Transporting Camping Accessories

March 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Camping is great fun and it is nice to be close to nature and spend time trekking, rafting or plain and simple discovering nature at its very best. But planning for a trekking expedition isn’t that easy and it calls for doing lot of homework and thinking it through activity.
One of the biggest problems faced while you plan a camping activity is to transport and carry all the luggage and requirements for your camping. Planning an effective way to carry the luggage can make or break a good camping activity. If you are going for the camping in a car as most of us usually do, it is very important that we should into the possible of investing in a hitch carrier or cargo carrier. With today’s car becoming smaller and leaner, fitting all your luggage inside the car is a difficult task and hence the need for a cargo carrier.
There are many varieties of hitch or cargo carriers available in the market today. You could go for a model or type which suits your requirement or taste. You have the rooftop luggage carrier, the rear carrier, hitch mounted carrier and there are also hitch carriers that can be attached to a motorcycle. The options are limitless and you are at liberty to choose the best one.
However, before you buy a hitch carrier it would be advisable and an absolute necessity to have a good estimate of the towing capacity of your vehicle. There is no point in having a facility cargo carrier that cannot be hauled by your car or motor cycle simply because it does not have the required hauling capacity. This point should be borne in mind.

Filed Under: Camping Tagged With: , ,

Camping Dessert Recipes

February 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Belgian waffle (loaded)

Image by found_drama via Flickr

Just because you are camping, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get your sweet tooth on!  Forget about pre prepared, unhealthy dessert options (sorry, no Twinkies), and here are some easy to follow recipes for an after dinner treat!

Treats on a Stick

There are many desserts that can be made on a stick.  First, the apple on a stick is really simple.  Place an apple on a stick and put over the fire.  When the skin begins to peel, dip it in a concoction of sugar and cinnamon.  Place over fire until a glaze is formed.  Then, eat off the glaze and some apple, dip in the sugar and cinnamon, and cook again.  Repeat until the apple is gone!

Smores are also a common dessert that involve a stick.  Place a marshmallow on a stick and cook over the fire until golden brown.  Place on a graham cracker and add a piece of chocolate.  Smoosh together using another graham cracker as a top.  Enjoy!

Banana Boat Recipe

  • 1 banana for each person
  • Small marshmallows
  • Chocolate chips

This recipe is great for the kids.  Cut each banana in half, leaving on the skin.  Fill the banana with marshmellows and chocolate chips on top.  Place on the coals and allow to cook.  You can also use foil on the bottom of the boats to ensure they don’t burn too much.  Take off coals and allow to cool, eat when warm.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Pie Cups

  • Crushed grahams
  • Butter
  • Instant pudding (chocolate)
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate, nuts, fruits

First, make your pudding, chill in your cooler.  Then, melt the butter, about 1/2 cup per cup of graham crumbs.  Put a layer of the grahams at the bottom of a cup (cup cake holder) and pack down.  After, add the pudding.  Then, you can let the kids add their favorite goodies on top.  Add the whipped cream and enjoy!

Filed Under: Camping, Outdoors Tagged With: , ,

Vegetarian Camping Recipes

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Babbo Fresh Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake

Image by ulterior epicure via Flickr

Sick of being the lone vegetarian with no good recipes to cook while camping?  Look no further!  Here are a couple that are perfect for you!

Angel Hair Pasta and Veggies

  • Angel hair pasta or another kind of pasta
  • Olive oil (extra virgin)
  • Garlic
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli or another vegetable
  • Basil, herbs
  • Shallots

This dish is very simple — you can cook enough pasta for the amount of people in your party.  Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente (not completely soft).  From there, you cook your vegetables by heating the olive oil in a pan and adding the minced garlic, and the the shallots.  Remove from the heat and toss the oil in the pasta, then adding the finely chopped basil, tomatoes and broccoli.  Very filling and simple.

Beans on Toast

  • 1 can of baked beans
  • Bread
  • Butter
  • Some brown sauce

This is a simple dish that is perfect for breakfast.  Basically you just toast the bread, cook the beans and smear the beans on the toast (which has been buttered).  Add some brown sauce and enjoy!  Filled with fiber and protein — great before a large hike, too!

Black Bean Burritos

  • Torilla shells that are the size of soft taco shells
  • Dried black beans
  • Taco sauce packs
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Peppers

First you must cook the beans.  There are many different ways to cook beans, but we’ll do the quick cook for this recipe.  Boil the water in a pot and add beans.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  Warm your shells and add the beans to them, adding cheese, peppers, some taco sauce and whatever else you can find.  Remember to not cook the beans, just let them sit, you don’t want them to stick all over your pan for a difficult clean up!  You can also make variations on this recipe by making quesadillas or using other kinds of beans.

Filed Under: Adventure, Camping Tagged With: , ,

Breakfast Casserole Recipe

February 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This breakfast casserole recipe is great for camping and will serve a lot of people — a lot of hungry people.  Make sure to prepare 24 hours ahead of time (see receipe) and prepare to be served a healthy, but filling, breakfast!  Enjoy!

  • 2 cartons of egg substitute or egg whites
  • 1 can evaporated milk in low fat or fat free
  • Breakfast sausage, low fat, or bacon (or both)
  • 6-8 bread slices
  • 1.5 cups of shredded cheese (low fat)
  • 1-2 tsp of dry mustard
  • Your favorite vegetables that will be sauteed with sausage
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cayenne pepper, if you’d like

Spray a 9 by 13 pan with a non stick cooking spray or brush on melted butter to prevent sticking.  Certain pans that are made of teflon already have non stick surfaces, but you may want to use disposables.  Break up bread into small pieces and put it in the bottom of the pan.  Cook the sausage and vegetables (and bacon) and break it up and put it on top of the bread.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with the milk, spices and cheese.  Pour it over the bread and sausage and leave in a fridge for 24 hours to set.

This can be cooked in a camper over, camp stove or on a barbeque but be careful if you are using any plastic.  If using an oven, cook on 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  On barbeque or camp stove, you can just keep checking it until the eggs seem done, since the sausage is already cooked.  Cut up into squares, serve and enjoy!

This camp recipe can also be made at home and stored in the fridge and eaten on a daily basis for up to 3 days.  Great for families with lots of kids for a quick serve breakfast.  Use healthy bread, too, with whole grains, for an extra boost.

Filed Under: Camping, Outdoors Tagged With: , ,

First Camping Trip

February 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you are ready to embark on your first ever camping trip, there are a few things you can do to get prepared.

First things first, gather all the necessary supplies.  You will need, but are not limited to bringing, a tent, sleeping bag, cooking supplies, fire starting supplies, food, drinks, bug repellent, sun tan lotion SPF 15 or higher, first aid kid, and fun games and activities to do.

If it is your first time camping and you do not want to be in a tent, you can always get a cabin or something else like an RV to stay in so you don’t have to be so close to the ground.  Bring enough food for yourself and others on the trip so you don’t have to make any journeys to get some more if you run out.  Water is a must and make sure you have plenty if not too much water on your camping trip.  To cook, you will need all those supplies, such as a pan or pot.  Starting a fire doesn’t require too much skill if you have the proper equipment for fire starting — such as an insta-log, gasoline and a lighter.  Bug repellent and sun tan lotion are important for your health, along with the first aid kit to take care of any emergencies.  Remember some fun games and sports equipment to give you something to do to pass the time, such as a Frisbee and a deck of cards.

Remember to take it slow and not jump into any situations that you have never experienced before.  If you have never hiked before, take it easy, and do not expect to backpack for five days straight, unexperienced.  Enjoy yourself and have a good time with being in the outdoors, it is your time to experience nature.  You can even keep a journal to document your trip so next time you are prepared to step it up for another great experience!

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Insurance for People Who Have Outdoor Adventures

February 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Insurance is important for everyone, but it’s even more valuable for people who participate in strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and hunting. The outdoors are great for excitement and adventure, and trekking through lush wilderness in North America is one of the favorite pastimes of the people who live there and those who vacation there. Whether you like to hike, hunt, fish, or all of the above, one thing for sure is that insurance is very important. There are plenty of dangers out in the woods, and even if you haven’t encountered any yet that doesn’t mean that you never will. Being prepared is a good idea.

Wolves, alligators, mountain lions, snakes, and other dangerous animals make their homes in the kinds of places where you’ll be exploring. You can have a can of mace, or even a gun, but there’s no guarantee that it will be enough. You can get injured, or even killed, and your family won’t have anyone to take care of them. Even if you can’t be there for them physically, you can be there for them financially with life and health insurance. Online insurance quotes are important, and they’re easy to get. That lets you compare policies, so you can get the right one for you and your unique situation.

Don’t assume that you don’t need insurance, or that your family won’t need the financial help if something happens to you. Most people don’t like to think about their own mortality, or even becoming seriously injured, but making sure you have good insurance coverage to protect you and your family is the responsible thing to do. It doesn’t take that long to get a policy, and you can shop online and get one right from home, so you’ll feel safe and protected the next time you go on an outdoor adventure – and so will your family.

Filed Under: Adventure, Hiking Tagged With: , ,

Staying Hydrated When Backpacking

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Staying hydrated while backpacking is of key importance and it is very easy to become dehydrated — depending on effort, location and some other factors.  If you are backpacking at a grueling pace, you should always be drinking water. even up to 2 bottles an hour, depending on the amount of sweat.  If you are hiking moderately, one bottle an hour should suffice and if you are backpacking lightly, perhaps a little less than one bottle should be enough.

Depending on your location, your sweat level may vary, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay extremely hydrated.  For instance, if backpacking in the South West, the air is so dry that you may be sweating boat loads, but you do not physically feel it on your skin, for it evaporates almost instantly from leaving your pores.  If this is the case and you know that it is hot outside, although you’re not sweaty, please drink as much water as possible, up to two bottles an hour.

Keeping water on your person at all times is a must.  Remember to bring reusable water bottles, as they are better for the environment, and refill them as much as possible at every stop.  If you are not stopping for many hours or even days, you may have to prepare to carry a heavy supply of water.  There are ways you can even get water from the wild and there are boiling and pill methods that you can include in your water to make even water from rivers and streams drinkable.

Some trails have wells or drinking water fountains that you can use, if you are lucky, but remember to include your water-cleaning capsules to the water so you don’t get any kind of stomach ailments from the water.  Staying hydrated is one of the most important aspects to backpacking and remember this on your next adventure!  Happy trails!

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Preparing for Bad Weather While Camping

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Bad weather can come out of no where when you are camping, but remember to be weary of it and most importantly — be prepared!

First, remember to check weather conditions before you begin to camp — preferably do not even choose a time to camp when there might be a storm lurking in the near future or, if you camp in the winter, a potential snow storm.  If there is only a chance of rain, you might as well choose to camp because one night of rain is not too difficult to bare.

Secondly, have the supplies you need to protect yourself in poor weather conditions.  Let us first discuss the need to protect your supplies, which are of utmost importance and may even be damageable.  The camping gear that you have should be enclosed in a water proof package and then placed inside of a water proof backpack or duffel, or whatever you are using to carry you items.  Electronics and valuables should be double bagged, if not triple bagged, in the same way.  You should always be prepared with a plastic or re wearable poncho that is of water proof material and you may even be able to put your backpack on underneath it.

Third, your tent should be completely water proof.  Ensure that you have the enclosed top cover on the tent securely and tightly fascend.  When you enter and exit the tent, make sure that you zipper everything completely shut because you would be surprised how one little hole in the zipper can result in a flood while you sleep.  Some tents and made cheaply and the corners end up getting small holes which in turn result in water damage — so make sure you buy a tent of high quality first and foremost — but you can always repair a tent with tarp tape or glue.

If you remember these provisions while camping, you should have a amazing, and dry, time!

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Camping Games

January 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Two campers with gear hiking through Bear Moun...
Image via Wikipedia

Camping is a great time to bond with your friends and family members and create lasting memories. While there will be tons of memories about hiking up hills and mountains and hiking through forests and trees, it is often the memories that are created from playing camp games that will stay with you the longest.

Camp games are an essential part of any camping trip. There will be times when you will need to entertain yourself and your friends. Pulling out a small camp gaming pack will provide hours of fun and excitement. A camp gaming pack is a small bag of goodies that any camper can use to play a number of different games while they are camping. These goodie packs usually contain one or two packs of cards, dice, items to use as poker chips and even a small pad of paper and pencils to keep track of the scores. With these camping game packs you will be able to enjoy a wide range of games from spades, pinochle, Texas Hold’em poker and even canasta. You can even bring one of your foldable poker tables, and set it up right on the camp grounds.

If you’re camping in the wilderness for an extended period of time, a deck of cards can also be a handy survival tool. Card games keep your mind sharp when the isolation starts to get to you, and if you are wandering unfamiliar trails, bring a few extra decks so you can mark your trail and easily find your way back.

While it might seem a bit odd to create camping memories with your small camping game pack, it really can be the high point of a camping trip. You will be sure to have your friends and family members bonding, laughing and sharing stories in no time when you pull out those packs of cards.

Filed Under: Camping

Recipes for Tasty Trail Mix

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Trail mix is one of the most popular recipes with backpackers and campers, alike. It is the easiest to prepare because of the minimal effort that is involved. Basically, you pick the ingredients that you like, toss them together in a bowl, put it all into a few Ziploc bags and you are ready for the trails. Selecting the perfect ingredients will be done by personal preference and determining the activity for the day. If you are going to be hiking all day, you will need to pick the things that provide a sustained energy effect, like dried fruits. Good choices in dried fruits include raisins, avocados, dates and berries. Nuts can be added for protein and cereals like Cheerios or Chex Mix is a nutritious addition to your trail mix.

Dried fruits have the type of quick energy for hiking, along with the sustained energy that comes from the fiber contained within. Anything that is sugary and sweet, like M&Ms or other candy can give the hiker a feeling of lowered energy after the initial quick energy has worn away. The spike in your blood glucose is what gives the quick energy and foods that are longer in digestion give the sustained type of energy. Choosing the right ingredients for your trail mix recipe can be done according to your taste buds and inclusion of both types of energy.

Another tasty recipe for trail mix could consist of cashews, macadamia nuts and almonds. Combine all of the nuts with pretzel sticks, mixed dried fruit and some type of candy like peanut butter bites or reeces pieces. Some people like the taste of chocolate covered coffee beans, though they add caffeine to the finished mix, so you may want to leave them out if you think you can not tolerate it. Once again, personal taste will indicate the ingredients for your own tasty trail mix.

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