Campfires, roasted marshmallows, swimming and company are all perks of the camping life.
Campgrounds are open for the season across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and although the weather forecast for this past weekend wasn’t ideal, area families have enjoyed roughing it in recent weeks.
Whether you are tenting, towing a camper or using a hammock and tarp, here are a few hacks that might help make this camping season more fun:
• Use foam floor tiles underneath sleeping bags for added comfort.
• Use a headlamp and recycled milk or water jug as a lantern.
• Make tin-can sandwich bread (recipes are online) for easier transportation.
• Glue sandpaper to the top of your match holder.
• Use a recycled coffee can with a lid with slits (to pull the paper through) for a portable toilet paper caddy.
• Use small candy containers for spice jars.
• Recycle an empty laundry detergent jug with a spout as a hand-washing station
• Use a belt and hooks to hang pots and pans from a tree.
• Premake meals like pancakes at home and store in jars – add an egg and water when ready to cook.
• Add bunches of sage to a campfire to keep mosquitoes away.
• Freeze milk or water jugs as ice packs for your cooler.
Snacks
Tired of the same simple s’mores? Try these out next time you’re sitting around the fire:
• Spread peanut butter on the inside of a waffle cone and fill with bananas, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Wrap up the cone in aluminum foil and place on the grill for five to 10 minutes, turning periodically.
• Slice a banana down the middle while it’s still in the peel. Fill with caramel, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbs. Wrap the banana in aluminum foil and cook over the fire for about five minutes.
• Place a piece of bread on the bottom of a sandwich maker. Use your favourite pie filling, pizza filling or even hazelnut spread with a second piece of bread on top. Close the top and roast yourself a pie, pizza or sandwich.
• Dip a strawberry in fluff and roast it over the fire.
• Core an apple and leave a well inside. Fill it with cinnamon, sugar and raisins and roast it over the fire.
