Summer is upon us and for many of you, camping will be part of your summer adventures. Here are some of my favorite tricks, tips and gadgets to make your life easier and make your time in the great outdoors a little more enjoyable.
The first item isn’t a gadget at all….it’s something you can find at any home improvement store. A weatherproof single solar garden light. I stick it in the ground near the camp toilet when we set up camp. It’ll stay lit most
of the night and gives us just enough light to take care of business in the dark hours.
If you’re backpacking or car camping, there is always the need to hang things around your campsite. Cinch to Hang has made hanging things easy, fast and reliable. The strap fits through the clip and then you simply since it around the tree. Then, a hook pops down and you can hang up to 50 pounds from it. This is great to keep things out or reach of animals, or to dry towels after day at the beach. You can even string a clothes line from these. I love that they are kind to the trees, require no tools to put up and can be used anywhere. They come in brown and camo colors and in sets of two or four.
When tying down your tent or making lines around your campsite, you can be creating a maze for yourself. After dark this 
can become a dangerous obstacle course. You can make the ropes in your camp site a helpful tool just by switching to reflective rope. SecureLine’s Reflective Poly Rope allows you to see exactly where you’ve tied ropes. If you have kids in your site, these ropes can even just serve as boundaries and help little ones learn where they should stay. It’s available in various colors and thicknesses too! Also great for tying things down to the car, marking areas of your lawn at home or tying up toys or sporting gear.
Safety should always come first while camping. If you’re going to have a campfire you need to know how to manage it and 
how to put it out when need be. While a natural method of extinguishing is preferred, it’s important to have something on hand such as Tundra’s Fire Extinguisher Spray. The can is small enough to fit in even the tightest spaces and it sprays for up to four times as long as a traditional extinguisher. It’s biodegradable and non-toxic. It’s as easy to use as a can of Lysol. This is a great tool and gift for those who live in small spaces or are heading off to college!
If you’re away from a power outlet while in the great outdoors, sometimes
you need to find a way to charge your cell phone to stay in touch. The
Justin Power Stick by Innovative Technologies allows you to quickly and
safely charge your cell phone on the go. I love that it’s as small as a
tube of lipstick and can be recharged over and over. It comes in a
variety of colors and has a built in USB port. I carry this with me all
the time!
Sometimes camping in the wilderness means you don’t always have access to the best bathroom facilities. If you’re feeling
like bringing the spa with you, try
Freshends. They have a whole line of environmentally friendly personal wipes. Freshends are alcohol free, and contain natural ingredients including: Aloe, Vitamin E, Cucumber extract, and Chamomile. They are individually wrapped and easy to throw into a backpack, pocket or purse. These are awesome for camping, travel or at home every day. They also sell a version with olive oil.
If you’re camping, road tripping or you travel for business frequently, you have some dirty clothes on the go. Cleaning them and rewiring cuts down on hauling, luggage costs and make traveling easier.
The Scrubba Wash bag is designed specifically to make washing easy. Simply fill the wash with soap and water, then add your clothes and seal it up. Rub your clothes in the specially designed “wash pad” inside and then, rinse everything out. and hang to dry. It’s fast and easy and I love how small the kit rolls up, making it easy to fit into even a carry on. This is great if you workout on the road and can’t bring tons of clothes with you too!
When you want to start a fire to cook on or just sit around, gathering firewood can not only be difficult, it can damage your surroundings. It’s not easy to get a fire started quickly. If it’s raining, cold or your hungry, it’s even harder. That’s where Duraflame’s logs come in. They allow you to quickly start a fire with just four logs. These are specially made for cooking so your food won’t smell or taste funny in any way. It will give you a long, even burn. And, since they are packaged well, you can keep them in the car or in your tent and they won’t give you trouble like gathered wood. They are made from 100% renewable resources too. If you have a fire pit in the backyard, these are a great option over storing lots and lots of wood in your home. These are also great to keep on hand in case case of a power loss during the winter months.
You don’t always have access to clean water when you’re camping, hiking or backpacking. In order to avoid illness, you need to purify your water. The
Katadyn MyBottle Personal Water Filter is a lightweight 3-stage filtration system reduces harmful protozoa, bacteria and viruses. Better yet, water purified by this bottle even tastes better! It’s 24 ounces in size and the filter is replaceable when need be. This makes a great gift for the camper in your life too!
For a clean on the go, check out
Pura sponges. They are soap-infused sponges made of renewable and plant based resources. They are nontoxic and contain no petroleum. They are great for your body and the Earth! The sponge leaves you with a clean, fresh feeling and it dries quickly so it’s not going to leave a wet mess in your pack. The soap inside is 100% vegan, gluten-free and contain no sulfates, parabens or BPA. These sponges come in one and three packs, lots of different scents and best of all, feel amazing!
