The Camping Lifestyle

Folding Camping Chairs

Dave — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:17:53 +0000

Folding camping chairs have come a long way since the days of the aluminum framed chairs with the nylon webbing. Those vintage style chairs are still around if you are into the retro style outdoor furniture. For most of us comfort and portability are what we look for in a camp chair and the choices and price ranges are nearly limitless.

The cheapest choice is the classic folding chair that folds in on itself and fits neatly into a tubular bag with a shoulder strap. These are great for more than just camping and take up very little space. We keep a couple of these in the trunk of the car all the time for soccer or trips to the park. If you want to spend a little more you can get this style of chair with foot rests, arms and built in umbrellas.

Another very popular style is the folding chaise lounge, these are also known as zero gravity chairs. The zero gravity position is achieved when the legs are elevated above the heart. This position is very comfortable and is said to provide some health benefits such as reduced stress on the heart, reduce pressure on the spine and increase blood circulation just to name a few. I can personally say these zero gravity camping chairs are very comfortable and well worth the price. If you have the room to bring these along camping, do so, you will not regret it!

Many more styles are available, but the above styles are the most common and my personal favorites. Whatever your preference you will be able to find a folding camping chair to fit your style. Let us know what style you prefer by leaving a comment below.

Check out these deals on folding camping chairs at eBay:

NEW Camping Folding Chair w Leg Rest Beach Ourdoor

0 Bid

US $29.99

50m

2pk COLEMAN LIGHTWEIGHT CAMPING PORTABLE FOLDING CHAIRS

US $83.95

51m

New Deluxe Folding Portable Padded Camp Camping Chair

US $79.00

1h 23m

Used Campers For Sale

Dave — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:39:10 +0000

The time for buying a used camper has never been better. With the economy in a slump, many people are selling off campers and other luxery items that they can no longer afford. As unfortunate as this is, it presents an opportunity for those that are looking for used campers for sale. The used camper market is flooded with great deals and more used pop ups, travel trailers and rv's than ever before. On the flip side, many people are looking for vacation alternatives and camping has become a very popular option. The fact that more people are choosing to camp means more people are looking for a great deal on used campers for sale.

So how do you find the best deal on a used camper?

Before shopping you should know what style of camper you are looking to buy and what options you would like to have on your camper. If you are still not sure what style or options you can check out this article that explains RV styles and options.

Check out your local classifieds for used campers for sale and visit local dealers and browse around their used inventory. This would also be a good time to look over the new campers on the lot so you have a good idea of the size and layout of travel trailers. Take notes on the prices and options while you are looking at the used inventory.

My favorite place to look for a used camper is eBay. Every day new listings are posted for every style of camper and RV giving you the best selection of used inventory available. You can also go back and view the completed listings to gauge the selling prices of recent auctions, this is a great tool! When searching on eBay sort the listings by distance to get a good idea of what is available near your location, but do not be afraid to look at campers that are a good distance away. When we purchased our first used pop up camper we drove over 250 miles to pick it up.

Here is a small sample of used campers for sale on eBay:

1960 SHASTA 10 FRONT KITCHEN VINTAGE RETRO CAMPER

33 Bids

US $1,550.00

3h 19m

FUN FINDERS SHADOW CRUSIER19H EXPANDABLE CAMPER

15 Bids

US $5,600.00

3h 44m

FUN FINDER 210WBS SLIDE OUT ULTRA LIGHT CAMPER 21

2 Bids

US $10,600.00

4h 25m

2006 KEYSTONE OUTBACK TRAVEL TRAILER RV 2 SLIDES CAMPER

27 Bids

US $9,500.00

5h 29m

Tips For Choosing a Camping Tent

Dave — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:47:25 +0000

Your camping experience depends greatly on the camping gear you bring with you on your trip. The most important piece of equipment you bring with you is your tent. A camping tent should provide you with shelter from the elements, privacy and comfort.

When purchasing a tent you need to ask yourself a few questions. Answering these questions will guide you in choosing the right tent for your style of camping.

Here are a few basic questions you should answer before purchasing your tent:

What type of camping will I be doing?
If you are backpacking you need to choose a tent that is light and easy to carry. When car camping weight is much less of a factor, as you can usually back right up to your campsite to unload the tent.

What size tent do I need?
Choose a tent that is large enough to fit the entire family comfortably. You may also want to consider a multi room tent if you have family or friends that would like a little more privacy. A tall tent will allow you to stand up, making moving around or changing clothes much easier. Also consider allowing extra space for storage of anything you would like to keep dry and out of the elements.

When will I be camping?
For the casual camper a 3-season tent will typically work fine. 3-season tents are made for spring, summer and fall weather conditions. If you plan on camping in the winter a 4-season tent will be better suited for the conditions. 4-season tents are designed to handle the colder temperatures, strong winter winds and snow loads. This is also a good time to consider waterproofing, check to see if the fabric is waterproofed and if the seams are taped.

How easy is the tent to setup?
If possible, setup the tent prior to purchase. This will also let you get in and get a better idea of the size and layout of the tent. A tent that is easy to setup and take down will make you camping trip a much more enjoyable experience.

Once you have decided on and purchased your new tent be sure to learn to properly maintain your tent. Proper care will allow you to enjoy your tent year after year.

Cooler Insulators Review

Dave — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:44:46 +0000

Back in June I had a comment posted to the "Cooler Tips" post from Randy the owner of CoolerInsulators.com. I checked out the site as I always do before approving a comment and what I saw looked like a great idea. I shot an email off to Randy asking him if he would be interested in a review of his product. He promptly responded and asked what size cooler I owned and where to send it. I responded and soon a cooler insulator was on its way to my doorstep.

We had a trip planned for the end of July and I received the package a few days before leaving. The packaging was in great shape when it arrived. Once opened I looked over the insulator, they are well put together and have flaps on either end to allow access to the cooler's handles. The flaps have a velcro closure to seal up the opening when not in use. I got out my standard 48qt Coleman cooler and the cover fit perfectly.

As you can see it has a silver, reflective surface on the outside to reflect the suns heat. The access for the cooler handles is also visible as is the black trim to finish off the bottom edge.

The day of our trip we packed the cooler with food and beverages all of which were cooled prior to packing. Once loaded with ice the insulator was placed on the cooler and it was loaded into the bed of our truck. We always take more than one cooler, it was also packed and loaded but without an insulator. The second cooler is a larger Rubbermaid 5-day cooler that has thicker walls and insulation than the standard Coleman cooler.

Once we arrived at the campground and got set up it was time to see how the ice was holding up in the coolers. Keep in mind that both coolers were in the back of the truck in direct sunlight for around 5 hours with a temperature in the 90's. I opened up the 5-day Rubbermaid cooler and found that there was considerable melting, especially around the sides of the cooler. There was a good inch of melt all around the outside edges. I opened the Coleman cooler that had the insulator on it, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the ice had held up much better than in the 5-day cooler.

Normally during our camping trips I am constantly moving the coolers around to keep them in the shade and out of direct sunlight. During this trip I left the coolers in one spot all day long, resulting in at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight everyday. I would say overall that we only went through half of the ice we would normally use on a trip of this length. If both coolers would have had insulators, we would have used even less.

Here are the advantages I see of using the cooler insulator:

Keeps your food colder, longer
You use less ice
You do not have to worry about your cooler sitting in the sun
Upgrades your existing cooler
Helps keep your toddler out of the cooler(It kept our little one out, who likes to dig out the ice)
Will pay for itself after a few trips

So if you are thinking about upgrading coolers or just want your ice to last longer I would recommend a cooler insulator. It will pay for itself in no time at all, and you will worry less about keeping your food and drink cold.

Great Season for River Floating in Missouri

Dave — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:36:19 +0000

This years record rain has left devastation in its path, but for the rivers in southern Missouri it has made for some great floating. Many of the rivers start running low this time of year and continue to drop through the summer causing some parts to be to shallow for floating. This years rain has left the rivers in great shape and many outfitters say they should be in good shape for the entire summer season.

We have a trip planned to Alley Springs the first week of July. We made this trip later in July last year and found the Jacks Fork to be very shallow and difficult to float. You can read about that trip in the archives. Again this year we will be using the Sea Eagle 9 raft for the float along with tubes and will float from Alley Springs to Eminence. The reports from the outfitters sound promising and I hope for a much easier float this year.

Fun Family Camping Games Washers

Dave — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:33:59 +0000

The final lawn game on our list of favorite camping games is washers. Washers game is fun for the whole family, but can be a little tricky for the younger players. The official washers game is played using tin cans buried in a pit, but for camping or your backyard washer boxes are perfect.

Washer games come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all have a tube in the center. Play is simple, the boxes are placed 20 to 25 feet apart and players must pitch from behind the front edge of the box. Teams consist of 2 players, one player from each team pitches from either end. Points are scored for washers that land in the box or in the tube. 1 point in the box and 3 points in the tube, leaner's and washers landing on top of the box edges do not count. The game is played until one team reaches 15 or 21 points.

If you don't have a set you can build or buy washers boxes. They are easy to store and take with you were ever you go. If you have another game you would like to suggest please feel free to leave a comment, we would love to hear from you.

Here are some of the best made washer toss sets on eBay:

OHIO WASHER HORSESHOES PITCHING CORNHOLE TOSS GAME OC

US $38.99

4d 2h 10m

OHIO WASHER HORSESHOES PITCHING CORNHOLE TOSS GAME BD

US $45.99

4d 2h 11m

OHIO WASHER HORSESHOES PITCHING CORNHOLE TOSS GAME SL

US $34.50

4d 2h 12m

Fun Family Camping Games Hillbilly Golf

Dave — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:15:57 +0000

Next on the list of our favorite camping and lawn games is Hillbilly Golf. Hillbilly Golf goes by many names such as Ladder Golf, Norwegian Horseshoes, Snakes, Hillbilly Golf, Polish Golf, Tower Ball, Bolo Golf, Ladder Toss, Bolo, Rodeo Golf, Dingle Balls, Bolo Polo, Cowboy Golf, Redneck Golf, Ladder Ball, Hillbilly Horseshoes, Norwegian Golf, Monkey Bars Golf, Swedish Golf, Polish Horseshoes, and the list goes on and on.

Hillbilly golf is played with 2 or more players or teams. Each player has 3 bolos, a bolo consists of 2 golf balls that are attached by a nylon rope. The object of the game is to toss the bolo at the ladder and hang it around one of the rungs. The ladder has 3 rungs, each with a different point value.

This is another great game for players of all ages, as the throwing distance can be adjusted for each players ability. The ladders break down for easy transport and will not take up to much space in your vehicle. Here is a link to more in depth Hillbilly Golf Rules.

Hillbilly Golf plans and sets can also be found on eBay:

Ladder Golf Camping Games

US $34.95

1d 18h 6m

PVC GOLF YARD LADDER CAMPING TAILGATING GAME PLANS

US $5.00

2d 17h 30m

2 TEXAS AM AGGIES LADDER GOLF TAILGATE TOSS GAME

US $59.99

4d 5h 4m

Fun Family Camping Games Cornhole

Dave — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:12:37 +0000

Family camping games are a great way bring everyone together for some friendly competitions while camping. Choosing the right games to play depend on the abilities of the group. If you have small children playing, you need to take this into consideration when choosing the game. Here is the first game in our top 4 camping games.

Cornhole

Cornhole is the new bean bag toss. It is played with bags filled with corn, sand or beans. The bags are tossed at a platform that is typically 4' by 2', the board has one hole and the holes are placed 33' apart. Scoring is as follows - 3 points for a bag in the hole and 1 point for a bag on the board. The great thing about this game is that anyone can play and the rules can be changed to suit the players. If you have little one(like us), just move the platforms closer together. Cornhole is also very popular with tailgaters since it can be played on any surface and is easily transported. Many people customize there platforms with cornhole decals that match there favorite sports team. You may also hear the game called corn toss, baggo, Indiana horseshoes, bean bag toss and many other names.

Here are some great custom made Cornhole sets on eBay:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Cornhole Boards w Bucco Bruce

US $130.00

2h 38m

Custom Made To Order Cornhole Boards Bags Toss Game

US $130.00

7h 4m

GLOW IN THE DARK CORNHOLE BAGGO BOARD DECAL

US $9.99

21h 53m

RV/Camper Roof Repair

Dave — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:16:31 +0000

Keeping your roof in good repair is essential to the life of your recreational vehicle. Moisture from leaks in the roof is one of the most damaging problems an RV owner can run into. First thing to do is follow your manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule for your roof.

At the beginning of the season last year I went through and resealed all the seems on the roof of our pop up camper, it is a 1997 Jayco. Then on our last trip of the year we got some rain, low and behold a leak appeared. We got home and cleaned and dried out the camper before packing it away for the winter. Upon inspecting the roof I found the problem, but left it alone for the winter. We have the advantage of keeping the pop up in the garage, so I was not worried about putting off the repair. If your camper stays outside you need to address the situation immediately.

I spent some time over the winter trying to decide the best way to repair the roof and not have the same problems again. I have decided on Eternabond as my tool of choice. After researching it seems to be highly recommended throughout the RV community. I will be ordering the Eternabond and begin making my roof repair in the coming weeks. I will follow up with pictures and a review of the repair process. Please feel free to visit our camping forum to discuss RV repair.

Here are some Eternabond auctions over at Ebay:

TAN Eternabond Mobile Home RV Rubber Roof Repair 2x50

US $45.00

2d 19h 35m

Eternabond 4 x 50 roll white and grey RSW 4 50C

4 Bids

US $30.00

3d 4h 44m

Eternabond double stick 2 x 50 roll DS 2 50

2 Bids

US $9.99

3d 4h 44m

Buying a used Pop-Up Camper? Here are a few tips.

Dave — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:54:44 +0000

Before you begin shopping for a pop up you should take the time to do a little research. This can save you time, money and headaches down the road. You should do the following: research towing, floor plans, what to look for in a used camper and put together a budget.

First and foremost, make sure you have the appropriate tow vehicle to safely pull a camper. Check the manufacturers towing recommendations in you owners manual. Sometimes this information is not clear in the manual so a call to the dealer may be in order.

A visit to an RV dealer may be your best choice, as the first question they ask you is "What will you be towing with?". A dealer always considers safety first before selling someone a travel trailer, so they have the resources to give you the correct information.

Having a budget set can be a great help when shopping for used campers. This will give you a starting point when looking for a used pop up. You will probably need to make some minor repairs and/or do a little redecorating when you do purchase a camper. With that in mind it is a good idea to set aside ten to twenty percent of your budget for these items.

The layout of pop ups very greatly and you should have an idea of what will work for you prior to shopping. RV shows and dealer lots are a great place to view the available floor plans. You will have to compromise, since you are purchasing used, but you will be able to find a layout that suits you well.

The condition of the used camper you are looking at should be high on the list of priorities. The number one problem with pop up campers is water and moisture. Left untreated water can quickly ruin the structure of the camper. If you see any signs of water intrusion, make a very thorough inspection of the surrounding areas to look for damage. This type of damage is very costly, if not impossible, to repair.

The canvas and mechanical systems are next on the list. Inspect the canvas and screens for rips, holes and mold. Check that the lift system works properly and that the roof seals tightly when lowered. Run all the systems in the pop up, such as heating, cooling, water and electrical. On the outside check that the lights function properly and that the tires are in good condition.

Take notes of the problems you find during your inspection of the used pop up. If the problems are major and costly consider walking away and looking for something in better shape. If only minor problems are noted use this information to calculate your offer. Your purchase price should allow you enough money from your budget to make the needed repairs, if the seller is unwilling to deal walk away from the transaction. Remember you will be able to find another pop up for sale and maybe even a better deal!