Seven amazing camping hacks
29 August, 2019
Loud zippers, itchy mosquito bites and tents that get a little too hot in the summer sun … Every camping enthusiast knows these little annoyances. Here are seven tips on how to reduce those little daily annoyances at the campsite. Let the holiday begin!
1. An orange candle
It’s lovely being outside at dusk, but it doesn’t take long before it’s too dark to see the person you are talking to. A bright light will ruin the atmosphere, but complete darkness isn’t an option, either. So what to do? Instead of a lamp, you can also use an orange. Yes, you read that right, an orange, as in the fruit. In addition to being healthy and tasty, they can also be used as candles. How? Cut the orange in half and remove the flesh. Make sure that the stem in the inside of the orange remains intact, because that will be the wick. Then fill the orange with oil, olive oil or sunflower oil are both suitable. The stem must stick out of the oil. Then light the stem. You now have a charming candle that also gives off a delicious scent. This candle can last up to almost a day!
2. Smooth zippers
Nothing is more annoying than being rudely awakened by the loud sound of someone opening a zipper when you were just dozing off. That zipper needs oiling! Chances are your silicone spray is still in the garage at home. But you probably brought a good alternative without realising it: a candle. If you gently rub your tent zipper with a normal candle, the zipper will open and close more smoothly and less loudly. Simple, yet effective.
3. Keep your tent cool
Things can really heat up inside the tent when the sun is shining on the canvas all day. To combat this heat, you can use a survival blanket, a.k.a. a rescue blanket. You can buy these blankets in a small and thin package at any outdoor or camping shop. The blanket was meant to be wrapped around a human being to prevent hypothermia, but it also works the other way around. When you put a rescue blanket on your tent, the silver foil reflects the sunlight and keeps out the heat. That means a cooler tent in the evening and a longer sleep in in the morning. Perfect, right?
4. No more tripping
Every camper is familiar with the hassle of tripping over tightly stretched guy ropes. Painful, and a little embarrassing … Fortunately, the solution isn’t difficult at all. A pool noodle is the ideal solution! Pool noodles are colourful, foamy tubes that children love to play with in the water. But how do they protect you from tripping over guy lines? First you cut the noodle up to get the same number of pieces as your number of guy ropes. Then cut open the side, as an opening for the guy rope. Then you place the pieces of noodle around the ropes. Now the guy ropes are brightly marked, which reduces the chance of you tripping over them and taking a piece of tent canvas with you when you fall. If you didn’t pack any pool noodles, no problem, they are often for sale at the campsite. Now all you have to do is convince your neighbours to get some, too.
5. A nice cup of coffee
A cup of coffee in the morning is a delicious way to start the day. Preferably your own brand of filter coffee. But bringing your electric coffee maker along from home might be pushing it… Fortunately, you can also make fine coffee without a machine. Bring coffee filters, some filter coffee and string. Fill a coffee filter with coffee and close it with a piece of string. Then hang the whole package in your thermos flask with hot water, like a teabag. Let it draw and you’ll have a fine cup of coffee.
6. Keep your feet dry
Unfortunately it can’t be dry and sunny every day. And when it rains, you’ll still want to get out and about, but you don’t want wet feet! A useful tool for this is beeswax. If you apply it to your shoes, it gives them a water-repellent layer. You can buy a jar of beeswax for shoes at any shoe shop or outdoor sports shop.
7. Stop the itching
In the summer months there are often mosquitoes, and the worst part is the itchiness of their bites. A simple solution that is also easily available is deodorant. Spray a little deodorant on the mosquito bite and the itching will stop. This is because deodorant often contains aluminium, which relieves itching. Other household remedies against itchy mosquito bites include toothpaste, lemon juice, or a mixture of salt and water.
We have made a very handy camping essentials checklist! Download it and check all the items. Do you have any other essential tips for at the campsite? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear them!
1 Comment
What a useful item,I will give the orange candle tip in my garden tonight,I run a private swim school so have an abundance of broken noodles.i could supply the campsite instead of throwing them away.i swear by tea tree oil for mossie bites + a good cold sore solution.