New to dry camping, questions?

[MorMJS]

So far all our trips have been to full hookup sites,, but next week we will be doing our first trip to a dry campground for a couple nights. Here are my questions:
1. Should I plug my trailer cord into my generator(2000w) or should I just use the Genny attached to battery through the alligator clips that it came with?

2. What to do for morning coffee? Will my 110v outlets in the trailer still work so I can use our normal coffee pot?

3. If I run the genny my wife can blow dry her hair right?

[oughtsix]

wmoses wrote:

oughtsix wrote:
I second the French Press idea for coffee! Here is the one we use:

http://www.rei.com/product/820451/rei-table-top-french-coffee-press-48-fl-oz

This looks like a nice pot but I have one question about french presses in general.

Once the coffee is steeped, then any remaining coffee continues to get stronger as it sits in the pressed coffee grounds, correct?

We typically drink a couple of cups each in the morning and we would like the second cups to be the same as the first. From that point of view a percolator may be better since the grounds are out of the coffee when the operation is done. Making a second brewing for the second cups would make me rethink the second cups.

It would seem like the coffee would just sit there in the press and get stronger and stronger doesn't it? But in actuality is doesn't. Once you push down the plunger the coffee grounds are pretty tightly packed in the bottom of the press and water doesn't circulate through the grounds so the brewing process is completely stopped. The insulated casing on the above listed french press keeps the coffee hot almost as long as a vacuum bottle (Which is a very long time!) I usually like my second cup after cleaning up all the dishes and breakfast mess and the second cup is always as good as the first. I will occasionally even finish off the morning pot at lunch (usually a pot will be empty long before lunch) and the coffee is still excellent and hot.

I have a couple of the glass French presses that I use to brew loose leaf tea daily. For Oolong and green tea I will brew the leaves 2 or 3 times (second brewing is actually better tasting than the first) and it the same... Press the plunger down and the brewing completely stops.

IMHO... a French Press does make the best coffee I have ever had. We used to use a percolator but found that it makes much more acidic coffee. I think the percolator must boil the heck out of the grinds or something. The french press makes a much smoother cup. Sometimes we will use a french press at our house when we have time because of the better taste but most mornings we are just lazy and use the Mr Coffee when we are at home.

[JiminDenver]

Niner

You got it backwards. You can dry camp and not boondock. You can't boondock and not dry camp.

rbpru

Unless you are disconnecting your battery once you get to your camp site, you are running on electricity too. A solar system, generator or even jumper cables to the truck is only replacing the electricity taken out of that battery over time. We can easily go 3 days without charging, we have to be able to using a solar system in case of bad weather. I also have a generator as we stay out anywahere from one to two weeks. I don't believe in letting the batteries get low and leaving them that way. I'd rather listen to the generator than replace my banks. That said, we haven't used the generator in years.

[JiminDenver]

profdant139 wrote:
Delphi, that collapsible drip basket is a great idea! I use a "redneck" version of the same thing -- I use an ordinary plastic basket from a broken Mr. Coffee machine (and you know those machines break all the time). I then put a paper filter in it and stick the whole thing on top of an insulated carafe. I pour the hot water onto the grounds in the filter basket, and voila! When I am done, I dump the filter in the trash -- nothing to rinse, unlike a french press or a percolator.

I started doing this while camping, and now that is what I do at home, too. The local coffee shop calls this "artisanal pour over brew" and charges four dollars a cup.

When I stopped being able to find the filters for our cone filter, I did the same thing with a old Bunn filter basket. Works great. The only reason we use the auto drip now is sunshine is free. Why waste the propane.

[GrandpaKip]

We use a stainless steel French Press for coffee. Pretty much best coffee, other than maybe an Italian percolator.

[Terryallan]

While I don't drink Coffee. I'm told by very good sources, that coffee done in a perculator, on the fire is the best that can be had. The perculator are also sold pretty cheap at WalMart.

BTW. We have dry camped for more than 25 years. We never once needed a generator. Of course, We just camped, Cooked outside, all our appliances run on Propane, including camp stove, and lantern. Plus we just heated water on the fire, and took it inside for a sink bath.
The last thing I want to hear in the mountains is a generator.

[Redterpos3]

wmoses wrote:

Once the coffee is steeped, then any remaining coffee continues to get stronger as it sits in the pressed coffee grounds, correct?

Actually not correct, when you use a french press as the coffee steeps it gets stronger, but once you push the plunger down, and thus the coffee grounds to the bottom no more steeping occurs. Our French Press makes enough for just over 2 mugs of coffee. For one it's perfect, when its my wife and I we just make 2 pots. Excellent coffee, very easy!

[NinerBikes]

rbpru wrote:
If you are self-contained and bringing your own generator, you are not dry camping. You are electric only camping.

Your 2000 watt generator can supply a bit more than 16 amps at 120 volts. My Mr. Coffee draws 900 watts so I doubt if I could run it and a hair dryer at the same time with only 2000 watts.

Likewise the AC, the microwave or an electric space heater would all most likely need to be run one at a time.

When we camp with no hookups we adjust accordingly, we make cowboy coffee (grounds in the pot) on the stove. The frig and the water heater, are switched to gas, the battery is used for lights and water pump. The 120 volt TV, microwave and AC is out of service.

Two or three days is about our no hook-up limit so I have never fussed with a generator.

What if I bring my portable solar panels and leave the generator at home? Is that dry camping? Dry camping implies no water hookups and no sewer line, you dump your grey and black water tanks. There is no can or can not for electricity when dry camping. Every year, thousands of RV'ers go dry camping in and around Quartzsite on BLM land. Most of them either have generators or solar panels, but I assure you, they all consider them selves dry campers.

Dry camping is bookdocking, but boondocking isn't always dry camping

[rbpru]

If you are self-contained and bringing your own generator, you are not dry camping. You are electric only camping.

Your 2000 watt generator can supply a bit more than 16 amps at 120 volts. My Mr. Coffee draws 900 watts so I doubt if I could run it and a hair dryer at the same time with only 2000 watts.

Likewise the AC, the microwave or an electric space heater would all most likely need to be run one at a time.

When we camp with no hookups we adjust accordingly, we make cowboy coffee (grounds in the pot) on the stove. The frig and the water heater, are switched to gas, the battery is used for lights and water pump. The 120 volt TV, microwave and AC is out of service.

Two or three days is about our no hook-up limit so I have never fussed with a generator.

[profdant139]

Delphi, that collapsible drip basket is a great idea! I use a "redneck" version of the same thing -- I use an ordinary plastic basket from a broken Mr. Coffee machine (and you know those machines break all the time). I then put a paper filter in it and stick the whole thing on top of an insulated carafe. I pour the hot water onto the grounds in the filter basket, and voila! When I am done, I dump the filter in the trash -- nothing to rinse, unlike a french press or a percolator.

I started doing this while camping, and now that is what I do at home, too. The local coffee shop calls this "artisanal pour over brew" and charges four dollars a cup.

[Delphi]

This is what we use to make drip coffee.

GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip

We just put a paper filter in it, add coffee grounds, boil water in a pan on the stovetop, and pour the water in. No electricity needed.

It's lightweight, virtually unbreakable and it collapses down to a very small package. Great for our travel trailer!

[MorMJS]

JiminDenver wrote:
The other side of dry camping is frsh water and waste tanks. How are you set up for that?

I think we will be ok on fresh,grey,black tanks. There are nearby hot showers and toilets. There is also a dump station on the way out of the campground.
As always we plan meals with disposable dishes in mind or as few dirty dishes as possible.

[wmoses]

DougE wrote:
...Give it a few minutes to steep, do the press, then pour into a thermos. It stays hot for hours then and doesn't get bitter. Which coffee to grind coarse at the store is a whole nuther issue.

Good point ... thanks. Answers my question. Coarse grind is more expensive however.

[ADK_Camper]

We dry camp a lot. Here's some suggestions from our experience:

Use a stove top percolator for coffee. It takes a little longer but the results are worth it. My wife wants to bring the percolator into the house because she prefers its taste to drip. If you choose to use a stovetop percolator use about one tablespoon coffee per cup and perk at as low a heat setting as possible to maintain a gentle perk. Time it for about a minute per cup. When ready transfer to a thermous carafe.

About charging your battery. The onboard charger in the camper may work just fine, but if you have a WFCO charger (most campers do) it may not deliver the necessary current for an efficient charge. Mine (like many) absolutely will not go into BOOST mode no matter how dead the battery. I have found that using a protable 10 amp charger does a much better job. About one hour of generattor use per day keeps the battery charged.

[NinerBikes]

Depends on how many days you go camping for and how you plan to charge your batteries. Standard charge controllers, when on generator power, off the grid, make lousy battery chargers for boondocking /dry camping.



Get a kettle for boiling water and a French Press Mr. Coffee coffee maker at a local WalMart before going.

Mr Coffee french press



Maybe, maybe not, depends on how badly your batteries are discharged and recharging in the morning, and how much electricity you took out of the batteries the night before. Towel dry first, and perhaps let nature take it's course in your wife's hair drying. You are camping, after all, not in a 4 star hotel.