Showing posts with label Accessories/ Gadgets and Gizmos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accessories/ Gadgets and Gizmos. Show all posts

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Compact Camping Propane Lantern

A good bright reliable camping light is essential for camping safety and comfort. For general camp lighting, an LED lanterns are good choice because of their low power consumption. The brightest LED lantern I can find is the 580 lumen Coleman Twin High Power LED Lantern, but it is too big for storage in an small RV where space is a premium. A compact/ smaller LED lantern like the 300 lumen Rayovac Sportsman LED lantern is another good option. For brightness, it is hard to beat the twin mantle propane lanterns, but again they are bulky and heavy.

For the above reasons, I really like the Primus EasyLight Lantern it is bright enough (max. 490 lumen's as per manufacturer) and packed really small into the included plastic internally padded storage case. We've been using one for couple of years without any problem. Amazon link/ reviews here: Primus EasyLight Lantern. The lantern is very fuel efficient for the amount of light it gives off, an 8oz. fuel canister should last about 12 hours on maximum brightness to 24 hours on lowest setting. The lantern also has an attached wire for easy hanging on trees or poles.

Primus EasyLight Lantern with an 8oz. Isobutane/Propane cartridge.

Plastic storage case. Size is about 3.3" x 3.3" x 5"


Thursday, March 14, 2013

DIY Sprinter Window Insulation


Our Roadtrek is surrounded with single pane glass windows, although tinted, they don't do much to reflect/ block suns radiant heat. The AC struggles to cool the inside of the RV during summer, and there is a lot of heat loss through the glass windows during winter camping. Insulated window coverings should help.

I made the window covers using Reflectix insulation (available at your local Lowe's home improvement store) backed with an ironing board cover with special aluminized coating and padding (available at Joann Craft Store). I used newspapers to make window templates. The template is then laid into the Reflectix and traced the edges with a marker; I then cut about 1-cm. allowance outside the line to compensate for the Reflectix sagging overtime. The layers were fused together using spray adhesive, then a grey color seam bindings were sewn around the edges. The rear window covers just slips into the frame around the windows and they stay put real well. The covers make a huge difference in interior temps, both in the summer and winter.

For the front window covers, super strong neo-magnets were used to hold them in place. A more rigid reflective insulation was used for the windshield. I found a cheap ready-made windshield sunshade for trucks/RV's at Campingwold. It is thin and rigid and perfect for the sprinter, just needed some trimming to fit. But with the addition of the aluminized backing, the windshield cover becomes heavy enough that collapses on its own weight when installed. To prevent the windshield cover from buckling, I placed plastic ribbings in-between the reflective front and the backing for rigidity. The plastic ribbings were salvaged from a broken beach umbrella. The windshield cover is just held in place by the sun-visors.

If you decided that the DIY solution is not for you, Amazon has wide variety of window/ windshield sunshades from the fancy Remis privacy blinds to the pre-cut custom fit reflective sunshades- check them out first: Covercraft UVS100 and Coverking Custom Sunshade for Select Sprinters are available on Amazon.

Tap pictures to enlarge.

Portable Blongo Ball/ Ladder Ball Game

My kids love this game. Camping is always fun if they have something to do/ play with, and this is perfect. It is portable and cheap to make. For those who rather buy them ready-made, Amazon has them listed from $29.99 to the more expensive $89.98 sets. Here are the links: $29.99 set$56.07 set, and the $89.98 set.


For this project, you need a PVC pipe, PVC fittings, golf balls, a nylon rope, and a PVC cement. How much PVC pipe you'll need depends on how big you want your ladder to be - see the sample measurements below. You can use any size PVC, it's a personal choice, I used a smaller 1/2-inch pipe. You can find PVC pipe at a hardware store, as well as nylon rope. Buy 6-elbow fittings and 6-T fittings. Make sure the golf balls you choose are solid all the way through.

Cut all of your PVC pieces to size. Use a hacksaw, a miter saw or a plastic pipe cutter, I use the later, it's so much easier. For this built I ended-up using about 20 feet of 1/2-inch PVC pipe.
  • Cut (7) 24-inch  PVC pieces.
  • Cut (2) 18-inch  PVC pieces.
  • Cut (4) 8-inch PVC pieces.
Fit the pipes together. Build the ladder from the base upward. I did not use PVC cement on some of the PVC pieces so you can easily disassemble them for portability. I then painted (optional) the detachable PVC pieces for easy identification. Click on pictures to enlarge.


Friday, September 14, 2012

Sand-Free / Dirt-Free Multimat for Camping, Beach, and Picnic

We bought a CGear Sand-free Multimat (Amazon link: CGear Sand-Free Multimat) about a year ago and really loved it. I got the small 6 x 6 foot orange mat, the top side is a bright orange color and the bottom side is a lighter orange with gray color binding. It came with a carrying bag, which is made by same material. The mat has a dual layer weave which is tough and resilient. The material used could be a little rough for someone with sensitive skin like a small child, but for most people, it's not going to be a problem. If you prefer a softer top layer, you can opt for the CGear Sand-free Rug (Amazon link: CGear Sand-free Rug).

We used it on the beach, campgrounds, and picnics. But most of the time I just lay it outside the RV as a doormat to minimize transfer of dirt and sand from outside to inside the rig. Small dirt particles, dust and sand just falls through the mats top layer to the ground beneath, but not back up therefore creating a sand free outside area. If a big lump of sand falls onto the mat, simply wipe your hand over it once and the sand will go straight through. The only gripe is it does not work well when sand and dirt is wet, it sticks to the mat...well they stick everywhere anyway.

Online seller promotional image

Monday, May 21, 2012

Most Compact and Lightweight Portable Camp Chair

I've been looking for a compact camp chair that we can use during camping trips. The old full-sized folding chairs we have were bulky, heavy and took up a lot of space in the RV. After doing some extensive research online, I finally found this...the "Alite Mantis " chair. I have tried many compact chairs at our local stores, but none of them is more compact, comfortable, and lightweight as the "Alite Mantis". This chair is so small when folded and tucked inside it's carrying pouch; it is just a little taller but less in diameter than a 2 liter soda bottle. Chair sets up easily using a strong aluminum hub and pole system similar to the design found in many lightweight tents. The seat and poles seem to be very well constructed and very durable. Needless to say, this chair rocks!

Some things to consider: Chair sits low to the ground and might be a problem to some people getting out of the chair especially to someone with back problems, but I find it to be very comfortable with a relaxed position. Price point, it is more expensive than other compact chairs on the market, but you pay for the quality, construction, and design of this chair.

Here are the specs:
Unfolded:     (H x W x D) 29 x 21 x 22 inches
Folded:        (Diameter x L) 5 x 17.5 inches
Seat height:   8 inches
Weight capacity: 250 lbs.
Seat material: Ripstop nylon
Frame construction: Aluminum
Weight: 2 lbs.

It's a lot cheaper if you get it from Amazon. Here is the link: Alite Mantis Chair

Click on pictures to enlarge.
Image from Alite website.