RT @campingblogger: RT @roughin_it: Great News for Michigan Campers. DNR to keep open 23 State Campgrounds prev. set to close http://t.c ... - 11 June 2011, 5:33 am - View »
Ed Stafford nominated for National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. All amazing stories. http://tinyurl.com/2w2yeh7 - 18 December 2010, 7:04 am - View »
Terrible tag line notwithstanding, Smokey Bear has been a fixture in the camping world for longer than I've been alive. This year, he turns 65 and the celebration will be held in the Wayne National Forest (in Ohio). Smokey was "born" on August 9th, 1944.
Winding down on our Ten Essentials, today I wanted to talk about Emergency Shelters. Obviously these are something you hope to never need (although many ultralight backpackers might use similar shelters to cut down on weight), but should you ever find yourself in the wrong situation, you'll be glad you have one. Another scenario is that you might find someone else out on the trail, perhaps injured and stranded, and you could use a shelter to help keep them safe and warm until further help can arrive. There are a number emergency shelter options available, each having their own pros and cons.
Last summer our kids were fascinated by a PBS special on the Hayman Fire. Every night after bath time they wanted to watch it, and asked tons of great questions: Why did the person start the fire? What will happen to them? What happened to the animals that lived there? All the typical 3 and 5 year old stuff. A few weeks later, we were in the Jeep headed into one of our favorite off-road trips and camping spots. Its an easy road with lots of camping spots along side it. More importantly, it is just north of where they Hayman fire was. Anyhow, as we drive in, I notice an empty campsite where a small fire is still burning in the fire ring (in this case, a small ring of rocks). Clearly the occupants from the night before carelessly packed up and left. I immediately pulled over and had the boys get out of the Jeep and, together, we knocked down the fire and put it out completely. It was a great chance to teach them how to make sure the fire was cold. As you can imagine, this experience led them to ask even more questions. I did my best to answer them, but went looking for assistance from the number one authority on forest fires: Smokey Bear. The Smokey Bear site has tons of great information and games that can really help you talk with your kids about the dangers of forest fires and how they can help prevent them. Playing the games with my boys made for a really fun way of having a conversation that was quickly getting deep, but still helping them learn at the same time. If you have kids, its a great resource that I would highly recommend.
As you go through your final checklist, nutrition and food might not be in the forefront of your mind. Sure, you probably run down the grocery list and menu really quick (right after you make sure you have enough socks and shorts), but do you stop to consider if you have enough food to last longer than your expected itinerary? If you're car camping, this probably isn't an issue (here at CEJCamping, we tend to over pack and over eat on these types of trips). But if you head out backpacking, you'll to keep number 8 on the Ten Essentials in mind.
Wandering around the web tonight, I came across an article in the Aspen Daily News that described the latest invention in bear safety for the outdoor enthusiast. Some guy took all the sounds reported to frighten away bears (yelling, air horns, clapping, bells, etc.) and recorded them all into one audio file. Just play it on your iPhone and viola, the bear runs away. And all this for just 99 cents.Ollie posted a funny warning about bears and bear spray the other day. I'd take the bear spray over this one any day! Next time you're in the woods and you hear a strange assortment of sounds, look around, it might be coming from the belly of a bear!
Yesterday, Roy over at CampingBlogger had a great post on 10 Kids Camping Activities. Following truth in advertising, the post discussed ten different way of entertaining your kids while camping. When I finished reading it, something made me think about the other half of the battle that wasn't discussed: how do you keep them entertained (and yourself sane) while getting to and from the campsite? So, with due credit to Roy for sparking the idea, here are ten activities for keeping your kids entertained during the road trip!
Moving forward on our list of the Ten Essentials to make sure you take with you on a backpacking trip (or even a day hike), next up is the Repair Kit and Tools. This one is a bit more tricky. Most of the other ones you purchase a basic tool or kit (like for First Aid), but here you will need to assess your gear, and assemble/build your own repair kit(s).
Next up on the list of the Ten Essentials to plan for when heading outdoors is: fire. Whether your car camping or heading out on a backpacking trip, a good fire provides warmth, a great place to hang out with your camp-mates, and a great way to cook everything from big meals (a big pot of chili being one of our favorites) to snacks (Smores anyone?!). And lets face it, if you are out in the wilderness, even a small fire can make the night a lot less scary. Today's post will probably be more critical for overnight backpacking trips, but its a lot of fun to practice when car camping and will impress your friends and family.
