Planning your next hunting or camping trip? Are you a serious outdoors backpacker? Sure, you’ve got lots of specialized outdoor gear; you can also turn everyday items into something that you can use on your next trip into the wilderness.
Tent pegs causing you trouble? If they tend to slip or pull loose in soft ground or on a wet evening, all you have to do is overlap two. Offer the tent stake to which the tent is fastened just a little extra support.
For example, think about the silver reflective sunshades sold for car windows. Put one under your bed between the mattress and its wooden support, and you’ll sleep better. The sunshade will reflect your body heat; use it as a ground dampness barrier as well, or trim it to fit inside your cooler so that your ice lasts longer.
Another good idea is to cook your nightly meals before hand, and then freeze them in plastic freezer bags. Buy your steaks ahead of time, freeze them in their marinade, and then wrap them in aluminum foil. Pack these in the cooler, and they’ll stay fresh longer.
When you buy an 8-person cook set, you’ll find everything stored in a 12-20 quart aluminum pot. This will come in very useful at the campsite, even if you don’t cook stew for 12. Tie it to a rain fly to collect water. Use it to boil drinking water, or to heat the water you need for cooking and cleaning. When you’re headed back, stuff your sleeping bag in it and it won’t take up any extra space.
At the campsite, before you heat or cook your food, spread just a little liquid dish soap on the outside of the pots and pans. After you’re done, just rub them in clean sand and rinse. It couldn’t be any easier, could it?