Got our tent yesterday nothing is better than getting woke up early from an extra long graveyard shift because my wife and kids were so excited they put the new tent up themselves. Hoping to try some stuff out this coming weekend. Thanks for all the get info. Wife found a "pretty" sleeping bag it does have good reviews at rei hopefully its functional.
Family car camping
- Thread starter trk3263
- Start date
orionsbrother
WKR
If you're luxuriating in the cold, where weight is not an issue, simply put a pad on top of the air mattress. You'll have your thermal break.
Every night this week, I have a six year old querying, "When are we putting up the tent? I want to sleep in the tent!" I love it!
Two other items that are great is a big table like somene else said. Walmart has 6 foot fold up ones. It is amazing how much we use ours even at sites with picnic tables. The second is zero gravity camp chairs. I got two from costco. I like the camo one better. It is cheaper but I think it is more comphy. My brother sleep two nights on it.
Backpack Hunter
WKR
Zero gravity chairs are legit. I think my wife likes hers more than me.
We take a "kitchen" with us as well. Plenty of room to cook on, and lots of shelving space to put food, paper products, pans, etc.
We take a "kitchen" with us as well. Plenty of room to cook on, and lots of shelving space to put food, paper products, pans, etc.
bz_711
WKR
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- 966
Just got back from our first "long distance" camping trip...took the wife and 4 kids to Colorado.
Picked up an REI Slumberjack (8 man I believe) tent last year from their Outlet mark downs. Very easy to set up - and way more space than we need right now but as kids grow we will fill it up.
Cots too bulky in my opinion unless have ample space/trailer. We brought one Queen blow up mattress which holds 3 kids (Walmart cheapy we've had for 5 years), AC converter for car to run air pump...2 backpacking sleeping pads for wife and I, and grabbed a $2.99 pool layout raft before leaving town for my oldest son (don't want to spoil them right away with a good pad
) I have picked up good 0 to 20 degree mummy bags from Sierratrading post over time for cheap and those are why the kids stayed so warm and slept good...woke up to 39 degrees each morning which was cold for them coming from 90's and high humidity in IL.
With family of 6, even car camping can have limited space...so left the Coleman 2 burner stove at home that we usually take to camp and elk camp (plus it's 20 yrs old and not the cleanest thing). So just brought my mini Kovea (like a pocket rocket) and my kids got to try their first Mountain House, Hot Chocolate in the mornings along with some backpackers pantry Cinnamon Streusel oatmeal. Kids enjoyed it all.
Caught our first trout also on this trip...and cooked them and some hobos (burger, potatoes, carrots) all in foil sitting directly on the log fire. Again, tasted great and kids like playing with fire as much as dad does.
Chairs are a must for sitting comfortably around fire. A couple LED lanterns are great for dark time in the tent and outside...and headlamps are preferred as well. One good light was needed for shadow puppets inside the tent at bedtime...some of our hardest laughs of the trip.
So to summarize, just like hunting you can go all out - or just need a tent, bags, sleeping pads, lights, firewood/lighter, some foil to cook and chairs...and the kids seem to have a ball (and forget all about the electronics for a bit)
Picked up an REI Slumberjack (8 man I believe) tent last year from their Outlet mark downs. Very easy to set up - and way more space than we need right now but as kids grow we will fill it up.
Cots too bulky in my opinion unless have ample space/trailer. We brought one Queen blow up mattress which holds 3 kids (Walmart cheapy we've had for 5 years), AC converter for car to run air pump...2 backpacking sleeping pads for wife and I, and grabbed a $2.99 pool layout raft before leaving town for my oldest son (don't want to spoil them right away with a good pad
) I have picked up good 0 to 20 degree mummy bags from Sierratrading post over time for cheap and those are why the kids stayed so warm and slept good...woke up to 39 degrees each morning which was cold for them coming from 90's and high humidity in IL.With family of 6, even car camping can have limited space...so left the Coleman 2 burner stove at home that we usually take to camp and elk camp (plus it's 20 yrs old and not the cleanest thing). So just brought my mini Kovea (like a pocket rocket) and my kids got to try their first Mountain House, Hot Chocolate in the mornings along with some backpackers pantry Cinnamon Streusel oatmeal. Kids enjoyed it all.
Caught our first trout also on this trip...and cooked them and some hobos (burger, potatoes, carrots) all in foil sitting directly on the log fire. Again, tasted great and kids like playing with fire as much as dad does.
Chairs are a must for sitting comfortably around fire. A couple LED lanterns are great for dark time in the tent and outside...and headlamps are preferred as well. One good light was needed for shadow puppets inside the tent at bedtime...some of our hardest laughs of the trip.
So to summarize, just like hunting you can go all out - or just need a tent, bags, sleeping pads, lights, firewood/lighter, some foil to cook and chairs...and the kids seem to have a ball (and forget all about the electronics for a bit)
sodaksooner
WKR
Eureka Tetragon 8
Cabelas cots
Coleman white gas stove.
Cabelas cots
Coleman white gas stove.
Where's Bruce?
WKR
- Joined
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- 6,387
No chit! An uninsulated mattress is cold even in moderate weather. I bought a Truck Bedz that was used exactly one night in So. Calif. (Ortega Hwy) in June! Too cold to sleep! Never again. Stupid POS!
Last edited:
orionsbrother
WKR
Bruce - Toss your sleeping pad on top of the Truck-bedz and you will not be cold. You will be extra comfy.
bz_711 - If your kids are of the age to enjoy shadow puppets and stories, check out getting a couple of the UV Paqlites for the kids. Mine also really like the Luci lights. We're doing the urban camping in the backyard tonight and tomorrow. The six year old is so pumped I have to laugh. I love that enthusiasm and imagination.
bz_711 - If your kids are of the age to enjoy shadow puppets and stories, check out getting a couple of the UV Paqlites for the kids. Mine also really like the Luci lights. We're doing the urban camping in the backyard tonight and tomorrow. The six year old is so pumped I have to laugh. I love that enthusiasm and imagination.
Where's Bruce?
WKR
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The closed foam (shown previously) is more comfortable and much warmer and uses less space.
5MilesBack
"DADDY"
Ya, if you have to put a pad on top of the air mattress, then the air mattress becomes expendable.
These lights are great if you haven't seen them. They flatten out for storage and expand at camp and solar.
http://m.rei.com/product/885171/mpo...XngRcDVZNywJ037L5UpxHJ_lgtkjQshGHcaAgR38P8HAQ
http://m.rei.com/product/885171/mpo...XngRcDVZNywJ037L5UpxHJ_lgtkjQshGHcaAgR38P8HAQ
orionsbrother
WKR
"The closed foam (shown previously) is more comfortable and much warmer and uses less space."
Bruce - Not challenging you. Just trying to be helpful and share some thoughts. I'm in that "work with what you got" kind of mind frame. I would imagine that the deflated Truck bedz takes up less space than the closed cell foam pad too. There may be a time when that is more benefit. Whatever works best for you, but you may not want to ditch the Truck bedz yet.
I first used an air mattress and tossed the pads on top with my wife. It was when we were dating. She wasn't too sure about winter camping and hesitant to trust the comfort level of the pads that I had. I had an air mattress. We brought it. It worked great. We were extremely comfortable. I've repeatedly used the same combo when bulk and weight aren't huge penalties. Summer to ice camping while dog sledding.
"Ya, if you have to put a pad on top of the air mattress, then the air mattress becomes expendable."
No doubt. Both the air mattress and the closed cell foam pad could be replaced by a pad. But when the car or dogs are hauling the weight, luxury can be a possibility. I'm not looking to share an air mattress or a closed cell foam pad with any of you guys, but the colder it is, the better looking I get.
"These lights are great if you haven't seen them. They flatten out for storage and expand at camp and solar."
Yep. Those are the ones. My six year old thinks that they and the glow in the dark paqlites are the coolest things ever.
Bruce - Not challenging you. Just trying to be helpful and share some thoughts. I'm in that "work with what you got" kind of mind frame. I would imagine that the deflated Truck bedz takes up less space than the closed cell foam pad too. There may be a time when that is more benefit. Whatever works best for you, but you may not want to ditch the Truck bedz yet.
I first used an air mattress and tossed the pads on top with my wife. It was when we were dating. She wasn't too sure about winter camping and hesitant to trust the comfort level of the pads that I had. I had an air mattress. We brought it. It worked great. We were extremely comfortable. I've repeatedly used the same combo when bulk and weight aren't huge penalties. Summer to ice camping while dog sledding.
"Ya, if you have to put a pad on top of the air mattress, then the air mattress becomes expendable."
No doubt. Both the air mattress and the closed cell foam pad could be replaced by a pad. But when the car or dogs are hauling the weight, luxury can be a possibility. I'm not looking to share an air mattress or a closed cell foam pad with any of you guys, but the colder it is, the better looking I get.
"These lights are great if you haven't seen them. They flatten out for storage and expand at camp and solar."
Yep. Those are the ones. My six year old thinks that they and the glow in the dark paqlites are the coolest things ever.
Backpack Hunter
WKR
Lol lots of options for those too!
Where's Bruce?
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- 6,387
Agreed, I was gifted one from a buddy, they rock!
Where's Bruce?
WKR
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2013
- Messages
- 6,387
In addition to being undeflatable and much thinner than the TruckBedz mattress, it is immeasurably warmer. I have camped in this baby in -5* snow. I threw a buffalo robe over a 40* sleeping bag and was insanely toasty. The thinner pad (it's 3" thick) allows me to set the Luggable Loo on it and remain stable when taking a dump. I also pack Travel John disposable urinals so if I have to pee at night, I don't need to get dressed and go outside. They have an agent in them that turns urine to gel, I drop it in the Loo and no smell. Ladies really like being able to do their business in private and not having to "bush it" in the middle of the night. The small ice chest (when not in bear country) is nice for those nights when you're hot and thirsty or just feel like a cocktail. Car camping can be very comfortable.
The thinner pad (it's 3" thick) allows me to set the Luggable Loo on it and remain stable when taking a dump. I also pack Travel John disposable urinals so if I have to pee at night, I don't need to get dressed and go outside. They have an agent in them that turns urine to gel, I drop it in the Loo and no smell. Ladies really like being able to do their business in private and not having to "bush it" in the middle of the night. The small ice chest (when not in bear country) is nice for those nights when you're hot and thirsty or just feel like a cocktail. Car camping can be very comfortable.
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