Newbie Camper

[ChickadeeJP]

I plan to do a week or so tent camping trips at a time in order to source books and increase my income to get on the road in my RV. I haven't thought about all these camping logistics because I have been working toward my RV. So, I have a couple small coolers and am going to get a camp stove (probably butane). I eat meat, fruit, vegetables (Autoimmune Protocol) and very little shelf stable food. I have a picky 4yo who likes more snacky things and has limited textures he can handle (and he is dairy, egg, and gluten free with very limited grains). I can eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables but need to cook my starches (mostly sweet potato and squash) and keep batch cooked meat cold.

I read the dishwashing thread and got some great ideas there. Going to get a couple washtubs, a spray bottle, and biodegradable dish soap.

What is the best way to keep my food cool in the coolers? Can I cook a big meal and still keep leftovers for eating the next day?

What stove option do you prefer and why? I am leaning butane for price and the ability to recycle the small cylinders when empty (I don't want to deal with refilling propane).

Is there anything else I will need and tips? Things you think I won't need?

Things I think I will need:
2 washtubs
spray bottle
sponges or washcloths
biodegradable soap
steel wool
can opener
dishes (plates, cups, water bottles, forks, spoons, knives, cutting board, pot and pan, strainer, spatula, big spoon)
coolers
ice of some kind (will need to be replenished)
containers for leftovers (have some glass bowls with lids that could be used as bowls)
milk crate of shelf stable foods
stove with fuel and matches

This is all my brain can think of right now!

 

[TrainChaser]

One larger cooler is better than a couple of small ones.  Solid block ice lasts longer than the same size bag of cubes.  If you have access to someone's freezer, freeze gallon jugs of water and rotate them.  REMEMBER to remove about 1.5 cups of water from each full gallon to allow for expansion.  Loosen or leave the lid off while freezing, replace lid when frozen or before putting in the cooler.

After cooking your food, allow the leftovers to cool down (covered, and less than 2 hours to avoid spoilage issues) before putting the food in the cooler. Hot food melts the ice faster.

Butane is fine if you plan and shop for them ahead of need.  You can't find them everywhere, and big-name stores charge a high price for them.  Get into the habit of looking for Asian and Hispanic food stores, where you can sometimes find them for as little as $1/can (in bundles of 4 or more) -- most of these stores are in cities or large towns.

Steel wool rusts and makes a mess; try Scotch Brite yellow/green sponge/scrub pads (they're the only ones I've found that last long enough to wear out -- the others just fall apart).  (about $1 per pad)

Take note of the things you use at home every day, and decide if you need any of them.

p.s. You have a PM

 

[ChickadeeJP]

coolers - I happen to have access to 2 smaller coolers so was trying to use what I have (tight budget). The block ice part makes sense. For the music festival camping I have done (I had access to kitchen and bathroom), we froze plastic peach jars and that worked really well. I wouldn't be able to refreeze them every couple days so might have to refill them with ice from a grocery store. Bonus, the water can be used for cooking, drinking, or washing after it has melted.

butane - my walmart has butane canisters for $2, so that seemed pretty cheap to me. That makes sense to have a few on hand and make sure I don't run out. I had no idea asian groceries might have them, so I will keep my eye out for that when I'm in areas with those types of stores.

sponges - I have steel wool that I use to clean my cast iron and it has never gotten rusty. I might just bring a regular sponge I can wash, I make scrubbies from yarn as I hate that dirty sponge smell and like that I can throw these in the wash.

 

[ChickadeeJP]

Well, we went but we only managed to tent camp one night and nothing about our trip went as planned (some better, some worse). I also discovered that my tent leaked even in a light rain. I had wiped down and treated it before we left on our trip.

 

[TrainChaser]

What kind of tent was it, nylon? Was it an older one?

 

[ChickadeeJP]

What kind of tent was it, nylon?  Was it an older one?

I believe Nylon. Used but not very old. I washed it down, dried it, srayed it with a sealant, then let it dry.

 

[highdesertranger]

most tents require a rain fly. the tent itself is not waterproof. highdesertranger

 

[lenny flank]

^^^ Yep. The tent itself has to be breathable to allow water vapor to pass through.

And they especially leak if anything touches the side of the tent.

 

[ChickadeeJP]

most tents require a rain fly.  the tent itself is not waterproof.  highdesertranger

I had the rain fly on. I do not remember if I sprayed it as well or not, as it was quite a while ago now. I made sure that nothing was touching the inside of the tent when we went to bed.