I use one of the the car floor mats as a foot wiping mat just outside the tent. I also use the snow brush for sweeping out the tent. It's already in the car so no extra stuff to bring along. I also tie white grocery bags to the bottom of tension ropes around the tent so nobody trips over them at night. I wrote the basic contents check list on the inside of the cooler lid with permanent marker so I never forget what needs to go in there for a weekend trip.

Rolande

Always pack extra ziplocs, rope and bungee cords-they come in handy for everything!

When backpacking and trying to keep your load light-pack pillowcases (no pillows) and stuff them with clothes for a pillow at night.

Lisa

Good thread by the way! :)

I hope lots of campers post to this so that we can all pick up some good tips!

here's a couple of mine:
-always bring warmer clothes than you think you'll need (in my part of the country this is KEY)
-for hiking, wear either 2 pairs of socks or put a piece of duct tape over your heel, prevents blisters
-an extra clean towel comes in handy
-tin foil can be used for tons of kitchen purposes, bring plenty
-an old shower curtain (vinyl) makes a great ground cloth for under the tent
-regardless of the forecast, always be prepared for rain and wind

The best hot-dog and marshmallow roaster is the wire hanger you get free and make yourself with wire cutters.

The best way to keep meat frozen for up to a week is 20# dry ice in a large 54-qt. size cooler.

The best time to go camping is when you can!

Yeah, I remember that thread, some real good tips posted there! But what got to be a problem for me is that it got too long - it would take too long to load. Maybe a page two and page three could be started after so many posts. I'm out in the country and all we have is dial-up access and that's slower than molasses!

Well, what I posted then I'll still post again, what every camper needs to carry with them is DUCT TAPE. There are so many uses and we have made so many quick fix repairs with the stuff it would be hard to list them all. For openers, I managed to let the awning on the little popup camper get away from me during a gusty wind blow and the wind wipped that awning in the air like it was just a bed sheet - of course, there's this awning rail thats attached to the end of the awning and it has some sharp edges and that rail punched a couple of holes in the aluminum skinned roof as it was whipping about. It was duct tape to the rescue - we patched the roof with it and it would be another three weeks before I could make the repairs on the roof. The patch job endured some hellacious rain storms before it was repaired but never leaked a drop! Another time before the camper roof incident we had a dead tree limb fall on the tent punching a hole through the fabric. Same deal, patched it with duct tape and it held until we got back home and could make a repair.

Another time the canoe paddle cracked under the stain of some heavy paddling (and just being old) and we taped up the paddle handle and it got us to where we could buy a replacement. AND, then, there was the time we were trying to make our way down the Chattooga River in a stretch of river that was sorta beyond our skill levels and we banged into a sharp edged rock (kind of hard) and that rock creased, dented and punchered a small hole in the bottom of our aluminum canoe. We took a rock and beat the metal back out and patched the hole with duct tape and it did not leak - again, made it through the rest of our trip!

There's an example list of repairs that can be made using duct tape that I have somewhere - I found it on the internet and I'll post it if I ever find it.

Dale

gps unit ! Lots of fun, too. Out here, In Utah I use it often. It marks points of interest while hiking and I can find my vehicle with ease. No more coming out two canyons down and wondering where I actually started.

You can create hide and seek games, too with gps. hide a prize and either give coords to treasure hunters. Or, post a waypoint where something is and give the unit to someone to try to find their hat you hid in the great unknown. They just hit goto and follow the arrow. Fun for kids.

Now for the tip... if you ever plan to come out to the Mojave (Mo-Jive) please bring lots of water. No matter how much you bring, it never seems to be enough. Trust me.
You can bring jugs and jugs and you will meet people who are totally ill prepared and out of water. I give away water all the time to people out here. water.. water..

Since you mentioned the GPS unit, I thought I'd add a fun site. Geocaching is a fun way to spend a weekend.

Here is a link that might be useful: Geocaching

1. When your spouse says "that's enough wood for a two-night trip, isn't it?" say no.

2. Be sure to bring an alternative method of cooking, so as not to depend on the fire for each meal.

1) When buying equipment, do not buy cheap.

2) Have cooking gear dedicated to camping.

3) Have a good flashlight.

4) Do not take a tent you have never put up before.

5) Take too many socks, and a spare pair of shoes.

6) Take tarps and rope. Lots of rope.

7) Save inner cardboard tubes from kitchen and toilet rolls, stuff with saw dust then pour full of paraffin wax and use as fire-starters.

8) Prescription medicine bottles and 35mm film containers make good storage places for prescription medicine and 35mm film.

9) No matter what the weather report is, plan on it raining everyday of the trip.

10. Take more beer, wine and distilled spirits than you think you could ever possibly drink.

>>8) Prescription medicine bottles and 35mm film containers make good storage places for prescription medicine and 35mm film.

LOL, good one. I'll have to remember that.

Tarps, tarps and more tarps. Different sizes come in handy all kinds of ways: under,inside and over tents or picnic tables. While beach camping, we used them to create windbreaks and thrown over two SUVs with a table in between, a warm and dry shelter during a bad storm.

Use 1 tote each labeled KITCHEN, TENT etc then in permanent marker, write the contents on the lid so you know where to find and replace items. Each time you run out of something, put a sticky on each tote so you know what to replace.

Get rid of the camping stuff you never end up using (although you bought it the store or yard sale, just in case...)

When I know I'm going camping, I cheerfully ask the cafeteria ladies at work if I can take a handful each of condiments (this only works because I go a couple times a year.)

Freeze a couple 2 liter bottles 3/4 full of water and keep in the cooler. Most everything in the cooler is frozen or kept in individual plastic bags to avoid contamination.

Pack your clothes inside garbage bags, you'll be grateful when the rain hits and you have a nice, dry set of clothing.

Flip flops for the showers and use a plastic hanger to drape your towel, clothes and shower stuff on the curtain rod.

I use a small plastic pail when I go to the bathroom. It holds a small bar of soap, nail brush, sanitizer, paper towels and extra TP, just in case.

I know I already added my favorite tips, but mulligal, you just reminded me of what must be my new favorite bring-along for camping:
HAND SANITIZER GEL! No water needed, no towel, comes in small bottles that can easily fit into a pocket, it's the best thing since sliced bread!

Great ideas. I'll have to try the toilet rolls with saw dust and parafin. As for me I always bring nylon twine, tin foil, small plastic medicine bottle with olive oil( and marked as such), zip lock baggies, trash bags. With the grandkids I bring plaster of paris to make animal foot prints.

Great ideas...I have another use for those 35mm film canisters...how about salt, pepper,garlic powder,onion salt and other spices(you can have a whole spice rack in a very small space)you can even punch tiny holes in the tops to make shakers...but they may spill out unless kept upright.. Also I use totes to store canned goods and with a black felt pen write on top of each can what it is, saves having to dig through the totes for what your looking for(you can see at a glance what is there).
Leaving for a weeks vacation tomorrow ...can't wait to try some of these tips.
SandyC.

I wear a headlamp instead of holding a flashlight at night. Sure I look dorky but it keeps my hands free.

Hubby cut a 2' piece of used garden hose which he attaches to the campground faucet so when he fills the water jugs, he can set it on the ground instead of holding it as it fills. (1 gallon of water weighs approx. 8 lbs, we use 2 7 gal. jugs. Glad it's not my job!) He fills both jugs then sets them on a folding luggage cart secured by bungee cords and pushes it back to the camp.

ditto on what Dale said, DUCT TAPE
also extra socks, 2 litre soda bottles filled with water and frozen(last a long time in the cooler)
my own pillow, I sleep better with it.

What happens when an athletic trainer and a nurse goes camping:

First of all, we have the best first aid kit in the campground :) We always end up helping somebody!

Easy way to prevent blisters, wear your socks inside out. Socks are made with the smoothest side on the outside, put THIS portion against the skin and you reduce the friction that causes the blisters. When hiking we'll usually wear one pair inside out and the other pair is worn normally.

We save and use dryer lint as fire starters.

If you camp in areas where everything needs to be packed away each night to avoid unwanted guests (bears and friends), we pack our gear in see through plastic containers... Because when I can't find something, I throw a fit and start dumping things out and yelling a lot...

We also take tons of plastic grocerey bags. I'm not sure why, but we end up using them for everything from small trashbags to rain caps...

Check to see if you still have plenty of matches, extra batteries, and toilet paper, and recheck that first aid kit; it may need replenishing. Also, in addition to hand sanitizing gel, bring the disinfecting wipes for picnic tables/tablecloths.

I was set up at my local Swap meet a few years back and I came across the "Traveling John". It's a toilet set on legs. Beats the heck out sitting on a stump!!! The older ones are the best. A lot more sturdy. The one I bought at the swap meet only cost me a quarter!!! What a buy.
Good luck in the woods!
Lanternboy

Hey guys, I don't know if this has been mentioned?? But, at 'Meijer' they have shaker tops with lids for those film containers, for a couple of sets you have your spices at hand! However many you'd need!! Just a thought!

Happy Camping~~

DON"T FORGET THE WALKIE TALKIES. When anyone's away from the campsite, whether it's at a camping resort or in the wilderness, they're indespencible for retrieving and keeping tabs on the kids or summoning a partner. I make sure they take them when they're further than earshot. We put them around our necks so they're less cumbersome. Many benefits and they always work better than we anticipate.

Elliot

I probably wouldn't be of much help to you car campers, except that one should keep a list of EVERYTHING that you need to bring along, from the obvious (tent) to the not-so-obvious (spare light for flashlight) stashed with your gear. That way, if you see the 4:15am new weekend weather outlook, you can throw everything together in a rush to leave town, without ever missing a can opener, matches,spare film, rain gear, etc. I can pack my backpack in 20 minutes with a week's worth of gear, and as long as I go down the checklist in order, never run into any problems.

I have not been on this site for very long, but I want to say what admiration I have for all of you. Your camping is real camping. My husband and I are 'city slicker campers' I guess. We stick to the state parks where we have all the amenities. The last time I was close to a grown bear was in the 50's when I worked for the summer at Giant Forest Lodge in the Sequoia Nat'l Park.
A few of the tips I have learned through the years are as follows:
If you have an Aloe Vera plant at home, cut off a long leaf blade and wrap the cut end of it in tin foil. Keep it in a plastic bag in the ice chest. If you have a bite or minor scrape, cut off a slice of the Aloe and rub the gel over the affected area. Sorry, it doesn't seem to work on poison oak or ivy.
We are Italian and have to have our pasta even in a camp- ground. Since we use Basil as seasoning for both the sauce and in salads, I usually just transplant a Basil plant into a 1 gallon plastic container and leave it on the picnic table. Animals aren't interested and it seems to do the plant some good to have a vacation.
If you have kids with you and will be near a lake or river(at least in Central Calif.) bring string to catch some Crawdads. You tie some bacon to the end of the string and let it lie in the water near some rocks in a shallow stretch of water. When the crawdad crawls out to grab the bacon, wait until he has a good grip and then slowly pull the string up. A crawdad is so tenacious that he will not let go until he is dumped into a bowl or coffee can. The kids like to catch them, but my husband was the one who always had the water boiling. Crawdads are small, but delicious.
Long ago when we went camping with other families, a friend showed us how to make hot water bottles from the bags that come from the "wine boxes". I don't know if they even sell the wine packaged in this way anymore. It is a cardboard box that has a spout in the side for pouring the wine and after it is empty, you tear open the box and use the strong "aluminum," looking bag inside filled with hot water. It stays hot all night and we never had one break.
Sorry I am so long winded, it's the Irish in me, I believe.
Lina.

Use your oldest, stained clothing underneath it all (unless you are trying to make an impression) and toss it when you are done with it. You will have enough work to do without laundry.
No water? Take baby wipes and if you get into poison ivy use them too - I pulled out ropes of poison oak on a lot we own and never got a rash (no guarantees here).
If the mosquitos are not bad "this time of year" take plenty of repellant.
If you are public camping and go to bed early take a white noise machine or/and some earplugs - goodnight partiers..
You can bang some pans in the morning and wake them to the smell of your breakfast.
Precook meals and freeze them in freezer bags.

Freeze water in 2 litre juice cartons use as ice pack in cooler then use as water when melted.
Always carry an extra set of clothes.
Pack matches in ziplock bags.

Throw in some of those "S" hooks. There's all kinds from open S's to kinds that clips shut. We had some extras and they came in handy one night that the wind ripped the top tent flap apart. You can hand lights with them, etc.

These are all great tips. This summer I'll be going on my first camping trip ever - truck/tent camping - and we have 2, possibly 3, trips planned - so I've been reading all the posts and making lists. If anyone cares to add more, I'll be reading!

I can't go camping without baby wipes! They're a must have.

For easy cleanup, I make chili, soup and spaghetti sauce before the trip, seal each in a food saver, and just boil the bag in water over the fire or stove. Don't forget scissors, then snip a corner and pour.

Someone mentioned this above too...I can't seem to have enough grocery bags. They're handy for everything.

Oh, and for when you have dishes to do, those individual
Dawn Wash 'n' Toss Disposable Dish Pads. Great for doing dishes.

Aluminum pie pans and foil. Great for keeping food warm by the fire.

I save the nice plastic bags when I buy linens, comforters and pillows (they zip up). I pack my blankets and pillows in them so they don't get dirty.

That's all I can think of for now. I love hearing everyone's ideas!

Plastic shopping bags come in handy - I've used them to line shoes that have airholes in them so I could walk through soggy grass. Put them over your shoes when walking through mud, hold onto the handles so you don't lose the bag.

Carry extra matches, there's always someone who wants to borrow matches. Keep them in a ziplock bag.

Tealight candles in small jars or tin cans can come in handy when you have limited matches. Light the candle and keep it lit, then use twigs to light a fire.

Take enough kindling and firewood to start a fire that you can then use to help dry wood collected on site.

I have one for ya....... You know how if the wind gets up any at all that those plastic table covers will blow everything off and there you go chaseing things all over the park....Well, i learnd this trick from camping with my parents as a child to use twin size sheets to cover those cement tables. (some you have to use extra long twin) and I dont have to look at the bird poop! LOL
AND on the seats i took kitchen chair pads i bought on discount, that didnt match, and placed them where I wanted then used the good 'ol duck tape once around them to hold them in place.
Another is we use "rope lights" to mark our way arount the camper and camp site. This way if they get stepped on it's no big deal. It also helps the dear husband & son to find there way down to the lake to do some night fishing or to get on the boat.

Collect bacon fat and dryer lint - helps get a good campfire going.
Pack clothes for after shower for me and ds at home in individual bags so just need to grab bag, toiletries and towel and we are set.

tacky lights- if you have electricity! they are awesome!
save a variety of cans, wash and fill with water- freeze the use a nail or drill to make holes into any pattern. these make cute votive candleholders.
cheap plastic tablecloths- those red and white checkered ones. buy a bunch as they are only a dollar or two. cheap enough to toss.
a piece of indoor outdoor carpet iin front of your camper or tent will save lots of cleanup!
no shoes in the tent or camper and make sure everyone has a pair of flip flops for the shower and nightly bathroom trips. ALWAYS shake and check your shoes before putting them on- brown recluse spiders, etc.
draping a tarp over your tent or pop up can save lots of headaches and wet bedding!