Camping is fun, but the best laid plans go out the window starting about the time you pull out of your driveway.

That is why it is awesome to have hacks like these – to make your job easier and everyone's experience much more fun.

• Instead of hauling bags of ice (and dealing with the mess), freeze plastic water bottles and let them slowly melt, first cooling your food, then ensuring hydration.
• Skip the bulky camping lantern: instead, simply wrap a standard headlamp around a clear plastic water jug. It will light up the entire picnic area for games of cards after dark.

Source: Fix.com
• No need to bring sleeping pads and water toys. Sleep on plastic blow-up air mattresses that can go straight from the tent to the lake. Float on them during the day (or take a nap!), then return them to the campsite each night.
• Don’t buy an expensive camp kitchen set. Bring a hanging shoe organizer to store camp kitchen supplies, such as spices or grilling tools.
• Why buy fire starter or chemical-based gel? Use dryer lint as your fire-starter: simply save lint in cardboard egg carton pockets, pour wax over each pod, then bring along to start your fire.
• If you buy coffee at home, there’s no need to buy a toilet paper roll container. Store toilet paper rolls in your empty plastic coffee containers (the big ones work best). The toilet paper will stay dry and be easy for kids to find when they need it.
• Grill fruit on the barbecue: Fruit is more appealing than grilled veggies to kids, and with a little whipped cream, you can skip the marshmallows. We prefer to create fruit kabobs with stone fruit such as peaches, pineapple, grapes (cut in half for young children), and strawberries. Local berries bought at farm stands or even picked by the family work well, too.

Source: Fix.com
• Make “pocket” dinners: Create pockets of tin foil and fill with sliced potatoes, zucchini, onions, and other veggies, and then let them cook in the coals. It’s best to use heavy duty foil to ensure that ashes don’t get into your meal. Each pocket is customizable and fun to eat!
• Pack milk substitutes instead of cow milk: Milk substitutes like soy, almond, and rice milk don’t have to be refrigerated, and vanilla or chocolate flavors are appealing to most kids, so there’s no need to worry about keeping milk cold for breakfast cereal.
• Skip the dishes: Use empty snack-size chip bags as individual serving “bowls” for chili, stew, or even oatmeal. Kids love these “on-the-go” containers.
• Don’t get fancier than boiled water: If you really want to simplify mealtime, buy dehydrated backpacking single- or double-serving meals. They taste just fine in the wilderness, require only boiling water, and take about five minutes to prepare.

Camping is an eclectic hobby – even the best planned trip has unavoidable glitches, hitches and challenges.

With amazing hacks like these, however, a lot of the hiccups we all experience on a camping trip go out the window.

For more incredible campaign hacks like this, please visit FIX.