How to Have a Great Camping Trip

If you've ever been camping, you know how much fun it can be. Not to mention the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your family. It's a great summertime activity, and can be done rather cheaply for those of us that are on a tight budget.

Here are some great tips you can use next time you go camping!

To save on meals, pack your own frugal gourmet to go. Mix up some pancake mix ahead of time, and when you're ready to cook breakfast, all you'll need to do is add milk and egg. Wrap up your meats and vegetables ahead of time in aluminum foil, and all you'll need to do is slap them in the pan over a campfire. You can save time and energy by having preassembled meals.

Make your own fire starters by simply melting down some used up candles and paraffin wax. Take an empty cardboard egg carton, fill it with lint from the dryer and pour the melted wax over it. To light, simply use two egg carton sections, and light underneath your kindling. Commercial fire starters can be expensive, and these are cheap and super-easy to make!

Camping can have it share of dirt and bugs, and keeping clean while keeping pine needles off of you can be a chore. You can make an easy hand washing area but simply hanging paper towels onto a tree. Run a rope through the middle of the tube, and tie onto a branch. Next to it, make a soap on a rope by mixing grated hand soap, cornmeal, water and baby oil. Add a milk or water gallon jug and a big bowl and you can help your hands stay clean.

Remember to pack some odds and ends in case rain heads your way. Include paper and crayons, pens and pencils. A deck of cards or even small board games, like the travel games. They take up minimal space and can help cure the rainy day blues. Better yet, pack your rain jacket and boots, and head out on the hiking trails and enjoy the rain!

Don't forget to pack your smores kit, you can pre-cut graham crackers and chocolate bars and assemble them with the marshmallows into pre-made kits. This will save time, and dirty hands, when you decide to break out the campfire. Having them pre-packed is also easier for children to handle, and they feel great assembling their own smores!

If you use a little creativity, you can have a great camping experience with minimal effort. Enjoy your time camping this summer!