Please Note:
This entry said prior that it was for the 2011 camping season.
Due to a right leg/knee injury I sustained spring of 2011, I missed the camping season entirely.
The equipment below will be fully reviewed spring/summer of 2012.
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I am stocking up on new goodies for the upcoming 2012 season, so before I field test them, I will link them here before my full report later when I get out on a trip.
Surefire G2X Pro
A 200/15 lumen pocket torch.
I have an older 80 lumen Surefire flashlight I reviewed for the 2009 season, this new one blows it away.
Surefire X400 handgun/long gun weapon light with laser
170 lumen light, almost as bright as my Surefire G2X Pro listed above.
This light also has a red laser on it, and I bought it for both my AR15 and my Glock 21SF.
When camping the X400 will be mounted to my Glock handgun for things that go bump in the night.
It is a Surefire, that is all you need to know, the quality is in the name.
Cabelas 24 LED Remote Control Lantern
I seem to have lost the remote for my older 12 LED lantern I bought for the 2008 camping season.
Lost it this past summer, so I will be retiring it to my power outage kit for home.
The 24 LED one has pretty decent reviews on Cabelas site.
Cabelas Chaise Lounger Standard Size/Gray
I reviewed the large size back in 2009, but I bought the standard sized one last summer, but will be taking it out this year for 2011.
I actually like the smaller size of the medium over the large one, plus I already test fitted it in the FJ Cruiser and it takes up a lot less space.
Nokero Solar Light Bulbs
Bought first three from above, then Amazon now carries them (Amazon may no longer carry them now)
I was posting over on Expo's forum about LED lanterns when member beast1210 posted about these solar lights.
They have four built in solar panels that when covered or dark out the light will come on.
You can control the light too with an on/off switch.
There are videos at the site to see them in action.
I ended up buying three of them to test out, and more than likely two of them will be on the awning, and one in the crapper/shower enclosure.
Bought two more via the Amazon link above where I can get them in two days with a Prime membership.
Reliance 7 Gallon Aqua-Tainer
Bought via Amazon
I have an old one laying around from eons ago, and I bought a new one to try out, and will use the old one for emergency water for the home.
Switching to this over the 5 gallon water cooler bottle I have used for the past three seasons.
The water cooler bottle lets in sunlight which is not the best for stored water.
GCI Outdoors Cedar Shower Deck @ Cabelas
GCI Outdoors Cedar Shower Deck via Amazon (where I purchased it from, it was one sale and cheaper than above)
Add text later...
Railriders Extreme Adventure Pants
I am tired of going camping and getting eaten alive from black flies.
The mosquitos useally stay off of me with some light repellent on, but it takes REI's Jungle Juice at 100% DEET to deter the black flies which when bit leave nice welts all over my body.
I really hate using any kind of bug repellent, I hate greasy feel and getting it all over my bedding at night.
So I saw these light weight nylon pants in Railriders catalog and they are very tough, and they should help quite a bit with summer camping when I am on the menu for the bugs next meal.
Railriders Equator-HT Top With Insect Shield
A long sleeve shirt to also help protect me from being on the bugs dinner menu.
This shirt has Insect Shield technology built into it that repels the nasty little biters from landing on you to feast on you.
I hate resorting to long pants and long sleeved shirts during the warm summer months, but where I go in the mountains the bugs are everywhere, and unless you literally soak up with DEET, you will be on the menu.
This shirt is good for 70 or so washings before the Insect Shield wears out.
Shirt should last me a lifetime then.
Yes, their clothing is a tad on the expensive side, but they are of high quality, and as I type this I am wearing my second pair of Extreme Adventure Pants I just received at the beginning of November 2010.
MSR Ground Hog Stake Kit
The tent stakes that came with my Colman lantern stand and Outback Privy shower/crapper tent are pathetic.
You can see one here on the far left, and notice how it is bent and has a flat non sharp bottom, not good for pounding into the ground at all.
The beefy one in the middle is what comes with Camping Lab awnings, and they are up to the task as they have a sharp edge and are beefy.
The red to the far right is the new MSR ones that I just got from Amazon.
They will be used for my lantern stand, the Outback Privy, and anchoring down my foldable solar panel when it is mounted to my awning.
Looking forward to seeing how these work out next time I get out.
Vasque Scree low hiking shoes
My old Vasque mid hiking shoes gave out at work this winter that I wore in to work in the snow.
Had them since 1989, and I like the Vasque quality, so I looked to Vasque once again to fill my needs for a high quality camping/hiking shoe that was also waterproof.
The shoes have the Stealth Rubber technology, same as my Five-Ten mountain bike shoes and also the same stuff they use on rock climbing shoes, so you know these shoes are going to be very sticky.
Outback Trading Willis Breezer
Outback Trading Willis Breezer hat via Cabelas
I bought one a few years back in the Sage color, but it is showing its age as I wear it at work during rainy weather (quite often here in Western Washington) and during the summer when at work when the sun is out and hot.
The one I bought back then gets tossed into my work vehicles I drive daily, so it gets a lot of dirt on it.
The new one I just picked up (April 15th) is in the Field Tan color, I like it a lot better.
Comparing the two the new one is a lot stiffer being new and all, I guess the other one needs a wash :)
The reason I went with the same hat again is this is one of the best outdoor hats I have had the pleasure of wearing.
Keeps the rain off of my head, and keeps the UV rays from frying my buzz cut hairdo that I wear during the warmer months.
Coleman Free Standing Tent Fan via Amazon
I bought this to help with hot muggy nights for the month of August.
August is traditionaly the warmest month of the year here in Western Washington, and temps can often be in the mid 90s to close to 100°.
This will go on the shelf system I put together a few years back for the roof top tent.
Chuckbox
This was built by forum(s) member Titanpat57 using a design made by another forum member over at Expo's site.
Information on the chuckbox can be found at the link above on my forum.
This is a welcome addition to my camping gear, as it will save space having everything in one box instead of spread out in extra gear throughout the rig.
GoalZero Ranger 350 Kit bought from Expedition Offroad
GoalZero's Website
The 350 Extreme (also called Ranger) kit includes both the battery and the UI inverter that can power an AC device up to 400 watts.
I bought this kit to mainly charge back up my Sony digital cameras batteries, and my GoPro HD cameras batteries.
Also new for this year I will be trying out the Light-A-Life lights listed below, and you can daisy chain up to 12 of them via this setup.
Goal Zero Light-A-Life
Bought via Amazon
The Light-A-Life LED lights are pretty bright, consume very little power draw from the Extreme 350 kit, and do a good job of putting out useable light.
I have been testing these in my home since I bought them, and I am very pleased with them.
Three year review of my AutoHome Maggiolina AirLander roof top tent
I have had this tent on the roof of my FJ Cruiser for three straight years now since the spring of 2008.
The only maintenance I have had to do to the tent is throw a good coat of Meguiar's Marine wax which has UV inhibitors in it to keep the fiberglass protected.
And that is waxing it once a year, but I may start waxing it twice a year since the tent is a little older now.
The shell and canvas look as good as the day I bought it with the exception of a small tear in the netting on the left side door/window.
I put the door away wrong one time and put a crease in it, and I must have pushed the ladder into it, not really sure.
Will get it fixed sometime, and the only complaint I have with this model is the windows/doors do not zip out (on my year at least) so I can replace the whole thing or take the damaged piece to an RV shop to get repaired.
Other than the small rip, this tent has been flawless in its design, and it is truly a four season tent that has kept me warm and dry in pouring down rain, and comfortable in the heat of summer.
The hardshell tents from AutoHome really are the best roof top tents in my opinion, and with the more aerodynamic construction of them and being made out of fiberglass, they hold up better than the other type of tents on the market.
You get what you pay for these roof top tents.
Slumberjack Stowaway Camp Table
Bought via Amazon
I have a nice table I bought from Cabelas a few years back, but it can not handle the weight of my new chuckbox.
I saw over on Expedition Portal that member lgrt was using this table, and he pointed me to it.
It can handle up to 100 lb, so it has no problem handling the weight of my chuckbox.
Very nice table, and takes only a few minutes to setup.
Take down takes a little longer.
ECS Case Loadmaster Single Lid Case Model # LM2121-12
This case was bought to house all of my solar gear including the Goal Zero battery and lights, cables, ect.
The case fits nicely stacked on top of one of the two ECS footlockers I bought for the 2010 camping season, but wait, see the next entry :)
Here are the demensions on the new case, and they do have a wide varitey of cases to choose from.
Sized at:
Outside Dimension
Length x Width x Height
20.8" x 20.8" x 12.0"
Inside Dimensions
Length x Width x Height
17.8" x 17.8" x 10.75"
ECS Case Loadmaster Foot locker Model # LMFL2517-16
This new smaller footlocker was introduced by ECS Case in 2011.
The other footlockers I have are 33" long , 21" wide, and 12" high.
The new footlocker is 25" long, 17" wide, and 16" high.
I am down to using just one of the old footlockers prior to getting this new one, and I can fit everything I had in the bigger one into this new smaller footprint sized one since it is 4" taller.
Even with the new case for my solar gear stacked on top of the new case, I still have room in the rig as in not hitting the ceiling.
Here are the dimensions on the new footlocker, and they also come in the standard 12" high and also 20" high as seen at the URL above.
Sized at:
Outside Dimension
Length x Width x Height
25" x 16.6" x 16"
Inside Dimensions
Length x Width x Height
22" x 13.6" x 14.5"
Here is a good PDF file on the footlockers from ECS Case
Please come back to this page spring/summer of 2012 for full reviews on the above gear, and more that I have added to the list above.
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