How to Improvise Some Camping Equipment

Campers are a very innovative group. Living outdoors (weather permitting) as comfortably as possible with few conveniences, they are improvisation masters (like "MacGyver"!) getting double and triple duty out of everything they use.
Here are a few ideas:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A study metal bucket
• A shovel
• Several foil pie plates
• Charcoal
• A small empty aspirin bottle with safety cap OR a small dry plastic container with screw-on top or cap
• A box of matches
• Some yarn
• Paraffin
• Optional item: An ax
• A large lightweight plastic sheet

1. When the temperature drops unexpectedly, improvise a tent heater by placing a number of medium-size stones in your fire until they get hot, and then putting them under an inverted bucket.

2. 
    

   Pitching a tent on sand or loose ground where regular stakes won't hold is possible with guy lines (Two secure knots with a loop on the end) secured to heavy foil pie plates. Put a hole through the pie plate center and knot the line on the other side.

3. 
    

   Keeping a reserve of dry matches is a wise move for any camper. You can use a small empty aspirin bottle with the safety cap or a small dry plastic container with a screw-top cap.

4. A small, but effective oven can be made by placing two pie tins face-to-face and burying them in a bed of hot coals.

5. When your firewood's damp, you'll need fire starters that'll burn with intense heat: Wrap a kitchen match with yarn, tie it off, and dip it in paraffin. Chip the wax off the end when you're ready to strike the match.

6. A camp table can be easily built with dry branches. Drive two stakes about four feet from a large tree, then tie cross pieces to the stakes and attach them to the tree for sturdiness.

7. 
    

   IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE AN AX-Save an old tree fork if you don't have a chopping block. A log braced in it is easy to split and stays put. Start splitting near the outer edge and work your way in towards the center.
   Another substitute for a chopping block is a level, sawed-off stump. Stand your logs upright and split them inward from the outer edges; every blow should break off a clean stick. If you hit the center first, your ax will only get stuck!

8. 
    

   A large lightweight plastic sheet can be used in many ways. For example: Dig a hole in the ground and then cover it with the sheet. Fill it with water and now, you have a small washtub.
   It can also be: a light tent, a windbreaker, a sunshade, rain cover, or raincoat.

[arwen1964]

on 7/14/2008 Another well written and very useful article.