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Compact Bedding Finds for Campers: The Tab 400

Finding bedding for campers seems to be a common challenge. While we don’t have plans to take the Tab out til spring, I started thinking about finding the right linens for the new nuCamp Tab 400.

I found my first two items at Costco and wanted to share them here, as they likely won’t be around for long.

Sized-Right Blanket for the Tab 400

My first find was lightweight, colorful blanket. The problem with camper blankets is that they tend to be too big, especially when the bed is surrounded by walls on three sides. They end up difficult to spread neatly and are just too bulky for the limited space. I wanted something foundational that could be part of the set up year-round, knowing I can always add to it when the temperatures dropped.

The Tab 400’s bed measures 55″x79″. A typical full-sized mattress is 54″x79″. The Tab mattress is also just a few inches high, reducing the fabric needed to drape over ends (besides there is only one side where there is any room for drape at all and you also have drawer there to consider.)

Most blankets are cut short in my opinion, not leaving too much extra for a common bed. I found an exception when looking a the dimensions on this Pendleton Plush Blanket at Costco. It wasn’t offered in a full size, the obvious first place to look. But then, looking at the guide, the Queen would be much too big, but would a twin size actually work?

Dimensions:

  • Twin:    66″ x 92″ (167 cm x 233 cm)
  • Queen: 98” x 92” (248 cm x 233 cm)
  • King:   112” x 92” (284 cm x 233 cm)

By golly, it seemed too good to be true. Just eleven extra inches wide and thirteen inches long. So I bought it. For $24.99 and a great return policy, it seemed like a great find.

Continue reading “Compact Bedding Finds for Campers: The Tab 400” →
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Choosing the Perfect Camper

Our search for a new camper took us in all kinds of directions. We waffled back and forth on several options and landed on one that wasn’t even on our list when this all started. When we narrowed it down, owning a camper would be best for us if as many of the following criteria could be met:

Our Criteria

  1. We wouldn’t need to get a larger vehicle to tow it. We currently have a 2020 Honda Ridgeline.
  2. It had a bathroom. A wet bath was okay, as we don’t expect to need the shower often since we mostly plan to use campgrounds with facilities. When those are available, we’re comfortable using them.
  3. It had a table and bed that could exist simultaneously.
  4. It had heat and air conditioning.
  5. It had adequate storage— we needed places to put things so we could reduce setup time by storing items in the camper.
  6. It had a nice fridge.
  7. It had a propane hookup outside so we could eliminate taking an extra propane tank for our griddle.
  8. It could be stored in our garage at home.
  9. It was on the higher end of the quality scale.
Continue reading “Choosing the Perfect Camper” →
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What’s Next…

It has been some time since we’ve posted. Truth is, we’ve been camper-less. When the pandemic hit, we went against the grain. We sold our ALiner for a great price because demand was high and sat out a few seasons. A failed tent experiment resulted in a purge of our gear and turning to other adventures instead (we finally got to Europe!)

October always gets us longing for camping again though and with that comes the topic of investing in a camper. We did a ton of research and tried to figure out just what would be the balance of practical and fun (we’re those kind of people). Instead of practical resulting in not buying a camper, we let fun win for a change and committed to something. Oh, boy…

So the adventures will begin again soon, starting with getting it home from the dealership. Stay tuned as we revitalize this blog to share what we learn, love and loathe.

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Mill Creek Metro Park

Just about an hour and 15 minutes away from Pittsburgh in Youngstown, Ohio, you can spend the day exploring the trails of Mill Creek Metro Park.

We picked a beautiful fall day. Since it is Youngstown, I didn’t have high hopes, but was pleasantly surprised at the unique bridges, surprise rock formations, and the old mill, Lanterman’s Mill. The park wasn’t well marked, but it was clean and safe. The terrain was easy to medium level of difficulty.

The colors in the rock along the trails was truly magnificent.
Continue reading “Mill Creek Metro Park” →
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While so many new people took up camping as a way to get out during the pandemic, we did the opposite. We were already having doubts that our bathroom-less Aliner was going to be with us for much longer and, boom! The RV market exploded. While normally numb to economic conditions, we posted it for sale on RV Trader, sold it in less than a week, thanked if for its service, and delivered it halfway to its new owners.

Whoo hoo! (Happy dance.)

Continue reading “Goodbye Aliner: Back to the tent for now” →
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Best camping purchase of the year (according to the dog)

Our dog is getting up there in years. He is in good shape, but doesn’t quite get in and out of things as easily as he use to. With a lifelong preference for a human camp chair over anything else, I wondered what he was going to do now that he would have trouble getting in one without help. And besides, his trusty blue chair was falling apart. It just wasn’t going to make it through the summer. He needed a dog bed for camping.

After reading a few reviews, we quickly bought the K&H PET PRODUCTS Original Bolster Pet Cot Elevated Pet Bed on Amazon. It came quickly and was super easy to put together. It seemed sturdy enough, even though the legs and corners were plastic. We sat it in the kitchen and the dog only sat in it when he was promised a treat. Reluctance at best. A losing proposition I thought.

This handsome boy is about 75 pounds and we bought the large-size cot.

Then we took it to camp and placed a light blanket on it. After his initial sniffing around he strolled right over to it and plopped down like it was meant to be. He barely moved for hours. He went back to it every chance he got. Other dogs would pass by the site and bark at him, bikes would pass, kids would run and he never moved, sometimes barely looking up. This was good. This is how old dogs do it. This is camping at its best.

Old dog lying on a cot bed outside.

He really doesn’t like to get out of it. It has become the first thing out of the truck when we arrive and the last thing in the truck when we depart. It is easy to take apart and slide into the backseat on the floor. He even likes you to fold the bumper so he can continue to rest his paws and head on it in the truck. No problems after several uses. I have hosed it off and let it dry in the sun with no issues, but I was careful not to soak the bumper.

Lounging dog outside on a cot.

The dog votes this as the single best camping product of the year, perhaps his lifetime. Just so he has someone to shift it to follow the sun path, he is one happy camper.

The K&H Pet Products Bolstered Pet Cot has been given the Campsite Essential seal!

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Internet Access at Raystown Lake

While remote work is a thing, can you reliably get Internet access at Raystown Lake? We recently tested this using a Verizon MiFi for several days. Here’s how it worked…

It was a spur of a moment decision…feeling a bit stir crazy and knowing the weather was only going to be friendly to be outside for a short period of time, a Sunday discussion turned into a spontaneous remote work week. Our first step was to secure an Internet connection. We headed to our local Verizon Wireless store and walked out with a Verizon 
Jetpack® MiFi® and an unlimited data plan. Forty-eight hours later, our camper was packed with just our essentials and we headed out to one of our favorite spots, Seven Points Recreation Area in Huntington County, Pennsylvania, lucky enough to snag a reservation for a lake-front site.

With the sun out on a nice fall day, I settled in for a long day of online meetings in my old REI Zero-Gravity recliner (which didn’t make it home by the way) with a view of the lake.

Lake view while working from camp.

We also had the table in the Aliner set up as a desk and between two of us, we moved back and forth between working spots based on noise levels and task at hand.

Lake view while working from Aliner Classic at campground.

The day went off without issue! Two laptops stayed connected the entire day without the MiFi being plugged in. By 5 o’clock, it was ready to be charged. In the evenings, we were able to freely access streaming services.

Day two was a repeat of the positive experience including the wonderful weather.

Completely loved the change of scenery! It was a great mental health break from our walls of home and opens up lots of opportunities for spring. Now, about the packed parks and struggles to even get a spot… not sure that is getting better any time soon.

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Angel Pies

When looking for ideas, I came across a post and honed in on this one called Angel Pies. Being big Angel Food cake fans, this one is a perfect sweet treat with very little effort.

Brush pie iron with a little butter. Put two thin slices from a loaf of angle food cake. (The kind from the grocery store works best, as it is not as soft as the kind made at home from a box.) Use any of the following fillings:

  • cherry pie filling
  • sliced bananas with a little bit of caramel ice cream topping and some chopped walnuts
  • strawberries with a squirt of whipped cream
  • canned vanilla or chocolate pudding sprinkled with nuts

Put into pie iron and toast over campfire until done, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from iron and sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.

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No-Crumble Corn Bread

While crumbly cornbread is still good, it is kind of a love hate thing… you wish it just wouldn’t crumble so much. It gets all over the place you end up with a butter stain on your best t-shirt.

I tried a new cornbread recipe and it didn’t crumble, but was still very good. Almost cake like in texture, this stayed together and would be perfect for camp along side a pot of dutch oven chili. Or, for breakfast… I love cornbread spread with butter and topped with blueberries. Add a cup of coffee and it is one delightful camp breakfast. (While I forgot to photograph the baked cornbread, I did happen to remember to snap this.)

The recipe was from a copycat cookbook that I no longer have by Todd Wilber… and it turns out that after a simple search, he’s still at recreating restaurant favorites at home. Some of our favorite regular recipes came from his first book, so dig in and see what appeals to you.

Back to this cornbread. It is suppose to resemble Marie Callender’s “Famous Golden Cornbread”. I’ve never had Marie Callender’s cornbread, so I can’t tell you if that is true. I actually never knew it as a restaurant, but frozen food items. (I guess it is the same as Perkins… who knew?) For a denser, no-crumble corn bread, try it. While I made this at home in a glass pan, my next try is cast iron. I would probably make this at home first and take to camp, as I have very little luck baking things over a fire.

Marie Callender’s Famous Golden Cornbread with Honey Butter

Cornbread

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

Honey Butter

1/2 cup softened butter

1/3 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all the dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add the milk, shortening, and egg and mix only until all the ingredients are well combined. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into a greased 8×8-inch pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing. Slice with sharp knife into 9 pieces. Serve warm with honey butter, if desired.

For the honey butter, use a mixer on high speed to whip 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/3 cup honey together until smooth and fluffy.

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