A pop up tent, open at the top, allows for privacy when changing clothes, using a porta-potty, or showering.
When car camping it can be nice, especially in proximity to other campers, to have a place for changing clothes.
I don't always use the pop up tent, but always take it on trips. Stored collapsed and flat under the car bed it's only about 1-1/2 inches thick. I can change clothes in the car if I'm going to wear something easy to slip out of, or slip into.
In the tent I can set my porta-potty on a small stool to elevate it to a comfortable height for sitting. A mirror, a roll of toilet paper, a towel, a face cloth can all be hung up inside on bungees and provided loops. The pop up tent has no floor or roof. If rain threatens, I throw a tarp over and tie it in place with cording and tent stakes.
Behind the Jeep the pop up tent is rain-ready with its tarp. Tent and tarp are roped and staked to the ground in case of wind. If high winds threaten I collapse the tent and lay it on its side, sliding it under the car. A collapsible bucket for washing up dishes sits beneath the Jeep near the rear tire as part of getting ready for a rainy day. Only the camp stove and another wee item await stowing in the car.
I haven't yet used the pop up as a shower stall yet, but plan on getting a solar shower which is essentially a plastic bag left out to heat in the sun. It has a hook on one end and a spray hose on the other for showering. The problem is that a tree from which to hang the bag so it dangles over the pop up is not always available. I'm working out a way to attach a metal arm, angled upward, to my luggage rack to hold the solar shower over the pop up. And, I'll need a mat for the bottom of the pop up so I'm not showering on dirt. After I collapse the pop up flat, there's an inventive and tricky maneuver that "folds" it into a circle so It fits into a convenient zippered bag for storage. While easy peasy to unfold and pop up, it usually takes me two or three tries to get the folding maneuver correctly so it collapses down into a flat disk. For spending one night at a campsite, I don't usually erect the pop up.
When car camping my passenger seat becomes my clothes closet.
My suitcase holds clothes, underwear, casual shoes, towel and washcloth. Hiking boots are tied together with their laces and hung over the spare tire. Walking shoes are kept in the door well near my bed, and flip flops, for in-camp comfort, slip behind the spare tire so they're handy near the rear hatch.
Riding on top of the suitcase sits my grooming bag containing everything I need for hygiene, grooming, some pharmaceuticals (allergy, eye wash, tummy, and headache meds) and showering needs. The grooming bag is secured by bungee to the seat back when the car is moving so it won't fly off if I have to stop suddenly or am driving a rough road.
If I'm taking an ice chest it will ride on the suitcase next to the grooming bag where the black shoulder bag is presently sitting. The ice chest is secured with a bungee to the seat back also. At night it sits next to the foot of my bed so I can easily access my grooming bag and suitcase in the morning without having to hoist the ice chest which is a light weight Coleman Playmate (why oh, why, did Coleman not insulate the lid?! ).
During the day the ice chest is either in the shade of the car or a tree, or if there's no shade I can slide it under the car.
Now we come to the inevitable, and all-important question always asked among the RV, van-life, and car-camping crowd..."How do you potty?"
While a somewhat indelicate subject, it is of vital interest how one, either car camping or living in one's vehicle, handles a need we all have. This is likely because everyone is always looking for a better method, an easier method, a more convenient method. RV'ers and van folk have more latitude in this department. Those camping or living out of their cars have less options.
Camping in campgrounds solves the problem as they are equipped with either flushers or pit toilets. Dispersed camping or boondocking means this "how to" has to be addressed.
At my age of 72-years, an added problem is that many seniors - me included - sometimes have to pee in the middle of the night. No way am I going to awaken myself, get out of my car, and walk in my PJ's to the campground facility...if I'm in a campground. Nor, if I'm not in a campground am I going to get out of the car and stumble around in the dark.
So, I have a folding, compact toilet that has a multitude of uses - stool, footstool, and potty. And, of course, a supply of plastic bags, and some wood shavings - the type used for hamster cages.
Nice that this potty has a lid! For the occasional nighttime "whiz" I line the potty with a couple plastic bags, toss in a couple handfuls of the wood shavings, and put on the lid.
This Shinee brand potty has a toilet seat and a lid. The lid is a great feature because I can keep the potty next to my car bed for when needed. A simple fanny-shift from bed to potty is all it takes. I don't even have to awaken fully. The absorbent wood chips provide a nice cedar scent, too.
When all the Shinee components are folded and put together the Shinee is about two inches high for storage. When put together for use it stands about eight to 10-inches tall and sits securely without tipping. It has a handy storage bag and is carried in my miscellaneous bin.
For the daily poop, I'll walk to the camp bathroom to accomplish the deed if I'm in a campground. If I'm dispersed camping I dig a hole and do the deed and cover the hole. I have a folding camp shovel for this and any other digging needs.
There's a lot of controversy about burying toilet paper...animals dig it up. I keep a plastic bag handy for storing the used TP until I can dispose of it in a trash bin or can.
I recently looked up the Shinee to see its current price and couldn't find the brand but both Amazon and Walmart have similar products, and many styles of camp potties to choose from. Most of the simplest (utilizing plastic bags) are under $30.
Well, this post winds up the subjects of clothes, grooming, and pottying. In the next post I'll cover a few miscellaneous subjects that may be of interest to campers.
PS I think I know why Coleman didn't insulate the lids of their Playmate line of ice chests...because they're meant for keeping drinks and snacks cold for day trips, not long term ice preservation. Oh well, I use what I have!
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