Everybody will have a different definition of a great camping trip. But how you prepare for the adventure matters a lot. And one of the secrets to a thrilling outdoor adventure is proper planning. And if you love camping, you know how missing out or leaving behind some items can ruin the entire trip. To get you organized and plan for your trip without spending much, we have compiled a list of 30 camping hacks that you need to take advantage of. Take a look!
1. Choose your camping location properly
While there are different camping sites to choose from, you need to be vigilant on the one you select. Your camping site choice will, however, depend on several factors like the fun activities that you can undertake, what the campsite allows and doesn’t allow. It can be challenging to go for your trip only to find out the campsite you chose restricts some activities and the environment is not favorable.
Worse still; you realize that some of the items you brought with you are not allowed. This can be a pain in the ass. Right? Now, to avoid all these confusion, you need to do some research on the best camping sites. Once you identify several, you can compare the cost to plan ahead of time. Read the rules to make sure you have made the best choice.
When choosing your camping site, you should not focus on your personal preferences and end up forgetting about your safety. You can never take your safety for granted. Also, remember everybody will have a different definition of what makes a good camping site. While your friends can give you suggestions, it is highly recommended you do your research.
2. Do not ignore the weather
Note that you will get involved in different outdoor activities, so you cannot plan your trip and afford to ignore the weather. This may vary depending on the location you are planning to visit. Once you have identified your preferred campsite, you need to check out the prevailing weather conditions.
In this case, it should be the weather of the location you will be visiting but not your place of residence. Remember also to consider the duration of your stay and the weather conditions expected. It can be challenging to plan for your trip during summer only for the weather to become unfavorable before you complete your stay.
3. Exceptional tent set up skills
Since you cannot carry bed to your campsite, you will need to invest in a quality tent. However, while having a high-quality tent can make a huge difference having no idea how to set it up can mess up your adventure.
Imagine a scenario where you go camping in a windy place or during rainy season only to come back and find your tent has been flattened by water or destroyed by winds. No one would wish to undergo through such frustrations. So before you could plan on camping, you need to familiarize yourself with different ways of setting up a tent.
To make sure you have perfected your skills, you need to set up your tent practically. In case you get stuck, read this article to get more tips.
4. Choose a convenient transport means
There are different transport means you can choose from depending on the location you are planning to visit. If you are camping near home, you shouldn’t incur many costs. You can opt to use a bike or hire a car. If you have to board a flight, remember to read all air flight rules. This includes things to do with dressing code, cancellation of flights to items not allowed.
For instance, if you are planning to travel with you paddle; you need to double-check if your air flight company allows such items. If they don’t, you need to confirm where you can hire one in your camping location. If yes, at how much? In case it is costly to hire one, then you will need to opt for another air flight company.
5. Get organized
Packing your items and clothes will require some tricks to make sure you utilize the available space to the maximum. If you don’t get your items adequately organized, then that means you may end up leaving some behind or invest in a bigger backpack. Instead of folding your clothes, roll them. This way, you will be able to save on space.
Also, you need a box to store your dirty clothes, so you do not throw dirty clothes everywhere or get them mixed up. However, during a rainy season, you need to be extra vigilant when using the box to avoid water from coming into contact with your clothes. Investing in a waterproof tent and having exceptional tent setting up skills can help you combat this issue.
6. Choose your sleeping bags properly
Nothing can ruin your day and affect your productivity like having a bad night sleep. Worse still; you may wake up with body aches which may ruin the fun. Camping is all about having fun, and you don’t have to punish yourself by bringing poor sleeping bags.
Also, when setting up your tent, you need to look for a friendly place where there are no rocks. Consider the weather when choosing a sleeping items, so you don’t end up developing complications.
7. Vacuum pack food
Vacuum-packed foods stay fresher for, and this trick works, especially if you run out of ice cubes. Also, vacuum packing your food keeps bugs and ants at bay hence minimizing any chances of contamination. This trick also helps save on space inside your cooler. Better still; you will prevent any contamination of foods inside your cooler, minimizing any chances of introducing strange flavors to your food.
8. Bring hanging organizers
When getting organized, you should not only think about your clothes but also your utensils. Bringing racks can helps you organize your utensils, table clothes, and other items without overwhelming the place.
9. Make use of your plastic cups
When you buy coffee or yogurt in your nearest store, do not throw the containers away. You can clean and use them to store your toothbrushes and toothpaste.
10. Bring mosquito repellents
Mosquitoes can ruin your adventure and cause sleepless nights. Though you can buy a mosquito repellent, they are not safe to use as they contain chemicals which may trigger breathing or health complications. Learning natural ways of repelling mosquitoes can save you from sleepless nights. One of the natural ways to repel mosquitoes is by use of the mint spray.
Smoke is also an excellent mosquito and insect repellent. You can light scented candles and place them strategically around your tent. Take caution when placing your candles to avoid setting your tent on fire.
Alternatively, you can mix essential oils to keep different insects away. If you stay near stagnant water, you can grind coffee bean and pour them on the water to prevent mosquito outbreak. What the coffee bean trick does is to bring the mosquito eggs on top of the water which deprives them of oxygen. Without oxygen, the eggs will not hatch but rather die hence keeping you safe.
11. Learn how to prepare tick deterrent
Knowing how to prepare a natural tick deterrent will help you protect your pets from infestations. You can also sprinkle the solution in your socks and shoes to keep these insects at bay. To prepare your tick deterrent, all you need is tea tree oil and a bottle of water. Mix then well in a spray bottle and sprinkle the solution on your pets or in your shoes.
12. Bring fire starters
Kindling fire can be a challenge, especially if the weather is not favorable or firewood is wet. Keeping your toilet paper rolls or bringing candle wax can help kindle fire in a cinch. Always make sure you bring waterproof matches to avoid frustrations during the rainy season or when your matchbox comes into contact with water.
If you have no access to waterproof matchboxes, you can as well keep them in plastic containers to keep them dry.
Bring a saw or a hatchet to reduce your firewood into small pieces which are easy to kindle.
13. Don’t forget to include some plastic bags
Plastic bags come in handy for sanitary and garbage storage. Better still; if you don’t have a box to store your dirty clothes, a waterproof plastic bag can be of help.
14. Make use of tic tac boxes
Tic-tac boxes can be of great help when packing your spices. Instead of carrying the entire spice container, you can put small quantities that you may need. To avoid any confusion, make sure you write the names of your spices on label stickers. Once you are through, you can pack them nicely in a bigger plastic container.
15. Convenient egg storage
Carrying eggs when traveling can mess up with your clothes or items. Worse still, you may end up breaking all of them, which means you may be forced to buy some in the nearest store. And if you are not lucky enough to get a nearby store where you can buy some, it means you have to improvise on new survival means.
This can be devastating, especially if you had not carried enough money or can’t get access to any nearby shop. To avoid all this disappointment, you can beat all your eggs in a large plastic container and stir to make them easy to transfer. Transfers them in a plastic water bottle and make sure you close it tightly to prevent any spillages.
16. Rosemary seasoning hacks
Not everyone loves eating spicy foods but learning some seasoning hacks can help you enjoy mouthwatering dishes even when you are away from home. So why not try out this rosemary hack? Instead of over-seasoning your meat or fish, you can put rosemary on your burning charcoal. This helps give your meat a smoked rosemary flavor that even those who don’t love spices would love.
Also, rosemary can help spice up your mood in those days when you feel down. You can prepare rosemary tea or even use it to spice your meals.
17. Coffee bags
Coffee can be of great help, especially in those days when you feel fatigued after a long busy day. Including some few coffee bags in your camping list will help you feel more refreshed.
18. Tin can grill
At times your menu may call for a grill, and now that you can’t carry one from home, you can easily improvise a tin can grill. Slice an empty tin to hold charcoal inside. You can grill anything you wish from your hotdogs, burgers and much more.
19. Designing pan holders using your belt
A belt can turn to be useful during your camping. You can utilize them as pan holders by merely tying them on a tree or a pole then placing your hooks at different intervals.
Better still; you can utilize the space to hang your serving spoons, table clothes, and other items.
20. Design your DIY shower
You need to keep your hygiene at par. Though you do may not have access to a shower, you can improvise one. All you need is a jug or a watering can. Alternatively, you can improvise a shower by using a 5 or 10 jerrican. Make one big hole and use a cork or a maize comb to close it before filling it with water.
Once you fill your jerrican with water, you can tie it in a branch of a tree not too low not too high. Then remove the cork or maize comb to let the water out and enjoy your shower.
21. Soap pouch
After taking a shower, you have to be careful where you store your soap or else you may end up losing it or spending much time to locate it. This can mess up with your day’s schedule, which may force you to miss out on some important activities simply because you didn’t get well organized.
A soap pouch helps you keep your soap within reach. You do not have to spend much money investing in one, but you can craft one. You can turn your bathing cloth to a soap pouch once you are done with bathing and place it in a strategic place where you can access both when needed.
22. Craft a music speaker
If you are a music fanatic, you need to be creative and come up with ways to craft speakers to avoid bringing large surround systems. One way to achieve this is to insert your phone inside an empty mug and place it on the floor.
23. Power bank
A power bank is one of the essentials you should never miss out when going for an outdoor adventure. Though you may claim you do not have time to talk much with your phone, it can be of much help in times of emergency. A power bank will help you recharge your phone just in case you experience power blackout and when you get lost.
Better still; you can get connected to your loved ones back at home even when you have no access to electricity.
24. Whistle
Though having a power bank can help you call your friends when you get lost, it may not apply during such times, especially when there is no network. This can be frustrating, but with a whistle, you can quickly notify your team and help them trace you faster.
In case you find yourself stuck during such times and you probably lost or forgot to carry your whistle, you do not have to worry. You can still improvise a DIY whistle using acorn. Just look for acorn near you or make sure you can get one in your location. You can learn tricks on how to improvise acorn whistle before going for your trip, so you don’t panic during an emergency.
25. Design a citrus fruit candle
Next time you run out of power or your flashlight battery dies, you should never panic. All you need is to bring with you some citrus fruit and utilize them to make a citrus candle. The process is simple and easy. All you need is a knife, an orange or lemon, and canola or olive oil.
Carefully remove the edible part while leaving the middle stem part attached to the outer part. Fill the space with canola or olive oil, and then light the stem. This should serve you for the better part of the day.
26. Water purifying tricks
Carrying enough water when camping is essential, but at times, it is necessary to think out of the box. Who knows you may end up accidentally pouring your water or your kids may mess up with it which may force you to look for other means. That’s why having water purifying tricks can help you improvise new ways, so you do not end up getting dehydrated.
Also, consider bringing water purifying equipment’s which are safe. Avoid any BPA water containers as they may react with your water purifiers posing a health threat to your life.
27. Improvising air conditioner
During summer, the temperatures outside may become unbearable. Worse still; the temperatures may get even worse during the night such that you can’t have a good night sleep. Knowing how to improvise an air conditioner can save you from the unbearable heat.
Before going for your adventure, you will need to familiarize yourself with different ways of improvising an air conditioner.
28. Make use of Beewax
Bringing a bee wax compound when camping can help save you the frustration of having to deal with sweaty feet or wet shoes. Bee wax is known for its waterproof properties and applying it on your shoes will help keep them dry or getting ruined by water.
29. First aid kit
One of the essential items you can never miss out is a first aid kit. But before you could start your trip, you need to bring other items along with your kit. In case any of your friends or campers have medical complications, you need to carry the right medication for the period you will be away.
Also, learn some tricks on how to perform CPR basics to help out in times of emergency. Having such skills can help save a life.
Also Read: Survival Camping Ultimate Kit Checklist
30. Prepare your camping checklist
Having a checklist helps you get everything ready and prevent any chances of missing out some items. Once you have written everything you need in your list, you need to double-check if you may have missed anything. This includes your cooking equipment’s, tent, duct tape, personal hygiene items, utensils, enough clothing for the weather, enough food, and cooking oil.
Other items you should include in your checklist include a flashlight, pocket knife, whistle, water purifiers, and well-padded sleeping bag. If you love taking photographs, including a camera or a binocular will spice up your trip.
When packing your items, you have to apply some tricks to reduce weight. Always start with the lightweight items, and then finish with the bulky ones. This will help keep your backpack well balanced and minimizing any chances of overwhelming you.
Wrapping up
If you get yourself armed with these 30 camping hacks we have discussed above, you shouldn’t encounter any challenges during your trip. However, to minimize any challenges, it is good to start practicing out some of the essential skills early enough. Note that you cannot polish up the skills with one day, you will also make mistakes, but with proper practice, you can perform tasks with ease.