Do you stress about not ‘camping right’? Maybe you were told that taking camping shortcuts meant you weren’t ‘really camping’? Or maybe you tried a camping shortcut once and someone told you that’s ‘not the way to camp’. Well, we are just going to nix those negatives right now. Here, in our ‘no judgement’ zone the only wrong way to camp is to not camp at all!

So, with that in mind, here are some of our favorite camping shortcuts it’s OK to take!

Easy Camping Shortcuts

Sometimes you just want things to be easy. We completely understand! These camping hacks are simple and designed to let you relax and enjoy camping!

Cooking KISS

I used to be more of gourmand camper but toady I’m a minimalist camper: I only bring a primus, campfire set and cooking utensils. Food is dehydrated backpacking food. Backpacking dehydrated meals are easy to prepare, and dehydrated backpacking food is lightweight and easy to carry in our backpacks. An added bonus is also I don’t need to worry about keeping my food cool when we are out camping.  – Kari Svenneby, ActiveKidsClub.com

Get Kari’s tips on making a camp kitchen

Potty Trained

One of my favorites for car camping was to bring along an old potty-training potty, even when our girls didn’t need to use it at home any more. I’d put it in the tent vestibule and then they could get up in the middle of the night and easily pee without having to trek to the bathhouse (and wake us up to do so). – Chez Chesak, Travel pro

Logged In

Because we often camp out of state and in state parks we run into a lot of wood bans. Since we know we will end up buying wood either on site or from an enterprising family nearby, we usually pick up a couple of Bonfire Logs before our trip. The cost is similar to what we would pay for a bundle of wood at a campsite and we know we have a product that will burn well for a couple of hours. (We’ve bought some really bad wood in the past so it’s nice to have a consistent product.) Locally we have found these logs at Home Depot. – Jody Halsted, publisher Camping Tips for Everyone

Learn more about the Light n’ Go Bonfire Log

Put a Spork in It

Instead of hauling plastic or real silverware, we use spoon-fork-knife combo utensils. They are easy to clean, durable, and space saving. Saves time on clean up and they are fun for the kids to use. We bought ours at Eddie Bauer where they are sold near the registers. (Order on Amazon)- Vicki, That Was A First

Read Vicki’s packing tips for your first camping trip

Cycle Camping Shortcuts

We cycle camp a lot and find bedding bulky so like to shave it where possible. Instead of five Thermarests we take four, lie them widthways instead of lengthways and leave our feet and ankles uncushioned. We also pack empty pillow cases, stuff them with our jumpers at the end of a day’s riding, and enjoy a night’s sleep with our pop-up pillows. – Kirstie Pelling, The Family Adventure Project

Read Kirstie’s camping tips- from tent buying to wild sleeping, and everything in between.

Two Minute Tent

One of the biggest hassles for camping on my own or with my son is the time it takes to put up and take down the tent. With the popularity of ‘instant setup’ tents this problem is solved! Literally, one to two minute set up means more time to relax in the hammock and enjoy the outdoors. – Karilyn Owen, No Back Home

Get Karilyn’s tips for camping with kids

What are your favorite camping shortcuts? Share your tricks in the comments!