Although there is certainly no shortage of camping gear and accessories to put together the perfect campsite, there are also all kinds of ways you can avoid a trip to the store and use materials you already have lying around the house. Knowing a few little shortcuts and hacks that you can use in the outdoors can go a long way in repairing an item on the fly, or making something on the cheap. Here are just a few of our favorite tricks that can help you save a few pennies — or even the day– on your next outdoor adventure.
- Use dryer lint as tinder for your campfires. Just a small wad of this stuff will spark immediately, which makes it a great, cheap firestarter. Be sure to keep your stores in an airtight plastic bag or container.
- Old shower curtains make excellent tarps. If you don’t have time to run to the store for a small tarp, a shower curtain (not the fabric kind that’s for show) will do the trick for a quick substitute.
- Dip matches in clear nail polish or wax to make them waterproof. Worried that your regular matches may get soaked? Simply dip the heads in clear nail polish or hot wax, let dry, and seal in an airtight container, like an empty prescription bottle.
- Use a large ziplock bag as a pillow. It’s not ideal, but if you forget your pillow (which happens more often than you think), fill a gallon-size ziplock bag with air, or even clothes, to create a makeshift pillow.
- Nylon rope can replace a shoelace. Busted a shoelace on the trail? No worries! If you have a length of nylon rope, you can unravel it to use as a temporary shoelace. Works even better with paracord.
- Install batteries upside down. There’s nothing worse than getting to the campground and realizing your light or other electronic device has switched on accidentally and drained your batteries. To avoid this, install the batteries upside down until you get to your destination, and then flip them around when you’re ready to use your gadget!
- Insulate your canteen with foil. It seems too simple to be true, but it does work. Simply wrap your canteen in aluminum foil to keep the water cooler for a little longer.
Canning rings cook great eggs. Ball or Mason jar canning rings, without the lid, make excellent little forms for cooking perfectly-shaped eggs for breakfast sandwiches.- Use bar soap to prevent blisters. Rub bar soap vigorously on your heels, Achilles tendons, and underneath your toes before donning socks and hiking boots to keep your feet blister-free. Carry a small piece with you for reapplication if necessary.
- Fruit peels ward away mosquito woes. You can rub the inside of an orange peel on your skin to keep the mosquitoes at bay, as the citrus oil doesn’t appeal to them. If you have mosquito bites, rub the inside of a banana peel on the affected area for itch relief.
Images via Google Images, Lansing IT
