The basic camping gear required includes a tent, sleeping bag, torch, cooking utensils, raincoat, water bottles, and food. You will also need an insect repellent, some matches, a first-aid kit, and a compass. You can take more things according to your needs, but these are the bare minimum required on a camping trip. Homemade gear is environment friendly and easy to make. Well, let us start with sleeping bags. You have to lay out a full size or medium size comforter on the ground. Fold the comforter into half. Now, you can hand sew or machine sew a full length zipper on its edges. Your very own homemade sleeping bag is ready. You can take a large garbage bag and place it inside the sleeping bag. When you are ready to sleep, fill the bag with your extra clothes and use it as a pillow. You have an on the spot pillow ready! This bag can also be used as a rain coat. Just cut out the openings according to the size of your head and arm holes on the sides of the bag. Pull it over your head like a t-shirt, and your rain coat is ready. To make a tent, use a medium-sized waterproof canvas. You will also need long sticks, short posts, and a coil of strong rope. Lay out the two pieces of canvas side by side. Lifting both the corner ends, slide the grommets over a long stick. Fix one end of the stick deep into the ground. Carry out the same steps for the middle part of the canvas. Raise the other end in a similar fashion. Fasten the grommets to the long stick by using a rope. Secure the sides using short posts. The posts should be positioned along the sides of the tent. Place the posts on the front, middle, and side of the canvas. Hammer each post down using a rock. Use more rope to tie the grommets in the canvases to the short posts. Run a rope through the grommets in the top of the tent. Tie it properly such that the top is covered completely. You will need a torch to light the way, especially at nights. How about making a homemade lantern instead of buying a torch? Take a large coffee can or an old paint tin, poke several holes all around the sides of the can. The holes should be made 2 inches above the bottom. Fill the can with 1 inch of petroleum jelly. Place the candles in the jelly. Your homemade lantern is ready to spread light in the darkness. The jelly not only helps to hold the candles, but after the candles burn down, your lantern will keep burning brightly for several hours. To keep off the mosquitoes and insects, you can use your homemade repellent. You will need at least two weeks to prepare this natural insect repellent. Use some fragrant herbs, like catnip, spearmint, or lavender. Place these herbs in a jar and cover them completely with apple cider vinegar. Close the jar and allow it to stand for two weeks in a cool, dark place. After two weeks, strain the herbs and fill the liquid in a spray can. This is your homemade insect repellent, which can be used on your skin, clothes, and equipment. There is one more effective mosquito repellent. Just rub the inside of an orange peel on your face, hands, legs and any other body part that is exposed. It will keep the mosquitoes away. Do not throw away the empty milk cartons. Rinse them thoroughly and save them for your next camping trip. You can cut the cartons into half and use them as bowls. You can also make tiny holes in the bottom and use it as a strainer. It will also double up as a dipper to catch minnows when you go on a fishing trip! There are many things in your house that can be used as camping gear. They can be easily disposed off after a trip. They do not add up as clutter in your home, as compared to the heavy-duty camping material that you get in the market. If you do not go out for camping often, these homemade items can be very useful. Keep your eyes open, you never know any junk can turn out to be a useful camping gear.