5 Tools to Bring Camping

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 -
5 essential tools to bring camping to make life easier simple tips

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 


Labor day is this weekend friends, and that means for many of you it's the last chance to go make friends with the Great Outdoors before fall hits. One of the benefits of living in Arizona is that we get to enjoy camping from about April to October. I bet you didn't know almost half of Arizona is actually covered in mountains and pine trees (yes, seriously). The majority of the Arizona population lives in Phoenix or Tucson, smack dab in the desert, so that's the image most of us get when we think of AZ. Surprisingly, although I live in a Phoenix suburb, I'm only about 1-2 hours from mountain lakes and cool breezes. 

Both my husband and I love to go camping. In fact, we actually met on camping trip with mutual friends. We also both love tools! On our last trip to the mountains, we brought several tools to make life away from home a little easier. I put together a list of 5 extremely helpful tools you definitely need to bring with you when you camp. 

1. Reciprocating Saw with Pruning Blades

Obviously, when you're off the grid there is no where to run an extension cord. A cordless reciprocating saw  is incredibly handy! At home I use mine for remodeling work and gardening. While camping I use my saw in several ways. I've used a reciprocating saw to remove low hanging, dead branches and clear a spot for our tent. 



Just as important is using the correct blade. To cut through fresh wood, you really want to use a quality pruning blade. I'm a Diablo blade girl all the way! The carbide tips and non-stick coating help their blades last up to 50 times longer than others. The aggressive teeth look a little scary, but they cut through thick branches like butter! The same reciprocating saw blade that works to trim trees in your backyard is great for cutting large limbs or even small trunks when gathering firewood. 




2. An Unbreakable Flashlight

If you've been camping before, you know everything gets wet and/or dirty (especially your children). In Arizona, we get summer monsoon storms almost every afternoon up in the mountains. Having a heavy duty flashlight that is waterproof is kinda life saving.   


The Virtually Unbreakable Aluminum Flashlight from Husky is one tough mother! It is shock-resistant so that means it won't break even if someone *cough, cough, husband* wears it around in their back pocket and it falls repeatedly onto the rocky ground. 




3. A Strong Hammer

Admit it, you've pounded tent stakes with a rock before. I never thought to bring a hammer camping before I met my husband. He used to be a house framer and practically takes a hammer with him everywhere. Although you can technically hammer tent and canopy stakes into the ground with almost any hard object, pulling those same stakes out when it's time to leave is another matter. We brought my Milwaulkee Framing Hammer with us on our last camping trip and even my 8 year old boys could pry up the stakes with no trouble.



4. A Small Flashlight

I think it's a really good idea for everyone to carry their own small flashlight in the woods at night, especially my kids.


When it's just my husband, my kids and myself, we do what I call "real camping". That means no power, no water, and no bathrooms. When nature calls, you probably know the routine: you grab a flashlight, a roll of toilet paper, and wander off to find a friendly tree. Well, what do you do with your flashlight when you need your hands? 

Someone at Milwaukee tools got smart and actually designed a super bright Pen Light with a Protective rubber bite zone. It was probably designed for home inspectors and contractors, but it's pretty awesome during a midnight potty run! 


5. A lightweight Power Inflator

The same battery that powers your reciprocating saw can make your camping trip MUCH more comfortable and save you from spending half your trip light-headed. A Ryobi Power Inflator can blow up an air mattress or rubber boat in seconds. Even better, it can deflate bulky items to maximize packing space (think pillows and blankets in vacuum bags).


We discovered another extremely helpful use for my inflator while trying to roast marshmallows. The rain had soaked our firewood and our campfire was struggling. A blast of air from the power inflator was like a bellows on steroids! It boosted the fire enough to catch the wood and give us a nice blaze. 



Ready to go dominate the wilderness this weekend? Remember to swing by Home Depot before leaving town and pin the image below and save the idea for later!

simple tools tutorial camping hacks roundup tips camper

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4 comments

  1. Great article. I really need to grab that pen light. I constantly have to hold a light in my mouth when running cables in walls/ceilings.

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  2. i respectfully think you didn't quite get the idea of camping.. Going into nature, lightly and improvising
    An electric saw to 'clean your place" ? An ELECTRIC tool to blow on your fire ?!! Come on.. Ssriously...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We really enjoy camping and go often. Yes, power tools aren't completely necessary, but they do make things easier. If you don't want to bring them on your camp out, then you don't have to.

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  3. By the way.. instead of holding things in your mouth.. get a small headlamp

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