"john smith" wrote

Tents (ad adendum):
Replace the original tent stakes that come with the tent. Most tent pegs
are plastic or lightweight aluminum. Get 9- or 12-inch heavyweight
aluminum or steel tent pegs/stakes. Get double what the tent requires.
Also, purchase extra guy line. Once you get your tent set up as per the
directions, use the extra pegs and guys at each attach point on the rain
fly. Extra guy lines are the secret to secure the tent against strong
winds. And AirVenture usually has at least one storm during the week
with strong winds.

Strongly agree with the tent stuff. Extra lines are key!

If you are going to keep some food and drink (which I like, so you can eat a
light snack, rather than going for a big meal) and I gotta' have my drinks,
then you should consider a "pimp my cooler." For those not in the know,
that is where you take a decent water tight cooler, then take at least two
inch thick construction Styrofoam, and make a box around the cooler, and a
lid, so you have a cooler in a home-made cooler. Optional protection for
the Styrofoam can be light plywood (is any of it really light?) or a roll of
duct tape covering the foam.

You can extend ice life an extra day or two, at least, and that will save a
lot of time, money and energy from being spent on getting ice.

If you are going to carry loose stuff, carry it in some roughneck, or
Tupperware type of waterproof storage boxes. That way, you can sit stuff
out where it might get wet, and not have to worry. Some tents get wet
inside, and you can keep your clothes dry, in the dry boxes, too.

I have lots of electrical gadgets I need to keep charged, so I take a couple
gel cell 7 Ahr batteries made into a pack, to charge all of my stuff. You
can take those down to the shower, and with a capable charger, get a pretty
good charge on it, while you shower. I feel safer with a couple of
batteries and a charger sitting out, rather than a cell phone, airband
radio, music radio, digital camera, laptop, ect, all sitting outside the
shower, charging.
--
Jim in NC