Recently I had the opportunity to drive to Yellowstone, an amazing national park, with 3 other people and camp for a week. It was a great experience, particularly for someone who loves camping. Below are 3 different things we tried for the first time on our trip that helped make our camping a little bit better.
Heater
Who likes being cold? A portable heater like these can keep you warm even on the coldest of camping trips. They can use the same bottles of propane you are using on your camp stove, and there are some that will even just screw onto the top of the full size propane tank from your grill. Sure, you can build a campfire for warmth, but what if there are fire restrictions due to wildfire concerns, or even just a limited amount of fuel like we had at Yellowstone. They are also great for other areas where you might not be able to have a camp fire like where you are preparing your food. Also unlike a campfire, when you get up in the morning you can turn it on and have instant heat. Perfect luxury on a chilly morning.
Cargo Carrier
A tent, sleeping bags, food, water, clothes. Camping gear for 4 people can take up a lot of space. We wanted to fit all of our equipment and all of the people into one vehicle, so I had to get a little bit creative. A roof-top cargo carrier seemed the best answer for me. Our tent, camp chairs, and some of our sleeping pads and sleeping bags were all able to fit in the cargo carrier, letting everything fit in the car without having everyone carry a bag on their laps.
Fridge Pouch
This is a handy contraption. Your fridge pouch can take the place of a standard cooler. You place it in a box, and fill it up with food. Once you eat the food on your camping trip and are ready to head home, you can flat pack the fridge pouch and the box that it came in so you have a bit more space in your vehicle on your way back. As an added tip with this, place your ice in gallon size zip bags within the cooler. This will make sure sure you don’t have to worry about the melted ice leaking or getting your food wet, and you can store trash in them to help minimize smell.
What are your camping tips? Let us know in the comments what gear or tips you can’t live without when you are out enjoying nature.
