Camping is a great hobby, vacation and way to truly unwind. But, life can always be easier right? Check out this post for 10 camping hacks that will take your next camping trip to the next level!
WATER BOTTLE LANTERNS
You’ve probably seen Alfredo Moser’s water bottle lights that use the sun, tinfoil and a water bottle to throw light around buildings with no electricity. Well, there’s another easy way to achieve the same effect with a cheap torch and a bottle of water of any size. Simply stick a small torch into the top of a water bottle, shining downwards into the water (obviously not touching the water), and you have a brilliant lantern. For larger bottles you can use the strap on a head torch to wrap it around the bottle.
WATERPROOF MATCHBOXES
Soggy matches are no use to anyone and a matchbox is hardly the most robust or waterproof container. To protect your matches, you can store them in a small plastic Tupperware box. What will you strike them on? Sandpaper of course! Just glue some sandpaper to the Tupperware lid and strike away. If you don’t want to ruin one of your precious Tupperware boxes by sticking sandpaper all over it, then you can just as easily use a large Tic Tac container. It looks a bit cooler too.
TIC TAC SPICE RACK
Tic Tac boxes are handy little fellas. As well as keeping matches from harm, they can also be used to make great temporary containers for salt, pepper and any other herbs and spices that you might need on your trip. You’ll never have to carry around your spice rack again.
SEASONING STRAWS
If you’re someone who is conservative with your seasoning and you don’t think that you’ll need a Tic Tac box full of cumin, then you can always create your own small spice sachets using straws. Chop up some straws to the sizes of your choice, seal one end of the straw using a lighter, scoop up some spice and then seal the other end. You can even make little mixed spiced sachets for some exotic flavours.
COLOURFUL CAMPFIRES
This is a bit of fun rather than a hack but making stunning, brightly coloured campfires is much easier than it sounds; you just need the right chemicals. It will not only make your campfire the envy of the campsite but it will also mesmerise the kids for a good few hours. Warning: do not try to cook on your purple or green naked flames, as you’ll be passing toxics into your marshmallows.
I’M THE FIRE STARTER. CRISPY FIRE STARTER
Run out of kindling? Don’t know where or what to look for? Fear not, Doritos (or any corn based snacks) make excellent kindling for fires. Doritos make great slow burners, just as long as you haven’t covered them in hot salsa dip.
EGGTRA PROTECTION
Eggs can be a nightmare in the car. There’s nothing worse that unpacking your food supplies to find a box of smashed eggs. Luckily, there’s a simple solution to this problem: store them in a bottle. You can easily separate the yolk from the whites by using an empty small water bottle. Simply squeeze the sides and suck up the yolk. Then pour the whites in through a funnel and, hey presto, no more smashed eggs shells.
EGG-CELLENT FIREPLACE
Don’t waste that empty egg box just because you like storing eggs in bottles now. Your egg box can be a great starting point for a campfire. Place a piece of coal in each egg hole, chuck on a few Doritos and you’ve got yourself an egg-ular fire starter.
HOMEMADE INSECT REPELLENT
If the family rushes through your reserve of insect repellents then don’t panic; it’s very easy to make an effective homemade repellent. Just mix a small bottle of apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon of dried rosemary, lavender, thyme, mint and sage, shake well and you’ll be ready to fend off those pesky pests.
CAMPFIRE MOSQUITO REPELLENT
If you’ve got a Tic Tac box of dried sage left in over from your natural bug repellent, then you can also use sage to scare off mosquitoes around the campfire. Just burn a little on the flames and you’ll be safe from the little bloodsuckers. You’ll also have the added benefit of a lovely aroma that will cover up that burnt Dorito smell.
And a bonus tip… TAKE COVER!
Now that you’ve organised your spices, waterproofed your matches and learnt how to set crisps on fire, it’s important to remember the most important camping hack of all… a comprehensive insurance policy. Speak to camping and leisure insurance specialists such as Shield Total Insurance before your next trip to make sure you’re fully protected should the worst happen.