There’s a lot that goes into the perfect camping experience. Part of the joy is being away from modern conveniences, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. What is your favourite camping trick that makes the experience just a little more bearable?
Image from Devin Stein.
From using trick candles to start your campfire, there are tons of camp-friendly tricks that can make your life easier when you’re roughing it. Share your favourite and how you put it into action in the discussions below.
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20 responses to “What Is Your Favourite Camping Trick?”
a shovel of coals under your camping chair, warms you up on the cold nights.
Invest in good quality gear, especially a mattress, chair, and headlamp. A bad nights sleep can make camping a crappy experience, and sitting around the fire in a decent comfort helps a lot of well. Headlamps make camping so much easier.
A good quality tent will last longer than a cheap one, but not as important.
We always pack cable ties, they’re great for stringing up lights or utensils, keeping animals out of bins and any emergency fix-it jobs.
We like to pre-make our pancakes when camping. We fill bags with pancake batter, tie the end and just cut the other end to make a piping bag and your ready to cook.
Baby wipes are great for cleaning your dishes and cutlery without the need for much water.
Welding gloves are fantastic for moving hot logs around the fire and/or adjusting the camp stove.
Don’t Go
My favourite camping trick is staying inside the house where I have unlimited access to light and hot water. As an added bonus, I can be assured that wild animals will keep away from the bins and I’m always guaranteed a good night’s sleep!
Working out how much alcohol and hooch I will need for the entire trip, and then doubling it, because you know… Camping!
save the lint from your dryer in a snaplock bag, the stuff makes for a great fire starter, it will burn easily and quickly.
Who would have thought it was useful, brilliant! The snaplock bag would also be a good firestarter.
Hike tips:
– Prone to blisters? Wear a thin pair of socks under you thick explorers. The socks end up rubbing, not your feet.
– Camping by the beach and cleaning pots? Sand and salt water make a fantastic scourer at a pinch.
– Using a Trangia? Put a little bit of water on top of the metho to stop pots from going black.
– Hiking somewhere wet? Use durable garbage bags (the orange ones are best) as a waterproof lining for your pack or sleeping bag. Great for river crossings.
– Shoulders hurting? You’re probably doing it wrong. Readjust you pack straps so that the majority of the weight is supported by your hips. Also make sure that the heaviest items are at the bottom of your pack, the top of your pack is as close to your back as you can get it and you don’t have anything hanging off the back.
All good, except for the last. You want the heaviest gear above the iliac crest, as close to the back as possible. Having heavy weight below the top of a hip belt will drag the load onto the buttocks, making it more difficult to flex the hips when walking.
“Using a Trangia? Put a little bit of water on top of the metho to stop pots from going black.”
I don’t get it. Whats going on here?
Not sure. Another camper I met taught me that one and my Trangia has been cleaner ever since. Doesn’t completely stop the black marks but significantly reduces it.
Loving all the tips you guys are sending in. Keep them coming!
Best camping trick – be the one not murdered or eaten in a ‘last resort’ scenario. Also makes for good book royalties, movies deals & the occasional guest appearance on Oprah.
A tarp is a magical device. Always throw three more in the pack, they are light and can shelter from the rain and shade on a sunny day..
Always invite the mate that likes to cook then suggest girls on breakfast and guys on dinner.
Paper plates. Washing up sucks, especially in cold water. They are cheap and they burn on the campfire.
Red wine and port, any alcohol that doesn’t need to be cold.
Sleeping bags that zip together into a double sleeping bag, even if you’re single. You never know and you don’t want to get stuck cold or insulated.
Baby wipes. They clean everything!
Hot water bottles, to warm up sleeping bags on cold nights. Put them in fluffy pouches to diffuse the heat, so they’re not too hot to touch.
Cheezels as firelighters….small shovel of hot coals from the fire on the ground under your camp chair will help keep your back toasty while sitting around a fire.