Tips and Tricks
Here we will be listing some tried and true tricks that we have found helpful during our many camping trips. If you would like to send in some of your own ideas, you can e-mail us at the address on the home page.
1. When packing, especially for an extended camping trip, it is often helpful to roll your clothing and seal them in a large ziplock bag. With children, you can pack a complete days outfit in a single bag. Very useful to be able to just grab one ziplock and know that a complete outfit is at your fingertips. The main benefit with this though is it keeps your clothing dry no matter how much it rains during your trip.
2. Packing your clothing in a soft duffel bag gives you a 'pillow' without taking up more room in your vehicle.
3. We store all of our camping equipment in one place, ready to go at a moment's notice. Very handy for those times when you say to yourself, "I gotta get out of this town...now!" Storing all the same types of gear in a tightly lidded storage container keeps us sane. For example, all utensils, dishsoap, oven mitts, etc are stored in one box. This goes straight from storage into the car and all necessary items are easily found once you have reached your campsite. One thorough (sp?) check at the beginning of camping season insures that everything you need is not only there, but in its proper place.
4. Tarps and rope are the greatest thing for camping. Much to my consternation though, good rope isn't always easy to find. Clothesline is often the easiest to find and very cheap. However, these often unravel quickly once cut or have a plastic 'core' which can be a nuissance (sp?). With a few tarps, decent rope, and a few convienent (sp?) trees you can have a relatively dry area in wet weather (once your 'roof' is up you can even link tarps to create 'walls'!), make another shelter, or simply keep your woodpile dry. http://library.thinkquest.org/3599/ is a good site for those who are unsure how to tie knots or even which knots to use for what purpose. There are quite a surprising number of such sites available... of course most of them are linked with either Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. :)
5. Another popular 'Scout' trick is to set up a wash station using: a clean and empty gallon milk jug, some twine, a large nail or golf tee (preferred for its inability to rust), an empty onion bag or footpiece from a pair of panty hose, and those leftover slivers of bar soap that collect at home in everyone's bathroom. Tie your golf tee (or nail) to the handle of your jug. Puncture the jug about a fingerwidth or two from the bottom with your tee or a nail of similar size. You want the hole to fit snugly once your 'plug' (the golf tee) is in place. Once you have set up your campsite, select a handy tree or post at the edge of camp (out of foot traffic or work areas), fill your jug with clean water and hang. Hang your collected soap bits in the onion bag with your water jug and Voila! Instant 'sink' for washing hands. If you are particularly (sp?) bored or whimsical, you can even paint faces (with the spout being the 'mouth'), or other decorations on your water jug. What can I say? I'm easily amused.
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