Great (probable) last trip of theseason...

[Happy Joe]

I suspect that the last trip of the season is over. it was great ..

A small group 3 people and vehicles; one inside the SUV sleeper, one popup camper and me the lone tent camper.

We tried a different (easy to get to spot near 11 mile reservoir here in Colorado, very civilized: no 4WD, no off road tires required just drive off the road into the woods and set up camp (primitive camping; no utilities, no numbers, no reservations, no toilets showers etc... we were actually camping).
The weather was superb; not too hot or cold, some sprinkles drove us into the tent temporarily.



.. field tested the new tent battery and solar setup (100 AH lithium phosphate battery (with solar controller) and the two DIM (Did It Myself) hinged 50 watt solar panels. Didn't need to recharge the battery, actually, the capacity is more than adequate to support my small usage for a week between recharges but I wanted to do a field trial .
Lesson learned;
I need to get some new saddle tees to make the fold up legs more secure.



...finally (after chasing my pillow for more than 20 years); made a fold-able cot headboard for this trip... No more pillow on the floor in the middle of the night.


The actual headboard is transparent polycarbinate so it doesn't show up well, but its there and does the job well .. (Didn't have to chase the pillow even once the entire weekend).
The removable head board piece is slotted into the two vertical support which rotate as the cot is folded up to self store inside the cot. (the polycarbinate piece is pulled out and re-installed during deployment).

As always the 110 volt accessories; LED ceiling and floor lamp along with the (new this year) bug zapper) worked flawlessly off the inverter attached to the tent battery.
The bug zapper cleared out/executed) the insect infiltrators within/about 15 minutes after the tent was closed up for the night, then was unplugged... no more obnoxious insect spray...



Edit; the only hassle was that a bear or wolf or other large critter rolled my cooler around a couple of times Friday night, at O-Dark-thirty... no damage done or tooth marks or even tracks ... (I have taken to blaming it on Big Foot, looking for a beer.)

...Good trip. good weather, good friends, good times ...

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

Sounds like a great trip. Great fix for the runaway pillow.

I've got plans to go camping with a couple friends in November. Due to the fires and national forest closures, there is no quality* campground to go camping in the hot weather. So, we're waiting for cooler weather. I will stay a couple days after they leave. I enjoy those extra days as I don't worry that my preferences are affecting their enjoyment. It will be the dogs's and the bird's first trip.

[Happy Joe]

November... Brrr, if the weather does not cooperate., can also be good if its warm; sometimes climate change can be good.

Hope the weather gods are kind during your trip.

Wandering pillows can be sneaky... they wait for you to drift off into sleep before attempting escape.
I was kind of rushed 2 days before the trip , or I would have made the headboard better looking, with mitered or coped corners.
Bare bones functional can be good but artistry often makes it better.

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

Thanks. I don't mind the cold. I have good bedding in both campers to keep me cozy at night. A Mr Heater is good for taking the chill out of the campers. With the clipper, cabover bed stays pretty warm, but the rest can get real cold due to the cab area. In the past I used a sheet as a curtain between the cab and the house. It didn't really help with temperature control.. I just switched to using a plush blanket so we'll see if it makes a difference.

[Happy Joe]

I have found that even a sheet between "heated" and unheated areas can help...
I typically keep the computer room/library a bit warmer than the rest of the house in the winter, using a prints sheet "tapestry" to cover the door.

I expect that a plush blanket would be even better, if it fits without gaps at the edges.

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

I think part of it is that fabric seems better at keeping heat contained than it does at keeping cold contained. With the clipper, the cold seeps in rather than the heat seeping out.

[Happy Joe]

Cot headboard update;
The quickly made headboard for the cot was so successful at keeping the pillow off the ground, that I decided to finish it.
It now has a better look with end caps on the up rights and a coped crossbar. The transparent poly-carbonate part was also notched so that the uprights are locked to it by the caps giving the whole thing more rigidity.
Note; no glue was used all parts are friction fit and can be disassembled by hand without tools.



Headboard assembled and stored, folded, in cot ready for the next trip.

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

Looks great. Are you going to paint it black to match the cot?

[Happy Joe]

I don't believe so, the dings and bumps during packing, unpacking and use would become more visible (white on black) if I pant it; I believe that I will leave it white since I can't see it while sleeping.
Recently I have been looking at the style of antique camp furniture and have been considering adding some small spheres to the tops of the caps; not sure yet...
At some point I might consider remaking the headboard in wood since I find the look of wood more attractive than plastic or metal and it would not be much, if any heavier (depending on the wood selected).

In considering the overall interior of the tent I have come to the conclusion that it need some color; perhaps a brightly colored Navajo style blanket or throw on the cot to relieve the earth tones... while also providing, occasionally desired, extra warmth.
I have tried wall art but it complicates the setup and break down of the tent.
IMO, there is little art that is better than simply opening the windows and looking at nature. The tent is usually only occupied during rain or at night in any case.

Enjoy!