Easy Propane Camp Ideas

As the weather warms up many people head off on camping trips to enjoy the great outdoors. Some set off with only the supplies they can fit inside a backpack, but for those who like to enjoy a few luxuries, easy propane camp ideas add convenience to camping trips. Propane fuel is affordable and versatile; it burns clean, leaving virtually no odor. Try using propane for your next trip.

  1. Camp Stove

    • All foods can be cooked over a campfire, but campers are then tasked with finding wood, starting the fire, maintaining the fire, covering the grill with a grate and dealing with extremely hot flames while trying to cook food. Propane camp stoves are easy to use and can be used in any weather. Most recreational vehicles come with stoves that burn propane, but there are also propane stoves for use on a table surface. These stoves hook up to a propane bottle that can be purchased at any outdoors store. Backpackers who don't have room for a larger camp stove can carry a single bottle of propane for a compact single burner.

    Lantern

    • If vision is desired around the campsite at night, a lantern is a necessity. Even a campfire can't fully illuminate a campsite so you can find your gear. There are lanterns that burn fuel that must be refilled when the tank is empty. Propane offers an even easier solution. Propane lanterns hook up to a small bottle of propane. When the bottle is empty, simply unscrew it from the lantern and replace it with a new propane bottle.

    Heaters

    • A heater may seem like an unnecessary camping component to those who camp exclusively in the warm summer months. For these who camp in cold weather, such as in hunting season, a heater helps to break the chill that sleeping bags can't relieve. If you camp in an RV the heater is likely run with propane. You can also purchase portable propane heaters to set up around the campsite. Some propane heaters can even be used inside tents, although extreme caution must be exercised to ensure there is a safe perimeter and the heater isn't knocked over. The tent must be ventilated to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

    Shower

    • Those who have camped at a site without restroom facilities can attest to the benefits of a portable shower among the camping equipment. There are two basic types of portable showers: solar heated and propane heated showers. A major disadvantage of solar showers is you must wait for the sun to heat the water -- if the sun isn't shining, this could take all day. Some propane camping showers can provide hot water with very littler water heating time. There are propane showers that run on small, disposable canisters and larger models that can be hooked up to a large refillable propane tank. The extra weight of the propane tanks makes propane camping showers better suited to camping near your car, as opposed to backpacking.