On the stove, it all depends on what kind of camping your doing. Jennmonkey mentioned elsewhere contemplating some backpacking. Most of my camping is on a motorcycle, some in a car. On the bike, I use a single burner Coleman Dual Fuel 533 stove (gas), and actually we manage fine. For backpacking there are even smaller single burner stoves available. When we go in a car, we use a dual burner propane stove, and I'd agree if you can manage the weight and space, it has definite advantages. Occasionally, we've used both to have a total of three burners, and/or used a portable grill. I personally prefer a propane stove to the gas stove that I usually use, and prefer two burners to the one that I usually have available, but what can be carried depends on how one is camping, and we always manage fine with what circumstances dictate.

We have a member of our fly fishing group that uses an old time canvas wall tent (I think he's just about worn it out ... who knows how old the thing is!) - AND, he tows everything around in a little utility trailer. Really does it with some kind of military efficiency; a place for everything and everything in it's place when he's traveling. Plus he gets on me about my popup tent camper - he says that at least when his utility trailer is not being used for camping that it can be also used for other things, like hauling his yard work bric-a-brac and debris, maybe even hauling a wash machine or refrigerator for somebody - in other words he says his utility trailer "earns it's keep" by using it for many other things besides camping. Says my tent trailer's only purpose in life is camping ... and he has a big point! My friend uses these large plastic bins to carry a lot of the camping gear (keeps it water tight) in the trailer; and has also made some wooden storage/carrying boxes for things like the axe, tent stakes and poles. Also has made a table with folding legs that just fits the bottom of trailer. When he gets everything loaded aboard, then has a plastic tarp he secures over the load - also uses this same plastic tarp as a canopy over his table & cooking area. Bottom line, he has an efficient system for setting up a most comfortable camp. Awhile back I told my utility trailer friend that at least I could carry my canoe on top of the closed popup camper for traveling down the road rather than having to carry it on the roof of the tow vehicle and partically obstructing some of the driver's vision, like he had to do with his utility trailer. Darned if when I saw him the last time that he had not made a removeable carrying rack for toting his canoe around that just fit the trailer! Dale

A friend of mine and I are headed up through New England (NH, VT, and Maine in particular) for a week of tenting in mid august. any suggestions on good areas to do some non-campsite / fee-free / ranger-free camping? we're looking to do some backwoods hiking, a bit of mountaineering and want to stay away from any crowds or other people in general. any suggestions for some secluded sites?

Don't know about that but I know of a cheap, homemade, easy to carry remedy. Put small amount of baking soda (a tsp. is good, though measuring isn't really necessary) in a small plastic envelope-can be carried in pockets. If stung by just about anything, add water to the envelope (spit is fine), make a paste, apply to sting, and pain is gone instantly. Works for bees, hornets, wasps. Kate