kwittek wrote:My wife and I are also interested in camping with our Super Cub this summer. Does anyone have experience with cots rather than air mattresses? I know they are heavy but they seem to offer more warmth and comfort, plus a place to store stuff underneath. Also it is nice to sit and put your shoes on rather than floundering around trying to get up from an air mattress. Some cots are heavier and bulkier than others so any brand/model recommendations would be much appreciated.

I have a .....Thermarest Mega Rest.... self inflating matress. Available at REI and other places. It deflates and rolls up to about 8 inches by 34 inches. Weighs about 3 pounds. You can inflate/deflate to your own comfort level. Is about 4 inches thick when inflated and 34 inches wide. Nothing like one of those blow up air mattress. Sleeps more comfortably than the $2,000.00 mattress on our bed at home. Warm and comfy on cold ground.

Doesn't directly answer your question except to say that it is more comfortable and warmer than a cot during cold weather.

Enjoy,

Bob

Best air mattress out there.

http://tinyurl.com/bgl9gkm

I'd like to take my son on a weekend camping trip in my Husky but was looking for some recommendations for camping sites in Northern Florida or Southern Georgia. This would be a first-time camping trip in a plane, so following some advice I read in this thread, i plan to keep it simple... but still need some ideas on where I might go. The plane is at KFXE, just north of Ft Lauderdale and the Florida Panhandle is about a 3.5 to 4.0 north - which feels about the right transit time. Would appreciate any suggestions.

I didn't get a response to my post inquiring about an airport/ strip to camp at in Florida...so I thought I'd respond to my own question. Last weekend my son and I went camping at Everglades Airport (X01) located about 15 NM south of Marco Island on the southwest tip of the Florida peninsula. X01 is the only airport in Florida (Google search) that advertised Under-wing camping! As the trip with my son was more about the journey than the destination - and the main goal was for a dry run, it turned out to be the perfect spot; 60 air miles from Miami, $12 per night to camp, $5 a day for a bicycle to ride into the neighboring town; well lit and secure with 100LL at a self serve pump; 2400' / 70' asphalt strip. The facility has an small office/ bathrooms (available access 24 hrs) - a real gem. I intend to take my grandson back there once he is old enough to fly with his grand dad. We loaded my Husky with light weight camping gear and fuel - up to max gross, did a couple of touch and goes at Marco Island before going into the shorter / narrower strip at X01 - just to see how it handled and then direct into X01. Plenty of airport info avail - give them a call as they love to have visitors. It's a well kept secret for anyone in S. Florida who would enjoy this type of weekend with a lot of fun things to do in Everglades City if you get tired of under wing camping.

In this case, you'd probably have better response by starting a new thread in Regional/Area or Airstrips with your area noted in the title. I appreciate latching onto an existing thread, but for regional stuff, sometimes it's better to start specific threads to attract people.

I will also have to learn what is important to take...I want to make it to Johnson Creek this year.

Zzz wrote:In this case, you'd probably have better response by starting a new thread in Regional/Area or Airstrips with your area noted in the title. I appreciate latching onto an existing thread, but for regional stuff, sometimes it's better to start specific threads to attract people.

Besides, there are all kinds of VERY large reptiles in Florida......camping??? Not unless I could levitate while sleeping.

MTV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu2hVsiJW4E

These range from 1" to 15' in QLD.

8GCBC wrote:These range from 1" to 15' in QLD

Not to mention QLD also has 6' tall bunny rabbits with anvils for feet!

Has anyone seen one of these Kelty inflatables?

Those Airpitch tents look pretty cool, but it doesnt seem like you loose any weight without the poles. The 4 person tent is 20lbs and the 6 person is 27lbs. For now I'll stick with my 6 person Coleman that weighs 14lbs and cost $50 at Costco.

Still air is a reasonable thermal insulator! May this be a "one stone two bird" gig?

Interesting to say the least?

I've got the ideal tent for Maule pilots:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb1pdvvoVoQ

Emory Bored wrote:Has anyone seen one of these Kelty inflatables?

I'd like to see one and check them out as they look interesting. I really dislike setting up and taking down larger tents so I rarely use them as a result. A quick set-up like these could make the difference and larger are certainly more comfortable. This is a good find. I looked online, but didn't see any for sale yet.

If this is a one-time trip, you can get a cheap tent and sleeping bags from Walmart. Also consider shopping online at Campmor. If you run out of weight, you can always leave behind the table, chairs, cooler, etc. The kid's probably won't mind. One of the best skills in camping is learning how to get by without things. Maybe you can sit on a seat cushion and leave a chair behind?

One simple and cheap trick for saving weight is to pack dehydrated foods like pasta, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. Bring powdered drink mix instead of bottles of juice. A few cans of soup and a bag of ice can really add up.

Backpacking gear is wonderful. My tent is around 4 pounds and my entire stove and cook set fits in my pocket. A 40 pound pack will keep me comfortable for an entire week... in a blizzard. Unfortunately, backpacking gear pretty expensive. A full set can easily cost a thousand dollars. If you intend to do a lot more camping, I recommend first investing in a good tent and sleeping bag. They will last for years and you can add other items later on.