You can go to Cabella's or Bass Pro Shops websites to get a ton of other ideas -- sounds like you're getting them off to a great start! Hope they have a great time.

 

[pipersmom]

If they're coffee drinkers, a french press..easy to use and only requires hot water! You can get one at target.com for less than $30- Bodum is a good brand. A nice first aid kit is also always a good thing!

 

[lovesmurfs]

My daughter and her boyfriend are in the process of gearing up for a cross country (east-west-south-north) trip around the USA. They will be traveling at least 6 months, or at least that is the plan. Most of the time they will be camping.

As an early Christmas gift, I bought them a tent, sleeping pads (self inflatable), a small foldable camp table, two chairs, water proof matches and some fire starter type cubes and pepper spray bear repellent.

Can anyone give me a few ideas for one or two other items that would be good for them to have? I saw a portable toilet thing that folds like a suitcase and uses plastic bag as the bowl , I thought would be good, if not gross, but hey, it's better than digging a hole. Has anyone used this type of item?

Suggestions?

It depends on how rough they're going, and how many nights they plan to stay at each place. Most state parks have latrines.

I'd definitely recommend a good axe, a tent mallet (rubber on one side, hook on the other), first aid kit, and a Coleman stove (uses small containers of propane). You can also Google "camping checklist" and see what else they might need. They have really nice lanterns now that don't use propane or mantles -- battery operated.

If they plan to stay several nights at one place, I'd recommend a screened in tent for the picnic table.

Hope they have fun.

 

[golfgal]

Most state parks have electricity at the camp sites along with modern bathrooms and showers.

Williams Sonoma has a nice selection of grill baskets http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/outdoor/outdoor-grill-tool-cookware/

These are great for grilling veges, popping popcorn, etc.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'm half asleep so I'm sorry if I repeat something. A nice coleman lantern, fuel, and mantles would be good. Bug repellant, moleskin (well, a first aid kit in general would be handy), Coleman camp stove (or a small portable thing if they're going to be backpacking) and fuel, and a Target gift card would all be good to have.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Adding, I really don't see them using the toilet. It would be too much to carry if they're backpacking, and if they're camping near facilities, they could just use them.

 

[stevenpensacola]

After they've spent a few nights "on the ground"....they might want to consider cots. I purchased one of these after I could never get comfortable on an air mattress while on scout camp-outs with my son. These "kots" fold up and fit in a bag smaller than my tent bag.

A battery powered fan would also be a good idea.

http://www.campingcot.com/

 

[endy]

Maybe a KOA membership.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Thanks for the ideas! I don't think they will be backpacking because they are bringing their bikes.

Initially they were going to head west, camping in the northern states first, but they are revising that plan due to delaying the trip by a month. So they are heading to Chicago in October (late Oct.) to visit some friends and then heading south. At least that is the latest plan.

I like the KOA membership idea, I'll have to look into it. I've been getting information from them in small doses, so I'm not really sure of just where they intend to camp.

 

[Ohiodislover]

Maybe a few phone minute cards, in case they lose cell phone service. Most campgrounds still have payphones.

 

[minkydog]

That's a pretty ambitious trip. Have they ever camped before? One thing for sure, they'll either get closer or they won't be speaking to each other within the first 2 weeks.

I would suggest a Coleman propane stove and 2 propane canisters to get them started. Cooking over a fire is great--until it rains. Then it's a pain in the butt. Propane always shows you the love. A length of rope is also a good idea, and some clothes pins. Mosquito spray. A large cooler with wheels. An orange outdoor electric cord. Rubbermaid containers to put their stuff in--two different colors, one for cooking supplies and one for towels or clothes. They can outfit their kitchen supplies at the thrift store--all they need is a frying pan, a large pot, a small pot, a spatula and a long spoon. Coffee cups. A camp journal. And a Walmart gift card--Walmart is everywhere.

I hope they have an awesome time. We took our kids on a 6000 mile cross-country trip 3 years ago and it was the vacation of a lifetime. We were in a camper, so it was a bit less rustic. But we really did have a ball. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Liberty Belle]

And for fun, maybe a deck of cards and some dice for Yahtzee.

 

[*BTMRR*]

In addition to some great camping items...I'd get them a gift card for a couple of nights in a national chain hotel!

 

[crazyme5kids]

Minkydog that same thought crossed my mind. I like the idea of getting a deck of cards. Maybe I can buy a few small game type things. I also think I'll get them a first aid kit if they don't have one.

They have camped before, he has done a lot more camping than my daughter. So he has some gear, but not enough for the type of trip they are planning. And I guess some of it is pretty old.

 

[minkydog]

Minkydog that same thought crossed my mind. I like the idea of getting a deck of cards. Maybe I can buy a few small game type things. I also think I'll get them a first aid kit if they don't have one.

They have camped before, he has done a lot more camping than my daughter. So he has some gear, but not enough for the type of trip they are planning. And I guess some of it is pretty old.

So they won't be complete noobies. The first aid kit is a good idea.Every time we go out somebody gets hurt. In fact, we have a saying: "It's not a real vacation until somebody goes to the ER." We actually have a quite a collection of pictures from various ERs around the country.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

A pair of good sleeping bags. One should be left zippered an one should be right zippered so that they can zip together into one big sleeping bag.

A pair of LED headlamps. These are little flashlights on straps that you wear on your head. Make sure that they are LED. The tungsten ones are good for 2-4 hours but the LED ones last for 20 hours on a set of batteries. They are great for hands free work around the campground at night and for reading.

A Kindle, Nook, or some kind of e-reader. An iPad would work, but it would need to be charged much more frequently, which can be a pain.

A power inverter. This is a device that plugs into the cars electrical outlet (used to be called cigarette lighters) and converts it into a regular AC power outlet. That allows them to charge cell phones, e-readers, and other stuff while driving. Many campsites have electricity but many don't.

A ground pad for their tent will help it last longer.

A vestibule for their tent will give them more space for stuff without having to trudge back and forth to the their car.

Rain gear can be handy so that they aren't trapped in their tent all day on rainy days. The really expensive Gore-tex stuff is nice, but it really only works well when it is cold out. If it is warm or hot and rainy, you will get damp in your rain gear no matter what you do.

Make sure they bring some laundry supplies in a ziplock bag. It's better than paying for soap at each laundry place.

Bug spray. Sun screen.

I don't mind sleeping on a decent sleeping pad, but I like a comfortable pillow.

An annual national park pass would probably be helpful.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Thanks again for the ideas! I think I'll look into the "head lights" too. They just bought a national parks pass, maybe I'll buy them a small national parks guide book.

The tent has a vestibule, and I purchased the footprint pad to go with the tent. My daughter's boyfriend set the tent up yesterday, it seems like a good one, although I thought it was small. It is a three person one though according to REI. I guess it will be good for them. It got good reviews, so hopefully it will hold up.

I know I'm fixated on the whole toilet/bathroom thing, so can anyone tell me how the toilet facilities are when camping at national parks? Maybe this is a mother issue, they don't seem to concerned.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

This is an example of an LED headlamp. Ours are sold old now that I can't recommend a particular model. They are fairly simple devices, so I imagine that it is hard to get a bad one.

National Park bathroom facilities vary from nice, air conditioned spaces to pit toilets (big, hopefully deep, hole in the ground with a toilet on top). It's best to camp away from the crowds. Then if you need to go at night you can just mark your territory and not have to walk all the way down to the restrooms.

 

[PatsGirl]

A small gas (propane) grill like the Weber Store N' Go I think it is called or a dutch oven for cooking over the fire.