The thing I love the most about people's diversity is their endless number of ways of doing things. Many people go camping, but everyone does it in their own unique way. You might not even realize that your "obvious" ideas might be mindblowing and incredibly useful for others.
I want this blog to be the beginning of a conversation, a way of learning from each other. Today I'm sharing a few hacks and must-haves that have worked for us on our camping adventures. I really hope some of them will be useful to you or give you an idea for something entirely different. I would also love to hear what tricks do you have up your sleeve, so feel free to share them in the comments if you feel like it.
1. Hooks, clips and elastic bands.
There are so many things you can do with these guys. Need to seal a bag of almonds you've been snacking on? Grab yourself a clip.
Selfie stick broke and doesn't want to hold your phone in place? Secure it with an elastic.
Seriously, the possibilities are endless.
Hooks are another favourite thing of ours. My husband found these magnetic hooks in our local store and we've been using them non-stop.
They are very useful if you need a flashlight over your head or need to hang a bag for trash while you're making dinner.
Don't litter!
I'm pretty sure you can find something like this in a craft store, hardware store or even Home Depot. Online shops also offer a nice variety of similar things.
2. Rope.
Oh, if only you knew how much rope is stashed in our car... Seriously, you are never more than one subtle movement away from one.
Memo got interested in knots about half a year ago. And let me tell you, they are so useful! A good knot can fix or improve many things.
Having some strong rope in your car can't hurt. You never know what kind of situations you'll be in.
And the variety... man.
Personally, I'm not a passionate lover of knots, so I'm no good at them, but I'm so glad my husband is. That knowledge (that you can get for free on YouTube, by the way) has been incredibly useful.
3. Hand washing situation.
I've been meaning to talk about this because we figured out a way to wash hands and dishes in a pretty comfortable way while wasting as little water as possible.
We used to do it this way, which is not efficient at all.
That until we stumbled upon this in Home Depot.
So... initially, it was meant to hold toxic liquids for getting rid of pests and that sort of thing.
It sprays water under pressure that removes soap very quickly and uses up a ridiculous amount of water. Seriously, you can wash a few pots, plates, cups and utensils and not even use a third of the water inside.
My husband used it to take a shower once, which you can see in one of our vlogs if you're curious.
If you are into camping, I strongly recommend you to check this out. Obviously, never reuse it if it ever held anything toxic. Buying a new one is not expensive at all, but the amount of water you'll save will go a long way for your conscience and our environment.
4. Shovels.
A little shovel is a must if you camp in the wild, but also can be handy for a variety of situations. Either way, having one doesn't hurt.
Our car got stuck on our last camping adventure and we realized that one tiny shovel might not be enough. On all of our next camping trips, we'll be bringing a bigger shovel as well just in case.
Also, don't forget your gloves and a simple tool kit. I wasn't going to mention those since they are pretty self-explanatory, but just in case they are not for some of my readers: basic tools, gloves, and a first aid kit should go in your luggage before your own clothes!
This is also a good time to bring up fire extinguishers. You are not required to have them in your car as far as I know, but it doesn't hurt. Even if you are a super cautious driver and "you'll never need it", someone else might need your help. You never know. I strongly believe that we should go out of our way to help one another, so here I am subtly planting these ideas in your head. Sorry. But also consider it, please.
5. Mosquito screen.
Not an essential, but a fun idea that might transform into something even better.
Cooking outside attracts bees. It's not that big of a deal, but we have an active kid and I'm afraid of bees, so having this has helped to feel a bit more comfortable.
It also protects against moths at night, which - fun fact - I'm terrified of.
It's done with magnetic strips. Not a perfect seal, but also not expensive. Great conversation starter as a bonus.
6. Yoga mat, picnic cloth, and a foldable table.
Again, they are not essential to camping but can be very helpful in a variety of situations.
There is not much to be said about the first two. You get the picture.
A little perk is that they are perfectly rollable and take up no space so if you have something like this in your house, you might as well bring it along.
The table was more of a spontaneous purchase, but it has been the most useful.
I believe we got it on Amazon.
It has two available heights and neatly folds into a suitcase when not needed.
There hasn't been a camping trip when we didn't use it. We'd probably even benefit from having a second one.
7. Flashlights.
A must of all musts. Shouldn't even bring it up.
These are just the ones that we found laying around at the time of writing this post. On a camping trip, there are many more. We have them everywhere. With hooks, without hooks, magnetic or the ones that go on your head. We even have the big one that guards use - it can blind you in the dark (not an exaggeration).
I'm sure you've noticed that we've altered some of them to produce a red light instead of a normal one. That's because the red one is much softer on your eyes and the kids wouldn't wake up from it if you wish to check up on them in the middle of the night.
We even have a red plastic bit that goes over the flashlight and makes a tiny lightsaber that produces the softest red light you can imagine.
8. Remember: you can never have enough toilet paper.
No, really, don't be shy. And if you'd like to keep one available to you at all times, but have no clue of where to shove it, look no further.
A basic coffee container does the job beautifully.
9. Ideas that haven't been executed yet.
Two things we realized on our last camping trip: bring a small vacuum cleaner and buy a whiteboard.
Let me explain.
For the vacuum I'm just going to bring up this picture:
Camping can be filthy and we have a kid that's sensitive to dust and dirt. Next time we're bringing our tiny accumulator-powered vacuum cleaner.
The whiteboard needs a bit more explaining. First of all, we got stuck and had to walk 2+ km on a highway to get help. A lot of people passed us just because they thought we were hitchhiking. If they knew that we were in trouble and only needed a ride to the nearest house or restaurant, I bet they'd stop.
Second of all, we encountered a lot of potentially dangerous situations: stray dogs and cows approaching the road, fallen bridges etc. All we could do is flash our lights and turn on the emergency lights to communicate to the other cars that they should slow down. And most of them did. But not all. Then we kind of started thinking that a simple "COW AHEAD" written on a whiteboard might have helped a lot.
Anyway, that's it for today. When we gather a decent amount of fresh ideas on this subject, I'll be sure to update you. For now, I hope I gave you some ideas or inspired you to develop your own.
Be adventurous. Be thoughtful. And, please, be kind to others.
I would love to know what your essentials are, so if you are in the mood, leave a comment here or on our YouTube channel.
Have a great day, stranger.
I want this blog to be the beginning of a conversation, a way of learning from each other. Today I'm sharing a few hacks and must-haves that have worked for us on our camping adventures. I really hope some of them will be useful to you or give you an idea for something entirely different. I would also love to hear what tricks do you have up your sleeve, so feel free to share them in the comments if you feel like it.
1. Hooks, clips and elastic bands.
There are so many things you can do with these guys. Need to seal a bag of almonds you've been snacking on? Grab yourself a clip.
Selfie stick broke and doesn't want to hold your phone in place? Secure it with an elastic.
Seriously, the possibilities are endless.
Hooks are another favourite thing of ours. My husband found these magnetic hooks in our local store and we've been using them non-stop.
They are very useful if you need a flashlight over your head or need to hang a bag for trash while you're making dinner.
Don't litter!
I'm pretty sure you can find something like this in a craft store, hardware store or even Home Depot. Online shops also offer a nice variety of similar things.
2. Rope.
Oh, if only you knew how much rope is stashed in our car... Seriously, you are never more than one subtle movement away from one.
Memo got interested in knots about half a year ago. And let me tell you, they are so useful! A good knot can fix or improve many things.
Having some strong rope in your car can't hurt. You never know what kind of situations you'll be in.
And the variety... man.
Personally, I'm not a passionate lover of knots, so I'm no good at them, but I'm so glad my husband is. That knowledge (that you can get for free on YouTube, by the way) has been incredibly useful.
3. Hand washing situation.
I've been meaning to talk about this because we figured out a way to wash hands and dishes in a pretty comfortable way while wasting as little water as possible.
We used to do it this way, which is not efficient at all.
That until we stumbled upon this in Home Depot.
So... initially, it was meant to hold toxic liquids for getting rid of pests and that sort of thing.
It sprays water under pressure that removes soap very quickly and uses up a ridiculous amount of water. Seriously, you can wash a few pots, plates, cups and utensils and not even use a third of the water inside.
My husband used it to take a shower once, which you can see in one of our vlogs if you're curious.
If you are into camping, I strongly recommend you to check this out. Obviously, never reuse it if it ever held anything toxic. Buying a new one is not expensive at all, but the amount of water you'll save will go a long way for your conscience and our environment.
4. Shovels.
A little shovel is a must if you camp in the wild, but also can be handy for a variety of situations. Either way, having one doesn't hurt.
Our car got stuck on our last camping adventure and we realized that one tiny shovel might not be enough. On all of our next camping trips, we'll be bringing a bigger shovel as well just in case.
Also, don't forget your gloves and a simple tool kit. I wasn't going to mention those since they are pretty self-explanatory, but just in case they are not for some of my readers: basic tools, gloves, and a first aid kit should go in your luggage before your own clothes!
This is also a good time to bring up fire extinguishers. You are not required to have them in your car as far as I know, but it doesn't hurt. Even if you are a super cautious driver and "you'll never need it", someone else might need your help. You never know. I strongly believe that we should go out of our way to help one another, so here I am subtly planting these ideas in your head. Sorry. But also consider it, please.
5. Mosquito screen.
Not an essential, but a fun idea that might transform into something even better.
Cooking outside attracts bees. It's not that big of a deal, but we have an active kid and I'm afraid of bees, so having this has helped to feel a bit more comfortable.
It also protects against moths at night, which - fun fact - I'm terrified of.
It's done with magnetic strips. Not a perfect seal, but also not expensive. Great conversation starter as a bonus.
6. Yoga mat, picnic cloth, and a foldable table.
Again, they are not essential to camping but can be very helpful in a variety of situations.
There is not much to be said about the first two. You get the picture.
A little perk is that they are perfectly rollable and take up no space so if you have something like this in your house, you might as well bring it along.
The table was more of a spontaneous purchase, but it has been the most useful.
I believe we got it on Amazon.
It has two available heights and neatly folds into a suitcase when not needed.
There hasn't been a camping trip when we didn't use it. We'd probably even benefit from having a second one.
7. Flashlights.
A must of all musts. Shouldn't even bring it up.
These are just the ones that we found laying around at the time of writing this post. On a camping trip, there are many more. We have them everywhere. With hooks, without hooks, magnetic or the ones that go on your head. We even have the big one that guards use - it can blind you in the dark (not an exaggeration).
I'm sure you've noticed that we've altered some of them to produce a red light instead of a normal one. That's because the red one is much softer on your eyes and the kids wouldn't wake up from it if you wish to check up on them in the middle of the night.
We even have a red plastic bit that goes over the flashlight and makes a tiny lightsaber that produces the softest red light you can imagine.
8. Remember: you can never have enough toilet paper.
No, really, don't be shy. And if you'd like to keep one available to you at all times, but have no clue of where to shove it, look no further.
A basic coffee container does the job beautifully.
9. Ideas that haven't been executed yet.
Two things we realized on our last camping trip: bring a small vacuum cleaner and buy a whiteboard.
Let me explain.
For the vacuum I'm just going to bring up this picture:
Camping can be filthy and we have a kid that's sensitive to dust and dirt. Next time we're bringing our tiny accumulator-powered vacuum cleaner.
The whiteboard needs a bit more explaining. First of all, we got stuck and had to walk 2+ km on a highway to get help. A lot of people passed us just because they thought we were hitchhiking. If they knew that we were in trouble and only needed a ride to the nearest house or restaurant, I bet they'd stop.
Second of all, we encountered a lot of potentially dangerous situations: stray dogs and cows approaching the road, fallen bridges etc. All we could do is flash our lights and turn on the emergency lights to communicate to the other cars that they should slow down. And most of them did. But not all. Then we kind of started thinking that a simple "COW AHEAD" written on a whiteboard might have helped a lot.
Anyway, that's it for today. When we gather a decent amount of fresh ideas on this subject, I'll be sure to update you. For now, I hope I gave you some ideas or inspired you to develop your own.
Be adventurous. Be thoughtful. And, please, be kind to others.
I would love to know what your essentials are, so if you are in the mood, leave a comment here or on our YouTube channel.
Have a great day, stranger.
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