10 Car Camping Hacks Guaranteed to Make a Camper Out of Anyone (I hope)

I have loved camping since I was a kid. However, my husband is not a fan. He loves to travel, go on long road trips, but at the end of the day, he wants to fall asleep in a hotel. I can’t blame him because who doesn’t like a good hotel stay. My goal is to break him out of his comfort zone and show him camping can be fun when you do it right. Our camping history has not been great.

Now that we have a family, I want my son to enjoy it as much as I do. I have done my research. I think I am fully prepared, and next week we are going camping for 4 days on the Olympic Peninsula. It will rain one of the 4 days, but I am hoping the remaining 3 days will be sunny. It is a temperate rainforest, so to completely avoid rain is wishful thinking. Living in Washington, you learn very quickly, to put a tarp over your tent or at least have one just in case.

In preparation, I have scoured the web for handy tips and tricks to get us through the trip. I have narrowed it to the top ten tips, some of which I will be testing on the trip. I will update you afterward on how helpful the tips really were. I hate it when hacks sound good on paper, but don’t do much in practice.

1. Make an activity box for the kids. While camping, I want my kids to enjoy the time outdoors. However, I am not against bringing some items to enhance it. The dollar store is great for many of these items. Our list is below:
   1. Bubbles
   2. Glow sticks and necklaces for after-dark fun
   3. Beach toys
   4. Outdoor Exploration kit
   5. Microscope
   6. Playing Cards
   7. Guide Books
   8. Puzzle
2. Camping Tubs. I thought this was an interesting post. The author packed everything into four tubs. You buy camping versions of everything and leave them in the tubs. When it is time to go camping, you just throw them in the car and go.
   1. Kitchen Tub
   2. Family Tent Tub
   3. Camp Tub
   4. Last-minute Tub
3. Easy and Cheap Camping Meals. Prep as much food ahead of time as you can. The internet is full of recipe ideas.
4. Bug Deterrents. I have heard a variety of solutions. The ones I will try are Lemon & Cloves on the table, dryer sheets under the tablecloth, and sage in the fire.
5. Rug. Put a small rug outside your tent to trap the dirt and sand before you bring it into your tent.
6. Handwashing Station. I have seen this suggestion on multiple posts. Take a large water container and attach a plastic paper towel holder to it with bungee cords.
7. Keep items dry. A tip to keep matches dry by keeping them in a mason jar and keeping toilet paper dry in a coffee container. It is also a good idea to store dry firewood and kindling under your vehicle.
8. Storage Simplified. Since it is hard to travel with a dozen eggs, you might try cracking them beforehand and storing them in a creamer container. Another idea is to prep pancake mix and store it in an old condiment bottle. Store your napkins and paper plates in a dollar store cake holder, so they don’t blow away.
9. Diaper Wipes. It should go without saying that diaper wipes are a must-have for camping with or without babies.
10. Tent Fans. I did not realize that these existed, but as soon as I did I bought some.

Now it is time to go out and enjoy nature. Happy Camping!

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