Folding tables, port. grills, port. canopies-What do u take?

[Baja_Man]

Just returned from our maiden voyage on our new to us Class C. Great time and all went well! Need to do some mods to our refer but luckily the temps were in the 70's the whole time!!

Folding tables, portable grills, EZ up type canopies, and what other outdoor stuff do you you guys/gals take with you on trips?

These are the things on my list that I created while on our recent trip. Things I would have liked to have had.

Took the only plastic table I had....a 6' NON folding table and it took up most of my center pass through storage area! Folding one would be much better.

I know some of the folding tables leave a slight rise/hump in the center.......any brands that you would recommend that do not do this?

Portable grills: what are you using? I tried a cheapo WalMart version and the porcelain grill piece became warped only after a few uses.

I have an older EZ Up and it is great but heavy. Any others out there that are light, durable and have straight legs?

Thanks!

[EMD360]

I will begin saying that I love my "camping stuff" but I mostly look for craigslist deals and discounts for lightweight camp furniture.
We used to do a lot of boondocking and goal was to be prepared for that. Also in our rig we have almost no outside storage space.
I have the folding coleman tables that are versatile in height and configuration. These are basically two narrow tables that clamp together into a flat suitcase and fit under the dinette seat.
I also have a coleman folding suitcase grill table.

And a roll up aluminum table that is great for playing cards.

Our grill is the classic "Baby Weber" the Weber 100. I have to take the cover off to store it under the dinette seat so sometimes we use our rear hitch rack and trunk to store it.
Our chairs are all inexpensive quad folding chairs that I purchase wherever they are cheapest. Home Depot had them for $5.99. I can carry 6 in the closet behind our plastic chest of drawers.
A folded EZ up is too long for our rig. I bought a screen house at Walmart for about $50 that is easy to put up like a tent and fits over the picnic table. It folds into a duffle bag so I can store it with the chairs in the closet. It is similar to this one.

We also have a small quad type of "chip" table. We had to replace it when someone thought it could be sat upon! Just for resting our legs or putting out a bowl of treats for lounging.
And finally, probably our heaviest item is a folding hammock. It has a heavy steel frame but it does fold up small enough for the closet. And it is a total luxury in camp.
I have a large plastic patterned rug that we unfortunately never use. It takes up a large duffle and we just don't seem to need to cover the ground. Instead we have a rubber entry mat that we put on the ground below the steps that helps clean off feet.
I also had a couple of large nylon tarps that we used on the awning for shade, but my sons lost them during a camping trip. The rest of the stuff I lent them came back but I miss those tarps. But since our awning broke, not as much.
Another total luxury and boondocking item is the propane coffee maker. I only use it when we don't have electricity now though.
A small item that can come in handy is our single burner butane stove. These use paint can sized bottles of butane and both the gas and the stoves are very inexpensive in asian supermarkets.
All of this equipment together weighs about 140 lbs. Not bad since it is the heaviest stuff we carry--other than the toolbox of course.
Hope you have as much fun finding and adding quality stuff to your camping setup.

[KristinU]

We, too, do much of our cooking outside on the grill. We have a Weber Q100 that we carry along. After many years of using the Weber folding stand that required advanced origami skills to set up, we picked up a tailgating table last fall from Sam's club. It has a fold-out metal section for your grill. So far we like it! Lots of food prep space and plenty of room to set things down, along with room for the single burner propane stove we have (but don't use as often as we thought we might...we mostly cook on the grill). I also like that it has a paper towel caddy and a garbage bag holder. For as big as it is, it is fairly compact when folded.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/lifetime-tailgate-table/prod3550079.ip

We also have an EZ-up that we don't carry along all the time. We do carry it when we know that our camp site will be big and open and that we'll use it. But quite often our awning gives us plenty of coverage and we usually set the picnic table up perpendicular to the RV underneath the awning. That works well for us.

Also to note, we have an extend-a-stay on our onboard propane tank, so we attach directly to that for our grill. Very convenient to not have to carry along little bottles or a spare big one.

[mgirardo]

We do most of our cooking outside. We have a Weber Q1200 that goes with us on every trip, along with a Coleman 2 burner camp stove. The grill and stove are connected to a 20lb Propane tank. At our seasonal site, we also have a Smoker. The grill and stove get setup on the picnic table and we have a similar table like the one rockhillmanor posted that is used for prep. They also make ours that is double the length.

The table is very portable, so if we want to move it by our chairs, it moves easily. We carry 2 Zero-Gravity chairs, 2 beach chairs and 4 camp chairs. At our seasonal site, we also have 4 Adirondack chairs.

-Michael

[rockhillmanor]

weight

is something that one must keep in mind with a 31' Class C. I nice sturdy 6" aluminum folding table would be preferred to the plastic heavy folding ones.

X2
I gave away all my plastic tables and bought this folding aluminum one at Walmart.



After my first year out Snowbirding around. When I got back up north and started unloading everything for winter storage. I was shocked how much each tub of 'stuff' I had acquired 'weighed' as I schlepped into my garage! Less than half of it went back into the MH the following season. :W

[Baja_Man]

weight is somethinh that one miust keep in mimd with a 31' Class C.

I nice sturdy 6" aluminum folding table would be preferred to the plastic heavy folding ones.

I like the ambiance of an old Coleman white gas lantern and stove....but the modern battery operated LED lanterns and propane grills makes it so much easier with no liquid gas to have to carry.

[korbe]

midnightsadie wrote:
less is best, if you want all that stuff? camp in your drive way, you,ll over loaded real quick. remember its called camping. leave the kitchen sink at home.

We are just the opposite. We spend most all our time outside and it takes me much longer to set things up outside versus what my DW does inside. However, our outdoor gear is based on 40 years of camping. We have had plenty of time to figure out what we need, and what is a waste.

[luvztheoutdoor1]

The toolkit is a must, especially duct tape. You will find that it depends on where you are going and what you are doing. I reload the main storage bin depending on that since I also try to load a modular kayak and space can be at a premium. You will find as you travel what you are using and what you are not.

[ron_dittmer]

Aforementioned things that work well for the two of us.

The awning on the side of our motor home is our canopy.

Folding Table 4' x 2', seemingly a seasonal item sold at various times in stores like Walmart, Target, Meijer, etc.
Four height settings from a coffee table to a counter-top.
We store it in our motorhome's shallow rear storage compartment as shown.




Coleman Portable Grill with storage bag.
We store it in our main outdoor storage compartment, located under our rear corner bed.


We bought two folding chairs with bags similar to these at Aldi's year-end clearence for $7 each.
They store very nicely in the upper-most areas inside the same under-bed storage compartment.

[rockhillmanor]

When I first started out full timing I took everything you mentioned and 10 fold more.! My bays, my ladder, my cargo carrier, and bike rack were filled to the hilt with stuff I just had to have with me! :B

Fast forward to being a sane RV'er.

2- camp stoves the size of a computer and that fold flat like a computer. Stackem in the bay.

1 - small aluminum folding table. Folds flat.

1 - director chair. Folds flat.

THAT's IT. :C

Oh ya and the dogs.
Can't fold them flat but I did go from Great Danes to a Toy Breed. That should count for something!

[AJBert]

We have a Cabela's Camp Kitchen with a stainless grill from Sam's and a Coleman two burner stove, both attached to a 20lb bottle via hoses and a tree. This is covered with a 10X10 EZ-up canopy. We also have a small folding table that has the water jug on it with the drinks cooler underneath.

Yes, we carry this for camping. For hunting, none of this comes with us.

[Bordercollie]

We bought a Coleman free standing octagonal screen enclosure for anti-mosquito use but never needed to use it. It is big enough to cover a picnic table and camp chairs, etc. with room to maneuver. It folds up into a reasonably small bundle but takes about 10 minutes to assemble including supports stakes and ropes. Small plastic tables next to chairs are nice for drinks, etc. Clamps to hold picnic table covers down in wind are good. A small take apart charcoal grill and briquettes is good for chicken parts and burgers . I always like making a wood fire in the provided campsite grill and use a large griddle to fry bacon, eggs and pancakes, nothing like that smell in the morning. A stove top coffeemaker is good when you are off the grid. A nice easy lighting propane or electric lantern is good as are a good supply of flashlights. A comprehensive tool kit including electrical tape, duct tape, iron wire, screws and nails a hammer and mini screwdrivers is good to have. A good supply of batteries and chargers for your electronic gadgets. Don't forget your prescription meds and over the counter necessities. Develop a spread sheet with what to take using Excel, etc.

[MacZulu]

We use a coleman 2 burner stove on a 6' foldable table that runs along the rv under the awning. I use a 10' hose and adapter to hook stove up to rv propane. We also have a 10x10 ez-up, and a section of astro turf for our outside area that runs along the front of the table (no shoes in the rv house), if we are staying more than one night everything is used. I set up coffee and tea outside and do basically all the cooking outside. There are quite a few reasons why this makes my life a little more comfortable, I like to think I'm fairly lazy and I wouldn't go through all the effort unless I felt it worth while. Everybody's camping is different, everybody's equipment varies to some extent. Weight, cost, sweat, it's all up to us and what we want.

That said, when we go to the Yukon in September I will leave the ez-up behind. But that's probably all we'll leave.

[toedtoes]

I think a lot of it has to do with who travels with you - when you're camping with kids, these items can be a lot more "necessary" than when you're solo or a couple.

With that, I would buy things slowly and see if they continue to be wants/needs or if the excitement of something new wears off.

I say that as someone who has an ez-up and a table and a grill and rarely uses them. They were all bought for the times I was camping with other people and had a need for them and I got them at clearance prices (lower than currently showing). I would not have paid the current prices for them.

The table I bought was this one Alps Mountaineering dining table - large. I really like that it rolls up small - about the size of a bag chair. It's a nice height for preparing food, etc. Most places I camp have a picnic table at the campsites, so I only bring it if I'm boondocking.

The canopy I bought was this one canopy. It works well, but is bulky so I only bring under very stringent conditions (no rain, hot, no shade) that I'm rarely camping under.

The grill I bought was this one Coleman Fold'n'go. This fits into an inside cupboard, so I have it all the time. I really only use it if there are others camping with me and I need the extra space inside the RV for food prep (otherwise I cook on my stovetop and/or oven inside).

My current "purchase something new" rule is that I have to have been on at least 3 trips where I found I "needed" the item before I will buy it. Every trip there is something that I think "oh, yeah, that would be real handy right now" - but usually I forget about it by the next trip for some new "handy item". If I find it would be useful 3 trips in a row, then odds are I'll actually use it enough to make it worthwhile.

[Cousin_Eddie93]

The Greyhawk was equipped with a side mountable gas grill and exterior propane fill like and hose off the main tank. Installed it sits about 12"'away from the rig but I usually cook from it on a 4x4' fold up table three feet away. My easy ups are far from easy. I use a 20x30' and a 16x24' tarp as I love to build fully roofed campsites. Makes those rainy weeks lovely. The tarps and ropes are lighter than a 10x10' or 12x12' easy up. I usually travel pretty light equipment wise so that I can bring a good amount of dry and bug free firewood. The four folding chairs are also very light. Not those anti-gravity things that weigh a seemingly 100lbs a piece.