How to Make a Simple Camp Gadget

One of the best things about campcraft is being able to make something useful from a few simple materials that you find around camp. A camp gadget doesn’t have to be complicated or impressive. Even a simple hanger can make life at camp a little easier.

Making your own camp gadget also gives you a chance to practise planning, measuring, tying knots and solving small problems. The important thing is that it has a purpose rather than simply being something to build for the sake of it.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this guide, you should understand:

• What a camp gadget is
• How to make a simple camp hanger
• How to use rope and a suitable stick together
• How to test whether your gadget is secure
• Why camp gadgets need to be safe and useful

Your First Camp Gadget: A Simple Hanger

For your first project, make a simple hanger for lightweight items such as a small towel, empty water bottle or piece of clothing.

You’ll need:

• One straight, sturdy stick or short pole
• A length of strong cord or rope
• A suitable place to attach it
• A parent, leader or other responsible adult to supervise

Don’t cut a live branch from a tree. Use a suitable piece of fallen wood where this is allowed, or use a pole provided for the activity.

Choose Your Stick

Look for a straight piece of wood that is strong enough for the job and long enough to hold a couple of lightweight items.

Check it carefully before using it. It shouldn’t be rotten, badly cracked or covered in sharp points.

You don’t need a huge stick. A small, manageable piece is much better for your first project.

Choose Where to Put It

Your hanger needs to be somewhere useful but must not create a hazard for you or anyone else.

A suitable spot might be beside your tent or in an area where your group has agreed that camp gadgets can be built.

Keep it away from paths, entrances, cooking areas and fires. Nobody should have to walk underneath it or around it.

Tie the Hanger

Attach your rope to each end of the stick using suitable knots that you have already learned.

The idea is to create a simple hanging point that can be secured to a suitable support.

If you’re still learning your knots, ask a parent or leader to check each one before you use the hanger. A knot that looks right isn’t necessarily secure, so it’s worth having someone experienced check your work.

Test It

Don’t immediately hang all your equipment from your new gadget.

First, give it a gentle test by hand. Check that the rope is secure, the stick isn’t moving dangerously and the whole thing is properly supported.

Then try hanging one lightweight item from it.

If anything slips, bends or looks unstable, take it down and work out what needs changing.

A camp gadget should be strong enough for its intended use without becoming unnecessarily complicated.

Make It Your Own

Once you’ve successfully made your first hanger, think about how you could improve the idea.

Could you make a longer version with several hanging points? Could you use it to organise lightweight camping equipment? Could you design a different gadget that solves another small problem around camp?

This is where campcraft becomes really useful. Instead of being given a finished solution, you’re learning to look at a problem and think, “How could I make something to help?”

Keep It Safe

Camp gadgets should make camp easier, not create new hazards.

Keep walkways clear and don’t build structures where people could trip over them. Don’t attach anything to trees, tents or other equipment unless you’ve been given permission and know that it is safe to do so.

Never make a gadget intended to support a person, hold heavy equipment or carry anything that could cause injury if it fell.

Children should have adult supervision for camp gadgets involving tools, cutting, large poles or anything that could cause injury.

Take It Down Afterwards

When you’ve finished using your gadget, take it apart unless you’ve been specifically told that it can remain.

Collect the rope, sticks and other materials you’ve used and leave the campsite tidy. Nothing should be left behind for another person to trip over or find.

Final Tip

Your first camp gadget doesn’t need to be clever. Make something simple, make it useful and make sure it’s safe.

A basic hanger is a great first project because it teaches you the foundations of campcraft: choosing materials, solving a problem, tying things together and testing your work. Once you’ve mastered those basics, you can start designing your own camp gadgets.