Our Favourite Camping Hacks That Really Work

Camping is a fantastic way to get out into the fresh air and explore everything that the outdoors has to offer. Everyone has their own way of getting the most from their trip, and we’ve put some of them to the test. From camping organisation hacks to other general camping tips and tricks, here’s a list of our favourite family camping hacks that really work.

Grab the kids, pack up the tent and get out there!

All of that walking, packing and exploring will make you hungry. Make life easier and keep everyone fed and happy with our camping food hacks. Refuelling your body in the wilderness is easier than you think!

Bad weather? If you’re struggling to find suitable kindling to start your camp fire, try using tortilla chips. They light easily and burn relatively slowly, giving your fire time to catch. Failing this, try starting the fire with balled up tissues or paper. It will burn faster though, so be careful!

Pre-crack your eggs and pour into portable bottles (used plastic water bottles are great for this!). This means you won’t have to worry about cracking the eggs in transit and can concentrate on having bundles of family fun.

This is a really important camping hack, but often forgotten. Remember to take spices and seasonings for your food. Remove them from their glass bottles though, so you don’t crack them during your trip. Instead, pop your spices into old Tic-Tac boxes and don’t forget to label them.

Everyone knows about making s’mores around the campfire, but what about a healthier snack? Wrap an apple in tin foil and place on the campfire, add granola and yoghurt and you’ve got a hearty, healthy snack to feed your team of little adventurers.

With lots of equipment, necessities and clothing, you’ll have your work cut out finding what you need. Keep your camping essentials under control with our camping storage hacks and organisation tricks:

When packing your clothes, roll them instead of folding them. This saves time and space in your rucksacks and bags as well as making your clothes easier to identify. When packing outfits for the kids, roll their top and bottoms together in one roll. Pull a pair of socks over the top and bottom of your roll, and you’ll have ready-made outfits sorted for them to put on and go.

Keep an old box or basket just inside the tent to keep your walking shoes from getting in the way and tripping you up. Alternatively, something like a big ikea bag to put in the entryway works as a great place to store all your muddy boots/shoes.

Pop all of your important bits in the many layers of a toolbox. This is particularly important for things like pegs, hammers but can be used for anything you need to keep safe.

A useful tent camping hack – hang a shoe organiser on an inside corner of your tent to keep clothes and personal items off the floor. Remember to hang this high enough so that little hands can’t get into it.

If you don't own a wardrobe organiser, you could opt to bring some carabiners instead, which you can use to hang up any storage bags to keep them off the ground or hang up your wet towels.

Carabiners can also be used as a means to lock your tent zips at night too.

…and relax. Your bed needs to be comfy so that you can get that well-deserved rest. These camping bed hacks should go a little way to making sure you’ve slept through the night so you can be up bright and early.

This is such an easy camping hack, we love it! Take extra blankets and use them to stuff pillowcases to make pillows. Alternatively, you can substitute this in for other bedding or clothes, so you don’t have to lug pillows around. Instead simply fold down the pillowcase and pack away with the rest of your clothes and bedding.

Equally, you could just bring a camping pillow.

If you have children, chances are you’ve seen the tiles we mean. They’re made from foam and have jagged edges which interlock. Pop them under your beds (or the whole tent floor!) for an added layer of comfort.

Our camping cooler hacks mean you’ll be able to sit back and relax with a refreshingly cold drink during your stay.

Have two coolers, one for food and one for drinks. This means your food can stay cold because you won’t be opening the cooler to dig around trying to find a drink in between food.

Because larger blocks of ice take longer to melt, fill water balloons with water and freeze. Use these instead of naked ice blocks to keep your food cooler for longer. When they’ve melted, the children will be able to use them for the ultimate water fight.

• Cover your tent in an emergency blanket to reflect the sun off and keep you cool.
• Fill a large bottle or milk carton with water and attach a head torch (make sure the torch is facing towards the bottle) to make nightlight.
• Bring some slip on shoes for late night bathroom runs, along with beanie hats with built in head touches.
• Use a waterproof phone case to keep your valuables from being destroyed by the rain.
• Individual coffee filter pods (available in supermarkets) makes the morning brews easy.

Now you’re equipped with some great ways to make your camping trip a little more organised, it’s time to get going. Make sure you’re thinking about ease, comfort and space when you’re packing your camping gear and the rest will fall into place. Lastly, enjoy your family time and have fun!