Camping Hints and Tricks

[Jenn Frederick]

I'll start this one out (by request at the Bothe Napa campout) by giving a few camping tricks I've learned:

When cooking over an open fire, it is inevitable that your pot will get covered with soot, no matter how 'clean' the fire seems. A way to avoid having to scrub the pot like crazy is to cover it first in a layer of aluminum foil. I've personally done this and it worked great. The aluminum conducts heat well, so it doesn't affect cooking time. When you're all done, just peel off the foil and throw it away. Another method I've heard of but never tried myself is to rub a dry bar of soap all over the outside of the pot before you put it over the fire. Supposedly the soap will coat the pot, and the soot will build up over the thin film of soap instead of the pot. When you're done cooking, just wash off the soot. The soap is already there. Has anyone tried this before?

Have you ever camped with a cooler before, and left it outside only to have it raided by a bunch of nocturnal creatures, such as raccoons? I learned a neat trick from my mother-in-law which works well if you have a picnic bench at your campsite. Just slide the cooler under one of the bench seats so that the cooler is wedged shut. If your cooler has a handle that spans the whole cooler, you can hang the cooler off the bench seat so that the seat still prevents the cooler to be opened. With either of these methods, as long as the cooler is heavy, only a crazy raccoon on steroids can get into the cooler.

[Romy]

My hint/trick:

Always park at the top of the hill in anticipation of a dead battery or starter the following morning!

[Swiftriver]

My hints/tricks:

An 18v cordless sawzall is great for cutting campfire wood. I am looking into one of those 18v mini chainsaws too. I usually scavenge wood.... I hate carrying firewood from home, or buying it at the store $$$
I use an old school bow saw too..... But I don't go camping so I can labor the whole time.

When it comes to BBQ's... I am a charcoal purist. Sometimes charcoal grills aren't allowed everywhere.
My solution; I fake attach a propane bottle and line to the grill, so It looks like a gas grill. Works like a charm!

[Kathleen Hines]

I found when camping in summer and wanting to keep the bugs out but the cool air in to use a elastic edged Screen material used to cover baby buggy's. I use it when i have the sliding door open I stretch the screen from the door and stretch to the other side with magnets or by closing it into the passenger door. Magnets make for easy access inside. Buy at walmart or some $ stores.....