Camping Gear Reviews

I love stainless steel appliances. My dream is to have a log cabin in the woods (serviced, of course!) and all stainless steel appliances.  I love the look of them, and think it would be awesome to have a stainless steel fridge and gas stove.  C. also likes stainless steel too which is a bonus. So about five weeks ago, when we saw the Kuuma Stainless Steel “Stow N’ Go” barbecue, we both knew we wanted it, even if just for its looks.

So, we bought it. We’ve been using a Lodge Sportsman’s Grill which is cast iron for sometime and I really like it, but a gas barbecue offers some conveniences that a charcoal grill does not.  Such as less waiting times – and on our schedule, it can be a pain at times to wait for the charcoal to be ready before cooking on it.

Often referred to as a barbecue for marine use because of its stainless steel construction, the model we purchased, 83790, has  about 160 square inches of cooking space – not huge – but enough to do a few steaks or pork chops, or enough burgers for C., David, and I. It’s design is very handy for small spaces and its legs fold away for storage.

The manufacturer also says that it will put out 13,000 BTU’s of heat.

When we picked it up and brought it back to the trailer, one of the awesome things about the Kuuma was that it needed no assembly whatsoever. All we did was pull it out of the box and hook up the propane tank. The hose from the regulator to the tank was not included with the barbecue, so you would need to have one before you can start cooking.

The stainless steel does look beautiful too! But how does it cook?

Well, there are a couple of disadvantages with this barbecue. First, there is a warning that the lid should not be closed when it is on high. Actually, you might not want to close it on the medium setting either.  In our first evening with the barbecue, we decided to cook up a couple of steaks, and C. and I both like ours done medium to medium-well done.  The heat was on medium, and I closed the lid. After a few minutes, I went to open the lid, but it had seized! I had to use a screw driver in between the lid and the base in order to apply some leverage to get the lid open. The heat had sized up the screws and nuts that the lid is attached with and turn on to be opened and closed.

I have not yet tried to loosen the screws as they seem to use a TORX type of head, which I don’t have here at the trailer. And ever since that first cooking, the lid is very stiff to open and close.

The next issue with this barbecue is that even though it seems there is flame evenly distributed from the left to the right side, the heat on the right side seems quite a bit lower than on the left.  Steaks and chops that are on the extreme right hand side of the grill need to be moved toward the center after the other steaks and chops have finished cooking.

Still, even with the above issues, it cooks food, and the food tastes great. Obviously as with any barbecue that is propane, you don’t get the flavours that charcoal can impart to cooking food.  But with its small size which makes it easy to stow and store, the Kuuma is a beautiful cooking machine when you need something small and that should last a very long time because it is 100% stainless steel.

The price we picked up the Kuuma Stow N’ Go 83790 was $119.00 Canadian.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Mosquito Repellent. At the time, I pointed out that I had not had to deal with too many mosquitoes but discussed a few different suggestions for dealing with the nasty biters.  Since then, I still haven’t had any serious problems with mosquitoes although they have increased their numbers in the past few weeks.

I’ve noticed though that others seem to have mosquitoes biting at them more than they are at me. I think I know why. It’s the soap that I use.

One thing that you can do to lessen your attraction to mosquitoes is to refrain from using scents. Although I enjoy splashing on a cologne that my girlfriend likes when we are heading out somewhere together in the city, a campsite really has no place for perfumes and colognes if you want to avoid mosquitoes and other flying critters like bees and wasps.  This also includes the use of scented soaps.  I also like using a scented soap like Irish Spring when I’m in the city, but when camping, I stick to a non-scented glycerine soap.

Less Attraction To Mosquitoes, Bees, Wasps

There are benefits to using non-scented glycerine soap. As far as mosquitoes, bees and wasps are concerned, there is no lingering scent on your skin that will be an added attraction to them.

Good For The Environment

Further, glycerine soap is biodegradable and is very good for the environment. This is of course a huge concern when camping and where sewage cannot be processed like it is in the city.

Glycerine Soap For Shampoo

Forget the expensive bottles of shampoo. I haven’t used shampoo in my hair since April of 2010. I had read some things about people cutting out the use of shampoo – and guess what? They’re hair actually improved! Shampoo is made in such a way that when you start using it, you need to keep using it until you stop and let your scalp regain its own natural balance. Shampoo strips the hair of natural oils and then applies other agents to make it seem soft or thicker. If you just let your hair adjust to not using shampoo, in a week or so you might be amazed. So what to use to clean your hair?  I’ve been using glycerine soap and my girlfriend thinks my hair is just fine. It’s not greasy, I’ve had no bouts with dandruff, it’s clean, and it’s become less expensive after giving up shampoo.

I’ve used a few different glycerine soap brands including Neutrogena® and The Soap Works. The Neutrogena® claims to be scent free and I guess it is as I can’t smell anything, but it does hurt my eyes and it does not lather as well as the glycerine soap made by The Soap Works. As well, bars from Soap Works seem to last longer even though they lather up better too.

I get my bars from a local “Bulk Food Store,” a chain here in Ontario. If you can’t find it, you can get Soap Works glycerine soap here.

I have camped for years. Since I was about 9 years old. Camped with my Cub group, and then Boy Scouts.  Camped with family and friends.  Been backpacking and hiking throughout Ontario and the Adirondacks in New York State.

There is one name that seldom lets me down: Coleman.

I’ve had my Coleman lantern for over two decades. Other than the odd mantle replacement (which is inexpensive, expected, and easy to replace – always have a spare mantle with you), the lantern has given me incredible service.

The Coleman NorthStar Dual Fuel Lantern is a really good product. Not only will it run on Coleman’s “white gas,” you can also substitute the same gasoline you buy at the pump for your vehicle in it.  That’s economical!  The slightly higher price of this lantern will more than pay for itself over the long term with it’s ability to be fueled by less expensive unleaded gas.

I’m not the only one impressed judging by the reviews others have given it.  In the Bass Pro Shops review section:

Penfold from Buffalo, NY:

“Well, the power went out the other day and I had a chance to test it out. It is very simple to set-up and use and the built in lighter is awesome.

It is very bright and exactly what I expected.”

Jim Rickner from Yale , Oklahoma:

“With the metal globe protector and matchless ignition this is the best and brightest latern from Coleman yet !

What did the good folk at trails.com say?

“Coleman’s NorthStar Dual Fuel Lantern rates as the leading gas-run camping lantern”

~Maria Fernanda Cartaya

If you’re looking for a good lantern for camping or even home emergency use, it would be hard to beat the
The Coleman NorthStar Dual Fuel Lantern