When getting ready for a holiday camping trip, we prepare a list of things we need to take with us. There will be clothes, cosmetics, small household appliances and documents. Hardly anyone remembers camping accessories such as a table, chair, headlamp, lamp, organizer/cabinet, or thermos.
When we get there, we decide that it's good to have breakfast outdoors, but suddenly it turns out that there is nowhere to sit...
Because you have to sit on something
During the next trip, we usually remember about such "little things" as e.g. chairs and a table to be placed in the vestibule or directly on the grass. But how can we choose the ones that best suit our needs and at the same time not clutter up the car and not overload it unnecessarily?
There are many models of camping chairs on the market, so at the beginning of your search, you should ask yourself about your budget and how often the chair will be used. If you are limited by finances or the size of your car, you can pay attention to the smallest chairs with a "triangular" seat. They are cheap and take up little space. On the other hand, they are also not very stable and not very comfortable. This is an option for people who spend most of their time outside the camper or trailer, and the chairs are used temporarily, e.g. during a meal. Director-type chairs, e.g. the Coleman Deck Chair, will be perfect here. Its structure has been designed so that the chair stands stably, even on soft terrain. The chair is light and at the same time very durable.
When we spend most of our time in a chair (reading, sunbathing), it is worth considering a slightly larger and more comfortable chair, or even considering buying a large adjustable deckchair. In this segment, we recommend a more stable chair with a more upright position, such as the Coleman Festival Bungee Chair. This type of furniture is comfortable, has shock-absorbing rubber bands and a backrest that adjusts to the back. This affects the comfort and durability of the product. If you need universal chairs, choose such models. They are often sold in a case to make them easier to transport.
Table
One of the basic camping accessories that are invaluable when camping is a table. Its size will determine the size of the vestibule and tent. Of course, the most comfortable piece of furniture will be large and wide. However, we cannot always afford it. In a small vestibule/tent, a large table will make it difficult to move around the vestibule, cluttering up the communication routes.
The market offers many models from which we can choose according to our needs and preferences. Wooden tables will be the prettiest. They come in different sizes, so you can easily choose them to suit your needs. However, they have a disadvantage - they are heavy and not very resistant to external conditions. Plastic tables can be recommended for people who care about small size and low weight. Their smallest versions will fit in a large bag or backpack.
Aluminum tables are another construction. Thanks to their self-supporting frame, they are stable and resistant to damage and weather conditions. If we care about durability and are looking for a solid structure, it is certainly worth considering this option.
The most compact designs have all the elements in one set. The benches and legs fold inside the table to create one suitcase when closed. The assembled set takes up less space than all the elements separately. The combination of the table and benches also affects the stability of the set, because it is supported in several places, and not in four like a regular table. You don't have to be afraid that it (with its contents) may tip over on soft grass. This design is also perfect if we want to organize a feast in a place other than where we are camping. Then it is worth choosing a set that is light and portable, preferably in one suitcase to avoid carrying the furniture separately. An interesting solution is the Coleman Pack-Away Table.
With a small area, it is also good to ensure that camping furniture is organized and multifunctional. There are tables integrated with cabinets where we can store necessary things. They don't take up much space and have a double function! An example would be Coleman Camping Table & Storage.
And the most important question: foldable or permanently folded? A foldable table is certainly easier to transport and takes up less space when folded. The advantage of a non-extensible table is its stability and appearance. A foldable table takes up less space and often has a larger surface area when unfolded.
In short:
- an aluminum table is more durable and wood is nicer for many people;
- heavier tables are more stable;
- plastic tables are the lightest.
Lighting
It is also impossible to forget about lighting. Of course, we have various types of light in the camper and trailer, but outside, when dusk falls, it is worth remembering about an additional light source. Here the division is simple. We have headlamps, flashlights and lamps illuminating the entire tent (gas and electric).
A headlamp will come in handy in the evening when moving around the pitch/tent. Thanks to it, we have free hands and can, for example, easily tighten the flysheet in the event of a storm. It will be useful not only when camping. In fact, we should permanently equip our car with it. In the event of a breakdown, the fault can be easily repaired. A headlamp will also be useful on the water, when kayaking or boating.
If we have children and we put them to bed, and we want to sit outside in peace and talk or read, illuminating lamps will come in handy. They come in various options. They usually have a holder for hanging under a flysheet or canopy, but they can also be placed on a table, like the Coleman Push + 200 LED. It is worth choosing lamps that illuminate the entire space around them. This allows you to avoid the frequent moving or rotating of the lamp.
Interestingly, the lamp may also have other functions, such as a built-in Bluetooth speaker, thanks to which music or your favorite radio program will make your rest more pleasant. 360 Sound & Light may be a good example here. However, we recommend respecting the open camping space and not turning up the loudspeaker controls to extreme values ;)
When you want to drink
A thermos is also indispensable when traveling. It will also be useful during walks, longer trips, e.g. to a mountain trail, as well as to work or university. We will take coffee or tea, which will always remain hot, or a cold isotonic drink, which will refresh us during the hike. Which thermos to choose depends on the conditions in which we intend to use it. Mountain hiking certainly requires a different thermos than driving a camper or taking a regular walk.
The price of a thermos depends on the material, capacity and thermal properties. The thermos made of plastic consists of a plastic casing and a glass insert with good insulating properties. Due to this type of insert, they are usually quite heavy and not resistant to falls or impacts. The advantage is their affordability and a large selection of colors.
The durability of the thermos is ensured by stainless steel, which is also resistant to corrosion, so any contact with water will not destroy the container. Thermoses made of stainless steel do not have a glass insert, so they are much lighter. They are also more convenient to carry. The casing of thermoses is sometimes covered with anti-slip silicone. This type of container is eagerly chosen by mountain hike enthusiasts.
A tourist thermos must be unbreakable and provide ideal thermal insulation properties, so it must maintain the temperature of the liquid for as long as possible. It's good if it has a cup and cap that allows use without additional dishes. Capacity is also important. The smallest ones can have a capacity of 0.2 l, and the largest ones can even have a capacity of about 2 l - these are more suitable as conference thermos flasks. For trips, we recommend containers with a capacity of 0.5-1 liter.
It is worth remembering that the best insulating properties have a completely filled thermos. Let's not choose thermoses with a larger capacity if we expect that we will most often fill them only partially. Manufacturers usually specify a maximum of how many hours a thermos maintains the temperature of the liquid. There are containers available on the market in which complete cooling occurs only after 30 hours - an example is the Coleman 1L thermos.
The closure of the thermos, i.e. the cap and cork, is also important. A manual cap, i.e. a typical one that unscrews, causes the fluid to lose temperature faster. Thermoses with an automatic cap that opens by pressing lose heat slower. There are also those equipped with both types of stoppers. The manual handle then also serves as a cup. Such a cap should definitely not get hot so as not to burn us.
The article was created in cooperation with the Coleman Polska brand. https://www.coleman.eu/
A lawyer who loves traveling. Always with a book on the go. I collect memories of the color, taste and smell of every place I visit.
