Camping is a fun family activity and a good way to mix up a mundane summer.  There is something majestic about sleeping under the stars wondering where we all came from and what our purpose here on earth truly is.  Waking up to the sound of nature, not the call of nature, but birds singing with soft breezes whistling through the trees, and breathing in fresh air all night long is very rejuvenating. There is no doubt camping is a great experience.  Camping is a great outdoor adventure for the family because it involves getting away from home and spending time with each other. Tell your kids to leave the electronic devices at home so they can use that thing called an imagination.  There are lots of camping sites out there, including your own backyard, but choosing the right campsite can be difficult especially when camping with little ones. 

Many people like to camp in motor homes while others just want to stay in a regular good old fashioned tent.  Once you decide where to go camping, it is time to discuss the summer vacation with the family. Explain the rules to your children that may exist at your campsite and the general area.  Set ground rules beyond the campsite rules to make your trip fun and safe, creating lasting memories.  When camping with your family, it is often a good idea to make reservations before you go if possible.  One last thing, but very important item, to consider when you go camping is first aid.   If you are going to be camping far from any hospitals make sure you have the proper first aid kit to care for anyone who may get injured playing around camp.  You can find first aid kits at almost any major retailer like Wal-mart or Walgreens.

Other items you may want to bring for your trip include:

Rope, Flashlights, Axe, Firewood, Matches, Marshmallow Sticks, Marshmallows to put on those sticks, Outdoor Games, Water, Paper Cups, and Paper Plates.

Make the trip memorable and have fun.

So after yesterday's post I decided it was time to pull out the S'mores gear and put the good old camping treat to the test.  So I built a little fire in our backyard tonight, gathered my family, our roasting sticks, marshmallows and some chocolate.  We built a great little fire, let it burn down to coals and roasted marshmallows.  I decided that these are definately the best camping treat out there.  While cooking them I decided there are some tricks to making the perfect smore:

1. The perfect s'more starts with the perfect fire.  If you try to cook s'mores on a fire that is too large the marshmallow won't be cooked right.
2. Cook two marshmallows per s'more.  The heat from each s'more will help to melt the chocolate more and it's always fun to clean up a gooey mess.
3. When the marshmallows are brown all the way around, quickly transfer them to the graham cracker and shove the chocolate in the marshmallow
4. Perhaps one of the most overlooked steps in eating a s'more is to let it cool down a little before eating it.  This will minimize the mess and allow the chocolate inside to melt completely.
5. Don't pay attention to the nay saying co-workers who want instant gratification with marshmallow cooked in the microwave.  Yeah they are good, but it's just not the same as cooking s'mores over the campfire. 

There you have it.  I decided for myself the s'mores are the best camping treating around.

So today at work my co-workers started dissing on 'Smores claiming that they are way overrated.  They said that they don't understand why people make such a big deal over Smores.  One of them mockingly said, "Oh Smores, you just can't go camping without Smores."  Other comments like, "The marshmallow is just too much" and "'Smores are just too messy" were a couple of the reasons my co-workers gave for not enjoying Smores. 

After a few minutes of discussion, my other co-worker spoke up and I think he hit it on the head.  As campers we are too spoiled with modern day candy bars.  Our generation wants everything instantly.  Why wait for a marshmallow to slowly roast over the fire then mix with a graham cracker and chocolate, when you can pull a Snickers out of your pocket and start eating instantly?

I for one think Smores are awesome, perhaps the best camping treat of all time.  Everyone can make them, the kids love scorching roasting marshmallows.  So what do you think?  Do you agree with me or am I off in left field?

A couple of nights ago I got a NASTY mosquito bite on my right forearm.  It feels like a bruise when I touch it and is about the size of a silver dollar.  Worst part is that it itches like crazy, but yet it hurts to scratch because of the bruise type feeling. 

This made me think about the few hiking / camping trips I've been on when mosquito's were just horrible and I decided I would set out to find some ways to stop the mosquito bite itch sensation.  Here are a few natural ways that I found that worked for me.  Try some for yourself and let me know how it goes:

1. Heat or hot water.  This is one that can be used in the backcountry if you get one of these nasty mosquito bites.  Apply heat to the bite, as hot as you can stand.
2. Ice or cold water.  Interesting how my first suggestion is heat and second is ice.  For some reason, luke warm just doesn't cut it when it comes to mosquito bite relief.
3. Rub the bite with a dry bar of soap. Yeah I know weird...
4. Tea Tree Oil (aka Melaleuca oil.  If you need access to this stuff, let us know and we can hook you up)
5. Banana Peel that is open.  Rub the opened banana peel over the bit.
6. A pocket knife.  Bite on a stick and just cut the bite out.  (No, don't really do this.)

Some of these might not work for you and may not work for different mosquito species bites.  Different species cause different reactions.

I think my favorite "whoops" quote of all-time is from Al Gore, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." Sure I've heard the claims that he wasn't saying he invented the Internet and I've even read Snopes.com's input on it, but he still said what he said and it makes me laugh. I'm not here to pick on slip ups of politicians though - we'd be here for years on that one - I'm here to discuss the great outdoors.

Coleman has a new campaign running with the slogan, "The Coleman Campsite. The original Social Networking Site." You can check it out here. The ad claims that they pretty much invented camping, and pretty much invented social networking because they've been helping people get together and socialize for years. I do have to admit that long before I ever used Facebook or MySpace, I was eating pancakes, bacon, and eggs at Canyon Campground in Yellowstone National Park.

Even though people camped LONG before Coleman was ever around, I do have to say this is a really fun campaign and it's worth watching the videos on it just to enjoy the ugly...I mean the old clothes and hairstyles.

July is the apex of summer. The month starts out with a bang and ends with kids dreading having to go back to school at the end of August. There is not a better month to enjoy the great outdoors with your family. Pack up the gear, head out on a camping trip this July and enjoy warm nights, lakeside swimming and priceless family memories.

Winter camping requires great skill and lots of gear to stay warm. The best part of camping in July is being able to pack light. The warm summer nights of July allow one to sleep with minimal covers and enjoy fresh crisp evenings. Tents, expensive sleeping bags, and fires are optional. Everyone can camp in July and enjoy it.

From skinny dipping in the local pond to swimming in the city pool, summer time swimming has become a national past time. A great feature of July camping is having the option to swim. The hot weather allows campers to take a dip and cool off. Swimming is fun and provides entertainment close to camp. If you really want to be “adventurous”, take a couple canoes and have swamping wars. Just remember, everybody needs a swimming buddy.

Society today seems to be doing all it can to degrade families. This is why it is important to spend quality time together as a family. July camping can be quality family time. Remember to drink plenty of water, rest in the shade, and use sun screen. A few small things will help summer camping trips to be much more enjoyable and memorable for years to come.

Break away from the television and the rush of everyday life. Spend some quality time with your family this summer. Go camping! Warm summer nights, lakeside swimming, and family memories are awaiting you at a campsite this July.

1. Visit http://www.backcountrysecrets.com/ to find AND share a great place to camp.
2. Make sure your tent is still waterproof. It is always a good idea to check your gear after storing for long periods of time. You never know what kind of animal may have found your gear during the winter. A garden hose is great for testing if a tent is still waterproof and your children may enjoy an excuse to hose down the tent.
3. If possible, design a mud room for your tent. Some tents have mud rooms sewn right onto them, but if you are not fortunate enough to have one of these you may want to use a tarp or other plastic covering to create one. Use this room for putting on and taking off shoes and boots to avoid tracking mud into sleeping quarters.
4. Make sure your pack, duffel bag, or backpack is away from areas that may get wet during a rainstorm. Nothing is worse than having all of your clothing soaked. I have even seen some people use 5 gallon buckets with lids for packing clothes during wet weather to waterproof their gear.
5. Use a ground cloth underneath your tent, but make sure the tent covers the entire ground cloth. Otherwise the ground cloth will work as a funnel and collect a puddle under your tent.
6. Bring games that can be played inside of a tent. This will make the time pass while it’s raining outside and can be a lot of fun.
7. Do not pitch your tent in a gully. Survey the land of your campsite and determine where water is going to build up. These spots are where you do not want to pitch.
8. Pack meals that do not need to be cooked on a camp stove. This will allow you to stay out of the rain while you eat and prepare meals. If you must cook, bring some kind of dining fly to cook under.

For more tips on camping check out this eBook. Beginner's Guide to Camping

Have you ever camped on a freezing cold night in a tent and thought, "There has to be a better way to do this"? Well there is! Snow caves, tipi's, and igloos.

If snow caves make you claustrophobic and you're not fortunate enough to have the luxury of a tipi (or cannot haul it into the back country), then you need to look into igloos.

In my opinion, igloos are another inspired dwelling from above. Honestly, who thinks of piling snow in a circle to build shelter from the cold? No, I don't even think the Eskimo on the potato chip commercial who wouldn't share was smart enough to think up the igloo on his own. These dwellings are amazing. They are quiet, easy to build, and have an amazing amount of light on the inside.

Ok, so by now you are probably thinking, but "HOW DO I MAKE ONE?" It's easier than I thought! All you need to do is visit Grand Shelters Icebox at http://www.grandshelters.com/ and have a look at their igloo building tool.

You fill this tool with snow, start going in circles and before you know it you'll have an igloo! My only piece of advice is, once you start building one, don't stop. If you let it sit for too long unfinished, gravity will pull your walls down.

You'll be the hit of the neighborhood if you build one of these! Do us a favor and paint www.BackcountrySecrets.com on the side to let your friends know about us. Or you could paint it yellow and say you saw a really big polar bear roaming the streets.

Many so-called "outdoorsmen" only consider themselves outdoor goers during warmer weather. However, winter camping can be rather enjoyable if you are properly prepared and know what to expect. The first and most important part of winter camping is selecting a location. Make sure others know where you will be and when to expect your return.

I prefer to camp in snow caves, an igloo, or the Backcountry Secrets Tipi when winter camping. These shelters provide the most insulation from chilly nights. However, if you must sleep in a tent, here are some suggestions to consider:

1. Be familiar with local laws and regulations for tent camping.
2. Wind may play a factor. Tops of ridges are wide open to wind storms. These storms may blow equipment around the camp, knock tents over, or make drifts around your vehicles.
3. Do not camp in the bottom of a valley. Cold air settles downward and the bottom of a valley is the coldest place you can camp.
4. Look for branches overhead if you are camping in a wooded area. Branches may easily break under the weight of snow and cause injury or even death.
5. Look for threats of avalanche in the area. Sometimes small cornices can be broken off of nearby drifts to reduce the threat of an avalanche.
6. When possible point the front of your tent downhill and facing east or south. This helps protect you from wind coming off of a mountain and gives you the most sunlight exposure. If you can't position the door out of the wind, consider building a snow wall to block the wind in front of your tent.
7. If the ground is not level, you can use shovels or skis and the snow to level a place for your tent.
8. If the snow is deep enough, dig a hole about 2-3 feet deep in front of your tent. This will allow you to sit up to put on and take off your boots.
9. Pack snow as far up the side of the tent as possible. Snow will act as insulation and keep you a couple of degrees warmer inside the tent.
10. Bring a thick sleeping pad if possible. A thick sleeping pad will insulate you from the cold ground. Next to bringing a beanie cap or other warm hat, a thick sleeping pad is probably one of the best ways to stay warm during the night.