7 Outrageously Awesome Caravan & Camping Hacks

^{Updated April 2021}

Caravan travel is a little different from other types of holidays, requiring a lot of consideration when it comes to storage and packing while ensuring a level of comfort. With limited room and weight to consider, being smart with small spaces in your travelling home (like your camper van) is key.

Here are some great ideas, hacks, tips and tricks on how to maximise shelf and floor space, reuse (and reduce) trash, and make things a little easier on your road trip.

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Handy storage solution

Caravan storage is limited so being efficient with how you use your built in storage spaces can often be a game-changer. For a quick and easy storage hack, use a collapsible, vertical shoe organiser that can be hung anywhere to store smaller items like kitchen utensils, sauces, or dry ingredients. Not only can this be moved around in or out the caravan, it can easily be folded down and put away (when you don’t need it anymore).

Storing valuables on-the-go

Got an empty crisps can (like Pringles) around? Use it to store and hide your valuables at the campsite, beach, or river. Just be sure your fellow travelling companions are able to tell between the can holding the valuables and an empty one!

Handy card holder

A game of cards can often become a nightly activity when caravanning. Make it easy for little hands, arthritis and in windy weather by using an old pool noodle as a card holder. 

Corn chip fire starters

The next time you find yourselves with leftover bags of half-eaten corn chips, don’t throw them out to the green bin! Save the stale chips to be reused as kindling. Corn chips (or other kinds of snack chips for that matter) are usually high in fat, which makes them flammable. Greasier chips will contain a higher fuel value. To start your next campfire, pile up a small stack of chips, and light them up to get going!

Iced bottles

Got an empty milk bottle (or any water bottle) handy? Wash them out, then fill them up with filtered water to be freezed overnight for the next day. Use the frozen bottles as “ice packs” in the esky. Not only will this mean no ice leakage on your journey, you will also be able to drink the water once melted.

Solo-use soap

Liquid soaps offer convenience when travelling on the road, however if you’re wanting to lower your environmental impact when travelling, bar soaps are the go-to option. Slice up full bar of soap into individual single-use portions, loosely wrap them with wax or baking paper, and store these in a waterproof container. This means no more sharing a wet bar of soap (even with your travel partner).

Shower cap ice box

Packed a picnic and need to keep the food cool? Fill a shower cap (or larger bowl) with ice and placing the container on top to create an ice-box effect. Kind of cute, too!

These camping hacks originally published in G’DAY Magazine.