To make things easier on you and your children, pack each day’s clothing in a separate plastic bag.  At night, your little ones can return their dirty clothes to the bag and keep their clean items separate from the dirty laundry.  Allow each child to choose a toy or two to bring along, but encourage them to keep it simple.  Books, stuffed animals, or puzzle magazines are good choices.

Provide each child with their own flashlight for the camping trip.  A personal light is not only fun for kids, it can make them feel more comfortable in the dark night air.  Flashlights or personal lanterns allow children to read before bed, make shadow puppets in their tent, and make it safely to the bathroom at night.  You may consider giving each child a Coleman for kids Illumistick when the sun goes down.  Once activated the cool glow stick will provide light for up to twelve hours, long enough to make it until sunrise.  

Enlist each child’s help in preparation, meal time, and planning activities.  Let young children help make trail mix for the trip and older children can pack their own suitcases.  Plan one major activity each day, like hiking, horseback riding, or kayaking, and allow your children to explore the outdoors in their own way the rest of the time.  Allow older children to help prepare meals and assign everyone a meal time duty, like setting the table or cleaning up.

Review your family camping rules before leaving for your trip and again when you set up camp.  Remind your young children to stay within your view and older children to never go out of earshot.  If your school age children are sleeping in their own tent, pitch the tent next to yours and provide them with a whistle in case they get lost or hurt while playing.  Review the rules of nature etiquette with your children as well.  Remind them to keep their voices down and to never pick the flowers or disturb the animals.  Tell your children to stay on the marked trails while hiking and to always throw away their trash.

When you are camping with children, safety is usually a primary concern.  Always carry a first aid kit with bandages, antibiotic cream, pain reliever, and any allergy medications.  Remind your children that they can only play near fire or water if an adult is supervising the activity and make them avoid areas with ledges or steep drops while alone.  Keep children in the middle if you go hiking or horseback riding to protect them from falls, snakes, and becoming lost and remember to check everyone for ticks each night.

Technorati Tags: camping, Family, Tips

So why do some of these companies offer discounts on fly fishing gear? There is a couple of answers to this question. Sometimes it’s to reduce built up inventory of a particular model or brand name, to make room for next years new fishing gear. Or, they will offer a beginning of the season or end of the season sale on fly fishing equipment.

There are many sites online that offer great discounts on fly line, waders, fishing vests, fly rod and reels, float tubes and other fly fishing accessories.

There are online outlet stores that just specialize in liquidating all kinds of fishing gear and other brand name outdoor gear. They are constantly purchasing name brand overstock and closeout fishing gear and discounting it anywhere from 30% to 50%. This is where the best discounts on fly fishing gear are usually found. The only draw back with online outlet companies is that their inventory changes regularly.

You can find some excellent discounts on name brand gear like Simm, Sage, Cortland, Patagonia, Redington, Scientific Angler, Orvis and many other well known name brand fly fishing equipment manufacturers.

In Summary: Before you purchase any new fly fishing equipment take some time to shop online and look for those special discounts which will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Technorati Tags: brand, Discount, Fishing, gear, name, save, Tips

Technorati Tags: Food, Long, people, survival, survive, Tips, wilderness, Without

So lets get to it.  Summer will soon be upon us and the outdoor season beckons. Its now the ideal time to think about those barbecues you’ll be having. Whether those meals will be on the patio or in the outback its now the time to ensure that you’ve got all your outdoor cooking equipment to hand and that you’ve got a good idea about how best to go about things.

Outdoor cooking comes in many guises. You and your family may prefer to use wood or charcoal because of those wonderful flavours that come from the charcoal and the smoke; or, you may prefer the cleanliness, control and  convenience of cooking with propane gas.  Whatever you prefer the market is now awash with great outdoor cooking equipment to make your cooking experience enjoyable and the results fabulous.

Now when it comes to choosing your outdoor cooking equipment a little thought is necessary as you can easily miss a trick or two and fall short when the time comes to perform!  So, here are 20 great tips to help you make the right decisions when planning this season’s outdoor cooking:

Firstly you must decide will it be gas or charcoal; don’t fudge this one as its important; if you want ease and convenience go for gas grills; if you don’t mind a little extra trouble & time and your family loves the flavours that are picked up from the smoke then go for charcoal; If you go for charcoal always start the fire naturally, never use lighter fuels; let me say that again, never use lighter fuels! Why? Because no matter how long it is before you bring your food to the grill you’ll pick up those chemical smells…Yuk!; Ask yourself, are you making an investment for the future of just for the coming summer season; because thats how long cheap ’stuff’ is going to last!  I recommend making an investment in the future, therefore go for quality; as you know in your heart, you pay for what you get! Don’t go cheap if you can afford better; for example: stainless steel looks better and lasts longer than aluminium and cleans up much better and easier; although it has to be said heat distributes more evenly and quickly with aluminium so the arguments are not always so clear cut; portable pick up and go grills are going to be great for tailgating and inpromtu stops but they’ll be a disappointment on the patio when cooking for a group of  friends & family; There are many styles & sizes of outdoor grills, picking the right one to meet your needs and of course your budget is important, but remember that quality counts; you don’t want to be regretting your purchase half way through the summer! Go for the best you can; we recommend Bayou Classic as their product quality and the value for money is exceptional; take a look at the outdoor cooking equipment store as the prices are great there
Think about where you’re going to be doing your cooking and buy your kit appropriately. Ask yourself, will we be cooking on the patio, or will you be tailgating or then again will we be going outback; this makes a big difference to your choice of kit; indeed you may decide that you need quite separate cooking equipment for the patio as opposed to when you’re getting out and about. Gas grills are heavier and bulkier than charcoal, on the patio that’s a bonus in the outback its a chore; gas barbeque grills cook quicker than the charcoal grills; some people hate gas grills by comparison because they love the flavors that wood bestows; gas grills are more expensive than charcoal ones etc. etc. Decide what style of cooking best suits you because the kit you’ll need will change with your preferred style of cooking. If you’re into Jambalaya cooking then you should buy Jambalaya pots, if your going to be frying whole turkeys then a turkey fryer kit will be ideal; do you prefer cast iron stove ware for cooking, Dutch ovens are great for simple outdoor cooking or do you prefer open grills;? The questions go on and on and only you know what the family are going to prefer. Its not as hard to think things through as you might think,  I suggest that you go to a store that sells the full range of equipment and ask yourself what’s going to work best for us? When cooking with propane check the level of gaz in the cylinder and whenever possible have a second one in reserve. There’s nothing worse with friends and family hovering, the meal is half ready and the gaz goes out!!! If you’ve a replacement, no problem, but if  you’ve not, just how bad can things get? Don’t forget basic safety advice when cooking outdoors; remember salmonella is just as happy and active outdoors as it is inside. So what to do? Keep those fresh meat  plates and your cooking utensils away from any plates and cooking utensils that you’ll be using for eating off. Yes i know its obvious but this is important and its easily forgotten especially by the kids if they take a hand; Will you betaking your cooking kit out in the outback or to the beach where there are safety regulations preventing the use of certain cooking methods; how annoying is it to arrive and then find your kit isn’t appropriate. And don’t think you’ll be okay they’ll never know. have you seen the recent damage that’s been caused by fires that get out of control; think safety first. Its important to remember that usually you find restrictions at picnic areas and on beaches & camping zones; When you find a great recipe that cooks well outside share it with family; especially the simple tips that made it work out so well. Many people are apprehensive about cooking out doors and even when they do they make simple errors that you could help them avoid making. Simple tips need passing on; Never pierce food on a BBQ or the juices will run out and it will dry out very quickly: most people who say they don’t like BBQs do so because they hate dried out tasteless food that so often arises from a smoldering BBQ Never cook meat too long as again it dries out Always make sure that meat is fully defrosted before starting cooking on your grill, not only is this dangerous to your health but the food will burn on the outside before you’ve cooked it in the inside! Try to cook slower rather than faster when cooking outdoors, except with you steaks of course, they need searing and a minimum of time is preferred for however well you like them cooked; [yes I know this goes against what conventional wisdom says and your desire to tuck ij but the rewards of slower cooked foods great exceed the extra time it takes; believe me Always let your meat rest after cooking without cutting it up. This allows the juices to settle and the full flavour to come out, it also means all the juices don’t run away across the serving plate; 7-10 minutes is all you need to wait and whilst the time is short the difference in flavour can be huge; try it. Try marinating your meats before barbecuing, and remember, the longer the better, overnight if you can. If you do the flavors of your cooking will be greatly enhanced and your friends will marvel; If you use a grill with a lid, keep it closed as much as possible. This improves the consistency of cooking due to the retention of the heat which otherwise is lost each time you open the grill; stop worrying and go and have a chat; Try some of the many free recipes you’ll find online; there are so many and some are really good. Don’t get hooked on complication though; keeping things simple and experiment are the keys. But equally don’t get into the ideas of those that say quick and easy is best go for things that cook quickly! NO. Marinades are simple and add tremendous flavour, cook slower than quickly and you’ll retain more flavours; Try out Dutch cooking; its easy and straightforward and the flavors are great; look for Dutch cooking recipes on the web; Keep your outdoor cooking fun; share the joy of the cooking with friends & family. Try to get the kids involved; if you do you’ll develop in them a lifetime passion for cooking, which is often hard to do in the kitchen. Better still you’ll have a laugh and if you involve your friends you’ll start appreciate them in totally different ways than before; its like a new way of bonding. You’ll start to see them in a totally different light…… interesting! … Oh, just one quick point, but take care the opposite can work out too.

Check out the latest outdoor cooking kit at the outdoor cooking equipment store; you’ll find a wide range of outdoor cooking equipment meeting all levels of budget and there’s a long list of really tasty, simply to cook recipes, ideal for the grill, for the stove, for the boiling pot, for the fryer or for the Dutch oven; its your choice.

Happy outdoor cooking and good luck getting your outdoor cooking equipment into shape.

Technorati Tags: Coming, Cooking, equipment, Getting, outdoor, Right, Season, things, Tips

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Air Mattress Sleeping Bag If you are planning a camping, backpacking or some other type of trip that will take you out and about into the great outdoors, you will want to give some serious and direct consideration to making the purchase of an air mattress sleeping bag. There actually are some wonderful benefits that are associated with an air mattress sleeping bag. The fact is that those people who have tried an air mattress sleeping bag tend to avoid using any other types of sleeping bag.

Coleman Sleeping Bag

If you are a person – or a member of a family – that enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, you understand the vital importance of buying and using the best equipment, the most suitable products for your woodland adventures. In short, when it comes to purchasing products and equipment for camping or for other recreational activities that will find you spending time outside, you want to make sure that you are getting these items from a company or manufacturer that has a solid and incomparable reputation in the field. This particularly is the case when it comes to sleeping gear and sleeping bags. For many years, Coleman sleeping bag products have been at the pinnacle.

Double Sleeping Bag

If you are planning a camping trip with that special someone in your life, you may be giving some thought to the idea of buying a double sleeping bag for the trip. Before you set off to the local sporting goods store to find and buy a double sleeping bag, take a moment to consider the pros and cons of a double sleeping bag. Take a moment to determine how a double sleeping bag can best be a part of your overall gear and equipment scheme.

Love Your Sleeping Bag and It’ll Love You

Your Sleeping Bag is quite often your bed. For some who live a lifestyle that keeps them in the outdoors for long periods of time, it’s their only bed and the most important caming outdoor gear. But your bag isn’t like a regular mattress. It needs attention to keep it at its fluffy best throughout the years. SierraTradingPost has a great sleeping bag guide that contains all the information you’d need when buying or caring for your bag. We’ve listed their care suggestions below, along with ours to help you get the most life out of your bag. So here it is…

How to Clean and Care for your Sleeping Bag…

Dry out your bag immediately after every use. Always follow the care instructions for your bag if washing it. If you misplace them, wash your bag by hand with a mild detergent and tumble dry on low heat, or wash in a front-loading washer on a gentle cycle. Store your bag in a cool, dry place and never leave it jammed inside a stuff sack, or it will eventually lose loft and will permanently become less effective. Use a storage sack if possible. Never pack away a wet sleeping bag for longer than it takes to drive home from your destination. Hang it out to dry or tumble dry it at low heat as soon as you get home. Additional Sleeping Bag Care Suggestions… If your bag is down-filled and you don’t have your care instructions, but would like to clean it, you have options. Try taking a bucket with detergent and warm water and dipping a rag in it. Wipe your bag down with this rag. Antiacterial wipes are also a great way to do a quickie job on your bag before you store it away. Storing your bags in a large Rubbermaid style container is a great way to keep the mice away. Many of us store our gear in garages or basements and you never know when a varmit will be dropping in to see if he can find something to gnaw on. If you are traveling by plane and have to leave your bag stuffed in its stuff sack for long periods of time (days) try unpacking it when you get to your destination and letting it loft up. Often when traveling we have a day or so in a hotel or at a friends house before we hit the trail. This can give your bag a break from being stuffed away and will keep it lofty for your trip and recreation life. By maintaining your bag well you could pull a good 10 years out of it. There are probably many other ways you can keep your bag in top shape.

How to Stay Warm in a Sleeping Bag

Just because your sleeping bag goes down to 10 degrees doesn’t mean you can just slide in at nighttime and be toasty all night. Follow these tips to keep your heat close. Use a quality sleeping mat: Get yourself away from the ground. Even putting a 1 inch layer of air between you and the ground (such as provided by a Thermarest) can make a huge difference. Don’t lose your clothes: When its below freezing, the only things you should take off before getting into your sleeping bag are your boots and an outer shell jacket. Keep your polarfleece and long underewear on your corpus. I like to change my socks before going to bed (rather than in the morning) as they give your feet a dry, warm home for the night. Wear a hat: It’ll make a world of difference. Snuggle deep: Keep your arms and your head inside your bag, and wrap it around your face. Lie still: Limit your movement as much as you can. The cool side of the pillow theory doesn’t apply when winter camping.

Sophisticated Customers

Besides growing competition, customers’ changing habits are pushing outdoor and travel equipment retailers to invest into more sophisticated stores, services and goods. The high number of various retailers on the market is one reason that shopper loyalty is very low, as more than two-thirds of Czechs switch between many sport stores. People choose their sport stores mainly according to location, assortment and expertise of the shop assistants, the survey shows. Responding to the changing customers’ habits Hudysport has, instead of expanding, invested tens of millions of crowns over the past two years into revamping its 29 Czech and seven Slovak franchised stores. “We are focusing on remodeling our outlets, which will also continue this year,” Sedliský said, adding that Hudysport is keeping up with new trends and provides products made of innovative materials. He added the store trains its personnel so they can expertly assist clients. “Customers have grown wise and have become more discerning. … They now think carefully what products to buy to invest their still growing amount of money responsibly,” he said. “While five years ago, customers were satisfied with one kind of blue and red jacket that quickly sold out, now they ask for modern designs, innovative materials and various colors.” Regarding outdoor and sports goods, low prices are not the key factor and shoppers pay close attention to the quality they get at a given price. The brand is perceived mostly as a feature that guarantees quality, but the brand itself is not of great value, according to the survey.

“The trend is clear. … Rather than buying a cheap vacuum bottle or sleeping bag in [a hypermarket] they go to specialized stores and invest in higher-quality brand products.”

Technorati Tags: Bags, outdoor, sleeping, Tips

In fact, it’s not absolutely right. As we can reach the sparse places, others can also spend their time there. Though human pollution may not be caused, it doesn’t mean that there’s no virus, bacillus and other harmful substances. If possible, it’s better to take some measures before your drinking.

There are three common ways: boiling the water, using the water purifying tablets and filters. Boiling the water is the easiest and most effective way. However, it wastes the fuel and it costs you much time.

Using the water purifying tablets is a form of chemical treatment. The chlorine and iodine are commonly used. The iodine tablet should be kept in dark and dry place. It’s convenient to use the purifying tablets and the cost is low. However, it’s still time-consuming. You should keep it there for at least twenty minutes.

And there are some tastes and odors. You can mix it with some juice. Also, there’s a kind of virus named cryptosporidium can’t be removed. In addition, it can cause allergy easily. The purified water may react with the food and tools.

In conclusion, the water purifying tablets are popular as they are portable and cheap. You must bear it in mind that you should leave the water there for twenty minutes before you drink it. Don’t use it for no longer than a week circle.

Cleaning filter is an also a useful equipment. There are some difference between filter and cleaning filter. The filter can remove the bacillus and parasites while the cleaning filter can also remove the virus additionally.

Generally speaking, except the basic filtering, the iodine is added to remove the virus. Thus, the shortage of the chemical treatment mentioned above appears again. The best benefit you can enjoy is that you don’t need to wait for a long time. You can drink the water instantly. And it is the safest way to treat with water.

However, the cost is not low. It costs you 60 dollars at least. There’s high back-end cost required. You should also spend some money on the filter element. The filter usually possesses features of large and heavy weight. In addition, regular maintenance is needed for your equipment. We know the filter is easy to be blocked.

All in all, each we mentioned above is differently qualified. We just choose the best one according to our specific requirements. Wholesale outdoor gears play an important role in our long journey in the open air. And the way to get the clean water is also an important part. Anyhow, we can’t have a nice time without cleaning water.

Technorati Tags: activities, devotees, outdoor, Tips, Useful

I live in Georgia, and right now, the frost is definitely over with. I also have a patio that gets tons of sunlight, so I’ve got that covered.

What I’m confused on is how to grow the basil in pots. I don’t have a “garden” per say – just a patio. I’ve Googled “how to grow basil,” and the search results all say various things and are kind of confusing. It’s not out of the question that I would mess something this simple up, so I’m just trying to get some pointers.

Basically, I would like to know:

- What types of planters do I use?

- Would regular pot soil work, or do I need something else?

- How deep do I plant the seeds?

- How many seeds should I plant?

- How far apart do I plant them (do I just scatter them in the dirt?)

- Any advice on watering?

Anything else you could advise me on would be great. I know these sound like silly questions, but like I said, I’m learning. Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

Technorati Tags: basil, growing, outdoors, Tips

Plan ahead

This is the most important tip that you should keep in mind. If you want to make your camping adventure a complete success, make sure that you plan ahead. Planning consists of a variety of things. The first of which is to choose the best campsite and to become very familiar with it. After choosing where you are headed, make sure that you know how to get there and what are the activities that you can do in the camping site. Create an itinerary for your trip. Other than that, prepare all the equipment that you will need- the most important of which are your sleeping bags and your camping tent. Also, pack adequate food, beverages, and clothing. Do not forget to bring a map and a first aid kid.

Ask an experienced camper to accompany you

Camping can somehow be dangerous especially if you are a newbie. Even if you are well prepared for it, it will be best if you will have someone experienced to come with you on your first time. If you can, be a part of a camping group. Aside from being a lot safer in the company of skilled and experienced campers, camping with them can prove to be a very educational experience as you will probably learn essential tricks of the trade.

Consider your phase, start safe

Recognize your real capabilities and skills as a camper. As a beginner, you should take the art and science of camping on a step by step basis. You can ensure your safety by matching your camping activities with your level of skills and knowledge in your chosen endeavor. In your first trip as a camper, do what first timers typically do. In choosing a camping site, never go deep into the forest or up a very high mountain. Never take bigger risks in your initial attempt. Apply the cliché, “take things slowly but surely.”

Be extremely aware of the camp site

Unlike your home, your campsite might be a place for exploration but it will not promise you the same set of comfort, safety, and security that you find at your home. As such, you have to take extra precautionary measures when you are camping outdoors.

Be aware of your surroundings especially the various environmental factors that exist in your campsite. Make sure that you are well aware of the fauna and flora that exist in your surroundings. Familiarize yourself with the wildlife in your campsite. Always check the warnings and bulletins around. Be aware of potential hazards such as lions, bears, snakes and other dangerous animals that might be lurking in the forest. Be aware of the poisonous flowers and fruits that might be growing around the area as well. Always carry a first aid kit.

Technorati Tags: Beginners, camping, Four, Tips

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