Recent content by PlacidWaters

Those are Delta kayaks, which I've owned before. Great kayaks, well designed, tough material, rugged construction. Thermoformed plastic's biggest vice is that it cracks if you hit a rock or drop it off your car in very cold weather. I once cracked the bottom of one (not a Delta) when I ran over...

I use strictly Exped mattresses with Helinox cots. Very high comfort and durability. However, they're very expensive, and in the last couple of years a number of new companies have come out with similar mattresses that cost a fraction of the Exped/Thermarest/Nemo/etc. prices. I've been watching...

Thanks for the replies. Bear encounters have increased greatly in the Northeastern US since I started camping, but I personally have never had a bear try to get food from my car. I keep a very clean campsite. However, this year there have been frequent bear problems at campgrounds. The goals...

Actually there's enough room in a Kia Soul for one person, gear, and food. I will build a platform with storage space underneath. I'll sleep on one side of the car and have storage bins on the other side. I've removed the back of the back seat. Cargo space in 4Runner with rear seat folded down...

To clarify, the areas where I camp have bears that are VERY acclimated to humans.

Converting my Kia Soul for camping. I can't imagine hanging large amounts of food in trees every night. I've done that while backpacking, but a 7-day trip involves a lot of food. How do others handle this?

I paid $24 for this little (12" x 13") firepit: The brand is Fltom, also sold under other names, like Campingmoon. It's out of stock right now on Amazon, but there's this larger one (13" x 19") for $62: I tested the small one on a camping trip this week and really liked it. The evenings and...

I'm particularly interested in tents. I searched for years for a tall 3-person tent with an awning (for shade) that could comfortably accommodate one person on a 15" high cot. This design does not exist in the U.S. In my search, I tried a couple of cheap Chinese tents from Amazon. The...

Simplest definitions, applying to nylon tents: Tent floor: sewn to the tent body, usually made of the same waterproof material as the fly. Groundsheet, tarp: anything placed under the tent, usually nylon, plastic, or Tyvek. Footprint: newfangled word for groundsheet or tarp. Made of nylon...

Do you camp alone? How big is your tent? I use a 5-gallon bucket with a screw-on lid and, believe it or not, I use it in my tent. If you do it right it works fine. Line the bucket with a plastic grocery store bag and put in some sawdust. Dispose of the bag as soon as you can. Store the bucket...

I use a bucket toilet and have a simple way to keep liquid and solid separate. First, pee outdoors whenever possible so the bucket stays cleaner. Then I put a couple of inches of pine pellets in the bottom of the bucket. Those are very odor free, such that I can keep the bucket in my tent with...

Ambiance and warmth.

I have a UCO Flatpack. Sawing and splitting small-size wood (8" and 12" long) is laborious. Would either of these work?: (1) Sawdust bricks: Can they be split smaller? Do they burn fast or slow? (2) According to my local Tractor Supply, you can burn pine bedding pellets in a camping stove. But...

How about this $20 Dewalt camper's hatchet? https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-20-oz-Campers-Hatchet-DWHT56031/304384101 As a reminder, I posted last year that I wasn't satisfied with the Fiskers X7 hatchet despite the positive reviews, but most here disagreed with my take on this...

The Corona 10" razor tooth would seem to make the most sense for my budget. Thanks. Now how about a lightweight hatchet for splitting these small pieces?