I work in "the outdoor industry" so I've tried every chair known to man. I keep going back to standard fixed seat chairs - think your basic folding chair at church but with fabric instead of plastic. I'm 6'1" and a smidge over 200 lbs. and compact chairs just do not cut it for me. Between getting in the chair, balancing in the chair, and getting out of the chair, I often end up on the ground or straining something. Not worth the hassle for me. The other thing I have is one of those aluminum chaise lounge things you can get at Long's and places like that - perfect for stargazing or laying around!
Re: coffee... My goal was to be able to wake up, roll over, flip a switch, and have at least two LARGE cups of coffee ready to go, ideally with as little cleanup as possible. Since I have a Jackery Explorer 1000, powering a 5-cup Mr. Coffee is my solution, though there is still the problem of cleanup. Wet coffee grounds are a pain in the butt - it's usually the only "wet" garbage I produce. My dream would be to use those hockey puck looking sealed filters you find in hotel rooms. I don't know if they make ones that you could fill yourself. But I think I'll definitely switch to paper filters rather than the re-usable filter, which is a royal pain to clean. I think the coffee-filled teabags are definitely the way to go for backpacking - they're perfect for that application. You can make the coffee, throw the used bag on a rock to dry out while you're packing up camp, and then not get your garbage bag all gross. But I am NOT going through the hassle of setting up a stove and boiling water and waiting an eternity for it to drip if I can just flip a switch! I used to do Starbucks instant (I still do when backpacking) but I got hooked on Africafe when I was in Tanzania. You can get it on Amazon and it's by far my favorite instant! I love Eric's channel and your bed is a great upgrade to his design. Hopefully going to Home Despot tomorrow to get the materials! Great channel! P.S. I'm in a 2003 Odyssey EX-L.
We like steeped coffee, at home we use clever drippers. I thought the GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip was going to be perfect for our camper. The coffee water just drips right out. I had a Primula Brew Buddy that I brought backpacking, that worked but was messy to clean. I added a #2 filter and folded it up inside the brew buddy, they way we throw out the coffee grinds and then we can just rinse the brew buddy and it dries fast. We use the stanley adventure pot for boiling water for coffee or oatmeal.
Land O Lakes mini moos ,for my properly made cup of hot tea, any solar powered light ,if also USB chargeable great I have the one in video but I love Lepwings large one best it hold a charge forever
I like your magnets I think I would like to get some. I have one of those dressing or shower tents but I don't care for it because I cannot ever fold it back. So far, I just wear a long t-shirt that needs washing and just wash myself on the T-shirt, too
When you lay it out, under the first panel by the hinge, is there anything that supports it? All the others I see have this beam of wood sticking out but yours doesn’t.
Love simplicity but a gallon is a bit heavy. I was thinking about the Amish who still use a water pitcher and bowl. But a sprayer with a black water bottle to heat in the sun is simplistic and can be stored with rooftop cargo. I love the rock stabilizer idea.
I dont have a van, nor do I travel anymore...but if I did I would always have bathing wipes which do an incredible job with cleaning your body. You just wipe and you're good to go. Im 70.....and its very hard for me to get in the shower to bath or the bath tub.....so I use the wipes like 3 times a week depending on how dirty I might get, which for me its not so much anymore. Now washing hair, I would use your bottle water method. I honestly don't know how in the world two people can travel or live rather in a van that small. But I will watch some of your other videos and maybe get an idea of how you do it. I'm 70......so I'm afraid my body is too shot to travel or live that way. Fun to watch you though so I thank you for sharing.
Thanks for this great video. I have a brand new Clam that I haven’t used yet. I’m wondering if you treated it in any way, like waterproofing and seam sealing.
So, for $100, you can order sun screens for just about any car. These have a high UV rating, and the mesh will keep out the bugs while letting the breeze through. They are a factory fit, light, and easy to store and are made for hundreds of different makes and models. Save yourself all the time, effort and endless frustration of making them yourself. Not to mention all the materials and supplies. Even after all that work, you end up with something that looks like shit and never fits that well.
My SUV has four lighter type outlets and one slow USB which is mainly to store music on a thumb drive so I have in a pouch not 1 or 2 but three USB plugs they charge the fast mode on my phone. My wife has a dexcon receiver that needs to charge. The receiver on the phone app dont always work. And for the bonus i must have a hot spot so i bring a home internet box with me and need the USB cord an outdoor antenna would help but the box works good on the dash. 73
The coffee delema is i dont drink coffee. But i do drink fruit juice and it must be cold. A small refrigerator for a console in the front will fill that bill. 73
This is great! I see so many polished beautiful builds that are so far beyond my skill set it's like they work for NASA. Yours is basic, step by step, understandable. I think your problem solving skills are wonderful! I think when I do it, I'll take the vertical shelf supports as close to the ceiling as I can and use them as shelf-box-frame members and as ceiling connection points. Seriously, WELL DONE!
I love Starbucks instant coffee we can get at the grocery stores!! It’s not bad at all. And I pair it with coffee mate hazelnut creamer. Dry or liquid. Happy camping!!
Quick and easy. I like those pump two gallon sprayers for garden fertilizer. You can leave them out in sun to warm up. They shut off when you don’t need it while you suds up and has a bit of pressure behind it and works good for rinsing hair. Also they are easy to control the flow and it is directional so it goes where you want it to. No mess!
I had the 6x6 and I threw it away. It was hard to pop the roof up. I am 5’6 and just pushing up the middle to pop the roof was impossible without trying to hold down a side as well. It got a hole on one of the corner top edges where the pole goes. That didn’t help. Take down was easier than putting up. I just thought it would be easy up and down. Not so. Once up it was great to sit in. The tight screen keeps it warmer inside than the outside. It held up great in heavy wind, even with the side walls. If there are two people this would be easy to put up.
