Last month we reviewed a number of hacks geared toward four-wheeling. This month we turn our attention to camping and tenting. Here are my hacks for a more enjoyable camping experience.
- Use lip balm to ‘wax’ a sticky zipper. A light coat of lip balm on the zipper will get that zipper operating smoothly again. The zipper can be open or closed, but open works better. After applying the lip balm, use your fingers to work the material into the ‘teeth’ of the zipper.
There may be better solutions on the market, but lip balm tends to contain beneficial waxes and oils. Plus you are likely to have one with you. Use this trick on every zipper, whether on a tent, backpack, gym bag, or other article.
- These next tips are specifically for cold-weather and snow camping.
When the temperatures drop to freezing or below, tent stakes can be frozen in the ground by morning. In California the frost line, the line below which the soil does not freeze, is an average of 5 inches but up to 10 inches deep. That is enough to make it difficult if not impossible to pull a stake.
Winter camping does not have to be an issue at least for tent stakes. Using a separate piece of string, create a loop. Put the loop over an edge on the tent stake, and tie the other end to the corresponding tent loop. If the stake is frozen in the next morning, untie or cut that string. You don’t have to cut the tent loop or leave your tent behind.
Use only metal stakes. If a stake is frozen in, it can be warmed up with a propane torch.
You’ll need to buy the torch nozzle as well. (While normally used with the longer propane bottles, the nozzle will fit on the squat bottles used for camping.)Use a minimal flame (or full throttle if you are impatient) setting to gently heat the stake. With a gloved hand, work the stake out as it warms the ground around it. I recommend that anyone who regularly camps during winter or in snowy conditions pack a torch nozzle. The torch can be helpful for other things, like certain off-road mechanical work.
Or confine your winter camping to a line south of Long Beach, California which has no frost line.
- Store the tent fly inside the tent. Remove the fly and spread it on the floor inside the tent before you remove the struts. Then roll or fold up the tent. The convenience factor is very high. No need to roll it up separately or lay it aside to fold and lay on top of the folded tent before rolling up the tent. Placing the fly in the tent reduces the impact of fighting wind.
- Speaking of rolling up a tent, roll it from the back side (opposite the door). That will place the door near the leading edge of the tent. Next time you need it, set the tent roll at your feet and unroll. The door will be right there. I have a tent with doors on both sides however only one end has pockets for eye glasses, etc. Using a grey sharpie, I wrote “pockets” on the outside of the tent on that end. By rolling it up from the other end, I unroll where I want my head.
- Tie a taut line from each tent loop to the corresponding stake. Create a taut line knot on that line. Recall that the tent’s guy lines come with a small piece of plastic used to adjust the tension on the guy line. Those plastic pieces can break or fall off. The taut line knot on the string allows you to easily adjust each guy line as needed.
This video will show you how to tie it and give you a bit of history of the three versions of the knot. I agree with the producer about using the simplest version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks2FskttO_4 - Always store your gear at night. If you’re camping in winter or heavy weather, that equipment could get buried in snow or soaked. And rain – even dew – can affect gear.
Wind can be a factor, too. I’ve seen folding chairs go flying when a gust of wind blows through.
You also need to be concerned about critters. Any food left out will attract animals. It’s not just edibles that are a concern. Some animals will chew on clothing and shoes, too. Garbage must be dealt with if there is no covered receptacle nearby. Heck, there could be some vagrants nearby ready to make off with your stuff.
- This next tip is designed to help you sleep better. Most people arrange the sleeping bag uphill (when appropriate, of course). But what about side-to-side? If your body will be slightly off-camber, create some padding to place under pressure points (hips and shoulders, in particular).
Stuff clothing into the tent bag and carrying bag for the sleeping bag. Place those as needed under your body. They can go directly under the body or under the mattress.
Those bags can be used as pillows, too. Save space by leaving pillows at home, and create them upon arrival at the campsite.When stuffing the sleeping bag into its carrying bag, insert it head end first. That will keep the head (top) of the sleeping bag from getting dirty should the carrying bag not seal well. Sure, the foot end might be dirty, but you can tolerate that.
- When placing the sleeping bag in your trunk, ensure that the open end of the bag is toward the interior of the vehicle. This will minimize the potential for any dirt in the trunk getting into the carrying bag.
- A good place for your flashlight is inside a shoe or boot. It’ll be easy to find at night. After all, you’ll need shoes or boots to make your 10-100 run at night.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you go camping with a tent. Here’s to another great time in the great outdoors.
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Did you miss the previous articles?
2025
- 2025-06-10 8 Valuable Hacks For Four-Wheeling And Camping
- 2025-05-26 10 Concepts For Responsible Four-Wheeling
- 2025-04-15 Trail Leader Safety
- 2025-03-22 Wheel Cheat: What It Is and How to Avoid It
- 2025-02-09 How to Quickly Escape a Natural Disaster
- 2025-01-14 Be A Hit At Camp With A Dutch Oven Chicken Pot Pie
Some Upcoming Events (click on the link for details)
The 2025 schedule of clinics and adventures trips has been posted on the web site.
The Rubicon Trip is 4 weeks away.
August 2025
August 11, 2025 Rubicon Adventure
August 23, 2025 Sand Dune Off-Road Driving – Oceano Dunes
August 24, 2025 Self Recovery Clinic – LA Area
August 30, 2025 Labor Day Club Run
September 2025
September 13, 2025 Dutch Oven Mini Clinic
September 20, 2025 Synthetic Rope Repair Mini Clinic – NEW!
October 2025
October 4, 2025 Getting Started Off-Road Driving – LA Area
October 5, 2025 Day 2 Getting Started Off-Road Driving – LA Area
October 4-5, 2025 Getting Started Two Day Package – LA Area
October 11, 2025 Winching Clinic – LA Area
October 17, 2025 Death Valley Adventure
October 25, 2025 Getting Started Off-Road Driving – SD Area
October 26, 2025 Day 2 Getting Started Off-Road Driving – SD Area
October 25-26, 2025 Getting Started Two Day Package – SD Area
Wavian NATO Military Steel Jerry Can – 20L/5.3 Gallon $119.99
Order several cans now at:
https://www.4x4training.com/w/product/20l5-3-gallon-wavian-nato-military-steel-jerry-can/
Best to order these cans now as we enter the hurricane season. The warehouse has sold out every can they have 3 times in past year due to natural disaster. People bought any color and any size just to have one right away. Half of the new supply shipped as soon as it came in due to a long waiting list. You don’t want to be caught without a gas can or forced to buy an inferior can that leaks.
Check out this fire test of the cans https://youtu.be/xG6x_BoGqNY
These are the real deal and are now legal again. These cans do not leak! They are the ones I recommend. However, the penalty we have to pay to get these cans again is that every can must come with a CARB approved spout. That adds about $30 dollars to the can. Still worth it. I have cans built during WWII that still hold gasoline and do not leak. (I am not that old. I bought them surplus.)
Due to a recent ruling by CARB, we cannot ship black and green cans to California.
If you live outside CA. contact us (phone or email) to see how you can order black or green.
73 KI6FHA
I hope to see you on the trails!
Tom Severin, President Badlands Off Road Adventures, Inc.
4-Wheel Drive School
310-613-5473
www.4x4training.com
Make it Fun. Keep it Safe.
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