The Low-Tech Camping Hack That Helps Fix A Stuck Zipper

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When it comes to camping, there's nothing as small that has as much of an impact as a zipper. Maybe your sleeping bag gets stuck, so you're forced to shiver under its cool polyester shell, dreaming of being surrounded by fleece instead. Or maybe your tent flap is caught on its own fabric and won't open. Or worse: It won't close, so you spend the night being a free-for-all buffet for an army of mosquitoes, cursing the day your mother passed down that sweet blood (or pheromones or whatever it may be) that brings all the mosquitoes to the yard. Perhaps you made your own DIY natural bug spray, but in the long run, that doesn't really solve the problem of a zipper that just won't zip.

Luckily, there is an easy and low-tech camping hack that can prevent a stuck zipper faster than you can say, "Should I just rip this open with this knife and be done with it?" Before heading out on your camping trip, rub unlit candle wax on the zipper's teeth and then pull it up and down a few times. Reddit user BlaredFelon suggests first doing it when the zipper is closed and then opening it and covering each side of the teeth with wax. Just be sure to get both the front and back sides of the track to properly lubricate the teeth and allow the zipper to run smoothly. It doesn't have to be a bougie, nice-smelling candle either — any old candle wax will do. In fact, it's probably best to avoid anything scented to avoid attracting insects.

Reddit has a ton of game-changing DIY camping hacks, so if you find yourself with a stuck zipper or didn't get a chance to wipe it with candle wax before leaving, have no fear: A bit of chapstick or Vaseline can work too, according to r/lifehacks. This trick can work whether the zipper is stuck on the track or caught on a piece of fabric. In fact, a number of people on r/fixit found an old comment about using chapstick to free up a zipper and praised its effectiveness. "Totally worked for me," u/DulceAdita wrote. "I was about to start destruction." Meanwhile, u/Elegant_Student_1662 noted that they "finally have a real use for the lip balm in my purse" after using it to free their Patagonia pocket zipper.

An alternative to wax — whether in the form of a candle, chapstick, or Vaseline — may surprise you: Pencil lead can also work wonders to free up a snagged zipper. While the wax hack is a go-to for a number of Reddit users, others suggest going with pencil lead since graphite is also lubricating but won't leave behind the oily residue that wax does. Many farmers use a mix of graphite and talcum powders to lubricate seeds when planting them, and they also use graphite on their machines. So, if you're packing for a solo camping trip or a group getaway, just be sure to bring one of these items that can save your zipper in a pinch.