Packing - camping hacks or internet crap?

Packing for a camping trip always sounds simple… until you’re knee-deep in gear, realising half of it is bulky, leaky, or completely unnecessary. So this time, we put the internet’s favourite packing hacks to the test, so you don’t have to:

These are the packing ideas we tested:

• Spice storage: Swapping out bulky spice jars for clever, space-saving alternatives
• Car snack storage: The best way to store road-trip snacks for the kids (and keep the car chaos-free)
• Packing up a wet tent: How to dry a wet tent before packing it away to avoid mould and musty surprises

If you’re looking to pack smarter, lighten the load, and keep your campsite running smoothly, here’s what to try, and what to avoid.

Spice storage

We’re tired of clunky spice bottles rolling around and falling over in the caravan. And who hasn't crawled around cleaning basil from places it should never be? Also, we only need a couple of shakes of Turmeric in a weekend. So we’re giving pill-box spices a crack.

The idea: Pill-box spices

Simply decant a little bit of your favourite spices into a pill box and label each section before you head out on the road. Then when you want to use them, it's a simple open and sprinkle. Rack off, spice rack.

The verdict?

Compact organised and ready for flavour on the go.

Storing snacks in the car

A good road trip relies on the playlist and the snacks. Spotify has the music covered, so let’s talk food. And how to avoid fights, mess and running out, when you’ve got hungry kids in the back.

The idea: Shower caddy snack tray

We tested out the popular "shower caddy snack storage" idea where the kids load up a shower caddy, keeping all the drinks upright and the snacks in their spot.

The verdict?

The kids loved it - and so did Mum and Dad. All the food went into mouths instead of in between seats. The car snack game has officially levelled up!

Packing up a wet tent

Picture this, it's the last day of your holiday and time to pack up the tent, but it's been raining all night. As tempting as it is to just roll that baby up and deal with the layer of mould later, this wet vac camping hack promises to save you some time now and hassle later!

The idea: Wet vac your tent

A wet/dry handheld vacuum cleaner will suck up the morning dew or rain from the outside of your tent. The tent can be packed up straight away and stored, all ready for your next camping holiday.

The verdict?

This actually worked really and was an oddly satisfying process.

Packing hack results

Three from three in packing hacks. That’s a win-win-win.

Check out more camping hacks tested and tried by true campers or watch the video below: