TO MAKE YOUR NEXT GREAT OUTDOORS ADVENTURE EASIER, USE THESE CAMPING TIPS, TRICKS, AND HACKS.

Camping allows you to reconnect with nature's calm majesty while also allowing you to unwind with family and friends. For others, roughing it is all part of the fun, but why not use a little homegrown ingenuity to make your next camping trip a little easier?

Here are some of our favorite camping techniques for the weekend. These camping ideas and methods are not only clever, but also simple to put into practice. What's more, many of them will help you save room, time, weight, and money.

 

1. USE A GARBAGE BAG TO LINE YOUR BAG TO KEEP THE CONTENTS DRY.

When it comes to camping, the weather is everything, and a seasoned camper knows that you can never be too prepared for Mother Nature's mood swings. There's nothing to worry about once you're warm and dry inside your tent - unless, of course, you can't get warm or dry since your backpack and all of its contents were soaked in the rain.

This hack provides the most value for money: a single garbage bag in exchange for warmth and dryness. Simply place a garbage bag inside your backpack before putting all of your belongings inside. You'll have dry clothes and a dry sleeping bag for your journey for the price of a garbage bag – probably between a cent and a dime.

 

2. KEEP YOUR CAMP COOKWARE RUST-FREE BETWEEN USE WITH SILICA GEL PACKETS.

Do you have any of those silica gel packets that seem to show up in every product? They're actually quite good at sucking up moisture, especially in rust-prone things. That is why we advocate purchasing a pack or collecting them from whatever items you purchase, as they may just save your cookware.

In an ideal world, we would totally dry our cookware and store it in a dry environment between usage. It's a bummer to pull out your favorite dish or skillet and discover rust on it, but this simple method will help you avoid that.

 

3. IN YOUR COOLER, USE GALLON JUGS OF WATER AS ICE PACKS.

It can be tough to bring ice on a camping vacation. It quickly melts and turns into a watery mess, so any non-plastic food packaging will become saturated and soggy in no time.

Rather than putting ice in your cooler, freeze gallon jugs of water and place them inside. They won't crack when frozen, and these jugs contain built-in expansion space for when they're frozen. Then, as the ice melts and turns into water, you'll have drinking water without having to carry any additional supplies.

When carrying water for a camping trip, keep in mind two things: water is really necessary, but it is also extremely heavy. As a result, bring plenty of drinking water, but avoid bringing water that will go to waste, such as ice that will melt and become unfit to drink. This hack addresses both issues at once by turning your ice into extra drinking water after it has served its purpose of keeping your food cool.

 

4. TO HELP REPEL MOSQUITOES, BURN SAGE IN YOUR CAMPFIRE.

 Mosquitoes can ruin an otherwise enjoyable camping trip. It's a nice ability to have when camping to know how to repel them without slathering yourself in dangerous doses of bug repellent. 

When you go camping, bring a couple sage bundles with you. Then, when the sun sets and your bonfire heats up, add a pinch of sage to your fire. Set the sage on fire and let it smolder and burn along the campfire's edge for a longer-lasting impact. Mosquitoes are naturally repelled by sage smoke, so you'll notice a significant reduction in the number of them swarming around you.

While mosquitoes can be found at any time of day, they are most active during dawn and dusk. It's wise to be ready by keeping some burning sage on hand at all times.

 

5. FOR AN EASY BREAKFAST, CRACK EGGS AHEAD OF TIME AND STORE THEM IN A WATER BOTTLE.

Taking eggs on a camping trip is a risky proposition. You'll lose the eggs if they crack, and you'll also have a mess to deal with.

Instead, try this campfire cooking technique. Prepare the eggs ahead of time by cracking them and storing them in a water bottle. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. If you know everyone will prefer scrambled eggs, whisk the eggs and put them in a large water bottle, adding milk, cheese, and seasonings if desired.

You might alternatively gently crack eggs into a water bottle with a slightly larger opening for cooked eggs with intact yolks. Take numerous bottles for different meals, or pour from a bigger bottle several times.

Make care to keep these in your cooler so they don't spoil, and enjoy the convenience of not having to carry around fragile eggshells.