· Packing coolers: Use bottle of frozen water, frozen meats or bags of veggies…these will help keep your cooler cold. As they thaw, use them up.
· Pack some pinchy clothes pins. These work great hanging up wet swim suits or towels on a line, and also work great keeping potato chip bags closed.
· Customize your own pack list on the computer, and just print it off when you need it. Some word document programs have a pre-set list of suggested items to get you started.
· Shower bag: Pack a small duffle bag with shower shoes, shampoo, soap, and a towel. Just take your clean clothes with you when you go…everything else will already be packed in your shower bag.
· Mice and dryer sheets: We heard that this worked, but they must be Downey Dryer Sheets. It did not work for us. We had Downey sheets all over our camper. A mother mouse was actually making a nest out of the dryer sheet…it’s clean, soft and smelled great for her “nursery”.
· Avon’s Skin So Soft is supposed to work as a flea and bug repellent. It is oily.
· The Bug Zapper battery operated fly swatter works great on mosquitoes, but not flies. They see it coming and we couldn’t kill even one. Bring a good old fly swatter camping with you.
· If you rub dish soap on the outside of your pan before cooking over a fire, the soot will easily come off when you wash them later.
· Pack ice cubes in a one gallon plastic bag. These will fit easily into your camper freezer and are ready to go.
· Keep first aid kits in back packs. If you need it at camp or on the hiking trail - you’ll have it with you.
· Always take a spare vehicle key with you. You do NOT want to lock yourself out of your vehicle miles from home.
· To prevent mildew or dampness in your camper, use Damp Rid. You can get this at camping stores, but it’s cheaper at Wal-Mart. It’s dry crystals that capture the moisture in the air and change it to water that collects in a container under the crystals. In case of water overflow, keep the container in your sink when not using the camper.