Life Hacks for Camping That Make Every Trip a Breeze

It’s summer, which means camping season! In this post, I’m sharing all my favourite life hacks from years of experience to make camping more convenient, more comfortable, more aesthetically pleasing, and more joyful all around! I also share ideas for food, what to pack, how to decorate your camper, and ideas for camping with kids.

Camping has been a HUGE part of my little family’s life since almost the very beginning. Because I love to DIY, fixing up an old trailer to make it beautiful and functional just made sense, and we used it to make so many memories when the kiddos were very small. As they got bigger and took up more space, we took the plunge and renovated a bigger RV that would work better for our growing family. These trailers have taken us to so many places. I’m so happy my kids have these memories locked in for life. 

Every year, we plan a few RV camping trips in the summer. We always love Jasper, and this year we’re going to camp in Drumheller and visit the badlands and the museum! All this to say that my favourite investment ever has been the two RVs that we renovated. They were worth every penny and every hour of work for all the amazing adventures we’ve had. I look forward to many more!  

Over the years, I have made a lot of camping mistakes. The truth is, camping is like any other hobby. You learn from trial and error and that’s OK! Every year we take our trailer out, I make a little tweak to our camping gear or activity planning. Everyone thinks of things like a first aid kit or backpack full of band-aids and antibiotic ointment. But, did you forget to bring a bar of soap or vegetable peeler on your last camping trip? Don’t fret, just add it to your list for the next time! 

In this post, I’m helping you avoid those sticky situations by sharing the best camping life hacks I’ve learned. Let me make the mistakes and figure out the good stuff so you don’t have to!

The Best Camping Food Ideas – How To Eat Well While Camping

One of the best things about camping is enjoying amazing food. But with your full kitchen left at home, this can be tricky to achieve! With a little bit of preparation, I promise you can move beyond cans of beans and prepared oats and actually have some great food while you’re out in the great outdoors (including a good steak).

In this blog post, I’ll give you some ideas on how to make the most of your camping food experience, including meal plans, recipes, and tricks for prepping things at home! This advice is great for either a tent or an RV (just make sure to bring a camp stove or campfire-friendly cookware). Of course, we would never mess with classics like hot dogs and marshmallows. But if you’re out in the woods for more than a night or two, you are going to want some variety! You’ll find it in this post.

7 Clever Things to Pack to Make Your Camping Trip Easy & Fun

We’ve been living the camping life every summer since we renovated our first camper in 2017. We had so many fun adventures in that little RV, and I will always treasure the memories. We have since moved on to our Camper 2.0, which gives us a bit more elbow room and inside storage. All that to say that every single time we go out, I get better and better at knowing what to pack! And in this post, I’m sharing 7 must-have items to make your camping trip a raging success. From the best fire starters to food and activity ideas, I’ve got you covered! Plus, you can download my free printable RV Packing Checklist at the same time to make sure you leave nothing behind. 

RV Tips 101 — RVing Guide for Beginners

Are you a first-time RV owner, looking to hit the open road in your new home-on-wheels? As exciting as it may be to travel in an RV, it can also be quite overwhelming. From packing and navigating to maintenance and safety, there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to travelling with a motorhome, fifth wheel, or bumper-pull trailer. That’s why I’ve put together this guide of RV tips to help beginners start off on the right foot and enjoy their first trip! We’ll cover:

•  How to plan your route
•  How to make a complete and helpful packing list (don’t forget your sleeping bag, water bottle, snacks, or duct tape!)
• How to properly maintain your RV to prevent big problems later
• Safety tips for an enjoyable and uneventful camping experience

After you read this post, you’re going to feel excited and empowered to get out there and explore, I promise! 

Transform Your RV Living with These Brilliant IKEA RV Hacks

Travelling in an RV comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to maximizing space and functionality. Camping is way more stressful and way less fun when you can’t find anything in your trailer! Luckily, IKEA has many affordable and versatile solutions to make RV life more organized and stylish. In this post, I’m excited to share some ingenious IKEA RV life hacks that will revolutionize your camping experience. Whether you’re looking to spruce up or organize your kitchen, bathroom, or living area, these tips will help you make the most of every square inch. 

10 Best Camper Remodel Ideas to Transform Your RV!

Maybe you had a look at the camping trailer remodels that Sean and I have done over the past few years. And, maybe you’re looking around your own trailer and wishing you could make some of those big changes, too. The truth is, you don’t have to make big changes to drastically improve your trailer’s appearance or function! In this post, I’m sharing 10 camper remodel hacks that won’t break the bank or take a lot of time. From doing a deep clean to removing outdated window coverings to swapping the light fixtures and more, these small changes will add up to major experience upgrades on your next camping trip.

20 Best Travel Trailer & RV Decorating Ideas

Are you surprised to see a list of decorating ideas in a post about camping life hacks? Here’s an important truth I’ve learned: if camping is just about survival mode, no one in my family enjoys it very much. Maybe your family is content to head out into the wilderness with nothing but a tarp, cooler, can opener, and other bare essentials, but not me! I like my space to be beautiful wherever I go, and camping is no exception. So, in this post I’m sharing my favourite ways to make my camper beautiful, including hanging art, installing wallpaper, curtains and dinnerware suggestions, and more! (Bonus: most of these ideas are super functional as well as pretty, so you should check this post out even if you aren’t convinced you need to decorate!)

How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring | Our DIY Camper 2.0

Let’s face it, keeping a camper (and everything else, including your family) clean during a camping trip is not easy! One camping hack I’ve found that really works is the right flooring. Carpet is impossible, and transition areas from one type of floor to another are also a nightmare! We replaced all the flooring in our DIY Camper 2.0 with vinyl plank, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s easy to clean, hides dirt well, and really brightens the whole place up. Learn how to install new flooring in your own camper, easy peasy! 

Funny Camper Signs for your RV (Free Printables!)

Camping hacks don’t all have to be practical. They can be fun, too! The vibe in your trailer makes a difference in how your holiday goes. So, hanging some art on the wall could be just as important to the mood as remembering to bring the eggs and ice packs.

I have four different printable 8×10 signs that you can print off on your home printer or send off to a print shop. If you print them at home, simply use letter-sized paper and trim off the ends to make the 8×10 piece. I’ve made the designs simple and with black ink only so that they’re easy and inexpensive to print. Use a mat to make them look more substantial in a frame if you’d like! Framed art would also make a great gift for a friend who loves to RV. Choose from “Camper Sweet Camper”, “Sorry for what I said when we were trying to park the camper”, and more!

Our Pacific Coast RV Trip: Canada to Disneyland

If you’re ready for an epic trip of a lifetime that is perfect for experienced campers, let me tell you about the time we drove our RV down the Pacific Coast Highway from Alberta, Canada to sunny Anaheim, California. Along the way, we experienced breathtaking scenery, wonderful campgrounds, and delicious food. I’ll share our tips on where to park your RV, how to drive on this winding road, and what to do with kids along the way. (Be warned: this is not a trip for anyone who is chicken about challenging driving conditions or tricky parking situations. But once you’re worth your salt as an RV driver, it’s totally worth it!)

Glamping Hacks on a Budget

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m more of a glamper than a true camper. If you’re like me and enjoy the finer things in life even when you’re enjoying nature, let me share a few budget-friendly glamping hacks that will make your next camping trip a little easier and more luxurious. From tips like BYOB (bedding, not beer!) to food prep, cleaning hacks, and the best small appliances to bring, I’ve got you covered! It IS possible to be comfortable while you are away from home in the woods, I promise.

Clean Smarter, Not Harder: Essential Cleaning Hacks (Good for at Home Cleaning, Too!)

Camping is dirty. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it! I’ve spent a lot of time cleaning in my lifetime, and I’ve found there are very few life hacks that don’t transfer from my house to my camper. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning!

So, I’m sharing my list of favourite cleaning hacks that are perfect for life on the road. Cleaning your kitchen with lemon juice and vinegar, freshening your mattress with baking soda, the quick and easy way to degrease your greasy pots and pans…sounds pretty useful, right? I’m sharing the entire list of cleaning hacks so you can take what you want for camping and save the rest for when you get home. (Maybe you don’t have a TV in your camper, but you’re going to want to try cleaning your screen at home with a coffee filter for a lint-free finish, believe me!)

Five Years Later: What’s Held Up and What Hasn’t in my Renovated RV

I’m sure you’ve got the idea now that camping is so much more fun in an RV! So, whether you’re here dreaming of a tiny home on wheels, planning a family camper makeover like I did, or just want to freshen up an older trailer you already own and love, you’re in the right place! I’m sharing exactly what’s held up beautifully in our RV over the last five years…and what I’d skip (or do differently) if I were starting again. From what kind of paint I would recommend, to flooring and peel and stick tile updates, to light fixtures and other small changes, I’m telling you what worked and what to avoid. By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly what to do in your own DIY camper!

Extra Life Hacks for Camping I Need You to Know

That’s almost everything! I’ve saved the best for last: a few extra little tidbits of camping wisdom that didn’t fit anywhere else. Each one is a lesson I’ve learned the hard way over many years of camping experiments:

• Don’t go to popular spots on long weekends; try to visit those during the week.
• Ask friends and family for hidden local campground gems that might not be advertised to tourists.  
• Don’t visit the mountains in any month but July if you don’t want to be snowed on!
• Bring lots of extra blankets in case of weather changes and chilly nights. (It can get so cold in a trailer.)
• Don’t forget lanterns and extra batteries. Walking in the dark in the woods is unsafe and not fun. 

And that’s it! All my best camping hacks to make your time outdoors comfortable, enjoyable, convenient, and most importantly, fun! Do you have any great camping hacks that didn’t make this list? Share them in the comments! 

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