10 Camping Hacks That Will Change the Way You Camp
1. Use a foam floor tile under your sleeping mat Cold ground is one of the biggest enemies of a good night’s sleep outdoors. Placing a cheap foam floor tile — the kind used in children’s playrooms — under your sleeping mat adds an extra layer of insulation and makes a huge difference on cold nights.
2. Burn sage in your campfire to keep mosquitoes away Mosquitoes can ruin an otherwise perfect evening around the fire. Throwing a few sprigs of dried sage onto your campfire creates a natural smoke barrier that insects hate. It smells great too.
3. Turn your headlamp into a lantern using a water bottle Strap your headlamp around a full water bottle with the light pointing inward. The water diffuses the beam and creates a soft, glowing lantern effect that lights up your whole tent beautifully.
4. Pre-crack your eggs at home before leaving Cracking eggs at a campsite is messy and shells are difficult to dispose of. Instead, crack your eggs at home, pour them into a small water bottle or sealed container, and store in your cooler. Ready to pour straight into the pan.
5. Use a shower cap to cover muddy boots Hotel shower caps are perfect for wrapping around dirty or muddy shoes before putting them in your bag. Lightweight, compact, and keeps everything else in your pack clean.
6. Make fire starters at home with cotton pads and vaseline Coat a few cotton pads in petroleum jelly and store them in a small zip-lock bag. These homemade fire starters ignite quickly even in wet or windy conditions and cost almost nothing to make.
7. Hang a shoe organiser inside your tent A fabric hanging shoe organiser takes up almost no space when packed but creates instant storage pockets inside your tent. Use it for phones, sunscreen, insect repellent, snacks, and other small items you want within easy reach.
8. Always pack a microfibre towel A microfibre towel dries up to five times faster than a regular towel and packs down to roughly the size of your fist. It is one of the best lightweight swaps you can make for camping.
9. Put hand warmers in your sleeping bag on cold nights On unexpectedly cold evenings, slide a couple of disposable hand warmers toward the bottom of your sleeping bag about ten minutes before getting in. Your feet will thank you.
10. Download offline maps before you leave home Never rely on mobile signal in the wilderness. Apps like Maps.me, Komoot, or Google Maps offline mode allow you to download entire regions to your phone so you can navigate without any internet connection.
