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hiwaycallin
Samba Member
Joined: May 07, 2008
Posts: 362
Location: Salmon Arm, BC
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 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| theizzardking wrote: |
| ... i've grown up thinking if you can;t carry it all you don't need it, i'm used to hiking 10 or miles in and setting up camp from a 30 lbs back pack ... |
Yep same here. Before we had kids my wife and I would sometimes live out of our backpacks for weeks or even months at a time. Now that we have a bus we feel like we're just swimming in extra space when we go camping ... even with 2 little kids. We just spent 2 weeks on the road this summer and easily packed everything in the cabinets plus a bit of stuff in the far back behind the Z-bed ... nothing at all on the floor in front of the sliding door. Probably the most useful piece of gear we had along can be seen in the following photo to the left above my youngest daughter's head (hint: it's for "sitting" on). Sure saved lots of stopping every half hour and looking for public facilities! 
[/img] |
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baywndwjunkie
Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2007
Posts: 336
Location: El Dorado Hills, Ca
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Myself I usually try to go bare-bones..just food, water, stove, clothing and blankets (and a first aid kit)..We always have plenty of room, even with two kids. Keeping it simple yo.. 
_________________
\m/ (^_^) \m/
1977 Chrome Yellow Westy aka "Charlie Brown" |
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Pifey
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2008
Posts: 58
Location: Macomb Il.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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7 days in Wisconsin. Me, my girlfriend at the time and a 100lb lab.The cabinets in the back carried tools,towels etc. sundries and a coffee pot. The side cabinet with the mirror held cleaning supplies, clothes, and som misc. stuff. Under the z-bed was charcoal, a two burner coleman stove and a coleman propane heater. The jumpseat holds a ton! coleman lantern, dishes, cooking utensils extension cords,spare bungee cords. The roof rack holds the Westy tent, folding chairs, a 2 person dome tent, an air mattress,firewood, and a smoky joe kettle grill. All packed and when I opened the sliding door all that could be seen was Jake ( My dog ) and an old coleman cooler.
We didnt forget anything.
Oh yeah.....the overhead shelf has disposable cups, screen for the rear hatch, dishtowels, and whatever else i forgot to mention.
Have a GREAT trip!!!!!! And remember, The journey is as important as the destination.
Stephen |
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WestyPop
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2005
Posts: 1734
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| itlives wrote: |
I haven't used it yet, but I got this for storing stuff and securing the campsite while gone. It's a Reimo Tour Easy
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Looks great! Bet it makes a lot less flapping noise than my Westy side tent. Good on the outside table (and generator I guess; they are truly necessary sometimes).
theizzardking wrote:
... i've grown up thinking if you can;t carry it all you don't need it, i'm used to hiking 10 or miles in and setting up camp from a 30 lbs back pack ...
Hey izzy, that explains why I never have enough room in my Westy for all of our stuff... I always carried an 80-100 lb. backpack on hiking or ski touring trips!
Seriously, I think it relates more to who is coming along. I actually can remember having girlfriends who didn't need 12-volt hairdryers or microwave ovens. Somehow-some way-some folks just can't seem to go light!
IMHO the difference between stuff all over the place and having every thing packed in cabinets or at least secured down, makes a great difference in the enjoyment factor of a trip. Done it both ways, and I'll always be looking for better & more organized ways to pack & store it all! Guess that's one of the reasons I rate my Westy above my other vehicles, even just for a day trip, when hauling a group, especially with kids.
J.R.
68 Westy
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Pifey
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2008
Posts: 58
Location: Macomb Il.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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71 Westy BTW.
Stephen |
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theizzardking
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2008
Posts: 2097
Location: seattle
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="WestyPop"]
| itlives wrote: |
Hey izzy, that explains why I never have enough room in my Westy for all of our stuff... I always carried an 80-100 lb. backpack on hiking or ski touring trips!
J.R.
68 Westy
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haha thank god for the new materials they have came out with, i know what your talking about back before real light weight down bags and titiuam spoorks,pot,pans,stives...ect ect ect, my old pack was around 60-75 lbs back when i did s.a.r., it's just in the last 10 years or so that everything has just gotten so much better,
some how your post made me thing of some dude on wood planks with a external frame pack wearing a neon green one piece and some glacier glasses, hahaha not that anything is wrong with that, in fact it's awesome,
like when i think about john muir climg el cap. with a bunch of boy scouts a few pitons and some old help rope, much respect to teh gens. before me!
where are you at? if you in the wa, get a hold of me for some cool stuff this winter me and my girl both have full rondonee set-ups and can go most anywhere and have  take it easy man!
_________________
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin
'71 westie "the wanderer" |
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WestyPop
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2005
Posts: 1734
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, izzy.
Well, the skiis are mostly put away for family reasons this year... heavy soccer involvement (damn, I hope the kid can parlay this stuff into some good scholarships!!! He actually wants to go to W.Wash. State U. in Bellingham. We'll see what actually happens.).
If we get some time on the snow this year, it will be just light day skiing/snowboarding stuff here locally, sorry to say. Well, hopefully I can finish up a few projects also. We really don't have very harsh winters down here in the 'Inland Empire' of SoCal, but the mountains are close by.
But I'd say next year or the following I'll probably try to get in some good winter trips, down here in SoCal, the Sierras, and hopefully up around Mt. Baker. I'm way overdue!!! Will have to remember to contact you before we head up north.
Thanks for the heads up on randonee possibilities. I've got some nice Hagens I've been wanting to mount up & use; just need the time.
J.R.
68 Westy
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itlives
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2005
Posts: 1424
Location: Shreveport La
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| I've gone from back packing for a 2 weeks at time to my Westy. I'm a little "long in the tooth" now , so I'm all about taking it easy and having some comforts. |
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woodyvw9
Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2005
Posts: 90
Location: Concord, CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:33 am Post subject: |
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We, wife and three kids(11, 9, 4) all still sleep in the bus. Wifw and I on the z-bed, big kids upstairs, and the little on still owns the cot. I have the old spacemaker tent that allows you to put all the camping gear in the tent and allows space to move around a bit. It is a little cramped but that is what the bus life is all about. Here is a couple shots of the set-up.
Woody
_________________
Woody
1978 Westy
2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited |
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GusC2it
Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005
Posts: 1376
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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ronan.b
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2004
Posts: 192
Location: ireland
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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| hiwaycallin wrote: |
. Probably the most useful piece of gear we had along can be seen in the following photo to the left above my youngest daughter's head (hint: it's for "sitting" on). Sure saved lots of stopping every half hour and looking for public facilities!
[/img] |
same here, bringing the potty for long road trips. really made my life easier this year. i'd reccomend it to any bus drivin' parent.
_________________
my bus came with the optional ferrous oxide performance pack (gets lighter as more rots away, and therefore faster)......
78 nine seater |
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GusC2it
Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005
Posts: 1376
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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Campmobile Chris74
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2002
Posts: 200
Location: Tacoma Wa
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:00 am Post subject: |
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I stay mostly at state or federal campsites with RV parking. The campsites are usually paved. Sometimes I will park sideways for added privacy and improved flow in and out of the tent.
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payton
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2002
Posts: 791
Location: naples,florida
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| GusC2it wrote: |
camping at the VW's 4 Life weekend in Tampa during April. Come on down!
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Where is that park? Very cool and not to far from me. |
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GusC2it
Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005
Posts: 1376
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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Justin 
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2005
Posts: 335
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:56 am Post subject: |
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Last year we had our first family camping trip (wife, 3-year-old son, me, small dog). We over-packed on clothing, used a tent and big foam pads for sleeping, and had our '71 standard bus full of wood boxes with gear, wood, clothes, et cetera.
This year a lot our set up will be quite different. After way too much planning and thinking, here's what we've come up with:
*I made a Westy bed, installed a child cot, and installed home-made curtains (so no need for a tent or bedding). Blankets and pillows are in the box below the bed.
*I threw an old dresser behind the front seats for clothes and gear (stove, utensils, et cetera), and a small night stand for dry food with a cooler sitting on it for cold stuff. All of these items can be accessed without having to move anything. If we decide to pull the dresser and night stand out to get to things easier, we just set them under the awning and use the top of the dresser as a table.
*Fresh water for drinking and doing dishes is bungy-corded inside the bus behind the passenger side headlight.
*Poles for an awning and the child cot fit in between the dresser and the front seats on the floor. The awning is a really fancy, high end contraption that I made which consists of a blue tarp and two 2x2s that I attached to the wood roof rack. 
*Tool box in the engine compartment, on the driver's side where the side marker light is.
*Canoe on the roof rack with life vests and paddles attached inside of it.
*I also made two hooks so I can hang two fishing poles inside the bus alongside the rear and middle driver's side windows.
The only thing that will take up floor space and need to moved at the campsite is one or two Rubbermaid containers with firewood in them.
We're pretty stoked about the set up. Thankfully my wife enjoys camping and doesn't require much "stuff." Her only requirements are a comfy bed and quality food. Besides that, we're planning to pack lightly.
Man, I'm itching to get out in the woods.
-Justin |
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theizzardking
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2008
Posts: 2097
Location: seattle
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:53 am Post subject: |
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i'm heading out later tonight for some deception pass fun or maybe mt. Erie depends on if we wanna go camping or camping and climbing, either way i better see you at the camano island camp out !! haha!
_________________
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin
'71 westie "the wanderer" |
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drober23
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2009
Posts: 787
Location: Detroit, MI
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:43 am Post subject: |
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Kitting out a "new" Westy, but I have camped in them before.
I tend to pack light. We usually camp for a weekend so this makes it easier.
Two small duffels for clothes (me, wife, and a 5 year old), a small cooler for cold food, and everything else goes in the cabinets easily enough. (Duffels go under teh Z-bed).
It's a perfect size for the three of us and the dog (jack russel terrier). |
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Justin
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2005
Posts: 335
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| drober23 wrote: |
| It's a perfect size for the three of us and the dog (jack russel terrier). |
We have a rat terrier. Both are pretty cool breeds.
-Justin |
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fastmc25
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2004
Posts: 1224
Location: East Tennessee
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:30 am Post subject: |
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I used to be a bare bones camper... ..But i'm enjoying my bus, Clyde, he is fully stocked and setup to camp at a moments notice....... I built a trailer that i keep stocked with firewood and big items (like ez-up awning , ice chest, extra water supply,etc) when i'm going more remote areas..that way the inside is clutter free and you can move about the bus in comfort...........it takes me about 15 minutes to setup camp and start having a beer..... everything has it's place and i really never need anything.... except more beer and a bag of chips.....
_________________
Peace,
Paul
1973 Type181 Kubelwagen (Thing 2 ) 2110cc
1971 Transporter (Pickle) 1914cc
1961 Deluxe Beetle (Christine) 1776cc
1973 Adventurewagen Baja Bus (Clyde) 3.4L
1970 Formula Vee Beetle 2276cc
I identify as: “A Grumpy Old Vet” |
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