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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
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Mood: My friends..it's good.
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Debra I have used a version of that laundry trick also.
I take a 5 gallon joint compound bucket and fill it about 2/3rds of the way with clothes, water and detergent. I then hang it with a strong rubber
bungiee from the closet rod, take 2 more bungies and anchor it down to the floor in the bus and let it bounce away. I read about it in travels with
charlie by steinbeck and it works great.
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Mood: Happy!
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What a great idea......geez now I guess I won't have to wear the same shirt for ten days in a row!
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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I have to say, this is the best thread I've seen for awhile. I also just bought one of the coolers Georock talked about, and have been absorbing all
the tips about how to keep things cold (that being one of the most expensive (and annoying) parts of camping at BOLA....I usually have to make at
least one run per day.....2 blocks, and 2 cubed which adds up to about $6. USD) I also agree with the "don't drain the water"
Thanks for getting this thread started Geo.,
Anyone else have any camping tips? I would love to hear them. Thanks! 
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marla
Nomad
Posts: 287
Registered: 10-29-2003
Location: Long Beach
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That IS a good idea for the eggs! I will have to try it. I have one of those 50 qt Igloo coolers and it works great. Way better than my old cooler.
The only thing is getting other people to make sure and CLOSE IT PROPERLY! I am very relaxed about almost everything but it drives me nuts when people
don't close the cooler all the way and the ice melts. I also freeze everything possible and load up the cooler that way.....
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Marla
And "other people" would be small children? WELCOME TO MOTHERHOOD!
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
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I have a camping trick that works pretty well. I take a thin yellow rope and string it though the holes at the end of the handles of my dirty pots and
pans, and then I fling them out in the sea. The next day, they when I pull them back up, they are all clean without any scrubbing at all. I also do
the same thing from the back of my houseboat while stateside.
Another good trick is to wire an 8-watt fluorescent light from West Marine with a long wire to a cigarette-lighter plug and then mount the light with
a coat hanger on the cieling of a palapa. While bright enough to read by, it will never deaden you car battery. I would like to find a yellow anti-bug
fluorescent tube for it though and try that out.
As for the toilet seat, I used to keep my folding chair with the middle staps missing from the front/back and the sides which resulted in a chair with
a hole over a freshly dug hole. It is always good to stop in Rosarito and pick up the Gringo Gazzete on the way south for something to read - or is
this getting to be too much information?
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Bajasurf
Newbie
Posts: 22
Registered: 5-26-2004
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30 led lantern
I just got a 30 led (15 also) lantern from www.sportsmansguide.com. This lantern has the option of using 15 or 30 led bulbs. The 30 will light up your camping area. The great thing though
is 400 hours of light with just 4 D batteries. The led bulbs will last 100,000 hours. The cost is $39.95 which includes a carry case. Batteries not
included. Be sure to look for the special price as it usually sells for $49. I eliminated my propane lanterns and those bulky propane bottles. More
light and much less cost and more space available.
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GeoRock
Nomad
Posts: 329
Registered: 3-7-2003
Location: Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Mood: Always have one
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Good idea Deb, about camping tips.
Here's one: In national forests it's against the rules to drive nails into the trees (thankfully).
So I wrap bungie cords around the trees and bungies in the bungies. I end up with a holder area for a paper towel roll; baggie for the dishscrubber
pads; baggie for matches; dish towel; and dishrag. I can also use it as a base to stretch my clothes line from. And if you need quick protection
from rain, it is helpful to tie a tarp to.
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jeans
Super Nomad
Posts: 1059
Registered: 9-16-2002
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Mood: Encantada
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It was M who had that big, thick pad to throw over the cooler. It worked great. Glad you liked the egg idea. I don't really remember how I came up
with that.
I like to pre-cook meat for meals. On our last trip I had a bag of shredded roast beef that I used for:
1) sandwiches, (I never liked packaged lunch meat),
2) scrambled with eggs & salsa for machaca
3) quesadillas
4) to throw into beef flavored Top Ramen for a real quick dinner (or any other packaged food such as mac & cheese).
I'll do the same with pre-cooked, grilled chicken breast....it's good to throw on top of packaged salads, use in quesadillas, sandwiches, etc.
Since the only thing I use mustard & mayo for are sandwiches, I combine the two in a small rubbermaid container for a quick sandwich spread.
A convenience store in town has water in a square, half-gallon size that I put milk or orange juice in. The square shape is much more
space-conscience than the normal round bottles.
Deb, Bajabus, I love your ideas of washing clothes. In all my years of camping and boating (as a kid), that was news to me!
Keep them coming!
(Has anybody ever really cooked anything in aluminum foil under the hood, or are those just urban legends?)
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cabonut
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 10-19-2003
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COOLERS/FRIDGES
Camped for 2 years waiting for power to ranch in Baja Sur. An ARB 12v fridge powered by 2 panels saved our butts!
Have 2 94qt Igloo marine ice chests - be careful when you put new 20 peso ice blocks in them. I watched unbelievingly as the mentally-challenged ice
replenishment engineer dropped the block into the chest. Cracked the bottom naturally. Now I ALWAYS help by holding up the chest sideways . .
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Jeans
Yes I have seen the cooking under the hood thing....
When I was a kid, 12 or so, I remember coming up here to visit my G-parents and we went camping with them, there was this old man that seemed to just
go camping to show off all those kind of tricks. I remember thinking how cool it was.  (that old man should have had stock in the Reynolds company!)
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Desertbull
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
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| Quote: | Originally posted by trblmkr
If you freeze all your meat before leaving the States...
It's cheaper to spend the money at Walmart and buy 3 of Georock's coolers (one for beer and sodas, one for food, the third for ice) then to shell out
the $350. on something that only works under certain conditions.
Ice is the ticket if you don't have a pocket full of money to buy a 1k+ Fridge Freeze.
Paulina y Dern <*)))>< |
Wow...freezing your meat sounds like it hurts!!!! Hah...ROTFLMAO..okay now that everyone's trying not to laugh...
Who has room to take 3 big coolers on a trip the Baja backcountry? If you're traveling to and from a specific locale I could see that, but those who
travel off the beaten path in the dirt...holy smokes..three coolers would take up a dang lot of room. I drive that big truck and I don't have that
much room with camp gear etc...
So let's do the math on the FridgeFreeze. Oh yeah, I just bought another one for my center console with a custom lid that allows the driver or
passengers to access the icy cold water.
If you spend 40-50 dollars on ice (5 blocks, 8 bags or more to start) and then ice to keep it going for drinks I'm sure you can get up to 40-50 bucks
a trip or more depending on how cold you want that cerveza...it's gonna' take 20 trips or so to get your money back from the ice store...
The first FridgeFreeze I bought has suffered through 110,774 miles in the back of the Desert Tank including countless miles on the dirt roads of
Baja...and it's still going strong. Works as if it was brand new...but it doesn't look as purty' nowadays. Simply, the system will/has froze water
into ice in LA Bay during the 118 degree days...and just keeps on ticking...During our adventures with as many as 20 guys/gals on one of our first
trips, we loaded it with all the staples of chicken and beef for the entire trip to feed everyone! The FridgeFreeze really does work.
This is not a commercial because I don't get anything from FridgeFreeze...as a matter a fact..a month ago I purchased my second FridgeFreeze...at
retail!
I only post this to say they work. If GeoRock had a FridgeFreeze in the back of her Hummer...she'd shake her head and say, "Why didn't I do this along
time ago!"
Stevo has got the right idea...if you're looking for something to last you for a very long time...check out the FridgeFreeze. Makes good ice for those
hot sticky days on the Cortez beaches...
Leaving this week to reacquaint myself with Baja after a journey to the East Coast...both FridgeFreezes cooling down my icy water...and, okay...maybe
a couple beers !!!
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Stop by for a beer if you wish DB
I'd like to take a gander at that thing. Ice in 118 degrees sounds right up my old alley.
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Desertbull
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
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jrbaja,
Aren't you on the Pacific side? Sorry, can't keep up with all the movements of most...just the movements of the some.
Anyhow, heading out through Mexicali for lunch at my favorite place and then south to San Felipe for the night-heard a rumor that MeMe was having a
tequila fiesta...and then onward to Coco's for the next night for a fiesta with him. Heading out through Calamajue and onto/through LA Bay to Playa
San Rafael for an evening on the beach...then over the desert and off towards Malarimmo for a beach run down south along the coast all the way out to
Abreojos and the tingling oranges. We'll get out of town headed towards San Ignacio and then north once again back through Coco's and up the hot
side....trying to wear out my BFG's in a single trip.
Let me know if you'll be somewhere close so we can bust out the icy cold cerveza's!!
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4baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1339
Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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tim, i'll be at my place on friday night if your around, if i'm passed out stay out of my frig hopefully see you then. good story on the fridge.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Yep
I'll see you another time. But the real reason I am posting this is because the last post was #911. Thought I would take that off there. Very bad
day!
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Natalie Ann
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2819
Registered: 8-22-2003
Location: Berkeley
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Jeans- About cooking in aluminum foil on the car engine, true story: Couple of years back I saw a tv program in which the "car guys"
(2 of 'em, have a regular car fix-it show, can't remember their names) challenged Martha Stuart to actually cook something on an engine. She wrapped
eggs in one foil packet, another of bacon, another containing a small beef roast; then gave the boyz approximate driving times needed for cooking.
Martha did point out that actual driving/cooking time depends on just how hot your engine gets. Cooked the eggs just fine; bacon about 1/2 done at
end of program. Think you'd need to be driving quite a ways for the roast, but the Baja heat should help push it along.
[Edited on 6-30-2004 by Natalie Ann]
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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GeoRock
Nomad
Posts: 329
Registered: 3-7-2003
Location: Mammoth Lakes, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always have one
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From this website,
http://www.low-carb-recipes.ws/Tips_for_Engine_Cooking.html, comes the following quote:
"Instructions:
Instructions: Tips for engine cooking
Here are some hints for turning out top-notch road food.
Use good-quality heavy-duty aluminum foil. The regular thinner kind tends to tear when it touches screws, hoses and wires.
For best results, cook fish or chicken. Other meats tend to toughen.
Small pieces cook faster than large pieces.
To wrap food, use the Big-Mac method. Pull up two opposite sides of the foil square, capturing the food between them. Bring the edges together and
fold over about 1/2 inch. Continue folding down for a tight seal. Fold the ends of the foil packet as if wrapping a boxed gift; then tuck the mitered
corners under the packet.
(Food is wrapped for cleanliness - the foods and the engines - not because of engine fumes. The exhaust system releases fumes from the tailpipe, not
under the hood.)
Dont expect the food to brown. Engine cooking essentially steams food. An engine cannot bake, broil or fry.
Seasonings become intense because food cooks more slowly than at home, so throttle back a little.
Be sure to outfit your toolbox with an oven mitt and tongs for retrieving hot food from the engine, and a roll of wire for securing food packets
against the manifold.
Be sure to place food on the hot part of the engine. Some would-be cooks are tempted to take the little accordion-folded gizmo out of the air filter
housing and put the food there. Stop!
Thats not a hot place. Neither is a water hose. Look for metal parts, especially those with grainy surfaces that came from a forge.
Beware of traffic jams, and shorten your cooking mileage accordingly. Food burns just as surely at 5 mph as it does at 65 mph.
When removing food from the engine, watch out for screws that could tear the foil. You dont want your mechanic asking about that stuff dripped on the
engine block.
Engine cooking is inexact. A dish cooked at a certain distance on one car may need to stay a few miles longer on the engine of another car, even of
the same model. Thats because all engines perform differently."
And on http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blchicken17.htm one can get a chicken wings recipe.
And finally, there is a book called "Manifod Destiny" by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller. It is a cookbook for engine cooking. This website, http://weber.ucsd.edu/~mruben/cooking.html, gives a review of the book.
On Amazon the book costs a hefty $34.95 !
My next baja trip, I'm going to try nachos.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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The end of the days
of the Baja barbecue! Ahhh, so sad.
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Bajasurf
Newbie
Posts: 22
Registered: 5-26-2004
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Igloo Maxcold
I also purchased an Igloo from Walmart for $18 plus. But added something to make the ice last longer. An insulated bag from Albertsons. Looks like a
fabric briefcase and it does work. Put 2 chunks of dry ice and 6 days later everything in the cooler was still frozen. Chicken, water, soft drinks( to
cold as a couple just about busted open) Also have a Norcold which is not a bad unit. Will make ice in a few hours.
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