CAMPING TIPS (that you might not have thought of, post here)

[jimsiron]

When the misses nylon cutting up board got too many marks in it from use, I cut it into a size to fit under the jockey wheel or as a jack base, a lot lighter than wood blocks to cart around.
regards
Jimsiron

[ralphedward]

Sell the kids for medical experimentation and go camping on your own ------ guess who has teenagers!!!!!!!

[speewa158]

Mark thats why they invented grog & even better mobs of grog     

[Kit_e_kat9]

When we aren't carrying jerry cans of fuel, we use our jerry can holders as rubbish bins!  Keeps the rubbish away from the kitchen, off the ground, but not away from pussoms!

Kit_e


Recycling / Rubbish

[campgirls]

Thought of a couple more tips...

I'm sure everyone does this anyway, but if you use plastic storage containers, write on the lids with permanent marker a list of the contents; saves taking the lids off all the boxes to see what's inside. (I also make sure stuff is grouped together, eg: all the cooking things together; all the power/lighting things together, etc).

I also put different coloured dot stickers onto all the tent and awning poles so they match up and it's much quicker and easier to find the right poles! (I know, I'm a bit OCD!)

To stop food-obsessed doggies annoying other campers we just leave their harnesses and lead on and tent-peg the lead handle to the ground... gives them a bit of room to move. (Do not attach lead to camp chair and get up to get something... dog follows and scares itself silly- crashing over and then being 'chased' by the camp chair!)

Bring PLENTY of 'dog towels' (ie: the one's you use for drying your dogs after inflicting a bath on them!) for wiping down wet or dirty faces/coats/paws before they 'dry' themselves on you, their bed, your bed, the car seats...

Get some of those little elastic toggle band things- they are very versatile for hanging stuff up!

These pegless clothes lines are very much worth the investment!
http://www.pegless.com.au/page1.aspx

Also, if you take your own water... don't take a massive 20-trillion litre plastic jerry can that neither of you can lift if it's more than a third full, especially if said jerry can has been in the garage for some time and has become a home to some ants who have subsequently perished and then been rinsed out unsuccessfully so that your partner, who has been hitherto unaware of the ant problem, says "This water tastes funny. Did you wash out the water container properly?" to which you sheepishly have to then explain about the ants and that you couldn't quite get the all the ants out because some were stuck on the bottom.... Just take a couple of smaller containers, OK? 

[D4D]

I'm sure everyone does this anyway, but if you use plastic storage containers, write on the lids with permanent marker a list of the contents; saves taking the lids off all the boxes to see what's inside. (I also make sure stuff is grouped together, eg: all the cooking things together; all the power/lighting things together, etc).

or you could use clear containers

[WaituiRob]

We use a 50lt chiller for our frozen goods which are packed in a large plastic container and placed on 3x2lt bottles
  of frozen water (last longer if they are in freezer for a couple of weeks) and other things packed over and around it.

This keeps things chilled up to 7 days depending on the temperature and when ice is needed it gets tipped into the container and this saves it melting everywhere.

Also swear by the green food saver bags for fruit and veg. they keep things fresh up to 21 days and it`s not
  necessary to have them in the chiller or fridge. We keep ours in a plastic container in the trailer and the bags are
re-usable. They were purchased at a camping show but are probably available elsewhere.
 
Rob.

[carinya]

Milk powder is still tasting like the stuff we fed poddy calves on when I was a kid.

To get kids to actually consume their breakfast, you can get uht milk now that for the most part tastes like milk and not the smoky, burnt flavour we used to get.  It will take up some space but at least you can get it in 1 and 2 L cartons for the same price as fresh milk  and you only need one at a time in the fridge.

Put a sheet of shade cloth down in front of your living area ( annexe, tent ) . 
It sweeps very easily, lets sand fall straight through, keeps you off the moisture all making the floored area a lot cleaner, and you can see the crawlies coming sooner.

[Johnno convert]

Not sure this passes as a camping tip.

Dont put the dunny roll in the camper. Always leave it in the car. Nothing worst when nature calls and your camper is packed up and you have to forage some paper bark, or leaves.

We keep ours in the battery compartment on the top shelf. We can access that when the tent is up or down. Very handy. compartment on ours opens into the bedroom section.

[HEM19X]

We have found that bread etc keeps much better in the insulated Coles/Wollies bags. Will keep fresh for up to 4 orr 5 days!!

Hem

[carinya]

If you are in an area where you have to take your rubbish out with you, or are camped up a few days and do some actual cooking, you will need a rubbish bin/bucket with a vermin proof lid.Don't spend any money, go to any building site and get in the skip. There will be at least five buckets of differing sorts there throughout the build of just one house, all with clip or snap on lids used for tile fixative, paint etc.  They clean up OK and can be used for anything but eating off.

[Johnno convert]

An old fella (older than me  ) Showed me this one and I hope you can get it without pics. To stop your guy ropes from slipping once you have tensioned them, bring the rope around the back of the knot on the timber piece. This locks it off better. Cant follow me? Then  isn't it? Maybe a pic is warranted.

[deepop]

Now I am not sure whether I can explain this properly.  When you roll the flaps up on your annex/windows etc try to roll them up back to front then what is natural.  If it happens to rain or there is moisture around before you get to put them down the water won't pool in the canvas or vinyl awnd when you drop them you won't get water all over you.

And it acts as a bit of a verandah to stop too much rain hitting the flywire.

[Johnno convert]

when we got our new camper we saw someone had rolled up the awnings like that and thought hey what a great idea as we had struggled with the larger ones on our old camper.

[Gunna Do]

While we're on the topic of rolling flaps and awning up (not sure if this one has been mentioned before).  If you have a large window flap to roll up by yourself, fold the two corners in to the middle at 45 degrees to create a point at the bottom, and then start rolling up from the point.  Makes it much easier to keep straight, tight and tidy.

[griz066]

While we're on the topic of rolling flaps and awning up (not sure if this one has been mentioned before).  If you have a large window flap to roll up by yourself, fold the two corners in to the middle at 45 degrees to create a point at the bottom, and then start rolling up from the point.  Makes it much easier to keep straight, tight and tidy.

Yup, by YOU post #3 on March 09, 2010, 06:19:41 PM 

[Gunna Do]

Yup, by YOU post #3 on March 09, 2010, 06:19:41 PM  

I can only blame alzheimer's.  If it was last week I probably wouldn't have remembered either.

I was going to check, but at 18 pages and 266 posts, I couldn't be bothered.

Keep an eye out about this time next year, I'll probably post it up again.  

[griz066]

I can only blame alzheimer's.  If it was last week I probably wouldn't have remembered either.

I am the same however I never forget anything I remember but unfortunately I never remember anything I forget

[darren]

Hey GD
At least with alzhimers every day is an exciting new adventure

[JohnT]

For those virgin campers such and me and who own a soft floor. Dont forget to put ratchet straps or similar over your camper otherwise you will be towing a baloon and a trailer net wont cut it. You can also bet that no service station stocks them

[dno]

When setting up a softfloor camper for a quickie , rather an pegging it down you can just place some heavy items in the corners of the tent such as a travel bag full of clothing.
PS. Only if the weather is suitable.

[Johnno convert]

Cmon mate this is a family site !! Enough talk about quickies!!

[gibbo301]

i was just thinking that would be a lot of trouble setting up the camper just for a quickie 

[Foo]

^^ ^^ 

[morgue]

Here is a couple, some may have repeated in previous threads, but going through 18 screens to check is a bit too much for my brain to take in...anyway here is a couple.

1/.  Need good loo paper, maybe 3 or 4 ply.
2/. For the first Aid Kit, sanitary napkins, they are brilliant for cuts that will bleed, for burns  submurge in cool water, wring out and apply to burn area for relief of pain. The design, keeps the moisture away from the burn area, but still cool and the skin will not stick the the pad. Also depending on the  burn, apply heaps of Alovera to pad and then apply.
3/. Milk, use UHT, its cheap and keeps longer.
4/. Rip into Aldi when your in town next, get a bag of marinated chicken niblets, throw then in the fridge when you are travelling. BBQ them when after you have set up, yum.
5/. During a camp, put a yellow mark on the stuff you don't use, green on the stuff you do use...when you get home, disgard the yellow and keep the green. You'll be lighter for it.
6/. An old bushy trick, always get an item for camping that has a minimum of 2 uses.
7/. A Real old bushy trick, don't try to cram in too much to see when on a camping trip ie 2 weeks to do a 2000km trip, less is best, treat em' mean and keep em' keen. Lower your speed and look out the windows more, half the fun is on the journey there. It will lessen stress on the trailer and tow vehicle and you will be more refreshed when you set up.
8/. Always laugh.