Prospector's Lodging- how do you camp?


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Let's chat about our camping rigs. I've been messing with trailers the last few weeks, which is why I haven't had prospecting on my mind.

Some prospectors rent a motel room in town nearby, and I can't blame them when those 600-mph frigid desert winds start to blow. That's a little TOO comfy for my taste!

Left to my own devices, I camp in the back of my station wagon, which is almost as nimble as a jeep. It is cramped, but nothing to hinder driving on bad roads. Unloading all the gear and setting it up to sleep is a drag, however.

I recently got a pop-up tent trailer, which is the cat's meow as far as compromising comfort versus mobility.

I also just recently acquired a vintage 31 foot Streamline aluminum trailer, which would be nice for an extended stay at Duisenberg, or some improved campground, but it is frankly "too much trailer" for any casual trip or rough road. My girlfriend might actually enjoy a long prospecting trip in this, though! :rolleyes:

I've seen some pretty nice toyhaulers and RVs out at the claims... feel free to brag about yours!

Does anyone ever go out on prospecting ventures way away from roads, that you have to pack in camping gear? Seems there would be a lot of ripe ground out there, unprospected since the advent of modern detectors!

Let's talk about the camping part of prospecting! B)

-Goldmember

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I have owned and used evry kind of camping device made i think. From a tear drop to nice motor homes. I always seem to go back to the POP UP. I will be moving to a toy hauler soon as with the wife and four kids i need the room for the quads.

I do alot of pack in camping on my Big game hunting as it does open up alot of un hunted ground. I would bet that it is the same with undetected ground. Maybe not unprospected by old timers but untouched by modern day shooters. It depends on what the weather will be but i have stayed in my small 2 man packer tent to sleeping in a hamock between two trees. I do not like to sleep right on the ground i have heard to many stories of desert crawlers getting in bed with people.

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Well guys I like to wing it and my base camp is the back of my Yukon Denali. I take the rear seat out and leave it at home-place 2nd rear seat flat and flop in my battery charged air mattress, sleeping bag and 3 pillows and I am ready to crash in the back of my truck for the nite--generally try to find an area closed to a shower and john---I almost always carry extras such as sleeping bags and mattresses and water just in case. My detectors are stored in a carry bin on the luggage rack on the roof--seems to work well for me when i can use it :angry: (no time off) . The lady of the house now wants to join in so I may have to go with more class and actually buy a small trailer. :(:( Hammer

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I use a 2 room tent with an iflatable air matteress and my camp gear...stove,ice chest,chairs and I have an awning that I can put up in the summer. So far this has worked but I would rather have a small trailer like about 13 to 16 ft and that would be the best deal for mt to camp in. All this gets hauled in my truck along with my quad.

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Guest keninla

I have usually tent camped but my old back sure does not like the hard ground anymore. Sometimes I take the back seat out of my Ramcharger (4x4) and I sleep back there. It is a lot better than a tent. Safer too.

I just bought a 26 foot motorhome so after I get it road/camp worthy I will be taking it often. I looked at getting a larger motorhome but the issue is always Where do you keep it when not using it?

The 26 footer I can just get into my driveway. I have a trailer for my dredge or an ATV if I ever get one. I think I will get a small jeep that I can tow behind the motorhome. I sure do like my 4x4 Ramcharger but it is just too big to tow behind the motorhome.

Ken

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get a cargo trailer for the tote gote, drywasher, sluice, pump, gas, shovels and other implements of destruction, lanterns, food and ice chests, cot, blankets, gatorade. make a nice cosy spot to sleep inside, if its too nasty to sleep outside.

get at least two gas lanterns and a couple of poles. set them up about 50 feet apart in camp. snakes will go around teh light, so when you have to get up and pee, it won't be a tough situation. you can even use a gas lantern to heat up the quarters in the morning so it won't be so cold to bail out of the bag.

A cargo trailer with a side door, crossflow vents, plywood and tie downs out the a, maybe a ramp end.

someplaces you'll need to bring a stove and food (steaks and stew), someplaces, just easier to drive out to a bar or eats, and use the camp supply to hold you over in between stuffin runs

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I have an old 35' diesel pusher with a generator, solar panels, stove, refrigerator/freezer, shower, hot water heater and a nice comfy sh*tter. It will carry 140 gallons of diesel, 30 gallons of generator gas, 30 gallons of propane, 100 gallons of fresh water and a hundred pounds of Old Roy High Protien Dog Chow. The waste tanks are 40 gallons.

What can I say, it's my office and house. I tow a Samurai. I WISH I had a cargo trailer so I could save some wear and tear on the Samurai and carry more toys like a drywasher and a highbanker or dredge. Maybe put a 14' Alumicraft on top....

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Well I sleep in the ol cold, hard a$$$ bed of my pickum-up truck.

Jump up at the crack of dawn, grab a bowl of oat meal with a dab of water in it, [no sugar] just to soften it up. Grab the detector and head for the hills just so I can warm up, from the night before.

Sure makes for a nice long day of detecting.

Don't sleep on the ground anymore, been there done that. Too many critters.

Bob T.

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After much debate and looking around, I finally settled on this. After one season, I'm convinced I made the right choice for just about any kind of camping, plus being able to haul all your gear AND quads.

Here's the web site for the manufacturer.

http://www.jumpingjacktrailers.com/

Digger

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Digger bob you are right i know a few people that have them and they love them. I like the tent trailer but your quad fills the bed of the truck so you have no room for anything but the quad. They will also hold a rhino with no trouble.

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Digger bob you are right i know a few people that have them and they love them. I like the tent trailer but your quad fills the bed of the truck so you have no room for anything but the quad. They will also hold a rhino with no trouble.

Here's a couple of shots of camp plus everything fully loaded.

post-73-1168299341_thumb.jpg

post-73-1168299359_thumb.jpg

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Thanks for all the interesting replies so far! :)

That jumping jack looks pretty rugged! Not much storage when folded, but the small size has its merits.

The Fleetwood Evolution is my pipedream of choice. Look at the gear deck on the E2 and E3!

http://www.fleetwoodcampingtrailers.com/se...mp;sn=Evolution

I'll probably just wind up modifying my Coleman pop-up for now.

Love to hear about more camping setups.

-Goldmember

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