Bubble wrap can be a real treasure, if you know how to think of it. For some it has been an annoyance. For others, it has been a great form of entertainment (who doesn't love spending minutes or hours on end popping every single bubble?) once it's done its job protecting an item in a package.

It's bubble wrap. Its job is to wrap up items. After that, there is no use for it, right?

Turns out, wrong. Let's think about this for a second. Bubble wrap is used as protection for an item, so it's obviously has some protective qualities to absorb shock and provide a softer surface for an item to bounce around against. The next time you think you want to throw away bubble wrap, just consider some possible other uses. We're developing a series that talks about some alternative uses for bubble wrap, other than for filling a recycling container.

Today, we're looking at camping. Summer is a great time to head into the mountains and do some camping with family and/or friends. And we're talking the real camping, complete with tent and sleeping on the ground - you know, really roughing it!

But while camping is fun, most people can admit one big drawback is the sleeping on the ground part, because it is usually so hard ad uneven. However, Bubble wrap can help. You could collect enough bubble wrap to create a nice pad under your sleeping bag. The pad would absorb all the unevenness of the ground and create a flat surface on which to sleep, and it provides that air cushioning to make the surface softer than the ground. And there you go - you would now be the most rested camper around the breakfast fire in the morning!

We'll have more creative uses for bubble wrap in future posts, but do you have an idea? Share it with us!