Suggestions for family camp stove and other accessories?

In My Humble Opinion
1

We’re getting ready for a 10-day trip to the Adirondacks in August and we need a new stove. We have an old Whisperlite, which is a beautiful thing, but we won’t be backpacking for a long time yet (our kids are 7 and 5), and we figured if we’re car camping we might as well buy a big ol’ camp stove. I’ve been looking at the Coleman 2-burner propane stove, the granddaddy of camp stoves, but I wanted some opinions.

So Coleman? Does it work well? Self-igniting or not? Is there something better out there? I’ve seen some reviews about the Century stove, but they’ve been mixed.

Also, while I have you here, is it worth buying a screen house for bad weather? I feel kind of wimpy (you don’t carry around screen houses when you’re backpacking) but I thought it might be nice for bad weather especially with the kids. Any recommendations?

I’m also up for recommendations for a good cooler. This is our first solo family camping trip (we went with a gear-equipped family on our last trip) and I want to make sure I’m prepared. Any other ideas about what to pack would be appreciated.

Thanks!

2

I have an old coleman stove that’s worked well. No auto ignition, but the new ones might have it.

I would also feel wimpy with a screen house, but if you have the money and space, why not? Personally, I recommend a good tarp and four stout trees. Of course, that just keeps out the rain, not the bugs.

I got a special anniversary edition stainless steel coleman cooler and, man, is it awesome. It keeps ice in summer heat for days. I don’t have one of those plug-in coolers, but they seem very popular.

If you have the money, those fold-up zero-gravity chairs are mighty comfortable. They’re about $50-$100 a chair, though, so they’re pretty pricey.

Also, look into solar-powered LED lights. They’ve really come down in price and do a great job lighting up the campsite at night. There are some made for the inside of tents and others that act as very decent lanterns. No need for batteries or fuel.

I’d also look into a nice set of teflon-coated aluminum pots and pans. They’re a bit pricey, but they’re light, clean easily and will last years. I invested in a good set a few years ago and haven’t looked back.

Have fun!

3

A screen house is a must. Get one. You’re a family now and even if you can stay in a car the whole time it rains the kids won’t. The screen house cut’s down greatly on insects and you can play games in them if it it’s a severe storm.

4

My recommendation for outside-the-tent shelter is a Coleman Geosport Shade. Screen tents are much harder to erect than a canopy like this, and in my experience the screen walls cause more problems than they solve. I’ve tried lots of different canopies of various sizes and configurations, and this one stands head and shoulders above the rest (easy to set up, stable, good coverage for both rain and sun, clever top vent).

I’m a little confused by your description of the stove. I would think that in anybody’s book the Coleman two-burner liquid fuel stove is the granddaddy of camp stoves. Propane stoves are a different animal. Either (liquid fuel or propane) can be a good choice, it just depends on your priorities.

~Liquid fuel pros: Fuel is more economical and more compact to carry, puts out a lot of heat, works well in cool weather, nicely adjustable.

~Liquid fuel cons: Fuel can be spilled, requires pumping (can be tedious), has special lighting/warmup procedure.

~Propane fuel pros: Simple, spillproof, easy to light.

~Propane fuel cons: Not as hot as liquid fuel, possibility of cross-threading attachment, difficult to adjust between full blast and off, fuel is bulky, sometimes requires canister change in middle of use.

For the maximum utility, at the expense of some overall compactness, my recommendation is to use two single-burner stoves. The cost is likely to be about the same as (and in some cases less than) one two-burner stove. It totally solves the problem of trying to fit two large pans at the same time. This also gives you the option of having one liquid fuel stove (e.g., the Sportster) for butt-kicking fire to heat up a big pan of water, and one propane stove (e.g, the Powerpack) for ease of use when a technically-challenged family member wants to be able to just turn it on and cook.

I always have a propane stick lighter for general purposes, so I don’t think about self-igniting stoves. I’m not sure how helpful a convenience that is.

5

Re: screen house vs. canopy: Again, it depends on your priorities. It’s true the screen walls can keep bugs out, and will mute the effects of wind. But they can also trap bugs inside, and quash a pleasant breeze. It gets inconvenient to keep unzipping/zipping the doors to enter and exit the screen house, and the space can be confining. With a canopy, insect repellent takes care of most of the bug problem (and keeps doing so while hiking, going to the restroom, etc.), and a tarp or two can be attached to the windward side if the breeze is too stiff or there’s a driving rain. I’ve used both, and nine times out of ten I prefer to have a canopy.

6

Other suggestions:

Make sure everyone has a flashlight. Yeah, to the kids it’s more of a toy than a tool, but they really like having one. Have firm rules about not pointing them at people’s eyes, and bring along plenty of batteries (and/or have firm rules about how many batteries they get for the whole trip).

Ground pads are more important than sleeping bags. The Thermarest type is great (though pricy), but anything is better than nothing. This time of year, a sheet and light blanket may be more appropriate than a sleeping bag.

A whiz bottle inside the tent (for adults who won’t spill) is a wonderful convenience. “Feminine funnels” are available to allow the ladies to use one, as well as to use the third tree on the left when hiking.

Fire starter cubes are modern man’s tinder, and a whole lot easier than keeping pine duff in a pouch. Highly recommended.

A cheap straw mat right outside the tent (as a sort of “welcome mat”) helps keep the inside of the tent clean. Such a mat, or just newspaper, inside the tent makes a nice place to put footwear.

7

Should have been;

The screen house cut’s down greatly on insects and you can play games in them if it’s not a severe storm.

8

The canopy sound interesting. I was thinking about a screen house because my older son and I are bug magnets, but I may have to re-think. Harmonious Discord, what do you think about the breeze/space issues? What kind of screen house do you like?

I hadn’t thought about using 2 different stoves, now I’ll have to do more research.

We’ve got head lamps and Thermarests already. The firestarter cubes look like a great addition.

Thanks!

9

One tip/trick that’s made a lot of headaches go away: put your tarp/ground cover/footprint *inside *the tent instead of underneath it. Just set up your tent, and put the tarp inside before your gear. The increase in floor thickness still protects your feet and the bottom of the tent from small sticks and stones. Having it on the inside instead of the outside, however, means that it will never, ever gather water and hold it in a nice pool under your tent. And clean up is a breeze - when you’re packing up, just fold it like a burrito and take it outside and shake - no sweeping required!

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Gary T: I’ve looked around, and I think we’re either going to go with the classic Coleman white gas stove or the dual fuel. Thanks for the recommendation.

WhyNot: I never thought of putting the ground cloth on the inside. I think that violates some kind of camping law, doesn’t it? Like it’s sacrilegious or something. :slight_smile: It won’t protect the bottom of your tent though, if it’s on the inside right?

11

I’ll share a few more thoughts about screen houses and canopies, though I think other perspectives, such as Harmonious Discord’s, would be helpful.

I was thinking of the old-fashioned kind, which I find a pain to put up whether the frame is internal or external. They never seem to spread out evenly, and I usually find the doors to be troublesome. However, there are newer designs like this and this that look to be much easier to deal with both in set-up and in use.

If there are a lot of bugs around, a screen house can offer respite. I still think it’s wise to use insect repellent on one’s body (you can’t stay in the screen house all the time), but even with that having a bunch of flies buzzing your dinner is unpleasant.

If there’s a stiff breeze but a desire to read or play board games, the screen walls make it possible to do those things while still being outdoors. Likewise, with a driving rain the water will be slowed down to where one could sit inside and not get sprayed, though it will come through the walls to some degree.

Kids may like a screen house as sort of a playhouse (though that may be a problem if, for example, the dinner table and chairs are set up there).

A canopy has an advantage in versatility due to its lack of walls, particularly in where it’s placed. It can be right outside the tent as a sort of large foyer, it can be positioned over a picnic table, it can even be put over the fire if it has a peak vent to dissipate smoke. Because it can be walked through, it’s less of an obstacle in camp and more conducive to interaction between those under it and those outside it. It’s also easier to move should that be desired.

Of course some of the pro/con between the two is dependent on the particular weather, which is tough to predict over a ten-day period. Either one will be of use; which is better for you is hard for me to say.

After preview: the purpose of a groundcloth is to protect the tent floor from abrasion. If it’s a nylon floor, I’d sure want it under there. If it’s a poly floor (like a reinforced plastic tarp), it’s probably not necessary. IT SHOULD NOT PROTRUDE BEYOND THE TENT, in fact should be recessed a few inches from the perimeter (won’t collect rainwater that way). Having a liner inside is not a bad idea (may or may not be worth the trouble), but I would not forgo the protection of a groundcloth for a nylon tent.

12

All screen houses I’ve used can have the flaps tied back on to opposite sides. You can leave it open if it’s nice and the bugs are not nasty. The screen will stop some rain from reaching you as it runs down the screen. The ones with sides that role down can help more in a heavier storm. None are water proof.

I like to stick with metal poles because during a storm graphite poles allow the tents to touch the ground with you in them. Having the roof touching you during a downpour defeats the purpose of a tent. The same would be true for a screen house.

I found a liner on the inside of the tent worked better at keeping my stuff inside dry than one under the tent. Take a hand brush and dust pan for the tent. Get the kids a LED light for use in the dark. They won’t kill the batteries so fast. Never take a device that uses a flame into the tent, be it lantern or whatever.

Don’t forget a can opener and a sharp knife.

13

If you are cooking for a group, use two stoves. A Coleman and a Peak One will generally do you well. Meals get done on the two-burner, while the singleton is used of things that need large amounts of boiling water (coffee, hot chocolate, dish water).

For a 10-day trip, I’d pack a couple of coolers. Igloo, Coleman, really doesn’t matter. One should be packed with block ice and the stuff that won’t be accessed except for meals. The other should have block ice as well, but it should be stocked only with stuff that is used regularly (drinks, etc.) Your ice will last longer that way.

Pack cards, books, binoculars and more band-aids than you think you’ll need.

14

As Gary T says, if you have an ultralight nylon backpacking tent, you might want a (well-tucked) footprint under it. But if you’re car/family camping, you’ve got a larger tent with a poly floor and it’s just fine inside. I’m not sure how to explain it, but the thickness of the tarp, even inside, protects the bottom of the tent from wear and protects your feet from ouchies. Think of it like this: put a damp paper towel over some sharp stones. Now press on them real hard. Probably tore the paper towel, right? Now place another damp paper towel over some stones and a kitchen towel over that and press real hard. Probably didn’t rip the paper towel as much. The thicker layer, even on top, lessons the foot pressing deformation of the tent fabric on sticks and stones which causes wear and tears.

15

We have one of these and we love it. It came with grill and skillet plates, so you can use it for burgers, steaks, or dogs at night, and eggs, bacon, and pancakes in the morning. It’s impractical for hiking or backpacking, but for car camping or RV camping, it’s awesome. Also, it rocks at tailgate parties.

For really good coolers (expensive though), got to a fishing supply store and look for coolers designed to keep fresh catches on ice for charter boats. My in-laws have one that they call a “5 day” cooler. Which means it’ll keep ice for 5 days.

16

Since I’ve now gotten sucked into the Coleman site, I’ll add that theseare great little personal lanterns that pack in almost no space at all. We have one for each camper and they’re great flashlights/ trail lights (a panel slides up one side so you don’t blind yourself if you want to look at the trail), book readin’ lights (they lay quite nicely on a pillow), etc. Two or three of them fill my large cabin tent with enough light to get dressed by, although I do have a larger multi LED lantern for doing makeup by.

Yes, I do makeup while I’m camping. Gotta look good for the drum circle, people! :smiley:

17

Which kind do you use?

Thanks silenus, this sounds like a good idea.

I’m not sure what kind of floor the family tent has–we’ve only used it for one trip and it never occurred to me to check–but I’ll see. It’s certainly sturdier and heavier than our backpacking tent.

Wow, that grill is very cool. The 5 day cooler idea is great too. Thanks everyone!

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My family’s lucky if I wash. :slight_smile:

19

I’d go with a screen tent/house over a canopy. As mentioned, the newer models are much easier to manage and the doors can be tied open if they aren’t needed. But if the bugs are bad you’ll want that screen. I usually bring an extra tarp anyway, and if the bugs aren’t bad I might rig that up instead.

In my experience, the stove preference boils down to the convenience/safety of propane over the slight economy of liquid fuel. Plus, my lantern runs on propane so the tanks serve dual purpose. However, I’m more of a weekend warrior camper (usually only 2-3 nights at a time, maybe 6 times over the late spring, summer and early fall), so I have time to purchase fresh tanks. On a ten day trip, I may not want or have space to haul ~10 propane tanks or worry about buying replacements during the trip.

That said, I’ve never noticed a lack of cooking power or performance in cold or any other weather with propane. In fact I’m always amazed how fast my propane stove brings water to boil (or burns my eggs if I turn a way for even a second). I’ll admit that flame adjustment can be touchy and according to Coleman’s website you’ll be able to cook twice as long on a full tank of liquid fuel as one small propane tank (two hours vs one).

Single burners are great but they don’t offer the wind protection of a stove.

Other stuff:
I’d recommend something like this that you can use over an open fire if the stove is being used for other things.

I like to bring a small hatchet for breaking down split wood into kindling and a handsaw for if you’re lucky enough to find a good-sized log or branch fallen in the woods.

A collapsable water jug is nice to reduce trips to the pump.

I’ve never thought of putting the tarp down on the inside instead of under the tent. Campsites aren’t always grassy and unless the ground is very dry the bottom of the tarp can get pretty dirty and wet. I’d much rather deal with a dirty tarp than the dirty bottom of a tent. I have a separate Coleman picnic blanket thing that’s waterproof on one side and fleece on the other. That’s my inside the tent liner.

20

Something like these. The roof is almost as large as the footprint so it has good rain blocking area. The poles go together and then clips attached to the screen house are clipped into place on the pole making set up easier than designs where you have to slip all the poles into sleeves sewn onto the screen house. A twelve by twelve foot screen house is a good minimum size to get. Be sure that you will be able to stand everywhere in the screen house. Having to duck everywhere but the center is not a good one. My available screen house is very old and not sold any longer.:wink:

Coleman Insta Clip Screen House

Eureka Breezeway

Have a separate cooler for stuff that can not get warm no matter what. The other cooler is the one for soda fruit and whatever else won’t spoil when opened a lot and can be allowed to warm if ice is in short supply.