Quick Tips

 If you have a money or time saving tip , or if you've some special way of doing something and you'd like to share it please submit them to us and we'll publish them here!  

• For Tips and Money saving Ideas. Buy cheap shower curtains off the internet £2-3 and use them for all sorts of things, table clothes, groundsheets. Slightly more expensive ones used together with a few old tent poles and guy ropes make an excellent canopy for your campervan / motorhome
  Submitted by Gingerwarrior
  
  
• Here is a tip for mounting your satellite dish when camping. Do not buy an expensive tripod. Use a small rotary washing line. Take off all the washing line, turn it upside down, the centre pole is the same diameter as the mounting pole on most dishes. You can buy these for less than £10 at wilkinson's. I purchased a full satellite system from Maplins last weekend for £49 and £9 for a tripod.Whole setup for less than £60!.
  Submitted by cliffandjayne
  
  
• Handy money saving tip - Don't buy expensive Brand name tent carpets, use supermarket brand picnic rugs, they have similar backing and if at end of season usually half price, we bought 6 Morrisons picnis rugs total cost £18 rather than £99 tent carpet.
  Submitted by Bowies
  
  
• Loos rolls made specifically for chemical loos cost a fortune- nearly a fiver for a pack of four, because they degrade easily. Troll along to your local supermarket and buy their own brand loo rolls for 50p (Smart Price, Tesco Value etc) They are made from recycled paper and break down easily in your chemical loo. Cheap and eco friendly too
  Submitted by firebird
  
  
• We always buy a cheap plastic dust sheet from DIY shop and put it underneath our sleeping area and ground sheet. That way when we take the tent down and put it away it is dry and free from mud, grass and insects
  Submitted by The wide awake club
  
  
• For each first night of a camping trip, I take a tub of homemade bolognese/ chilli/ similar from the freezer and not only does it keep all the food in the coolbag cold, but means I only have to chuck in pasta to boil and heat through the bolognese quickly for a really simple and fast tea with minimal washing up!
  Submitted by Debbie Scott
  
  
• Store tins and other non-perishables in under bed storage boxes. You can then put them under your van saving lots of space.
  Submitted by William Murphy
  
  
• Use toothpaste gel [in the bottle] for cleaning cooker hobs, grill pans and fridges. It works easily and leaves stainless steel sparkling.
  Submitted by dogtlotdog
  
  
• Make sure you take a roll of gaffer tape away with you. It comes in handy for groundsheet or canvas repairs.
  Submitted by CavemanCamper
  
  
• To get your vehicle off a slippery surface. Use an offcut carpet, preferably needle punch. Cut it about 1mx300mm & staple strips of wood onto the carpet. Place under wheel & drive over carpet. When not in use roll up & put them in a bin liner.
  Submitted by explore
  
  
• When your kitchen tissue runs out at home or away save the inner cardboard rolls, stuff them with used supermarket carrier bags all folded up tightly into small balls (whilst they are still available!)
  
  Take stuffed cardboard rolls away on your next outing and Viola - you have a readily available source of bags for your daily rubbish!
  Submitted by Drylander
  
  
• Place your roll mats under your sewn in groundsheet instead of inside to prevent stones puncturing the material
  Submitted by John Gipson
   
• If you have to take your tent down in windy condition's always leave the pegs in and remove the poles first, saves the whole thing blowing across the field!
  Submitted by adelowe
   
• When you are putting your van onto a pitch dont forget to release your stabiliser. It makes it easier for the van to turn and does not wear out your pressure pads.
  Submitted by R Findlater
   
• A really good security device? - have an engineering workshop turn you up four mild steel blanks, about one inch diameter and about the same length. Push these up the steady access holes and it is virtually impossible to wind up the steadies. To remove them use a telescopic magnet that can be bought from most auto parts outlets.
  Submitted by Chris Cherry
  
  
• When using a rechargeable air pump to inflate and deflate your mattress, use the 1" hole, not the 1/4" hole. It makes it much quicker and saves the power in the air pump.
  Submitted by Ged Judd
   
• Cheap rubber non-slip matting makes a great table cover, stopping things sliding around when camping on a slope.
  Submitted by Madelinew

• Rubber wedge shaped doorstops are excellent for levelling out tables and cooking stations in a tent on an uneven surface.
  Submitted by Madelinew

• Freeze your milk, or any other liquids you normally refridgerate, and place in cold caravan fridge before leaving home. Set your fridge on its coldest setting. When your fridge has to be off whilst crossing the channel the frozen products will keep everything else in the fridge cold..
  Submitted by CaravanSkier
  
   
• Avon Skin-so-Soft Moisturiser (Soft & Fresh scent) is by far the most effective way to deter biting insects. Highland hikers swear by the stuff and it's both less offensive and more effective than any other insect repellant I have come across.
  Submitted by Madelinew

• When winterising your caravan save on buying expensive silica gel moisture absortent packs by placing cat litter inside tights, place on a piece of kitchen roll, then place in front and rear corners of your caravan.
  Submitted by Primus
  
  
• Save the plastic miniature bottles from planes and trains.  They are invaluable for carrying small amount of liquid (milk, washing up, shampoo) and powdered stuff.  Lightweight too (and fun to empty first !)
  Submitted by Brian
   
• If you get grease on your trousers from the tow hitch, spray them with WD40 before washing them to remove all the grease and leave them stain free.
  Submitted by Papa Pip
   
• Use space saver bags to put your clothes, pillows,  sleeping bags in. they are plastic bags and you remove the air from them with a hoover nozzle or you can roll out the air
  Submitted by Purple Flower
   
• A good one for backpackers on a budget, buy a cheap Lilo ( £1.99) and take it with you camping, much better than just a roll mat, and cheaper than a self inflating roll mat.
  Submitted by Joanne
  
  
• When you find yourself in a hot place with warm beer and no fridge, wet a (preferably clean) sock and put your bottle of beer inside it. Hang it from a tree/fence post/wing mirror. the water evaporates and the whole thing acts as a heat exchanger.. voila - cool beer.
  Submitted by MyFairLandy
  
  
• When camping i always freeze 2 or 5litre bottles of still water and put them in a large cool bag with my milk butter bacon etc if you keep them in the shade during the day say under a tree the 5 litres stays cold for approx 3 days and you still have the water to make squash or cook with.
  Submitted by Marina
   
• A useful tip for campers who don't want to wash up after breakfast is to buy those little boxes of cereals and pour the milk directly into the waxy wrapping (it doesn't leak) then you can eat straight from the box without having to use a dish.
  Submitted by Lynn Lowe
   
• Packing for a picnic? Instead of using ice packs why not freeze some small or a couple of large cartons of fruit juice squash? Keeps your sandwiches nice and chilled and can be eaten as either a fruit ice or left to thaw and (still keeping the leftover snacks fresh) and drunk later. On a hot day you can just leave them out while having your picnic and they'll soon thaw. The advantage is of course it is a bit less weight to carry around, if walking or visiting somewhere.
  Submitted by G Reissiger
   
• A good one for backpackers on a budget, buy a cheap Lilo ( £1.99) and take it with you camping, much better than just a roll mat, and cheaper than a self inflating roll mat!
  Submitted by Joanne
   
• An old carpet sliced along its length, cut into sections, and shoved under the driving wheels, has helped us move a slightly bogged down caravan on a wet site. It also helps if you take a Stanley knife to cut it with!
  Submitted by James
   
• Another useful tip is to take the bunk bed out of your 'van (depending on the model of 'van you've got!) if you don't need it.  We do that on holiday