What piece of gear made the biggest improvement to your experience?

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CSG

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This. It's like having running water. Washing hands and dishes is so much easier.

Stopped by Home Depot today and picked one up. Less than $8 with tax. I pumped it a few times and gave it a try in the store. No water but I could tell it worked. Will try it with water tomorrow. Thanks for the tip on these, Sean. We'll see if it works better than my Simple Shower.
 

avgjoe624

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ive went camping about twice a year since I was 2 weeks old. since I can remember, ive always made my coffee on a stack of logs in the fireplace. I finally found a coleman stove for free and I realized that ive been doing wrong for so many years. that thing changed my life
 

The other Sean

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Stopped by Home Depot today and picked one up. Less than $8 with tax. I pumped it a few times and gave it a try in the store. No water but I could tell it worked. Will try it with water tomorrow. Thanks for the tip on these, Sean. We'll see if it works better than my Simple Shower.
I wish I could take credit, but I saw it on some random camping/overlanding YouTube video. Sadly, I do not remember which....
 
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smritte

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In this order
1. Tires
2. Suspension
3. Fridge
I had never owned a fridge until a few years ago. I was on a week trip in Death Valley with about 6 other vehicles. I was the only one with an ice chest. A few months later, I bought a fridge. Never looked back.

Scott
 
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Ripley1046

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So far the biggest thing I can think of is the roof top storage box (though I didn't technically pay for it, found on the curb) since it gave us the room to take all our camping gear with my wife, son, and I. Tires were a game changer, and I have a lift kit yet to be installed that I can't wait to try out this summer.

A fridge and trailer setup are the next things on the list. I would love to have a home built trailer with an RTT and most of the heavy crap in that rather than the car. Then I can also grab any of our vehicles and hit the road.
 
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phxdsrtrat

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I tent camped for many, many years. My last tent camping adventure was 4 years ago. It was a miserable, rainy, windy, cold trip. The better half told me never again. So, I started looking for alternatives. When we vacation, we tend to stay away from people as much as possible. That means something like a traditional travel trailer was out of the question. I proposed a Turtleback Trailer to the significant other. Her response was that's just a tent off the ground. Then I started looking at offroad capable teardrop trailers. Ended up with an Oregon Trail'r Terradrop. Now, this is something I definitely could not have afforded in my younger days. However, it is the single best improvement to my camping experience; bonus, I can go pretty much anywhere I would have before also.

-Curtiss
 

JDGreens

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I tent camped for many, many years. My last tent camping adventure was 4 years ago. It was a miserable, rainy, windy, cold trip. The better half told me never again. So, I started looking for alternatives. When we vacation, we tend to stay away from people as much as possible. That means something like a traditional travel trailer was out of the question. I proposed a Turtleback Trailer to the significant other. Her response was that's just a tent off the ground. Then I started looking at offroad capable teardrop trailers. Ended up with an Oregon Trail'r Terradrop. Now, this is something I definitely could not have afforded in my younger days. However, it is the single best improvement to my camping experience; bonus, I can go pretty much anywhere I would have before also.

-Curtiss
I was going to say a very good air compressor, but I think once I have my trailer finished enough to use it. it will become the best improvement by far. It is not a tear drop but it is going to function much the same way.
 
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SgtMac

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RTT and our shower, I bought a cheap Home Depot sprayer, and put Duckworks handle and spray nozzle on it.

But I don't have a Fridge yet. Dometic CFX50 is on my list.

 
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jimmynotjim

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The drawer system I built into the back of our '05 4Runner that now lives in our '18. It made the three week trip that followed way more organized than previous long trips and we continued to use it in the years since for shorter trips. No more asking if we really have everything, it's all back there ready to go when we are.
 

shellbackbob

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"What piece of gear made the biggest improvement to your experience?" Hands down this form! all the ideas and tips everyone gives is priceless. Just this thread I found a shower idea, a off-road teardrop (most likely can't afford) and a frig set up that I will need to look more into.
thanks everyone