Camping Food Tips

One of the most important things to consider when camping is keeping your food cool and free of dirt or insects. There are a few things you can do to make sure that your food stays fresh and that your cooler is functioning as well as it can. Here are some tips that can help accomplish those goals:

• Use block ice rather than cube ice, as it will last much longer.
• Use frozen juice rather than bottled, as the cans of frozen juice help keep other foods cold.
• Store soups and sauces in Ziploc bags. Freeze these bags before your camping trip. They also will help keep other foods cold.
• The same holds true for meat. Freeze meat before you put it in the cooler. In addition, this helps the meet keep longer.
• Make sure everything in your cooler is packed in watertight containers.
• Add ice to your cooler as often as necessary. Keeping your food cold is essential to avoiding spoilage.
• Fill gallon jugs with water or juice. Freeze them, and then use them to keep your cooler cold while providing a cool drink.
• Use a separate cooler for your drinks. This prevents you from opening the food cooler too often, keeping it cool.
• Wipe out your cooler with a water and baking soda mixture to get rid of odors.
• You can fix a cooler leak, at least temporarily, by melting paraffin wax inside the cooler where the leak occurs, and then doing the same on the outside.
• Pack all of your food items in separate Ziploc bags. This helps to save space in the cooler, and makes it easy to find things when you need them.
• Store your cooler and your food inside your vehicle to avoid attracting animals. If you can’t store the food inside a car, try to hoist your coolers up several feet off the ground to prevent attracting critters.
• Consider using pita bread rather than regular sliced bread when camping. Pita bread is easier to pack and isn’t crushed as easily as regular sliced bread.

How to Pick the Right Campsite

How to Pick the Right Campsite

The fact of the matter is that not all campsites in a given campground are created equal. Some campsites are better than others, especially if you’re camping with a family. There are several things you’ll want to consider when picking a campsite.

First off, you need to figure out if the campsite is big enough for all of your camping equipment. When we camp, we have one large tent, a smaller play tent for the children, and a screen tent for dining. Some campsites just don’t have enough room for all of that equipment, much less extra room for family activities or for the kids to play. As you can imagine, we need to choose our campsite carefully.

The next step is to check the ground at the campsite. If there are a large number of tree roots, rocks or soft areas, you’ll want to rethink using that particular campsite. Those items will each make setting up camp difficult, and can also damage your tents. In addition, the ground should be level and the campsite should not be the lowest point in the surrounding areas. If it is, water will tend to pool when it rains, which can cause your tent to flood.

Another consideration is the proximity of your campsite to the restrooms and other amenities. You might, for example, want to try to get a campsite within easy walking distance of the restrooms. You might want a campsite that is near the playground or the beach, if the campground has these features. Then again, if you’re hoping for a nice quite camping experience where you can spend all day in your sleeping bag, you won’t want to have a campsite near the playground. Really, it depends on what you’re hoping to get out of your camping trip.

Finally, you want to think about how open the campsite is. If there aren’t any trees to provide shade at your campsite, it’s going to get very hot. On the other hand, a campsite that’s near a tree line can be especially prone to mosquitoes, bugs and woodland critters. A campsite with a few trees that isn’t too deep in the woods Is probably ideal for most folks.

Fun Family Camping Activities

Camping can be a relaxing experience for a family. Unfortunately, “relaxing” can often mean “boring” for a child. For this reason, you will want to have some camping games and activities handy so that you can enjoy the camping experience as a family.

One of the most enjoyable family camping activities can be the campfire. Younger children enjoy gathering sticks and branches to be used as kindling. Make sure, of course, that they don’t wander too far, or that the campground rules don’t prevent you from gathering fallen branches and such. In addition to gathering wood, children may enjoy learning how to properly build a campfire. If you’re especially dedicated, you might try to master the art of starting the campfire without matches or a lighter, although this can be rather arduous. Once the campfire is built, you can roast hot dogs or have s’mores.

There are some toys that are especially useful when camping, as well. A Frisbee or flying disc can be a fun camping activity. A baseball and glove might be useful, too. If the campground has a volleyball court, you might bring a volleyball as well.

Many families bring bicycles when they camp. If your whole family brings their bikes, you can ride all around the campground, or even bike to some of the surrounding attractions. Even just bringing the kids’ bikes allows them to get around and perhaps meet other children that are camping.

Coloring books or handheld game systems are also useful when you’re camping. You can use these inside the tent when it’s raining outside, for example. You can also use them when you’re traveling on your way to go camping.

You can also play card games or board games with your family when you’re camping. Obviously you want to choose games that don’t have lots of little pieces that could become lost. Also, if it’s especially windy, you probably won’t be able to play card games, at least not outside. You may still be able to play them in the tent.

Take some time before your next camping trip to identify some of the fun family camping activities your family would like to participate in.

More Tips To Make Camp Cooking Easy

Camping presents so many unique challenges when it comes to cooking. Even if you bring a propane grill and other convenience equipment with you, cooking can take up a major portion of your camping time if you’re not careful. Here are some more things you can do to make the cooking process go more smoothly:

• Put marshmallows into a Ziploc bag. Put a little bit of powdered sugar into the bag, too, to keep them from sticking together.
• Use a canning ring to shape the egg for bagel or English muffin egg sandwiches.
• If you have electricity at your campsite, use a crock-pot. Start dinner in the morning, and it will be ready when the day’s activities are through.
• Chop vegetables or other ingredients ahead of time and place them into Ziploc bags.
• Cook some of the meats ahead of time, as well. You can even prepare taco meat ahead, freeze it, and they warm it up when you’re camping.
• Consider using the squeeze bottle margarine when camping. The squeeze bottle makes your margarine much easier to use.
• Cook over coals, rather than a fire. This will provide you with more even cooking.
• If you’re cooking with charcoal, use a charcoal chimney to get the charcoal ready more quickly.
• When making foil dinner, place a few ice cubes in the aluminum foil. This helps the foil dinner from becoming burnt.
• Keep your dish soap clean by putting it inside of a nylon or a sock and hanging it from a tree.
• On the final day of your camping trip, mix together your leftover vegetables and meats to make omelettes.
• Use your pots as mixing bowls so as to save packing space.
• Use disposable water bottles for things that normally come in glass bottles, such as oils, salad dressings and sauces.
• When you’re cooking chicken on the grill, cook it without sauce until it is halfway cooked. Add the sauce afterwards. This prevents the sauce from burning onto the chicken.

Tips To Make Camp Cooking Easy

Cooking while camping can be fun, but it can also be frustrating at times. Without a stove or refrigerator, you’ve got to make certain adjustments to your cooking patterns. Fortunately, there are things you can do ahead of time, as well as while you’re camping, to make cooking easier. Here are a few useful camp cooking tips:

• Use cooking equipment that is fireproof, and keep handles away from the flames.
• Measure your ingredients before you leave for your camping trip. If you need two tablespoons of sugar, for example, measure it into a labeled Ziploc bag.
• Whenever possible, prepare some foods ahead of time. Soups are great candidates for this, but many other foods can be reheated over a campfire, as well.
• Bring aluminum foil with you when you go camping, as you’ll find many uses for it.
• Cover your pots when you’re cooking. This helps food to cook quicker, and it helps to reduce the amount of fuel you need to use to cook. In addition, it helps keep dirt and insects out of your food.
• Put dish soap on the outside of your pots and pans before you put them over the fire. This will help make cleanup easier when the time comes.
• Use cooking oil on your camp grill to keep food from sticking.
• Keep your matches dry by dipping them in wax ahead of time. When you’re ready to use a match, scrape off the wax.
• After you’re done cooking, put a pan of water over the fire to heat up. You’ll use that water to clean your dishes afterwards.
• Make a hole in the middle of hamburgers before cooking them. During the grilling process, the hole will disappear and your hamburger will cook more evenly.
• If you’re using fuel of some sort, such as LP gas canisters, make sure to practice safety measures. Keep them upright. Don’t store them inside a tent or vehicle. Turn off the canisters when you’re not using them.
• Consider using instant or convenience foods for faster cooking.
• Bring an oven mitt, or consider using a leather work glove as an oven mitt.

Staying Dry when Camping

Nothing can ruin a camping trip quicker than a rain storm. Part of the beauty of camping is being outside, in touch with nature. Unfortunately, rain tends to interrupt our enjoyment of nature. The good news is that there are some things you can do to keep dry when it rains.

First of all, make sure you bring emergency ponchos with you on your camping trip. Ponchos allow you to spend some time outside, even when it’s raining. You might not be able to roast marshmallows around the campfire, but you might be able to enjoy a hike in the rain.

There are disposable ponchos that are extremely inexpensive, and there are sturdier ponchos that cost quite a bit more. I personally prefer the disposable type as I don’t have to worry about drying them off or trying to repack them.

A good pair of rain boots is a worthwhile camping investment, too. Make sure these boots are comfortable, though, or you won’t want to bother wearing them. Wear a second pair of socks on top of the first to help keep your feet dry, as well.

A gazebo or screen tent is always a good investment for camping, as well. This type of shelter allows you to stay out of the sun when it’s too hot out, but it also can protect you from the rain when it’s raining. In addition, a screen tent keeps the bugs to a minimum.

Waterproofing spray is an important element of keeping dry when you’re camping. Use the waterproofing spray on your tent, your screen tent, your boots and on anything else you think might benefit. Be careful here, though. You’ll want to test the waterproofing spray on a small part of the fabric first to make certain it doesn’t hurt the fabric.

Seam sealer is another key tool for keeping dry. You apply seam sealer to the seams of your tent, and it keeps those seams from leaking when it rains.

With a little bit of preparation ahead of time, you can make sure your camping experience is a fun and dry experience.

Dress for Hiking

The best approach when camping or hiking is to wear multiple layers of clothing. By wearing multiple layers, you can help keep warm during the winter months and cool during the summer. Simply adding or removing a garment is a quick and easy way to adapt to changing temperatures or a change in activity level.

There are a number of layers of clothing you should consider when hiking, starting with undergarments. If you’re hiking during cold weather, you should consider using polyester performance or “long” underwear. Unlike cotton, polyester keeps moisture off your body.

When hiking in the fall, you’ll want to put on a layer of fleece on top of your long underwear. Fleece helps trap the warmth of your body and keep away moisture. If you’re hiking during moderate weather, you might consider packing a fleece shirt in your pack in case you become cold.

A wind resistant and water resistant outer layer is helpful, as well. You can usually wear these clothes over your regular clothes, and they’ll help keep you dry and keep the wind from chilling you to the bone.

While rainwear isn’t always necessary, it doesn’t hurt to have a disposable poncho in your pack in case it does rain.

You’ll also want to consider wearing a hat. During colder weather, a hat will help keep the heat from escaping from your body. During warmer weather, a hat can protect your face from the sun. If you’re hiking in moderate weather, you might consider bringing a warmer hat as well as a lighter hat, so that you can switch between them as necessary.

It doesn’t hurt to wear more than one layer of socks when you’re hiking. Many hikers prefer to wear a thin polyester sock underneath an outer sock. This again keeps the moisture away from the body while trapping the heat.

Obviously, if you’re hiking during the warm summer months you aren’t going to need long johns. Likewise, if you’re hiking during the winter months, you don’t want to wear shorts and a tank top. Dressing in layers helps you keep from becoming too cool or too hot during those seasons when the temperature changes quite frequently.

How to Care for Your Camping Equipment

Camping equipment, when it’s properly cared for, can last for years. Making your camping equipment last requires a certain amount of care, both during the camping season and after the camping season. Here are some tips to help make sure your camping gear stays in the best shape possible:

Use plastic tubs or storage bins with lids to store your camping items. You can put kitchen items, such as camp stoves, pots, pans, aluminum foil, dish soap, plates and bowls, eating utensils, and a tablecloth in one tub. Store non-kitchen items, such as flashlights, batteries, bug spray, sunblock, garbage bags, propane, a lighter, and your first aid kit in another tub. Use a third tub for gear that might be prone to getting dirty, or technical gear. This would include things like rock climbing gear or technical gear. Keeping your items in tubs keeps dirt and bugs away from your equipment, and makes packing much easier for the next time you camp.

When you return from a camping trip, empty out your bags, backpacks and tubs right away. Get rid of any debris, food remnants, garbage or dirt that might be in or around your equipment. If possible, wash your backpacks and duffle bags, and wipe down suitcases or other carrying equipment that can’t be laundered.

Store your camping equipment somewhere dry and cool during the off season. Your goal is to prevent the equipment from growing mold or being exposed to rodents or other harmful critters.

If you have to pack up camp in the rain, make sure that you empty out all of your camping equipment when you get home. Dry it off, or lay it out in the sun to dry off. This helps prevent rust, mold, mildew and helps your camping equipment last longer.

Wash down your tent at the end of every season, and then let it dry before you store it. This keeps it clean and helps prevent your tend from becoming musty.

Camping Essentials Checklist

Preparation is the key to a successful camping trip. When we first started camping, we would constantly discover that we’d forgotten certain things, or that there were things we wound up having to go out and buy. Here are a few of the essential items you need to have when you go camping:

A Tent

Select a tent that is most suitable for your family size. The tent provides protection from weather and insects. It should be simple to rig up and dismantle. Choose a tent that has the particular features you want, such as a screened-in porch or air vents to keep the tent from becoming stuffy.

Air Mattresses

An air mattress provides you with some padding underneath you while you sleep, so that you aren’t stuck on the hard, cold ground. While a sleeping bag offers some padding, an air mattress provides much more in the way of comfort. Make sure you remember to pack the pump for the air mattress as well, or you’ll likely spend your first night blowing up your air mattress.

Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags come in a number of varieties. Depending on when you intend to camp, you might want to use a heavy sleeping back to keep you warmer at night. You can often zip two sleeping bags together if you want to have a larger sleeping bag big enough for two people to sleep in.

Lighting

You’ll want to make sure and bring plenty of flashlights and extra batteries so that you can see once the sun goes down. You can also us an oil, propane, or battery powered lantern to help you see at night.

Campfire Materials

Make sure you’ve got a lighter, dry matches, fire starters and access to firewood. Make sure to check your state and local regulations, though, as moving firewood can sometimes cause the migration of harmful insects such as the Emerald Ash Borer.

Cooking Tools

A set of used pots and pans and some grill tools means that you don’t have to have hot dogs for every meal. In addition, you might consider using plastic plates and silverware, and bringing a tub to wash the dishes in.

Personal protection

Finally, you need protection from the elements. Bring sunscreen and insect repellant to ward off sunburn and mosquito bites.

Convenience Redefined: The Toilet Tent

Rustic camping is wonderful. You can spend days just communing with nature. Unfortunately, rustic camping means you have to deal with an outhouse or a port-a-toilet. These facilities are often dirty and smelly, and can really detract from your enjoyment of the camping trip.

The solution? A toilet tent.

What is a toilet tent?

When we started tent camping, we bought a portable camping toilet. This toilet uses special chemicals and special toilet paper to eliminate germs and odors. We simply empty the toilet once a day and we have a convenient place to do our business. Unfortunately, the only place to put the portable toilet was in our tent. This became rather inconvenient as our family grew.

At the same time, we purchased a shower tent. We like to camp in very rustic settings without shower facilities. The shower tent is the perfect solution to keeping clean and maintaining privacy while camping in a rustic environment. A shower tent stands around 8 feet tall at the top, and has a base of around 5’ by 5’.

The toilet tent was born by combining these two ideas. We simply purchased an extra shower tent and placed the camping toilet inside to make a toilet tent. Alternatively, you could use your regular shower tent as the toilet tent, simply removing the toilet when you need to shower.

Portable camping toilet choices

Here are the specific products we use:

For the toilet, we chose the Bio Toi. The Bio Toi is the latest innovation in portable toilets. It’s both lightweight and strong. It’s unmatched in excellence, utility, hygiene, and eco-compatibility. This toilet uses special toilet waste bags. These licensed Bio-bags are 100 percent ecological and decay into soil within a period of 5-6 weeks.

For this, you’ll have to leave them in waste treatment plants or simply in compost pits. Alternatively, add special organic waste neutralizer to convert the waste into a gel. This procedure takes only seven seconds.

For the tent, we like the one offered by Tote. This toilet tent has two sections, and you can keep supplies such as toilet waste bags, toilet paper, etc. in the upper section. You can also attach a separate privacy tent to the main toilet tent.

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