Newbie looking for some tips

[tweenerlj]

My family is going to try out trail camping for the first time and see how things go. Looking for some tips. We usually set up a base camp with our RV, then head out for day trips, but this Memorial day weekend, we have been invited to go on a 3 night overlanding trip. I have been wanting to try this for some time now and things seem to be coming together for me.

We are a family of 4. My wife and I have two girls ages 7 and 4. Here is our Jeep:

More pictures and mod details Click Here

My plan is to borrow a friend's M416 trailer for haouling our camping gear. I currently do not own a tent, but I was thinking of buying this Camp Valley Instant Tent from Sams Club. I like the idea of easy setup since we will be making a new camp each day.

Other items I plan to pack:

• Camp chairs
• Coleman stove
• Coleman lantern
• Gas grill
• Huge cooler with lots of ice
• Easy up for shade or rain shelter
• Sleeping bags
• propane cylinders
• tarps
• sleeping pads
• Gas cans
• water jugs

What would you bring that is not in the list? Did I list anything that you think is too much trouble?

I'm looking forward to this and if the family enjoyes this, I'll look into getting our own trailer and some better gear. I'd love to do a trip like this starting from Albuquerque and heading Nort into Colorado on as much dirt as we can.

Thanks in advance

 

[Mel.Specs]

3 Girls?

You forgot to list the most important piece of camp equipment.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...he-trail-Please-help-with-ideas-and-products!

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/74226-Keeping-the-Misses-happy

 

[nwoods]

I'm tapping this on a phone, so I'll be brief. Leave the grill and ez-up at hm. Rent good, highly compressible sleeping bags from REI or similar, pads to. In fact, rent the tent too. Learn what you like and don't like about tents for a fraction of the cost of buying. Medium cooler, some ice. Only three days, a good marine grade "5 day cooler" will keep it cool, especially if you drape a white towel over the cooler first.

You'll need some good cam-action tie downs to hold all that gear in place. I use short bungees with balls on the end to hold camp chairs and sleeping pads lashed to the side of the roll bar
and fender above the rear wheel wells. A roll-a-table is very handy also. Same size as a collapsible champ chair when stowed. Get creative withe packing. Think Tetris when you load it all in. Don't forget shovel and TP... or head lamps. As you already know, kids LOVE flashlights and hate off switches. A couple cheap home depot LED flashlights will be great. Lastly, you need skewers for roasting marshmallows!

 

[tweenerlj]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I do have a roll up table like you suggest nwoods. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the tent that I had mentioned on my original post. Set it up in the living room by myself and it works really easy, so I am pretty happy with that decision. I already have sleeping bags, so no need to rent those. My thought on the EZ up was to bring it if there was room for it in the trailer. I also already have the small grill, so I figured I might take it if there is room too.

Of course I will have stuff for the Girls when it comes to the topic that was linked by JKOperator. My wife actually grew up camping in a tent, so it is not a totally new concept for her. Packing in a jeep and small trailer instead of a suburban is new though.

I just found out that we will have gas stops available along the way, so no need to carry extra gas which I was a little worried about how to do with the borrowed trailer anyway.

 

[nwoods]

Sounds like you have it pretty well covered. Just try to stay a light as possible. I was able to cram this much crap into the LJ for one trip,with the rear seat in and 4 people and a small dog, but I certainly didn't enjoy doing it, and we were using a basecamp. I wouldn't want to go wheeling with this much on board. The freeway was sketchy enough

 

[tweenerlj]

Sounds like you have it pretty well covered. Just try to stay a light as possible. I was able to cram this much crap into the LJ for one trip,with the rear seat in and 4 people and a small dog, but I certainly didn't enjoy doing it, and we were using a basecamp. I wouldn't want to go wheeling with this much on board. The freeway was sketchy enough

That's some good packing! I don't think that we would be trying to do this if we did not have a trailer to borrow. The downfall to the tent I bought is that it is a little on the bulky side. At ~1/10 the cost of a RRT, I think it is a good compromise as far as ease of setup.

 

[srgsng25]

I am Probably the wrong person to answer this as i am a typical horrid over-packer we usually end up camping with 2 adult 2 teens and 2 large dogs and a few extra teenagers stuffed in our poor van thinking of adding more tie downs for the kids on the roof this year so us adult and the dogs can have a relaxing drive
let me break it down by bins we use at eh 30 gal rough neck totes and some other smallish

bin 1 Tools and gear
Hammer
Hatchet
rope
steaks
weather sealer
few roles or duck tape
a small tarts 10 x 12
wrench for propane tanks

bin 2 cook ware
cups platic doller store
mugs
knives,forks,spoons
bowls
plates
measuring cups
cooking untencils

bin 3
pots and pans

bin4
air mattresses
rain flys

bin 5
personal Hygiene and extra emergency clothing

Bin 6
misc
lights
lighters
lanterns


food storage
4 rectangle milk crates 2 crates of can goods and 2 or dry goods

2 ice chest
1 ice chest of soda and other drinks
1 with meat and cooking cold storage

3 or 4 tents
2 sun awnings
2 sea bags with sleeping bags

ohh yea lawn chairs LOL

we do believe in roughing it so i just added a instant on hot water shower

i will get pictures taken and uploaded once we start dragging it all out of storage i just started building a new trailer