outdoor activities tips & tricks

Looking To Buy A Good Tent? Here's Some Tips

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:35:00 +0000

Can't wait for the start of camping season? Just waiting to get away from the smog, rush hour traffic and bad smells? There are times I just can't wait. I count the days. That is why people like me and you take every occasion to go camping. Without a doubt the best camping tent is highly relevant and part and parcel of the success of your camping trip. In fact, you will find the success of your camping adventures will depend on your knowing how to buy camping gear and especially how to buy a tent. Follow along as we talk about some of the things to think about when purchasing your next tent.

Analyze Your Basic Requirements As you begin your shopping trip think about what you and your friends would want in that camping tent. Of utmost importance is a tent that is strong, watertight, storm proof and very durable. Don't ever forget to look for these whether you camp in the lush tropics or in howling winds and deep snow. Remember the main purpose of a tent is to provide shelter. All you really need is a stiff wind or a downpour to find the difference between the camping tent of quality and the one designed specifically for the fast buck at a discount store.
Determine Tent Sizes The height measurements and floor diagrams that your family will see provided by manufacturer's can be misleading. These manufacturer's recommendations are really based on how many average-sized campers can wedge themselves inside and try to sleep in a human puppy-pile. To get a more accurate picture ask the dealer to put up the camping tent while in the store and allow your family to get inside to check it out. Can you set up? can you move a little? could anyone stand up
Do you feel crowded or do you feel like you have the right amount of room? Is the shape of the camping tent and interior configuration [high walls, slanted walls, etc]
Always check this out for yourself whenever possible.

Analyze Tent Weight It won't take long to discover a unique fact, the farther you will be carrying your tent, the weight soon becomes more of an issue. If you are just driving an auto to a camping sites, you can go as heavy as you can handle. But if you and your family will need to carry your tent and gear all day in hot weather, you'll be happy you went lighter instead of heavy. Take into consideration all these things. Can you drive right to the park or are you packing it in? Consider weight when purchasing your new camping tent. You'll be glad you listened.

An initial outlay for a family of four should only cost you [for gear and camping tent] about $500. That is not a lot considering the family joy ahead. You could spend more but it isn't necessary. Instead invest in a lot more time and get into the outdoors with the family. That will be better in the long run. There are a number of good tent manufacturers like Davis Tent and Awning or Royal. Just make sure to do your research and know what your are looking for in a camping tent. Then head off to a nice camping ground.

Learn To Put A Tent Together Properly.

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:33:00 +0000

Summer time is finally here and families are putting their heads together to figure out what kind of fun they are going to have. There are literally dozens of things that families are able to do for the summer - but none is more classic and more fun then camping. While camping you can have an adventure together that you would never be able to get at Disney World.

There are many supplies that have to be taken with you in order to make sure that your trip is not only fun - but also safe and comfortable. You will find that the most important supply you need is your tent. This will be your shelter during the trip that will protect you from the bugs, wind, and even rain while you are sleeping.
Before you set up your tent you need to take a good look around the campsite you are using and look for an open area that is flat. It is a bad idea to put yourself beneath a tree or other type of large item because if it rains the water will constantly be dripping onto your tent. Plus you want to stay far away from tree sap, needles, and the inevitable bird poop that could come your way.

Once you have located the perfect spot you can take out the tarp and lay it down. This is meant to keep the floor of the tent dry if it should rain and to keep out the morning dew. After the tarp is perfectly laid down you can take your tent and start putting it together.

The majority of tents that you can buy these days do not require you to pound them into the ground with pegs. They are much easier to put together because they are free standing and are bendable. This allows you to easily put it together and place the front of the door in the easiest spot for you. Once your tent is finished you need to place the topper - which should be waterproof - on the top.

Now that your tent is all prepared you can blow up your air cot or mattress and place it inside of the tent. If you really want to rough it out you can always forget the mattress and use the old fashioned sleeping bag without anything beneath it.

Portable Gas Stove For Outdoors

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:31:00 +0000

When going camping or picnicking, a solution of what food to bring or how to get food is needed. Some make sandwiches and bring soda. Other options include taking stops at gas stations, stores, or restaurants. Grilling is popular, but could take up space. Electricity would normally be needed to make things less spacey, but now there is a solution when there are no power cords around. A portable gas stove allows multiple options to be available for cooking and generating meals, making campers and picnickers to feel more at home outside.

Drinking soda has been very prevalent outdoors when away from home and outside with no store around. It does not have to be that way as much now. A portable stove is now available whether you have electricity or not. Making coffee, hot chocolate or tea is now easily done by simply boiling water. Making rice, spaghetti, or macaroni and cheese is now possible to make with favorite meals. Boiling tasty hot dogs is now an option to make natural homemade fresh hot dogs by having a portable stove. Bring hot dog buns, ketchup, and mustard with to prepare fresh and tasty hot dogs instead of making hot dogs that will not taste as good when freshness goes away during the road trip.
Preparing shrimp and stir fry becomes simpler with the addition of a portable gas stove. A portable stove on road trips will reduce stops at fast food places which saves money. A portable gas stove is easy to use by adjusting heat intensity the same way home stoves are used. The only difference between a home stove and a portable stove is that a portable stove is easy and convenient to carry. If you have a barbeque grill, it is great to have a portable gas stove because the camping gear becomes more complete. A portable stove is a great addition to a camping or picnicking gear if you do not own a grill also.

A Guide To Gas Barbeques

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:30:00 +0000

By far the most popular type of outdoor grill in the UK is the type that uses charcoal,although propane and natural gas based barbeques are becoming more and more popular. Whatever type of barbeque you are using, there are a number of steps that you should follow if you are going to get the best, and safest, performance from your outdoor grill:

Always use your grill outdoors. Don’t even think about grilling indoors, even in an open garage, as it is too much of a fire hazard.
Make sure that the racks are clean, the cover fits snugly, and that the grill pan doesn’t have any fissures or holes in it.

Make sure your grill is clean before you fire it up. This is especially important if it is the first time you have used it this year. In particular, get rid of any old ash, as this can turn into a corrosive chemical when mixed with water. A layer of ash that has been created over the course of a grilling session works

well as a heat insulator, but old ash will only rust your grill.

Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the correct lighting method for your grill, as you may damage your grill permanently if you do this the wrong way.

Gas grills use something known as lava rocks as a secondary heating element.

These look, and behave, a little like charcoal, but the two are far from interchangeable.

Unlike charcoal, lava rocks can be used several times before they need to be replaced.

It is important to keep these as clean as possible, as grease attached to the rocks can catch fire and burn your food unnecessarily.

Don’t stack lava rocks, or they will trap grease and catch fire more frequently.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning or replacing the lava rocks.

It is a good idea to set your gas burner on high for a few minutes after you’ve finished cooking, in order to burn off any grease or food residue from the rocks.

Rearrange and turn over the lava rocks now and then to maximise their efficiency.

Replace the rocks when they start to look dirty and break.

Using Folding Toilets When Camping

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:29:00 +0000

Many of us like to see new gadgets and camping accessories, but how many new designs are really needed? In this article we take a look at the growing interest in camping toilets, examining why more and more people are turning to folding toilet solutions.

Let's not be slow to discuss why it is that people like to use their own camping loos - it's because campsite toilet and bathroom facilities are often shockingly poor. It's simply unacceptable for us to have to make use of dirty and unhygienic facilities in this day and age.
So why is it that many campsite owners appear to provide such poor facilities? In truth, it's often simply because they've been allowed to get away with it. This is certainly the case here in the UK, where many of us feel that it is somehow impolite to complain about such things.

Unfortunately, if we don't complain then things are unlikely to improve. Camping toilet options have improved as a result of complaints and yet we all know of sites that offer a poor quality experience when it comes to the toilets.

That's why many of us opt to use our own camping toilets. But why should we choose to use folding camping loos in particular? Although there are plenty of options available, it's only the folding toilets that provide the real flexibility that many people are looking for.

Other designs that are advertised as being portable are often actually quite bulky. They take up far too much room in the car. This is a real problem - especially when we think about how much most of us need to pack for a camping trip.

So a folding toilet is a much better solution - it's truly portable. That means that you won't have to worry about poor quality campsite amenities.

The very latest designs are also environmentally friendly too. That's important to many of us who want to enjoy the great outdoors without damaging our surroundings.

Camping Water Filter Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:27:00 +0000

Keeping your hydration at a high level is important when tackling the great outdoors. The loss of concentration, disorientation and false judgment are all risks that you're exposed to if you don't take special care to provide your organism with regular supply of fresh clean water. The direct use of bottled water isn't always a good solution. The water stagnates, especially in long and far away camping destinations, thus using a camping water filter is a much better alternative.

Depending on the size of your group there are different types of filters available. The plethora of models offered by numerous brands often tend to be confusing when you're trying to choose your portable water filter. There are a few things you should know in order to avoid making the mistake of buying a low quality system that may be unreliable and cause potential harm to yourself or fellow campers.
For large groups of people that are often found at base camps and relief organizations, there are some very good expedition filters like the Katadyn KFT, made of hardened stainless steel and big enough to cope with the demand of the group. Advanced removal systems help you keep your water clean, fresh and tasty by filtering out particles, parasites and other organic substances, and providing silver treated ceramic element that takes care of bacterial growth at a micro-level. Pumping capacity and weight are important factors here and for reference, the Katadyn model offers a rate of 4L per minute, weighting around 5 kg.

A smaller water filter is very suitable for a more private usage, but that doesn't mean you should make compromises on the quality of the service it provides. Using the excellent Katadyn Pocket Water Filter model as a guide, we're looking at a very comfortable unit, with a shock absorbing pump handle and attachable outlet hose to make filling up bottles with filtered water a much easier task. Using the same technologies as its bigger brother, this light portable filter, weighting just half a kilo, takes out even the very small bacterias and protozas from the water, at the rate of 1L per minute. Guaranteed to last up to 50 thousand liters if used correctly, such a filter system can serve you for many years.

If you are an active camper or a camping group, make sure to take care of yours and everyone else's health, and safety, by accommodating a filter unit in your backpack. Once you taste the fresh purified water and feel the benefits first-hand, you won't think of going out without your camping water filter ever again.

Mosquito Repellents – People Ask To Be Cheated

noreply@blogger.com (1tPr0) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:06:00 +0000

Every year, new so-called mosquito-repellent solutions appear on the market. All have similarities and differences, the similarity being that all of them are being purchased in huge amounts by consumers. The difference is that some work and some don’t.

The fact is that there is little regulation, and manufacturers seem to get away with claiming whatever they fancy, at least as long as nobody’s filing complaints. It’s not that hard, of course – everybody hates mosquito bites so much that most people are willing to give it a try and spend another $15 on yet another magical repellent solution that just might do the job. If you imagine a new device and can craft a nice story that explains why it should repel mosquitoes, you’re apparently on the fast lane to wealth – people will just start buying your product. It’s a bit like alternative healing methods – most people don’t really believe that they work, but when you’re really ill and other methods don’t help, why not give it a try? The potential benefit is just so much bigger than the cost. But in the end, most people don’t get cured, and most new mosquito repellent devices end up at the back of a drawer.
What have we seen in the past? Chemical lotions (DEET does work, for sure), ultrasonic devices (don’t work), amber lights to "scare them away" (don’t work – mosquitoes don’t see yellow), ultraviolet bug zappers (attract flies but not mosquitoes), vaporizers or mosquito coils (do work, indoors, but they're not very healthy), citronella candles, and so on. Thirty years after the appearance of those useless ultrasonic devices, new variants are still being launched on the market – and bought by consumers, otherwise nobody would keep launching them, right?

Do we need regulation and formal testing and certification for each new mosquito-repellent method appearing on the market? Probably not – but it would be good if consumers started collecting more structured feedback on their effectiveness. At least I'd be happy to collect and organize any feedback you provide. And if you're planning on buying that new promising mosquito-repellent device, don’t believe just any claim – ask for proof and money-back guarantees!