http://www.viewpoints.com/Misc-Camping Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:47:39 GMT Reviews about Misc. Camping http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Zephyr-Mini-Fan-review-9d592 It's sometimes hard to resist buying the little gadgets I find in the Outdoors Department.  Some items turn out to be useful while others are junk. The Coleman Zephyr Mini-Fan seems to fall somewhere between ''somewhat useful'' and ''could live without it''. — This mini-fan from Coleman is about 4 inches long and the two fan blades are each about 1.5 inches long. It operates on two AA batteries and has a simple sliding On/Off switch. There are sold in a variety of colors (if that matters) and my unit is yellow. — The Coleman Zephyr Mini-Fan will move a surprising amount of air with its small blades.  It really does work for a quick cool-down if you are overheated or in a confined area that could use some air movement (like in a tent).  It is somewhat noisy (like a giant bumble bee may sound like) but is easy to hold and operate. — The mini-fan does have a few drawbacks though. There is no guard and the blades will sting a little if... Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:47:39 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Zephyr-Mini-Fan-review-9d592 JovialCougar 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Queen-Size-air-mattress-review-0e8d6 I purchased this bed for my neices when they slumber over my house with me and I slept on it one night and it really was great for me, a person with previous back surgery. I slumber on it with them now and watch movies. I looked at other brands but someone told me this was a good mattress that i should try out and I am glad that I did. I purchased a twin size to take to the park and watch the lazer show so that I would not have to sit on the ground and have a picnic with the kids. this allows me to enjoy some of my old past times with the kids. Us girls love... Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:42:44 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Queen-Size-air-mattress-review-0e8d6 Isaac 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Ozark-Trail-Twin-Air-Mattress-review-8c4d Last month when I went on vacation I camped for 4 days at a bike rally with my daughter, her husband and about 500 others...lol I knew I needed something comfortable but it also had to pack on Lil' Blue, so it needed to be lightweight and compact. I also had my tent along with a few changes of clothes that needed to fit on my bike as well. — — Ozark Trail Twin Air Mattress — — I opted for the Ozark Trail Air Mattress from Walmart and was able to pick one up for $15 which I felt was very reasonable. This mattress weighs in at about 3lbs. and has an innovative valve that keeps the air in once you finish blowing it up and before you put the plug in place, that means your efforts are not wasted. You can blow it up manually with a hand pump or use a AC/DC air pump, I used a battery operated pump and it took about 10 minutes to inflate my mattress. — — It has flock on one side which helps keep you from sliding around and it also has 6" wide ribs... Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:14:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Ozark-Trail-Twin-Air-Mattress-review-8c4d kid-kansas 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Cool-Zephyr-Window-Fan-review-b5b80 Just bought two of these items (just to see if they were useful) and found that the Coleman FAN/LED LIGHT combination version came in quite 'handy' when I went camping recently with my four kids.   It was a great 'hit' with them (especially my youngest daughter... as it allowed her to have her own lighting in the tent, in a section 'designated' just for her.  She had total control of using it at anytime.  The biggest surprise was that it had a 'night-light' function on it as well.   This was a loaded lighting system perfect for our camping situation.  My daughter and other kids were very excited about the features and usefulness of this system.  The Coleman Fan/LED Light also has a separate magnet that allowed us to hook both units up from outside of the tent.... and they stayed there the whole time.   —  NOW, whomever was thinking about what "features" to add to this... got it exactly "RIGHT" for our camping... Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:59:07 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Cool-Zephyr-Window-Fan-review-b5b80 shiatzu 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Campground-KOA-Coloma-Mi-review-cb5a3 I just needed to tell other RV ers or campers that the koa in coloma Mi. is very poorly run and they care nothing of customer satifaction.We book a mth. in advance asked for the best site.When we pulled in to site we where on top of our neigbbors camp fire.So we spent 2 hrs looking for something eles we camped at anothert site for that nite but had to move the next day.We found a camp site that we liked but had to spend about 70 dollars for and extension cord 25' and and a longer hose to reach the hook up.This campgrounds is not set up user friendly ,the cord and hose draped across the kids play area.The internet would not work from our site we had to go to pool to use it this was very inconvenient ,especially when we use it to plan our trip as we go.The sauna did not work the jacuzzi was verydirty and asked staff to clean and it never was clean.Also asked about wireless internet they did not fix that either.This is a very nice part of Mi. hopefully someone can maybe buy some lane and... Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:58:41 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Campground-KOA-Coloma-Mi-review-cb5a3 ssvest 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Komperdell-Northern-Lights-Trekking-Poles-review-506a1 Want a bit of extra balance when hiking or perhaps just something to rest against?  Check out the Northern Lights Trekking Poles from Komperdell. — While the Northern Lights trekking poles from Komperdell look a lot like ski poles, they are so much more.  Unlike most ski poles, these poles telescope, allowing you, with a quick twist to lengthen and shorten to the poles to whatever length you'd like.  This makes it easy to adjust the poles as you are hiking in different conditions.  The poles themselves adjust from just over 2 feet to just over 4 and a half feet in length. — The poles don't weigh very much.  They are only 8 and half ounces each since they are made from reinforced aluminimum.  At this weight, you almost don't feel them when you are hiking with them.  The poles are strong. We've taken them hiking all over and besides a few scratches on the exterior paint job, the poles are no worse for the wear. — The grips on the... Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:45:30 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Komperdell-Northern-Lights-Trekking-Poles-review-506a1 jps246 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Unknown-3-Piece-Stainless-Steel-Vacuum-Bottle-and-Mug-Set-review-10b31 This nifty little gift set is usually tucked away in our 5th wheel travel trailer for vacations. However, we found it necessary to “borrow” it while we are in the process of moving. We are mainly moving furniture on weekends to save vacation time for remodeling the old house so this has been slow going. We have been making occasional mid-week trips and staying at the new-old house to save time and energy. On those mornings, we have to get up earlier than usual and hit the road. I need an extra cup of coffee for this kind of early rising. I’m NOT a morning person. We have an hour and 20 minute drive to work from the new-old house. For those of you who haven’t heard the new-old house was build in 1860 and I have been calling it my new-old house. Ok –so back to the review! — The 3 Piece Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle and Mug Set is the perfect set for commutes to work or for any kind of travel in your car. It is the perfect size for... Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:54:44 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Unknown-3-Piece-Stainless-Steel-Vacuum-Bottle-and-Mug-Set-review-10b31 BayouBengal 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-4D-Quickpump-Air-Pump-review-b4425 If you own an air mattress you probably want to pump it up with air when you use it.  They are so much more comfortable that way! I have been using the Coleman 4D Quickpump Air Pump to put air in my Coleman Air Mattress, and for the most part have been satisfied. — The Coleman 4D Quickpump Air Pump is made of lightweight plastic and runs on 4 D-cell batteries. The batteries are entered through the base that is removable and then snaps on again. I had one of these same air pumps several years ago and the snaps broke-off, making it impossible for the batteries to maintain contact with the pump mechanism. That has not happened (yet?) with my newer pump, but it does not seem any more durable than the older one. — There is an attachment to connect the air pump to the air mattress valve which easily snaps into place. A flick of the switch will get the pump motor going. It's a bit loud but will fill a twin-sized mattress in about 2 minutes.  A queen... Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:03:25 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-4D-Quickpump-Air-Pump-review-b4425 JovialCougar 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/AeroBed-Endura-Bed-review-fcb61 This is a very strong and durable air mattress. Well worth the money...and it is spendy. We bought this because we have kids (who like to jump on beds) and dogs (who like to sleep in the bed occasionally) — When we made the decision to get an air mattress for our camping trips we wanted something that would last. This is the only one that sounded like it could withstand the family. — Another cool thing to this mattress (aside from the cool camo print!!!) is that it comes with a versatile, rechargeable, dual power motor that inflates and deflates cordlessly or runs directly off the car battery so it only takes about a minuet and a half to inflate or deflate. There's a neat open and close thing so that when you get it full you don't have to take the pump out and lose any air...you just twist to close with no air loss! — No matter what kind of air mattress it is I will NEVER find them to be comfortable so I can't say that this is or is not any more or less comfortable... Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:58:26 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/AeroBed-Endura-Bed-review-fcb61 busycharles 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Queen-Size-air-mattress-review-90f64 Well as much as I do love the camping and the outdoors, I actually needed to purchase the Queen size Coleman Raised Pillowtop airbed with built-in pump when I moved into my new apartment and was waiting for the end of the month for my furniture to arrive. When I went to the K-mart store around the corner from my house, I wasn't sure what to purchase at first. I took a look at everything that was available on shelves but I have had bad luck with air-mattress' in the past and didn't want to take my chances with buying another cheap bed. I knew I needed something Full to Queen size, comfy, durable and a pump is always essential. I saw the Coleman and it was the perfect size, the pump was easily built right in, it looked very sturdy and durable (in addition to coming equipt with an airtight system guaranteed not to leak) and the removable pillowtop mattress pad made the bed looked more then comfortable. I got it home and set everything up. The ease of setting everything up was great, like... Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:43:07 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Queen-Size-air-mattress-review-90f64 babygirlshaven7 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Queen-Size-air-mattress-review-b5b12 Years of camping and sleeping on the ground has gotten to me. I have turned into a wimp...I like comfort and I think the camping gods heard me when I told my husband I wanted to get one.  — A week later our neighborhood had our annual rummage sale and the retired female cop down the hall was selling her camping stuff.  What did I see?  A brand new Coleman queen sized air mattress (thank you camping gods) $15 and it was mine.  I even bought the Coleman air pump too that was battery operated.  — I thought just in case it didn't work I would blow it up the night before we left for camping.  IT WORKED!!!  No more hard, lumpy, cold ground for this little camper. Nope, no way.  — I got it all set up at camping and couldn't wait to go to bed after sitting around the camp fire the first night. — It was so comfy, so wonderful and I slept right through both nights...My husband didn't even say anything that I bought it...Guess... Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:53:29 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Queen-Size-air-mattress-review-b5b12 AmyA 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Reliance-Solar-Spray-5-gal-portable-shower-review-69893 It was time to go camping again and after last year and no shower (showers were a 20 min drive) I thought I would be prepared this year.  I didn't want to spend a lot since is was a once a year thing and while at Mill's Fleet Farm I found a Reliance Solar Spray 5 gal portable shower.   — Looks just like the semi clear collapsible water tote only in a  black polyethylen plastic. It also comes with a "S" hook and rope for easy hanging (for one of the men in camp to hang...I couldn't lift it over my head with it filled with water) and a large shower head with a flexible hose with a shut off valve. — When sitting in the nice hot Sun for 2 and a half hours it can heat up to 100 F.  It did heat up pretty nice and it was very refreshing.  — I was a little bummed that I couldn't take full advantage of this product (I couldn't get any of the men of the camp to help me get this to hang from a tree.  So I... Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:26:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Reliance-Solar-Spray-5-gal-portable-shower-review-69893 AmyA 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Twin-Size-Quickbed-Air-Bed-review-a5713 You'll never be able to take your own bed with you when you go camping, but there are some pretty comfortable air mattresses around to use as a good substitute. I most often use a Coleman air mattress, such as this Coleman Twin Size Quickbed Air Bed. This is the second air mattress like this I have owned and have been happy with the quality and performance. — The Coleman Twin Size Quickbed Air Bed is 74'' long, 39'' across, and pumps up to about 8'' high. One thing that annoyed me is the dimensions on this most recent air mattress were not listed on the box. This air mattress has a Double-Lock valve which prevents air leaks from the valve, and 32 coils for supports. It's made of puncture-resistant Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) which had a funny scent went I first bough it, but it soon dissipates. The top of the air mattress is flocked with a fuzzy, comfortable coating. — A nice feature of this air mattress is a unique ''Wrap and Roll'' design which allows you to fold-up the... Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:45:29 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Twin-Size-Quickbed-Air-Bed-review-a5713 JovialCougar 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Butane-Propane-Fuel-Canister-review-e90b1 I often use a small single-burner stove when camping called the Coleman F1 Exponent Camping Stove.  This stove requires a fuel source that screws onto the bottom of the stove's connector, and I use the Coleman Butane/Propane fuel canister. The fuel cansiater not only provides a source of energy for the stove, but also serves as its base. — Coleman Butane/Propane fuel canister contains a mixture of 70% butane and 30% propane.  The advantage of this fuel is the sealed, lightweight canister which is easy to transport and use.  This mixture also provides a powerful fuel source so the stove can produce a nice, hot flame.  An 8 ounce canister will provide up to 2 hours worth of flame for the stove, which is often enough for a camping weekend. — Some drawbacks to this type of fuel mixture is that is does not perform well in colder weater; its best for summetime use. It also does not perform well in very high-altitudes. The cansiter is also... Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:28:12 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-Butane-Propane-Fuel-Canister-review-e90b1 JovialCougar 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Nalgene-Wide-Mouth-Lexan-Bottle-review-a3a43 The Nalgene Wide Mouth bottle is a good addition to my ever growing water bottle collection, however, I am not so happy with the tendency for me to spill while drinking from it.  I even purchased one of the inserts to allow for ease of drinking and though it helped, I still end up wearing water occasionally.  I much prefer the narrow bottle opening when it comes to drinking.  — ... Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:38:56 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Nalgene-Wide-Mouth-Lexan-Bottle-review-a3a43 ktod 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-5-in-1-Inflatable-King-Twin-Sofa-Air-Mattress-review-67353 We have been camping in tents for years, and I have always been frustrated with bedding options while you are using a tent, we either: — —... Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:31:01 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-5-in-1-Inflatable-King-Twin-Sofa-Air-Mattress-review-67353 KWcamping 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Camp-Stove-Toaster-review-155e1 It's kind of hard to toast bread at a campsite when you have no electricity. And running an extension cord all the way from back home does not work so well. However, there are some camping toasters that can be used over a campfire or camping stove, such as Coghlan's Camp Stove Toaster. — In theory this could be a decent product. The Coghlan's Camp Stove Toaster is a round metal device that measures about 9 inches across. There are four sets or steel wires that fold upwards to form a little square box where you can set four pieces of toast. When the toaster and toast is set over a fire, the hot air will flow upward and give the bread a toasty glow. What could go wrong with such a simple device? — I had my Coghlan's Camp Stove Toaster for several years and the first year it was fine – all the device does is hold four pieces of bread. The wires folded up nicely when done and it fit back in the compact box real well for storage. However, the following... Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:25:46 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Camp-Stove-Toaster-review-155e1 JovialCougar 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Fire-Sticks-review-a77a1 If you want to build a campfire you'll need some kindling wood, which burns quickly and gradually spreads the fire to heavier, thicker pieces of wood. But you still need to get the kindling ablaze, and Coghlan's Fire Sticks can help speed-up the process. — The fire sticks are sold in a pack of one dozen for about $2.50. Each stick is about 5 inches long and a ½ inch wide. They look like miniature railroad ties!  I'm not sure what they are made of but it looks like compressed wood shavings mixed with a waxy substance. — Coghlan's Fire Sticks are easy to use.  Just hold a match under one each of the fire stick and it will quickly ignite. Once the fire stick is burning, set it in the fire pit amidst the kindling where there is access to air.  The fire stick will continue burning for about 10 minutes during which time the kindling should catch fire. For best results you should use a couple of fire sticks and try to ignite the fire in... Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:50:30 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coghlans-Fire-Sticks-review-a77a1 JovialCougar 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-5-in-1-Inflatable-King-Twin-Sofa-Air-Mattress-review-af4f1 Very comfortable and great support for your back. I've always been a very active person so in my later years I've got some joint pain along with pains in my lower and middle back. My old mattress used to be terrible on it. This mattress make me seem like I'm on a cloud floating. I'm ten years younger... Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:52:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Coleman-5-in-1-Inflatable-King-Twin-Sofa-Air-Mattress-review-af4f1 decroo21 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Reliance-5-Gallon-Collapsible-Water-Carrier-review-0b203 The Reliance 5 Gallon Collapsible Water Carrier is a good product for storing water for outdoor activities.  I use this water container on camping trips and, while not perfect, have found it to a good product overall. — Unlike water carriers with a rigid design, the Reliance 5 Gallon Collapsible Water Carrier is made of flexible polyethelene that is lightweight and can be folded up. As an added bonus, the polyethelene does not impart a plastic taste into the water (in my experience).  This water container is pretty durable too despite its flexible design; it has not cracked. — Water can be poured into the Reliance 5 Gallon Collapsible Water Carrier through the opening that is nearly 2 inches across. You could fit ice cubes into the opening if you wanted. A plastic spigot screws onto the opening that also has a shut off valve for easy dispensing of water. — The water carrier has a rigid plastic... Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:54:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Reliance-5-Gallon-Collapsible-Water-Carrier-review-0b203 JovialCougar 4