Airplane camping tips, tricks, equipment, and advice ...

[JOhnH]

Point taken, but that is why I have a suture kit as part of the first aid pack. Used it more that I would have liked, but glad it was there.

I'd have preferred a suture kit and some real antiseptic, but sans those things, I was happy for the sewing kit and the Scotch.

 

[N801BH]

I'd have preferred a suture kit and some real antiseptic, but sans those things, I was happy for the sewing kit and the Scotch.

Ya gotta do, what ya gotta do....

 

[Diana]

Thanks. Pictures say a lot.

Is that fabric? And what size is it? Where to find it?

I think it was this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/19-ft-x-19-ft-6-inch-all-purpose-weather-resistant-tarpaulin-47671.html

But, my husband thinks it was 19 by 39. I think I'm right.

Here is how I make coffee and heat up water for the MRE's:

 

[JOhnH]

I think it was this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/19-ft-x-19-ft-6-inch-all-purpose-weather-resistant-tarpaulin-47671.html

But, my husband thinks it was 19 by 39. I think I'm right.

Your are the woman. Of course you are right.

Here is how I make coffee and heat up water for the MRE's:

Do those painted toe-nails generate that much heat?

 

[denverpilot]

I use a tarp over the wing every year at OSH. Once with our 172 and the rest of the time with the Citabria. I put a thin blanket under the tarp to keep it from rubbing the wing...it's worked great for me over the years.



It's amazing how much I can get in the Citabria for camping at OSH.



Attached are a few photos. One of them includes 5 PoA guys.

Oshkosh wildlife photography! LOL

 

[Clark1961]

Do those painted toe-nails generate that much heat?

They do with Spike...

 

[txflyer]

I think it was this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/19-ft-x-19-ft-6-inch-all-purpose-weather-resistant-tarpaulin-47671.html

But, my husband thinks it was 19 by 39. I think I'm right.

Here is how I make coffee and heat up water for the MRE's:

I still think percolator coffee is the best, but I'm a dinosaur.

I imagine whatever we don't have at KOSH, we can find it.

Thanks for the link.

 

[Banjo33]

I guess it could scratch or chafe?

After about day 4 it does, but it needs a bath by then too so I don't really mess with it much more.

 

[Diana]

Your are the woman. Of course you are right.

Aren't you nice.

Do those painted toe-nails generate that much heat?

It's quite possible.

Oshkosh wildlife photography! LOL

How funny!

They do with Spike...

That Spike...what a special guy.

I still think percolator coffee is the best, but I'm a dinosaur.

Me too.

I imagine whatever we don't have at KOSH, we can find it.

Thanks for the link.

 

[kyleb]

I imagine whatever we don't have at KOSH, we can find it.

Yep. Go to the transportation "mall" and take the free bus to Target and the grocery store. The bus runs two or three times an hour, so it is very convenient.

 

[ClimbnSink]

I think it was this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/19-ft-x-19-ft-6-inch-all-purpose-weather-resistant-tarpaulin-47671.html

But, my husband thinks it was 19 by 39. I think I'm right.

Here is how I make coffee and heat up water for the MRE's:

Those little propane top stoves work really well. Much prefer those over the slightly lighter, pressurized backpack rambling infernos.

 

[cgrab]

Here is my list for AirVenture this year. I weighed it all and test fit it in the plane last week. I have enough room to buy 100 pounds of stuff there and still take full fuel in my Cardinal. That's without taking credit for what I consume from the cooler and food bin.
KITCHEN BIN
Dish soap
5-gal water pack
2-burner camp stove
Cast Iron Skillet
Pot
Spatula
Can opener
Oven mit
Paper cups (6 lg, 6 sm)
Paper plates (20)
Plastic forks (10), spoon (10)
Paper towel roll
Trash can (collapsible)
Trash bags
Bucket

CAMPING
Reclining chair
Stool
Screen porch
Tool bag-tie downs
Electronics charging station and lockbox
Table metal roll
2 Roll chairs
Tent
Sleeping mats
Sleeping bag
Sheet

CLOTHES BAG
1 Jeans
2 Shorts
2 T-shirts
1 LS shirt
6 skivvies (2 black and 4 white socks)
Sandals
Jacket
Hats
Towel
Gym clothes

FOOD BIN-Small bin
2 Canned green beans
2 Small Canned chicken
4 boil-in-bag Rice
Canned pineapple, peaches, fruit cocktail
Bread for grilled cheese
10 Packs of hot chocolate

DAY PACK- Miscellaneous
Water pack
Toiletries
Medicines
AM/FM Radio
Camera
Batteries
Binoculars
Wet wipes
Bug spray

COOLER
Case of frozen water, Bacon, Butter
Eggs, Cheese(s), Sliced cheese, Gatorade,
Vegetable oil, Baby carrots, Apples, Oranges, MiO flavoring

WEAR
Jeans
Tennis shoes
P&P t-shirt
LS shirt
Multi-tool
Cell phone
Tablet

BUY
Ice
Lunch each day

 

[nisvan]

...and, a bike. Best for 4 seaters, like a Maule or 172, where you've taken out the back seat. To pack the bike, remove the front and rear tires, and seat; frame should fit, upright. (Don't forget to repack the tires and seat.) With the bike, a backpack, and GPS mounted on the handlebars, you can ride to town from most any airport and get supplies, and tour the area as you like, when you want, free.

 

[tawood]

Are you putting the tent UNDER the wing? I had to look around for my tent to fit like this:

 

[nisvan]

Another option if you're pressed for time or just too exhausted or lazy to set up camp, is to sleep IN the airplane. This works in a Maule, if you're solo, back seats were removed, don't have a taildragger, and don't mind not being able to fully stretch out (unless your 5'3" or shorter). To prep, stow all gear on the pilot and co-pilot seats. If the tail keeps going down (the diet you're on hasn't taken effect yet), you can shove the tow bar underneath the bottom of the tail, to give the plane support so it won't tip aft. I've done it with my head in the aft section, and sleep diagonal, with my feet in between the seat and door. Stow any food outside the aircraft somewhere, unless you're wanting nocturnal wildlife visitation.

 

[cgrab]

I put my tent and screened in awning in front of my plane. Mine are tall enough to stand in.

 

[JCranford]

Air mattress with battery operated pump
Blankets. ( take an extra one )
Bug spray
First aid kit
Sun block
Very small jump pack to charge phones and ipads and run fan
Pillow
Battery operated fan if it is hot
Tarp to place on ground under tent
Paper towels
Wet wipes
Personal lubricant ( some spouses become amorous in tents )
Extra medications in case you are gone longer than planned
Extra cash
Girlfriend. ( unless your wife is going )
12 volt coffee pot. ( gotta have caffeine first thing )
Extra ropes for tent in case of tstorms
Extra tent pegs
Plastic bags for dirty socks ( you really don't want to smell them in the tent or plane )
Toilet tissue for the midnight run into the bushes ( wet wipes burn like hell )

Holy crap! What do you fly? A 210??

 

[JCranford]

With this list of stuff getting longer, you might consider adding one of these:

Ha, I just bought one of those when I went to
Petit Jean state park

 

[mulligan]

Here is my list:

Vodka
Bug spray

 

[murphey]

Escalante Utah (south) IL7 has a wonderful new free campground right on the field, with a cook shack with power, BBQ, water, fridge, microwave. Nice pilot lounge, too.
And Payson AZ (KPAN) has on-site camping.

Not in winter, but West Yellowstone is in field, showers and potties, and an on-field restaurant.

 

[coloradobluesky]

Small ice box, propane stove, tent, foam pad or air mattress, cook kit, food, ice, water etc

If you put the tent under the wing and it rains, the rain is going to pour off the back of the wing, so take that into consideration and have the part of the tent that dosnt fit under the wing stick out in front..

 

[JCranford]

Here is my list:

Vodka
Bug spray

I wanna camp with YOU! Separate tents of course...

 

[nisvan]

I wanna camp with YOU! Separate tents of course...

bad news - mr. mulligan's list included no tent; he gonna be in your tent, eating your food, using your sleeping bag; but he might let you drink a splash or two of vodka, if you're quiet, and stay out of the way

 

[Flyhound]

Most of my airplane camping has been solo. My wife won't sleep on the ground anymore and my dog decided she doesn't like flying. I have a Maule, so with only me onboard, I have nearly unlimited capacity for camping stuff. I even take my espresso maker when I camp - hey, as beautiful as the great outdoors are, you can't appreciate it if you aren't fully awake. Here's the stuff going into my plane, my plane with all the stuff packed in the back (the rear seat comes out by pulling 2 fast pins) and my campsite at a dry lakebed in Nevada. The black rectangle next to my main landing gear in the last shot is the solar charger I use to top off my phone and tablet. I find that to be a very useful addition to my camping gear! I'm fortunate enough to have a LOT of state owned grass strips in the Cascade mountains that are perfect for airplane camping, plus numerous dry lakebeds in easy flying range. Life is good in the Pacific Northwest! Even with all this gear jammed into the plane I was several hundred pounds under gross. I'm volume limited more than weight limited!

 

[paflyer]

Rental car check
Holiday Inn resvn check
Credit card check

Check.

 

[Dana]

Since I do a lot of hiking and backpacking, I tend towards the lighter side of camping gear. The last time I camped with my plane, I took:

Sleeping bag
Thermarest air mattress
Bivy sack
Water
Coffee & oatmeal for breakfast (lunch and dinner were provided)
Camping stove for above
Canteen cup for boiling water
Flask of Scotch

 

[JCranford]

bad news - mr. mulligan's list included no tent; he gonna be in your tent, eating your food, using your sleeping bag; but he might let you drink a splash or two of vodka, if you're quiet, and stay out of the way

Hmmm, I think I see your point...

 

[nisvan]

..."at a dry lakebed in Nevada.... I'm fortunate enough to have a LOT of state owned grass strips in the Cascade mountains that are perfect for airplane camping, plus numerous dry lakebeds in easy flying range. "

Flyhound, if you could be so kind as to provide a list of some of the airports in Pacific NW good for airplane camping, wud be much appreciated, as i might get my maule out that way next spring and summer.

 

[Flyhound]

nisvan: There is a LOOOOOONG list. I'd suggest getting the books Fly Idaho by Galen Hanselman, and the Washington State Airport Guide by Washington State DOT. They have photos and details about all of the airports in their states. My favorites in Washington are:

Skykomish - S88, close to the highway, but a nice grass strip with tables in a picnic area for visiting planes.
Lake Wenatchee State - 27W near a lake for added ambience
Stehekin State - 6S9 also near a lake and deeper in the mountains
Sullivan Lake - 0S9 (my favorite) Right on the north shore of Lake Sullivan with a state campground adjacent to the runway
Tieton State - 4S6 right on Rimrock Lake, but also close to the highway, so more traffic noise
Ranger Creek - 21W - this one is also nestled in a mountain velly adjacent to a creek. It is a paved runway, but there are camping facilities onsite
Lost River - W12 - The Lost River "Resort" is here and they have rental cabins

Many of these strips are in the mountains, so it would be prudent to take a mountain flying course if you haven't flown in that environment before. Beware of high density altitude during the heat of the day and rapidly changing weather conditions. I don't fly in the mountains when it is windy - too many rotors and other turbulence generated. I tend to fly earlier in the morning when in that environment to make things more pleasant.

 

[MAG]

...and, a bike. Best for 4 seaters, like a Maule or 172, where you've taken out the back seat. To pack the bike, remove the front and rear tires, and seat; frame should fit, upright. (Don't forget to repack the tires and seat.) With the bike, a backpack, and GPS mounted on the handlebars, you can ride to town from most any airport and get supplies, and tour the area as you like, when you want, free.

I love the fold down rear seats in the Grumman Tiger. Folding Bikes are inexpensive on eBay.

 

[MAG]

I am in CA, so I have yet to see any camping right on the field. The few spots around here, you need to park the plane and haul your gear to the camp spot. Oceano was a couple hundred yards, Shelter Cove was probably a quarter mile, Columbia is a few hundred yards and Georgetown is across the runway, maybe a quarter mile. On the bright side, most of these have full campsites with a fire pit and picnic bench (not Oceano, though).

Try Gravelly Valley, NFS, 1Q5. It's on the NW shore of Lake Pillsbury in NorCal. Haven't been camping @ Oceano in years, i used to be a great place. If you ever get to Kalispell Montana, try Spotted Bear, NFS, 8U4.

 

[MAG]

So, a DC3 should just about carry it all, eh.

Maybe a Dakota towing a trailer...

 

[172andyou]

A friend said take a tarp and stretch it over the wing, but I've also heard not to do this. Any advice you beautiful smart plane packers care to give us would be appreciated.

Rubbing is only one part of the problem. The other, more concerning, issue is that you will be putting a lot of pressure on control surfaces. There is no way I would ever do this with any plane I ever intended to fly again. There is a reason we don't tie planes down by the ailerons and flaps...

 

[Lowflynjack]

Are you putting the tent UNDER the wing? I had to look around for my tent to fit like this:

View attachment 49581

I used to put my tent under the wing. Then one night there was a very heavy rainstorm. The sound of heavy rain on your tent it one thing... the sound of the waterfall coming off your wing and onto your tent is another! Now the tent goes behind the plane.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

I just got back from camping at Fox Island (6Y3) in my Skywagon. I don't have much to say about gear as it's just about all been covered, but I learned last weekend that putting your tent under the wing in a high-humidity area is no fun! Water condensing on the wing and slowly dripping onto the tent... like Chinese water torture.

 

[eman1200]

I just got back from camping at Fox Island (6Y3) in my Skywagon. I don't have much to say about gear as it's just about all been covered, but I learned last weekend that putting your tent under the wing in a high-humidity area is no fun! Water condensing on the wing and slowly dripping onto the tent... like Chinese water torture.

View attachment 66245

nice! any pireps on the island?

 

[Mtns2Skies]

nice! any pireps on the island?

Couldn't have been better. My gosh that's a smooth runway thanks to @el con! There were 5 planes Saturday night and probably 11 people, everyone was fantastic. It couldn't have been a better time, perfect setting to make friends, drink beer and watch the meteor shower.

Even better, it looked like a Cessna convention. 2 180's a 206, 172 and 152. Not a low wing in sight

 

[tawood]

Couldn't have been better. My gosh that's a smooth runway thanks to @el con! There were 5 planes Saturday night and probably 11 people, everyone was fantastic. It couldn't have been a better time, perfect setting to make friends, drink beer and watch the meteor shower.

Even better, it looked like a Cessna convention. 2 180's a 206, 172 and 152. Not a low wing in sight

I almost went Saturday too! Coulda changed that in my PA28!

 

[Ray Antal]

I just got back from camping at Fox Island (6Y3) in my Skywagon. I don't have much to say about gear as it's just about all been covered, but I learned last weekend that putting your tent under the wing in a high-humidity area is no fun! Water condensing on the wing and slowly dripping onto the tent... like Chinese water torture.

View attachment 66245

I'm new to the site and I saw your post and pic of Fox Island and I'm from Michigan. I joined the military and haven't been back much since but looking forward to airport camping in retirement. Is the strip smooth enough for an Arrow III?

 

[Mtns2Skies]

I'm new to the site and I saw your post and pic of Fox Island and I'm from Michigan. I joined the military and haven't been back much since but looking forward to airport camping in retirement. Is the strip smooth enough for an Arrow III?

Oh definitely! It's the smoothest grass runway I've ever been on. @EdFred routinely takes his Comanche in there. @el con who is the airport manager brings his Cherokee in regularly.