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Handy items

General handy items

Some of the most useful items I use on a regular basis in the camper van are:

Zip Lock bags. - Great for storing stuff in. Also great for protecting stuff from moisture and water.
Tissues. Great for drying off or wiping yourself down and getting grime off of you.
Wet wipes. These moist towlettes are also great for cleaning yourself and getting grime off of you. I also use the antiseptic ones in my first aid kit.
Electrical tape. I use it all the time to hold things in place temporarily and for insulating on my electrical wiring. I try never to let any wire be exposed even on my 12 volt wiring.
Fabric shopping bags. These shopping bags that are all the rage in this environmentally friendly age are very useful. You can put all sorts of things in them and use them for storage. You can use them for carrying things. You can even use them for carrying your shopping.
Speaking of shopping. Most goods are overly packed. If something comes in a box within a box or a bag in a box then get rid of the other packaging. If you can't recognise what it is, use a texta / marker to write on the outside of it.
Face washers / flannels. Great for cleaning yourself down and cooling down when it is hot.
Camp stove. A brilliant device for cooking on and heating water. To be used in ventilated areas only.
Hot water bottle. This will keep you warm for hours at night with no need for open flames. They rarely cost more than $5.
Blankets and dunas. Great for keeping warm in cold weather.
Sleaping bag. A good quality sleeping bag will help keep you warm and comfortable in cold weather. They generally come with ratings to indicate how warm they will keep you. A good sleeping bag will be expensive. A cheap one brought at a discount store will not be very effective. However a cheap one will be of some effectiveness.
Ground rolls. These roll up thin foam matresses which are often used for camping can be useful for in car camping. They generally are not all that comfortable for more than a night's sleep. An inflatable matress is a far better srface to sleep on, but they generally don't come in a good size to sleep in cars with. Foam matresses will have to do if you can't get an air matress.
Alfoil. Great for placing on public barbecues to make sure your food is separate from germs.
Inverter. It produces 240 (or 110) volts from 12 volts. You can power mains items from it. The more watts they produce the more they cost. A 300 Watt one will power a small television set and will set you back about $100-$129.
Hat or beanie. It will keep you warm at night, protect your head and face from sunburn and cost only a few dollars.

© 2007 Romana S. This text is copyright. The ideas and concepts are not. Feel free to link to it, but if you want to put it on another web site ask for permission to do so in the forum. Not for release on commercial web sites or Wikipedia or Wikibooks.

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