Camping Tips and Tricks

A metal cup, cast iron pan, skewers, aluminum foil and brown paper bags are a camper’s best friends. Whether you’re cooking over a campfire or using a camp stove, these cooking tools help you easily prepare everything from breakfast to dessert without a lot of mess and fuss. Try these tasty camping hacks:

• Make coffee the same way you make tea. Fill coffee filters with ground coffee. Tie with a string. Steep in a hot cup of water and enjoy.
• Put a few strips of bacon in the bottom of a paper bag. Pour in scrambled eggs, close the bag and clip it to a stick or metal skewer. Cook over a fire for 6 to 7 minutes.
• Wrap refrigerated cinnamon roll dough on a long metal skewer. Bake over hot coals until done.
• Bring pancake batter in a squeeze bottle for quick, no-mess flapjacks.
• Layer chocolate chips, marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs into a hot cast iron skillet.
• Add fresh herbs to the fire to add flavor to roast meats.
• Vacuum seal your food to keep it fresher and to seal out bugs.
• Freeze water bottles and use them to keep food cold.

Tip: Use a block of ice instead of chips in coolers. It lasts longer.

Lanterns and flashlights are camping necessities. Whether you choose battery-powered or solar-powered lighting devices, having plenty of light for night-time camping activities like cooking is essential. Brighten your night with these camping ideas:

• Rather than carrying the extra weight of batteries, use a solar charger.
• Make your own lantern by strapping a headlamp to the outside of a plastic water jug. Make sure the light is facing toward the inside of the container.
• Turn an empty orange peel into a candle by filling it with vegetable or olive oil.
• Insert sticks into candles. Push the sticks into the ground where you need light.
• Paint the inside of a jar with glow-in-the-dark paint. Use the jar as a nightlight or bathroom marker. Put it in the sun during the day to recharge.

Along with tent netting and screens, commercial bug sprays and citronella candles will make your camping much more pleasant, especially if you don’t want to deal with mosquitoes, flies, bees, ants and ticks. But if you want to go the natural route, here’s how to make your own pest control:

• Make a tick spray with 2 parts white vinegar and 1 part water.
• Make a general bug spray by mixing together about 10 drops of an essential oil such as thyme, eucalyptus, catnip, tea tree or clove oil with a cup of witch hazel and water.
• Burn fresh sage or rosemary in the campfire to drive away mosquitoes and flies.

Make the ideal campfire for roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories with these camping ideas and tips:

• Glue a strip of sandpaper to a glass or plastic container and use it to keep matches dry and ready.
• Use trick birthday candles, especially when the weather’s windy.
• Make your own fire starters with dryer lint stuffed into empty toilet paper tubes or cotton pads dipped in candle wax.
• Use corn chips for kindling. It only takes a few greasy chips to get the fire going.
• Fill a cardboard egg container with charcoal briquettes, lay it in a shallow hole and light it for a quick and easy grilling station.

Sleeping under the stars is even nicer with these helpful ideas:

• Soft, colorful playroom floor mats will work wonders in the bottom of your tent.
• Add a cushion between you and the cold, hard ground with an air-filled mat or pad.
• Stop tripping over tent lines. Use a sliced pool noodle to cover and mark them.
• Lay a few dryer sheets inside the tent to repel insects and freshen up a shared space.
• Keep tent zippers from sticking by rubbing them with a candle. The wax will make zipping and unzipping a breeze.

Living outdoors often means little to no cell service and rainy days. Be prepared by packing a gallon plastic bag with your favorite board games, playing cards and some tools and materials for easy DIY project ideas. Here's a couple to get you started:

• Make nature prints with an ink block, unlined 3 x 5 cards and a large marker. Press leaves, flowers or pebbles into the ink and then transfer the design to a card using the marker as a rolling pin.
• Create story sticks. Use colorful yarn and beads to decorate a small stick. Pass the story stick around the campfire and see who tells the best story.