Videos | Wobbly Otter Outdoors

Details: Written by Cris; Published: June 20 2016; Hits: 2594

Helio Pressure Shower - Running Water is Awesome

The Helio Pressure Shower fills two needs. 1) Some of the places we camp don't have shower facilities, so we need a portable, durable shower to take with us. 2) At home, we have well water with an electric pump. If the electricity goes out, we don't have running water in the house. The Helio Pressure Shower gives us the ability to have running water during power outages.

In the video, you'll see:

How to fill the tank
How to operate the foot pump
The pressure shower in use on a camping trip in the Chihuahuan Desert
Suggestions and information based on our experience
The carrying case and unpacking of the pressure shower

Details: Written by Cris; Published: June 17 2016; Hits: 4171

cris holding bearvault canister w

We're using bear resistant containers during a trip through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah and New Mexico.

We chose the BearVault BV-500 because it is:

National Park Service approved (Check with each Park before you visit to see which canisters are approved for use.)
A large canister
Clear-walled making it easy to see what is inside
Reasonably priced

Details: Written by Cris; Published: June 06 2016; Hits: 2414

There once was a little rooftop tent pleasantly enjoying its stay at the Papalote Llano Nuevo campsite in Big Bend Ranch State Park. All was peaceful in camp during the warm afternoon. Co-tent-setter-upper, Bill, was taking a shower in the nearby privacy shelter. The other co-tent-setter-upper, Cris, was relaxing in camp after taking her shower.

There was a rustle in the distance. The rustle grew louder and louder and then it was clear that a massive dust devil was headed straight for camp. The winds were strong and straight, about 30 to 40 mph.

Cris ran to the shelter where Bill was showering, grabbing one of the upwind corner poles and holding on tight, hoping the wind wouldn't blow it loose from its stakes and her hands. The wind continued and lifted the ladder side of the tent and folded it up.

rooftop tent folded up by wind

Details: Written by Cris; Published: May 30 2016; Hits: 10654

We love that the rooftop tent gets us off the ground and is quick to set up, but we still want to be able to take the dogs camping with us.

So just how does one get a large dog into a rooftop tent?

A ramp seemed to be the most logical choice, so we decided to build one.

The dog ramp criteria:

A slope as low as possible, so it is easy for the dogs to climb
Wide enough, so the dogs are comfortable using it
Fit into the rack under the rooftop tent for travel

Click the button below to read more AND to see the video.

Details: Written by Cris; Published: May 19 2016; Hits: 4406

Smittybilt Overlander Rooftop Tent in camp at Big Bend Ranch State Park

The video below is our review and walkthrough of the Smittybilt Overlander rooftop tent. You'll get to see everything: taking off the travel cover, unfolding the tent, inserting the support poles for the window awnings and the rainfly, a review of the outside and the inside, the process of putting the rainfly on, folding the tent up, and our personal impressions. If you are considering the purchase of this rooftop tent, or another one, I sincerely hope the information in the video is valuable as you make your decision.

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We wanted to see a rooftop tent in person before we purchased it, but there aren't any dealers in our area that have the showroom floor space to display them. The Smittybilt Overlander Rooftop Tent, model #2783 was at the top of our list because it costs about 30% to 40% less than other similar tents on the market, while still being constructed of quality materials.

Details: Written by Cris; Published: May 02 2016; Hits: 3903

The Browning Privacy Shelter is a sturdy, roomy tent with rainfly that can serve many purposes. We recently it on a three-night camping trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park. It worked great in the roles of a changing room, latrine, and a shower. I'm so glad we had it!

Specs

The privacy tent is 5'6" x 5'6" at the base and 7'2" high at the center. Packed size in its travel bag is 25" x 7" and it weighs 12 lbs 11 oz.

In the video: The setup, walk-through and take down of the Browning Privacy Shelter/Tent.

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As A Changing Room

Our home on the road is a rooftop tent that is 51" high at the center. And while there's enough room to change clothes in the tent, it's just more comfortable to be able to stand up when changing.

The Browning privacy shelter has loads of room in it. It's 7'2" at the center so even mega-tall folks can stand up in it. One of my favorite features of the shelter is the large side shelf. It is a the perfect place to put clothes and anything else you don't want to put on the floor. It's even large enough that you could put a camp chair and even a small camp table if you want.

Details: Written by Cris; Published: April 10 2016; Hits: 2270

This is a little tongue-in-cheek, fun (hopefully) and, okay maybe a bit overly dramatic, video unveiling of our overlanding/camping rig.

We've named the Hummer H3T - Ike. (Because, "We like Ike!")
The Morris Mule Trail-Grade Trailer is - George.

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2010 Hummer H3T

Ike is a 2010 Hummer H3T. The 2010 models were the last to roll off the assembly line. An inline 5-cylinder, 3.7-liter engine powers this midsize pickup. It is full-time four-wheel drive and has a 5-foot bed.