Alaska2018

Update:  My foot is much better today, it is tender to the touch, but I can get back into my trek shoes and hiking boots!  So glad I packed the rice pack into the freezer before we left home! Tolsona Wilderness Campground is excellent - a true jewel!  Their laundry is the best pricing we have seen, their wifi is good and Ken was able to work remote today, it is quiet and we got side by side sites with my parents in the sun for their solar recharge and us in the shade for our expandable beds.  There are water and electric hookups and thanks for Mom and Dad's Passport America membership, it was $35 for two nights!  The kids have loved the creek and the wifi. It is buggy here, but we solved our mosquito problem in the camper.  There is a gap where the expandable bed folds down. The gap is the size of a golf ball on both sides on the expandable bed hinge.  So, I stuffed an extra pair of clean socks in the gap, then covered it with a single sock which I sme...

We have surrendered to the glamping trend.  🤔😂. Actually, we found out that laundry was going to cost us a small fortune (up to $12 to wash and $1/min dry - per load!), so we invested in a mini washing machine and drying rack for the camper.  The machine will pay for itself in just 10 loads!  With a family our size, we will have made up the difference in one week.  I tried it out tonight and was very impressed with how dry the cotton clothes were after only one minute in the spinner. Look how perfectly it fits in the shower stall!  It is light enough that most of the children can move it out of the way for showers. There is a vent and skylight in the bathroom, so those got Reflectix as well.  These are kept in place by Velcro. One last addition to the bathroom, which is a complete luxury item is a small sheepskin rug from IKEA.   We decided that one microfiber blanket per bed might not be enough in northern Canada and the Yukon, but is probably fine ...

Check out this custom made storage rack.   Ken, with help from the boys, made this custom rack to carry out generator, an air compressor, and two gas cans on the back of our travel trailer.  If you want details, comment on this post and hopefully he can answer any questions.  It took them a few evenings and all day today to build it. There are straps running up to keep the rack stable once weight is added to it.  The straps have to be unlatched to put the bunk end down. Top anchor Bumper clamp Adding the reflectors.

It is often the sand in our shoes, not the boulders we walk on, which cause the most discomfort.  The rods which hold he pop-out tent bed canvas have always irritated me when they are not in use.  They store under the folded bed mats - but it is awkward, and to me, it seems like I can't get to them in the right order when setting up and tearing down.  Here is my solution: Broom clamps mounted under the overhead shelves above the folded tent beds.  Care had to be taken with the hook end so that it didn't flop downward.  Also, I tried to place the clamps so that none of us would scrape our heads on them getting in and out of the tent beds.  (Ken is notorious for scraping his head on things!!) I haven't mounted the other one yet, it is a bit more awkward and I need to unfold the tent to get to the area.  However, while I had the drill and screw gun, I did mount clips for a new broom. Tonight, the camper goes for inspection, so I cleared out most of my cle...

A few years ago, Ken replaced the heavy wood panels in our big camper fridge with whiteboard panels.  It is great to be able to write on the fridge!! I didn't have a similar setup in the little camper, so I made a chalkboard.  First I removed the plastic trim along the open door edge, removed the panels and sprayed them with chalkboard spray paint.  I gave them a second coat, then after it was dry, reinstalled the panels and trim and now have a write on fridge!! Panels, painted and drying. Reinstalled and ready to use. I would love to paint the entire camper interior, but I don't have time right now.  However, a write-on fridge door was a quick project that the whole family will appreciate when we need to make lists, leave notes, etc. Unfortunately, when I added a vinyl decal to the panel, the paint came off on the transfer paper.  I used removable vinyl, so it can be taken off, repainted, etc. Next up:  tackling the fitted sheets. Perfect width, but 18" to...

Some of our camper hacks for this trip are detailed below.  We are heading to Alaska in the summer - the Land of the Midnight Sun.  Thanks to my Dad, we decided to outfit our windows with Reflectix.  It makes a huge difference with regard to the light coming in as well as insulating the tent beds. Next, we needed to make the beds comfortable for our family.  We will have two adults, three teens and a 10yo on this trip.  Long days of driving or hiking will require a comfortable bed!   We used to put an egg crate foam on our bed, but it didn't work so well with the expandable beds and having to fold up the mattress to stow for travel.  Enter my new favorite blog:  The Popup Princess.  Thanks to her, we decided to put inexpensive, interlocking foam under all the bed areas, except the jackknife sofa (I will address THAT issue in a bit). The next problem was the floor.  DH loves to have area and throw rugs in the camper.  I don't.  ...