Archive for November, 2008

Whether you hike in mountains or in woods, the most important and essential hiking equipment are hiking boots. Hiking boots help you to protect your feet in all atmospheric conditions.

So, choosing right type of hiking boots which give you the utmost comfort and perfectly suit the terrain where you’ll be hiking is important.

Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots

Rain or shine, in all atmospheric conditions, these hiking boots are a great choice for hikers. They are brilliantly designed with all the essential features of a hiking boot.

The design combines water-resistant split grain leather, breathable Gore Tex lining, Lite 2 atomic foot bed and Cordura uppers.

Besides offering comfort for hours and keeping your feet dry, the rubber sole of the boot delivers great traction and durability, and the rubber heels are perfectly reinforced. They weigh very little and include all the necessities you need for a lightweight boots. [ via ]

Outdoor Research Cascadia Gaiters

These full-length Cascadia trail gaiters are made of dual layer 70D gore Tex paclite material that helps to shed water from your shoes.

The elastic bottom edge of the gaiter seals around your foot and keeps moisture from squeaking through.

Camping in the summer months can be quite a crowded affair.

When you camp in the fall it is much more peaceful as there are fewer tourists to horn in on your good time.

The weather is still pleasant with the days being warm and the nights often cool.

The colors of fall are always magnificent and often you can espy wildlife readying for the winter season.

If You Have Children

Fall camping during the week is typically for folks that don’t have children, but many great campgrounds in or near your area are still opened sometimes until November.

You can still plan a great long weekend using one of the holidays that are in the autumn months. You will be surprised at how many families you do see camping during this quieter time of year.

It’s Even Cheaper!

Though camping is considered to be a cheap vacation alternative, in the fall months, once Labor Day has passed it becomes even cheaper.

You can take advantage of some of the more crowded campsites during the peak season that are more difficult to get into at prices that are more than affordable.

What most people don’t realize is that everything we do in life leaves a carbon footprint.

This is especially true when it comes to things in the home such as electricity, heat and even cooking.

When you go camping you also leave a footprint even if it is not a carbon one.

Read on to find out how you can tread lightly when you are camping in the fragile outdoors.

Tip 1- When you go camping try and use campsites that are already in existence. Don’t make new ones.

Pitch your tent on surfaces that are durable. Avoid heavily vegetated areas where your tent can do much harm. Never dig trenches or holes around your tent either.

Tip 2- Make your campsite at least two hundred feet away from other campsites, hiking trails and water sources.

Tip 3- Abide by the carry in carry out rule. Whatever you bring along with you to your campground or campsite, be sure that you take it back out with you. Bring along an extra trash bag so that you can pack up any litter and debris that other, thoughtless campers have left behind.

Cooking meals is a major part of outdoor camping and can be varied according to the location.

So, if you have any delicious camping meals on your mind, make sure you take all the necessary cooking tools to your outdoor camp. Here are a few helpful camp cooking tools for you:

Kershaw Camp Tool Blade Trader

The main idea behind this tool blade kit is simple. It has a single hand with multiple interchangeable tool tops. If you are planning fish for dinner at camp, snap on a fish fillet blade safely and easily by simply detaching the blade or spatula.

While cooking you can simply detach the blade and fix the spatula within seconds. Kershaw camp tool blade trader offer a wide range of convenience of many tools in a single compact kit.

The compact size of the cooking tool kit makes it easy to carry wherever you go, without any difficulty.
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Jaccard Home N’ Away Portable Cooking Stove

This portable stove is compact and light weight and ideal for cooking in an outdoor camp. Quick and safe Piezo electronic ignition and 9800 BTUs lets your grill ON at outdoors.

Now that you are at your sweet home it is time to unpack from your camping trip.

If you follow a checklist when you put away your gear you will be ready in an instant to go camping again without much preparation.

Taking care of repairs and other considerations upon arriving home is a smart way to prepare for your next hassle free camping trip.

• While unpacking do a quick inventory. Was anything forgotten and left behind. Take care of all laundry duties as to your personal wash and sleeping bags and camp pillows.
• Air out your tent. Set it up in your yard so that any camping smells such as the campfire are lessened for the next time you use it.
• Sleeping bags and air mattresses need to be stored loosely so that they don’t become flat for the next trip.
• Be sure that you clean all the utensils, dishes, cookware and glasses that you used on the trip. Repack them so that they are ready to go the next time you are.
• Leftover food should be carefully gone over so as to ascertain whether it has spoiled or not. Any food that is not spoiled should be quickly stored in a refrigerator.

We might tend to think camping is an easy vacation alternative; it is not always true.

There are things that seasoned campers have learned by trial and error and it is not always a pleasant journey to learning what you should and should not do.

We aim to make it easier for first time or new campers to avoid some common mistakes that can ruin a good time.

1.  Know Your Gear

You may have the latest and most expensive camping gear your money can buy, but if you don’t know how to work it, it is practically useless.

Get familiar with all your camping gear before the trip so that everything will work smoothly and you can work out any kinks before you are at the campsite.

Check that all lanterns have sufficient batteries and you are well versed in how to work your cooking stove.

2.  Choose a Big Enough Tent

Many new campers buy a two man tent for two people. Veteran campers will tell you that there is just not enough space.

Winter camping can be invigorating. It is a whole different camping ballgame than camping in warmer months.

There are special considerations when one exposes themselves to harsh elements and the best protection against injury and illness are the personal supplies you bring along.

It’s Not the Clothes You Wear but How You Wear Them

In order to stay warm, you not only need the proper clothing, but you need to wear it properly.

Heat loss is one of the biggest dangers when you are out in the cold outdoors. Your body functions as a furnace to keep you warm.

You lose heat through a variety of means such as respiration, evaporation and convection.

If you are physically active, heat production increases and when you decrease your level of activity, heat begins to abate as well. The way to stay warm is to insulate the body.

Insulation can be done by layering your clothing. When material is dense, it quickly transfers heat using the conduction principle.

Dead space between your skin and clothing layers is where heat is produced and to thermally insulate yourself is to keep that space between your skin and an article of clothing where it is needed; next to your body.

Camping is a fun, family friendly affair. But the kids can get restless at times, especially when the weather is not cooperating.

Here are some great activities that will keep the kids busy and engaged whether it is raining or a bright sunny day.

Traditional Camp Activities

Playing shadow puppets on a dark tent wall using a flashlight is fun not just for kids, but for the grown-ups too.

Each night you and your kids can stage a puppet show using your hands and the treasures you have gathered during the day. The kids will remember this fondly act for years to come and will make bedtime an occasion for which to look forward.

Outside around the campfire, roasting marshmallows, hotdogs and preparing S’mores is another favorite. While sitting beneath the wide open sky, be sure you bring along a book explaining the constellations so that the kids can learn something about the natural world while they are munching on delicious treats and having fun at the same time.

In the afternoon, you can lay in the cool grass or soft sand and gaze at the clouds as they float by and find familiar and odd shapes.

If you and your fellow campers are looking for a premier camping spot on the ocean, head to Maine next summer.

There is a little known gem of a camping spot called Hermit Island Campground.

No big rigs, only small pop-ups, trucks with slide on campers, vans and tents are allowed.

The scenery, the area, they are more than any camper could hope for when it comes to premier outdoor living.

Campsite Descriptions

There are 275 sites that dot the sandy beach, the tidal harbour, perched upon rocky cliffs and inside the forestland.

Each of the sites allows for 1 car to be parked, a rock fire ring for campfires and a picnic table.

There are 4 types of campsites such as direct access to the beach, a view of the water and the proximity to the ocean.

For those that leave their tent or camping van/truck at home, there are three cabins of modest size called the Sou’wester, Log Cabin and the Hermit Island Cottage available for rent.

Campers Facilities

The Store is on site and sells sundries such as bait, grocery items, wine, beer, fresh caught lobster and other camping necessities. The Kelp Shed is open daily from 9AM until 10PM.

Have you been itching to camp in one of America’s beautiful National Parks but not able to decide which one to go to? We have compiled a list of the top 10 National Parks and why they are the best. Read on to choose which one is right for you!

Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite boasts the distinction of being one of the United States’ first wilderness parks. It is made up of almost 1200 square miles with ancient sequoias, magnificent meadows, valleys that run deep and cascading waterfalls.

There are thirteen campgrounds in the park. Seven of them need reservations from April until September and the rest are on a first come, first serve basis.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia is one of the most beautiful of the U.S.’s National Parks. It was the first National Park to be established east of the mighty Mississippi. Campers can combine the beauty of evergreen forest with the rugged, majestic coast of Maine known as Down East.

There are carriage roads to bike, hiking paths along the shore and forest land or just relaxing at your campsite listening to the waves pound the rocks. Campers can set up their tents from December to March for free while in other months a modest fee must be paid.