Little Extras for Your Camping Trips

By Melissa Miller - August 2nd, 2000

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Clean It Up

Bring an extra hand towel just for your face. Don't use it for anything else so that it is ready to clean you up at the end of the day.
Use toner, which is a facial astringent, to dab with your face towel to clean your face if you are not near water.
Baby wipes are also very helpful in cleaning up all over at the end of a long day.
Q-tips are an important item not to forget.
Dr. Bronner«s biodegradable soap (which means it won't harm the natural ecosystem). This stuff is great and can be used for cleaning the body, the dishes, clothing, etc. Peppermint is especially invigorating.
A nailfile is an easily overlooked, yet indispensable item. I usually clip my nails before a trip so that I can avoid too many broken nails, but even still, it's nice to have a spare file around.
A small hand-held mirror to check out that sunburn on your nose.

Protect Yourself From the Elements

Hats. One of our readers wrote in: "I always make sure that I bring two hats that I love. One to keep me warm at night and another one for sunshade during the day. Soft and yummy colors or that perfect battered cowboy hat are best."
Lip Balm with sunscreen.
Face lotion with sunscreen.
Sunglasses with UV protection (with strap if possible).
Eyedrops, in case of allergies.
Moleskin for so that you don't have to cut your trip short due to hiking blisters.

The Comforts of Camp

Waterproof matches. Rubbing two sticks together may work, but why bother?
Extra Rope. You may need a clothesline or to hang a tarp or any number of things a little extra rope can do.
Ziploc bags. For trash, to carry supplies, leftovers, your babywipes, or whatever.
A sling-lite chair. These are super nice for your bum if you can afford to carry them.
Hay. It sounds funny, but I saw some campers (at a car camping site) put hay down under their tent. They said it was very comfortable and kept the ground from being too cold under them. Be sure to clean it up after using it.
A wax self-starting log was recommended by a reader on a kayaking trip in Glacier Bay Alaska. Apparently there is very little wood to be found on the beaches and although heavy and extravagant, it served to keep the group warm on a cold night.
Shovel. Good for digging a latrine or burying hot coals.

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