Five Camping Tips To Try

Things To Try When Camping

Camping is a great activity to enjoy with your family. When you’re camping, all you want to do is enjoy nature and spend time with family. Unfortunately, camping comes with many hassles. You have to pack everything you’d need and often, you might find that you’ve forgotten an essential item. Or, you’re hounded by mosquitoes, ants, and bugs and it just spoils the entire experience. Whatever it is, you’ll be glad to know that there are tips and tricks that can make your camping experience so much smoother and comfortable. In this guide, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite camping tips! Check out https://theexpertcamper.co.uk/ for more tips!

1.   Do-It-Yourself Tips

Being out in nature, there are many things that you can actually DIY. If you forget a stove for cooking, you can always make your own one with a simple tin can. This can also be used if it’s raining and you can’t build a fire pit to cook. There are many different ways you can use a tin can as a stove. If you only need it as a tiny stove, you can simply open one end of it and cut a small opening on the side of the can. The top can then be used as the stovetop. Otherwise, you could also make vertical cuts down the tin can. But, remember to leave about an inch uncut. You can then open these vertically cut strips up to form a grill top. By throwing some aluminium foil over it, you’d have a stovetop for cooking!

A huge part of camping is sitting around a campfire and talking. A campfire is vitally important for a great camping trip. However, starting a fire can be hard and it’s always useful to have firestarters to help. For some, you may have always bought firestarters from the store. But, did you know you can also make firestarters on your own? A great environmental option is to use lint from your dryer! Therefore, you’d want to collect your lint for times like this. For lint to become a greater firestarter, you’d just need to add a toilet paper roll to it. This acts as a shell for you to stuff the lint into. Another environmentally friendly option is to use dried orange peels. Such usage reduces waste and it also makes for a pleasant citrus scent. All you’d have to do is collect your orange peels and dry them in the oven. When you’re done, remember to keep them in a paper bag with some silica gel. This will keep it dry and crispy for fire-starting use.

2.   Homemade Traps and Repellents for Insects

One of the most unpleasant parts of camping is being hounded by all kinds of insects. You may find yourself itchy from mosquito bites. Or, you may find your tents infested with ants and spiders. Both of those options are unpleasant. Thankfully, you can easily get rid of these insects with some simple hacks.

For mosquitos, you can build a simple mosquito trap. All you’d need is a plastic soda bottle, some yeast, sugar and water. What you’d want to do is cut the soda bottle in half. The bottom half is the base and the top half will be inverted into the base. The base is where you’d place your mixture of yeast, sugar and water. This will create a reaction and yeast will begin to produce carbon dioxide. As a result, mosquitoes will be attracted and fly into the trap. However, due to the inverted top of the bottle, the mosquitos won’t be able to fly back out. You’d then be able to create a mosquito-free campsite. When you’re out and about, you wouldn’t be able to use this, however, you can create a simple repellent with some carrier water, lemon eucalyptus oil, lavender oil and tea tree oil.

To get rid of ants or spiders, the repellent is even easier. You’d just need peppermint oil! Apply some peppermint oil on yourself on your items and ants and spiders would leave them alone! On the plus side, peppermint oil is also great for digestion and headaches! Therefore, it’d be handy for your trip!

3.   Low Budget Camping

When camping, you’d ideally like to spend less money. Thankfully, camping can be pretty budget. Camping sites can often cost $50 or lower per night for an entire family. Aside from that, you can also try some of these tips to lower your cost further:

• Pack and plan for all your meals! This would mean that you cook everything yourself. However, this can greatly reduce the cost as you wouldn’t be eating out.
• Don’t buy disposable plates, bowls, cutlery or cups for using. Bring them from your own home! Most camping sites have a washing area and you’d be able to utilise them to wash your stuff. This would also be environmentally friendly!
• Always remember to protect your wood stack. You should wrap them in a tarp or keep them somewhere safe. This would ensure that it doesn’t get wet and useless. This is especially as wood can be extremely expensive.
• When planning your trip, try to pick a campsite that’s free. You can also look on to see if they have free activities around, such as hiking trails, playgrounds or water sources. This will all mean that you don’t need to spend any extra money.

4.   Planning Your Meals

 When it comes to camping, mealtimes can often be stressful as everyone’s usually hungry and grumbling for food. If you hadn’t planned your meals out, you might feel stressed as you try to figure out what to cook. Therefore, always plan your meals out! Before leaving for your trip, plan out your meals, and if needed, snack times! Write them all down and list all the food items you’d need for those meals. If you have these food items at home, mark them off and pack them up first. Then, proceed to buy whatever else you need. For extra organisation, you might even want to pack food items for different meals together. When it’s time for that meal, you could then easily pick out that set of food items! Also, remember to bring your plan with you! This would be helpful for you to reference when it’s time to cook!

5.   Essential Equipment

Lastly, you’d never want to forget any equipment when camping. Depending on what you’ve forgotten, the consequences can be huge. Therefore, we’ve come up with this list of essential equipment for you to reference. This could help ensure that you don’t forget to pack stuff. The items are:

• Tent

Or whatever equipment you’d need to set up your sleeping area. Remember to also bring along equipment necessary for the setting up. For example, you might need a mallet for your tent anchors.

• Bedding

This could be your sleeping bag, air mattress, pump, pillow, sheets, and blankets.

• Cooking Supplies

Your food items, a cooler for anything that needs to be kept cold, firewood, pots or pans, aluminium foil, skewers, ziplock bags, napkins, trash bags, seasonings and trash bags. If you have other necessary cooking supplies, add them to this list too!

• Clothes

All the clothes you’d need for your camping trip should be included. If you’re planning to swim, remember to pack your bathing suit. Also, always pack for cold and rainy weather. You’ll never know if it’s needed. But if you do, you’ll be thankful you brought it.

• Personal Supplies

This would include things like your own personal toiletries, feminine products, medication and shower shoes.

• Miscellaneous Items 

Lastly, you’d always need to remember to bring a first aid kit when you’re camping. Aside from that, you might also want bug repellent, extra batteries, a torchlight or lantern, pocket knife and water purification options.

Conclusion

Camping can be great fun if you’re well prepared for it. Any hassles can greatly hurt a trip’s enjoyment. With this list, we hope you’ll be able to have an amazing camping trip. Happy camping!