Product Reviews

Three Camping Related Holiday Gift Ideas We Love!

Posted Denny Johnson
Gifts
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Only How Many Shopping Days Left???

Yep, it's that time of year. Time to fight the crowds and find the sales. Or if you're like me, you can just sit at your computer and spend too much time browsing Amazon! Could you use an idea or two for great items for use during your travels? Here are three things I really love that you may not already have.
Single Burner Camp Stove

This is one of my all time favorites! For me, it's probably the handiest item that stays on our picnic table at the campsite. It gets much hotter, and heats things up way faster than our standard camp stove. 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 a way to keep something warm. My favorite use though, is using it with the next item.

Stove Top Coffee Percolator

I just love to percolate coffee first thing in the morning when we are camping. This is an old-fashioned stove-top percolator, much like what my mom had when I was a kid. It certainly takes me back to simpler times. There's just something about smelling the aroma of the coffee while it brews, and watching the bubbles in the glass bulb on top.

To use it, I simply put water in the bottom, coffee in the basket that sits above the water, close the top, and set it on the single burner stove above.

Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer

If you pull a travel trailer, you really should check your wheel bearing temperatures at each stop to be sure they are not overheating. (See the explanation under Things to Keep in Mind Throughout the Day on the Towing a Small Travel Trailer page in my Beginner's Guide.) It's a rare, but huge potential problem that can leave you stranded. The most common way to check them is to put your hand on each hub to see if it's excessively hot. This works, but usually gets your hand dirty. Should you ever find you have a bearing overheating, you'll also likely burn your hand finding out!

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, and get an immediate digital reading of temperature. Best of all, no dirty hands.

As a bonus, tt's also just a cool gadget. If your husband is like me, he'll find all kinds of things to point it at...just because he can!

Denny Johnson

Denny Johnson

Denny loves traveling with his wife Fay in their Small Travel Trailer. In addition to all his blog articles, he's developed an entire website about Small Travel Trailers, including a free Beginner's Guide to help those just getting started. Please Subscribe to my Emails so you don't miss any future articles.
Denny's Product Review
What it is
Single Burner Table Top Stove
Why I like it
  • It gets much hotter than our standard camp stove
  • It's quick and easy to both setup and put away. There's no real cleanup to do.
  • It takes up no significant room when traveling and storing
Denny's Product Review
What it is
Stove top coffee percolator.
Why I like it
I just love the whole experience...
  • Waiting for the first bubble to show up in the glass bulb on top
  • Watching the bubbles go slowly from clear water to brown coffee
  • Smelling the aroma of coffee brewing
  • It makes great coffee the old-school way. Reminds me of when I was a kid and this was how my mom did it!
It goes well with the whole concept of camping...not being in a big rush, and "taking time to smell the roses" (in this case, the coffee)
Denny's Product Review
What it is
Digital Laser Infrarer Thermometer
Why I like it
  • Keeps my hands clean when checking the trailer wheel bearings for overheating when traveling
  • Prevents the chance of burning my hand if there ever were a problem
  • Fun gadget to play with
Thank you for supporting our sponsors and advertisers. It doesn't make me much money, but does help offset some of the cost related to maintaining this website. - Denny

7 thoughts on “Three Camping Related Holiday Gift Ideas We Love!”

    1. The hub temperature is going to vary, depending upon outside temperature, whether the sun is beating on the hub, speed, and the particular trailer. The thermometer helps a lot because it helps you monitor the temperature and get a feel for what’s normal. Should it start to take off at any point, you should be able to easily recognize it.

      In our case, we travel in the summer and ours rare gets much over 100 degrees. I know that if I see it 130 sometime, I’ll get concerned and try to stop to figure out what’s wrong before it’s too late.

      Reply

    1. Thanks so much Carol. I’m still quite busy working on our “new to us” old home, but certainly hope to start putting time into tinyTowable again!

      Reply

  4. Welcome to the area. We are in the Cumberland Gap area. When you get settled try Cumberland Gap National Historical park campground. It is in the VA part of the park. Loop C (electric) and loop D are open this winter. We camp there and drive through to see if any Casitas are there quite often.

    Reply

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