Camping Hacks

Somehow we’ve found ourselves in the midst of summer, and with that smack dab in the middle of camping season. In my eyes, a carefree camping trip is a carefully planned camping trip. Being well prepared makes everything so much easier. So, I scoured the internet for some of the best camping hacks to make your experience more enjoyable.

Toothpaste dots
Instead of packing a whole tube of toothpaste make toothpaste dots 2-3 days before your trip. 
Make chocolate chip sized dots of toothpaste on a plate or some tinfoil. Let them dry for 2-3 days and then sprinkle them with baking soda (to prevent the dots from sticking to one another) and pack them up to take on your trip. To use just pop one in your mouth, chew for a minute and then start brushing. Note that it doesn’t work well with gel toothpastes. (image via http://bit.ly/1eDMjSK)

Water jug lamps:
A great way to create a little extra light is to keep a large 4L jug, like a milk jug, filled with water. When you face a flashlight into the jug, the jug illuminates, creating a lil lamp.

Freeze your water:
Keep your cooler cold, and save money by pre-filling up large milk jugs with (drinkable) water and freeze it a few days before your trip. Pack in your cooler. This provides you with about 1 day’s worth of ice and once the ice has melted you have another source of drinking water. (✿◠‿◠)

But really the best tip I can give anyone going camping (especially if you’re festival camping) is to make meals in advance. I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m not eating food, I’m thinking about eating food. My next meal, a tasty snack, a good stiff drink… pretty much the next time I can put something in my mouth to satisfy the eternally hungry beast within me. Here are few of my tried and tested faves.

Pasta w/ veggies and tomato sauce:
Self explanatory. Pre cook some pasta, sauté some mushrooms and onions, cook some carrots and maybe some peppers and toss ‘em in tomato sauce. Combine pasta and sauce. Put in Tupperware. Bam! Enjoy cold or warm.

Quinoa Salad:
If you’ve never made a quinoa salad before, here’s a good lil recipe: http://bit.ly/1JDD4Q6 This particular recipe calls for tofu, but if you’re not a tofu fan, just add extra veggies (plus I’m sure you can Google quinoa salad and a million recipes will pop up anyways). I’m wary to add meat to premade meals in case the meat goes bad from an uncool cooler. Quinoa is high enough in protein that you don’t need to add meat to a quinoa salad anyways!

Travel Coffee Bags:
I’m not human til I’ve had my morning coffee. Use coffee filters and string (or the internet says dental floss) to make single serving coffee bags.  Take coffee filters, and put a single scoop/ serving per bag and tie it off with dental floss. Use it as you would a tea bag. Voila, coffee. (image via http://bit.ly/1CQY0v7)

Camping Sangria: (grown ups only) ヽ(⌐■_■)ノ♪♬
Fill a mason jar with chopped fruit (sliced peaches, strawberries, grapes, anything with good flavour really). Once the mason jar is full of fruit fill ¼ of it with vodka, and fill the rest of the mason jar with wine of your choice and let it chill overnight.

Pack with you the sangria mason jar, 1 litre bottle of soda (Sprite, Fresca, soda water, etc.) and the rest of the wine. Mix all three together and enjoy!

Have fun and stay safe!

-A