Travel Blog

As the warmer weather approaches, we look forward to another season of camping and enjoying the fun, relaxation, and beauty that the outdoor environment has to offer. I am anxious to get out on weekends to some of my favorite campsites around Kentucky and Indiana. Planning your trip is important to ensure a successful trip. Calculate Food Quantities For Camping as well as fishing gear and other items you may need. Of course I’ll have plenty of fishing gear to bring along in case some of my family or friends join in on the adventures that are sure to come with each outing. This is the most enjoyable thing for me when I see others having a great time hiking, fishing, throwing Frisbees, or sitting around the campfire telling stories or singing campfire songs.

There are several things I try to consider before I begin packing fora camping trip. First of course, is how long will I be gone? How much time do I have to get away from the “9 to 5”, unwind and get refreshed by the fresh air, sunshine, and peaceful scenery that nature provides so abundantly? This summer, I’m going to try to get out more frequently on the weekends.

Short Outings

I’ll talk a little about short outings that are not too distant from home. This will allow me more time for what I actually want to do, and that of course, is to camp. I don’t want to spend 5 hours going and 5 hours coming, using basically a whole day just for traveling. If I pick a place that’s within a 100 mile radius, I should be able to find several dozen places to visit and spend less than 4 hours of total travel time.

Ok, that sound great, I can think of a dozen places within 100 miles right of the top of my head. Lake Monroe, where my youngest son and I visited last year, is only 1 hour and 45 minutes from my home. That was a great weekend camping trip and my daughter and her friends came from Bloomington to join in the fun.

Fishing

Several of the girls had not fished much at all, and I had more fun than they did watching them scream and holler as we caught over 70 bluegill. It was a great thrill for them to actually catch, clean, and eat fresh fish. Most of the pan fish were a little on the small side, but I had them keep them for several reasons. One of course, is the fish sometimes swallow the hook and it’s nearly impossible to throw them back when this happens.

Another reason I sometimes keep small bluegill, is that it helps other aquatic life to have more abundant food sources. Anyway, after we cleaned them all, they were absolutely delicious dipped in a bowl of egg and milk, rolled in cracker crumbs and cornmeal, and fried to a golden brown. And of course we had several bags to take home, which seemed like it made the camping trip last longer than just the weekend.

Calculate Food Quantities For Camping – Essentials

But let’s get back to some of the essentials of planning your weekend camping trip. After you’ve decided on how much time you have, you will need to consider how many nature lovers are going camping. That’s usually the easy part. So if you’ve got 5 people going, and you’re going to be gone for two nights and two days, you’ll want to figure how many meals that will be. I’d say it will be in the neighborhood of 2 dinners, 2 breakfast, and 2 lunches, not including snack times.

So we’ll need enough food for 10 people (5 x 2) for essentially one day. That should calculate to an average of 8-10 ounces of meat per person. Also 8-10 ounces of vegetables and fruit per person, and 8-10 servings of bread or grains per two persons. You can also use the 8-10 rule for your drinks for a total of 8-10, (8-10 oz. drinks) including water, per person per day.

This may seem like a lot of liquid. But when you consider 3 meals a day and an additional drink in between, you are already at 6 drinks a day. Remember, dehydration is a major cause of heat stroke. If you’re going hiking, swimming, or playing any type of running sport, this will easily bring the drink count up an additional 3 or more for a total of 9 drinks a day. Let’s make an easy formula to go by.

Calculate Food Quantities For Camping

FOOD QUANTITY FORMULA

5 people for 2 days = (5 x 2 = 10)
10 x 8-10 ounces = (80-100 ounces meat) or 5-6¼ lbs.
10 x 8-10 ounces = (80-100 ounces fruits and veggies) or 5-6¼ lbs.
8-10 servings bread or grain per (2) persons
8-10 (8-10 oz. drinks) per person (per day)

NOTE: Hard cheeses such as American and Swiss include in meat weight.
Soft cheeses such as cultures add to fruits and vegetables weight.
Eggs may be separate.

So that’s a pretty good rule of thumb to go by for your “3 squares”. If you like to snack, which goes great with camping, bring along your chips, marshmallows, or bake cookies. You’ll never go hungry. Don’t forget the milk if your bring chocolate.

Koa Campgrounds Are Great For All Types Of Campers regardless of whether you have a trailer, RV or a tent. The owners and staff of Koa Campgrounds are dedicated to making sure they are all clean, safe and fun to be at. If you’re not ready to rough it in the wilderness just yet, then a KOA campground may be right for you. Whether you prefer tent camping, cottages, lodges or their exclusive cabins you can enjoy the ambiance of the campground experience.

KOA camps have pride in being camping experts. They try to focus on making your stay a great one, with locations in Canada, USA and Japan. Search on koa campgrounds.com and read up on camping information from the experts who know all about camps. Also read about a sale or hot deal on a KOA family camping adventure.

Koa Campgrounds Are Great For All Types Of Campers – Website

When you visit the KOA website you will find pet travel tips, camping recipes, free postcards and much more. There is also a KOA camp-ground newsletter, value Kard, Gift certificates. For example they even have the option to book wireless internet right on the KOA’s campgrounds.

Search a location near you with the Koa camp-listing directory. If you’re in Florida, Michigan, Colorado, California, Myrtle beach, Ontario, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Oregon, Wisconsin, Utah, South Dakota, Okayama, Minnesota, Indiana, Georgia, Fort Mill, Kentucky, Tennessee, San Diego, Montana, Niagara Falls, BC, New York, Washington, Arizona and many other places you may just find a KOA campsite location and reservation near you.

The happiest retirees have learned this lesson. It is all about finding the right balance in life. It is also about doing things that are interesting and challenging to you and that you enjoy. Too much of any one particular activity and it becomes boring. Doing something different every day helps us all enjoy life more and look forward to the activities we are following in the days ahead. Actually, this approach applies to all of us whether we are retired, in the middle of our careers, or just beginning. Lead a well-balanced life to maintain a satisfying career and lifestyle. The following are the main categories that all of us should pay attention to.

The Happiest Retirees Have Learned This Lesson

Find the right balance among the following to lead a happy life.

Share and mentor – whether it is your kids, colleagues, or grandchildren, helping someone succeed always feels good.

Recreation – relaxation, and exercise provide fun and enjoyment. Recreation also helps to keep us fit if your recreation includes sports activities.

Heath – it really does not matter how much money you have. If you do not have your health life can get pretty tedious. Live a healthy lifestyle, eat right, moderate drinking, exercise, and treat your body well.

Financial – pay attention to finances. If you will not have enough money to live the lifestyle you would like, retirement could get frustrating. Pay attention to this item well before retirement and match your lifestyle to your income and savings levels.

Travel and learn – experiencing other cultures, enjoying different foods, and viewing new experiences help us all to enjoy the world and learn. Keep an open mind and enjoy what different cultures bring to the world.

Relationships – one of the most important is to enjoy and maintain relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. When you need help there is always someone to call on for help.

Work – should really only occupy 1/3 of the day. You need 1/3 for sleeping and 1/3 for doing all of the other things we have been discussing. When work expands beyond 8 hours a day, something has to suffer

Family and Social – maintaining a great social life means you are having fun and lots of laughs. It is well known that a good laugh helps the body to stay healthy and maintain your sense of well-being.

For more lifestyle ideas and suggestions, click here.

North Carolina whitewater rafting offers Class 1 through 5 rafting opportunities and exciting experiences for the outdoor enthusiasts. Several of the rivers are summarized in this post about Carolina North Rafting whitewater:

The Nantahala is Western North Carolina’s most scenic river for whitewater rafting in the Smokies. Eight miles of rugged mountain beauty interrupted by twenty stretches of Class II rapids. Beginning with “Patton’s Run” and ending with the Class III beast, “Lesser Wesser”. While the “Nanny” is a river to be respected, it is not fearsome. Its rapids provide training for Olympic kayakers and thrills for paddlers from age 7 to 70 alike.

The North Carolina whitewater rafting French Broad River is a free flowing river. It has headwaters high in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Rosman and Brevard NC. Flowing from the Devil’s Courthouse on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The French Broad River then flows to Asheville, NC before turning north and west toward Marshall, NC, Hot Springs, NC and Tennessee. Water levels vary throughout the season.

Carolina North Rafting whitewater

The French Broad River is a great NC rafting river. While not too wild for the novice, the French Broad River has plenty to offer the experienced rafter. The rapids range from class I to III on the half-day white water rafting trips. Meanwhile they have class I-IV on the full day NC rafting trip. These are small to medium sized rapids on the class I to VI classification scale. The white water rapids on the French Broad River are considered drop-pool type rapids. Typically the rapids consists of a drop with a calmer pool at the bottom of the rapid.

The float trip stretch of the French Broad River has beautiful scenery. There are a few waves, and plenty of opportunity for swimming and floating. As a result the float trip is a great way for families with small children (minimum age is 4 for the float trip) to enjoy some time together on a fantastic NC river. Or if you just want to have a relaxing and scenic float, the French Broad River float trip offers fantastic mountain scenery, fascinating history, and lots of splashing fun.

North Carolina rafting is blessed with a long whitewater rafting season. Here in the Southern Appalachians from mid-March to early November. And unlike the cold water of other rivers in Western North Carolina, the French Broad River is cool and inviting.

Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but you just can’t find the time to take them on a camping trip? Or would you like to introduce your kids to the fun of camping for the first time, but aren’t sure if they will enjoy it, or might get scared? What about a backyard camping trip? Either way, camping out in your backyard will be a fun way to spend the evening and night with your kids.

Get the kids involved in setting up camp in your backyard. Have them help you set up the tent. Put them in charge of getting their sleeping bags, flashlights and anything else they may need into the tent. If it’s an option for you, you may even want to make a campfire in your backyard. Check with your fire department before hand if this is an option in your area. If not, just dig out the charcoal or gas grill. Grill some hotdogs and make some foil backed potatoes for dinner, and of course you’ll need some s’mores for desert. If you are roasting the marshmallows over your grill, put some aluminum foil over the grate to keep the melting marshmallow from dripping onto your grill.

Backyard Camping Trip – Living Room

Don’t have a tent, or even a backyard for that matter? That’s no reason not to camp out. Just spread out your sleeping bags, or even just some blanket in the living room. Turn off the TV, radio and video games. If you have a fireplace, build a fire. Otherwise, order some pizza and pop some popcorn and you can even make s’mores in the microwave.

No matter where you decide to have your close to home camping trip, take some time to sit together and talk. Telling stories, whether a campfire is involved or not, is always fun. Your kids’ imagination in creating new stories may surprise you. Don’t forget to tell some handed down family tales.

Above all, think back about your favorite camping memories and recreate them with your kids. Do you remember any good scary stories? Are there any games you enjoyed playing? What’s your favorite card game?

Have some fun with this, enjoy your kids and create some memories.

Thousands of adventure thrill seekers of all ages will go down the spectacular New River Gorge. Also the world class Gauley River Canyon, every year. The New & Gauley River Adventures are some of the best in the wild wonderful mountain areas of West Virginia. The Gauley rafting river whitewater offers great experiences.

New River or Gauley River offers a variety of river rafting trips for paddlers of all skill levels. There is beginner to expert, young or old, mild or wild. Gauley rafting river whitewater adventures range from a 2 hour rafting express trip, to a full day. Lower New River rafting , Gauley River rafting or a multi day extended vacation. There are several companies that provide whitewater rafting tours and excursions along the Gauley river in West Virginia. They offer a variety of vacation packages. Which range from half day trips to multi day camping and whitewater adventure tours.

Gauley Rafting River whitewater

The fun doesn’t stop at river’s edge, either. Year-round, complete vacation packages for individuals, groups or families include various activities. For example, guided fishing trips, horseback riding / sleigh rides in winter, kayaking, hiking, biking , rock climbing instruction, 4 x 4 back road tours, snow shoeing, all along the Gauley river. Subsequently after your adventure settle in for a relaxing evening at a campground. Or one of the many cozy cabins or cottages in the area.

World class staff , guides, shuttle drivers and adventure consultants, are friendly, highly skilled outdoor professionals, committed to safety, service and hospitality. In conclusion small wonder so many returning guests come back every year. In other words they come for White Water Rafting and outdoor adventure in the mountains of Mountains of Wild Wonderful West Virginia.

Camping is always associated with fire. Besides cooking, this fire will keep us warm in the night and to shoo the wild animals away. Find out the tips on How To Build a Camp Fire below

From books and moving pictures we all know that Indians had the ability to maintain smokeless fires, and that trappers could blot out the sites of their fires without leaving the slightest trace behind. But we’re not always able to imitate these models. We gaily follow the recipe take some wood and light it. But there’s far more to it than that.

How To Build a Camp Fire – Wood

Before you build a fire, you must first have a good supply of firewood on hand. It’s embarrassing to realize that there’s no more wood when your hot dog is only half done. For a smokeless fire you need completely dry, brittle wood. The driest branches are those that have lost their bark and never feel cold; cold wood is damp and heavy, and it is useless to you unless you want to dry it out at a fire first. You can find dry brittle wood even after a rain. Look for branches under dense shrubbery (that’s a bit of old gypsy lore) or find the lowest dead branches of young pine trees, which are especially suitable for starting fires.

Only a greenhorn would start a fire with wood that still has green leaves hanging on it. Such wood is usable only if you already have a strong fire. Thick, dead limbs of old oaks, dried roots and trunks make good heating material. In rainy weather, cut away the top layer of wet sticks; the center will be dry.

Kindling

This is almost like a game of skill. First, clean the site where you are going to lay your fire, and scrape the ground all around it so that you leave nothing that may be ignited by a flying spark. Then, start with paper, dried grass or reeds, dried leaves and twigs, birch bark or paper thin shavings. Set up a little pyramid of the thinnest, driest twigs over this. Then, to get a strong flame, lay brittle softwood branches on top of the pile. Finally, to produce effective heat and a good glow, add pieces of root and thick hardwood sticks.

The hardwoods include oak, beech, poplar, birch and hickory. Hazel, spruce, pine and fir are all softwoods. The paper thin outer layer of birch bark is ideal for kindling.

Set fire to the core of the pyramid only when it is finished. If kindling piles are skillfully built, it is possible to light them with a magnifying glass if the sun is out brightly. As long ago as 278 B.C. the inventive Archimedes saved the Sicilian city of Syracuse with this principle. He erected a huge reflector on the city wall and set fire to the enemy fleet with it. Soon the fleet was swimming in bright flames on the sea. I wasn’t there myself, but I have often lighted a well prepared, dry kindling pyramid with my pocket burning glass.

Before making the fire, search for the right type of wood which is dry, so easy it will be easy to burn. Arrange the woods in a pyramid form to produce such level of heat to warm the night.

Many of us spend time looking at ourselves in the mirror admiring our muscles. We enjoy seeing a fit body and flexing our muscles for display. But the strongest muscle in your body is not one you can see. It is inside your chest and has many interesting features. It is your heart which beats 24 hours a day.

Every day you are alive, your heart creates enough energy to power a truck for 20 miles of driving.

Your heart pumps blood to almost all of your cells,quite a feat considering there are about 75 trillion of them.

The Strongest Muscle in your Body

Of all your muscles, the heart does the most physical work.

During a normal life span, the heart will pump about 1.5 million barrels of blood – enough to fill about 200 train tank cars.

That said, heart disease is still the greatest threat to your health.

A few things that keep your heart healthy: Lack of stress, exercise, happiness and a healthy diet!

Of the days of the year, Christmas Day sees the most heart attacks, followed by December 26th, followed by New Year.

The size of a heart valve is roughly the size of a 50 cent coin.

The very first pacemakers had to be plugged into the wall. Suffice to say, those patients did not do too much walking.

If you grab a tennis ball and squeeze it with all your might, you would roughly understand how hard the heart works to pump blood, every second of every day.

More Info About Your Heart

Why has the heart become such a symbol of love? Maybe it is because the ancients believed 
the heart was the center of our soul and emotion? Some historians believe it began with the Greek culture, and not before.

People can actually die from a broken heart. After suffering a terrible loss or traumatic event,
the body releases stress hormones into your bloodstream that can temporarily mimic the symptoms of a heart attack, even causing heart failure.

Almost every state and province in North America offers combined cabin rafting rental whitewater combinations for whitewater rafting vacations. Pick your location based on available cabins or whitewater rafting opportunities, it does not matter. You will have a great time, great memories of the Whitewater excursion and camping out in your cabin in the wilderness.

Before you book your vacation in one of these whitewater rafting and cabin areas, check out both the available whitewater rafting trips available as well as the cabins you will be staying in.

Whitewater rafting trips can be half day, full day or multi day trips. You also want to know what equipment you need to bring vs. what will be provided by the operator. Also confirm the class of the whitewater trip to confirm that this is really the level you are looking for. Finally confirm that all of the safety gear is provided and the guides have adequate experience for your whitewater rafting trip.

Cabin Rafting Rental whitewater

The cabin you select can also make a huge contribution to your whitewater rafting trip. Staying in a great cabin that is clean, dry and comfortable makes a huge difference to your experience. Look for references and previous users experiences. Are there restaurants nearby or will you need to make your own meals.

Are the accommodations first class or basic. What do you need to bring with you to make your entire rafting and cabin whitewater rafting experience enjoyable. And always brings change of clothes for your whitewater rafting trip, since you are going to get wet! You may also want to use water proof cases and bags. You will need dry clothes when you finish and if they get wet during your trip it will be a cold evening beside the fire. Plan ahead and you will have a great time.

When we go for camping, surely we have to adjust ourselves with the nature. Unlike our home, when we go for camping the gas stove probably is not always available. You have to build a fire-place for any cooking purpose. Managing Cooking Sites In Camp can improve your experience significantly. Find the tips below on how to manage to cook or bake when you go for camping.

In the fall, when there is a tang in the air and the trees begin to shed their leaves, there is nothing so satisfying as a pot of hot soup or tea cooked over an open fire, with the unavoidable taste of wood smoke and the usually unwanted addition of pine needles.

Cooking Sites while Camping

You can invent and construct your stove on the spot. The type you build depends upon the circumstances and the available materials. Four possibilities are shown on the next page.

But whatever kind of fire you use, there are some important precautions to take. Forest rangers and nature lovers do not like to see careless people building fires in the woods. And not without reason. Fires incompletely extinguished or sprays of sparks left unwatched have caused numerous, often devastating forest fires. You should build your fire only in the middle of a clearing, in a pit, or on a stony spot. There should be nothing that can burn within 8 to 10 feet all around the fire site. Trees or bushes within this distance from the fire would be damaged by the heat.

You must completely extinguish the fire afterwards. It certainly is not too much for you to get some water for this from a nearby brook. If you merely want to stamp the fire out, at least leave yourself enough time for the job it is really not so easy or fast. In addition, you are likely to burn your shoe soles doing this, although you may not notice it until later. Never scatter the fire in all directions so that the coals fly under leaves and are hidden from you somewhere. They keep on glowing.

Managing Cooking Sites In Camp – Baking Bread

At home, before you set off for your camping grounds, you can make dough with a teaspoonful of baking powder, about six ounces of flour, a pinch of salt, and some water or milk. Knead the mixture into tough dough and pack it in a clean handkerchief or a can when you are ready to go.

While your fire is building up the strong heat necessary for baking, cut two forked branches and a straight green hazel or birch stick. Set the branches at each end of the fire. Then make a long roll out of the dough, somewhat thicker than your thumb, and wrap it around the green stick in a spiral, keeping the individual turns at a little distance from each other. The dough will rise while it is baking, and the twists should not bake together. Lay the stick across the forked branches, and turn the spit frequently. The bread is done when you can insert a smooth bit of wood and pull it out dry. If you want to be even more like a woodsman, and if your camp site has fresh running water, you can mix the ingredients at home without any liquid, and put the mixture into a paper or plastic bag. Then, when you are out at the site, you can add the water and cook your bread on a flat stone.

Fire can be use in many kind of purpose. Take any precautions when you set up the fire. Fire can be use for any type for cooking. When you go out for camping, does not mean that you will not get fresh bread. Remember you should be always managing cooking sites in camp

We came across a great list of travel suitcase packing tips that will make your life easier and may even save you money as well. Take a few minutes to think about where you are going, how you will get there and what you will do when you arrive. Give some thought about the things you will need to have with you and plan accordingly. Remember most things you can buy at your final destination, if you forget something. But there are some personal items you may not be able to do without. Personally, I keep a list of things that I need to do for each trip. Going through the list one by one helps to make sure we do not forget anything that we are going to need.

Travel Suitcase Packing Tips

• Pack light to travel light. If you can manage with only a carry-on for your trip, do it. Take half of the things you need and twice the money. Purchasing a few new items can be a fun part of the adventure.
• Pack a sleep mask and ear plugs. These can come in handy on a plane, train or even in your hotel room.
• Capitalize on empty suitcase space. Roll your clothes, instead of folding them. Stuff socks, underwear, and accessories in corners and inside of shoes. Leave no space unused.
• Keep a light blanket in your carry-on. They can be used as a blanket on the plane, a sarong  can be used as a scarf if it’s cold or a shawl on an evening out.
• Bag it. Sandwich bags can be used to hold your accessories, vacuum pack bags can be space savers, and trash bags have multiple uses (laundry bag, shoe covers).
• Skip airport snacks and bring your own. You can save yourself  money and keep your hunger at bay in case you have a delayed flight.

Create compartments.

• Two words: packing cube. If you are visiting more than one city during your trip, packing cubes will keep your suitcase organized and save you from having to pack and unpack.
• Share your packing space. Traveling as a couple? Split your clothes between two suitcases on the off chance one of them gets lost during the flight.
• Bring a multi-socket extension cord. Although newer hotels have USB ports in rooms, it’s best to have an extra outlet to charge all of your electronics at once.
• Make photocopies before leaving home. If you’re traveling out of the country, make two photocopies of your passport. Use your smartphone to take pictures of your car in the airport’s parking garage and do the same for your luggage and its contents in case it gets lost.

Wilderness trips can be dangerous, but you can make then less so. The following ten essentials for backpacking trips can make a huge difference on your trips success.

Knowledge. What good is a compass if you don’t know how to use it? Play with matches if your fire-making skills are shaky. Learn what to do when you see a bear. Read a little, practice a little – knowledge is more likely to save you than gadgets.

Map and compass. These are together, because that’s the way you need to use them. Make sure you take them along with you.

Matches and lighter. Bring both, or waterproof matches and a fire starter of some sort. Having two ways to start a fire is much safer. Practice before hand to make sure you can actually light a fire.

First aid kit. Buy a pre-packaged one or build your own. Make sure it has pain relievers, bandages, disinfectant, and notes on basic first aid procedures.

Foot care. Your first aid kit needs moleskin, and maybe a pin, to treat blisters. Your feet have to be well cared for when you’re hiking miles from

Essentials For Backpacking Trips

Water purification. A filter works, but they clog and break so often that you should have a small bottle of iodine tablets or other water purification as back up.

Rain Gear. One of the biggest killers in the woods is hypothermia, and it often starts when you get wet. Try to stay dry.

Shelter. This can be a tent, tarp or bivy sack. Just be sure you know how to use it. Again practice before you go.

Sleeping bag. Down bags are the warmest for their weight,but be sure you know how to keep it dry, or bring a synthetic bag.

Specific trip items. For backpacking trips in Michigan in May, bring insect repellent. In summer in Arizona, bring sunblock.Think about the specific conditions for the time and place of your trip.

Make your own list if you take regular backpacking trips. It’s no fun when a friend tells you ten miles down the trail that he’s allergic to bees and forgot his medicine. A little planning means less worries, and a better trip.

Over 3,000 rivers, 100,000 glaciers and 39 of the world’s most significant mountain ranges dominate Alaska’s landscape. There are many creative Alaska rafting whitewater itineraries that combine drama with decadence and top-shelf customer service.  Alaska offers Heli-skiing, snowboarding, rafting, fishing, snowcat treks, and premier lodging . As a result this is one of the best places to visit if you are a serious whitewater enthusiast.

Alaska rafting in whitewater conditions or along glaciers are available for the outdoor enthusiast. Many people do not have the gear for these sorts of trips. As a result the good Alaska rafting whitewater companies will provide everything that you need. Bring warm clothes. Also bring a change of clothes. You may get wet.

Imagine canoeing beside icebergs and getting up close so that you can actually touch them. Depending on the time of year and the trip you book, your Alaska rafting trip can include one of these excursions.

Alaska Rafting Whitewater

Some Alaska rafting whitewater trips are actually quite physical, requiring the ability to portage. In addition you may need to paddle with your other raft mates to control the canoes and rafts. If you are concerned about your abilities, discuss this issue with the tour organizers before you book your trip.

An example of an Alaska rafting whitewater trip starts on a train which can be boarded in Anchorage, Girdwood, or at the Portage Station. For those who depart by rail from Anchorage the train may travel south along Turn again Arm for 50 miles. Guests get off the train in the ultra-scenic Placer valley at Spencer Lake. Subsequently after a brief motor transport to Spencer Lake you will have a deli-style lunch are launched in the raft.

Spencer Lake is full of icebergs that crumble in to the Lake throughout the season. The ice is so close you can touch it (however for safety reason it may not always be advisable to do so).

Navigate through the ice-choked Lake the rafts make their way down the Placer River through spirited Class I (maybe II) rapids that are fun but mild. You shouldn’t get wet except for an occasional small splash. After this amazingly scenic float, you’ll get back on the train and return to your point of origin. This trip is really a lot of fun for the whole family! .

For more posts about Alaska, click here.

Mosquitoes can carry diseases like malaria, yellow fever, many types of encephalitis and dengue. As a result almost 600 million people die each year with mosquito-born diseases. What can you do to prevent getting bitten? Buying Mosquito Netting is more complicated than you might at first think.

Mosquito netting is important because it prevents an insect bite that carries infectious diseases. It comes in a variety of shapes, color and purposes. Here are some guidelines for you to choose the perfect mosquito netting. Therefore if you are going camping it can be a great investment.

Guidelines to Consider

1) Size and shape: The size of the net should be spacious. It should have enough space to cover your whole body while sleeping. The mosquito netting should provide you with your needed air circulation. As a result mosquito net with holes of 1.2mm x 1.2mm is the most used and the most recommended.

Rectangular mosquito nettings are more advisable to use because it provides much needed space for you and your friends. But pyramid shaped mosquito nets could be used for individual purposes.

2) Material: There are two most common material used in mosquito netting – polyester and cotton. Mosquito netting made of polyester is lightweight that could be used for camping and other traveling needs. It lasts longer than cotton nets because cotton is not water-resistant and weighs more when wet. But cotton mosquito netting could offer a more comfortable rest when used outdoors. As a result both of these kinds of netting are available in different sizes and thickness of the thread used.

For a more efficient mosquito net, it is recommended to purchase a net that has been sprayed with high quality insecticides. If the nets are pre-treated with insecticides, the mosquito net repellent could be useful at least for a year depending on heat and rain exposure. If insecticide is no longer there, you could always buy from your nearest store.

3) Purpose: The mosquito netting is perfect for a number of situations. It could be used outside of your backyard as gazebos and umbrellas. It could be used in your house as doors, windows and balconies. Subsequently it also it could be used in traveling and in camping. Whatever the case may be, it could be used anywhere you may go.

Buying Mosquito Netting

4) Variety: The mosquito netting could be purchased in a number of styles and shapes for your preference. Here are some of the basic kinds of mosquito nets available in stores.

* Head and body nets: These kinds of nets are usually used outdoors in camping and in dealing with swarms of mosquitoes. There are nets available to cover any part of the body, or the whole body itself.

* Indoor nets: Indoor nets are used in the repelling of insects inside the house. It is to protect your children and yourself from future insect bites. It is used in screening the doors, windows, as draperies, and many more.

* Hanging nets: These kinds of mosquito nets are hanged from the top of your house and tucked into the floor. They are the types of nets that are best used as umbrella, for balconies, and for larger areas to cover.

* Equipment nets: These are specialty equipment’s produced with mosquito netting. Samples of this include a baby stroller net, bed canopies, and many more.

Now that you know how to buy the perfect mosquito netting for you, invest now and experience the protection your family would maintain.

If you are looking for tips on how to lose weight, this is the place to review. We routinely publish tips like this page in the hope that we can help people achieve their goals. You may find that some of the tips work for you while others do not. Select those that make sense and fit your lifestyle. Just remember that the ultimate goal is to lose weight and manage your weight. You have to be serious about losing weight, especially after the holiday season. This is the time to create new habits that will lead to better health and loss of those extra pounds you want to manage.  Review our list of tips on how to lose weight and start today towards achieving your objectives.

Tips on How to Lose Weight

• Create new habits by focusing on positive eating situations.
• Put weight management on auto pilot with new habits so that you do not even need to think about what you are eating to manage your weight
• Only keep healthy foods in the house and avoid purchasing the high calorie, high salt content foods
• Use smaller plates to control the amount of food you eat
• Only keep fruit on the counter for snacking
• Keep healthy food at the front in the fridge to avoid temptation
• Avoid buying salty foods such as chips, salty nuts etc to control weight and hypertension or high blood pressure
• Avoid buffets, everyone just eats too much even with the best of intentions
• Brighter lighting while eating will actually cause you to eat less food
• Eat at the table and not in front of the TV so that your focused on what and how much your consuming
• Set realistic and measurable goals to avoid becoming discouraged

Colorado is home to some of the most scenic and exhilarating whitewater river rafting in the United States.  It can provide the basis for a fun and memorable vacation. On river rafting trips you will meet other people who enjoy being outdoors under the Colorado sky. Bask in the splendor of the Rocky Mountain scenery, lay your head back and watch the clouds drift by. Enjoy a Colorado river rafting whitewater adventure.

Rafters can choose from family rafting excursions on Class one or two whitewater trips that last for a half a day. Also multi-day Class 5 trips that offer the adventure tour junky an exhilarating ride down one of many Colorado Whitewater rafting river runs.

Colorado Rafting River whitewater

Where ever you go whitewater river rafting, whether it is in Colorado or one of the other popular whitewater rafting locations across the USA, always investigate and confirm the experience of the guides. Consequently check the quality of the equipment and the maintenance of the equipment. Most companies are excellent in this regard. However you are taking an adventure tour and safety must be a prime concern.

Class 1 and 2 whitewater rapids in Colorado are usually ok for beginners, children and seniors. Class 3, 4 & 5 are progressively more difficult and require increased levels of physical ability including being a strong swimmer. If you are taking a class 5 whitewater rafting tour, always make sure that you are up to being able to swim in the rapids. For example make sure you have been trained in the ability to swim out of a whitewater rapids river.

More and more people today enjoy the simple, wholesome fun of hiking. Hiking is an affordable, yet healthy and emotionally rewarding way to spend a vacation or a long weekend. And you don’t need to visit a travel agent. We have put together a few Hiking Gear Packing Tips for readers to help them enjoy their vacation.

Experienced hikers will always tell you that every detail matters when you pack hiking gear, especially tents and camping stoves. The right hiking gear and clothing, a properly and ergonomically packed backpack, positive mood and good fitness. All these elements play an equally important role in the success of any hiking trip.

Hiking Boots

Hiking boots are the most important part of your hiking gear. The right footwear will serve you longer and take you farther and safer than any training shoes or sneakers will. You can wear a cheaper pair of pants or an old t-shirt, but a good reliable pair of hiking shoes or boots should be as expensive as you can afford.

Many people consider their jackets as another important clothing item for a hiker, especially in the colder periods of the year. A hiking jacket can be a true lifesaver if you choose well. A Gore-Tex top layer will shield you from cold, wet, and windy weather. Many hiking jacket manufacturers use a layering approach in their jackets, so that an outer shell layer becomes not insulation, but goes over insulating clothing. Underneath a Gore-Tex layer your can wear a lightweight and even trendy fleece jacket, which you can use in warmer months and for other sporting activities too.

Hiking Gear Packing Tips – Tents

Hiking tents are a must if you plan to camp in mountain regions in all three hiking seasons – spring, summer, and fall.  These hiking tents can be used for protection from storms, winds, small animals and insects. Along with a tent pack a sleeping bag and an insulating ground pad which also brings warmth as well as ironing out bumpy ground.

A lightweight, dependable backpacking stove is much easier to use than campfires which are often prohibited in certain areas. Camping stoves manufactured by such trustworthy brands as Primus and Coleman are basically a fuel container and a fire faucet with burner grates. These grates can collapse for compact storage. More expensive models even have electronic ignition so you won’t need matches or lighter. Although it is always a good idea to pack matches anyway in case of ignition failure. Another version of a camping stove is a storm cooker which basically consists of a spirit burner with windshield and handle and a pot or pan for cooking. These stoves are lightweight because you don’t need a propane container, but are sufficient for one or two people only.

The newest models of camping stoves are environmentally friendly, odor-free, and very accommodating. To cook and eat take a pot, spoon, and a cup. To start the camping stove, if you don’t have an ignition feature, lighters are more reliable than matches. Take more fuel than you initially planned – camping stoves “eat” more fuel in cold weather.

Be prepared

To fully enjoy your hiking trip you must prepare beforehand. Even a small mistake in selecting your hiking equipment may result in an injury or at the least in discomfort and a negative experience. Check and fire up your camping stove while still at home and double check your hiking gear and equipment using a hiking checklist before you head out.

About The Author: Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics.

The picture on the left is at the beginning of the Ottawa Rideau Canal Skateway. Click on this link to a Youtube video I made. Click here This is s short 37 second video I made of the canal showing the rest areas, the fast food shacks with hot chocolate and beaver tales etc. There are heated change rooms as well as toilet facilities at this spot and 3 others along the skateway. They also sell hot chocolate, beaver tales etc. Many people come downtown by bus and get off the bus at the Rideau center stop. They then make their way to the canal, which is a 5 minute walk. This is really the best way to get to the canal and you do not need to deal with traffic and parking issues.

We have included a map of the Ottawa Rideau Canal Skateway for your information. We find the best location for us to enter the skateway is off of Clegg Ave. You can park your car for free on a side street. You are about halfway or in the middle of the skateway. Anyone can have a nice afternoon or evening skating in either direction. The entire skateway is 7.8 km’s long if you skate the entire distance. Avid skaters will do a round trip giving them over 15 km’s of skating in a couple of hours.

We also included a street map showing the route one of our skaters and a guest blogger took while skating. This map shows a map of Ottawa and positions the canal with respect to several other landmarks in the area.  The Rideau Center end of the skateway is right downtown across the street from the Rideau Center, the Westin hotel and the Chateau Laurier hotel. For more pictures and information, click here to visit another post about the Ottawa Rideau Canal Skateway.

This is one of Ottawa’s premiere tourist attractions. Combined with winter lude, ice sculptures and lots to do in the capital of Canada, this can be a great winter vacation. There are also numerous ski hills within half an hour to an hours drive from down town.

Click here to link to another video post about the Rideau Canal Skateway. For many more posts about things to do in Canada’s capital city, click here.

The Ottawa Rideau Canal skating rink is the longest skating rink in the world at 7.8 km in length. Every year once the weather is cold enough to adequately freeze the water and create ice, workers begin creating the longest rink in the world. The ice thickness needs to be approximately 15 to 17 inches thick to support the crowds of people who come to skate on the canal each weekend. If it is not thick enough, several things can occur. The ice can crack and it can also begin sinking causing water to flow onto the ice. With 6 to 15 feet of water underneath it would not be pleasant for the ice to sink under the weight of 1000’s of people skating.

Click on this link to a Youtube video I made. Click here This is s short 37 second video I made of the canal showing the rest areas, the fast food shacks with hot chocolate and beaver tales etc.

Dows Lake

The other end of the canal branches to two different end points. One end is at the Dows lake pavilion just off Carling ave at the experimental farm. There is a restaurant there, a small area to park and the outside fast food shacks that provide coffee, hot chocolate, beaver tails and more. The picture on the left also shows the map of the entire canal skate way. This location is at the bottom right of the picture with the small area that juts towards the bottom of the picture. You can also skate all the way to Carleton University, which is the far right on the picture. There is no changing area or services at this point. There are benches to sit on while you change your skates and stairs to reach the university property.

Carleton University

Our next picture shows the end point that we just discussed. It is 7.8 km’s from the downtown Ottawa beginning of the canal.  The ice on this particular day was excellent. This area of the canal is not used as much as some of the other areas and usually is in better shape. Ottawa contractors flood the ice each night after clearing any snow that may have accumulated. They have giant rotating brushes mounted on tractors that go all night to clear the ice before it is flooded. As long as the temperatures stay cold the ice can be flooded and kept in excellent condition.

I spoke to one of the canal maintenance persons about the ice conditions. He told me that the contractor they use has experience building ice roads in the far north to support tractor trailers. This guy obviously knows what he is doing and does a great job. Towards the end of the season there is not much you can do when temperatures start to warm up. The ice becomes soft and the skates leave ridges and soft spots. Regardless of when you skate always watch for cracks in the ice and areas that could trip you. No one needs a fall that could cause an bruises or worse.

Ice Surface Quality

Ottawa has people patrolling in trucks as well as on skates to help anyone who needs it. With such a long canal, the use of small trucks to get to someone can reduce the time  a great deal. Although the picture does not really show a good ice surface, it is actually quite good on the day I went skating. This location is across from the University of Ottawa near the down town areas. Many people actually skate to work or skate to their university classes.

There are also student trips to Ottawa every day as well. The students get to skate on the canal, have a hot chocolate and a beaver tail. These are especially good with your favorite topping. Chocolate, jam, syrup, cinnamon sugar are some of the favorites. You can purchase these items on the canal at four different locations. They have picnic tables set up on the ice as well while you enjoy your treat! A trip to the canal to skate on the worlds longest skating rink is well worth the effort and the time.

Click on this link to a Youtube video I made. Click here This is s short 37 second video I made of the canal showing the rest areas, the fast food shacks with hot chocolate and beaver tales etc.

For many more posts about things to do in Canada’s capital city, click here.

West Virginia’s “Wild, and Wonderful” mountains host TWO of America’s best and most popular West Virginia whitewater rafting rivers…the New and the Gauley. Surrounded on three sides by the New River Gorge National River Park. Close to the Gauley River Corridor, you’ll find the finest selection of exciting rafting whitewater adventures available anywhere in the country!

From easy, family-friendly “mildwater” rafting to the biggest and most exciting world-class whitewater. As a result the New and Gauley rivers can be run in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Therefore each season brings its own unique selection of rafting adventure in West Virginia.

Paddle America’s oldest river canyon, that has been designated a National Treasure administered by the National Park Service (NPS). Over 20 legendary bigwater rapids await you on the Lower New. Huge spring water for the fearless, summer’s refreshing roller-coaster waves for the family, and a burst of fall color for everyone means the Lower New has something for everyone!

Rafting Virginia west whitewater

Beginner-friendly whitewater rapids make this the perfect trip for laid-back adventure in the great outdoors. You’ll raft through a magnificent 1,400-foot canyon and enjoy some of the East’s most spectacular scenery. The Upper New River is unique in its geology. The river formed over 300 million years ago. This section of river offers our mildest guided trips. Consequently learn about local history, play games, and enjoy a great riverside lunch. Above all, skilled professionals guide every trip.

Boiling up from the depths of Summersville Lake for 22 days during September and October comes Fall Gauley Season. The palpable energy of the legendary Gauley River lures thousands of whitewater rafting enthusiasts from around the world every year. You’ll never feel more charged or more triumphant than when you have conquered the most adrenaline-packed day of rafting found in all of North America!

With its sheer cliffs and rhododendron-lined banks, the Lower Gauley River is the state’s most beautiful river…and Class V too! This section’s 14 action-packed miles feature towering waves and raft-munching holes…including three Class V rapids. We recommend the Lower Gauley to both first-time rafters and experienced paddlers. As a result it’s less intimidating than the Upper Gauley, but every bit as much fun.

“Do you know about Wall-Mart camping?” We didn’t know, but one of the seasoned travelers beside us at the campground where we stayed last week insisted Wall-Mart not only allowed RVs and vans to park overnight, but encouraged it. “Free camping,” he told us, and we didn’t wait long to take advantage of this new knowledge. There is something about Wal Mart Camping And Other Free Places that appeals to the wanderer in us.

Wal Mart Camping And Other Free Places

Somewhere in northern Georgia we pulled into a Wall-Mart, and sure enough, we saw some RVs off to one side of the parking lot, looking like they were there for the night. We were heading back to Michigan in our conversion van, and free camping sounded good to us. We parked, plugged in our 5-inch T.V., and settled in for the night. Nobody bothered us. In the morning we used the bathrooms inside, and bought some orange juice.

The next night we camped for free again, this time at a “Flying J” truck stop. There were RVs camping there as well. You’ll find Flying J Truck stops all over, and they actively court the RV crowd, counting on gas and other sales. We filled our tank there in the morning, and bought some food as well. As long as campers stay out of the way of the truckers, free camping is likely to continue.

Other Free Camping Places

Generally, you can camp free on any BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, unless it’s specifically forbidden in an area. This is also true of National Forest lands. In both cases you’re limited to a stay of two weeks in one place, though this rule is not always enforced, and the next two-week place might have to be only a hundred yards away. State forest lands are usually open to free camping without permits, but policies vary by state (The two-week rule seems to be common).

Wall-Mart Camping And Other Free Places

We camped in our van for ten days at Williams Landing, east of Tallahassee, Florida, on Lake Talquin. It’s a beautiful place, with hot showers. Our cost? Zero, and you can stay up to two weeks. There are free campgrounds scattered around the country. Ask an RVer about this, or buy a Woodall’s directory from any large RV dealer.

Note: Wall-mart seems to encourage the campers, except in coastal areas where too many RVer’s want to live in a parking lot. Don’t roll out the carpet and put out lawn furniture like one traveler we heard about, or you may ruin it for all. Some stay for a week at a time, going out all day to see the sights (and so they don’t wear out their welcome). Wall-mart gets business from the campers, but they’ll only continue their policy if they don’t have problems, so keep it low-key.

To find a Wall-Mart in the area you’re traveling to, visit Walmart.com. Scroll down to the “store finder” link to search. Thank you for camping at Wall-Mart!

The Ocoee Rafting Whitewater river is located in Tennessee and is one of the most popular whitewater rafting destinations in the nation. With over 20 continuous rapids and many spots to stop for lunch and just play around. As a result, white water rafting enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy this beautiful and entertaining Ocoee rafting whitewater destination.

Most Ocoee rafting Whitewater trips begin in April and continue through the summer months into the fall up to October. There are a number of companies that will provide full services to help you enjoy your Ocoee rafting whitewater trip. Generally speaking, no experience is necessary. These companies have experienced guides that will take you down the river on half day or full day trips.

Ocoee Rafting Whitewater

The Ocoee whitewater trip will take you through 20 rapids and drop 260 feet from the start to the finish. Since the Ocoee river is dam controlled the rapids are just as great in the dryer summer months as they are in the spring and fall. White water rafters along the Ocoee will also enjoy the trip though the dramatic Ocoee gorge.

Full river Ocoee rafting white eater trips are full day trips. While shorter trips can be planned along the lower, middle and upper Ocoee river rapids area. Tennessee state park regulations require people who will take advantage of the Ocoee Whitewater trips must be 12 years of age or older.

Next time when you go camping, try to play these fun games with people in your group or other campers. Certainly these great fun filled camping games can give you and your kids lots of laughs. As a result this is a great way to build relationship with other campers.

Circle Jumping

Stand everyone in a circle with all hands clasped. One of the crowds lies down in the center with a rope as long as one-half the diameter of the circle. To the end of the rope is tied a small weight like a sand bag. He whirls the weight around with the full length of rope revolving with increasing rapidity. As it approaches the players, they hop up and let it pass under their feet. The one whose foot is touched is out of the game. Consequently the person who keeps out of the way of the rope the longest is the winner.

Wolf

Here is a Japanese game full of fun and action.

Place a dozen or more campers in line, and have each fellow place his hands firmly on the shoulders of the person in front of him. Choose one of the fellows for the “Wolf.” The first person at the head of the line is called the “Head” of the Serpent, and the last fellow is the “Tail.”
The “Wolf” stands near the head of the Serpent until a signal is given. Then he tries to catch the “Tail” without touching any other part of the snake.

The others who form the body of the Serpent protect the “Tail” by wreathing about in all sorts of twists to prevent the “Wolf” from catching the “Tail.” This must be done without breaking the line. When the “Tail” is caught, the “Wolf” becomes the “Head,” and the “Tail” becomes the “Wolf.” The last person in line is the “Tail”. Therefore the game can be continued until every camper has been the “Wolf.”

Great Fun Filled Camping Games

Rover, All Come Over
A line is marked dividing the campus. All the campers gather on one side. One person in the center endeavors to have them step over the line by calling out, “Rover, Rover, all come over!”. At the word “over” everybody is expected to run and cross the line, while the center man endeavors to catch one. The one caught must help him catch the others. If any one runs over before the center man calls “over,” he has to go to the aid of the catcher. As a result when all are caught the game begins again.

German Bowling

Plant in the ground two posts, leaving at least 15 feet above ground. Spike a 10-foot piece across the top. An ordinary ball used in bowling is used by plugging shut the holes and inserting a screw eye in one of the plugged holes. Tie tightly to this screw eye a strong piece of rope. A good-sized screw eye is fastened in the cross piece of the frame, and to this tie the ball. Nine bowling pins are used. The score is the same as bowling. The pins are knocked off by the return of the ball.

Water Baseball

The outfit required is a tennis ball, a broom stick and four rafts- one large and three small. The batsman and catcher stand on the big raft. On a small raft, ten yards away, stands the pitcher and the other two rafts are placed at easy swimming distance for bases. In striking, everything counts – bunt, swat or foul tip. The moment bat and ball come in contact the batsman starts for first base. There are five men on a side. This game is lots of fun. But avoid remaining in fresh water too long as it has a tendency to weaken vitality.

Enjoy your outdoor camping!

Here’s an ultralight backpacking list, an example of what I typically take on a weekend hike. We’re all different in our needs and skills, though, so please don’t take it as a recommendation. My list, with weights (not including what I wear to start):

• GoLite Breeze Backpack: 12 ounces
• Western Mountaineering Bag: 17 ounces
• Nylon Tarp: 17 ounces
• Frogg Toggs Rain Jacket: 7 ounces
• Groundsheet: 2 ounces
• Sleeping Pad: 4 ounces
• Bathroom Supplies: 3 ounces
• First Aid Kit: 3 ounces
• Knife, Lighter, Etc: 3 ounces
• Hat: 1 ounce
• Gloves: 1 ounce
• Poly Vest: 4 ounces
• Socks, 2 pair: 2 ounces
• T-shirt, long sleeve: 6 ounces
• Camera: 5 ounces
• Light: 1 ounce
• Water: 16 ounces
• Raw Sunflower Seeds: 16 ounces
• Fudge-dipped granola bars (8): 16 ounces
• Tortilla Chips: 16 ouncesTOTAL WEIGHT : 9 pounds, 8 ounces

Ultralight Backpacking List – 3 Days Under 10 Pounds

This is a summer backpacking list. But it’s worth noting that my 17-ounce sleeping bag has kept me warm when the temperatures are below freezing. The food adds up to more than 6,700 calories, plus I tend to eat a lot of wild berries. I keep iodine pills for purifying water in my first aid kit. Always stop often to refill the plastic water bottle. You never want to run out of water.

This isn’t an exercise in deprivation. I have done that too, going out with just a plastic bag to sleep in and a few granola bars. This list is what I need for comfort, warmth and safety. It is actually very enjoyable to easily walk twenty miles through the mountains, with less than ten pounds on my back. With the right skills, equipment and preparation, ultralight backpacking is never about suffering. Regardless of when you go and where you go, always tell someone where you will be. Do not deviate from your plan so searchers can easily find you.

Rafting Utah Whitewater rivers offer some of the world’s best class one to class five white water rafting. Therefore they have trips to match virtually any schedule and appetite for adventure.

The Green and Colorado Rivers cut across Utah. They provide all levels of rafting excitement with rapids from Class I to Class V. Relax, enjoy the scenery and stage water fights on easy, flat water sections like Fisher Towers or Labyrinth Canyon. Feel the excitement of riding the unique “sand waves” on the San Juan River. Challenge the powerful whitewater in Westwater, Lodore and other famous canyons. Hang on for dear life in Grand and Cataract canyons. Go over infamous drops like Satan’s Gut, Little Niagara and Lava Falls.

Professional guides from several Utah whitewater rafting companies will provide proper equipment and make sure your trip is safe and enjoyable. On multi-day trips, participants camp on the river’s edge, usually on sandy beaches in scenic areas. Most guides are accomplished chefs and provide exquisite meals.

Rafting Utah Whitewater

The best way to arrange for a carefree and fun-filled camping for you and your family is to have the checklist of camping equipment handy so that we do not miss to pack the most important and essential things. Apart from the checklist  do a quick research  about the place your going camping. Know a bit about the locality and its inhabitants so that you don’t have the feeling of coming from an outer planet.

Preparing A Checklist Of Camping Equipment

Hence the most essential part of camping deals with the list of Camping equipment:

1. A tent, lean-to or other shelter device
2. A sleeping bag for warmth
3. A sleeping pad or air mattress is often placed underneath the sleeping bag for cushioning from stones and twigs as well as for insulation from the ground
4. A portable stove to prepare hot meals and/or drinks where campfires are forbidden or impractical
5. A lantern or flashlight
6. A hatchet, axe or saw for cutting firewood where allowed or constructing camp gadgets

7. Various types and sizes of ropes and tarps for stringing clothes lines, sheltering dining areas, and other purposes.
8. A chuck box to hold the many varied camp kitchen items for food preparation, consumption and cleanup.
9. Some campers may prepare food by cooking on a campfire, sometimes using such equipment as a Dutch oven.
10. Much of the remaining needed camping equipment is commonly available in the home, like dishes, pots and pans.

Lists of what to take are available in many camping books and websites. Many people opt not to use their home items but equipment better tailored to camping, such as heavy plastic tableware and salt and pepper shakers with tops that close to keep out rain. Last but not the least the item to be included in the list of camping equipment is a first aid box which is of utmost importance.

Preparing A Checklist Of Camping Equipment

Great care and attention should be given before making this first aid box so that we don’t miss on the basic yet vital medicines which could provide relief when nothing else is available nearby. First aid is the immediate care given to a person who is injured or who suddenly becomes ill. It can range from cleaning a cut and applying a bandage to helping someone who is choking.

One list of items for a first aid kit is as follows:

1. Dressings (sterile, applied directly to wound): Pads
Sterile eye pads, Sterile gauze pads.
2. Bandages (sterility is not necessary, used to secure a dressing): Gauze Roller bandages – absorbent, breathable, and often elastic
Elastic bandages – used for sprains, and pressure bandages, Adhesive, elastic roller bandages,Triangular bandages
3. Gloves, disposable non-latex
4. Torch (also known as a flashlight)
5. Instant-acting chemical cold packs

6. Sterile eye wash (commonly saline) Sterile saline may also be used for cleaning wounds where clean tap water is not available.
7. Thermometer
8. Antiseptic/anesthetic ointment or spray
9. Anti-itch ointment (especially for outdoor kits)
10. Painkillers / fever reducers
11. Aloe veragel – used for a wide variety of skin problems, including burns, sunburns, itching, and dry skin

As and when your checklist is ready you are all set to go and respond to your senses of adventure and accept challenges with a brave heart as and when they come. After you come back from your camping venture don’t forget to update your checklist before setting for the next camping venture because with every trip you would come to know about the things you should have included in your list. So keep on editing and adding new items to your camping checklist so that your experience of camping becomes better and better each time.

For more posts about camping, click here.

The answer to the question, Does fidgeting burn more calories, is definitely yes! All you have to do is look at the picture. Two people are relaxed and bored looking. One person is alert, working, tense even. Who do you think is burning more calories? This is in some office somewhere waiting for an appointment. Imagine at home. You have the standard couch potato person, relaxed, not moving and at an extremely low activity level. Then there is the person who cannot sit still. He or she is working on a project, listening to music or outside playing. There is no doubt that fidgety people burn more calories just based on common sense.

Does Fidgeting Burn More Calories

For those of you who need scientific proof, this phenomenon was studied by many experts. They have confirmed that fidgety people will burn 300 to 400 more calories than folks who are more relaxed. Just the activity level and the higher heart rate etc are enough to burn more calories.

If you are a couch potato, it is time to get moving. Even if it is a walk around the block to get started, just do it. Stand while watching TV. Stand at the office, get up from your desk. Whatever it takes get moving and you will burn more calories!

The Ocoee river is located in Tennessee. It is one of the most popular rafting Tennessee whitewater destinations in Tennessee and in the nation. It has over 20 continuous rapids and many spots to stop for lunch. As a result white water rafting enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy this beautiful and entertaining Tennessee Ocoee rafting river whitewater destination.

Most Ocoee rafting river whitewater trips begin in April and continue through the summer months into the fall. There are a number of companies that will provide full services to help you enjoy your Ocoee rafting river whitewater trip. Generally speaking, no experience is necessary for class one or two whitewater trips. Consequently these companies have experienced guides that will take you down the river on half day or full day trips.

Rafting Tennessee Whitewater

The Tennessee Ocoee rafting river whitewater trip will take you through 20 rapids and drop 260 feet. Since the Ocoee river is dam controlled the rapids are just as great in the dryer summer months as they are in the spring and fall. White water rafters along the Ocoee will also enjoy the trip though the dramatic Ocoee gorge.

Full river Ocoee rafting river whitewater trips are full day trips. Tennessee state park regulations require people who will take advantage of the Ocoee rafting river whitewater trips must be 12 years of age or older.

On almost every camping trip you arrive at the campgrounds and then suddenly you remember that you forgot something. By the time you realize you don’t have the camping accessory with you, it’s much too late to ever turn back. This means either spending more money at some very expensive gas station or be angry for days on end. We have put together a list of Often Overlooked Camping Accessories.

Here are some of the most forgotten accessories for camping. These items may be small in comparison to what you are thinking right now. But they can also make all the difference in how efficiently your camping trip pans out.

Extra Batteries

Most often than not, we grab a flashlight and even check that it works but we don’t test how much energy is left in the batteries. I can’t tell you the number of times we took an old, beat up radio into the woods, only to remember we forgot to pack the batteries. Needless to say, we ended up without any music or access to weather conditions, and that could have been a disaster.

Can Opener

Unless you are packing only food that is instant-made, you will want to bring along one of these with the rest of your cutlery. Let me tell you, this could mean the difference between continuing your camping vacation, your can opener serves as a lid cutter necessary to make lunch and dinner. Often you can borrow one from other campers.

Often Overlooked Camping Accessories You Better Bring On Your Next Trip

Full Size Lantern

Once again, unless you are camping under the stars in the moonlight, you will need to have a lantern. Yet, this is a commonly forgotten camping accessory. I believe this is most likely due to the fact we are usually leave our homes in the daylight, and don’t think about night conditions.

First-Aid Kit

Remember to choose a first-aid kit based on how many people you’ll be camping with. Make sure that it contains an easy-to-follow instruction book. It should contain items like bandages, insect sting and/or bite kits, moleskin, and first-aid ointment.

Sleeping pad

Camping sleeping pads provide a layer between you and the rocky ground, they also help to insulate you and keep you warmer. Choose a camping sleeping pad based on the climate. Choose it based on whether you’ll be backpacking or car camping. You can take an inflatable air mattresses (they are comfortable and definitely provide insulation). They are also bulky and are difficult to hike with. Foam pads provide better insulation than air mattresses and are still relatively inexpensive and light. In particular closed-cell foam is a great insulator and is very durable.

For more posts about camping, click here.

Whitewater Rafting in WV on the Lower New River Gorge lets you experience over 20 legendary big water rapids.

For example there are huge spring water for the fearless, summer’s refreshing, and roller-coaster waves for the family. There is also a burst of fall color for everyone which means the Lower New WV has something for every group. The Lower New River, America’s oldest river canyon, designated as a National Treasure.
Check out the beginner-friendly rapids. They make the Whitewater Rafting Upper New River trip the perfect trip for laid-back, family adventure in the great outdoors.

You’ll raft through a magnificent 1,400-foot canyon and enjoy some of the East’s most spectacular scenery.

Rafting Whitewater WV

The Gauley River also in WV offers whitewater rafting today and has drawn men and women to its banks for more than 200 years. Subsequently boasting enough diverse attractions that it has been enshrined in congressional legislation as a National Recreation Area.

For history lovers, the Gauley story mirrors the story of the United States. The tale of the Gauley River begins with the first West Virginia settlers in the 1770s. These pioneering European settlers braved the challenging terrain – and often-challenging relations with Native American residents who came before them. Chapters followed on the Civil War, industrialization that came with timber, mining and railroads. There is also the great civil works projects of the 1960s saw construction of the Summersville Dam near the Gauley’s headwaters, a marvel of engineering to behold.

The Gauley River’s reputation is built on recreation. World-class rafting and kayaking trips wind their way through the Gauley’s three sections. There is the Upper, Middle and Lower, each offering alternative difficulty levels and scenery. River outfitters offer trips from Spring to Fall, depending on local precipitation and water released by the Army Corps of Engineers from the Summersville Dam.

The boating culminates with the official “Gauley Season,” a 22-day schedule of releases for whitewater enthusiasts in September and October. As a result the Gauley attracts more than 60,000 paddlers each year. There are world-famous rapids such as “Insignificant,” “Pillow Rock” and “Sweet’s Falls.”

Wildlife watchers can find deer and even bear along the 26-mile corridor that stretches from the Summersville Dam to the Gauley’s confluence with the Kanawha River. Other animals that make their home in the area include 10 threatened species of mammals, birds, insects, fish and amphibians.