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.

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.

Washer boxes 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.

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.

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.

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.

You can find Eternabond at Camping World:

Eternabond. 4" x 37′ Roll, White, with Built-in Primer $94.44 Making leak repairs is as easy as putting on a piece of tape. Eternabond. 6" x 6" Patch, White, with Built-in Primer $15.55 Making leak repairs is as easy as putting on a piece of tape.

Here are some Eternabond auctions over at Ebay:

RV Gray Eternabond Roof Seal 2"x50' 1Step Repair Tape US $26.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Aug-21-2008 5:48:53 PDT Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

TAN Eternabond Mobile Home RV Rubber Roof Repair 4x50 US $52.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Aug-21-2008 13:55:39 PDT Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

White Eternabond Mobile Home RV Rubber Roof Repair 4x50 US $57.06 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Aug-22-2008 16:59:32 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

ETERNABOND PERMANENT RV, ROOF & TANK REPAIR: 4" X 5' US $10.00 End Date: Saturday Aug-23-2008 9:31:24 PDT Buy it now | Add to watch list

ETERNABOND DOUBLE STICK 2IN X 50FT 2 ROLLS US $24.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Saturday Aug-23-2008 14:06:16 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

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!

The new Sat Nav units are very user friendly, portable and becoming more and more affordable. This makes them perfect for camping and the outdoors. Not only can you use the unit to get to your destination, many units are small enough to be taken on hikes, bike rides or fishing trips. Never get lost or forget where that great fishing hole is located again.

Take a look at Sat Nav Guru to find all the latest Sat Nav units at discount prices.

We have our favorite campground and have a favorite campsite, problem is that it seems to be a favorite of many campers. Knowing this we try to plan ahead and make reservations as far in advance as possible. Having reservations avoids the hassle of driving around and around trying to find a suitable spot to setup camp. If you are going to a new campground try and research as much as possible to find a good site.

The following are some tips we use for making reservations:

• Plan as far in advance as possible
• Check on line for site photos and campground maps to help find the perfect site
• If you frequent the same campground get a map and make a list of sites you like, this helps avoid surprises
• Visit camping forums and ask what campsites are good and what campsites to avoid
• Scout ahead if possible

Once the raft arrived we opened up the packaging and found everything to be in perfect condition. The raft has five separate chambers made from 38 mil polykrylar, and I must say this material feels very strong. The raft weighs in at 38 lbs. and is very easy to carry. Wanting to get a feel for everything prior to hitting the river we followed the instructions to inflate the boat. Using the foot pump was very fast and the deluxe valves made the inflation process painless. Once inflated the children got in for a closer inspection and it of course passed. Take down was just as fast using the deluxe valves, following the directions the raft folded up very nicely.

The real test came in July when we took the raft to Jacks Fork river in southern Missouri. After shuttling vehicles around we set up the raft for our trip which was an 8 mile float from Alley Springs to Emminence. Again set up fast and uneventful and we set out on our trip. The Jacks Fork river is somewhat shallow this time of year so dragging was definitely an issue. The raft handled the river rocks and the stray tree stumps without suffering any damage. The canopy was a great add-on as it kept the front passenger in the shade and out of the cold rain that caught us about 1 mile from the take out point. We also managed to hit a few low hanging trees with the canopy and it made it through without damage.

The Sea Eagle 9 also has a motor-mount option that allows the use of up to a 4 hp gas motor. Wood floorboards are also available to allow a fisherman to stand in the boat. Overall I would say the SE 9 is a great value for the weekend rafter. I would not hesitate to purchase another boat from Sea Eagle. They also have inflatable kayaks, yacht tenders and small sailboats.