Another post just made me think- there are so many things we do that we don't think about to either save room, aggravation, or money. What are the camp-related things you do that you don't think twice about that could be helpful to others?
I try to pre-cool my coolers the night before with a big chunk of ice so the cooler doesn't suck any cold away from the food when I fill it.
Well the only problem I see is what you think is a secret, I assume as common knowledge - maybe its better to think of it as "tips from the experienced" 😮
I don't even know where to start....
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The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that they have! |
Here is a small bunch of them:
1. Checklist, Checklist, Checklist, Checklist. Make a checklist for Setup, Breakdown and a road map of where you store things in your trailer. https://canvascampers.com/inde.....?topic=727
2. Keep a pen and pad in the trailer. Write down thing you ran out of, things you need for next trip.
3. Combine things - ie, lighting and bug killing - Wall-Mart, in their camping section sells black or red oil lanterns. They are $6.88 each. Fill them with citronella oil. They hold about 8 oz, which is about 16-20 hours of continuous burn time. So burning them just in the evening usually gets an entire weekend. With a single citronella candle bucket costing $5-6, that last about 40 hours, then you are done, this is a no brainer. If they break or rust, who cares, it's $6.88 for another one.
4. Turn on your refrigerator at least 1-2 days ahead of time to precool. An empty refrigerator takes longer to cool as there is nothing in it for the warm air to be pulled away. Put a few warm cans of soda in it if its possible to open the fridge with the roof down.
5. Trailers settle after the first few hours of setup. Take a quick minute and raise the stabilizers about 1 inch, let the trailer settle and put them back down again. This can make a HUGE difference - especially of you have a slide.
6. Cords trip all sorts of things - consider running them from the power pole underneath your trailer to where you need it.
7. Badge clips are the holy grail from campers. You can attach anything to anything with them. (hold xmas lights to awnings, hold power cords away from things, attach signs and flags, etc.)
8. Its NOT a race to see who can setup faster - due a few things, put a tick mark on your checklist where you left off - walk away from the site and check people/things out - preferable with a tasty adult beverage in hand.
ok, this is enough to get people started.
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The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that they have! |
Not really a secret, but we have room to hang a corkboard in our TrailManor (on the side of the wardrobe) that comes in handy for those checklists, one of which includes supply list and usage for the next shopping trip. We had a calendar last year that came in handy for marking our camping reservation schedule when we met others along the way and wanted to coordinate camping trips. It was also nice at the end of the year to go back and revisit those memories! I recently won a 2013 calendar as a door prize and I'm anxious to start filling it up!
I talk to DW about the trip and if she participates in the conversation -vs- just nodding her head and Uh-huh ing me then I try to listen and try to apply it to the trip.
Check lists work great for organized people. Since I am a last minute throw it in the car kind of guy I keep either an empty tub or bag by the door to throw stuff in so I don't have loose stuff in the TV or pup.
I don't put the door in until I have carried everything in. This way I am not opening and closing the door constantly.
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
One of my "secrets" concerns tools for the trailer. If I need anything to work on the trailer, I buy it and it stays in the trailer. This also extends to extension chords, hoses, spare light bulbs, fuses, etc. Even if I have it at home in the garage and I need a tool to do something to the trailer, I buy it and it stays in the trailer. This also works the other way, if it's in the trailer I never take it out to work on something at home. That way I never forget to put it back in the trailer and come up short when on the road and need to do a quick repair.
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