Getting ready to pack up the family and head to the campsite this summer? Planning ahead can make your trip hassle-free and much more fun, especially if you are new to the camping world. Check out our list of 10 simple camping hacks that will ease your journey.
- Buy a headlamp with a red light setting. Your companions will be happy because they won’t be blinded when you look at them, and you’ll still be able to navigate through the campsite.
- Another use for your headlamp: Wrap the elastic around a filled water jug with the light facing in. This will create a diffused glow perfect for your tent at night.
- Campfire cones: S’Mores are so last year. Instead, when it’s time for dessert, dish up some campfire cones! Fill waffle cones with chocolate chips, banana slices, strawberry slices, blueberries, raspberries, marshmallows — mix and match or toss them all in there! Then wrap the filled cone in foil and place it over the campfire until the ingredients are melted into a gooey, delicious treat.
- Candle stakes: Use a drill bit to bore a hole into the bottoms of taper candles, about one fourth of the way into the candle. Slide in a wooden dowel, and place them around your campsite for soft light at night. You can even use them at home in the backyard.
- Keep the kids from getting bored by creating an outdoor scavenger hunt. You can be specific with items like “a red leaf, a round rock” or even include things like “three pieces of litter” to help keep the campsite clean. Pack a small prize for the winner, or give them a reprieve from chores as their reward.
- Want an easy, portable firestarter? Put match-light charcoal briquettes into a cardboard egg carton. Just put the whole thing in the firepit and light it up!
- Clever uses for herbs: Put a branch of rosemary on your fire or coals to infuse meats and vegetables with savory flavor. Wait til coals or wood turn grey and ashy. To help shoo away mosquitoes, toss bundles of sage on the fire.
- Keep ticks at bay with a spray bottle filled with 1 part tea tree oil and 2 parts water. Spritz on shoes, socks, and pant cuffs to keep the crawling critters away.
- Need a great way to keep food cold without it becoming a soggy mess? Freeze gallon jugs of water before you hit the road and pack them in your cooler. Make sure to leave a little room in the jug for expansion as the water freezes. As a bonus, you’ll have cold, fresh water to drink as it thaws!
- Other things you can freeze before you leave? Pasta sauce, chili, pesto, and soup. Toss them in the cooler where they will help maintain the temperature now, and provide a tasty meal later.
Image via Traveloscopy
