Three of my All-time Favorite Camping Accessories

Do You Have These Great Camping Accessories Yet?

Over time, we all come up with a few items we really like to have on our camping trips. Fay and I started camping when our son was young back in the 90s. Two of these accessories we bought back then and continue to use today. Unfortunately, we stopped camping when our son got older. We then got our current little trailer and started camping again when I retired in 2014. That's when we discovered the third item.

These are three of my favorite camping accessories. And, they are items that many people don't have. Check them out and see if any of them are things that might interest you.

Single Burner Camp Stove

This is one of my all time favorites! It comes in handy first thing every morning and also when we cook dinner. This single burner stove gets much hotter than our main camp stove. As a result, it heats things up a lot quicker. And, it's just plain quick and easy. To set it up, you simply twist it on top of a propane bottle. You then turn the nob, light it, and you're ready to cook. This single burner stove is really handy as an extra burner when cooking dinner, or to keep something warm. My favorite use though, is using it with the next item.

Stove Top Coffee Percolator

This is how I start my day. I just love to percolate coffee in the morning when we are camping. There's just something about smelling the aroma of the coffee while it brews. Not to mention, watching the bubbles form in the glass bulb on top.

This is an old-fashioned stove-top percolator. It certainly takes me back to simpler times. I always think about the one my mom had when I was a kid.

It's simple to use

To use it, you start by putting water in the bottom. Next, add coffee to the basket that sits above the water. After that, close the top and set it on the single burner stove above. Now light the stove burner and that's it.

Fay drinks more coffee than I do. She also likes the favored kind. So she uses an electric coffee maker to fix a pot for herself and keeps it hot all morning. For me, this purculator is perfect because I can make just a few cups. Of course, there are other sizes if that's what you need.

Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer

When you pull a small travel trailer, you need to keep an eye on your wheel bearing temperatures. A hot one is a sign there's a problem and it's close to failing. (See more details in the Towing section of my free Beginner's Guide to Small Travel Trailers). This is a rare problem if you service your bearings regularly. Unfortunately, it can leave you stranded if it happens. The most common way to check the bearings is to put your hand on each wheel hub to see if it's real hot. While this works fine, it will get your hand dirty. You may also burn you hand if you have a problem! This digital laser thermometer is a much better solution. You simply aim the laser gun at your wheel hub and pull the trigger. You'll see the red laser beam wherever you aim it. It gives you an immediate digital reading of the temperature. Best of all, no dirty hands. I use ours at every stop to make sure we don't have any problems. As a bonus, this is also just a cool gadget. I find all kinds of things to point it at...just because I can!

Please Note...
I can't suggest what the normal temperature of your wheel hubs should be. I've found that ours vary a lot depending upon the outside temperature and how much sun is hitting the wheels. I've had people tell me that when they had a bearing fail, the wheel hub was hot enough to burn their hand. I think the key is to keep an eye on it whenever you stop, and make sure it's not starting to rise significantly.

As always, drop me a note on the Contact page should you have any questions.

-Denny

Denny Johnson

After having spent most of our adult life in Orlando, my wife Fay and I moved to Knoxville, TN in 2020. We are loving the change of seasons and being near the mountains. Plus, this part of the country is loaded with great places to camp.

We camped years ago with a pop-up camper, but got serious about it when we purchased our Casita in 2014. There was a lot to learn as we started traveling with it, and a lot of conflicting opinions on line. That's when I decided that creating a website would be a good retirement project. I started tinyTowable.com to share things we've learned along the way that have worked well for us in hopes that the information would be of help to others.

This article has been revamped and updated since it was originally posted.

5 thoughts on “Three of my All-time Favorite Camping Accessories”

Charlie Davies says:

August 13, 2021 at 10:09 pm

Thanks for the memories. I backpacked a lot in my younger days and used a single burner multi-fuel stove. They are a great asset to have and take up very little room. We also have a laser thermometer (HFT brand) that sits in the pocket of my door. Every time we stop, we check the hubs. That’s a really great suggestion.

1. Denny Johnson says:
  
  August 13, 2021 at 10:20 pm
  
  That’s great Charlie. I hope you still enjoy sitting outside in the morning and using the stove for your morning coffee!
  
Dave Chamberlin says:

August 14, 2021 at 4:36 am

I agree with all three! Coffee is a MUST in the mornings, and I get up earlier than my wife, so I’m set up outside for my early morning need. I had a digital laser thermometer in the shop, that I rarely used, more of a novelty than anything, but when I bought our tiny trailer, it went in my glove compartment for just that purpose!

Anonymous says:

December 11, 2021 at 2:48 pm

I have the first two and may get the third. How do you know what temp the wheel hubs should be?

1. Denny Johnson says:
  
  December 11, 2021 at 3:06 pm
  
  The temperature varies a whole lot from trailer to trailer, and also how hot it is outside, the speed you are driving, whether there is direct sunlight on the wheel, etc. The best thing is to start keeping an eye on it and you will learn what seems to be a normal range. If you have a problem, it will be hot enough that you would likely burn your hand. In other words, if you normally see the temperature running between 90 and 110 degrees, and you then see it a whole lot hotter, I’d be concerned about a problem.