Marketplace Events creates vibrant expositions connecting enthusiasts with experts, products and services. We produce consumer home shows and holiday shopping shows, for details and to purchase tickets to a show in your area, visit our show calendar.

We enjoy sharing our love of all things home and garden! Everyone is welcome to gather tips--then see it all in person by attending one of our shows for even more of the latest trends in home and garden. While at our shows, you can meet and learn from celebrity designers, shop, compare and save with our trusted exhibitors. Building up to the holiday season, we also share seasonal tips on decorating, entertaining, and other festive fun!

Happy Camper: 10 Life Hacks for the Great Outdoors

If you are one of the many who prefer to spend the warmer months outdoors (either in a tent or cottage), we’ve got just what you need to make this the best summer ever! Check out our top 10 life hacks for the great outdoors and get ready to spend time in the woods the smart way.

Duct Tape Tip – Having duct tape on your trip? Good idea. Bringing the whole, bulky roll? Bad idea. Instead, try wrapping some around a water bottle, that way you can have what you need without touting along any unnecessary tape.

Image via Brian's Backpacking Blog

Sleep Smart – Many go on outdoor adventures to help find inner peace, so bringing your yoga mat camping makes sense. Plus, not only is it good for your soul, it’s also good for your body. Use it as a sleeping mat to help make the cold hard ground a little more comfortable. Namaste.

Image via Happy Money Saver

Perfect Portable Stove – Starting a fire can be hard, so why not bring your own portable stove camping? All you need is a soda can, a knife, scissors, and lighter fluid. It’s a little complex to make, but it’s very lightweight and inexpensive.

Image via eHow

Clever Clove Concoction – Keep mosquitoes and flies away with this odd creation: cloves and lemons. For whatever reason bugs do not like the scent these two things create, so they're a great all-natural bug repellent. 

Image via Get Rid of Flies Guide

Terrific Toilet Paper - Camping may not be the cleanest activity, but you can still keep the important things, like toilet paper, fairly sanitary. Instead of passing rolls from person to person as one needs to use them, consider creating a contraption like the one pictured below. It lets you hang your toilet paper when you need it, and keeps it sealed and secure when you don’t.  

Image via Fast Code Design

Speak Easy – And when you’re done with the roll, make sure to hang on to the tube! Don’t bring your fancy portable speakers into the woods with you only to have them dirtied or damaged, (plus the batteries always run out anyways). Instead, cut some strategic holes in a toilet paper roll and you’ve got yourself the ultimate disposable speaker. 

Images via May Richer Fuller Be

Watch Yourself – Should you ever find yourself lost in the woods, this is great to know. Although you do need an analog watch for it to work. So just make sure to bring an analog watch with you on your next outdoor adventure!

Image via Lifehacker

Lifehacker says: "Hold a watch with 12:00 at the left. Move your arm so the hour hand points at the sun. The spot halfway between the hour hand and the 12 is south."

Savvy Soap Slip – Showering/washing at a campsite or cottage is often a little tricky. The bathrooms tend to be less clean than you’re used to, or there might not be a bathroom and so you’re trying to clean yourself in a lake. All of these seem a bit counter-intuitive, but not if you have the right supplies, like a soap pouch! Instead of bringing soap and a washcloth, sew your soap into a washcloth. This seriously lessens the potential for you to drop your soap and washcloth, is simpler to pack and keep track of, and is a super fun sewing project.

Image via Whimsy Love

Solar Powerful - Flashlight batteries die and gas lighting is so 1910, so light up your camp or cottage the smart way. Making a solar lantern is easy to do and such a clever idea. Bringing lanterns with you that will light up as the sun sets, so you’re not hunting around for them in dark, is genius. Plus there’s no risk of their batteries dying because they’re solar powered. These are a definite must pack for your next trip.

Image via Camp Wander

The folks at Camp Wander suggest putting some emergency items inside your lanterns to make sure you don't lose them.

The S’more You Know – We saved the most important hack for last: how to make the best s'mores. If you thought they were great already you might want to sit down for this. Instead of using the traditional graham cracker, try chocolate chip cookies and get ready to have your mind blown. 

Image via Cooking Classy

We hope these simple hacks help you and your loved ones have more fun on your outdoor escapes, and that everyone has a safe and fantastic summer!

And remember, the early bird gets the worm, so make sure you buy your Home Shows tickets early! Right now you can get 2-for-1 tickets to a Marketplace Events Home Show happening near you. Visit our Facebook page to learn more and get your discounted tickets.