What is the Outdoor Strategy for Your Family this Winter?

Normally, we don’t have a lot of trouble getting-in our family outdoor time, here in northern California. As I write this, however, the second of multiple rain storms is moving through the area and the overnight temperatures are heading into the mid-30’s over the next few days. Maintaining at least some outdoor time for your family can be challenging in the winter, but it’s during these dark and cold days that getting outside is the most important. Continue reading →

Buying Camping Gear at Wal-Mart

Camping gear at Walmart? Some is good, some not so good

This is a guest post by Josh Turner at CampingGearTV.com. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the Guest Posting page for information.

Wal-Mart is probably the market leader in affordable, family camping gear. Their selection exists within the confines of one small aisle, but they have everything you could need for a trip to your favorite campground. All the way from Disney themed sleeping bags (I prefer The Little Mermaid), to high-end Coleman portable stoves. Some of this stuff is pretty decent, and some of it…not so much. Continue reading →

Christmas Camping Gear Wish List – 2010

Give me some credit for holding-off on this post until after Halloween, but now that the candy is (hopefully) all consumed, it’s time to start making your camping gear list and checking it twice. The general consensus among the retailerati is that the sales won’t be as good, this year, but I’m hoping to see some action after Thanksgiving, if things don’t appear as strong as retailers are counting on. If you have a camper on your gift-list this year, you can’t go wrong with any of these great products. Continue reading →

My Veterans Day Story

It was cold and wet, in North Carolina, on December 18, 1989. Our first indication that this would be more than just another training exercise was when the word came down to wear jungle boots and lightweight fatigues. Jungle boots were forbidden during the winter, because the metal plate in the sole of the boots, for protection against punji sticks, had lead to a number of frostbite cases, in the past. Continue reading →

Quick Takes

Montana State Park Visits Up 50%

Aside

Just to reinforce what I wrote about in the January newsletter, this morning…

Montana state parks had nearly 2,000,000 visitors in 2010, up some 50% from 2002

Via KPAX in Missoula.