Gt video. I like yr set. 2 added comments...all these vids show set up in calm weather. When I have needed wet weather set ups it has been wild n woolly! In those cases small tarps are easier to manage. Also, have some protection for the tarp grommets..ie elastic bungees. The tree that bens in the wind approach. Gt vid. Thanks for sharing expertise. :)
Just found this comment Rona. We typically set it up on almost every trip and have occasionally set up in the rain and wind. Wind definitely makes it harder. If too strong, we wait until it dies down. Thanks for the note.
I really like your canopy. Having something that you can hide from the sun while camping is a must. That's coming from someone who doesn't have a canopy!!! Thank you for sharing.
Welcome and Thanks for the note C B. This video was made 5 years ago and is one of my oldest. Since then, our campsite setup has changed a lot and hopefully my video making skills have improved. Have you watched any of my more recent videos yet? If you take photos of your campsite, please send them and I’ll repost them to my Facebook page.
My only input for camping, I was having trouble with lace up boots, especially when I had a swag, it would take ages to get out of a swag and lace up boots, I could have just got slip on boots but I decided to go steel cap gumboots. Never looked back since, great for all round weather, can hike in them, after you have walked them in of course, but perfect for tall shrub, mud, water crossings and wet weather camping. Just found your channel and subscribed 😎
Thank you for your video. I love to tent camp and appreciate your video. It seems like a pop-up canopy would be a better and easier solution for your tarp shelter, especially when you factor in the 4 poles at $30 each. You can get a really good pop-up canopy for less than $100.
Mr. Douglas, what is your expert opinion on the gazelle pop up tent, before I spend the money, I need some reviews. I made a camp hand washing station, since we camp at the coast here in Texas, I've needed a hand washing station.
Big Al Cervantes I don’t know anything about that tent. So I watched a couple of RU-vid videos and it looks ok. It is very similar to the CLAM shelters that I’m impressed with. I would think it would be fine for a few summer trips but wonder about its long term durability and its ability to stand up to wind. If you plan to take a lot of camping trips, I’d suggest that you consider one of the tents made by well-established tent makers. My list of the best family camping tents for 2019 is posted on my website.
The canopy setup has proven to be useful in our camp setup. Thanks. Question ... re the "nail" stakes, what tool have you found most effective to pull the stakes from ground?
Michael Hill Hey Michael. We normally use a small pair of channel lock pliers but we have a small crow bar for those stakes that get stuck in tree roots. Thanks for watching.
Frazier, I'm curious why you just didn't use one (1) 8 X 20 tarp? This way there would be no breaks in the seam stopping rain from coming in. Also, by using heavier schedule PVC pipe, you could make it so the poles would break down and still have a bolt on the end for the taught line.
Guy H. Hey Guy, That’s a good question. I have tried the larger tarp twice and each time, the center grommets ripped out with just a little wind. The 2 tarp set up provides double strength for that ridge and allows the top and side to move independently. Regarding poles, you could use any strong material (wood, pvc, steel, conduit pipe, or aluminum. I bought these poles several years ago. The aluminum nesting poles pack well and weren’t so pricy several years ago.
Hey Adam, Thanks for your comments. You might be right about the canopy but I began using tarps 50 years ago and have become attached to this method. I think there are advantages and disadvantages of each choice.
Big Al Cervantes Thw wind makes things harder. I would have to spend a few days there to see when the wind was strong, how strong it was, and when it died down. One option is to set up the tarps as shown in this video and then take them down when the wind was strong. If you leave the guy lines and stakes in place, you can easily re-deploy the tarps in calm or Rainey conditions. If rain is unlikely, you could use flat queen or king sized bed sheets instead of tarps. The sheets will provide shade and hold up to wind better than tarps. Since we don’t camp in those conditions often I don’t have other suggestions for now but will think about it more. Thanks for the comments and questions.
Have a quick question. I see tent campers set up with tarps or sun shades over their tent. Is this a way to keep cooler during the summer or a double protection for rain. What is the reasoning here?
George Bortnick Different people probably do it for different reasons but I believe the primary reason is that their tent leaks - which has been a common problem with older cheap tents. In the past, many cheap tents began leaking after a year or less - while good quality tents would not leak for at least 10 years. I remember a trip many years ago with some friends. They had a Walmart or k mart tent while I had a REI tent. That night, we had strong winds and torrential downpours. The next morning, I had a drop of water or two in my tent but they had about 2 inches of water in their floor. Cheap tents are a little better now but some families still put up tarps in fear that they might leak. I have used good quality tents for the past 30 years and have slept through many rain storms and never needed a tarp.
RideWithWill state and federal campgrounds have bathrooms. So no worry. We avoid crowded campgrounds and usually have enough privacy to pee near our tent after dark. Thanks for the question.
Albert Cervantes Hey Albert. Thanks for the complement. We don't use solar power, at least not yet,. Instead, we try to get sites with electricity. We are now deploying two sidewalks in most of our campsites. To see photos of our recent campsites, visit my Facebook page or view my recent RU-vid videos. Some great photos will be included in the upcoming video about Oak Mountain State Park.
Frazier Douglass Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham Alabama? If so that's my neck of the woods. New viewer and subscriber. Loved how you treated Tactical Bushcraft!! Super Awesome!
Treshea Johnson Hey Treshea, Nice to hear from a neighbor. I was born and raised in Birmingham and now live neat Huntsville. I look forward to hearing from you again.
I live in the northwest corner of Oregon sometimes high wind & rain blowing sideways not sure this setup would work for me but great video thanks.....( no punctuation sorry)
Yes they do.I started camping with a pup tent then old wooden truck canopy then several old cab over campers, then toy hauler I still have, but recently bought a tent so I can get farther out in the woods. I have a small trailer to haul my atv with my suzuki samurai....now trying to get a couple days off! Fraze do you know how I can cook food in fire without using aluminum foil?
speed freak Well, I’ve seen a video that covered an apple with mud and cooked it in a fire but I’ve never tried this. When I was riding a motorcycle, I cooked a lot of food in disposable aluminum loaf pans that can be found in any grocery store for a few cents. Have you heard of other methods?
Several different campgrounds were shown in this video. Some were Muskegon SP Michigan, King Mountain SC, Tannenhill SHP Alabama, and Platte River CG in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Michigan. Let me know if you see one in particular you are curious about.
I tried to watch some of your videos but they are just riddled with advertisements and I can't stand it. so had to switch to another with less advertisements. Sorry.
