Peter over at the Outside San Diego blog is giving away six of the new Stanley® stainless steel water bottles. Just sign up for email subscription (free) to enter – drawings are on June 11th.
Family Camping: Test the waters in your own backyard
If you are planning your first family camping trip this summer, there is no better way to test your gear (and your family) by having a camp night right in your own backyard. Backyard camping is a low-risk way to get the kids used to sleeping bags and no TV, while still being secure in the fact that a surprise spring shower won’t ruin your weekend.
Reduce your Camping Impact on the Environment
You don’t have to be an environmentalist or even that interested in green issues, to realize the importance of limiting your impact on the environment in the backcountry and preserving what we have left, for future generations to enjoy.
How to Find Topo Maps
Maps are a great backcountry tool
If you like to venture out from your campsite and explore the surrounding area, a topo map is an indispensible tool for finding interesting things like waterfalls and mountain ponds. Best of all, topo maps are inexpensive or even free, if you are satisfied printing small sections on your home printer.
Camping with Pets
We started camping with the family pet last summer, when the kids got a Fire Bellied Toad for one of their birthdays. While Fire Bellied Toads are about as easy as it gets, when it comes to pets and camping, we finally bowed to a relentless onslaught of kid-induced pressure and are adding a puppy to the family next week.