My grandfather's kerosene lantern from the '20's or '30's me thinks (!), possibly as late as the 40's, and his extremely old-looking mess kit (used thick stuff back then!) and his tin cups seem pretty old and thick to me too. The oldest of all might be his harmonica! :) I also have his blue canvas tent that attaches to the side of his VW Riviera camper van (pop top). I found some sort of antique SOMETHING that I'd love your advice about. I have no idea what it is. It wasn't my grandfather's - it came from my grandmother's sister's estate. She lived in Illinois and I never really knew her. It's a metal, somewhat small-ish carafe of sorts with a cylindrical upward-pointing "spout" (?) and hinged lid (a little pointy at the top) and a wooden handle that pokes straight out. There are initials in fancy old cursive on it and a date of 1809 inscribed by that. Anyone know what this could be? Some sort of little tea pot? I can send a pic.

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.

Ride my bike, ride my bike, ride my bike.... got to really ride my mtn bike a lot the next two weeks to get my legs into better shape for my big climb in the Virgin River Gorge. Got to climb up 2,000 ft or more elevation through cactus. Can't wait! The riding should make the scramble much easier. I want to drop a few pounds, but the ladies at work are such great cooks! I keep getting cookies, baked treats, potluck lunches, birthday party dinners, I hate to say no. Everyone is so nice. Don't want to hurt feelings.... also, who wants to turn down this awesome food? mmmm..... So, I am on the Bill Clinton diet: Eat Eat Eat junk food, then run, workout, and hope for a middle of the road result. Hey, Jennmonkey, have a blast! Oh, for the snow? See if your BF would want to stop in to a sporting goods store and "RENT" some snowshoes for the trip? Call around- you may spend about 8 - 12 dollars to rent them. Ever snowshoed? it's something different for sure.

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