It is fast becoming apparent that unless we want to exhaust all the resources on our shared planet, sustainability is the way forward. With an emphasis on re-use and recycling we thought it would be fun to come up with some ideas for re-using old camping equipment. Here are some ideas that we had…
Tents
Tent Flysheet or Groundsheet protector
- sail for a sailing boat
- curtains
Tent Poles
- wind chimes
Tent pegs
- cooking / kebab skewers
Tent mesh inner
- bee keeping hat
- light boxes for photography
Rucksacks
Rucksack
- flowerpot, as illustrated by BestHike editor Rick McCharles in the photo below:
Outdoor gear can be re-used for many purposes. Source: Flickr by Rick McCharles.
Rucksack Cover
- emergency parachute
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping bag
- elephant’s trunk warmer
- enormous Christmas stocking
- thief’s swag bag
Outdoor Clothing
Waterproof Jackets and Trousers, Fleeces, Softshells…
- cut them up and use them as rags
- make a (waterproof) patchwork quilt
- take them to Oxfam where they can be recycled as part of the Fabric4Life Campaign.
Socks
- sock puppets
- put a tennis ball, cricket ball or baseball in the sock and peg the sock to the washing line, ideal for practising your swing
Gloves
- cut off the fingers to make egg cosies for Quail’s eggs
Climbing Gear
Climbing Helmet
- when held by the chin strap they can be used as a basket
Karabiner
- rucksack decoration
Rocks On Wire
- Christmas Tree Decorations
Walking Boots
Walking Boots
- pen holder
- door stops, you may need to fill them with something heavy
- plant pots
- cut the leather into little squares to make a decorative bed head (as seen on The Discovery Channel’s “The Salvager”
Walking and Camping Accessories
Trekking / Walking Poles
- cleaning gutters and drains, by leaning out of the window (yes I do actually do this)
- growing runner beans (in place of garden canes)
Crampons
- turned upside down they would be ideal for serving olives or even cheese and pineapple squares at dinner parties
Ice Axe
- assassinating Bolshevik revolutionaries
- back scratcher
Camping / Sleeping Mattress
- kneeling mat for gardening, praying or any other activities that require kneeling
Orange Survival Bag
- sledge
- cut side and bottom edges, open it out and use it as a tarpaulin
Dry Bag
- bucket, water carrier or water butt
Platypus Hoser
- a distillation still for making liqueur
Trangia Bowl / Cookset Bowl
- World War One soldier’s tin hat
- hairdresser’s basin for basin haircuts
- plant pot
- dog’s bowl
Ordnance Survey Map
- wallpaper, you can plan future hikes next time you find yourself staring at the wall
Camping Stove
- attach them to the back of your car to make people think you have jet fighter plane style afterburners
Your Ideas for Re-Using Outdoor Gear
Think you can do better or worse? Let’s us know your ideas for re-using outdoor gear, just click on “comments” below…
