Our “Other” Camping Essentials

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of RV “must have” lists on the web. They consist of the usual, albeit necessary, power cord, water hose, and sewer hose (the stinky-slinky) items. These items are the minimum required to connect to power, water, and sewer at a campsite.

The following items are also what we consider to be a “necessity” when setting up our RV.

Surge Arrestor

A surge arrestor, while not “required” to get power from the campground pedestal to the RV, is one of the items that should be considered a “must have”. It not only protects the electrical and electronic components of your RV, many units also show if the pedestal wiring is correct.

Water Pressure Regulator

A water pressure regulator is another item that should be considered a “must have”. At many campgrounds, the pressure required to service dozens and even hundreds of campsites has to be pretty high, sometimes 60psi or higher. The pressure for the water lines and fittings in your RV are many times rated for only half that amount. A water pressure regulator keeps the pressure from the water source to your RV low to prevent damage to your plumbing components.

RV Levelers

Not all campsites are perfectly level. In fact, you will find very few campsites outside of an “RV Resort” style campground that have perfectly level sites. These levelers will make easy work of leveling your RV.

Wheel Chocks

Another must have are wheel chocks. This is pretty self explanatory, no one wants to unhook their camper from their tow vehicle and then watch helplessly as it rolls away (remember me mentioning above that very few campsites are level). Trust me, I have seen it and it is a sickening feeling even if it only rolls a few inches. These are the first items I put in place on BOTH the front and back of the tire before I even consider lifting the RV from the hitch. (Also, do not remove your safety chains until the RV is completely lifted from the hitch and you are 100% sure it will not roll in either direction).

Next, these items are not considered a necessity, but they sure do make our RV Camping Adventures WyldsStyle a little more enjoyable (we don’t really “rough-it” when we go camping).

Outdoor Camping Patio Mat

This is the patio mat we have. It is one of the largest mats I have found and at 8’x20’ this mat is HUGE. It provides a large area for us to put out our Zero Gravity Chairs under the awning, and also enough room for a table, cooler, and the dog’s bed. It also keeps us from tracking in a LOT of dirt into the RV. When we do not have it out, it seems like Sharon is having to sweep the camper non-stop. Why sweep more than necessary instead of relaxing under shade or floating in the lake.

Zero Gravity Chairs

These zero gravity chairs are like relaxing, or napping, on a cloud. They are some of the most comfortable chairs you might ever sit in and never want to get out of. I would go so far as to say they are possibly more comfortable than my recliner in my house. They come with a sturdy cup holder and are also padded, so when the weather is a little cool you are not getting a cold draft blowing on your rear end. They also recline to almost a completely flat position so taking a long nap, or even possibly sleeping all night under the stars, is a real possibility.

The Keurig

I know this may be controversial for some, but my morning coffee (and the 2^nd and sometimes 3^rd cup) is almost as important to me as the air I breathe. Whether you make your coffee by the cup or the pot or even have the patience to spend all that time “grinding and pressing” your coffee, a coffee maker of some sort is one of the “must haves” that is not necessarily a must have, but to each his(or her) own I guess.

RTIC 65 Cooler

This is an item I am tempted to put in the “necessary” column, otherwise I do not know how you will keep all of your food and drinks cold because the fridge in most RV’s is not big enough to keep everything needed, even for just a few days, and I do not want to spend time running back and forth to a store even if it is close by. Now, the RTIC 65 is a behemoth of a cooler, and it does a great job of keeping MANY things cold for days, but it is HEAVY. My kids got me the RTIC for Father’s Day and found a wheel kit on EBay that is truly a back saver for such a large cooler. We also use this smaller cooler for short 2-3 day trips and it works great. Our smaller cooler also has wheels which is really nice.

Solar LED Torch Lights

My wife Sharon loves her outdoor lighting. Our campsite is not “finished” until the lights are up. These solar LED torches really add a nice ambiance to our site. The soft glow of the LED torch lights really set the mood for a nice relaxing evening looking at the stars.

Pellet Grill

I know, many people are going to say it is not camping unless you are grilling over an open fire, but I am there to do as little as possible and just relax. I love anything that makes my time at the campsite easier. Messing with charcoal and getting a grill going is not very relaxing to me, but as I said before, to each his own. I love my set-it and forget-it RecTeq pellet grill. I have cooked everything from breakfast casseroles, hamburgers and hotdogs, to a full packer brisket – and I do not have to baby sit the grill. I still get the smokey flavor of cooking over an open flame without all the hassle, I can use my wireless temp probe to keep an eye on the food, and I can go back to doing whatever it was I was doing before it was time to start cooking, even floating in the lake.

Propane Fire Pit

For those cold evenings, this propane fire pit keeps us toasty warm. There are numerous reasons we do not often build an actual campfire – many campgrounds will not allow outside firewood to be brought in and buying on-site wood can get expensive, store bought wood is usually “green” and doesn’t burn well but mostly just smolders, many areas have burn restrictions and a propane fire pit is usually allowed in those circumstances, and it is just a lot of work to gather fire wood and then start and keep the fire going and as I said I’m am there to do as little as possible and relax – but mainly the smoke really bothers Sharon’s allergies and she can’t enjoy it. An added bonus, we do not end up smelling like a firepit and can just turn off the propane and go to bed when the night is over.

Blackstone Griddle

Rounding out my list is the Blackstone Griddle. Although listed last, it is definitely not the least. This is a gem of an appliance, and if I had to choose one out of all the other items, this one comes in tied for first (remember what I said about my morning coffee). This thing can cook just about anything you need cooked. I keep mine in a plastic storage tote with all the utensils that go along with it, so getting it out and putting it up is very easy.

This list has many items that are not necessary for camping, but makes our RV Camping Adventures WyldsStyle more convenient and comfortable. This is by far not an exhaustive list, so be sure to add or delete whatever makes your camping experiences more enjoyable. Most importantly, get out and create your own outdoor camping adventures, whether in a tent, truck camper or RV. Take it from us, you will be glad you did and wonder why you did not do it sooner.

Happy RV camping adventures!