Camping-related tips
I went camping two weekends ago, and although we were well organized and had everything we absolutely needed, I thought of a few tips and tricks that would make camping even better:
Water jug
If you are camping on well established camping grounds that are provincially (state) regulated, you may have access to running water on the camp grounds. In Ontario, this water is perfectly fine for cooking with, brushing teeth and washing hands (and drinking too, although most bring their own water for that). Instead of shuffling over to the water pump every time you need to wash your hands, buy yourself a water jug that will hold several litres of water so you can minimize the number of trips you need to make.
Extra rope
If you enjoy going to the beach and swimming, or will be taking showers in the morning, you will likely have a soggy towel and/or suit that needs to be hung to dry. You can certainly use a tree branch to air your things but a rope strung between two trees would be a far neater solution.
Fire making 101
Making a fire may come easily to you but if it doesn’t, you should read up on how to create a roaring fire. Another way to help the fire making process is by collecting kindling (small pieces of wood used to keep the fire going) around your campsite, perhaps before setting up your tent. Provincial parks sell firewood but if you happen to have access to free wood at home or on the way to the camp site, you may want to take advantage of that as it will cut down on the expense.
Double duty items for meals
When planning meals, think of how some ingredients can be used for another meal: the bread used to make toast for breakfast could be wrapped around hotdogs, the hotdogs from lunch can be chopped up into the salad for dinner. If being economical is important, you can limit the number of food items you bring in order to ensure that each gets maximized (and hopefully used up!).
August 13th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
The water jog tips is a great idea. We do that at camp every year (I’m a counselor). To go along with that, save your old panty hose, slip a bar of soap inside, and tie it to the tree with the jug!
August 14th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Now that is a tip I hadn’t heard of or considered. Thanks, Allison!
August 14th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
A knife. Always handy to have a knife for making some marshmallow sticks and all kinds of other stuff while camping.
August 14th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Dave - You know what? We didn’t have a single (swiss army) knife around all weekend! In fact, the only time we used a knife was to cut up our dinner. Your tip is a good one for camping in places other than well established campgrounds, I think. And I bet you the next time I camp, even in a provincial park, I’ll need a knife so that is something I better add to my camping kit.