2. Prioritize. Don't bring everything plus the kitchen sink. Be versatile, be clever, do you really need a spatula and a stirring paddle? Choose simple recipes to spare you from having to pack measuring cups, mixing bowls, special equipment. Check our our 2-step Camping Recipe ideas.

3. Pack by categories - kitchen stuff together, fun stuff together. A camping mom gave me this idea: roll up your pajamas with your sleeping bag - no more poking through all your stuff just to crash on your pad. By the way, at the end of your camping trip, pack your stuff back into the same grouping so you are pre-packed for your next camping trip.

Need a camping packing check list? For our camping packing checklist, click here.

Share This

It has all facilities you need. The Normandy Farms has a history of ~250 years before it becomes a popular camping resort of nowadays. It has everything you need for the joy of being away: 3 outdoor pools, 1 indoor pool, 2 hot tubs, 1 sauna, a fitness center, a recreation lodge… It has a creative arts center if you or your kid(s) like art work; it has free wifi everywhere and a business/information center if you have to check your emails or work while you are supposed to stay away mentally as well as physically. It has a volleyball court, basketball court, a soccer field and a golf course! In the end, the best of all is the beautiful Nature.

It is beautiful. I will just let the pictures speak here.

It is well located. It is only 30 miles away from Boston, so besides all the fun close by, you can grab what Boston has to offer on the side.

Normandy Farms is truly the destination if you get a few days off and are ready to have fun with your family.

You can reserve online here, call 866-673-2767 x1 or email camp@normandyfarms.com.

Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort

Share This

Nebraska state parks that rank among the Top 100 Family Campgrounds are Eugene Mahoney SP, Fort Robinson SP, and Ponca SP.

Fort Robinson SP is especially interesting if you like to combine a little history and education in your family camping trip. This historic outpost served from the days of the Indian Wars until after World War II. Where else can you find a site with history of events such as the 1879 Cheyenne Outbreak, stories and death of famed Sioux Chief Crazy Horse, a cavalry remount station, K-9 dog training center, POW camp and beef research station?

Today, the State Historical Society offers a museum and many restored or reconstructed exhibit buildings to interpret the Fort's history. The University of Nebraska operates the Trailside Museum, which interprets the geology and natural history of the region.

See a video of Fort Robinson SP below:

You can find more videos of Nebraska state parks at this link:
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/

To make a reservation at a Nebraska state park, (more…)

Share This

Most important, use heavy-duty foil or double wrap, not the regular kitchen foil you use to line baking pans.

Watch Foil-wrap campfire desserts in Family  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Share This

I never thought there's more to landing a fish than just feverishly reeling it in. But according to www.takemefishing.org, there are some tips to increase your chances of landing a fish. You can view the full instructions here: How to land a fish. Here's a summary:

1. Set the Hook - Snap the rod sharply to force the hook into a fish's mouth. One snap will do. Striking too hard or repeatedly with a soft-mouthed fish can pull the hook through the mouth.

2. Fight the Fish - It's possible to land many small fish just by reeling them in. They'll fight, but the strength of the line and the rod should be able to pull them in slowly. FIghting larger fish requires a technique called "pumping the rod" with the idea of exhausting the fish.

3. Land the Fish - have a net handy to scoop up the fish. There are long-handled nets for boat fishing or fishing from docs. Short-handled nets are used for stream fishing. They also come in many sizes.

Occasionally, you realize you need to return the fish you land back into the water, either because it is too small, or you don't have the license to take home that particular fish. Here's a helpful video (below) on how to revive the fish before you throw it back into the water.

Share This

Adrienne Dumont was a young, beautiful French woman engaged to Chavert, a nobleman set to explore the New World in the early 1700s. Without her fiance's knowledge, she disguised herself as a cabin boy named Jean to won passage on his ship.They sailed up the Mississippi River, and then up the Arkansas River, where they stopped at the foot of a beautiful mountain for the summer. Sailors dubbed her Petit Jean (French for “Little John”).

Alas, a sad ending to this love story. The night before Chavert’s party was to set sail for home, Petit Jean became very ill. With death imminent, she confessed her deception to Chavert and begged his forgiveness. She asked to be taken to the mountaintop she loved, and with Chavert at her side, died there at sunset. Years later, a low mound of earth was found on the mountaintop - Petit Jean’s Grave. That has become the park’s main attraction.

Petit Jean State Park is Arkansas’ first state park. It sits atop a picturesque mountain 1,100 feet above the Arkansas River Valley in central Arkansas. Visitors to the park find a vast number of recreational and educational opportunities from camping, hiking and fishing to learning about the unique natural features and the early human history of the area.

Park website is: www.petitjeanstatepark.com or call 501/727-5441

Share This

Below are some of the most popular easy campfire baked potatoes recipes that you and your hungry little campers can enjoy. Notice they are mostly 1-person recipes and have very similar ingredients - potato, butter, salt, pepper, onions, seasonings. So, let your campers fix their own, to their own liking, making it is as much fun as eating it.

Potato Stand-Alone Recipes
The Plain Baked Potato
Slice potato in half and smear each half with butter, put potato back together and wrap with foil. Poke holes over the potato with a fork before you wrap it to allow for even, speedy cooking. Place potatoes on the coals or at edge of campfire. Let them bake for approximately 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Onion-Filled Campfire Potatoes
Slice potato in half and place sliced onion inside. Place pat of butter on top, wrap in foil and bake (see Plain Baked Potato)

Baked Potato in a Can
Use a tin can such as one from beans or vegetables. Generously butter the outside of the potato, season to taste. Next place the potato in the can and cover with foil. Put the can next to the fire of coals and let it cook for about 30-45 minutes. Do not remove the tin foil, even for a peek! You will have the best baked potato, perfectly cooked.

Campfire Mashed Potatoes
Bake the potatoes, then mash with a potato masher. Heat some milk and the butter before you add to the mashed potatoes. Be careful not to over mash so you will not get a waxy texture. Spice it up a bit with dried herbs or seasoning.

Hash Browns
This is great for breakfast and can be made with any type of left over potatoes you have from the meal the night before. Cook in a pan over the fire or coals and add some butter to crisp them up or cook with a little but of the grease from the bacon. Add seasonings to taste.

Potatoes as part a Recipe

Favorite Campfire Breakfast
Place 4 strips of bacon on a large piece of Aluminum foil and cover bacon with a large handful of frozen hash brown potatoes. Cut 3 rings of onion or bell peppers and place on top of potatoes. Crack an egg into each ring. Put Picante sauce or cheese on eggs, salt and pepper. wrap foil securely and place in coals.

Sausage and Potatoes
Spray pan with Pam. Sautee onions and potatoes in olive oil until onions are clear and potatoes brown. Add kielbasa and soy sauce.

Add to your Stews/Soups
Red potatoes work well for such meals that have pot roast in it or corned beef. Simply drop the unpeeled potatoes into the liquid of your meal 1 hour before the meat is done.

Tips for cooking potatoes at camp:

• Wash potatoes before you cook them.
• Poke holes on the potatoes before you wrap it up (don't want soot in it).
• Use heavy-duty foil. If not available, wrap foil around it twice.
• Yukon gold or russet potatoes for balking, unpeeled red potatoes for stews.
• When baking on a campfire, keep potatoes from the flames to prevent soot. Glowing, white coals produce the best results

Share This

The campsites are set away from the beach with sand dunes in between; and each campsite offers a picnic table, fire ring and a pole to hang your camping lantern. The state park's campgrounds include a total of 147 campsites. 86 campsites are open to RVs up to 40 feet in length. There are tents sites and pop-up sites. However, there are no electricity hook-ups.

Before you run away, read about their 5 new lodges built just this year (2007).

The lodges are open year-round and are very popular. The amenities listed on the website for each lodge doesn't sound much different from the room amenities list at Holiday Inn.

• Kitchen comes with refrigerator, coffeemaker, stove, dishes, silverware, even dish towels.
• The bedrooms come with linens (but no room maid to change them daily). You may wish to bring your own pillow as well as a comforter for chilly nights.
• Each lodge has six bedrooms and sleep 16 total. Great for family reunions.
• Porches, heat, air-conditioning, fireplace gas logs make for a very comfortable camping experience, if you still want to call it camping.

For more information: Call (757) 331-2267 or go to their campground website at: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/kip.shtml

Share This

Some backpackers and hikers even toss out the tent for the hammock for these reasons:

Camping hammocks are ultra-light compared to the traditional pop tent. And they take up less room when packed. Most hammocks for camping will pack the hammock, the tarp, mosquito netting, the ropes into one draw-string bag.

Typically, if you're camping with a tent, your site choices are very limited. No one wants to sleep on a slope, on top of rocks, or in a pit. Using a camping hammock opens up more campsites. As long as there are two trees available, you have a site!

A hammock is surprisingly comfortable. After a long day on the hiking trail, a good hammock will cradle your body gently but firmly, allowing you to rest quite well. When a hammock is properly hung, you'll have the choice of sleeping on your back or on your side.

Hammock camping is not just for warm weather camping. When the weather gets cooler, include a warm sleeping bag and a few hand warmers to warm your toes during the night.

Quick to setup and dismantle. It only takes 5 minutes or so to set up a camping hammock, including the tarp and support ropes. Setting up a tent takes at least 15 to 20 minutes especially if you need to spend time finding the perfect ground area on which to place it first.

Most of us would not give up the comforts of our camping tent for a hammock. It's still fun to bring one for recreation - taking naps, watching a kid figure a hammock out, extra seating at mealtime, extra 'bed' for an extra camper, or just for remembering the good old childhood days when you can just day dream looking at clouds move and change shapes.

Features to Look For When Buying a Hammock (demonstrated in video below)

Share This

Well, what do you know, Eureka now has a camping tent with built-in power outlets for you to charge your ipods, iphones, and i-whathaveyous. Eureka tents have always been a leader in camping tents, but I hope they have not insulted their loyal camping customer base with this tent that's really your 21st century living room. Just watch the video below, and you will gasp in disbelief. When you get your jaw back together, you'll want one. Hold your horses, they are not cheap.

The one featured in the video costs $289 plus the power pack. It is 13 foot by 10 foot, very generous size, and lots of features you want in a camping tent, but might you achieve the same power capability by sticking with your tent, and purchasing a portable power pack, like the Duracell PowerPak ($99) separately instead?

If you are smitten with the Eureka N!ergy Tent in the video, don't get it on the Eureka website ($289), Amazonhas it on sale for $230 and free shipping. Add another $60 for the Eureka N!ergy power pack.

What do you think? Drop us a comment and tell us if being able to use a hairdryer (what's next, a vacuum cleaner) in a camping tent is really camping?

Related Posts:
Camping Tents - How to Choose

Share This