How To Repurpose A Belt To Keep Your Camping Gear Clean And Dry

Even if you don't think you need a belt on your camping trip, you should definitely bring one or two along. If your belts have multiple holes or grommetted holes and are sturdy leather or canvas, that's even better. Your belt can do more than just hold your pants up. You can put it to good use by hanging your camping gear from it. As well as a belt, you'll want something you can hook through the holes to attach things to. You can do that with S-hooks or carabiners. You can even use zip ties if you want things to stay hung until you're leaving your camping spot. 

The sturdier the belt and the more holes it has, the more items you can attach to it. Of course, hanging a bunch of heavy things from your belt could stretch the belt or its holes, although this is less of a problem if the holes have grommets. So it's a good idea to use belts you don't plan to wear again. Now, let's look at what you may want to hang from them and where to position the belt itself.

All you have to do is wrap your belt around a tree trunk. It already has its own fastening system. Once it's strapped up, you can add the hooks and start hanging things. What you hang from those hooks depends on your needs. You can use it as a convenient drying rack for socks and other small items of clothing. You can also hang your camp dishes there to dry after washing them. Use it as a space to hang your lantern — you can do this inside the tent as well by attaching it to one of the tent poles. 

Another inside trick would be to hang bags of food on the hooks to keep them off the ground and make them more difficult for ants to reach. Storing food securely is one of our top tips for keeping bugs out of your tent. If you're trying to avoid bears, you'll want to seal your food in something they won't be able to smell. It's also a good way to help keep your campsite tidy. A neat idea for rustic camping would be to use belts on a path of trees to hang lanterns on to light the way to the "restroom." You can even use it to help hold an awning up if you get stuck in the rain. You'll want at least two belts for this, and to find two trees the length of your tarp. Hang each side of the tarp on two hooks to create a small space to cozy up under until the rain stops.