Cheap and Effective Camping Tips

Did you know that you had an arsenal of camping equipment in your house? It’s true… everyday items that we either discard or overlook can be a multi-purpose tool when you are sitting around the campfire. Which brings me to my first tip.

Do you save your dryer lint? I know I know.. what an oddball question. But in actuality you should! Dryer lint makes great tinder and stuffed inside old paper towel rolls it is doubly effective. Another convenient and low cost way to get your coals lit is to put a piece of coal in each spot in a cardboard egg carton. Then you can throw this in the fire. The carton will immediately light and therefore the coals will as well! Plus it is an easy way to transport coals if you don’t need a large amount.

Another issue that arises thanks to good ole mother nature is that your matches that you were planning to start the fire with get wet. We all know how effective wet matches are. So next time before you go paint a quick layer of clear nail polish over your matches, the result? instant waterproofing! When my family travels we use our travel trailer fridge but we also pack a small cooler to put in our SUV. Instead of stopping to buy ice we just freeze 8 or so bottles of water before we leave. This is enough to keep our drinks cold plus as they melt we have bottled water to drink as well.

And let’s not forget the most pesky of the campfire problems: mosquitos!!! Did you know that by rubbing the inside of an orange peel over your skin you have an instant mosquito repellent? Also by throwing some sage into your campfire it not only keeps mosquito’s and other insects away but also fills the air with a pleasant aroma.

We’d love to hear any quirky or frugal camping tips that you have!!