We are proud to introduce our unique new pocket sized first aid tins!
These retro, reusable brushed metal tins are filled with the most commonly used first aid components, making them handy little items to keep in your car, throw in your child's sports bag, or add to your camping gear.
Outdoor Tips
Below are some valuable tips & tricks that can help you make the most of your next camping trip or outdoor adventure:
Campfires & Cooking
Keeping Warm
Mosquitoes & Ticks
Safety Tips
Tips When Camping with Kids
Hiking Safety Tips & Tricks
RV Camping Tips & Tricks
Campfires & Cooking
- Always bring extra matches.
- Waterproof your matches by dipping them in nail polish or melted paraffin wax.
- Make campfires easy by starting preparations at home. Fill an old egg carton with dryer lint and bring it with you to the campsite. Place it under the dry twigs as you build your fire and use it as a fire starting "log".
- Alternatively, purchase a Coleman® Fire Starter and cut it into small pieces to get a number of campfires going out of just one log.
- Soft woods like pine, cedar and fir are best for starting fires.
- Rub the outside of your pots and pans with liquid or bar soap before cooking over an open fire. This will make the black scorch marks come off much easier.
- Alternatively, cover the bottom of your pans in tinfoil to keep them clean.
- Create easy packet meals in aluminum foil. Add sliced potatoes, a little butter, onions, carrots, and any other veggies you like, seal it, and roast it over the campfire for an easy & delicious meal.
Keeping Warm
- If your socks are wet at the end of the day, sleep with them around your midsection to dry them out. This is much more effective than hanging them outside.
- To help keep warm at night, fill your water bottle with boiling hot water, wrap it in a towel, and put it in your sleeping bag before you get in.
- Sleep in a hat to help keep warm at night. 80% of body heat escapes through your head.
- Dress in layers so you can easily add or remove clothing depending on the weather.
- Pack your clothes in grocery or garbage bags. It will keep them dry if it rains, and the bags can be used for dirty laundry at the end of your trip.
Mosquitoes & Ticks
- Use a Coleman® Yard & Camp Fogger around your campsite once a day to keep the critters at bay.
- Use personal repellent, like Coleman® 40% Deet or Coleman® Deet Free SkinSmart® formula, on all exposed skin.
- Burn Coleman® Citronella Candles to help repel bugs and provide ambiance.
- Consider using mosquito netting, like those available from Coleman®, if the bugs are exceptionally bad.
- Avoid ticks by staying on the trails and avoiding dense, grassy areas.
- Wear light colored clothing. Mosquitoes aren't as attracted to it, and ticks can be seen more easily on light colors.
- If you find a tick on your person, grab it with a tweezers to remove it. Don't crush the tick's body because this can cause bacteria to enter your skin. Once you remove the tick, wash the area with soap & water. If you believe part of the tick is still in your skin, see a medical professional.
- Don't set up camp near stagnant water or swampy areas because they are usually home to many biting insects.
- Pitch your tent entrance facing the breeze so mosquitoes don't congregate at your door.
- Look for a campground that is regularly treated for mosquitoes. They will still have some, but not as many has an untreated site.
- It is believed that using LED lights doesn't attract mosquitoes like regular lights do. Try a Coleman® LED Light
- Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. During these times, change into long pants, long sleeved shirts, socks and shoes to protect yourself.
- Avoid scented personal products while camping. They are a strong attractant for bugs.
- Eat garlic. It is a natural insect repellent when it is secreted through your pores.
Safety Tips
- Check the weather forecast for the area before you leave and pack accordingly.
- Use a camping checklist, like the one found here to be sure you don't forget any essentials.
- Tell someone at home where you'll be and when you plan to be back.
- Always check your first aid kit before each trip. Make sure you aren't missing components, and make sure none of the components have expired.
- Consider bringing a headlamp instead of a flashlight so you can keep your hands free in an emergency.
- Try to drink 3 - 5 quarts of water a day when camping - especially in high altitudes. It will help prevent dehydration and altitude sickness, which can cause headaches and nausea.
Tips When Camping with Kids
- Teach children to stand by a nearby tree and stay put if they are lost. This is the easiest way to find them.
- Children over 4 can carry some survival items with them including a whistle around their neck. Three blows on a whistle is the standard signal for "I'm lost".
- Pack each day of your children's clothing in individual zip lock or grocery bags. That way they can just grab a bag with a full outfit in it, and put their dirty clothes into the bag to avoid mixing things up in the suitcase.
- Make sure each child has a flashlight. That prevents fighting over the flashlight, and makes them easy to find at night.
- Always plan where to meet if the family gets separated.
Hiking Safety Tips & Tricks
- Place your heaviest items in the middle of your backpack, near your back.
- If lightening strikes, head to low spots away from trees and water. Sit on a sleeping bag or backpack to insulate yourself from the ground.
- Always pack a signaling device, like a whistle or mirror, in case of emergencies.
- Warm cold feet by swinging your leg back and forth quickly to rush blood to your toes.
- If a blister develops, cut an adhesive bandage into a donut shape and place it around the blister to provide a buffer for the wound.
- Several light, loose fitting layers of clothing are more effective at holding heat than one heavy one.
- Always carry enough water. Per day, one person will need at least 3 quarts of drinking water.
- Always carry Coleman® Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets in your pack in case of an emergency.
- Elevate your feet and legs when you take a break to reduce swelling and help prevent aches and pains in your feet.
RV Camping Tips & Tricks
- Put moth balls near the propane lines of your water heater and refrigerator to deter spiders.
- Place dryer sheets in cupboards, drawers, closets, storage compartments, etc, before closing up your RV for storage. It will not only help eliminate that musty smell upon re-opening, but also help prevent rodents from making a winter home there.
- You can also place trays of charcoal around your RV before closing it up. This will help to absorb that musty smell upon re-opening as well.
- Always keep a bag of quarters on hand for unexpected things like parking meters, coin-operated showers, laundry, tolls, etc.
- Get a carbon monoxide detector and change the batteries regularly. It is an easy thing to forget.
- Don't forget to change the oil in your generator.
- Call to check RV size restrictions at campgrounds before you arrive. This is especially important at state & national parks, and at older private campgrounds.
- Put screen wire in your rubber bumper plugs to prevent bees from nesting.
- Permanently mount levels on the front corners of your camper so you don't have to dig out the level every time you adjust.
- Keep a file in your RV containing maps, brochures, reservation information, and anything else you might need for your trip.
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