15 Camping Hacks That Can Change Your Camping Life

Camping is an outdoor activity that involves taking temporary residence away from home overnight on a campground, either inside a tent or a recreational vehicle (RV). Camping connects campers with the diverse array of natural features nature has to offer, allowing you to relax as you spend your time and enjoy the outdoors in style and comfort.

News about camping trips brings excitement with you getting to engage in recreational activities like hunting, hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, fishing and ice fishing, swimming, and many more, depending on the camping spot you choose. You also experience tranquil lakes, rugged mountains, forested valleys, and the natural scenery nature has to offer.

It is essential to be aware of camping hacks and camping ideas to simplify planning your next camping trip. These tips are very easy to implement, and they will save you time, space, and money. Here are some top camping hacks for you to take note of when planning for your next camping trip.

1. Purchase a double sleeping bag

Body heat keeps us warm at night, and a sleeping bag is meant to reflect and retain our body heat. The double sleeping bag is a great camping investment provided you and your partner are sharing a tent or camping with someone you do not mind sharing a sleeping bag with.

Sleeping bags are generally made out of two materials, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The synthetic fluff and down feathers are the two different materials a sleeping bag is made out of. Synthetic is cheaper than down feathers and dries quickly but have a disadvantage of taking up a bit of space in the room, while down feathers sleeping bags retain moisture but are way costlier than synthetic sleeping bags, and they can be compressed into small shapes for easier packing and are generally warm. A twin-down feather sleeping bag will keep you warm and make transporting them easier because they can be compressed into small shapes.

2. Take along a portable power station

You need to purchase a portable power station while camping in a recreational vehicle or cabin. Not only do you not have to rely on the electricity provided by the campground, but you can always take the power station on your future camping trips.

The Acevolt Campower 700 Solar Generator will provide you with a wonderful camping experience.

3. Improvise by using a jug of water and headlamp to makeshift a lantern

The lantern works well enough whenever you need light to either look for something, start a campfire or even clean up at night. All you need is a jug of water and your headlamp. Strap your headlamp to the side of the jug so the beam faces inward; the jug of water becomes a glowing orb casting light in all directions, which is very cool, innovative, and cost-effective. If you are planning to buy a camping lantern, here is a buying guide for you.

4. Burning sage with your campfire

This helps to repel mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can dampen a great camping experience, and knowing how to repel them without using insect repellent is a great camping hack.

You just have to purchase some bundles of sage for your next camping trip. Then when you start up your campfire after the sun sets, burn a bit of the sage you purchased with your campfire. You will find lesser mosquitoes buzzing around you as they are naturally repelled by sage smoke.

5. Try to familiarize yourself with poisonous plants

Some plants are poisonous when consumed, some when they touch your skin, and all parts of some plants are poisonous. The dangers posed by poisonous plants range from mild irritation of the skin to severe illness and even death if not treated within a timeframe.

Identifying poisonous plants and what they look like from non-poisonous ones before you go camping is very important and will help you avoid a lot of things.

6. Glue sandpaper to the top of your match holder to waterproof and make lighting easier

One indispensable item when going camping are matches, but things often go wrong with them either they get wet, their strike pad wears down until it becomes smooth, or the matchbox gets soggy. With this camping hack, your matches will be ready to strike and make fire whenever you need them.

Purchase sandpaper, the fine-grained one with adhesive on one side so as to enable sticking to the matchbox. Attach the sandpaper to the inside of the lid of a waterproof container that will hold the matches. The sandpaper will provide a large and coarse surface for striking matches while also being protected by a waterproof container.

7. Keep your cookware rust free by using silica gel packets between each use

Silica gel is very useful in sucking up moisture, especially when it comes to items that have a tendency to rust. Purchasing a lot of them or getting them from the packages you buy is highly recommended as they will save your cooking ware from rusting.

If you dry your cooking ware in haste, always put it in your bags with the silica gel to keep the leftover moisture from rusting away your cooking ware.

8. Ensure you keep a pair of socks for sleeping purposes only

If you prefer sleeping in socks, ensure you keep a pair for sleeping only if you prefer sleeping in socks. The socks do not have to be all that thick; thin ankle-length socks will also work.

Wearing clean socks while sleeping is not only comfortable, but it also helps to keep dust, dirt, and whatever else gets attached to your socks from getting into your sleeping bag.

9. Dry your cooking ware by looping your belt around a tree and hang some hooks from it to hold the cookware

Nighttime as a camper is meant for sleeping and resting for the next day while also drying your belongings, including bags, clothes, shoes, and cooking ware outside.

Take your belt and loop it around a sturdy tree. Attach pot hanging hooks to the belt. Then you hang your pots and pans from the tree and leave them to dry overnight. Hang your cooking ware with their cooking surfaces facing away from the tree bark; this will discourage bugs from making a temporary home within them.

10. Shaving strips of soap for single use with a vegetable peeler

Making use of a vegetable peeler to slice off strips of your bar of soap for single-use each time you bathe is a convenient way to avoid getting your belongings wet and soapy or getting your plastic bag wet and with a lot of soapy bubbles.

You just get your bar of soap and use the vegetable peeler to slice off multiple strips stored in a single bag and taken each time you are headed off to shower or wash your hands.

11. Drying your shoes overnight

Wet shoes are very uncomfortable and once you are camping out on a humid campground, drying them out becomes a serious hassle.

All you have to do is remove the insoles of your shoes and set them aside, then you stuff dry and used clothing into the shoes. And because moisture spreads from wet to dry places naturally, the moisture in your shoes will get transferred to the dry clothing.

12. Cracking and storing eggs for an easy breakfast

One risky move you can make is bringing along eggs on a camping trip. If they crack, you lose your eggs while being stuck with a mess. 

Before the trip, you can crack your eggs and store them in a durable water bottle. Store the eggs based on how each of those going with you on the trip prefers to have their eggs. Take along several bottles if you will be having repeated meals using eggs, or use a very large bottle to pour repeatedly. Store the bottles in a cooler so as to prevent the eggs from spoiling. Here we have prepared a guide for you to cook some easy meals for camping.

13. Using gallon jugs in your cooler as ice packs

Bringing along the ice while going camping can be very difficult. Ice melts quickly and leaves a watery mess in its wake. A camping hack to use as an alternative is to freeze gallon jugs filled with water and put them in your cooler. As the ice warms and becomes water, you will have drinking water ready. Pack more than enough drinking water while going camping, as water is very essential. This camping hack helps you by allowing the ice to become extra drinking water and also to keep your food cold.

14. Store spices in empty Tic Tac containers

The Tic Tac containers are the perfect size for storing a bit of spice and are securely sealed to prevent spillage. Now your camping food does not have to be bland in taste. Spices like salt, pepper, and cinnamon can be stored in containers.

15. Always keep a checklist

Planning ahead is very important and preparing a checklist ahead of your trip ensures you do not forget important items and helps with arranging bags and items.