15 Practical Comfort Hacks on Camping That You Will Use

Genius hacks make your excursion a breeze

Camping isn’t for everyone but it doesn’t have to be all about roughing it out. You can enjoy the best of both worlds with these genius hacks and make your excursion a breeze:

  • 1. Surviving without air conditioning might prove to be tough, especially during the oppressive afternoons. Here’s how you can create an ingenious air conditioner that can run without electricity: Choose a large polystyrene cooler and fill it with hefty chunks of ice. Carve a 5” hole on one face of the cooler and attach a 6” battery operated fan to face the hole. Carve three holes on the opposite face of the cooler to create a vent. When the fan blows in the hole, it will force cool air to come out the other end through the vent holes.
  • 2. No need to be uncivilized. If you can’t handle body odor, you can bring a portable washing machine. This boils down to obtaining a five gallon bucket, cutting a plunger-sized hole in the lid, and filling it with water and detergent. Throw in the laundry, stick the plunger through the lid, close the lid and rub the dirt away. Talk about washing your dirty laundry in public!
  • 3. If you want to clean up after a grubby day, you can craft a nifty shower in a jiffy. Take a gallon bottle, fill it with clean water and attach a nozzle instead of the cap. Hang it in a tree with a rope, leaning down, and stand under. It can also be great for washing hands.
  • 4. Mesh, duct tape, and magnets create a removable screen so you can keep your windows rolled down without letting in insects.
  • 5. You’ll appreciate padding between you and the rough ground when settling in for the night, or simply sitting on the floor. Instead of gratuitously splurging on tiles, swathe your camp ground with yoga mats. They work in a pinch and alleviate those wretched backaches! Plus, you might be inspired to do some early morning yoga in the mountains.
  • 6. If you are indisposed to squatting when nature calls, here’s how you can create a handy toilet in the woods: forage for or purchase a toilet seat and attach it to a sturdy milk or beer crate. Simply position the plastic bolts and nuts that come with the lid in the center and on the short end of the bottom of the crate. Cut out a hole on the top surface of the crate, big enough to fit over a bucket. The mouth of the bucket should be directly under the hole. Place wooden slabs under the base of the crate to support it over the bucket!
  • 7. Nothing’s worse than crushed or wet toilet paper when you need it the most. Take a coffee can (or any other tin), pop the roll inside, close the lid and cut a slit on the side to run the paper out. This ensures your tissue roll is dry even when you’re toting it along to the outhouse on a rainy day!
  • 8. Waddling through puddles and shallow swamps is part of roughing it, not that this makes it any less of a nuisance. To prevent water from seeping through your shoes and drenching your socks, waterproof shoes are an absolute necessity. However, instead of spending a fortune on high end camping shoes, here’s how you can waterproof shoes in a DIY project: rub beeswax over your plain canvas shoes and fire up your blow-dryer to dry the wax. You are almost ready for the flood!
  • 9. It’s excruciating to be separated from your cell phone even when hitting the ski slopes or trudging through the marshes! It is prudent to store all of your electronics inside translucent zipper bags for safe keeping from water, dust and even sun. Granted, your screen won’t be as clear but nothing’s worse than a water logged cell phone!
  • 10. If you dread getting dressed in the chilly winter air, get dressed for the next day before sleeping. Not only will you remain toasty and warm, you may even snag five more minutes of coveted sleep as you are already dressed!
  • 11. After toiling all day long, your feet might be asking for a little respite. You can use your duffle bag as a foot rest to keep your feet elevated during the night and ready for another hectic day!
  • 12. Nobody gets any sleep on the hard, cold lumpy ground, and your air mattress is your new best friend. However, if you don’t have an air mattress, don’t purchase one just for the trip. A basic inflatable pool lilo can double as a blow-up mattress. Cheap as chips, too.
  • 13. One of the basic necessities of camping is finding clean drinking water. Though you might have your water filters packed for the trip, things have a way of going awry. If you have a container with dirty water, dunk a cloth strip in it and insert the other end of the strip in an empty container. The water will filter itself through the cloth, leaving behind the residue in the jar. Boil before drinking!
  • 14. Hygiene-conscious campers will yearn for the luxury of a tap and clean running water. Here’s how you can craft your own hand-washing station and never go a day without clean hands: attach a plastic faucet over the mouth of a large water jug and place it on its side on an elevated surface. Place a bucket below to catch dirty water.
  • 15. When camping in cold weather, you run the risk of getting hypothermia. One of the best ways to avert it is to wear panty hose at all times under your pants. Try to purchase panty hoses in bigger sizes to make a good base layer underneath in freezing weather.

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