Be forewarned that I'm not telling you to shut off your computer right now. At least finish reading this post :)

Over the past few years I have noticed an increase in the number of cellphones and portable computers in the outdoors. I understand we all have to make a living and having a job that allows for you to go outdoors with your work is pretty awesome, but when is it too much? For me it becomes too much when I realize I'm not enjoying the outdoors for what they are, a GETAWAY. The outdoors are supposed to be a getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

If you find yourself in the outdoors constantly checking to see if you have a wireless phone signal, sending emails, or reading blogs you may have an Internet addiction. It's a real problem and you need help! The first step is to admit to yourself that you are addicted. What's that? You say you don't have an addiction. Ok, then leave the cellphone home. The world will go on without you. Your clients WILL understand that you need a break. If they don't, find new clients.

Just remember, no one died saying, "I wish I had spent more time at the office." Enjoy that family time and actually make it FAMILY time. Teach your son how to make a fire with flint and steel, not check a cell tower to make sure that email sent to Bill.

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.

Canyoning is the sport of travelling through a canyon using different techniques such as swimming, rappelling, and more. This sport is often done in remote locations and requires ultimate wilderness travel skills.

Most canyoneering is done in mountain canyons with flowing water. Countries all around the world have areas for people to participate in canyoning. The Rocky Mountains have numerous canyoneering locations in the US. The majority of canyoneering trips can be completed in a single day.

A word of caution. Canyoneering can be very dangerous. Canyon walls can be steep making rescue extremely difficult and time intensive.

One of our great members suggested this sport to us. I had never heard of it, but it sounds like a lot of fun. We have added this as a sport to Backcountry Secrets. Head on over and add your routes or search for some adventures!

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

The latest updates are done and posted on the web site. Due to popular demand I have updated the web site to allow multiple sports and descriptions to be posted on each point. This will allow users to review points differently for each sport as well.

Coming soon is the ability for any registered member to update any point on the web site. This will help our community of backcountry secreters to help keep information on the site up to date. Another feature that is coming soon is a tutorial on how to post data without a GPS unit.

If you have any requests for additional user ability on the site, please use the contact us link on the site and let us know!