These were the days of Teflon and Tupperware, of $5 campsites and gelatin molds. Mothers were still the ones in the kitchen, and their upbringing had taught them that dinner was to be delicious, yet appear effortless. I remember being at Fort Wilderness in the 70s, and all of the Winnebago moms had on full make-up and flawless beauty parlor hair throughout the entire camping week. They didn’t have Insta-Pots or Air Fryers, but Loop 200 always had enough food to feed every one of us – as well as any new barefooted friends we brought over from River Country. Their rules of organization and food hacks were simple and frugal. Here’s a list of 15 that most of us never knew or have long forgotten – some are still quite useful, while others are comically outdated.

1. Instead of putting frosting on the top of a cupcake, cut the top off and put the icing underneath, replacing the top. This was, it can travel nicely to a picnic or the Magic Kingdom.
2. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to whipping cream that is not whipping up well. (Fresh whip cream is essential for those 4pm banana splits).
3. Make sure that any cooking pots have very tight-fitting lids so that the camper does not get too hot from summer cooking.
4. Glass casseroles are a necessary item for potlucks. Wrap them in towels for storage.
5. Sprinkle salt on stains on the Formica countertop or trailer dining table. This will soak them up and make cleaning easy.
6. Crisco is for more than making fresh pie crusts and suntanning. Give the kids some to grease up the slip and slides!
7. Spray perfume on your hairbrush and brush your hair to smell fresh before dinner.
8. To keep mosquitos at bay, use Avon Skin-So-Soft on arms and legs, and throw some sage leaves in the campfire.
9. Keep plenty of Fresca on hand as a diet drink for everyone, and a tangy additive to cocktails and Sangria.
10. Boil a little cinnamon in water to make your camper smell like you’ve been cooking all day long.
11. Use white vinegar to easily remove last year’s bumper sticker from your trailer.
12. Cover the ends of bananas with aluminum foil to slow down the ripening process.
13. Place a bowl of vinegar in your camper to get rid of smoky smells from grilled food or cigarettes.
14. If you’re expecting, take lemons on your camping trip as the juice is a quick way to alleviate nausea.
15. Cut off the bottoms of old pantyhose. Put shoes in them to keep them from rubbing up against each other during travels.