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[Northern Dancer]

WHERE DO I BUY MOST OF MY CAMP CLOTHES?

Other than personal items 90 % of all my camp clothes
are purchased from Value Village.
I have saved hundreds of dollars if not a thousand or more.
Best selection anywhere and there is a bonus. The staff is often
unaware of how much the items cost when brand new.
That means literally huge savings.
Sometimes I pick up equipment too -
usually when the traditional camping season is over.
I'm talking coats, pants, cold-weather items, boots, and so on.
Don't be bashful - check it out.


​

 

[Happy Joe]

I, too, have a few thrift stores that I frequent.
I am, also, not above pawn shopping (most recently for Blu-ray movies)... always on the lookout for equipment (upgrades and replacements), tho'.
Much of my outdoor wear (shirts, jeans and (aggressive tread) walking shoes; comes from wally-mart. As does a bit of my cooking stuff.
Tech products, including camping tech; I usually order online; since the local selection is not great.

Enjoy!

 

[Happy Joe]

Here's an relative oldie;
When I was still backpacking and looking to minimize weight; I needed a pot support;



bent up some heavy steel wire (9 ga?) and hinged it with a .22Lr case.

Enjoy!

 

[Northern Dancer]

MY FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST THE RAIN
A raincoat, pants, and the like are the best defense.
But for me, the immediate thing to do is to take out my trusty umbrella.
Many times I've watched experienced trippers rustle through a pack to find a raincoat.
Not me. I reach for the very visible umbrella conveniently attached to the side of my pack and it's up in a fraction of a second.
Think about it.

I have a sports umbrella for base camp - it's big enough to actually protect me against the rain and snow.


​

 

[Happy Joe]

... How about some wing nut hose clamps to tie tit temporarily the umbrella to a chair (i would suggest velcro one wrap but tit might come loose in a high wind wind.


(one of my favorite ways to, temporarily, tie thing together (got the last ones from autozone, I think).

Enjoy!

 

[Northern Dancer]

MAKE YOUR OWN OR PUT TOGETHER A SLEEPING BAG TO MEET YOUR NEEDS
Every once in a while I get the urge to purchase a new sleeping bag for winter usage.
I end up looking at rows and rows of sleeping bags.
Pretty coloured, with different sizes, varying temperature levels, and any price you want to pay.
Each brand has its own material and is filled with all kinds of possibilities to keep you warm.
O, ya - did I say any price you want to pay?

WHAT I DID, AND EXPERIMENTED WITH, WAS MY OWN SLEEPING SYSTEM
This is what I did.
I looked for a heavier-clothed duvet.
I lucked out because I got a dark brown one with a straightforward black moose on it.
Queen Size.
Under the moose are the words - "Moose Crossing"
Luv's it! So far so good.
Then I purchased two down-filled duvet insert blankets that I got at Value village
for a down-to-the-ground price.
I put both in and walla I had a sleeping system.
Bonus - there is no zipper to wrestle with or get entangled.
I can also adjust the system to one blanket rather than two to meet the temperature range.
I use a large flannel blanket that I sewed together without buying an expensive insert.
I slept in my undies, with a full-head Bela Clava and cloth gloves.
It works better than well.






​

 

[Happy Joe]

Yep! Layering a sleeping bag gives many temperature options for more comfort, at a wider range of temperature... I atoo am a big fan of this technique...

I often use double sided hook and loop straps (Velcro one-wrap, or a cheaper chinese knock off) to help keep rolled gear under control...
I think I mentioned, rubberized, military wet weather bags to help keep them clean and dry on the trip in/out (to/from)...


It also contains the pillow and sleeping/stocking cap... so I forget fewer things.

Enjoy!

 

[Northern Dancer]

Yep! Layering a sleeping bag gives many temperature options for more comfort, at a wider range of temperature... I atoo am a big fan of this technique...

I often use double sided hook and loop straps (Velcro one-wrap, or a cheaper chinese knock off) to help keep rolled gear under control...
I think I mentioned, rubberized, military wet weather bags to help keep them clean and dry on the trip in/out (to/from)...

View attachment 3813
It also contains the pillow and sleeping/stocking cap... so I forget fewer things.

Enjoy!

-----> This is really a great idea Joe - Sleeping system in a bag. Everything is there and ready to go. In the winter I include soft gloves, sleeping socks, 18-hour heat pads, and a full ski Bella Clava.

 

[Happy Joe]

While we never had much of a problem with food attracting wild life we have experience holes nibbled in munchie bags, and a couple of times an animal rolled a cooler around in the middle of the night...
To keep food from the critters I decided to, armor plate it/carry and store it in ammo cans; A bit of scrounging resulted in some plastic jars that ate pretty well fitted to the can so various dry foods (and somewhat mashed bread) remains un-nibbled. the steel cans are heavier than I like but weight is not all that important for vehicle camping (and they come with handles).



This size can also fits most, 12 ounce, beer and soda cans well; keeping them from rubbing holes in each other while driving over rough terrain...
The ammo cans may not be bear proof but they were designed to be handled by G.I.'s so they are pretty tough.
Since I started using ammo cans for food storage I don't believe animals have tried to mess with it.
The jars with the white tops, laying on their sides, are "tang" jars.

Enjoy!

 

[Northern Dancer]

While we never had much of a problem with food attracting wild life we have experience holes nibbled in munchie bags, and a couple of times an animal rolled a cooler around in the middle of the night...
To keep food from the critters I decided to, armor plate it/carry and store it in ammo cans; A bit of scrounging resulted in some plastic jars that ate pretty well fitted to the can so various dry foods (and somewhat mashed bread) remains un-nibbled. the steel cans are heavier than I like but weight is not all that important for vehicle camping (and they come with handles).

View attachment 3815

This size can also fits most, 12 ounce, beer and soda cans well; keeping them from rubbing holes in each other while driving over rough terrain...
The ammo cans may not be bear proof but they were designed to be handled by G.I.'s so they are pretty tough.
Since I started using ammo cans for food storage I don't believe animals have tried to mess with it.
The jars with the white tops, laying on their sides, are "tang" jars.

Enjoy!

----->Another great idea. Everything we need to know is right here camp fans. Thanks, Joe!

 

[Roybrew]

I've heard others mention ammo cans, and I run across them at antique and thrift stores. I've never had a critter get into my food stuff, yet. We normally put the bread and other perishable stuff it a heavy plastic, or wood tote. I'm worried if I get an ammo can it would just lay around and I'd never use it.

I've been wanting to get a new tent, but funds are a little tight right now and I am very indecisive. Ya I ponder on stuff to much. But I was looking an Ozark Trail 10x12 cabin tent. Reviews are favourable, but not perfect. I've had an Ozark Trail tent for past 14 years. Nothing's broken or missing. It has survived several heavy storms. The rain fly is past it's prime and is such an odd shape that it be hard to make a new one or justify trying to purchase one. It's very weathered out and stained. I don't want to purchase another tent with the entire top made out of that cheap mosquito netting. Nothing I hate worse then laying in the bag and seeing a couple June bugs, or dragon flies making out between the netting and the rain fly. I don't think I would feel comfortable in a tent that I had a huge investment in. I'm not cheap, I'm frugal.
I'm curious what y'all think.
Roy

The Great Outdoors

 

[Northern Dancer]

The one Ozark product that I have that everyone raves about is a kitchen shelter gazebo. I have never seen another like it anywhere and I'm wanting to buy a new one. What's the difference?

It has a "D" door in the front, and in the back, there is a zipper from top to bottom that allows you to drag a picnic table in. What is particularly great about it is the door in the front. I don't have to keep stooping down to zip up the front to open it. You just open the door and walk in.

The one I have is in good shape but I would like to buy a new one.

​

And as you can see I put a tarp over the roof to provide assured waterproofing.

 

[Northern Dancer]

I've heard others mention ammo cans, and I run across them at antique and thrift stores. I've never had a critter get into my food stuff, yet. We normally put the bread and other perishable stuff it a heavy plastic, or wood tote. I'm worried if I get an ammo can it would just lay around and I'd never use it.

I've been wanting to get a new tent, but funds are a little tight right now and I am very indecisive. Ya I ponder on stuff to much. But I was looking an Ozark Trail 10x12 cabin tent. Reviews are favourable, but not perfect.View attachment 3820 I've had an Ozark Trail tent for past 14 years. Nothing's broken or missing. It has survived several heavy storms. The rain fly is past it's prime and is such an odd shape that it be hard to make a new one or justify trying to purchase one. It's very weathered out and stained. I don't want to purchase another tent with the entire top made out of that cheap mosquito netting. Nothing I hate worse then laying in the bag and seeing a couple June bugs, or dragon flies making out between the netting and the rain fly. I don't think I would feel comfortable in a tent that I had a huge investment in. I'm not cheap, I'm frugal.
I'm curious what y'all think.
Roy

The Great Outdoors

-----> It's a hard case, isn't it? There are just so many choices and possibilities. For me, it's always about how often I'm going to use the tent, in what circumstances, and for what reasons. I don't want any doodads but a sound structure that is going to do what the manufacturer says it's going to do. The real test is how the product stands up during a ferocious storm [rain, wind, and snow] and not just some sunny day on a July afternoon. I don't want anything fancy. I want strength and endurance and something that I can stand up to change clothes. It needs to be relatively light and waterloo proof. That means it is sealed at the plant and not by buying a tent sealer or using an extra fly. I look for a bathtub floor to keep water out.

I always do my research, buy on sale, and frequently bypass the top names and see what the competition has to offer. It seems to me that top names spend a lot of money on advertisement but little on improving their product line.

There are a lot of direct-from-China tents these days. Nope, I ain't gonna buy; not goin there. If you can't get it here you can't get it anywhere.

 

[Happy Joe]

If all else fails...
a couple of friends (one with a heavy duty sewing machine) and I once put together an electrical conduit framed canvass wall tent out of canvass dropcloths (some used some new)... took several of us about a weekend to make the frame (some welding involved) cut the individual pieces (much measuring and NO beer involved) then tack them together for another friend to sew on her machine; which was not easy.

If you don't count the time and effort it was relatively cheap (she even found some long heavy duty zippers!). It worked nearly as well a a commercial version until it finally rotted away.

Given the effort and time involved $250 for a tent seems cheap (and I too am a penurious soul)...
My Eureka discount dome (for quickie week end trips); end of season manufacturer's mistake sale (wrong/porous floor material) was around 200 bucks,
The standing room (chinese) tent that is my favorite cost if I remember correctly about 200 but needed another $89 for the (chinese) canopy frame.
My 12 x12 (Made in USA) out fitter tent which is basically no longer used cot around 5-600; several decades ago.

Enjoy!

 

[Northern Dancer]

I've never made my own tent but seriously thought of making a t-pee. I was inspired by a Ben Hunt book published years ago. Never did accomplish the goal. I've been experimenting with tarp configurations as a fun thing. I got my inspiration from Xander Budnick. He made a winter tarp/tent that I was interested in. I always thought the neat lines of a manufactured tent is the best way to go. Not sure about that anymore. I do have tarps made with silicone and other fabrics. They tend to be stronger, and a lot more quieter when the winds pick up.

 

[Roybrew]

Luckily around here, most of the time, bugs aren't a problem. That screened in dining area does look inviting. I couldn't handle making a tent, ha if I did it would weigh a ton and require constant engineering everytime it was assembled. Xander Budnick, I've been watching his YouTube videos. I like how he accepts difficult weather and problems that may arise in a moments notice. "It's all Good"
Going to hold off on the tent idea for a couple of months.

Hey Joe, got any pictures of the tent you all created?
Roy

The Great Outdoors

 

[Northern Dancer]

I USE LEVELERS TO MAKE SURE
MY CAMP COT IS EVEN
When I'm at base camp I take a

to make sure my cot is level.
Then, if need be, I place wooden plaques under the legs.
It really does help in promoting a good night's sleep.
The plaques are also good for leveling the stove, and table too.
​

 

[Happy Joe]

Luckily around here, most of the time, bugs aren't a problem. That screened in dining area does look inviting. I couldn't handle making a tent, ha if I did it would weigh a ton and require constant engineering everytime it was assembled. Xander Budnick, I've been watching his YouTube videos. I like how he accepts difficult weather and problems that may arise in a moments notice. "It's all Good"
Going to hold off on the tent idea for a couple of months.

Hey Joe, got any pictures of the tent you all created?
Roy

The Great Outdoors

unfortunately no; it was before I got a digital camera (and cell phones were the size of a brick)...
It was your basic wall tent with 4 foot walls, no floor and no windows... It was heavy though. The conduits and corner connectors (bent rebar) were a bit of a pita to haul around.

Enjoy!

 

[Northern Dancer]

MARKING YOUR SITE
[No, not that way.]
It's been a long-standing practice of mine to "mark" my site.
It started a number of years ago when, as a leader,
I was asked to mark my tent so that in an emergency, my tent could be located quickly.
For the 2023 season, I will have two.
So, should you be in my neck of the woods/lake you will readily find me.
You would be warmly welcomed - just make sure you identify yourself as an OurdoorBasecamp" member.




​

 

[Happy Joe]

I have thought about and seen various"signs" that people use to help friends find their sites. In the end I just notify invite the good and reliable friends of our anticipated location and (and, occasionally, provide detailed directions) then keep a close watch for their vehicle if they have said that they will/might camp.

Keeping the camp off the well traveled routes does not seem to keep folks from finding us (especially, under/un-prepared people that think they need to be rescued).

Enjoy!