Camping is essential for a temporary escape from hectic life and reconnection with nature, but that doesn’t mean you should break your FD.
Whether you’re a seasoned camper or weekend adventurer, your trip will be more enjoyable if you find ways to reduce expenses without sacrificing comfort.
You can achieve all these with a little creativity and the following budget-friendly hacks.
1. Use DIY Fire Starters
These are not only free to make at home but also pre-making them help campers reduce the space in a backpack or emergency kit.
You can make DIY fire starters using household items like dryer lint, egg cartons, and wax.
I start placing dryer lint in each empty cavity or shell of egg carton board. When doing this, make sure you don’t overfill the cup or leave the lint with lots of room.
Then, you need to pour some melted wax over the lint to cover up each shell completely.
Use knife and fork to work the wax into the lints. Once the wax is set in lints and egg cartoon, you are free to cut out the cup individually, making each one a fire starter.
You can also use cotton ball, string or tampon and pinecone fire starters depending on available resources with you.
2. Make Your Own Sleeping Pad
Those who don’t want to invest in air mattress but still need to feel comfort between their spines and rocky ground, need a bit of creative to make their own sleeping pad.
You need some sewing basics with the required tools to get this done.
First, you have to cut out the piece of fabrics. I would say, 46 x 61 inches are good measurement and extend or reduce depending on your size.
Fold it in half along the 46-inch side with the right side facing in and straight stitch half inch deep.
You can stitch from the edge of the short end to the long end of the fabric.
Now, iron down along the opening of the fabric, flip your case right side out, and start inserting your batting. Straight stitch again across the open side about 1/4 inch in from the edge.
You may also want to stitch some small dashes throughout the sleeping pad to keep the batting in place.
If you don’t want to bother doing this all, you can simply get budget-friendly alternatives like using foam floor tiles or yoga mats.
3. Freeze Water Bottles for Ice Packs
Many use tupperware containers to make blocks of ice that stack into the cooler. This helps the ice last longer and save lots of space in the backpack.
But one downside is that you need to carry the water to drink.
Let me tell my hack.
I freeze water bottles, which act like an ice pack to keep food cold, safe for longer. Also, I don’t need to worry about food being wet.
These frozen water bottles are better than crushed ice. When it melts, I use it as a drinking water.
When preparing frozen water bottles, don’t fill the water all the way, as expanding ice will crack the bottle. I often fill three-quarters or slightly more, but not completely
Also, you can use larger bottles, such as gallon milk jugs, that will stay cool for several days.
4. Use a Pool Noodle to Protect Tent Lines
If you’re going to camping in a busy area or most visited destinations, your tent will be around many others. It’s fine during a daytime, but it can be challenging at night.
Also, people frequently trip over your tent house and can stick their feet and uproot the tent lines.
So, you have to re-stake the tent more often, which can disturb your comfort and fun.
To avoid it, you can use pool noodles, which glow at night and signal visitors or passersby not to walk near it.
If you have pool noodles with hole in the middle, you can simply slip it through the tent line before the set up. Or you can cut the pool noodles with no holes and clip them over the tent lines after staking.
This also helps prevent kids from clotheslining themselves.
5. Bring a DIY Portable Washing Station
Whenever it comes to sanitization, campers’ nervousness only starts from there.
You can make your own portable washing station to wash hands and dishes.
To build, you will need water jug with a spout, soap, and a bucket. Supplementary would be paper towels, paper towel holders and portable table.
If not, you can use your own cloth towel and place the washing station on a rock with some depth.
The type of water jug depends on what else you want it to use for. The bigger container helps take a solar shower or off grid shower during camping.
6. Cook in Foil Packets
I love this hack as it saves on cookware and cleanup. You know, foil packet meals.
If you don’t know, foil packet meals are ready to cook food items rolled in the aluminum foil. This creates a packet that traps moisture and steam as it cooks over campfire coals, or a grill.
You can take protein food items such as ground turkey and chicken, steak, fish, potatoes, carrots, onions, and apples in vegetables and fruits.
First, you need to chop food ingredients, place them on the flat aluminum foil and season it with butter and spices.
Now, you can fold it and pack it for the trip.
When it’s dinner time, you can start the campfire. When it has enough live coals, place the packet on them or bury it in coals.
7. Use a Shoe Organizer for Storage
You haven’t guessed it, right?
I have been using a shoe organizer to hold my rucksack, clothes, sleeping bag, bear can, and tent. This can act like a mini closet to keep essentials organized.
You need not bother or rush to find your gears in your backpack every time, or scatter everything to use.
But concern arises when it falls, and you have to collect everything. Some may get damaged and become useless.
So, you must have something or a solid structure to hang this organizer.
8. Repurpose a Headlamp and Water Jug for Lanterns
You don’t have to bring real lantern to your camping trip as you can make it out of other available essentials.
You only need a headlamp and a water or milk jug.
A headlamp offers focused light, while lanterns disperse light to illuminate a broader area.
Simply, fill the jug with water and wrap a headlamp around the jug and stuck it where it is unmovable.
Now, you are free to turn on the lights, and your lantern is ready to use.
9. Make DIY Mosquito Repellent
You must know that some natural bug repellents include witch hazel, rosemary, lemongrass, lemon balm, mint, catmint, and eucalyptus oil.
Also, you can create mosquito repellent using essential oils or dried herbs.
There are many easy and cheap ways to make it. I personally like DIY mosquito repellent with cinnamon.
For this, you will need water, ground cinnamon, rubbing alcohol, soap dish and empty spray bottle.
Add 2 tbs cup of cinnamon powder to the tbs cup of boiled water. Let it steep for 15 minutes and strain the liquid and remove dust particle if there have any.
Pour rubbing alcohol and soap dish, each 1 tsp cup, and stir well.
Now, pour all the mixed liquid into the spray bottle using a funnel.
10. Waterproof Matches with Nail Polish
When it’s a wet climate or rainy season, every camper struggles to light the fire.
Simply because of a wet lighter or matchbox. But you can escape such a situation by making matches waterproof.
For this, you need to coat coat matches with nail polish. Dip the head end of the match sticks into nail polish and make sure you polish is mili inch below the head.
Take a few minutes to let the polish dry and place the sticks back in the matchbox.
Final Thoughts
I don’t feel shy enjoying a frugal camping trip. These frugal camping hacks help me save a few dollars for other essential gears or for next trip.
From DIY fire starters to budget-friendly gear alternatives, help also a smart camper.
Creativity is limitless, so you can also create your own camping hacks based on your experience and share them with fellow campers.
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