Camping is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.
There are so many fun activities to do while camping, including hiking, swimming, and toasting marshmallows. Unfortunately, not everything about camping is 100% pleasant.
Bugs, sunburn, and difficult sleeping conditions have often come between me and my perfect camping experience. So when I heard that something as simple as essential oils could solve all of these problems, I knew I’d need to take a closer look.
At first I was skeptical. I’ve never been one to buy into essential oils too much. But when I saw how well they actually worked, I was shocked. They are perfect for camping because they are inexpensive and take up very little room — all I needed were a few drops!
Scroll through below to see exactly how you can use these to make the perfect camping trip bykeeping bugs away, soothing sunburn, keeping you cool, treating cuts and scrapes, helping you sleep, taking the itch out of bug bites, curing headaches, keeping you alert when you need to stay up, and calming your overactive pet.
Do you plan to try any of these? Let us know in the comments!
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Keep The Bugs Away
Use lavender, citronella, and eucalyptus!
One of the peskiest parts of camping is dealing with bugs and flies. Luckily, you can keep them away using quite a few different essential oils.
Take an ordinary spray bottle and fill it with half water and half vinegar. Splash in 15 drops of essential oils like lavender, citronella, or eucalyptus. Spray your campsite and you should be ready to enjoy the day bug-free. If you want to be extra thorough, add 20 drops of citronella oil to 1 1/2 cups of coconut oil in a jar. The jar will also act as a fly repellent!
Treat Sunburn
Use lavender and peppermint!
Long hikes in the sun can leave you with uncomfortable sunburn. Not to fear — you can get sunburn relief using lavender and peppermint.
Simply dab the affected area with several drops of each oil. The lavender is great for dealing with the skin irritation and the peppermint has a nice cooling effect. If you want an extra dose of soothing, add a few drops of frankincense in with your lavender!
Cool Down
Use peppermint and eucalyptus!
It can get hot during the daytime, and it can also be hot in the tent at night. But with peppermint and eucalyptus oils, you’ll be able to cool your body off.
Put water in a spray bottle and add a few drops of peppermint and eucalyptus oils. Both have a soothing, cooling effect on the skin. Simply spray your neck, arms, and legs and you should be comfortable in no time!
Treat Scrapes And Cuts
Use malaleuca and lavender!
Cuts, scrapes, and bruises are extremely common when camping. But not to worry! You can disinfect cuts and soothe the pain with essential oils.
You may not have heard of using malaleuca before, but this oil is great for cleaning and disinfecting cuts and scrapes. After applying the malaleuca, put a few drops of lavender on the problem area to help cut down on pain and swelling!
Fall Asleep
Use lavender!
The sounds of nature combined with a bumpy ground and a warm tent can sometimes make it difficult to sleep. Lavender is perfect for taking care of this.
Simply add a drop or two of the oil to your pillow. The lavender has a calming effect that makes it much easier to drift off into dreamland!
Soothe Bug Bites
Use chamomile, tea tree oil, peppermint, and lavender!
Whether you are away from camp on a hike or taking a dip in the river, bug bites are inevitable. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer with itching and irritation.
Chamomile is known for its ability to reduce itching and may be the best bet. Simply apply the oil to the bug bites to calm the irritation. You can also try tea tree oil, peppermint, or lavender. As with reducing swelling and redness for cuts and scrapes, lavender can reduce the swelling for bug bites too!
Cure A Headache
Use frankincense!
When you are camping, you can’t always run to a pharmacy to pick up pain reliever for a headache. But if you brought your oils, you’ll be just fine.
Put a drop of frankincense on your thumb and hold it against the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds. People report that this can drastically reduce headaches!
Stay Awake
Use peppermint!
Whether you are trying to stay awake on the drive to the campground, or you want to keep awake to watch the sun rise over the mountain, you can definitely turn to peppermint for a small kick.
Place two drops of peppermint oil on the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together vigorously and then breathe the oil in through your nose. Whatever leftover oil is on your hands should be rubbed on the back of your neck. The peppermint is perfect for keeping you awake and alert!
Soothe The Dog
Use lavender!
If you brought your dog along with you, it can sometimes be difficult to keep him or her calm with wild animals around. Just like lavender calms people, it can soothe your pet as well.
Add two drops of lavender to the palm of your hand and rub your hands together vigorously. Slowly pet your dog’s back with your hands. The combination of the petting and the lavender will have a lovely calming effect!
Which of these will you be trying? Let us know in the comments!
Please SHARE if you love simple and inexpensive camping hacks.