The Camping Blog

My cousin took me out hunting one time. Since I flew in from out of state and didn’t plan on going on a hunting and camping trip, I didn’t bring anything. He lent me his stuff. One of the stuff that we brought in that trip was browning sleeping bags.

The Browning sleeping bags that we used were the most comfortable bags I’ve used. It is rated to -30 Fahrenheit and has flip-over hoods for greater insulation. It also came with anti snag zippers. I had a great time in my camping trip partly because I slept like a baby. Who knew you can be so comfortable and cozy while out camping.

I love going on camping trips. There’s something about nature that calms me down and takes all my stress away. When I go on these trips, I always make sure to bring my Coleman gear. I have a Coleman foldable grill, a Coleman cooler and a Coleman sleeping bag. The Coleman foldable grill is just perfect for those outdoor grilling of steaks and hotdogs.

Coleman is a trusted brand in our family. Our first Coleman was a huge cooler. It was so sturdy that even up to now (more than ten years) our family still uses it. I even grew up bringing a Coleman jug to school. Because of the proven durability and quality of the Coleman brand, I never looked at other brands whenever I shop for our camping essentials.

Don’t take chances when you’re out camping in the woods. Bring a flashlight that provides a high-intensity light beam with a runtime of 6 hours. Maglite flashlights will do the job for you. They are very durable as they are made of high-strength aluminum alloy. To be extra safe, pack a couple of Maglite replacement bulbs in the flashlight case too.

Camping is a lot of fun when you won’t have to worry about light sources. Having a trusty flashlight is very essential. You should also bring a lantern that will burn all night to provide illumination around the campsite. Another option is to make a big campfire a little bit away from the tents to give extra warmth on a cold night.

Enjoyable and comfortable vacations do not just happen. They are planned months ahead, taking care of every minute detail. The first thing you should do is decide on where you want to go. Are you a hiking family? Do you love the water? If your interests are varied, look for a place that can accommodate the different interests.

The next thing that you have to do is list down all the things that you will need. If you do this often, you probably already have most of the things that you need. You can improve on your last trip, though, by taking along additional gear that will make your trip even more comfortable. A travel cooler will be perfect for food storage on the trip and in the camping site. Unlike your old cooler, this travel cooler plug into any standard 12 Volt socket (car cigarette lighter socket) and can provide hours of cooling power without ice. It is almost like having a refrigerator in the car.

Enjoy your time with the family outdoors without being bothered by pesky flies and other insects. Bring along a screen house on your next camping trip. Look for one that is big enough to accommodate your foldable picnic table and chairs so the whole gang can eat in peace. You get a roof over your head to protect you from the sun as well as rain if it suddenly starts pouring.

Camping screen houses are easy to set up using ring & pin assembly. They usually have only 4 poles that connect to a central attachment point. Purchase one that has two full length doors that zip completely open and out of the way for easy entry and exit. Look for a screen house too that is UV resistant and has a waterproof, polyester roof cloth.

My cousin recently got engaged to her boyfriend of 5 years. We were expecting her to get married in a church but she surprised us when she told us she wanted to have garden wedding and a garden reception. She has asked me to help her with the preparations. She had already found a gazebo for her wedding and was looking at having her reception a few yards away on a garden overlooking a lake. Since her wedding is in October, I told her we needed to rent canopies for the reception because it usually rains in October

We looked at different canopies and a big one that would cover the buffet table, the dance floor and the tables. We chose a big one that could house everything. We then proceeded to choose the flowers and the caterer. My favorite part was looking for the entertainment. I love bands and I ended up choosing a show band that could play oldies as well as modern tunes. We also had to look for wedding favors and taste samples of the wedding cake.

A couple of years ago, a friend gave me the book, “Celestine Prophecy”. I loved it! Soon afterwards I became a nature freak. I love the outdoor and I would go out with friends on nature walks, caving and mountain climbing. I started with a short day climb so I didn’t need much except for a backpack and hiking shoes. Soon afterwards, I got a tent and some tent accessories.

I never realized there are different kinds of tents and lots of tent accessories. I wanted to get a single tent but then decided to get a slightly bigger one to accommodate another person or two. I also got a stove, extra pegs and a camping closet organizer. I got a Swiss knife and a jungle knife. Soon afterwards my tent and accessories didn’t fit in my backpack. I needed to get a bigger one.

Enlist the help of the kids in doing the camping chores. They will love simple jobs like filling water containers, organizing clothes and camping gear and helping pitch the tent. Even some of the cooking can be assigned to the older kids. For some reason, everyone gets hungry sooner in the great outdoors. With a camping stove, children can heat canned beans, cook eggs and heat some bagels. A practical suggestion is to bring along lots of packaged snacks. This way snacks are practically taken care of; you need only to worry about breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Camping trips with children can be a lot of fun. Make sure that it stays that way - fun. Be conscious of precautionary measures to keep your trip safe, comfortable and educationally productive to the kids. Teach the young children to stay within eyesight and older children within earshot. Provide each child with a flashlight. For sure, they are bound to play with it but having one will keep them at ease in the dark.

If you like the outdoors but don’t like the idea sleeping in tents, there are many lodging houses available not far from many outdoor destinations you may want to explore. Lodges are offered to cross country travelers who desire to enjoy road trip adventures but prefer to sleep in the comfort of a real room and bed atmosphere. There are catalogs and directories available online to help you acquire the right lodging house for your needs. These lodging resorts are also equipped with RV parking areas complete with bed and breakfast provisions.

Lodging houses even have camping grounds that one can rent to have a real outdoor experience. These campsites are adjacent to adventure parks that are protected as a national heritage. Enjoy the sceneries of majestic forest and lakes where you can enjoy hiking and water adventures as well.

Focus on the Night Sky

I’m not an astronomer by any stretch of the imagination, but living in close proximity to an observatory has piqued my interest in celestial bodies. I attended a few free viewings at the observatory this spring, but the long lines began to put a damper on an otherwise pleasant night out. Once inside the observatory the experience really picked up - a local college professor explained what we could see through the high-powered telescope.
I finally brought along a pair of compact binoculars to pass the time in line. They fit easily in the pocket of a light jacket and helped break up the monotony. They allowed me to study a few of the moon’s features and to take a closer look at Orion’s belt. The binoculars gave me an increased knowledge of the night sky and made me want to attend many more sessions at the observatory.