Glorious Glamping on a Dime

I own 2 tents. One is a 4 man tent that you can’t stand in unless you’re 4 ft tall. The other is a 10 man tent that a 6 ft 6 in man could stand in with more head room. It has optional dividers for 3 interior rooms. The entrance is through a 6×8 ft screen room. The tent top is screen but comes with a fitted rain proof cover. I have a double bed and 2 twin air matresses. Planning to get a 2 ft tall queen size air matress. I have a battery operated inflator and an old bicycle pump style inflator for the beds. I have 2 sleeping bags that zip together and a single one. 2 sturdy old folding directors chairs, 4 lighter weight folding camp chairs, 1 sling chair, and 2 folding long recliners. I have a sturdy folding side table and an aluminum 2x6ft folding table. I have 3 different camp stoves that use propane and a Vulcan stove made for a Dutch oven for cooking over charcoal. Ideal for baking. I have a metal tripod for hanging a Dutch oven or cowboy pot over a fire. I have both cowboy and percolator pots. I have cast-iron grills, shallow and deep castiron frying pans, extendable forks for hotdogs etc., mesh baskets for cooking vegetables or seafood over a fire, a large wok for stir fry meals or fry bread, assorted food prep and cooking tools, even different can openers to choose among, slotted and solid large spoons that double for cooking and serving, 16 in tongs, and 2, 56 qt 5 day ice chests. I have a homemade solar generator with a 100 ah 12v battery. A small solar panel that has charging ends for lanterns, radio, flashlights, and phones. And the above items for it. A crawdad trap, assorted fishing gear from antique fly rods to modern reels and poles and plenty of tackle, nets, pliers, filet knives etc. I have a shower/toilet tent and hanging shower bags, and a 5 gallon bucket with seat toilet that uses trash bags. I have 3 sizes of Dutch ovens to choose from. 4, 6, and 13 quart sizes.
I can camp comfortably or light for packpacking. I can fill my full sized truck or go in my Prius hatchback and still camp well. When I take the truck I have the solar generator an extension cord goes to the tent. It has chargers, a/string of mini lights for inside and even space for my sons cpap machine at night. I have a handful of cheap solar path lights going to the toilet tent. At dinner time the path lights are in a pasts/sauce can on the table or I’ll have candles or an antique train oil lamp along for the trip.
I could happily spend the summer camping near a well stocked lake with big trees. I have fishing licenses for 2 states. One good till next March and the other good till next July. My instate license only costs me $1 per year at Walmart or free ordered from the fish and game department. The out of state license was expensive but worth it. Camped twice there this summer. Crawdad trapping is free but I bought a $14 trap that works great. My son and I each have traps and we caught 49 crawdads in 3 hours. That was lunch for 5 people. Boiled in Cajun seasoning with potatoes and corn. Melted real butter on the side and a dual salt and pepper grinder handy. Wild greens plus wild green onions and homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers make salads. One salad was wilted wild greens with pink onion flowers and grated cheddar cheese. It sure was pretty. My favorite camp has garlicy white blooming onions in July and August and the more mild pink flowered onions in early September. They are in abundant clumps all around. Wild grapes were just starting to ripen so we ate a few in early September. Puffball mushrooms were just breaking ground in early September. They should be big enough for eating by late September.
So yes, sometimes camping and sometimes glamping.

In my vehicles are tools, jumper cables, tow straps, pry bar, t wrench and good jacks, and a bag with a pocket knife, mirror, razor, toothbrush, 2 washcloths, hand towel, chapstick, baking soda, a change of underwear and 2 pr socks, comb, shampoo, hair rinse, bodywash, lotion, alcohol, peroxide, bandaids, ace bandage, petrolium jelly, homemade Firestarters, and electronic Firestarter and a lighter, radio, rechargeable lantern and flashlight, assorted chargers, power packs, and small solar panel. A pencil box holds tea bags, assorted condiment packets and 2 sets of plastic flatware and small paper plates. A cowboy coffee pot holds dry soup mixes, 1, 3 serving mylar bag of beefstew, and zip lock bags of sugar, creamer, coffee, dried mint for tea, a little container that hold 5 seasoning including salt, 2 washcloths, a bit of soap powder, and 2 soup spoons. Tied to the handle are 2 enameled cups that hold nearly 3 cups of liquid each. I can heat food in the cups over an alcohol burner or a fire. One cup is packed with more coffee and creamer, the other holds a tiny metal stand and homemade alcohol burner made from 2 soda cans. A qt bottle of alcohol is both disinfectant and fuel. I also have a Bible and a songbook on a door in the truck along with gloves and a notebook and pen and some mylar blankets. In the car are mylar blankets, Bible, notebook, pen, and phone chargers in the console. Also in both vehicles are insulated food delivery bags. Great for cold items going home from the grocery store. I live 15 miles from the closest one. In winter I add a shopping bag with a warm blanket to each vehicle. The insulated bags could hold ice, meat, milk, and eggs for 2 or 3 people for 2 or 3 days.
I have spent a night on the side of the road in 10° weather when an alternator went out. Made breakfast of tea and graham crackers with peanutbutter then walked to a hill top phone signal to call AAA in the morning. There always something edible in another small snack box along with a tall round oatmeal box with 2 rolls to toilet paper. The snack box holds things like a pack of some kind of crackers, peanut butter, small jar of jam, a couple of plastic knife, fork, spoon, salt, pepper, and napkin packets, serving size chip bags, a few bottles of water and flavoring packs so warm water is more palatable, hard candies- usually mints, and 4 snack packs of chicken salad and crackers. That way I can still eat without a fire or in a hurry if I or a passenger need something. I’m not diabetic but I have friends who are so I’m prepared. Gatorade isn’t too bad hot in a car.
Gatorade and the water bottle flavors are available made with sugar or sugar free. I usually have a few of both.

I;d like to chip in on the Dutch Oven. Get one with a bevel around the lid. That way you can use 2 sticks to place hot coals on the lid for a more even heating.

Secondly add 1 or 2 rolls of “vet tape”, available at your farm co-op, Tractor Supply, or pet supply store. A multitude of colors. 4″ wide and 5 yards long. Stretches and sicks to itself, not hair or fur. No sticky residue. Use to hold a compression bandage in place, use as you would an Ace bandage for a sprain, use as a sling, add some pieces of corrugated cardboard for an improvised splint until you can get to an ER. My ski patrol pals normally carry a roll or two and some corrugated cardboard for these reasons.

Aden, you’d need a pretty good-sized vehicle to haul all of that. Imagine doing that with a family.