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One of the biggest fears for prospective campers is shelter. If you forget your matches, or burn the beans, or left the lantern behind, you’ll still survive, especially if there’s a camp store. But where you rest your head at night - will it be too cold, too hot, or will the ground be too rocky? Will the tent protect them from rains, will it keep the wildlife out? Fears like that – real or imagined – can easily keep prospective campers from leaving their homes.

Yurt-campingWell, it’s the 21st century, folks. Leave the camping tent at home. Many campgrounds come with move-in-ready tents. They are called yurts. You may feel like you are cheating a little but Continue reading…

Filed under Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.


If you are stranded on a deserted island and there's one knot you want to know it's the Bowline. When you go camping, the second one you want to know is the Taut Line Hitch. With these 2 knots you can tie a taut clothes string (not a sagging one), hang your food from a tree beyond a bear's reach, set up a tarp cover and impress other fellow campers.

Learn how to tie these two knots from the video demonstration below.

Continue reading…

Filed under Beginner Campers, Camping Activities by Myrtha Chang.

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One of the major cause of camp food troubles is not keeping cold foods cold. Your camping cooler is one of the most critical component of your . The basic coleman cooler has grown up. Outdoor coolers now come in many options, as shown in the video above.

Where to buy camping coolers


You may be buying this cooler for camping but people buy outdoor coolers for the beach, deck parties, tailgating, etc.. so don't limit yourself to camping equipment stores.

Local bargain stores - If you are looking for a basic coleman cooler, Continue reading…

Filed under Camp Kitchen, Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.

One of our camping tradition is to play Monopoly in our tent on one of the camping evenings. We need a good strong camp lantern like a family-size Coleman lantern to make sure I don’t get cheated out of my proper rent for Park Place or Trafalgar Square.

We also own two smaller GE battery-operated camping lanterns Continue reading…

Filed under Camping Tips & Ideas, Camping Gear, Beginner Campers, Safety Tips by Myrtha Chang.

This is part 2 of 10 Steps to Being a Totally Obnoxious Camper.

A fellow family camper at his site Pete's Camping Site has a few more suggestions for anyone still in doubt on how to be a totally obnoxious camper. Continue reading…

Filed under Camping Tips & Ideas, Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.
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There is a saying that if you want to teach a man to build a ship, don’t drum into them the mechanics of wood and nails, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea (Antoine de Saint-Exupery).

I worry sometimes how we are going to pass on the hard work of protecting, restoring and saving our when today’s children are so disconnected with nature. “Instead of passing summer months hiking, swimming and telling stories around the campfire, children these days are more likely to attend computer camps or weight-loss camps.”, says Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit DisorderAs a result", he adds, "they've come to think of nature as more of an abstraction than a reality

So, how do we get the kids out of the house?

Small Step: A green hour a day – For one hour a day, Continue reading…

Filed under Beginner Campers, Family Camping by Myrtha Chang.
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Camper - 10 steps to being a obnoxious camperBy Corrine Asturias - Reprinted from Los Gatos Weekly-Times Aug. 5, 1992*

While it's true that with each camping trip we learn something new, we've also found that we get the opportunity to relearn something old, such as what it's like to live next door to the Simpsons for a few days.

Instead of the ingredients for s'mores, this family has brought a small liquor store. They have a boom box and a large, untrained dog named something like "Thunder-turd." There is an axe and a whittling knife for each family member, all stuck into a tree for safekeeping. There are two layers of rip-stop nylon between you and them.

During the years, I have philosophically concluded that every such should have such a group, if for no other reason than to make everything else look good. And the truth is, being a truly obnoxious camper is a delicate art, relying on careful planning and orchestration. The rules are as follows:

1. Make your entrance to the campground fashionably late, preferably after 10:00 pm., when there is no available light and everyone else is asleep. Continue reading…

Filed under Camping Tips & Ideas, Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.


Put Out The Skirt - Watch a funny movie here

If even seasoned boy scouts do dumb things like that video, do beginner campers have a chance?

Every has their share of first time campers. And it’s hard not to feel sympathy for them. Here are 10 common beginner camping mistakes:

1. They arrive near sunset after hours of driving. They fumble around to put up their camping tent in the dark and can’t find the parts.

2. They arrive in broad daylight and argue and fight for all the neighbors to see ‘cos they can’t agree which tent pole slips where since they didn’t practice at home.

3. They believe the occupancy number rating
given by tent manufacturers and don’t realize they were counting sardines, not humans.

4. They do not bring a stove and count on the campfire to cook all their food. “Is it ready, Dad?”, “Is it ready, Dad?”, “Is it ready, Dad?”

5. They plan elaborate menus instead of assembling Continue reading…

Filed under Camping Tips & Ideas, Campfire Tips, Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.
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The video above shows you how to set up your . The main idea is to find the best location for your shelter, your kitchen and your recreation (s’mores). Here's a summary of the video:

Where to pitch your tent

Filed under Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.

The video above demonstrates the 3 essential Tips to camping packing:

1. Use a camping check list. Don't try to keep it all sorted in your brain. You'll break your head.

2. Pack by categories or groups. For example, pack your kitchen stuff together in one big bin. Pack your shelter - tent, mallet, mat in one big duffel bag. That way you are thinking of a few categories instead of being overwhelmed by 1,001 items.

3. At the end of your camping trip, pack your stuff back into the same groups so you are pre-packed for your next camping trip. Leave the items in the bags and Continue reading…

Filed under Camping Gear, Beginner Campers by Myrtha Chang.
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