You may not realize it but camping offers a lot of benefits. It can help reduce stress, boost physical fitness, build relationships, and develop new skills. It’s also a great way to unplug and connect with nature.
However, despite the long list of benefits, not everyone feels encouraged to pack their bags and go on a camping trip. Apart from the bugs and lack of a comfortable place to sleep, camping also means having to start your own fire, sleeping in the dark, and eating bland meals.
If these are the things that are stopping you from camping, here are 50+ camping tricks to solve your problems.
1. To light the camping site
Who said you need to camp in the dark? Use glow-in-the-dark lanterns to give your camping site a splash of color. To make one, you need glow-in-the-dark paints. You can see the steps here.
2. To avoid getting lost
When camping, you need to be extra careful so you don’t end up getting lost. One of the best ways to avoid that is to mark your way. You can use biodegradable trail marking tape. It’s equally effective as other markers but less harmful to the environment.
3. To keep the mosquitoes out
Sage is quite effective in driving mosquitoes away. You can add some to your campfire or light a sage stick.
4. To avoid the darkness
Staying in the dark is quite frightening since you won’t be able to see what’s happening around you. To keep everything visible even after sunset, you can make an oil lamp using canola oil and a shampoo bottle. For the complete list of materials, click here.
5. First aid kit
You shouldn’t leave home for a camping trip without preparing a first aid kit. It’s one way to keep yourself safe in the great outdoors. If you don’t have one yet, you can gather your supplies and use empty prescription bottles as containers.
6. To keep pots and pans organized
When you’re camping, you don’t have a lot of surfaces to place your pots and pans on. To make sure they don’t get dirty, you can wrap a belt around a tree trunk and use it to hold them in place.
7. To clean your hands
Washing your hands is very important, particularly when you’re outdoors. For camping trips, you can make your own handwashing station by filling an empty laundry detergent jug with water. Bring some soap and a small bucket to complete the set-up.
8. To clean your hands
Bringing a whole bar of soap can be messy when you’re outdoors. Instead, use a vegetable peeler and break up a bar of soap into single-use leaves. Pack them in a clean container and you won’t have to deal with sticky and squishy soap when you get home.
9. To keep a romantic mood
If you’re camping with your special someone, you can make the trip more romantic by setting up outdoor candle stakes. You can find out how you can do them here.
10. To keep the shoes dry
Walking for long hours means ending up with moist shoes. To make sure they dry well, you can take a bit of newspaper, crumple it, and place it inside your shoes. You won’t have to worry about smelly or moist shoes the next day.
11. To sleep well
Even if you need to pack light and leave your pillow behind, it doesn’t mean that you can’t sleep comfortably at night. By stuffing your sack with your pillows, you’ll have something comfortable to rest your head on.
12. To prevent rust in your cookware
Instead of throwing away silica gel packs, store them in your cookware. They work really well in preventing rust.
13. To avoid losing your socks
Keep your socks in your sleeping bag. That way, they don’t end up getting lost or wet.
14. To keep your things dry
Take a garbage bag and use it to line your pack. That way, your things will stay dry and safe no matter what happens outdoors. Remember to use a heavy-duty one!
15. To keep your feet warm
Put some dry clothes on the bottom of your sleeping back. This will help soak any moisture in the area so you can keep your feet warm.
16. To get relief from itching
Calamine lotion works great in treating sunburn and bug bites. It can also help treat sores from poisonous leaves. To make your own, here’s a guide you can use.
17. To keep kids from getting bored
Let’s be honest. Kids have different reactions to camping. While some of them clearly enjoy the outdoors, others not so much. To keep them entertained, it’s a good idea to plan activities prior to your trip by creating customized activity bags.
18. To wash yourself
One of the most challenging activities when camping is taking a bath. Fortunately, with a few materials, you create your own shower station in your campsite. The complete list of materials and steps can be found here.
19. To make the perfect lighting
With just three materials, you can upgrade your lighting. And the best part? Lighting an orange candle can also uplift the mood at your campsite. To make one for your trip, you can follow this guide.
20. To make your go-to toothpaste
Bringing a whole tube of toothpaste to a camping trip isn’t really practical. You might just end up accidentally squeezing it in your bag. As an alternative, you can make your go-to toothpaste by dabbing it onto a paper plate. Let them dry before putting in a plastic bag.
21. To keep your sleeping bag fluffy
Before washing your down sleeping bag, place a couple of tennis balls with it in the dryer. This should help keep your bag fluffy.
22. To unstick your zippers
Don’t use force when trying to fix your zippers. Instead, apply a bit of candle wax to the zipper. This should help the zipper glide with ease.
23. To get help when you’re lost
You can use an acorn cap as a whistle to get help when you’re lost. It’s relatively easy to do. You can find out how to do that here.
24. To remove ticks
Soak a piece of cotton into liquid soap. Once it’s wet enough, apply it on the tick for about 20 seconds. This should make the tick easier to remove.
25. To store ingredients
You don’t have to eat bland meals on camping trips just because you can’t take your spices with you. By repurposing old TicTac boxes, you can actually take your favorite spices wherever you go.
26. To cook bacon and eggs
Believe it or not, you can cook bacon and eggs in a paper bag. It might sound weird but it does work. You can see the full details here.
27. To make your tent more secure
To make sure that the grommets won’t get pulled out, you can put a stick on the main centerline of your tent. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep your tent secure.
28. To pack your eggs properly
Who has time and space to beat eggs when you’re camping? Well, you can consider yourself lucky if you do. For those who aren’t, you can beat your eggs at home before putting them in an empty plastic bottle.
29. To make your own sangria
Make your camping trip a lot more fun (and relaxing) by making your own camping sangria. You can see how you can make one here.
30. To make solar camp lanterns
If you can’t sleep without light but you worry about not putting out the fire, you can make solar camp lanterns. They are easy to make and they work really well. You can see the full instructions here.
31. To store duct tapes
You’ll never know when you’ll need a duct tape. So, to be prepared, you can wrap some around your water bottles prior to your trip.
32. To wash clothes
This DIY washing machine isn’t expensive. It won’t even take a lot of your time. In fact, the total cost of this project is just around $6. To find out how you can make one, here’s the tutorial.
33. To keep matches dry
Keeping matches dry when camping is quite challenging. There’s always the chance of getting it wet accidentally. So, before you leave, consider making this baby food container matchbox.
34. To make sure your shoes stay dry
Take some beeswax compound and apply it to your shoes. This should help keep your shoes dry when you’re hiking or camping.
35. To store pancake batter
If you’re planning on cooking pancakes on a campfire, then this hack is for you. Fill plastic bags with premade pancake batter. When you’re ready to cook, just cut the tip and pour the batter. It’s that easy.
36. To cook popcorn
Fill an aluminum foil with popcorn, fold it, and place over your campfire. You can add a string so you can shake your popcorn.
37. To make an air conditioner
Yes, you got that right. Making an air conditioner is possible if you follow this tutorial. It’s not that complicated to do.
38. To hold your bottles
Ants can be a huge problem when you’re camping. To make sure they don’t end up in your bottles, you can make a drink holder following this tutorial.
39. To purify water
It’s not a good idea to drink from a random water source when you’re camping. If you really need to drink, make sure to purify it first. You can find out how to make one here.
40. To make your own grill
An empty can makes an excellent alternative to a grill. Just slice it to make room for the charcoal and heat. You can use this step-by-step guide to make one.
41. To start a fire
By dipping cotton pads in melted wax, you’ll be able to make portable fire starters. The best thing about it? You can use any scent you like.
42. To store ointment
You don’t have to bring several tubes of antibiotics on your trip. By following these steps, you can prepare single-use antibiotic packs. Just don’t forget to put labels on them so you won’t get confused.
43. To make your coffee
You don’t have to endure days without your favorite cup of coffee. You can make individual coffee bags and use them like teabags during your trip. To know how, you can click here.
44. To store toilet paper rolls
Get an empty coffee can and cut a slit on its side. Feed your toilet paper through it and you got yourself a nice tissue dispenser.
45. To hold your soap
This soap holder does two things. It suds up and exfoliates the skin at the same time. Oh, it also helps make sure the soap won’t get lost. You can learn more about that here.
46. To serve condiments
A muffin tin is quite handy when it comes to serving condiments. It has several slots you can use to serve onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, and tomatoes.
47. To safely store knives
By using PVC pipes, you’ll be able to safely bring your knives with you. If you’re going to follow this tip, just remember to put labels on them so you won’t get confused.
48. To make inexpensive fire starters
You don’t really have to buy expensive fire starters. If you have empty egg cartons at home, you can use it as an inexpensive fire starter. Just remember to put one brickette in each egg cup.
49. To make a DIY toilet
Not everyone is comfortable doing their business outdoors. If you are one of those people, you can make your own DIY toilet following this tutorial.
50. To make a comfortable sleeping area
Sleeping on uneven ground can leave you with back pain. Put a couple of foam tiles underneath your sleeping bag to make sure you’re able to rest comfortably.
51. To keep things clean
Baby wipes are excellent when it comes to cleaning surfaces. They are also great to use whenever you need to freshen up. Remember, water is quite limited when you’re outdoors.
52. To wake up to warm clothes
Before you sleep, put the clothes you are planning to wear the next day inside your sleeping bag. That way, you won’t have to wear cold clothes as soon as you wake up.
53. To keep keys safe
If you’re planning on camping near water, remember to attach your keys to a cork. That way, you won’t lose them even if they fall into the water.
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