Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

I have the camp fire in a can too. It puts out a lot of light but little heat. I go thru most of a 20 lbs tank in one night. It's no substitute for a real fire but way better than nothing. Fuck you California drought!

 

We had a 20lb last a few nights. Just depends on usage

 

I used rust-oleum (flat black primer in a gallon can) for my plywood and metal frame.. took a few weeks for the fumes to go away but been happy with how well its held up to my 80 pound dog. here is a crappy cellphone pic, super dirty at the time.

 

That is rather unfortunate. I think it's a great product and I'm not sure where they were actually manufactured but it was designed and sold by a local BC company. The thing is pretty bullet proof, I don't imagine needing any spare parts anytime soon and I'm hoping it will last for many camping trips to come. I'm also praying for more rain this summer so that I can keep burning real wood instead of propane. We dropped 3 large hemlock trees in our yard in the early spring. I spent weeks bucking it all up with the chainsaw and splitting it. I've got a stack of split firewood 6 feet high, three rows wide and over 30 feet long. I'd much rather be burning that this summer than propane

Another BC made product that's been selling like hot cakes at the local Costco's and Walmarts up here is the "Outland Fire Bowl".




Costco had it for sale for $99 CAN (roughly $70 US) which I think is a great deal. My parents have one, it's 58,000 BTU (6,000BTU less than the campfire in a can) however they claim it throws out a lot more heat and has a bigger flame than my campfire in a can. One downside to it is that it's a lot larger than the campfire in a can. I prefer the campfire in a can product because of how well and small it packs up.
I really should do a side by side comparison of the two products one day.

 

Get an old metal fridge, a metal trash can, a filing cabinet, a propane tank, etc. Make racks if your junk doesn't already have them. Add a burner in the bottom and a smokestack on top, I think you can get everything you need at walmart for $25 or so. You can get fancy and drill a hole for a thermometer. Throw your favorite wood chips in an old cast iron pan, set it on low, and throw the meat in. I usually brine smaller cuts and dry rub pork shoulders and bigger meat. Similar recipe, 2 cups of brown sugar, one cup of white sugar, and 1/3 cup salt. Add whatever spices you like, but that's the base for most stuff I do. I made a smoker out of fir boughs and willow sticks on the bank to smoke fish. It worked great. Point is, it doesn't have to be complicated. In a pinch you can even use two clay pots (they already have a hole for the burner and smokestack!) with a metal rack between the two. I used to only use briquettes or wood for heat, but it's more clean up and harder to control the heat, plus you have to dick with it all the time. Propane is pretty much set it and forget it.

 

This is the one we used last season. Same one that @Leppz mentioned.

$130 Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit, 19", 58000 BTU Smokeless Gas Firebowl | Perfect for Camping, Patio, Backyard, Tailgating, Deck, RV| Black 823 Standard

http://www.amazon.com/Outland-Firebowl-Portable-Propane-Fire/dp/B007UMD2L0

It was a good investment at ~80$ at Costco. A lot less than what Amazon is asking. Also picked up a 20# bottle there too for like 25$. With moderate use, it was getting low by the end of the 2nd night. Low enough where it was prudent to fill it again if possible.

As for carrying the bottle, it fits perfectly in an old, plastic Dairygold milk carton. Very stable and easy to carry and store. Looked for a close up pic but couldn't find one. Got the idea from someone on here, can't remember who but thanks who ever it was.

 

Regarding the milk crates, I've heard the bottles will fit in them... However there is one issue.

Here is some useful information, you can take it or leave it...

It is illegal for anyone to possess a dairy milk crate unless actively involved in the diary business.

http://modernfarmer.com/2013/08/illegal-use-milk-crates-anything-besides-milk/

It could be something as simple as a traffic stop, and cop looks in the back of your truck and sees one or more crates...

 

The Container Store sells Plastic crates that are identical to milk crates without the milk label on it. You can get them in almost any color for like $10

 

Californians are funny people. I suppose living in a police state beats the American out of you pretty quick. You should come up to Oregon and do some camping with me. I'll let you shoot my belt fed and blow up a stump or something to get a little breath of freedom. Might even do something crazy and sit on an old milk crate.

Thomas Jefferson

 

Agree wholeheartedly, but so pretty... And we have nice weather. I know you have the ocean as well.

 

It's not just Californians.

Some folks just feel they need the rules. It makes them anxious to not have them.

 

Cali is like a supermodel. Beautiful and bat-shit crazy.

 

That is a great analogy.

 

Don't be a goof, Logan. Do some research for your own state and I'm sure you'll find the same law. The article I linked to showed the law for PA, and VA. In VA it's a class 4 misdemeanor, whatever that is.

 

still on the books but really not enforced.

• An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.
• Duels to the death permitted on the common on Sundays provided that the Governor is present.
• No one may cross the Boston Common without carrying a shotgun in case of bears.
  
• Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.

 

Every individual decides for themselves certain risks they take...

When I quoted @Digiratus it was because he specifically named a Dairy manufacturer crate by name he wrote "old, plastic Dairygold milk carton"

He may have not been aware of the issue of possession, hence my informative post.

I personally don't care what people do with their trucks or how many milk crates they have.

Like I said, take it or leave it.

 

I didn't know if that law was treated similarly to the ones I posted maybe on the books but overlooked or outdated.

 

I may be mentally ill...

Have a big trip throughout the Eastern Sierra's end of July. Most of the trip is mapped out, planned and ready to go but I've been stuck on finalizing a camping spot for a somewhat large group that's not somewhere bland and works with getting to the following days trail head.

This weekend my girlfriend is heading out of town, friends are all busy and I'm left on my own. Seriously considering driving up and scouting camp spots all for the sake of making sure we're not wasting time or settling for a lame site at the end of the day.

Pros:
Camping.
Get to geek out on photography.
Bit of solitude.
Beats being bored at home.

Cons:
5+ hour drive each way.
Get eaten by bears because I'm alone.
Don't want to leave.

Probably going to do it.

Anyone camp in/around these areas?

 

I was stationed down there for a while, it is a pretty amazing place. I miss the desert sometimes, but I do not miss seeing 5 or 6 cops in a 20 minute commute. Up here it's so rare to see a cop on the road I wave at them, and they wave back.

Back OT, I've been thinking of modding an S-250 shelter into a camper for the taco... they weigh 800 pounds or so, but I have an idea to reduce that weight quite a bit.


\
If I cut about 24" out of the mid section it would lower the roll center so I could still haul the mail, reduce weight if I replace the section I cut out with carbon fiber foam core board...

 

Cool idea, but I don't ever want to be inside of those boxes again!