Do you like to camp? If you do, you are not alone. This is a very popular way for many families to vacation. In 2013, nearly 14% of the population of the United States went camping, according to the American Camper Report from 2014. That is more than 40 million people. In 2014, more than $1.5 billion was spent on camping gear at travel stores. A large percentage of this was on travel backpacks and sleeping bags.
Fun Tips to Make Your Camping Vacation Great
- Brighten your campground with a milk jug filled with water. Take an empty gallon milk jug, fill it with water, attack a hand lamp to it. When the lamp is on, the water will amplify the light. Voila! You have an instant lamp that will brighten your space. These make for great travel accessories.
- Protect your valuables in soap. Even if you are away from civilization, you are not removed from crime. Hollow out a part of a bar of soap and put in it things you do not want people to steal. If you are at a popular campground, there may be people around who want to get into your stuff to take it.
- Use a coffee can to keep your toilet paper dry. If you are going to take the time to pack toilet paper, you want it to stay dry. Pack it in a coffee can or similar container. Any cylindric container will work.
- Keep bugs away naturally. Throw some sage in your campfire to keep mosquitoes away. Tea tree oil is hated by many bugs. This includes ticks and mosquitoes. You can make your own insect repellent with it and use it to get ticks off once they have jumped onto someone.
- Enjoy your coffee during your trip. Take some coffee filters and add some ground coffee. Tie the top with unflavored dental floss. Put in a cup with boiling water and within a few minutes you have a hot cup of coffee.
- Make your own fire starters. Take cotton balls and cover them with petroleum jelly and cover in aluminum foil. When you are ready to use them, slice a hole in the foil and pull some of the cotton through. Light that the way you would a wick Each should last about ten minutes and works as well as anything you would but at travel stores.
- Pack any spices you like in Tic Tac containers. These make for the best spice containers. They are small, lightweight and have the perfect spout for pouring spices on your foods. Just because you are camping does not mean your food needs to be bland.
- Make your own first aid kits with empty prescription bottles. This is especially good with larger prescription bottles. They are waterproof and can hold bandaids, or whatever else you need to stay dry.
- Use cardboard egg cartons for charcoal fire starters. Pack a few of these. Fill your cardboard egg cartons with charcoal bricks. Then you can just light the carton and the whole thing is a perfect way to grill your food. Better than what you buy in travel stores.
- Campfire cones are delicious Take a waffle cone and fill it with chocolate chips and marshmallows. Some people like lining them with Nutella or peanut butter. Others add strawberries and bananas. Go crazy! Wrap this in tin foil and heat over your fire. Yum!
- Plan for rain. Talk to people at local travel stores and with the rangers at your park about area attractions so if or when it rains you have something to do. They may have some great suggestions.
Camping can be a lot of fun for the entire family. It can also give you a chance to get great exercise. Hiking, always a popular activity among campers and non-campers alike, burns a lot of calories. People who weight at lat 155 pounds will burn 493 calories an hour backpacking. That is not bad! If you are going to eat those campsite cones, you need some activity to work the calories off!