useful tricks for camping.

[Echo2]

OK...I'll start....

Take your 550 cord and double it up....

Run it from tree to tree and secure about 5ft off ground.....

Take small branch roughly 6 ft.....insert between lines...and twist....jamb end of branch in ground...or braced on ground.

Now you have a clothes line that needs no pins....just tuck the corners of towel, shirt, whatever... in to the twist....:cool:

Your turn.

[PT945]

If you place three log approximately 1.5 to 2 feet long a out 6 inches in diameter in a triangle you can place a 55 gal trash bag inside the triangle fold the trash bag over the logs ( like you do to a trash can) , then fill with water to use as a sink or tub.

[Omegaman]

I like to lightly rub the bottom of all of our camping pots and pans with ivory bar soap leaving a very thin coating. This will let you wipe all of the black soot off the bottom of the pots or pans with just a damp sponge.

[Brother Bill]

Whenever possible I try to dig a small trench around my tarp or tent on the uphill side. On the off chance it rains the water is funneled around my camp instead of threw it.

[Skyowl's Wife]

When we take the gkids (ranging in age from 6 to 12) camping, I make them wear a whistle around their necks.

Since most of our camping is on our 60 acres in New Mexico, they are told to roam where you will, but don't cross a road, so they remain on the property. We tell them, if you find yourself lost or fall and hurt yourself, stay where you are and blow the whistle. We'll find you.

One of them ran into a tree branch and put a pretty good gouge in his forehead. Right bloody mess. The eldest told him to sit, leaving a second to stay with him and, as we'd instructed, and ran back to camp whistling. You never saw a bunch of people move so fast as the adults were headed toward the whistle. The kids actually asked for their whistles after that.

[maric]

When we take the gkids (ranging in age from 6 to 12) camping, I make them wear a whistle around their necks.

Since most of our camping is on our 60 acres in New Mexico, they are told to roam where you will, but don't cross a road, so they remain on the property. We tell them, if you find yourself lost or fall and hurt yourself, stay where you are and blow the whistle. We'll find you.

One of them ran into a tree branch and put a pretty good gouge in his forehead. Right bloody mess. The eldest told him to sit, leaving a second to stay with him and, as we'd instructed, and ran back to camp whistling. You never saw a bunch of people move so fast as the adults were headed toward the whistle. The kids actually asked for their whistles after that.

Great advice! I am going to get whistles for the older kids! The little ones would just "cry wolf" lol....

[PT945]

I've also added a led red blinking reflector to my sons back pack and one that hangs on his belt loop at night its turned on when he is roaming around.

[Diesel]

Poor kid haha

[PT945]

Poor kid haha

Option b was reflective glow in the dark paint. Option a seemed to be the better choice.

[Diesel]

why not gps? lol :p

[PT945]

why not gps? lol :p

I thought about the chip once. LOL, but ya know.

[Echo2]

For night time....we give them glow sticks along with their whistles....the glow stick is attached to a piece of para cord.....they are taught to "swing a ring" and make some noise....if the get separated or in distress...it works well...and if you throw a NVD into the mix....they show up like landing lights...:)

[Echo2]

An old trick is that if you need to carry someone around, you can make the body of a stretcher by taking some durable shirts (think BDU tops) maybe 3 or so if you got em, turn the sleeves inside out, and run long poles through the sleeves. Keeps the poles nice and separated, keeps the sleeves from getting tangled or in the way.

[Echo2]

Take a business card or something of similar size and wrap a few feet of duct tape lengthwise around the card. This will keep your tape relatively compact but still readily accessible.

Alternatively if you use something like an old hotel key or one of those fake credit card type of plastic cards you can wrap a few feet around it width wise (perpendicular to the long axis), punch a hole in the exposed plastic part and attach to a key ring or zipper pull etc.

Or you can chuck a bic pen in a drill, use a drill bit that fits snug inside to stop flex. Stick the duck tape to it. Drill slow and steady, aim tape nice and square. Go as large as you like. now you have a compact roll.

[Echo2]

For easy, portable firestarters, here's what I keep with me.
Get a can of Altoids. once the mints are gone, get a cheap votary candle from walmart ( use the regligous ones because they are like $.50 for a large one). heat the candle in a pot of boiling water till the wax is melted. pull the wick out, and then pour wax into the altoids tin. cut the wick into several 4 pieces and stick them in a staggering pattern in the can.
This can be used for light, for starting a fire (put the can at the base of a tepee of twigs, once they start burning, pull the can out with another stick. Use it over and over) it's also able to heat your hands up quickly.