Camping Life articles from December 2005

Camping Life archives from December 2005

The right rig.(Campsite)(tow vehicles)(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2005... One of the great myths of tow vehicle ratings is that a rig rated to tow 3500 pounds can safely and sanely haul a 3500-pound trailer. It is, as I said, a myth. The other great misconception is that if you take any truck to a trailer shop and...

Airstream's BaseCamp: out-of-the-box thinking.(Trail Signs)
December 1, 2005... Sometimes, three different but innovative design teams are better than one. Take, for instance, Airstream, Kelty and Nissan. The companies worked together to make the BaseCamp, a lightweight, aluminum-based trailer with a rear-blooming tent...

Geocaching is caching on quickly.(Trail Signs)(Maryland Geocaching Society)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Have you been geocaching lately? Many have and the numbers are rising. Recently, the Maryland Geocaching Society hit the 1000-member mark, a significant growth since the group was established in 2002, and two years after the game originated in...

New Tahoe floorplans have side cargo doors plus more.(Trail Signs)
December 1, 2005... Thor California has taken a step forward with its new sit-sleep-stow floorplans in the popular Tahoe line. The three models' (19 feet, 25 feet and 27 feet) floorplans include large side cargo doors and a 60X80-inch power bed that can be...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2005... The New Products section in the September/October issue contained the wrong photo and website for the Mission pack by MOTHER. The photo actually showed the company's smaller Fly accessory that can be attached to the Mission pack pictured below....

Talking turkey.(Wildlife)(wild turkeys)
December 1, 2005... Since the dawn of human history, holidays and feasting have gone together like campfires and smoke. For early tribal peoples, a successful hunt meant plenty to eat and a communal celebration of the tribe's good fortune. Similarly, the first...

Holiday breads: spirited ways to make your holiday campout festive, delicious and easy on the cook.(Camp Kitchen)
December 1, 2005... Backcountry Bread Stuffing No matter how far you are from home, there is no substitute for homemade dressing. Serve it right from the pot alongside meat from the campfire, oven, skillet or grill. * 12 slices stale sandwich bread, cut...

Dampire DZ Dryzone Boot Dryers.(Gear Head)
December 1, 2005... Squeezing your feet into damp boots is unpleasant, unhealthy and unnecessary. Whether wet with sweat from a long day of hiking, a stream dunking or rain shower, soaked footwear feels gummy and sticky, and promotes bacterial growth and odor....

B & W Tow & Stow Receiver Hitch.(Gear Head)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... Here's an adjustable hitch setup the manufacturer claims is the most versatile and safest ball-mount hitch on the market. With that kind of boast, we had to check it out for ourselves. We called Humboldt, Kansas-based B & W and asked the...

American Outdoors Ultimate Soft-Sided Cooler.(Gear Head)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... When you're outdoors and having fun, there's nothing as refreshing as reaching for a frosty beverage. While there are numerous suitable, hard-sided coolers on the market today, we thought we'd give a soft-sided one a try to see how it measured...

General Ecology RV Trav-L-Pure water purifier.(Gear Head)
December 1, 2005... Some RV manufacturers offer water filters or purifiers as either standard or optional equipment with their towable products. But for many trailer owners, especially those camping in smaller, lightweight rigs such as tent trailers and other...

Stuff you need.(New Products)
December 1, 2005... 1 Leaf-Spring Stability The RG Stabilizer's counter spring technology helps to reduce sway and other handling issues. It creates resistance to outside spring compression and the extension of the inside spring. Price: $395 for 1/2-ton...

The gems of Baja: surrounded by emerald and turquoise waters, these islands in the Sea of Cortez offer an unmatched wilderness experience for the adventurous.
December 1, 2005... As we enter the iridescent blue water, sporting our snorkeling gear, a terrific barking sound suddenly begins to echo in our ears. The group of flipper-clad snorkelers stare wide-eyed at one another, swallowing hard, trying to remember to...

Tow ratings 2006.(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2005... While vehicle manufacturers resisted the urge to participate in a tow ratings race similar to last year's numbers that rose like mercury on a hot day, there were plenty of innovations in new tow vehicles for 2006. One of these innovations...

State tow laws: as published in AAA's 71st edition digest of motor laws.(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... Max Max Requiring Tow Max Max Max Max Trailer Speed...

Gallery.
December 1, 2005... This month's Gallery features the photography of Brian Gosewisch of Blue Springs, Missouri. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Camping Life will pay $100 per...

Holiday gift guide: presents that tickle the fancy of any outdoor recreation enthusiast in your family.(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2005... Tools of the Trade If your intended already has all the knives they can use, then a knife sharpener that's as easy to use as the Columbia River Knife & Tool Slide Sharp will be a welcome sight. The Slide Sharp uses a unique system of...

Radio roundup: FRS/GMRS radios improve camping communications, but which is best for your needs? Read and find out!(Family Radio Service)(General Mobile Radio Service)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... The reliability of today's Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) combined with their ability to be used almost anywhere make them a great choice for campers, hikers and boaters. Not only do they add an extra...

Lance Max 1181.(RV TEST)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... Lance has been in the business of building slide-in truck campers for more than 40 years and has been quite successful for two main reasons: The company has never lost focus on its primary product to drift off into other types of RVs, and Lance...

How to be cold and live to tell the tale.(Outdoorsman)
December 1, 2005... A winter-weather emergency can occur because of a sudden change in weather, an accident that results in an injury, a disabled vehicle, or just getting turned around in unfamiliar territory and not being able to make it back to camp before...

Your guide to camping in Florida: best family camping in the sunshine state.(Directory)
December 1, 2005... BLUE SPRING STATE PARK 2100 West French Avenue Orange City, FL 32763 (386) 775-3663 Winter home to numerous endangered Manatees, Blue Springs is 2,644 acres of enchantment. Temperatures in the spring run remain a constant 72...

The "first" Thanksgiving.(Campfire Story)
December 1, 2005... While we are certain the gathering that took place between the English colonists and the Wampanoag native people during the autumn of 1621 in Patuxet (renamed New Plymouth) has become known as "The First Thanksgiving," it was most certainly not...