I camp in a tent a lot, several times a year in fact. It’s not always easy to keep the tent contents organized or the campsite clean. It can be easy to forget the bug spray, leave it behind at the camp site, lose tent stakes, etc. In addition, you may have to deal with uneven or rocky ground, weather issues, neighboring camper issues, and the local flora and fauna.
Over the years, I’ve become very organized on my own, but I’m sure there are some great ideas out there waiting to be shared. So…
Getting up to find the john at 3 am is less than fun. We have whiz jars with secure screw-on lids in the tent with us. My wife has a feminine funnel so she can aim.
Drier lint and the stub of a candle work well too.
As for hints – fabric softener sheets don’t work bad for keeping off bugs. Rub one over your body before dressing and keep a few in your backpack between your clothes.
I keep a camping box that has everything in it that I will need. I make sure anything that gets used up gets replaced after the trip, before going back into storage. It make it a whole lot easier to take off and go for a weekend if all you have to do is just load up the cooler and pack the car.
As your T-shirts, socks and boxers get old, toss them in a bag instead of throwing them away. Use these when you camp. Wear for a day or two, then burn, bury or toss. No need to worry about lugging around dirty laundry or bringing them home.
Dangle your caviar in a net bag from the float of your plane about 2 feet down. This keeps it the correct temp for serving with the wine and cheese in the afternoons. Instruct the help to make sure the lid is secure first.
You will need sunscreen even if it’s supposed to be overcast, a swimsuit even if you don’t plan on swimming, and twice as many flashlights as you think you need. You will need three times as much beer as you think you need.
I used to do this when I was in a rooming house in college. That place was coooold.
If you do winter camping or late/early season camping, tent your jacket over your head when sleeping. I’ve got a jacket that is stiff enough that it doesn’t touch my face but helps keep the air I breathe warm so I won’t have a sore throat in the morning. Wearing a turtleneck to bed helps too.
We have our camping gear organized in big plastic tubs (think “Rubbermaid”) and large duffel bags. We have one large tub for dining stuff (pots, pans, dishes, washtubs, etc.) and one large tub for all the miscellaneous gear (stove, lanterns, fuel, etc.). Tents, tarps, and canopies each have their own duffel bag.
When we get ready to go camping, we typically go through the duffel bags and remove the things we won’t need for that trip. (For example, we used to camp a lot as a family, and took 2 tents. Now that our kids are grown, we only need to take 1 tent.)
I would absolutely, positively recommend having a flyswatter.
Also, for starting fires, I have a tiny butane torch that operates off of a cigarette lighter. This thing will light in a gale. (However, I really like the idea of having a can of Sterno handy.)
I should say that all of the above is what we used to do when we had a van large enough to carry the tubs. We have since gotten rid of the van and are down to a Honda Accord, so Mrs. Arrgh is after me to go through the camping gear and condense everything down into a popup trailer.
at night the small but important stuff goes in your hiking boots.You wont forget it the next morning.
plus, it’s handy… if you need that flashlight in the middle of the night, you don’t have to grope blindly looking for it;----just feel around for your boot, and grab it.
Headlamps. If you need to do anything after dark, it’s infinitely easier if you have both hands free (and the light automatically aimed where you’re looking).
We also keep a separate set of basic cooking supplies and camp dishes in a plastic bin for camping, so we don’t have to worry about forgetting the cutting board / paring knife / corkscrew, we just grab the bin and go.
If you’re not going to keep a camping box, make a list of everything you bring. Then take it with you camping. While you are camping, every time you slap your own forehead and say, “Dammit, I forgot to bring ______,” run back to your list and write that item down. Keep the list for next time.
I finally wised up and made one permanent beach trip list on my iPhone. It’s called “The Last Beach Packing List I’ll ever write.” It has my winter beach needs along with the summer beach needs on it.
I also like a small hand broom for sweeping the tent out before “moving in.” And, if you use air mattresses, invest in a battery-car lighter-AC/DC powered air pump, that has a reverse, so you can suck the air back out of the mattress before packing up and going home.
I made a roll out tool bag that you can hang from the center point of the roof of the tent (strongest point) Take a seal-sack and slice it down the side so you have a big flat sheet. Then put your essentials in order and cover with the other side. Now take a heat gun and seal it into little pouches. Now just roll it up and hang it from two carbiners through the prefab holes. Ours has a travel/ emergency size of anything you can imagine in it and it can’t get lost or wet.
Commonly in it are: Maglite, new batteries, single can sterno, waterproof matches, a few glo sticks, a small first aid kit, 50ft of nylon cord, bug spray, sunscreen, water tablets, a travel pouch of wet wipes, tiny roll of duct tape, and one small MRE. It only weighs a few lbs and has basically anything you could need that you might have forgotten. It’s come in handy on both of our international vacations several times. If you make it right it will roll up into a small cylinder no bigger than a pringles can. We usually keep it in the daybag if we are going anywhere outdoorsy. Nashiitashii poked fun at the “survival bag” relentlessly until she needed it. Now she’s all about making sure the stocks are current in it.
On old (cleaned) tackle box is a great way to store herbs and spices and little things like matches, rubber bands, etc., for your camp kitchen area. And we use a small cleaning caddy to store things like pens and pencils, corkscrew, misc. tools and silverware, etc.
Cedar planks have become a favorite of mine for cooking fish, especially while camping. I just toss 2 or 3 into the cooler where they can soak until I need them. They make cooking fish a snap, add great flavor, and we just toss the planks in the fire when done.
