Camping/Overlanding Lessons Learned

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Frog Toggs poncho

Amazon.com

I carry a whole suit in my truck at all times. I actually started doing this back when I was a field technician. I used them on the Ranger Adventure a few months back. I also carry some good rubber boots. I don't think I ever pulled them out off roading. But I do have them haha.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Always test your recovery gear before you leave. I usually make sure my winch is working properly and that I have all the necessary gear to get me unstuck, haha. I can't tell you how many times someone has had a non functioning winch or no recovery points at all.

Never set up camp under a dead tree. I've seen a couple of limbs damage vehicles. Luckily, never had anyone hurt. A friend of mines Colorado, took a large limb to the bed. Missed their tent by about 3 ft.

Always check the weather at the location you're planning on camping. That way, you can prepare for the conditions. In my case, I always pack for rain. It never fails. Seems like I get at least a couple days of rain on any trip I take, haha.

 

[sgtsandman]

Always test your recovery gear before you leave. I usually make sure my winch is working properly and that I have all the necessary gear to get me unstuck, haha. I can't tell you how many times someone has had a non functioning winch or no recovery points at all.

Never set up camp under a dead tree. I've seen a couple of limbs damage vehicles. Luckily, never had anyone hurt. A friend of mines Colorado, took a large limb to the bed. Missed their tent by about 3 ft.

Always check the weather at the location you're planning on camping. That way, you can prepare for the conditions. In my case, I always pack for rain. It never fails. Seems like I get at least a couple days of rain on any trip I take, haha.

If you prepare for rain, many times, it won't but the one time you forget to bring the stuff along, it will rain the whole time!

I agree on the tree limbs, even on live trees. Always look up before you park for the night or set your gear up.

The testing your gear not only goes for your recovery gear but all of it, and more than once. I've had the RTT, awning, and shower tent open several times now and drove the 2019 for a week with all the containers full, just to see how it would handle. Granted, this has all been on road or parked somewhere not on a trail but it's something rather than nothing. I've also discovered that while they say you can keep the bedding in the RTT and close it, it is a "just barely" kind of thing. Small camp pillows fit but regular pillows are a no go. It would probably close better with some light sleeping bags or blankets than a 20 degree rated sleeping bag. I have to make sure everything is arranged " just so" in order for it not to be a chore to get the thing closed.

 

[Curious Hound]

I did have to watch for tree limbs last week. My campsite and the surrounding area had a lot of dead limbs and complete dead trees. I removed one dead limb before setting up. It was a lot safer than I thought. Pulling it down was a workout. Video didnt make it due to dead battery. The rest looked very safe and were not directly overhead. The dead trees were also all leaning AWAY from the site.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

If going camping with a group, know who you're going to be with.

I went camping for what started out to be 3 weeks when I was 20.
I was with my roommates ( I lived with a couple. ) and some of his family members.
I knew a lot of his family but not all of them.

So the first day by the time we got to the camp site it was raining cats and dogs.
There was 8 kids under 10 years of age with us that I knew of at the time when we pulled up to the camp site.

So these kids was already complaining.
One boy was already so cold he was shivering, teeth chattering and all.
I didn't know this until I got out of my car.
I had drove by myself.
I also didn't know that my roommate's brother's car didn't have no heat.

So I get out my car walk over to my roommate's brother's car and find out what's going on.

The wife roommate looks at me and says, " What we going to do now?
We can't build a fire in the rain. Or put up any tents either. "

She wasn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
She had totally forgot that at the time I put tents up for a living. These little camping tents where like nothing compared to what I put up at work.

I looked at her and said, " Watch me.".

So to make a long story shorter about 35 minutes later I had all our tents up and a nice size fire blazing.

About 15 minutes after that the male roommate's other brother that I had never met pulls up.
That's when my problems started.

The guy was an all out drunk. And on top of that he had his family with him.
1 of his family members was a 16 year old daughter that once she met me she tried to climb in my sleeping bag that same night.

Now I'm not going to lie she was hot and very tempting.
But I wasn't about to disrespect my roommate or his family in that way.

By the fourth day the dad kept accusing me of things because he kept seeing her pretty much on my heels at all times. Even after I kept telling her to leave me alone.
I had talked to the dad ( shortly after he woke up that day when he was somewhat more sober ), the mom and her all at the same time about this problem I saw building up.

Later that night when he was drunk once again it all came to a head.

After I stated my side of the argument and trying to prove my innocence of the things he was trying to blame me for.
I looked at both my roommates and the other adults there and told them I was done.

After that I packed most of my stuff and left.
I left behind my stuff that my roommates were using along with some other stuff that everyone there was All using.

After that experience I don't go camping with other people that I've never met before.
And as a rule I don't go camping with anyone I ain't known for at least 5 years.

Once again I wrote a book.
Sorry about that.
It seems to be something I do a lot of.

 

[JohnnyO]

I packed lighter for the Ford Nationals and, two weeks later, the sporty car races at Watkins Glen.

Normally I have one cooler for food and another for beverages but to save room I just brought my big cooler. Meat was frozen in vacuum bags then placed in gallon Ziploc bags so as not to get meat juice in the ice. Buns and bread were in a double layer of Ziploc bags.

To save on propane, if you don't plan on drinking a lot of coffee then buy a French press. All you have to do is boil 1.5 cups of water, pour it in the French press with the coffee grounds, give it a stir, wait 8 minutes, the push the press down and presto, great coffee.
An energy-efficient way to make pasta when camping, bring a pot of water to a boil, dump in the pasta, give it a stir, turn the gas off, put the lid on, and wait 20 minutes.

 

[bobbywalter]

I always wear jeans.

It was like 95* today and I was at a tractor show, jeans.

Between various nefarious weeds and bugs I just kinda evolved to not need shorts in my life. Nettles, chiggers skeeters... whatever. Sorry the gate is closed.

your just gonna starve those poor chiggers.....

 

[bobbywalter]

i learned.....hotel rooms work better.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

I learned hotel rooms empty your wallet faster.

 

[bobbywalter]

I learned hotel rooms empty your wallet faster.

indeed.

 

[JohnnyO]

I learned hotel rooms empty your wallet faster.

indeed.

Especially at an event weekend in Carlisle when they're $250 a night with a two night minimum. The campground is $75 for the whole weekend so I'll camp.

 

[ryan]

I carry a whole suit in my truck at all times. I actually started doing this back when I was a field technician. I used them on the Ranger Adventure a few months back. I also carry some good rubber boots. I don't think I ever pulled them out off roading. But I do have them haha.

I do as well just for rec wheeling and extra socks in a plastic bag in the toolbox. I can put up with a lot of things, but wet feet will bring the suck so fast

 

[Curious Hound]

I can put up with a lot of things, but wet feet will bring the suck so fast

Especially in cold winter weather.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Not always a perfect solution but I also only get waterproof shoes/boots.

Snow or even wet grass soaking shoes gets old real fast... much faster than it takes to dry them out.

 

[sgtsandman]

Not always a perfect solution but I also only get waterproof shoes/boots.

Snow or even wet grass soaking shoes gets old real fast... much faster than it takes to dry them out.

This is the option I go with. Rubber boots take up too much room. Spare socks is not a bad idea since waterproof boots do not breathe well at all and your feet will get wet just from sweat over time.