Your 10 Favorite Boondocking Accessories?

[Reed Cundiff]

There was a long discussion on cold and its effect on LFP at Northern Arizona Wind and Sun recently. Basically, as the battery begins to charge at low temperature and low charge rate from solar, it will warm up and will be fine as charge rate increases.

If worried about low temperature, just put a 20 to 60 W incandescent bulb in the bay where the batteries are and this will keep the bay above freezing. Do the same to keep the bay where the water tanks are located and to keep the pipes from freezing if ambient temperature gets below 20 F.

The batteries are supposed to work well at -22 F.
Reed and Elaine

[SkiSmuggs]

Originally Posted by 7.3diesel

Got any recommendations on a good, compact & lightweight ladder?


I bought one of these 12.5 ft ladders from Amazon for under $100.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...la%2Caps%2C320


Sorry for the n00b question, but what kind of mishaps exactly?

With our previous TT, we shoehorned into the last available spot in a Nova Scotia campground and it was sloped toward the TV. When I uncoupled, it started moving toward me and the truck. My wife hadn't chocked it and I hadn't checked. The only thing that prevented serious damage was that the brake cable was still attached and pulled the pin.

[rnrracing2]

Mine is my Big Red Propane campfire and camp chairs

[onemoreday]

ditto to rnrracing2!!....plus my bbq and coffee pot

[lgarcia]

We only boondock for a few days at a time and this works for us.

1. AM/FM Weather radio powered by USB charge or hand crank. I am partial to the Eton Rover and the Eton Axis with their very sturdy hand crank.
2. Coleman shower bag and a bucket for handwashing outside
3. Biolite bundle -the smaller woodstove with water kettle/storage and grill. Easier to bring wood pellets, but can use twigs, branches, and pine cones if available at the site.
4. Biolite KettleCharge. Seems redundant to bring another way to boil water but....this is electricity generating. This gives us a way to charge cell phones, flashlights, weather radios and anything that charges via a USB port. Has a 10 watt USB powered outlet that stores the power.
5. Reflective tarps -silver on one side and regular tarp on the other side. A little sturdier than the Mylar sheet types. Assists the awning, can put on chairs to retain heat while sitting or to keep off rain, can put over windows to keep heat in or out.
6. There is also a reflective tarp version that has a hood on one end to aid in wrapping around a person to keep in heat.
7. Dollar store solar lamps. We bring most of them inside at night and use instead of the TT lights. Most can be detached from the base and have an on-off switch. They reflect pretty well off the light colored ceiling and walls.
8. umm.. pee jugs and pee buckets. Easier to collect a few "donations" and then pour down the toilet for one flush instead of two or three flushes.
9. Clean most thing with paper towels and wipes - baby wipes for people, Lysol wipes for objects. Most of the used paper towels can be firestarters.
10. Coleman CPX fan/light combo with the battery pack - mostly for the fan, but can supplement the solar lights inside, too.