So, you want to use your RV for a hunting trip. A hunting trip may be a bit of a different experience from a regular RV getaway. Here are some things you can do to make your RV your hunting basecamp.
Image: Cub Campers
Set up some sleeping quarters
Hunting is a physically demanding activity so you should prioritise sleep—just as you would with any other physical activity. If you’re hunting in a cold area, bring thermal blankets designed for Arctic conditions. Hide-a-bed sofas, dinettes, and pop-out bunk ends—popular RV features—are great space savers, but they’re not necessarily the warmest.
Be mindful when selecting an RV
Some RVs aren’t set up for hunting and that’s just a fact. You’re probably going to be setting up camp in the middle of nowhere—away from civilisation—so bulkier RVs are not ideal here. Anything exceeding a radius of two metres by 5.5 metres is going to be a tight fit. It will be difficult to navigate off the beaten track and squeeze yourself into tighter corners.
Keep yourself insulated
If you’re hunting in the middle of winter—and you’re in an area that actually has snow—then insulate your RV’s walls and ceiling. Also heat and enclose your RV’s underbelly. If you’re hunting during a hot summer, then do the opposite. Also use an air conditioner. Older RVs may not have these features so be careful. If you want to use an older RV, bring a portable heater. Open some windows once you’ve turned it on. Cross-ventilation is important for safety—as is not falling asleep when they’re on. Don’t do that.
Make it a party
If you’re hunting with other people, park your trailers near each other. Set up a communal fire. This will provide shelter from the wind while you hang with your mates.
Put your feet up and kick back with some mates around the fire.
Prevent freezing water lines
It totally sucks to have clogged water lines—with gunk, ice, or anything, really. To prevent this from happening in colder conditions, you can carry jugs of water inside or outside, however you see fit.
Make use of any available power resources
If you’re camping more in civilization—on a regulated hunting site—then make use of any 120-volt electrical hook-ups you can find. This means you can potentially run a generator, add a battery charger, or whatever else.
Go outside like Shrek
If you’re going to be on this trip for a while, you might want to do your business outside lest you overwork your black tanks. You can dig a hole in the ground like hard-core campers if you want. Otherwise, you can set up some form of the outhouse. If you do have access to running water, please use that to wash your hands afterward—with soap.
SomeBODY once told me…
Hide the evidence
On a hunting trip, your boots are going to get filthy and your clothes blood-stained. This is going to look really suspicious so hang the clothes out of sight—certainly not outside, where they’ll likely get snowed on or frosted over anyway (if you’re hunting in the middle of winter). Command hooks are a camper’s best friend. Use these to fine effect: as a place to hang your soiled clothes and shoes. If you do not have Command over any hooks, then just use the inside of a cupboard. Those often have hooks.
That is a basic rundown of how you can make your RV your hunting base camp. Overall, it will depend on whether you’re set up in civilization or in the middle of nowhere—which will dictate what you will have access to—and what the weather conditions are. You probably wouldn’t set up shop in extreme conditions for many other reasons other than hunting. For this reason, you may need to take a few further measures to protect yourself from the weather.