Just this past weekend, I took the family on the first camping trip of the year. It was exciting to get outside and enjoy a campfire while we still can. We bought brand new camp chairs and even brought along plenty of board games. But, we somehow managed to forget a ton of the necessities needed for a proper camp. We forgot to bring extra fuel for the grill (which ran out right as we started cooking). We had zero firewood to use to cook meals, let alone s'mores. And all of our cool weather gear was left sitting on the porch at home. Regardless we made the best of it, thanks to some camping hacks.

One of the hardest parts about going camping is trying to be prepared for everything. There are a ton of "what if's" that go through your head as your pack up for the trip. What if it rains? What if it gets too cold? What if bears break into camp and eat all of our food? What if dad snores too loud? These are all things you need to be ready for, but don't necessarily need to pack your whole house just for a weekend out. I have been on camping trips where we have packed everything but the fridge for one-weekend camping. I have also been on trips where I was as minimalist as possible. The trips with less crap to pack always seemed to be the most rewarding.

Check out some useful hacks that may come in handy on your next camping trip.

Instead of packing the whole house, just keep in mind some of the following camping hacks. These allow you to stay safe, dry, and happy for the trip without trying to find an "electricity bush" for your 60-inch flat-screen.

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