An easy, worry-free camping trip…it’s not as hard to achieve as you might think. With a little preparation and knowledge of what to do when the weather rains on your parade, you can have a fuss-free holiday and look like a total camping pro.
Here are a few of our favourite camping hacks to get you started.
It’s much easier if you plan on bringing food with you to plan your meals and prep some of the elements before you leave home. Eggs can be pre-scrambled, veggies can be chopped, and pancake mix can be transported pre-mixed. View our camping recipes for more campsite cooking inspiration.
Picture this: you wake up on a cold, crisp morning, climb out of your sleeping bag and step straight into a cosy set of new clothes to start your day. Sound heavenly? Try putting the clothes you’re planning on wearing the next day into your sleeping bag with you before you go to bed.
Kids foam flooring tiles are handy for putting down on the inside of a tent. They create an inexpensive, comfy flooring option that also provides a little insulation in colder months. This is perfect for anyone camping with a dog; it’ll prevent your flooring from wearing so quickly.
We’re a big fan of reusing any old plastic bags we’ve collected. They’re great for patching holes in your tent, wearing over your shoes in a forgotten welly emergency and for waterproofing your belongings if the weather turns.
If the weathers wet or cold and you’re wearing gloves, grasping zips can be tricky. Make your life easier by adding a keyring loop on any frequently used zips (tent doors, backpacks, raincoats etc.). Read more about winter camping.
If you’re camping near water, going on boat trips or it’s especially rainy, attach a cork to your keys, and you’ll never lose them!
Forgot your pillow? No problem. Rather than using an old hoodie as a pillow, stuff your sleeping bag’s sack with soft clothes and use that instead.
Got stuck in the rain? There’s nothing worse than having to put wet shoes on in the morning. Prevent this by removing the insoles of your shoes as soon as you take them off. Stuff a dry t-shirt or newspaper inside them overnight and they’ll dry out quicker.
Everyone’s heard of this – but it actually works. If you’ve dropped your phone, camera or any other electrical item in water, put it inside a bag of rice for a couple of days and you should be able to save it. Just don’t turn it on directly after it’s been in the water as you’re likely to blow a fuse.
As much as we say you should keep technology to a minimal while staying on one of our campsites, there are some things a phone can be really useful for. Whether you’re using it to access maps, keep in touch with fellow campers or view our things to do, keeping it charged is essential. Take a power bank out with you during the day to make sure you’re never stuck without power.
Bring a Frisbee with you – not only can you play Frisbee with the kids but it can double up as a makeshift plate if you run out.
Duct tape can be used to patch a hole in a tent or awning and can used to fix your backpack in a pinch. However, duct tape has a whole host of other uses including, blister care, insect trapping, repairing glasses, securing your tablecloth on a windy day and even fixing a leaky water bottle.
Place a headlamp with the light facing into a large bottle of water for a DIY, freestanding light. Tip: use a red light, it’s a lot softer and won’t startle fellow campers!
Ants crawling over your sandwiches on a warm summer’s day can be annoying. Prevent ants from being able to climb onto tables and other furniture by placing a small dish of water at the bottom of each leg.
Finding what you need in a backpack can be tricky and time consuming if there’s a lot in there. Make your life easier by packing things into individual bags. As a bonus, at the end of a long day you’ll be relieved to find everything where you left it, organised and easily accessible.
Toilet roll can be bulky, making you want to limit the amount you take. Taking the cardboard middles out makes it much easier to pack and means you don’t have to worry about running out mid-way through your trip. Just make sure you reuse or recycle the middle.
Using soap cuts down plastic waste from shower gel bottles but using communal campsite showers and juggling a bar of soap can be tricky. Eliminate the risk of dropping your bar on the floor and take small pieces of your bar with you at a time. You can use a knife, warmed up under a hot tap to cut your bar up before you leave home.
Microfiber towels are both more lightweight and faster absorbing than a normal bathroom towel. This means they’re also quick to dry which is really handy in cooler weather.
Create single-use sized dots of toothpaste on a sheet of non-stick baking paper or a paper plate and let them set. Either chew them for a squeaky clean fix or dissolve with water to brush your teeth. This might help to save space if you’ve got limited room in your backpack.
Got an annoying zip that keeps getting stuck? Rub over it with a bit of candle wax, and it’ll stop the teeth getting caught.
You can buy reflective guy ropes so they’re easier to spot with a torch but as a quick and inexpensive hack, you can loop some glow sticks around each rope.
Prevent having to spend time sweeping and cleaning the floors by making sure everyone takes off their shoes and wipes off their feet before entering your tent/motorhome/caravan.
Not only are emergency blankets great for keeping you warm on a cold day, but they can also reflect the sun away from the surface of your tent if you’re camping in hot weather.
Read more: camping information
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