One of the many joys of living in the Pacific Northwest is the access to outdoor recreation and incredible camping in just about any direction. Working Magic loves camping! Forest bathing, friends, campfires (sometimes – be sure to check for fire safety), memory making.
Like many busy folks, getting equipment, food and plans together can be complicated for us, so we thought we’d share some of our favorite camping hacks to make things as easy as possible to get out there.
INCREASE COOLER SPACE & MAKE DINNER EASIER
After a long day of swimming, hiking or laying about the campsite, putting together ingredients to cook in the outdoors can feel like an incredible chore. One of the ways our Client Joy Coordinator, Moira, gets around this is to make and freeze food at home. She recommends doubling batches of soups, stews, chilis and anything you can heat on a stovetop. Add food to a plastic freezer bag and freeze the food flat. When you add these frozen pre-made meals to your cooler, they act as both easy dinners and ice to keep other things cold. Reheating food means you can be eating dinner around the fire in ten minutes or less, and provides lots more time for s’mores.
USE A SHOE ORGANIZER FOR YOUR CAMPING KITCHEN
Hang a shoe organizer from a tree or your camping shade, and fill the pockets with your needed kitchen items – cooking utensils, napkins, utensils, spices, and assorted food prep supplies. You stay organized and keep your kitchen clean. Here’s a great example you can get in a hurry.
USE DORITOS AS KINDLING
If you’re having trouble locating appropriate kindling to light a fire, look no further than your snack bag for Doritos as quick kindling. Apparently, all the delicious starch, oil, and flavorings make ideal conditions for a fire. Corn chips work as well in a pinch!
CARRY BREAKFAST IN A BOTTLE
While there’s nothing better than a delicious breakfast in the outdoors, carrying eggs or throwing together pancake batter can be a hassle in the woods. One way to solve this problem is to plan ahead. Scrambled eggs are much easier to carry when they’re pre-scrambled into a water bottle, no worries about those shells cracking and making a mess. When you’re ready, remove the cap and pour a portion of the eggs into a hot skillet and cook them off. Make sure to carry the bottle in the cooler. If you’re more of a pancake lover, try making the pancake batter at home and then putting the batter into a squeeze bottle. Again, simply squeeze the batter out into a hot pan to cook off the pancakes. You save space, avoid cracked eggs, and have an easy clean-up. Voila!
MAKE A HEADLAMP LANTERN USING WATER JUGS
Two things we always recommend you bring camping are headlamps and water jugs! But did you know that these two things together can create an easy, glowing camping lantern? If you find yourself flintless, out of gas, or in need of an additional light, using the head strap of your head lamp to secure the light against the plastic of a gallon water jug gives you an instant glowing lamp with easy light. Also a great nightlight for the kiddos if they get nervous about no-see-ums.
We hope these tips will help you have an easy and enjoyable camping experience! Off we go for a long weekend – stay tuned to hear about Gab’s adventures in Dosewallips, in the Olympics. More soon!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Til then, high fives! Have fun out there,
Working Magic Group
Article written by Moira Reilly, Client Joy Magician
