Camping Ideas and Tips
- Thread starter VanDamMan
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- camping tips
These are back in stock at Decathlon. Good size fold up shopping bags that will carry a reasonable weight. Double up as a beach bag etc. Cannot remember exactly how much they were - £2ish and usually by the tills. They are bigger that the Aldi ones which are also good.
Need to get me a couple of those.
Some tips I've gleaned over years of planning food for sailing and road trips and some multi day events before the advent of reasonably priced compressor fridges, still useful to lower the power draw.
Fundamentally the idea is to extend the cold time of a coolbox as much as possible through careful planning. There is only so much space you can dedicate to ice packs, but lots of stuff you want to keep cold can also be frozen...
So we usually prepare the first two days suppers - something like a Bolognese or chilli - at home and freeze them. Bonus is you don't end up having to take all the ingredients and bits and bobs. Supper for the first night goes in a soft cool bag, it will defrost during the day as you head on holiday but that cool bag can keep your journey picnic and drinks nicely chilled. On arrival you have supper you just need to reheat while you set up for the first night, zero hassle. When we sailed the cool bag could be left in the car, in the van I find a cheap and cheerful folding cool bag is ace for fetching fish and chips and keeping them warm so handy anyway, or for shopping.
Second nights supper is in the main coolbox/fridge and will likely still be frozen if you don't take it out. If it really is maybe leave it for the next day and eat some of the fresh meat day 2 and get maximum cooling use.
When you freeze meals always double bag them, sometimes I used three, two freezer bags tightly tied off and a third so it was in a liftable bag. The bags come in handy anyway.
The other complimentary trick is the standard classic big carton fruit juices. Freeze those and you have a kilo of ice but a refreshing drink when it's defrosted. I find apple works best with smooth orange juice a close second.
Doing this MrsR and I used to be able to do a 4 day/3 night reenactment event with just a big Coleman chest coolbox and still have fresh milk to make coffee for the trip home. On shorter trips we've used the defrosting day 2 supper to chill down tins of drinks.
So next trip have a good look at your food and think "what can I use as ice packs to keep other stuff cold" - think of it like a third leisure battery you charge up via your home freezer, which essentially it is.
Fundamentally the idea is to extend the cold time of a coolbox as much as possible through careful planning. There is only so much space you can dedicate to ice packs, but lots of stuff you want to keep cold can also be frozen...
So we usually prepare the first two days suppers - something like a Bolognese or chilli - at home and freeze them. Bonus is you don't end up having to take all the ingredients and bits and bobs. Supper for the first night goes in a soft cool bag, it will defrost during the day as you head on holiday but that cool bag can keep your journey picnic and drinks nicely chilled. On arrival you have supper you just need to reheat while you set up for the first night, zero hassle. When we sailed the cool bag could be left in the car, in the van I find a cheap and cheerful folding cool bag is ace for fetching fish and chips and keeping them warm so handy anyway, or for shopping.
Second nights supper is in the main coolbox/fridge and will likely still be frozen if you don't take it out. If it really is maybe leave it for the next day and eat some of the fresh meat day 2 and get maximum cooling use.
When you freeze meals always double bag them, sometimes I used three, two freezer bags tightly tied off and a third so it was in a liftable bag. The bags come in handy anyway.
The other complimentary trick is the standard classic big carton fruit juices. Freeze those and you have a kilo of ice but a refreshing drink when it's defrosted. I find apple works best with smooth orange juice a close second.
Doing this MrsR and I used to be able to do a 4 day/3 night reenactment event with just a big Coleman chest coolbox and still have fresh milk to make coffee for the trip home. On shorter trips we've used the defrosting day 2 supper to chill down tins of drinks.
So next trip have a good look at your food and think "what can I use as ice packs to keep other stuff cold" - think of it like a third leisure battery you charge up via your home freezer, which essentially it is.
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This is similar to what we do when we go skiing. From October or so, I overcook curries/spagboll/chilli etc & portion up the surplus & vac pac it in sous vide bags & stick them in the freezer. Come January I have a selection of 20 or so varied frozen homemade ready meals. When we go skiing, we pack them all into a Camping Gaz Extreme cool box (other cool boxes are available, but all cool boxes aren’t born equal. Invest in a good one, or 2) we then drive down to the Alps & just leave the coolbox outside, bearing in mind that the temperature will usually be well below freezing. On a skiing day, we make our selection of the evening meal & leave it in the van during the day to thaw, in the evening we boil a pan of water & drop the repas de jour into the pan still in its bag, add rice/pasta/spuds/ mixed frozen veg into the same pan & voila a complete wholesome meal & minimal prep. And you can use the water to wash up. Job done.
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Love these top tips ^
I've had a Gerber Suspension multi tool for years, barely used it. Today, I needed the can opener blade but can't seem to identify it !
This is what I have......
Any ideas ?
This is what I have......
Any ideas ?
Looks like a breakage !
It doesn't look as if the model you have includes a tin opener.
The tool that you have highlighted appears to be a bottle opener & flat screwdriver. The small notch on the other side may be to open ring tabs on fizzy pop and beer cans.
This is what you need to open a can/tin of beans or similar.
or 
The curved bit should be slightly sharp to cut into the top of a tin.
I carry an SAK which has a can opener..
I think the sharp end of that tool has broken off on mine.....seem to recall it happened a good few years ago
The end is often a screwdriver so if past you was... enthusiastic... that might have happened then
So spent 2 hrs trying to figure the Gerber issue and wife tells me she packed the tin opener in her knicker draw.
Many many questions !!
Many many questions !!
It’s a good job this is a “family friendly” site
It's not well!
This is what mine looks like, not that it's ever been used to open a can. On a positive note, you can now buy yourself a new toy!
This is what mine looks like, not that it's ever been used to open a can. On a positive note, you can now buy yourself a new toy!
That’ll hurt him. I bet the previous one came free with work.
