Enjoy The Comforts Of Home On Your Camping Trip With These Tips

Ashley - April 24, 2023

Photo: rollingstone.com

Don’t Forget The Chairs

When you’re sitting around the campfire at night or hanging out in your campsite during the day, you need somewhere comfortable to sit. Experienced campers that love being one with nature will sit right on the ground or find a nice rock or log to plop down on, but some people prefer a more comfortable sitting space. There’s an enormous variety of camping chairs available that range from ultralight and very basic to super comfortable and plush. Find one that provides all the comfort you need and bring it with you! It’ll make a massive difference to have somewhere comfortable and off the ground to sit and relax.

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Get A Few Rechargeable Battery Packs

While many see camping as the perfect opportunity to disconnect from the world and remain unplugged from technology, others struggle to go days without checking their phone. It can also be nice to have a way to charge your phone so you can take pictures or contact others in case of an emergency. You can get rechargeable battery packs at most supermarkets and camping stores, and they will be a lifesaver for you! Charge up the battery packs before you go out, and then use them to charge your devices while you’re camping. You can often charge a phone from dead to full three or more times with a fully charged battery pack.

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Photo Credit: littlefamilyadventures.com

Sweet Treats Will Soothe The Soul

Many people imagine sitting around a campfire and eating cold ravioli out of a can or eating the pre-packing ready-to-go meals found at camping stores. But you can still eat well while you’re camping! In fact, there’s an easy way to pre-prepare some sweet treats to bring with you, so all you have to do is place them in the coals of your fire when you’re ready to enjoy. Make a s’mores banana boat by cutting open a banana and filling it with pieces of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Then, wrap it up and foil and take it with you! When you’re ready, place it near the coals but not directly on the fire. You’ll have a delicious, sweet treat ready to soothe your soul within minutes.

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Prepare Activities For The Kids

Plenty of families go on camping trips together and enjoy their time, but it can be difficult to drag your kids away from their screens and get them involved in enjoying the great outdoors. Your best bet is to prepare plenty of activities ahead of time, and there are plenty of great ideas online! A printable scavenger hunt chart like the one in this picture is guaranteed to keep your kids busy for hours, especially if they color in the items as they find them. This is a great way to encourage your kids to explore the area and learn more about what’s in nature.

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Bring Pancake Mix In A Condiment Bottle

There are so many tricks for how you can enjoy the same meals you love at home while you’re out camping. Pancakes for breakfast is a classic meal everyone loves, especially families with kids! Premix your pancake batter and put it in a condiment bottle for easy travel and use while you’re camping. Pancakes are a great camping meal because they’re filling, quick to make, and super easy to clean up after. Plus, having a warm meal first thing in the morning will help everyone feel a little more at home.

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Use A Hanging Organizer To Keep Things Tidy

When you’re camping with a large group of people, there will be a lot of extra stuff that needs to stay organized. Rather than setting up extra tables and laying everything out, bring along one or two of these hanging shoe organizers! You can hang them up almost anywhere and use them to store all the essentials. These organizers fit a ton of stuff, so this is the perfect option for large groups or families that will be out for a week or longer.

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Use A Speaker To Listen To Your Music

This tip won’t work in every camping situation because you don’t want to blast your music if you’re hanging out in the middle of a campground and surrounded by other campers. But if you’re completely alone in the wilderness and want to listen to your favorite tunes, you’ll love this trick! Bring a speaker that connects to your phone, just like the one in this picture. You’ll be able to hear your music all around your campsite. Plus, the music will probably keep most wildlife away from you, so you won’t have to worry about an unexpected visit from a bear while your music is playing!

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Use Fairy Lights And Lanterns

While you may not be afraid of the dark when you’re hanging out at home, the darkness of the wilderness can be a very different experience. There are different sounds, smells, and sights that can make anyone nervous when they’re camping for the first time or in an unfamiliar area. Using fairy lights and laterns to light up your tent and surrounding camp site will give you peace of mind and help you relax in your space. Use these lights at home first to create a homely and positive association with the lights.

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Heated Blankets Provide Extra Comfort

If you’re the type of person who likes to burrow under a comforter even in warm weather, then you’ll want to recreate that warm, cozy feeling whenever you go camping. A heated blanket will provide you with plenty of warmth and a little extra weight to help you get a good night’s rest. Many of these blankets are battery-powered so they’re guaranteed to last for your entire camping trip. Make sure to check your local camping store to find one that suits your needs before you go out!

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Fans Keep You Cool And Provide White Noise

Alternatively to our previous suggestion about heated blankets, you may want to consider bringing a fan along on your next camping trip. Tons of people enjoy sleeping with a fan on in their bedroom and it can be hard to recreate that when you go camping without the proper equipment. Bring a small, battery-operated fan to keep you cool at night and provide you with plenty of white noise. A small fan like this will help you sleep and stay comfortable through those long nights!

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Keep Away Bugs With A Mosquito Net Tent

Let’s face it- not all aspects of camping are glamorous. Most people would agree that the worst part of camping is being attacked by relentless bugs like mosquitos and no-see-ums during the early hours of the morning and evening. These biting insects can make even the most seasoned campers question what in the world they were thinking when they decided to spend a night outdoors, but you can still enjoy the comfort of a bug-free camping trip with these mosquito net tents! There are tents like the one in this picture that you can set up to hang out in during the day, and there are other options that will fit around your entire tent, so you never have to worry about bugs when you’re sleeping and getting up in the mornings.

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Don’t Skimp On Pillows

Inexperienced campers may try to get away with a tiny camping pillow that’s easy to carry out and lightweight, but you really shouldn’t skimp on your pillows when you want to bring the comfort of your home out into the wilderness. Find a high-quality comfortable pillow you love to bring with you. There are heavy-duty pillowcases you can use to ensure your favorite pillow doesn’t get dirty during your trip, and they really don’t add much weight to your pack if you’re hiking to a campsite. In fact, most high grade backpacks have straps specifically designed for carrying large and lightweight items like pillows. Do yourself a favor and bring your favorite pillow to make sure you get a good night’s sleep!

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Bring The Right Cookware

Making hearty meals that fill your stomach and your heart will make your camping trip so much more enjoyable. You don’t have to make due with a single pot and a small mismatch of assorted cookware you found at your local camping store. Bring the right cookware you need to make your favorite meals and be comfortable! Bring plates, cups, utensils, and everything else you’ll need. Remember, it’s always better to have what you don’t need than to need what you don’t have!

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Invest In A Good Insulated Thermos

One of the comforts of home is being able to have cold or hot drinks whenever you want. You can still achieve this when you go camping! Invest in a couple of high-quality insulated thermoses that you can use on your camping trip. When you boil up a pot of coffee in the morning, you can fill your thermoses and have a hot beverage all day long. Alternatively, if you want a good beverage, keep your thermos filled with water in your cooler during the evenings and pull it out during the day for a refreshing drink whenever you need it.

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Bring Lots Of Games

When you’re used to a life filled with stimulation, especially in our world of smart phones, camping can seem like an incredibly boring experience. After you’ve explored your campsite and went through your planned activities, you’re going to want something else to do. Bring your favorite board games along and play during the day or by the fire in the evenings. Boardgames without a ton of pieces will work best for this, and it wouldn’t hurt to bring a pack of cards too!

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Have A Good Supply Of Stories

One of the best parts of camping is huddling around a campfire with your friends and family while telling and listening to some awesome stories! Many people enjoy reciting old stories they’ve heard or making up new ones on the spot, but you don’t have to rely on your memory and creativity to enjoy this activity. Bring one of your favorite books from home and take turns passing the book around while each person reads out a few pages or a chapter. You’ll all enjoy this activity, and it’s a great way to pass the early evening hours before bedtime.

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Invest In A Portable Camping Toilet

One of the biggest comforts of home people miss when going camping is having access to a reliable toilet! Sure, there are plenty of campsites that offer restrooms, but if you’re truly roughing it out in the wilderness, then you’re not likely to have access to one. A portable camping toilet easily solves this problem for you and provides you with a psychological boost of having that creature comfort from home with you.

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Bring Materials For A DIY Camping Shower

No one enjoys feeling dirty and grimy, but that’s what tends to happen when you spend a few days outside without taking a shower. Allow yourself to enjoy the comforts of home while camping by bringing along the materials needed for a DIY camping shower! You can get as fancy as you want with this or keep it super simple. On the simpler side of things, all you need is a tarp, a clothesline, and a watering can! Set up the clothesline, pin the tarp to it for privacy, and use the watering can to wash yourself off.

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Set Up A Hand-Washing Station

Along the same lines as our previous tip, you’ll want to set up a hand-washing station when you get to your campsite. This will help you feel clean and give you that mental boost of being able to easily clean your hands whenever you need. All you need is a waterjug like shown in the picture and a small travel bottle of hand soap. Keep a reusable towel nearby to dry your hands off and you’re all set!

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Use A Camping Stove

You don’t need to fret about cooking over the fire while camping if that’s something you’re not comfortable with. Being able to turn your stove on and easily control the temperature while you’re cooking is one of the best parts of home, so you should replicate that on your trip with a camping stove. They have single burner stoves like the one in this picture that are super lightweight and don’t require a lot of fuel to use. Camping stoves will make preparing your food so much easier and less stressful than trying to cook over open flames.

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Use Walkie Talkies To Stay Connected

Part of our normal, everyday lives involves being connected to the people we’re closest to 24/7. Even if you aren’t actively checking in on each other, you still know you have the ability to send someone a text at the drop of a hat and that is a very comforting thought. While you can’t usually do that while you’re camping, you can get a set of walkie talkies to stay connected with your fellow campers! Give everyone in your group a walkie talkie and use them to stay connected when members of your group are enjoying different activities. Kids will absolutely love this!

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Create A Cozy Living Room Area

Most people have an image of camping in their mind. You picture yourself sitting in a tent or huddled around a campfire, but those don’t have to be your only options. You can create a cozy living room area in your campsite with just a few simple materials. Bring an outdoor rug to lay on the ground, add a few chairs, and string up some fairy lights to create a peaceful and comfortable space. You’ll forget you’re not right in your backyard when you’re relaxing in this space.

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Have A Shaded Spot To Eat And Relax

Many campsites have picnic tables available, and most major campgrounds have some type of covering over the picnic table to provide you with a little shade and protection from light rain. However, if you’re in a lesser-known campground that doesn’t offer these amenities, then you’ll want to bring them along yourself! There are portable, foldable picnic tables with umbrella attachments you can buy and bring along to give your group a little extra comfort during your camping trip. This will work best if you’re driving up to your campsite, because this isn’t something you’ll want to carry through the woods with you!

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Bring A Dishrack For Meal Times

Keeping your dishes organized and ready to use while camping can be a struggle. Rather than dumping them all in a bag and having to sort through it each time you’re about to eat, try this trick instead. Once you’ve set up your picnic table or whatever other surface you’ll be eating on, set up a dishrack and put your dishware on it. This way, everyone in your group can grab the dishes as they need them without having to dig through bags. This will limit confusion and make mealtimes a smoother process.

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Use An Air Mattress Instead Of A Sleeping Bag

Sometimes sleeping bags just aren’t comfortable enough, even when you use a sleeping pad. If you’re someone who needs a super comfortable sleeping space, then you should bring along an air mattress. They’re very lightweight, easy to set up, easy to disassemble, and very comfortable! You can get a single size or even a king sized air mattress to fit the whole family. Make sure to bring along a sheet set and blanket you love to make the experience even more cozy and home-like.

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Bring DIY Bug Repelling Candles

No one wants to get overrun with bugs when they’re trying to hang out around the campfire, tell stories, and eat some s’mores. There are large, over-the-counter bug repelling candles you can buy, but they don’t exactly look pretty or feel very homey. A great alternative is to make your own candles! There are tons of tutorials online that will walk you through the whole process. You’ll have functional bug repelling candles that also look gorgeous and give off a cozy, homely vibe.

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Watch Movies With A Movie Projector

You need some entertainment when you go camping, and all the boardgames and stories around the fire will only get you so far. It may surprise you to learn that there are portable movie projectors you can bring along so you can watch movies while you’re camping! You don’t even need a projector screen to use these as the image will look perfect projected on the side of your tent. This will seriously level-up your camping experience and make you feel right at home.

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Consider Bringing Inflatable Furniture

When you really want to enjoy the comforts of home on your camping trip but you don’t want to lug around a bunch of extra weight, you should seriously consider bringing inflatable furniture. Many people are weary of bringing inflatable furniture camping because they’re worried a sharp stick or stone will pop it, but there is inflatable camping furniture with super durable shells that are meant to survive in these conditions. You’ll be super comfortable and camping in style when you bring along an inflatable couch or a couple of chairs!

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Use A Double Sleeping Bag With Your Partner

It can be disheartening at the end of the night when you and your partner get ready for bed and snuggle into separate sleeping bags. You might miss your bed at home where you’re able to cuddle up to each other at night. A great solution to this is to get a double sleeping bag! You and your partner can zip yourselves in together and stay cozy all night long. The only downside to this is when one person needs to get out in the middle of the night to hit the restroom, but if you use our hot water bottle trick as well, then you’ll still stay nice and warm.

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Make Your Own First Aid Kit

First aid kits are essential when you go camping, especially if you’re in an area you’re unfamiliar with or going for the first time. The benefit of making your own first aid kit is you can personalize it to your needs and preferences. Don’t reach into a store-bought kit during your camping trip and be disappointed to realize the brand of pain killers you prefer isn’t inside. Make your own and include all the medications you need/prefer. You can also fill your first aid kit with vitamins or other supplements you take daily.

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Keep Your Toilet Paper Dry In Coffee Cans

Dry toilet paper can feel like a luxury when you’re camping, but it’s super easy to make sure you always have a steady supply in your campsite. All you need to do is pack your rolls of toilet paper in coffee cans to keep them protected from the elements. If you want to get a little extra fancy with it, you can cut a slit in the side of the coffee can to turn it into a DIY toilet paper dispenser.

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Bring All Your Favorite Spices

Cooking outdoors doesn’t have to be a bland experience. You can still bring all your favorite spices from home with you as long as you get a little creative! There are a ton of tiny containers you can use to pack your favorite spices. Tic tac holders, daily medication dispensers, and even ziplock baggies will work. Just make sure the container you choose is airtight and waterproof. You’ll be cooking your favorite homemade meals in your campsite without having to compromise on flavor!

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Light The Paths Around Your Campsite

One of the luxuries of home is being able to flip on the lights as you go into different rooms so you can always see your way, even in the middle of the night. There are no lightswitches in the wilderness, but with the right preparations, you can make sure the paths you might need to take at night are lit. String fairy lights or battery-operated laterns in the trees or lay them on the ground along the path you’ll need to take to use the restroom at night or get a snack. Have a lit path that leads back to your car in case of emergencies. You’ll feel perfectly at ease when you step out of your tent and realize you can see your way around!

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