 "Des Moines Home + Garden Show")
10 Life Hacks to Help You Camp Like a Pro
Jul 14, 2016, 13:41 PM
Spending your days camping this summer? Make your life a little easier with these useful life hacks. These simple tips and insider secrets are designed to help you stay safe and comfortable while enjoying the great outdoors. Work smart, not hard – even when you’re on vacation!
1. Put valuables in an empty suntan lotion bottle. It’ll help deter thieves, (who wants to steal suntan lotion?), and keep all your important items in one place. Just make sure you also bring regular sunscreen too!
2. Fill a bottle with vinegar, sugar, and salt to trap and kill wasps and other insects. Drawn in by the sugar, they’ll soon find that they aren’t able to get out. Place these bottles on your deck and any other areas that are frequented by unwanted bugs.
3. Cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly make for excellent fire starters.
4. Don't forget to bring lots of resealable bags. Not only are they great for keeping your phone and other gadgets dry, you can fill them with sand or small rocks to weigh down your towels on the beach!
5. Skip the ice. Freeze water bottles and use them to help keep your perishable items cool. Not only do they chill better than ice, when they melt you’ll have a water bottle to enjoy!
6. Speakers die and you want to listen to music? Put your phone in a ceramic mug or bowl (plastic will work too, just not as well). The sound will echo off its walls, amplifying it.
7. Use a vegetable peeler to create one-use soap slivers. Perfect for camping with less than clean outhouses/facilities.
8. A belt and some hooks make the perfect drying station for pots and pans – and a few clothes, if it should come to that.
9. Bored little ones? Make a camp Bingo sheet with common outdoor objects for them to find! This is also a great idea for long road trips.
10. We know we don’t have to remind you to bring a first aid kit, but it’s also a good idea to find out where the nearest hospital to your camp site/cottage is and keep a route handy in case of emergencies.
We hope these tips help you camp smart and safe. Have some hacks of your own that weren’t featured here? Share them with us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!
1. Put valuables in an empty suntan lotion bottle. It’ll help deter thieves, (who wants to steal suntan lotion?), and keep all your important items in one place. Just make sure you also bring regular sunscreen too!
2. Fill a bottle with vinegar, sugar, and salt to trap and kill wasps and other insects. Drawn in by the sugar, they’ll soon find that they aren’t able to get out. Place these bottles on your deck and any other areas that are frequented by unwanted bugs.
3. Cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly make for excellent fire starters.
4. Don't forget to bring lots of resealable bags. Not only are they great for keeping your phone and other gadgets dry, you can fill them with sand or small rocks to weigh down your towels on the beach!
5. Skip the ice. Freeze water bottles and use them to help keep your perishable items cool. Not only do they chill better than ice, when they melt you’ll have a water bottle to enjoy!
6. Speakers die and you want to listen to music? Put your phone in a ceramic mug or bowl (plastic will work too, just not as well). The sound will echo off its walls, amplifying it.
7. Use a vegetable peeler to create one-use soap slivers. Perfect for camping with less than clean outhouses/facilities.
8. A belt and some hooks make the perfect drying station for pots and pans – and a few clothes, if it should come to that.
9. Bored little ones? Make a camp Bingo sheet with common outdoor objects for them to find! This is also a great idea for long road trips.
10. We know we don’t have to remind you to bring a first aid kit, but it’s also a good idea to find out where the nearest hospital to your camp site/cottage is and keep a route handy in case of emergencies.
We hope these tips help you camp smart and safe. Have some hacks of your own that weren’t featured here? Share them with us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!