How to choose a campsite that doesn't suck
Shade, spacing, wind, bathrooms, ground, and noise. Pick the spot that still works after the tent, table, chairs, and kitchen are out.
I build things that work
in the shop, on the screen,
and out in the field.
I'm Chris Follin. I work across fabrication, websites, tools, and camp systems, with a focus on practical details that hold up in real use.
Metal Fab & Welding
Web Design
Project Consulting
Tools & Spreadsheets
Camping & Outdoors
Start here
Practical help for real projects.
Pick the closest starting point. I can help with the build, the website, the plan, or the second opinion. The how-tos and tools are here if you want to work through it yourself.
Build
Make or repair the metal thing.
Racks, brackets, panels, one-off parts, repairs, measurements, and fabrication work through Empire Metal Products.
Websites
Make the website earn its keep.
Business sites, service pages, forms, payments, registrations, admin tools, and small web tools that have a job to do.
Project help
Turn the loose parts into a plan.
Scope, priorities, vendors, timelines, content, launch details, and the next decision that needs to happen.
Second opinion
Get an experienced read before you commit.
Fabrication, websites, gear, vehicle or camp systems, project scope, and buy/build decisions from someone who can follow the whole situation.
How-To
Figure it out without the fluff.
Camp setup, measuring, vehicle fixes, generators, straps, tarps, and the practical details that usually get skipped.
Tools
Use a tool instead of guessing.
Calculators, references, checklists, simple web apps, and Google Sheets helpers for repeat decisions.
Built work
Projects
A few examples of the work: fabrication builds, websites, event systems, vehicle setups, and shop problems where the details mattered.
Service
Custom fabrication through Empire
Professional metalwork, custom parts, racks, brackets, panels, and shop-built pieces routed through Empire Metal Products.
Service
Websites and small tools
Practical sites, forms, payment flows, calculators, and lightweight tools built around the real workflow.
Service
Project management and coordination
Help getting the scope, sequence, vendors, details, and next steps organized before a project turns into noise.
Service
Practical consulting
Sort the messy idea, compare options, clarify constraints, plan setups, and decide the next practical move.
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Get Outside
Camp
Campsites and trip notes sorted by the details that decide the weekend: wind, shade, bathrooms, spacing, water, drive time, crowd risk, and what I would choose instead.
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ARTICLE
Best camping near Phoenix in summer
Higher elevation, shade, water, and cooler nights for summer camping near Phoenix.
ARTICLE
Best beginner campgrounds in Arizona
Low-drama Arizona campgrounds for first-time campers who need the trip to feel worth repeating.
ARTICLE
Best places for people who hate camping
The comfort-first camps I would use before trying to sell anyone on roughing it.
ROUNDUP
Best campsites in Arizona
The short list I would send someone after one quick trip-planning conversation.
REGION
Best camping near Payson and the Mogollon Rim
High-country lake, creek, and pine camps near Payson and the Mogollon Rim.
REGION
Best camping near Flagstaff, Arizona
Lake campgrounds, pine forests, dispersed sites, and high-country weekends near Flagstaff.
REGION
Prescott camping
A shorter-drive mix of pines, lakes, developed sites, and shoulder-season trips.
REGION
White Mountains camping
Cooler eastern Arizona lake camps and longer-weekend escapes.
REGION
Southern California beach camping
Coastal campgrounds where ocean access, wind, and reservations drive the plan.
REGION
Hawaii camping
Beach parks, forest camps, permits, weather, and lighter island setups.
ROUNDUP
Best lake camping in Arizona
Arizona lake campgrounds where water access changes the plan, the packing list, and the whole pace of the day.
ROUNDUP
Easiest weekend camps from Phoenix
The realistic options when you want a good weekend, not a logistics marathon.
ROUNDUP
Best cool-weather camps
Where I would go first when the point is better air, layers, and sleeping well.
ROUNDUP
Best campgrounds with showers
The developed campground picks where a real shower changes the whole trip.
GUIDE
Best easy camps for new campers
Easy beginner-friendly camps where the first trip can feel manageable and worth repeating.
ROUNDUP
Best beach camping
The shoreline camps that still work after wind, sand, damp gear, and tight reservations enter the picture.
ROUNDUP
Best quiet camps
The picks where spacing, traffic, generators, and campground layout make the difference.
ROUNDUP
Best camps for summer escape
Cooler-air camps I would consider first once Phoenix heat makes low desert camping a bad plan.
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Camp Map
See where the camps are laid out before you start digging through cards.
Practical instructions
How-To
Step-by-step help for campsite choice, camp kitchens, water, generators, tire repairs, batteries, straps, tarps, and other things worth doing right.
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How to set up camp fast
A cleaner order of operations for arrival, shelter, kitchen, and comfort so camp comes together before everyone is tired, hungry, and digging through bins.
How to sleep better in a tent
Better sleep starts with the ground, pad, pillow, airflow, and nighttime layout. Fix the small problems before they turn into a long night.
How to pack for a car camping weekend
Pack by camp zone and setup order so the vehicle does not become a problem. The goal is fewer mystery bags and less unloading twice.
How to keep camp organized
Use simple zones for kitchen, sleep, trash, dirty gear, and teardown so camp stays usable after the first meal, first rain, or first late night.
How to camp when the weather turns
Rain, wind, cold, dust, dry gear, shelter angles, and when to bail. A little prep keeps weather from taking over the whole trip.
How to start a campfire
Build a small, legal, controllable fire with tinder, kindling, fuel wood, water, and a clean ring before anyone starts improvising.
How to sharpen a knife
Refresh a working edge with a repeatable angle, light pressure, a clean burr, and no fancy ritual beyond paying attention.
How to read a tape measure
Read inches, halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths without guessing at the tiny marks or cutting twice.
What earns its place
Camp Gear
Gear notes organized by the job each item has to do: sleep, food, water, repair, power, comfort, vehicle setup, and the small pieces that prevent repeat annoyances.
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EDITORIAL
Repeat-use gear
The pieces that keep making the trip because they keep solving the same problems.
EDITORIAL
What I'd buy again
The shortlist of items I would replace without much debate.
GUIDE
Beginner camp gear
A simple starting point for useful camp gear without drowning in over-optimization.
GUIDE
Best gear for car camping
The comfort-heavy picks that make drive-in camp feel easier and more settled.
GUIDE
The first five things I'd buy
The fastest way to build a useful kit without wasting money on filler.
EDITORIAL
Cold-weather camp gear
The gear that matters more once the forecast gets sharp and the ground gets cold.
GUIDE
Gear that makes camp easier after dark
The pieces that keep camp usable once the light drops and the easy mistakes start showing up.
GUIDE
Best camp kitchen gear
The kitchen lane that keeps camp meals simple instead of scattered and half-functional.
GUIDE
Best camp comfort gear
The pieces that make the campsite feel worth staying in once the basics are already handled.
GUIDE
Camp tools that earn pack space
Repair, shelter, wood, tire, and recovery tools chosen by the job they need to do.
GUIDE
Vehicle recovery kit
The tire, traction, compressor, jump-start, and communication pieces that keep camp-road problems smaller.
GUIDE
Vehicle power gear
Batteries, charging, fridges, fans, inverters, and wiring choices for a vehicle camp setup that works.
MEDIA KIT
Camera gear for camp and travel
A small photo and video kit that improves trip documentation without turning the trip into production work.
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Field-ready tools
Tools & Resources
References and quick calculators for shop math, camp planning, packing, maps, food, and field hazards.
SHOP & POWER
Shop math and references
Fast lookups for cutting, quoting, layout, angles, pipe, and material ordering.
Cut List CalculatorPlan cuts, kerf, and scrap before you start.
Panel Layout CalculatorLay parts onto sheet stock and see material use.
Angle / Miter CalculatorConvert corner angles and miter settings before you cut.
Sheet Metal Gauge ReferenceQuick gauge and thickness lookup for steel, stainless, and aluminum.
Pipe Schedule TableOD, wall, ID, and weight reference without digging through charts.
CAMP PREP
Checklists, food, and maps
Planning tools for picking a campsite, packing bins, building a food list, and checking the route.
Camp MatchGet a ranked shortlist based on drive time, trip style, services, shade, water, and weather.
Car Camping ChecklistDrive-in shelter, kitchen, lighting, and safety list.
Campground & Dispersed FinderMap-based camping finder and planning help.
Backpacking ChecklistFocused overnight and weekend trail checklist.
Camp CookbookCamp meals and ingredient lists that travel well.
FIELD REFERENCES
Stuff worth knowing out there
Fast field references for the problems that can turn a trip sideways.
Small batch
Store
When they're gone, they're gone.
Small runs from the Follincraft bench: hats, stickers, and odd little things I wanted enough to make.
Ships from Phoenix. Packed by hand.
Featured
Black Flexfit Hat
$30.00 - Clean Flexfit hat with a solid feel and an easy everyday fit. Built to look good without trying too hard.
New
Van Logo Sticker
$5.00 - Matte die-cut vinyl of the Follincraft van. Clean, bold, and built to hold up on coolers, bins, trucks, and whatever else earns it.
