Camping has so many health benefits and can make you connect better with your loved ones and nature. But this doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your comfort and not use some hacks that can make your experience even more fun.
These hacks are not your basic simple hacks cos they do more than just keep you clean, warm, safe, and happy. They are creative and easy to follow. So, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned camper, these are the 17 genius camping hacks you should know before your next camping trip.
17 Best Camping Hacks You Must Try in 2025
1. Make a DIY Lantern
For this genius camping hack, you just need a headlamp and a large translucent water bottle. To do this, strap the headlamp to the side of the container, and voila, the light transforms into a glowing orb that shines in all directions.
This DIY lantern is good for when you need a brighter light, but you didn’t bring a lantern. It will make it easier to cook, clean up, or look for something in the tent.
2. Line Your Bag with a Garbage Bag
As a seasoned camper, you’ll know better than to be caught unprepared for the weather. That’s why this camping tip is amazing. Now, even when you’re caught in the rain, you won’t be too bothered about your bag and the contents inside.
So on your next camping trip, you’ll need to line the inside of your backpack with a trash bag before placing all your items in it. This camping hack is very affordable because it provides dry clothes and a dry sleeping bag.
3. Use Your Sleeping Bag Case As a Pillow
Camping Pillows are a comfort necessity for a camping trip, but they do take up space, and even the inflatable pillows are sometimes not comfortable. But you can also stuff your sleeping bag case with the softest clothes you plan to carry and use it as a pillow.
Make sure the clothes are unrolled and not tightly balled so the pillow can be more comfortable. You can shape the pillow to you’re liking, if you prefer yours strong, add more clothes, if you want it soft, remove clothes from the bag.
4. Use Gallon Jugs of Water as Ice Packs
Sometimes you just want to drink something cold on your camping trip, but then all the ice in your cooler has melted. So, instead of being frustrated, next time you can freeze gallon jugs of water and put them into your cooler.
They won’t spoil any of your non-plastic-packed food, and when they’re melting, you still get something cold to drink. This genius camping hack keeps your food cold and gives you extra drinking water.
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5. Burn Sage in Your Campfire
Bugs and mosquitoes can make camping in the forest or any tropical area very annoying. But with this genius camping hack, you’ll be able to repel them without using lots of bug repellents that sometimes do not work.
So on your next camping trip, take some sage bundles along, and when the sun rises or sets, burn a bit with your campfire. Carry enough bundles that will last you all through your trip, and you’ll see the difference.
6. Put a Hot Water Bottle In Your Sleeping Bag
Putting a hot water bottle in your sleeping bag is good for cold-weather camping, but the genius camping tip here is to place it on your feet. Cos the feet are the last part of your body that gets warm when you’re snuggled and cozy in your sleeping bag.
For this, you’ll need to get a good-quality water bottle made of plastic that can stay warm all through the night.
7. Have a Pair of Socks for Sleeping
There’s this relaxing feeling you get when you always have a pair of clean and dry socks to sleep with while camping. It doesn’t even have to be thick socks, but keeping a pair of socks for sleeping only is very important.
Now you won’t have to wear the same socks you wore during the day to walk around the dust, dirt, and trees of the camping area.
8. Dry Your Shoes Faster
A genius camping hack to dry your shoes faster is to remove the insoles from the shoe and stuff your shoes with some dry used clothes instead. If you’re in a humid environment, this can be a lifesaver for your hiking shoes. So by the next day, you can hand the now-wet clothes and wear the dry shoes for your adventure planned for that day.
9. Create A DIY Cookware Hanger
If you are already used to camping, then you already know you can dry anything from shoes, clothes, bags, and even cookware in the evenings easily. To do this, you’ll need to take a belt and loop it around a tree.
Then you can add several pot hanger hooks to the belt and hang your pots. You can leave the pots here overnight, but make sure the inside part of the pot is placed away from the tree so you won’t find bugs in the morning.
10. Buy a Double Sleeping Bag
If you’re going camping with your partner and you don’t want to get a two-person camping tent, then you can get a duo sleeping bag. This sleeping bag will make sure you can cuddle even better with your partner and retain body heat.
You can get either the cheaper synthetic bags or the more expensive down sleeping bags. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they will keep you warm all through your camping adventure.
11. Apply Soap to The Back of Pots and Pans Before Cooking
This genius camping hack will make sure your pots and pans don’t get too dirty and can be easily cleaned after cooking, especially if you’re cooking directly on the fire. So if you don’t want to spend your time cleaning the back of the pots, you can mix soap and a bit of oil in a bowl and then rub it on the outside of the pot. This mixture will keep the soot from sticking to your pots, and when you wash it off, your pan will be shiny and new again.
12. Make a DIY Fire Starter Kit
There are so many steps in starting a campfire, but getting the first flame is the most frustrating part. But with this genius camping hack, it can become way easier. You just have to create a DIY camping fire starter kit with some everyday home items like dryer lint and cotton balls. You can store these items in a plastic bag and bring them out every time you want to start a fire.
13. Craft a DIY Seat
Sometimes during your camping trip, it will be hard to find somewhere clean and dry enough for you to sit on. That is why this genius camping tip makes sense. Now you have a simple and versatile seat wherever you go.
You can create this DIY seat by putting plastic shopping bags into a tablecloth or a large cloth grocery bag until it is comfortable enough to sit on. Once you do this, you can also seal the cushion with duct tape so water and mud won’t easily enter.
14. Use an Empty Detergent Bottle as a Hand-Washing Station
When cooking at home, you’ll find out you’re always washing your hands in the sink, but when you’re cooking in a camp, what then do you do? You can’t be running every time to the nearest bathhouse to wash your hands.
So, instead, you can use an empty detergent bottle or milk jug with a spigot as your hand washing station. Just fill it with water, bring soap nearby, and place it on the table with a bucket under it. Simple.
15. Cook Food in an Orange Peel
In some weather conditions, it can be quite frustrating to make a campfire. And sometimes you just didn’t pack the right cooking gear, so you’ll need to be a whole lot creative with a genius camping hack like this.
For this, you’ll have to cut the orange in half, eat the inside, and leave the peel. Once it’s empty, you can put cinnamon rolls or muffin mix in it and wrap it tightly with aluminum foil before placing it on the fire. After 10 to 20 minutes, rotate, and your cinnamon rolls should be ready.
16. Tie Your Travel Mug Lid and Container Together
Do you know how annoying it can be when you find out you packed your travel mug but forgot the lid at home? This will make it even harder for you to clean and use without being worried about the dirt and dust that must have entered. So to be safe, tie both pieces together with a string. This genius camping hack will make sure they’re always close to each other.
17. Mark Tent Stakes With Colored Tape
It can be hard to move around your camp at night without getting injured or tripping on something. So to solve this, you can add colored tape or flags to each of the tent lines and stakes so you won’t end up scattering your tent. These colored tapes will not just add color to your tent, but will also make sure you watch where you walk through.
Conclusion
As a seasoned camper, you must have realized that you can never get tired of learning new camping tips and tricks that will make your experience even easier and better. And even if you have a particular camping trip, there’s always that camping hack that can make it even better.
So instead of being basic, create your own DIY lanterns, hand-washing stations, and seats with these genius camping hacks. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned camper, these tips should be in your camping bible. Follow them and see the difference.