MoonLander: Camping on a Budget

Frugal. That's us in many ways. What has being financially responsible done for us? For starters we have no mortgage and no truck payment. We saved for an incredible camping rig, filled it with the necessities (and a few luxuries) and we get to enjoy lots of travels. Yep, one of our favorite sayings is, use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

Are you dreaming of camping more often but think there's just so many things you need to buy -- even after you get the camper? Let's talk about practical and functional solutions.

Are you in a rent or mortgage situation but wishing you were camping full-time? Let us encourage you to check out one of the dozens (or hundreds) of van life, RV life, or truck camper life channels on YouTube. There are also lots of great books (some free on Kindle) on camping for free. Start your search, start your planning, and start traveling!

Living the dream.

We looked at so many options. From truck bed tents (which we jokingly refer to as "bear burritos" -- no offense if you love them) to fifth-wheel RV's, which just are more than we need. The MoonLander camper we chose was custom-built to mount to the bed of our Tundra. We have found it to be a simple setup, easier to transport and less expensive to travel with than larger pull-behind rigs and weighs substantially less than typical truck campers. We say this here because there are almost as many camper options as . . . well, there are more than there are national parks in the United States . . . maybe approaching the number of incredible spots for dispersed camping in the western U.S.

There are, however, basic camp supplies every set up needs that are beyond the actual rig you choose so we'll attempt to list them here:

• safety

• sleeping

• cooking & water

• toilet

• personal hygiene & cleaning

• power/batteries

• tools/emergency

The most clear explanation we can offer is a captioned photo of each. So follow along.

Feeling completely secure in South Dakota with all the gear inside our tough camper shell.

Totally safe in the camper at night in Colorado.

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Our camper features a light-weight full-size bed platform. The platform can be completely removed (which we do often when hauling firewood for our cabin's woodstove) or one section can be removed to create a twin-size sleeping area. We prefer natural bedding to foam or plastic so the tatami/futon arrangement we use at home in our cabin goes into the camper when we pack for a trip. The same organic linens can be used so there's no need to purchase special sheets, either. Reusing items already used at home has saved us a substantial amount of money as we set up our camper.

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The best meals are camping meals, don't you agree? We pack eggs (usually from our own hens) in those yellow camp egg cartons and have never had a broken one plus those cartons can be reused over and over. Picked them up at the local Walmart. Our favorite Alabama Conecuh natural sausage, ground beef from our grower and real butter are favorites in our cooler or SetPower fridge. We found simple metal plates (blates?) to avoid tossing paper plates and we never have much trash at our campsite. The simple butane camp stove pictured was great and used on several trips but we've recently upgraded to a two-burner Camp Chef.

Okay, we're a little bougie when it comes to coffee. This is the Roc espresso maker. This thing makes it possible to have the best maple lattes without driving to a coffee shop or even using electricity. The best heavy cream travels with us in our cooler. We get this top quality maple syrup from our friends Steve and Joy at Shelburne Sugarworks in Vermont -- get you some!

Here's our new camp stove and the previously mentioned egg carton. Also the spray bottle we use for washing dishes -- super water saving! The silver thing is a travel Berkey which filters water. We actually carry large stainless steel Jerry cans for water from our well at home which is more than many choose to do but we're extra careful about water from public sources.

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Basic potty needs shown:

• Sunany Female Funnel -- easy to learn but there are a few video tutorials on YouTube done by extra kind female car campers

• Urinal bottle -- helpful for men & women

• TripTips collapsable potty & extra biodegradable bags (found on Amazon)

• Seedlings Baby Wipes (all natural & infused with Lavender essential oil) -- great for camp bathing too!

It's so very easy to tinkle at night without getting out of the camper (and potentially becoming dinner for a nearby grizzly). Just a little extra privacy is needed for the TripTips but with practice, it can even be used inside a truck cab or inside a van camper. Lastly, Seedlings wipes are hands down the best for all kinds of body cleaning -- get some and thank us later!

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For general around-the-camp kind of cleaning, like dishes, tables, and the like, we use Thieves products. They are plant-based and super clean so we have no concerns of rinsing dishes or overspray in a national forest. Another perk is that it's all concentrated so a little goes a long way. There you go, saving money again!

• Thieves dish soap is a mainstay at home and in our kitchen supply box

• Thieves Household Cleaner is what it's called but we also call it Thieves campsite cleaner -- typically the bottle of concentrate is left at home and a spray bottle of diluted cleaner is in our truck at all times

• The uber cool Wanderful rechargable, waterless diffuser goes with us everywhere -- already this summer we've benefited from the bottle of Citronella essential oil in our camper (especially for our Florida trips) but equally helpful would be a bottle of Thieves essential oil in the fall or winter

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There's the fridge we mentioned. Those two blocks on the right are EcoFlo power banks. They can be solar charged or charged while driving or charged with shore power. Those power banks run our MaxAir fan, the fridge, the lights in the camper, and charge gadgets. Best investment. We also carry a battery operated fan that keeps our pooch cool where she sleeps beneath the bed platform at night. There are a handful of solar lights on hand for emergencies and for ambience.

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Our emergency stash includes Colloidal Silver, essential oils, bandages, gauze, and self-protection "tools." Many of these items are detailed in a Prepper Class curriculum handout from classes we've taught. If you are interested in having that .pdf be sure to hit the MESSAGE to ask for it OR email us at honeythemoonlander@gmail.com. Also, as you can guess, there's a large tool box stashed under the bed frame also for mechanical issues that happen on the road.

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Upcoming blog posts: camping with your dog, camping needs for women, low cost or no cost campsites, and how to camp cheap for military vets. Other questions? We got you! Use the MESSAGE feature to reach out for a personal reply.

Curious about how to get some of the natural products we have mentioned in this post? We're long-time crunchy folks and can put together a personalized shopping cart to get you started and even set up a small monthly cart to build up your supplies for that first big camping trip!