Thursday, January 20, 2011

So....How Do You Like Your Toast?


OK, so how do you like your toast? Do you like your toast cut in two pieces, or just the whole slice. Would you like it lightly browned, or dark? Oh, and do you like it just buttered or with jelly? When you are camping you can have your toast anyway you want it. With the Coghlans Camp Stove Toaster.

There are other products for toasting that are fun and efficient, and kids love to cook their own food. Toast your breakfast sandwiches with this wonderful Coghlans Camp Cooker. You can put what ever you desire. Kids love peanut butter and jelly, they will love it toasted with the camp cooker!
Don't forget lunch! But these handy toasting forks are great even if the kids want hot dogs for breakfast! 

Enjoy your campfire cooking!
Happy Camping!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

The Best Family Vacation Is Camping In The Outdoors


Camping can be the most rewarding vacation for family and friends. It is a way to get away from everyday life and leave the stressfulness behind. Out in the wild and away from all the normal conveniences such as television, and video games, communication becomes easier and more important. There are no distractions, and only fun to be had. The only noise you hear is the breeze blowing through the trees, bird tweets, and if you are close to water you will hear the waves lapping on the shore, or water running over the rocks. Now how relaxing is that! Families become closer and develop a special bond through the fun and communication with each other.

Another great thing about camping is that everyone can put in their ideas about where they want to camp, and how they want to camp. It is fun for everyone to choose their favorite campfire recipes too! And they can decide if it is just going to be the family on the camping trip, or if they want to include friends.

The first thing to decide is where to camp, in a camp ground, or a remote camping spot. Are you going to camp in an RV, or camper, or are you going to tent camp. If you are going to camp in a camp ground where you can use a vehicle to get there, be it a camper, or a tent that you plan to stay in, weight will not be a problem. If you plan on hiking into where you are going to camp, then you do need to think about weight and how much to pack, because your gear and supplies will be packed in on your backs.

If weight is no problem, anything goes for you choice of tent, sleeping bags, cooking gear, and the type and amount of food you bring along. How many people will be coming? You need to chose a tent to accommodate the number of family members or friends that will be staying in the tent. Other things to think about are, do you want two rooms for privacy, or do you need extra storage area? Here are some choices of tents for small and large families.

Alps Mountaineering Vertex 



Chinook Twin Peaks Guide


 
Paha Que Pamo Valley


 Chinook Cyclone Base Camp


Wenzel Family Dome Tent

 Chinook Titan Lodge

Camping in a remote camping area means that you will have to think about the weight of your tent, sleeping bags, cooking gear, and food. Again, here are some suggestions on gear needed for backpacking.

Tents:

 Stansport Olympus Backpackers Dome Tent


 SwissGear Cheval Sport Dome Tent


 Chinook Whirlwind 

Sleeping Bags:

 Browning Camping Yellowstone


 Alps Mountaineering Clearwater


 Chinook Polar Extrene Goose Down

Cooking Supplies:


 Optimus Terra Solo

Brunton My-Ti Titanium Foldable Spork



 Chinook Ridge Hard Anodized Large Cookset



Chinook Trekker 7-Piece Cookset




Open Country Delux 6-Person NonStick Campset


Open Country 26 Piece Backwoods Camp Kit





Brunton Fold Canister Stove




North American Gear Primus EtaExpress

North American Gear Primus Twin Burner Stove

As for food that you want to bring on your backpacking trip, it will no doubt be dehydrated food stuff. These are just a few suggestions on what to bring on your excursion.

It is a good idea to keep a camping list that you can check when you are packing for your trip. Another great thing to have is a camping box to keep everything organized. When you get back from your trip just clean everything up and you will be organized and ready for your next adventure.

Happy Camping!




 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

How Do You chooseThe Right Sleeping Bag


Your sleeping bag provides necessary comfort, and protection from the elements when camping and hiking, so choosing the right sleeping bag is important. What makes a good sleeping bag? There are several things to look for when making the purchase of a sleeping bag.

The first thing you need to consider is what type of camping you are planning to do. If you are a vehicle camper then weight is no problem, and you probably won't camp in adverse weather conditions. You will probably be camping in late spring, summer, or early fall. If you are a back country camper or backpacker, weight does make a big difference, and you probably will be camping in harsher conditions, and possibly all seasons.

The next thing you should consider is what the sleeping bag is rated for. The rating can vary among manufacturers and the type of fill or loft used. If you are a vehicle camper you probably won't need a bag that is rated less than 30 degrees F. If you camp in the back country, and camp in colder weather, earlier in the spring, or later in the fall you will need a bag that is rated 0 degrees F or lower. Summer sleeping bags are rated around 40 degrees F or higher, three-season bags are rated around 20 degrees F, and winter sleeping bags are rated 0 degrees F and lower. Remember the lower the rating the warmer the bag.

Insulating material is the next thing to consider. Do you want to go with down or synthetic? Down compresses well and is light, but it is expensive, and if it gets wet it loses its insulating properties. Also it is hard to dry out once it gets wet. However it is the best natural insulator with a higher weight to warmth ratio than synthetic. Down is the preferred choice for backpackers to travel light in dry conditions. Synthetic usually costs less than down, and the new synthetics come close to down as for efficiency. Synthetic still works when it gets wet and it dries faster than down. That is why synthetic is the choice for kayakers, boaters, and other campers in wet conditions. Synthetics are heavier and take up more space when packed though.

Another thing to look at is the shell material of the sleeping bag. The shell is the outer layer of the bag. There is a variety of materials used for the shell. Most sleeping bag shells are made of nylon microfiber, polyester, and ripstop nylon. The ripstop nylon has reinforcing threads to prevent ripping, and makes it a more durable material. The higher the thread count makes the material more wind and water resistant. Most nylon used by sleeping bag manufacturers is coated with DWR (durable water repellent) and provides some measure of water and wind resistance.

Look at the size and shape of the bag, and consider your body shape, body length, and your sleeping habits. If you move a lot in your sleep, and like to curl up, make sure you have the room to move. Your environment also has to come into consideration, if you sleep in a camper you don't need as much sleeping bag as you would sleeping in a tent in adverse weather temperatures. So choose a sleeping bag that is big enough for comfort, but not so big that it adds weight, or has an abundance of dead air space that will make it hard to keep warm. Also a sleeping bag that is too small will be uncomfortable and not as warm because the insulating material becomes too compacted to insulate properly.

Rectangular sleeping bags are more comfortable for the person who tends to curl up, and toss and turn. But they are not as warm because of the large opening at the top. For colder weather you can get a draft collar which cinches around the neck to keep warm air in and cold air out. Also rectangular sleeping bags can be zipped together to form a double bag for two people.


This rectangular sleeping bag is a Chinook Alaskan 9.5, -50 degrees F, it is a rugged over-sized multi-season system bag. A perfect choice for any cold-weather hunting or camping trip, and it features the practical 3-in-1 multi-season system.


Semi rectangular sleeping bags are warmer, because they have a tapered foot, contoured hood, and additional room in the torso for comfort. This semi rectangular bag is a Browning Camping McKinley, Long 0 degrees F. It is a heavy duty over-sized hooded semi rectangular bag. It uses a 2-layer offset construction to eliminate cold spots. The McKinley series uses Techloft insulation that consists of multi-hole staple-length microdenier fibers that have a siliconized finish for maximum insulation, loft, and compactness. It will keep you warmer on those colder nights when you prefer more wiggle room than you get with a mummy bag. 


Mummy Sleeping bags are cut wider at the shoulders and they taper down to the feet. You have less wiggle room, but mummy bags are considered the most efficient for weight to warmth ratio. The mummy sleeping is the preferred sleeping bag for most backpackers. This is a Chinook Polar Extreme Goose Down -40 degrees F mummy bag. The Chinook Ploar Extreme features Pyrenean 600+Fill Power goose down, ergonomic head gasket and foot box, waterproof/anti-slip HiTex botton fabric, oversized draft tubes and neck collar for added protection in the most extreme conditions. The Chinook SnugHood design gives the best fit around the facial area providing extra comfort while reducing bulk when the draw cord is fully tightened. It may also be zipped together with other compatible bags to create a double bag.


Don't forget the kids. If you want your little campers to enjoy camping, make sure to chose the right sleeping bag for them too. Pictured above is the Chinook Nomad Jr. 1.5 19 degrees F, and  the Slumberjack Kids Sleeping Bag, Lil' Timber +10 degrees F.  

Happy Camping!                
             

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Summer Camping Fun With Grandkids

Summer is the time to really enjoy the grand kids. We all have vacation and the time to enjoy the freedom of camping, and camping does promote the freedom from everyday life and hassles. There is no alarm clock that goes off at 6:00 am, breakfast, lunch, and dinner can happen when ever you feel hungry, (which I am all the time I'm around a campfire). And we always camp where there is water, be it a lake or stream it doesn't matter.
Last summer my grand kids wanted to camp at the lake. They learned so much about campfire cooking, setting up the tent, and bugs. My youngest grand daughter loves spiders, and what better place to find them as in camp. She loves to play peek a boo around the trees. Here she is teasing Nana.


To have the best time camping you have to have Sun, Water, Shelter, Food, and Fire. Here are some water pictures from "camping by the lake".

 My Girls

 A Mermaid


A Tired Little Bathing Beauty
 And as you can see we did have sun, and it was so nice that whole week.
The hardest thing about camping, is when it is time to go back home to a busy life. Clean up isn't anyone's favorite thing, but if you get at it right away it's not hard. Brush off the dirt from the tent, dry it out if it got wet, and put if away. Next brush off your sleeping bags, and hang them over the close line to air out, and put them away. Then clean all your camping cookware and utensils and put them in the camping box for the next trip, and it will be easy to be organized. Keep a camping list so you have an idea of the campfire recipes and food you need and check it off as you get your camping stuff ready for the next camping excursion.
Happy Camping!