Ahhh camping. Nothing says a family-friendly activity like the smell Hershey's chocolate being melted over an open flame am I right? However, what happens when camping goes wrong? When you and your family get caught in an unexpected storm? Or your tent rips, or your stay gets extended unexpectedly. When venturing out into the wilderness it is always best to be prepared. These 5 camping hacks can make a world of difference for you and could even be the difference between life and death.
5 Camping Hacks That You Need To Know
There are a plethora of camping hacks that could make your trip more comfortable but these tips here are intended for one purpose only...survival. Let's face it, even though we don't want things to go wrong they can and they do. These 5 tips are here to help prevent chaos when things unexpectedly go awry. The more prepared you are the better off you will be and these 5 camping hacks could mean the difference between life and death when you are out in the wilderness.
1. Clearly Label Medical Supplies Location
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When you are packing your bag for camping admit it, most of it all gets thrown into a jumble in one bag. Seems fine when you are just sorting through socks and granola bars. However, what if there is an emergency? What if someone is hurt and you need to access your medical supplies ASAP? In your panicked state you may forget where you stored those precious items and seconds can mean the difference between life and death in a survival situation. To avoid this clearly label your medical section. The Bear Essentials shares this as one of their great camping hacks about how he uses a red toggle on that specific part of his bag. So when he needed medical equipment he knew he just had to look for the red toggle and all he needed was in that compartment.
2. Securing Your Tent On Hard Ground
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Sometimes no matter how much you prepare Mother Nature is not kind. The ground of your campsite is not always perfectly soft and ready for you to set up camp. This camping hack will solve that issue for you. If the ground is too hard for you to get your tent stake in, use the double rock method to secure your tent. First wrap your tent cordage around a medium-sized rock. Then, grab a much larger rock and put it right in front of that smaller rock. A taut line hitch is the best to use here as it is easily adjustable. This method works even in high winds.
3. Set Up A Drip Line
Screenshot from YouTube The Bear Essentials
One of the rules of 3 is about water. You can only survive 3 days without water, so securing a reliable water source is key. One of the best sources of water is rain water. You can set up a drip line to ensure you are collecting that water and none of it is going to waste as puddles on the ground. Secure a rope to the low point of your tarp or tent when the water collects and drips down. Then place a bucket under the rope. The water will slide down the drip line and into the bucket for you.
4. Fix A Ripped Tarp
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Shelter is key to survival in the wilderness. If your tarp or tent gets a rip it leaves you exposed to the elements. The Bear Essentials details how to fix a rip in your tarp with this incredible camping hack. "Grab your ripped end of the tarp and for the for the first one we fold into a loop back onto itself." From there, "take your line and thread it through the back side of that loop and wrap it around and then underneath itself." When you pull the cord tight that rope will bunch up on its own effectively fixing your rip.
5. Keep Blades Sharp
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In a survival situation, a knife can be one of your most useful tools. However, once it becomes dull it becomes less useful. Most people are not carrying a knife-sharpening kit around in their pocket, but you don't have to. A common, everyday item is great for sharpening blades. A leather belt. "If you run your knife backwards on the inside or flesh part of the leather" you will get a razor sharp edge to your knife. This is as simple as adding a belt to your outfit. This is one of those camping hacks that often gets overlooked.
