Date:         Mon, 8 Aug 94 11:55:27 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Johnson <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      Re: Camper Equipmetn Advise Needed

> Holy Cow, Steve!  Vanagons must be WAY bigger inside than Transporters!  With
> that list of stuff you bring camping there'd be no room for any people, much
> less surfboards, in my `74 7-passenger bus!

I had a '74 camper and had that much stuff plus.  My wife always insists on 
bringing 4 pillows (4 Fuc---g Pillows!).  I'm able to get the aforemention
stuff in and still have room.  How many people you hauling anyway?  It's
just me and my wife usually.

> OK, so here's my list of camping stuff and considerations... bear in mind that
> I don't have kids and only camp with, at most, one other person.

Guess that answered my question. ;)

>  I carry a
> mini-Weber charcoal grill but Steve's talk about a gas grill has got me
> thinking... not only is charcoal slower but you have to pack briquettes and
> deal with the mess...  Hmm....  You may have scored another convert Steve!

Like I said, it only takes one side-by-side comparison and it's all over.

> On longer trips with questionable water supply I carry a 5-gallon jug
> with spigot for water.  It rides next to the back hatch.  Dishes are
> done in the largest cook pot that's dirty.

The Rubbermaid (Rubbermade...Hmmm sounds kinky no matter how you spell it ;) )
tubs I use stack real well in each other so they don't take too much space and
the last one on top holds stuff in it too.

> Cooling gear: One (1) mid-sized cooler.  I'd like to have more cooling, but
> it's just a lowly Transporter (no icebox) and I like to be able to bungee my
> cooler to the back seat so it doesn't wander around.  If I have two people
> I'll often use a bigger cooler though.

This really depends on the length of the trip and how well planned your meals
are.  I suppose some people can dehydrate alot of food and not need much cooling
space at all.

> Sleeping arrangements:  This is pretty vehicle-specific if you're going to

I prefer blankets too, but I gotta be ready for the cold just in case.

> Lighting: One (1) flashlight for nighttime emergency auto repair and
> bush excursions.  In the above-mentioned cardboard box there's also a
> candle to provide mood lighting. ;)  If I'm going to be camping in a
> campground I'd like to bring a pump-up pellet rifle for shooting out the
> neighbors damn star-eclipsing blinding damn Coleman lantern but I'm a
> little too well socially adjusted for that... barely.  Fortunately I
> don't use campgrounds that much... Sorry Steve, I just had to express an
> alternate point of view!  :) :)
> 
> Standard equipment that always stays in Bobo:  the above-mentioned flashlight,
> a tube of sunblock, tide tables and a Swiss Army knife with corkscrew and can
> opener.  Oh yeah, I should mention that the middle seat is almost never in the
> bus either, in case anybody had any doubts!  :)
> 

That still sounds like a shit-load to me to.  So why do ya think I have so
much stuff, eh?

-- 
Steven

sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com