Cool gadgets
Anyone have a list of some cool gadgets to add to a toy hauler?
Forum Discussion
Reaching 62 years of life, and having owned a few campers myself now, and having been into camping all my life, even as a kid, I have found that "gadgets" end up at Goodwill.
I have found, sticking to basic items really works best. Anything that is mechanical (uses batteries or electricity) is doomed to failure at the worst possible time. Been there, done that over and over again in my lifetime. Just when you really need to use something, the batteries are dead, or the device just corroded, or it got dropped and broke.
So I have found, non-mechanical devices still work the best, especially when camping and it's not so easy to get to a store immediately to get a replacement.
A simple potato peeler is always the top of my list, as we use a lot of potatoes. Second is a non-electric can opener. Third is a set of normal kitchen knives, and real silverware. Next are normal, non-electric, pots and pans and frying pans with lids, something that can be used over a fire and not melt. Tools for break-down, travel? Hand tools. Screw driver, adjustable wrench, C clamps, channel locks, T wrench for lug nuts, and a few sockets and socket wrench. Rope, bungie cords, and a tow chain I carry.
You see the point. Gadgets just turn into clutter eventually, and eventually are tossed out. That hatchet I've had in all my campers, including tent days, is now 40 years old and I still have it! And use it not only for wood, but as a hammer for pounding in tent stakes, or anything that needs pounding.... including breaking up bags of store bought ice (when we need it).
I don't do everything 100% primitive, far from it. We take advantage of modern conveniences and electricity as much as possible too. We have an electric griddle and an electric skillet that we do about 99% of our meals in. We have an electric coffee pot maker, but we also have an old style, stove top percolator too. Our "modern gadgets" include our laptop computers and cell phones, DVD player and DVD's.
In the end though, we've been through 6 lap top computers in the last 15 years. We've been thorough a dozen different types of cell phones during that time. We've had multiple different kinds of flashlights and lanterns. We've been through all kinds of different styles of outside lighting, and finally came to the conclusion after spending tons of money on outside illumination, that campfire light is really all we need, with a very, very simple $1.00 flashlight and Ray-o-Vac cheap-o batteries.
We've been through so many different kinds of lawn chairs it's ridiculous. We finally have some simple, back to basic lawn chairs that seem to work pretty good for us.
Got rid of all the Coleman camp stove equipment, bottles and bottles of 1 pound propane tanks, fishing poles (only need 1... really).
I think you get the idea. Our "gadgets" are now based on simplicity. I suppose it's because we are old enough to have already "been there, done that." and know what really works for us now.
But, I don't want to bust anyone else bubble. You will have too much fun busting your own bank (like we did, on really "glitzy" items and turned out to be real duds over time.)
I'm such a "downer" aren't I. :(
I have found, sticking to basic items really works best. Anything that is mechanical (uses batteries or electricity) is doomed to failure at the worst possible time. Been there, done that over and over again in my lifetime. Just when you really need to use something, the batteries are dead, or the device just corroded, or it got dropped and broke.
So I have found, non-mechanical devices still work the best, especially when camping and it's not so easy to get to a store immediately to get a replacement.
A simple potato peeler is always the top of my list, as we use a lot of potatoes. Second is a non-electric can opener. Third is a set of normal kitchen knives, and real silverware. Next are normal, non-electric, pots and pans and frying pans with lids, something that can be used over a fire and not melt. Tools for break-down, travel? Hand tools. Screw driver, adjustable wrench, C clamps, channel locks, T wrench for lug nuts, and a few sockets and socket wrench. Rope, bungie cords, and a tow chain I carry.
You see the point. Gadgets just turn into clutter eventually, and eventually are tossed out. That hatchet I've had in all my campers, including tent days, is now 40 years old and I still have it! And use it not only for wood, but as a hammer for pounding in tent stakes, or anything that needs pounding.... including breaking up bags of store bought ice (when we need it).
I don't do everything 100% primitive, far from it. We take advantage of modern conveniences and electricity as much as possible too. We have an electric griddle and an electric skillet that we do about 99% of our meals in. We have an electric coffee pot maker, but we also have an old style, stove top percolator too. Our "modern gadgets" include our laptop computers and cell phones, DVD player and DVD's.
In the end though, we've been through 6 lap top computers in the last 15 years. We've been thorough a dozen different types of cell phones during that time. We've had multiple different kinds of flashlights and lanterns. We've been through all kinds of different styles of outside lighting, and finally came to the conclusion after spending tons of money on outside illumination, that campfire light is really all we need, with a very, very simple $1.00 flashlight and Ray-o-Vac cheap-o batteries.
We've been through so many different kinds of lawn chairs it's ridiculous. We finally have some simple, back to basic lawn chairs that seem to work pretty good for us.
Got rid of all the Coleman camp stove equipment, bottles and bottles of 1 pound propane tanks, fishing poles (only need 1... really).
I think you get the idea. Our "gadgets" are now based on simplicity. I suppose it's because we are old enough to have already "been there, done that." and know what really works for us now.
But, I don't want to bust anyone else bubble. You will have too much fun busting your own bank (like we did, on really "glitzy" items and turned out to be real duds over time.)
I'm such a "downer" aren't I. :(
