This was my setup for my first working vacation. I was camping alone, fishing whenever I wanted and working
when not fishing. Note the table with laptop on the far side of the picnic table. We had a terrific thunderstorm
with torrential rains and the site was dry and comfortable. The tarp is 30' by 16'. I was able to back the van up
to the tarp and have access to it without getting wet.

This is a pretty good shot of our camp kitchen. The unit takes five minutes to set up and pack away and frees
the picnic table from the camp stove, etc. The counter is high enough to be comfortable and the shelves hold
the dishes, pans, utensils and dishpan ( the folded green thing on the right shelf).

The three green Rubbermaid Roughneck boxes hold most of the camp kitchen gear.

Box # 1 contains the camp stove, propane lantern, propane hoses, connectors and spare parts. It also contains
any citronella candles and mosquito coils, long-handled barbecue utensils and aluminum foil.

Box # 2 contains, pots, pans, dishes, folding camp sink, mesh hanging bags, disposable tableware and zip-loc
bags.

Box # 3 contains water bottles, clothes pins, camp shovel, hammer/hatchet, spare tent stakes, duct tape,
inflatables patch kits, tent care supplies, parachute cord, emergency blankets, rain gear and extra-large clear plastic
trash bags.

The cooler fits under the shelf on the left, the dry food box under the shelf on the right.

The two clear plastic boxes on the right contain kitchen and bathroom items. The bathroom box has all personal
care and first aid products, the kitchen box has all the small kitchen items; silverware, seasonings and spices,
kitchen matches, biodegradable dish soap, tablecloth, dish towels, pot holders, sponges, etc.

These boxes make packing and unpacking the van quick and easy. They store easily in the garage and can be packed
in the van in minutes. During camping season the dry food box stays packed and ready with anything that will not
spoil quickly, like rice, cereal, sugar, tea, a few canned meals, marshmallows, peanut butter, crackers, etc. Just
add bread, english muffins and bagels and we are ready to go.

The Family Tent - The Eureka Condo

My back doesn't like camping much, and one of the main aggravations is all the bending and stooping in tents.
I saw one of the ancestors of this tent at a campground on Cape Cod. It was a 20 year old tent in perfect
shape owned by a very tall couple and their four children.

I checked the Eureka Tents web site and found this tent. It has three rooms, 3 doors and 10 windows.
At 10'6"x 20', it provides 210 sq. ft. of living space. It is 7 feet tall in the center. The storm shield has kept us
dry during three-day rainstorms with no additional tarp. When we camp for two weeks at a time this tent really
feels like home. I bought this one at the Eureka Outlet store for about half the retail cost. It replaces the small
tent in the above campsite picture, with the front entrance sitting about two feet under the edge of the tarp.