|
|
Member
Posts: 15
Location: MI | Anyone that wouldlike to share any tips for camping without electric? | |
| | |
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
 
Location: Texas | When my wife and I go camping with the horses, we usually do not have electricity. We have a Coleman propane lantern and a shepard's hook to hang it on. We also have a battery-powered lantern that just gets turned on quickly in the camper when we are going to bed. We have a Zodi propane hot shower that takes D batteries for the pump. We cook in a dutch oven over the fire. We try to pack as little food as possible that needs to stay refrigerated. The little that does gets stored in a Coleman Extreme 5-day cooler. I have gone for three-day trips completely without a cooler, so that is possible, too. | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Delaware | Over half the time we camp it is without electric. I have a Buddy propane heater, Coleman propane stove, 12V Power pack, 12V fan, porta potti and Zodi shower. I have one interior camper light I hook up to a battery. I have 2 battery lanterns. I use 2 coolers, 1 for drinks, 1 for food. I pack canned goods and instant or stove top foods. (Idahoan Instant potato packs are really good-just add hot water). Freeze everything you can and put in the pre-cooled cooler. | |
| | |
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Originally written by Rockinghorserun on 2007-04-12 4:52 PM
Freeze everything you can and put in the pre-cooled cooler.
Yes. We freeze 20 oz water bottles, that we would be packing anyway, and throw the cooler itself in the freezer beforehand.
| |
| | |
 Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | It depends on the camp trip of course. No where that I go have hookups. So I'm always self contained. If I stay int he trail and for more than several days. I'll bring a small generator and use it for 20-30 minutes a day. I'll charge the trailer batteries, heat the hot water in my water heater, I have a small microwave that I'll use to heat up oatmill or sweetrolls for breakfast, or some chili for dinner. I do bring a dutch oven and portable gas BBQ and cook ouside if I have the time. Short trips where I'm too lazy to pack the generator, We just use the trailer battery for lights and cook on the grill. | |
| | |
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: washington | I go on endurance rides and camp in my gooseneck trailer; it has no LQ but is insulated, paneled and has a nice dry sleep area). I use a propane lantern, cook stove and heater. I only run the heater for 10-15 minutes or so with the window cracked for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning.... I have lots of flashlights and have done just fine with no electric. I also take a big cooler with block of ice, but may invest in the propane cooler I hear Coleman offers. I take a few thermoses so I can make coffee or cocoa in the morning on the propane stove, and put it in the thermos to stay hot for a few hours. * | |
| | |
Location: Brighton, Colorado | My wife and I do atleast 3 trips during the summer for a week at a time. To let you know, I have a extended cab truck with a 4 horse stock trailer. The way that we set up our rig is the extended cab of the truck is our closet for clothes and our sleeping bags. In the back of the truck, I have a toolbox for mechanical necessities (tools, chains, jumpercables, handyman jack, etc...). Also in the back of the truck, I built a "camping box" (30"x30"x72") that holds pots and pans, airmattress, crazy creek chairs, flashlights, tarp, etc... with handles so that we can lift it out of the truck and use it as a bench. One large cooler with frozen waterbottles in the bottom, precooked-sealed frozen foods and instants work the best.
In the nose of the horse trailer we have a 45 gallon water tank/saddle rack. On top of the trailer, a hay rack for hay. On the side of the trailer hangs 6 - 12'x4' custom panels that make a corral (I incorporate the side of the trailer as part of the corral)
Our camp takes about an hour to set up. The tarp that we have is 12'x18' and we use bungies to go from trailer to truck cab to make a nice tent. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a special lid for a toilet. Also have a solar shower and love it.
My wife and I have traveled this way all over Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming and is very easy and very cheep, although somewhat cold in September in the mountains.
Edited by osue077 2007-04-13 2:01 AM
| |
| | |
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | osue077, nice picture of your rig and horses. It would be fun to see a picture of your camp set up with the tarp/tent, too. | |
| | |
Location: Brighton, Colorado | Unfortunately I don't have any pics of my camp set up. That one was when we were breaking camp on Guenella Pass in Colorado. One of my favorite places to camp and ride. | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 216
Location: Chillicothe, Ohio | I built my LQ with the following: 35G water tank, toilet, LP RV water heater, LP fridge, Shower, RV water pump, 3 burner cooktop. For heat I installed the small Olympian LP catalytic heater (uses no electricty). My fridge, cooktop and kitchen storage I built into what was originally my midtack door, so my kitchen is outside the trailer. I took out the midtack wall and that is where my shower, vanity and toilet are now. I installed two bunks along the long wall and we have the bed above the gooseneck. I use 2 normal size 6 volt golfcart batteries and I have a 80watt solar panel mounted flat on the roof. We use a coleman gas lantern for all outside lighting, only use the trailer lights sparingly. Same for TV and electronics,,run them using a small 350 watt inverter. Our family of 4 camped in Wyoming for 10 days and never discharged the batteries, taking a shower every couple of days. Of course we did need to haul some water from the handpump at the trailhead to refill the tank. Everything runs off 12 volts. The only thing you cant run off of 12 volts is AC, hair dryers, curling irons etc (you can run these using a very large and expensive inverter, but your will discharge your 12 volt batteries rapidly. Camping in the mountains you wont need AC. Hair dryers and curling irons...your call. The biggest hogs of 12 volts in a typical RV or trailer are from the RV style furnace, wanting to watch TV and using the trailer lights too often. If you have LP appliances, a small solar panel(75-80 watts) and a couple of golf cart batteries, you can camp forever if you are frugal. | |
| | |
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
Location: CA | I usually camp w/o electricity. I have a cooler, Coleman stove, Coleman Hot Water-on-Demand, solar shower, lots of flashlights/lanterns. I bought a propane heater, but have yet to use it...I keep getting good weather . I use my solar shower rather than the HWOD whenever possible, but I do use the HWOD for tea, hot cocoa, instant oatmeal, etc in the morning, and filling my hot water bottle at night (makes my toes happy in the sleeping bag). One of the best things I've bought is a crank-type flashlight. The kids keep leaving the battery flashlights on and running the batteries down! When that's done, I hand them the crank-light...They soon find out how little light they need when they actually have to work for it! My cooler has block ice and frozen water bottles, with as few other necessities as possible in it. | |
| |
|
Tips for camping W/O electric
