Camping is a holistic activity. It revitalizes the mind and feeds the soul.
Spending time outdoors and embracing mother nature is an excellent way to embark on a solo adventure or to spend some quality time with friends and family.
Nothing beats the joy of setting a campfire in the chilly winters. As if staying warm isn’t already enough of a challenge, there are dozens of other things you’ll run into, that you simply hadn’t thought of before. That said, before you go winter camping, you must know a few winning hacks that are borderline genius.
As soon as the temperature drops down, it’s time to go camping by our book. It’s time to dust off your camping knife, the sleeping bags, tent, and all other gears that you carry on your outdoor camping adventure.
Without further ado, let’s look at some amazing winter camping hacks.
Prepare A Checklist
Camping in winter can be hard, but it’s the preparation that’s even harder. Of course, planning and preparing for an outdoor adventure can be overwhelming and stressful, but if done right, it can make all the things look easier. Therefore, you must plan ahead. Remember, “Preparation is the key to success.”
We recommend keeping a checklist. A checklist makes for a ready, enthusiastic camper. It will prevent mishaps and help you keep track of the essential things that must go inside your travel backpack.
Your camping checklist should include essential things required for your camping activities. These activities must be organized into categories, like food, clothing, shelter, medical supplies, personal items, etc.
Store Spices In Tic Tac Containers
Don’t throw away the Tic Tac boxes you have. Instead, save them and use them for creating a portable spice rack. Tic tac boxes are perfect for storing and carrying spices on a camping adventure as they seal super well. The snap-tight lid will keep your homemade seasonings safe inside your camping bag.
Who said, camping meals have to be bland? With these tic tac containers, you can add some spice to your next camping trip.
Prepare Your Meals At Home
This hack is essential.
Camping meal preparation can be extremely exhausting, especially in winter. But there is something you can do to make it easy. Preparing camping meals at home or chopping the required ingredients beforehand can save you plenty of time.
Cooking meals on a camping trip can get messy, so when you prepare meals at home, you can have a hassle-free cooking experience.
Dry Your Camping Boots With Newspaper
Of course, deciding which type of shoes you need for your next adventure is very critical. It is also vital to keep them in good shape when out in the wild. That said, wet shoes can cause discomfort and irritation.
In the case, rain soaks your camping boots, drying them out will take a long time and be a huge task. So, you must keep the newspaper handy.
Stuff the crumpled newspaper inside the shoes and leave it overnight. Moisture generally spreads from wet to dry places, which means the newspaper will absorb the moisture in your shoes.
Camping With A Gun Saves You From Danger
Well, more than a hack. It might just be something very necessary. It is advisable to carry guns in a holster, such as those from Safariland, during your camping trip. While most people do not count a gun amongst the many survival essentials required for a camping adventure. But, it is a tool that can keep you safe when out in the wild alone.
If keeping a gun is legal in your area, it can help you face and fight beers, wildcats, other predators, thieves, as well as hunt animals in emergency situations.
Note: It is advisable to check local and state laws when using and carrying firearms.
Use Doritos To Start A Fire
Do you know what’s the first lesson taught to hikers and campers? It is the art of lighting fire.
Although, you can kindle the fire by almost anything at hand (stones, twigs, etc.), but in case of emergencies, when you have nothing at all, you can use Doritos to your rescue.
These oily, dry and light chips can be your go-to fire starting material. Also used for emergency snacks, Doritos are easy to light and last for a very long time.
Carry Camping Cooking Sets
If you want to cook your own meals while camping, you will have to save some real estate in your backpack for a portable kitchen. While we absolutely love cooking with our household utensils, but they can’t be taken on a forest trail.
To obtain a smooth cooking experience, we recommend packing camping cooking sets. Camping cooking sets are compact, easy to wash, multipurpose, and extremely durable.
Best part? They don’t cost much. So whether you are a solo camper or camping with the family altogether, compact camping cookware will come handy on the campsite.
Use Clothes to Fill The Pillowcase
It pretty much goes without saying that space is always an issue when camping. That is why you must cut down a few items and create space for things that are important.
You can start by discarding the pillow. No doubt, a pillow provides extreme comfort after a long tiring camping day. But, it is advisable to replace your pillow with a self-inflating, memory foam pillow, or just a pillowcase.
The self-inflating pillow is easy to pack up and carry during camping trips. Another suitable option is to take a pillowcase and stuff it with clothes.
Best part? The pillowcase can also work as a laundry bag to keep dirty clothes.
Mini Soap Chips Can Come In Handy
Carrying a soap for your camping adventure is only good until you have to put it back in your bag. A wet bar soap means soapy bubbles and a wet backpack.
The solution to this problem is creating small soap chips using a vegetable peeler.
You must store them in a sealed container.
Shower time? Use one, lather up, and discard whatever remains. You can also use these chips to rub on mosquito bites to relieve the itchiness.
Burn Some Sage To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes and bugs can ruin an otherwise amazing camping trip. Of course, mosquito and bug repellent can help. But, they contain chemicals that can cause difficulty in breathing, skin infections, stomach irritation, and respiratory problems.
An easy solution to the problem is carrying along a few bundles of sage in your backpack. Sage, the staple cooking herb, is much more than a natural cleaning agent. When you burn sage during camp, the smoke acts as a natural mosquito and bug repellent and helps you sleep peacefully.
Use Coffee Bags To Make Coffee
We simply love this trick. It is pretty simple and amazing!
Start by filling your regular, single-serve coffee filters with coffee, and fold the top. Don’t trim off the excess filter because you will need it to dip the bag in and pull it out after use.
Use a sealed container to keep these filters.
Coffee time? Just fill the cup with piping hot water, dip the coffee bag, wait for two minutes, pull it out, dispose of the bag, and your coffee is ready. Isn’t it simple?
Keep Eggs In A Mason Jar/ Bottle
Love eggs, but don’t want to risk bringing them on your camping expedition? Try this camping trick instead.
Crack eggs beforehand and pour them into a jar or plastic bottle. This can be done in many ways.
If you love scrambled eggs, pre-scramble them, add salt and oregano, and pour them in a jar/ bottle. And if you are a sunny-side-up fan, then gently crack whole eggs into a bottle with a wide opening.
Create A DIY Glow Lantern
Whether you want to search the tent at night or create ambient lighting, you can create a DIY glow lantern with a headlamp and a large water bottle/ mason jar.
As soon as the sun sets, wrap the headlamp around a large plastic bottle/ mason jar. Make sure that the light is facing inward. Then, turn the lamp on. Since the water spreads and disperses the light through the milky container, it (bottle/ jug) transforms into a glowing lantern.
These makeshift lanterns can add an extra glow to your camping trip.
Use Silica Gel Packets To Prevent Your Cooking Set From Rusting
You must use silica gel packs when storing things that tend to rust easily. Since they suck up the moisture, they are a necessity when camping in humid/ winter weather.
Nobody wants to see their favorite cookware spotted with rust. So, before you stuff your cooking set inside your bag, use silica gel packs to keep moisture in the air from rusting your cooking set.
Use A Huge Trash Bag To Keep Your Belongings Dry
This trick is simple. Since the weather depends on mother nature’s fickle mood, you have to act extra careful when you are camping. Ever wondered what happens to your stuff once it starts raining?
To keep your belongings dry, you must line your backpack with a huge garbage bag before putting anything inside it.
Final Words
Camping during the winter season can be a great challenge if you are not prepared. But, if you have all the camping essentials, are ready with your camping boots, and know all the camping laws, it can be a fun adventure.
So, what are you waiting for? Buck up, read these genius camping tricks, prep-up, and go for your next camping trip, already!
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