Outside living is a primary reason many of us RV. We love the experiences which can only be had when enjoying the outdoors. By adding our favorite outside gear we have all the comforts of home anywhere we choose to travel. The products below are simply our choices, we research the items we buy to assess how they will fit into our lives and full-time RV travel.
Clam Quick-Set Venture
We recently purchased our Clam Quick-Set Venture 9′ x 9′ Portable Pop Up Camping Gazebo Screen Tent. https://quicksetshelters.com/screen-tents/venture-screen-tent . The Clam is a sturdy Canopy Shelter, with five sides. It’s lightweight, 28.66 lbs., and measures 9′ across, and at the center it is just under 7′ tall. The roof panel resists water and fabric side panels are also available. The screen is high quality and has an extra wide skirt, which helps keep bugs and other insects out.
Our First Clam Experience
Our first experience with a Clam Quickset Tent was in a campground in Colorado last year. Jess and I were sitting outside enjoying our dinner when suddenly an unpredicted severe storm passed over the campground. The sky darkened and the wind intensity left us hurriedly picking up our chairs and anything not tied down. We made it inside our Leisure Travel Van with our dinner just before the rain started.
The dry comfort of our LTV was short lived. I noticed this large screen tent from a couple sites away, several feet in the air blowing towards a major highway in Denver. We were concerned what would happen if the tent blew into the busy road. We decided to try to retrieve the tent and bring it back to where it belonged. After it got hung up a few times on trees and shrubs we were finally able to catch it.
I had no idea how to close up the Clam and did the best we could. We carried what appeared to us to be a tangled mess of poles and screen, back to the campsite where it had come from. We safely secured the pile as good as we could to their RV, because the owners were not home. Now soaked, we were ready to finish eating our dinner.
When We Knew We Needed A Clam
To our surprise the next day when we went out for a walk. We did a double-take when we passed by our neighbor’s site. The Clam was set-up and looked perfect as if nothing happened. The owners were outside, I introduced us, and told them what had happened. They thanked us and answered all our questions about their Clam. Impressive! I wouldn’t have believed this was the same tent if I had not seen it with my own eyes. Jess and I already owned a screen tent, but I filed away this information for possible future use.
Several months later Jess and I were camping in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Jess took a trip to visit our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, while I stayed in Lake Havasu to care for our pets. Before she left we had set-up our screen tent and outside space, which was a two-person job. The tent had two long poles and several connectors not possible for one person.
A few days into her trip severe winds were predicted in Lake Havasu. Because, I decided I would not be able to pack up the tent by myself. I secured it the best I could and picked up everything else. Several hours into the storm the tent was barely hanging on and it was evident it would need to be taken down for the safety of our RV and others. I reached out to my neighbors to find enough helpers, it took four of us to safely take the tent down in the winds we were experiencing.
Our Clam
I thanked everyone, and we all retreated to our RV’s. After I called Jess and told her what was happening. I also expressed how much I decided I hated our current screen tent and even though there was nothing wrong with it, I wanted to replace it. I had already looked up information about the Clam I wanted and because she is the Amazon guru, I asked her to order it.
Our Clam arrived a few days after she returned home. We unpacked it and in a couple of minutes it was set-up on our site. It was the simplest thing, I couldn’t believe how easy it was. We have set it up and taken it down many times. It is easily a one person job. The Clam has proved to be simple, durable and provides an incredible outdoor living space.
The Clam keeps us and our stuff dry when it’s raining and shaded when the sun is shining. We have removable side panels which provide additional shading, rain protection and privacy. It will be a safe haven when we visit those States with a high mosquito population. One of the best things about living in an RV is our backyard changes from day-to-day. Having the ability to enjoy those new places in the comfort our Clam provides enhances our experience.
Thermacell
Thermacell is a game changing product we discovered many years ago. https://www.thermacell.com/products Jess and I spent any free time we had hiking, camping and backpacking in the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire. This required us to share our limited time off with swarms of ferocious mosquitos, black flies, and no-see-ums who call the great outdoors home.
We were enjoying drinks around a fire pit one evening with our neighbors when they mentioned this new Thermacell product they were trying out. We talked about it briefly and then continued discussing how we would solve the world’s problems. Just a few evenings later Jess and I were sitting on our deck swatting mosquitos, when we were ready to give in to the relentless bugs and go inside, the neighbors hollered for us to come visit.
We walked to their deck and experienced ed a completely different environment. There were no bugs! We purchased our own Thermacell the next day. It is a simple and highly effective product. It operates with a fuel canister and specially formulated repellent pad. With a twist of the container the fuel is ignited, without the need of an open flame, and then the unit begins dispersing an invisible 15′ protection barrier. Additionally, both fuel and repellent pads are replaceable. Finally, they are available at a reasonable cost and can be purchased at many major retailers.
We have used ours in many states throughout our journey. It has provided bug free space in the most hostile bug infested environments. At times we have even used it inside our RV when combating ravenous insects which somehow permeated our screens.
Coleman Grill
This is our Coleman Tabletop 2-in-1 Camping Grill/ Stove. https://www.coleman.com/grills-stoves/camping-stoves/multi-burner/deluxe-tabletop-propane-2-in-1-grill-stove-2-burner/SAP_2000038016.html. This grill offers 20000 BTU’s of cooking power with the flexibility of grilling and sauté at the same time. Its compact design 24″W x 15.75″ D x 6.5″ H allows it to fit in the smallest RV storage cabinets. We first discovered this incredible grill in 2009. Our daughter was beginning high school and many upcoming events would be enhanced with our ability to cook-up delicious treats to share with her friends from the comfort of our tailgate.
We liked the flexibility we thought this combination grill would offer us. Our first event was a success. We participated in a tailgate celebration prior to the start of the annual powder puff flag football game at her school. We served mini steak, chicken and veggie kabobs to all of her friends and enjoyed the variety of offerings from others. It was about thirteen years later, after years of use, that it failed to work one day likely due to the regulator.
There was no question that we wanted to fix the grill. In a few minutes searching the internet I found that Walmart now sells the same grill for under a hundred dollars. Therefore, it was a simple decision to just replace the entire grill, in less than an hour we were unpacking our brand new Coleman 2/1 grill. We’re now good for many more years to come.
Worthington LP Tank
Stock Photo
Worthington Steel 4.25 lbs., Refillable Propane Tank https://www.campingworld.com/worthington-steel-refillable-propane-cylinder-4.25-lbs is the perfect solution for the limited storage space available in our Leisure Travel Van, Wonder RL. The tank is compact 11.8″ H x 9.1″ diameter and easily fits in most of the external cabinets of the Wonder RL. It is manufactured from all steel and powder-coated and meets DOT specifications including an Overfill Prevention Device.
The tank holds 1 gallon of propane and can be filled anywhere propane tanks are filled. This one tank holds a similar amount to what four of those common green disposable tanks hold. It easily connects to all standard grills and propane appliances.
RV Sand Free Mat
We purchased this RV Sand Free Mat https://www.cgear-sandfree.com/products/ upon the recommendation of a few LTV owners from the Leisure Travel Van Enthusiast Facebook page. It comes in three sizes, we chose the middle size which is 8′ x 14′. Its patented sand-free design allows sand and dust to fall through it, without allowing it to come back through. The weave design also allows sunlight and wind to pass through. Because, of this it will not kill the grass. Additionally, the mat is unlikely to be blown away by the wind. The mat is water-resistant and made from a mold-free material.
The RV mat includes heavy-duty corner D-rings to stake down in extreme weather. We chose the blue/ green color combination and love it! This one single item helps us keep the outdoors we love separate from the indoors we love. It significantly minimizes the amount of debris tracked into our home. At the same time, the mat provides a homy feel to our campsite. Imagine the feel an accent rug adds to your living room, it’s the same! The mat folds up easily and we store it in one of our outside storage compartments.
Camping Chairs
Poler Stuff Adventure Chairs were a great find at a Denver Sporting Goods store. The chairs are durable, constructed of canvas and aluminum. They have an attached side-table with cup holder providing ample space for whatever you might want. In addition, to being lightweight and comfortable there are many built-in canvas pockets which can hold all your gear.
Chair Rack
Camco Rv ladder chair racks are a simple durable racks. https://www.camco.net/chair-rack-black-hooks-over-ladder-style-bilingual-51490 The rack hooks over your RV’s factory installed ladder, and allows one to two chairs to be carried. The chairs and rack require additional straps to secure the items to the ladder. As with any additional equipment which you choose to add to your RV we recommended consulting manufacturer specifications and weight limits.
Yeti Cooler
We love our Yeti cooler! https://www.yeti.com/coolers// Ours is the 35 Hard Cooler, 21.1″ long by 15.4″ tall and 15.9″ wide and weighs 21.4 lbs. It is durable and holds between 29-39 cans with ice. Made with permafrost insulation which is a pressure injected polyurethane that traps the cold in and heat out. It’s construction also includes a freezer quality gasket, an interlocking hinge system, and heavy-duty lid latches.
If traveling in bear country it is IGBC ( Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee) approved, as long as you lock it up using extra-long shank padlocks. We use these same locks when we secure our cooler to either a picnic table or other gear. Our Yeti lives outside and functions as additional space for cold beverages as well as table space when we do not have a picnic table.
I save the stickers we acquire throughout our journeys and I give them to our granddaughter to put on our Yeti. I love looking at the Yeti, it’s a little reminder of the fun times we spend together.
Table
We tote around two different tables. One aluminum and one heavy-duty hard plastic. They both have been helpful in optimizing our outside space. Because the Leisure Travel Van we purchased did not come with the outside table upgrade, we improvised by purchasing a lightweight aluminum slotted folding table. There are many choices available in this category.
We chose a readily available Ozark Trail top folding table from Walmart. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Camping-Table-Silver/ It is rust-resistant only 4.9 lbs. and stands 24.6″ tall, with a length of 19.29″ and width of 18.7″. It is heavy-duty and folds easily in half for storage. Because we boondock frequently without services this table primary serves as a stable platform for our Coleman grill. It’s size and height is perfect.
Walmart Stock Photo
Our second table is a new addition, which enhances our outdoor entertainment space! Recently with the purchase of our Clam shelter, we decided to add a Roku television allowing us to enjoy watching our favorite shows in the comfort of the great outdoors. Therefore, we again went to Walmart to pick out our table. We selected a 4-foot table which folds in half with a handle allowing easy carrying. Fully adjustable to multiple heights for many activities. The table is durable and lightweight and makes the perfect stand for holding our new Roku TV.
Walmart Stock Photo
Every new campsite is surrounded by new adventures. When we arrive and set-up our space it becomes our home. Each location is different and organizing it is part of the fun. Creating comfortable outside space adds another layer of enjoyment in our full-time RV life. Live Simple Live Happy
If interested in other similar blogs: https://hikingmemere.com/category/equipment/
