Gear for camping and the outdoors
Everything you pack in, you should bring out. This is good camping code. When you pack up your camping gear, you need to think about total weight and space. These extremely compact containers made from plastic drinking straws are quick, easy and cheap to make and hold everything from sugar for your coffee to an emergency fishing kit.
Some camping trips have cost me well over $200. Sometimes I think it would be cheaper to just sleep at the Motel 6. However, these free and frugal tips and tricks make camping as it should be—easy and cheap.
Originally purchased for a floating trip down the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, my Pelican 1015 Micro Case is by far one of the most valuable pieces of camping equipment I own. A watertight case protects your essential survival gear from the elements and accidental falls in the water.
Knowing how to start a fire is essential outdoor and survival skill. If you carry flint and steel with you at all times, then you are already prepared. However, there is nothing wrong with having back up. Did you know you could make fire starters from plenty of things you can find lying around the house? Here are five free and frugal fire starters you probably didn’t know you already had!
If you have children, you have probably purchased plenty of dollar store glow sticks. They are fun for a few hours. However, have you thought about purchasing light sticks for yourself? As a back up light source that requires no batteries or electricity, light sticks have a wide variety of functions. Pack a few in your camping gear for these ten suggested uses.
It has been a year since you have packed up the tent and other camping gear. That gives mice and bugs plenty of time to make a meal out of your stuff. Before finding problems out at the campsite, set up your gear in the backyard to avoid disappoints and heart ache. Performing a gear check gives you a chance to repair, patch and replace.
You learn a lot of lessons when you are still a wet-behind-the-ears camper. Through numerous camping fails, I have learned that packing a few extra multi-purpose items can turn a potential camping disaster into a weekend of camping success. One of those items is the humble, plastic tarp.
Even during the most luxurious camping trip can have tragic consequences; bad weather, accidents, bears and getting lost are quite probable during even the shortest of trips. You may think you are fully prepared, but what will happen if bears rip up your tent while you are out hiking or raccoons ransack your food? Pack along these five essential life savers to put your mind at ease.
There are quite a lot of adventurers out there—many who brave extreme temperatures to have an adventure of a lifetime. Like the 2,000 plus people who have successfully climbed Mount Everest. Others live in far Northern places— I’m looking at you, Alaska — where no one blinks an eye at minus freezing temperatures. When weather is going to be really nasty, for a while, wouldn’t you prefer to have the best winter-rated gear? Call it overkill or call it more comfortable, the following five products don’t come cheap, but you will be much better off than your neighbors.
Hot chocolate is not only yummy and comforting; it actually warms your up. You don’t have to forgo this delicious treat when the power goes out—severe winter weather is the perfect time to enjoy a mug of hot chocolate using a few ingredients from your long-term food storage and a gel fuel camp or survival stove. I whipped up my own ultra chocolaty version in about 20 minutes. Here is my favorite single-serving hot chocolate recipe using a Swiss military surplus gel fuel M1 stove kit.