High Tech Toy Questions

[Doug W.]

I am interested in how many people do or do not take a TV, a VCR, a DVD player and/or a laptop with them? How about another high tech device like a GPS, MP3 player or something else with you? How many of you just have to check your email when camping? Is the laptop for when you are bored or do you have to keep up with forums, news, weather and etc on the Internet? Do you just use the TV on rainy days or do you just have to keep up with your shows?

We do not take the first three, because our conversion van has a TV and a DVD player. We rarely use them and normally play games instead (mainly Skipbo, Scrabble and Yatzee). When my wife decides to read, I get out my PDA/cellphone out (Cingular 8525) and play Sudoko or Millsbourne. I also use the PDAcellphone with a bluetooth GPS unit and a street navigation program to get where I am going. When hiking or canoeing, I use the PDA/Cellphone and bluetooth GPS with a topographic navigation program.

I take my company laptop in case there is an emergency at work, but have no desire to use it otherwise. It just reminds me of work as I am a Network Engineer. I can teather the laptop to my PDA/cellphone to get Internet access in a campground that does not have wireless, but does have Cingular/AT&T data coverage. I have not had to do that on a camping trip yet thankfully. I have used a campground's 802.11 wireless to send a paper I needed to complete that I found out about an hour before I left work for the trip. I was not to happy about that either.

I have created a special email account for my PDA/phone on one of my personal domains. My family and the other Network Engineers I work with know to use that email address if they want a response from me before I get back. I never check my normal email accounts. I could set them all up in my PDA/cellphone, but I have no desire to deal with that much email. They also know I only guarenty I will check that account once or maybe twice a day. If it is real important, you better call me. I am on vacation or a weekend camping trip after all.

 

[grill-n-go]

For under a week: Satellite radio and cellphones.

A week+ we add a television and lap top pc because I still work for a living.

I wasn't too keen on the television, but I am even less keen on having an unhappy camper.

 

[MukaboutintheNW]

We take a laptop to watch DVDs. We use it at night to watch old westerns. Last camping season we watched Lone Ranger episodes! Don't use the laptop for emails though, we don't hook up to internet.

My 11 year old brings along his Nintendo DS handheld game but usually only uses it while we're driving.

We have a radio DH just installed in the TM that can connect to an MP3 player, so I will defiitely be bringing my I-Pod along too.

Also have cell phone just in case. That's about it for the electronic gadgets.

Sharon

 

[PopBeavers]

Under normal circumstances we have a pair of cell phones between us.

DW sometimes takes her office laptop.

I prefer office desktops because then the boss can not suggest that I work while camping.

I have never taken a television, VHS player or DVD player camping in my life and don't think I ever will. Too hard to watch it while toasting marshmallows over an open fire.

If I was living in an RV fulltime then I might have a television for DW, but that isn't camping that is a motel on wheels.

Sometimes I take a telescope, does that count?

 

[Dagrip]

We have a second mounting kit for our Sirius Satellite radio unit so we just move the head unit from the TV to the TM. We can then listen to the satellite radio via the built-in stereo in the TM. We also take along a mp3 player and portable speakers for use outside of the trailer.

Scott and B

 

[Joseph]

No keyboards allowed...

A television just in case in rains...

One cell phone that is TURNED OFF. The DW will check messages once a day.

As I work with technology for a living, when I go camping, I camp.

Books, walks, campfire, coffee, cooking, are the rule of the day.

No keyboards allowed....

( Well, except for the GPS, laptop and mapping software..... )

 

[2bcs1jrt]

We have a 6 inch tv that has ac/12v capacity that we don't use much and a portable dvd player for watching a movie at night...and cell phones. That's it for us.
Cheri

 

[Leslie & Nick]

As far as gizmos - we aren't lacking

We have a 20" LCD TV that stays in the camper. It has a built-in-in DVD player that we watch movies on at night. Surprisingly the TV plays quite well with the TM's antenna/power booster. We camp a long way from the nearest city and the TV reception is quite good.

We usually take our cell phones but our RV site in the woods is also far away from any cell phone towers, so the cell phones don't usually work (0 Bars). We have to get off the mountain for cell phone service

We have no phone line or internet access (not even dial-up), but I sometimes take my laptop so I can jot down inspirations

The camper has a radio and CD player that we sometimes use.

We also have a GPS unit for the truck, but we haven't taken it in a while. We have a Tennessee Gazetteer (sp?) which is like a detailed road atlas that we frequently use.

Soon the TM will be my full time home for several months while we build a small house deep in the woods, so I need as many amusements as possible!!


Nick

 

[Paul_Heuvelhorst]

If we are going away for 1 week or more we take a 13" TV, one video game (Wheel of Fortune), laptop (mapping software, games, & internet where available), cell phone. We also pack card games (Pinochle, Phase 10), dominos and Rummicube. DW is a "mean competitor!"

If it is a 3-5 day trip it is the cell phone and TV that goes, if TV reception is available. Cell phone is for road emergencies, primarily. We do call our 4 adult kids once a week when we're on the road to keep up with what they and the grandkids are doing.

 

[Doug W.]

Well this is interesting. I know there are people that take the toys with them, but most of them have not responded.

Ditto with Joseph. I use to be on my PC all the time after work. If not, I was helping people fix PC issues. I moved from the two-way/microwave radio shop to the networking group about 10 years ago. When I get home, I do not spend that much time on the PC anymore. Is is much harder to get my to help with a PC issue. When camping or on vacation, I do not want to touch a PC.

Like Paul, the wife and I play games with Skip-Bo being our favorite now.

 

[Bob&Karen]

We take:

Cell phones for emergencies.
Digital Camera
Laptop (mostly to download pictures from the camera)
GPS that hooks to the laptop in case we get lost

There are times that the office will call with a server issue, which necessitates staying in a CG with wireless internet so I login to the office network and resolve any issues (PITA!). But, it beats not going anywhere at all...

Bob

 

[grakin]

Okay, I probably take far too many (and I used to be a backpacker!).

No TV, no DVD player though. I do bring a laptop (or two) and satellite internet. I've also been known to do some telecommuting from the TM. I run the satellite and laptop off a 100 watt inverter when dry camping.

The tow vehicle will have all the ham radio equipment from the old one installed in it as soon as I figure out how to mount everything. It'll have an IC-706 HF/VHF and a Kenwood D700 VHF/UHF radio, with two VHF/UHF antennas and some sort - haven't figured out what yet - connected to an auto-tuner.

This probably isn't the way to relax for everyone, but it works for me - and that's what is important in my eyes. Take the stuff you want to be comfortable, leave the stuff that stresses you out at home.

 

[NiceMustang]

We take the Tom Tom GPS in the TV, my cell / blackberry just in case (boy do I get dirty looks from the daughters if I use it to look at work Email though...so it normally just sits beckoning me to "unrelax" and go to the dark side and peek at Email), digital camera, and the MP3 player which plugs into the Pioneer player I just installed in the TM.

We're coming from a traditional popup and having just joined the TM Family I've been thinking about looking into an LCD TV and DVD player with similar thoughts of old series from TV...but none of the family is too keen on this yet.

Like many other replies, we primarily play games while inside the camper and not hiking or fire watching. We like Cribbage, Gin, Kings-in-the-corners, Golf, Rummicube, Sequence, Hearts, Oh-heck, and a bunch of others. Makes me want to start the weekend early just thinking about them!

Dan...

 

[Doug W.]

Dan, that is the nice things about having the kids still at home. I love many games like heart, spades, pinocle and some others that are just not as fun with two people. Looking forward to grandkids, so we can swipe them for a week or two. Looking forward to Chutes and Ladders and all those other games our kids almost always "won".

As several people mentioned a digital camera, and I also carry one. I just don't really think of that as a high tech device. If I did not have the digital, it would be my old 35mm Pentex SLR my youngest son is using in college photography now.

Bob, I feel your pain. We have about 250 Cisco switches and routers at 20+ sites in our network. A year ago we had three Network Engineers and a supervisor who could also resolve many issues. I am the only one left from the group. I will be so glad when I get the new guys up to speed.

Joel, a Ham Radio Operator huh? I worked on the Rockwell Collins KWM-2A when I was in the Air Force besides other radios systems. When they attempted the hostage rescue in Iran, one of our mobile control towers was at the base in Egypt many of the planes left from. I have worked on two-way radio; both ground and avionics radios; and analog, single sideband analog and digital microwave radio. Never heard of single sideband analog microwave? In the middle 80s, MCI Telecomm was running out of capacity and pioneered the technology.

 

[NW Native]

We typically take cell phones so DH can contact me if he has a problem while out for his 30+ mile bike ride. Two-way radios are part of the electronic supply kit for keeping in touch with DS while he explores the campground. Also take my IPOD and speaker base unit for music. For trips longer than a weekend, we will take a DVD player to watch movies in the evening if the weather is too hot/cold to sit outside. Absence of TV is part of my getaway experience. My favorite evening entertainment is a fire and conversation.