See you outdoors!

~Jason

Today, I want to share 6 tips for fishing with kids that will increase the enjoyment of being outside and taking part of the art of family fishing. Adults and children alike will appreciate not only the sport of fishing but also the bonding time that this wonderful outdoor-sports activity presents.

Family Fishing

With all the joy that fishing brings, especially fishing with kids, this activity also brings with it a certain set of safety issues that if followed will make the children fishing fanatics in roughly 5 minutes! As most fishermen understand there are sharp hooks and sharp fins and sometimes sharp, pointy-teeth that need to be first addressed and then experienced in order for the family fishing experience to be a great and safe one.

6 Tips to Successfully Fish with Kids

1. Keep children close at all times during a fishing trip – You’re going to be by water and accidents do happen. The boat or dock can get wet and things may be slippery. You might turn your back and splash, someone might be in the water. Keep all children close in case an accident does happen.
2. Explain the dangers of sharp hooks and heavy weights – It’s awfully difficult to fish without any hooks or weights. Talk to all the kids about how to handle the hooks and fishing poles. Show them how to cast safely so everyone can have a great time.
3. Make a home base in case separation occurs – It’s always a good idea to have a meeting place in case something happens. If one of the kids walks off, as many young children do, you know exactly where to meet. It’s also a good idea to tell everyone to meet at your base camp at a specific time so you can “check-in” to make sure everything is okay.
4. Pack food and water – Children can work up a pretty big appetite on a fishing trip. You don’t have to pack a whole meal but just ensure that you have snack and drinks for everyone. If the fish are biting, it would be a shame to quit just because the kids are getting hungry.
5. Teach the children how to operate the rod and reel safely and correctly – Part of the fun of fishing is hearing the “zing” of the line zipping out of the rod. Every kid wants to be able to cast so take a few minutes to teach them how to work the rod and reel. Even if you’re not having much luck with the fish, the children will still be entertained simply by casting and reeling.
6. Bring a tackle box full of patience and understanding – Children have a very short attention span. They want to be entertained and run around. Be prepared to teach kids that fishing takes patience and a little luck.

The goal of a family fishing trip should be to have fun with the kids and it will be as long as you take charge and create a safe and wonderful environment for the entire family. Fishing is a wonderful opportunity for getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday family life and to have that one on one time doing something that everyone loves, fishing!

Reeling in the Great Times

We all understand the importance of safety when dealing with children, especially fishing with children, safety concerns can never be overlooked or rushed. Take your time when explaining the safety instructions of a fishing trip.

Now take these tips and use them so you and your family can truly enjoy the great outdoors and your next family fishing trip.

Do you have any fishing tips? If so, leave a comment and share your advice for everyone.

If you are an avid camper, it’s bound to happen … you’ll get stuck out in the rain. Rain can really put a damper on any camping adventure, but with a little preparation and a couple of bucks you can limit the damage that rain can do on your next camping adventure.

Seam sealing your tent is one of the best ways to waterproof your tent. I recommend it so much that I felt it warranted a video.

In case you missed it or couldn’t understand what I used, I used the product Seam Grip Seam Sealer.

Seam Sealing works great on all tents. It makes your tent more water proof and limits the chances that you and your gear will get wet. I’d highly recommend this product to every camper, backpacker, or hiker.

If you have used a seam sealer before or other tent water proofing agents before, leave a comment to share with everyone.

See you outdoors,

~Jason

I was doing some research the other night and the television happened to be on as well. My eyes were glued to my laptop and suddenly I heard a familiar word.

“Coleman!”

I quickly turned my attention to the television and to my surprise was a fantastic commercial for Coleman, The Outdoor Company.

As the commercial played through I thought that it effectively conveyed the message that they have been bringing people together for over 100 years. They truly are the “Original Social Networking Site”.

I can remember when I was a kid and my parents took my brothers and I camping. The images in the commercial rang true for me and put a smile on my face as I remembered camping with my family.

Fast-forward 20 years. Now the memories are similar, just the people are a little bit older.

Camping is not a new hobby nor is Coleman a new company. However, they both make happy memories and continue to bring people together to enjoy the Great Outdoors.

Please leave a comment and share a memory you had while enjoying “The Original Social Networking Site.” Camping!

See you outdoors,

~Jason

On my latest camping adventure I finally decided to try out out the best outdoor stove on the market – the MSR WhisperLite Internationale Camp Stove.

The MSR WhisperLite Internationale Camp stove heating water for our morning coffee.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about this product over the years, light-weight, easy to use, easy to carry, simple design and effective to name a few. However, I never tried using this camp stove. MSR’s most popular model and the product I’m going to review is the WhisperLite Internationale (it’s approximately $90.00 USD).

From the first time I used it, I knew that I probably won’t use any other outdoor stove again. This past weekend I went camping on an uninhabited island in Northeastern Wisconsin called Rock Island. In order to get to the campground you have to take two ferries and then hike at least half a mile to get to your site. Obviously, you had to hike all your gear in and out, which meant less was more.

Anyway, I figured that this would be the perfect opportunity to put my new camp stove, the MSR WhisperLite Internationale, through some testing. The Internationale model is a variant of the legendary WhisperLite stove.

 
Strengths:
 

• Multi-fuel – Burns Kerosene, white gas, white gas varieties and unleaded auto fuel.
• Durability – Constructed from stainless steel and brass metals.
• Lightweight – This Product weighs a whopping 11.5 oz (not including fuel bottle or fuel).
• Easy Setup – The stove sets up in literally 30 seconds.
• Heat Reflectors – Unlike most camp stoves, MSR ships heat reflectors and wind blockers with the stove for added efficiency.
• Effective – The stove can boil 1 liter of water in about 4 minutes.
• Long Lasting – Depending on the fuel type and heat temperature, you can expect to have approximately 2 hours of burn time.
• Compact – The entire stove easily folds down to fit into a small pot. The product does come with a storage bag.
• Shaker Jet Technology – Simply shake the bottle to clean the fuel pump.

 
Weaknesses:
 

• Potentially Dangerous – Extreme caution should be used with this stove especially around children. When lighting the stove you can expect a soccer ball sized fireball.
• Temperature Regulation – It’s hard to find the right setting on the stove. There’s no indicator how hot the flame is. Small adjustments on the fuel dial can result in huge temperature changes.
• First Time Use – The first time using this product can be challenging. They do provide instructions however, they’re a bit cumbersome. I highly recommend testing the stove out prior to leaving for your outdoor adventure.
• Limited Dish Size – The burner is on the smaller side and would not be able to hold a dish that has a diameter greater than 9 inches (23 centimeters). Don’t expect to cook a gourmet meal on this stove.

The Final Word

Overall, I’d highly recommend the MSR WhisperLite Internationale backpacking stove to anyone who is looking for an effective and lightweight camp stove. The multi-fuel option allows you to add this product to your camping arsenal without having to purchase other products. A great buy for any backpacker or camper. Buy the MSR WhisperLite International Liquid-Fuel Stove today!

Have you tried this stove before? If so, leave a comment to share your experiences with everyone. If not, buy one, test it out and then come back to tell us what you think.

See you outdoors!

~Jason

One of the biggest concerns people have when gearing up for a backpacking adventure is, “What are we going to eat?” Rightfully so. That’s a very important question that everyone should ask themselves as they begin to plan their next outdoor adventure.

Many people that are new to hiking often run to an outfitter and purchase food that the outfitter recommends. Unfortunately, they could have gone to their local grocery store and purchased some cheap backpacking food instead!

Below is a video that shares some great tips on how to backpack cheaper by buying food from your grocery store.

The best part of this video is the foods Russel shares with us can be used in any outdoor activity; regardless of the duration of the trip. I pack these foods on week long trips as well as weekend get-a-ways. They all work and taste great. Oh, I forgot the mention that they’re pretty cheap too!

The one thing that Russel does not explain very well is the importance of repackaging this food into different containers. If you’re trying to pack ultra light, you wouldn’t want to bring a whole box of pancakes or stuffing mix. You should try to repackage the food into small, light-weight containers. This will not only reduce the weight you have to carry, but its much easier to pack as well. I personally repackage my food into zip-lock bags. Their easy to pack, light-weight, and once I eat the food, there’s very little to pack out.

What do think? Have you used any, or all, of these foods when you went backpacking? Do you have other cheap backpacking foods that you bring? If so, please share it with us by leaving a comment below.

See you outdoors,

~Jason

One of the scariest things you can experience while camping at night is to be woken up by an unknown sound. When you’re lying in your tent and you hear an animal sniffing around your campsite, your mind suddenly flashes all kinds of images of wild animals ready to attack you and your family.

Well, 99% of the time that fear couldn’t be further from reality. In most cases campers get midnight visitors simply because they left something out that an animal would love to eat.

Let’s say you forgot to pack away a few marshmallows from the smores you made earlier. Well, raccoons, porcupines, squirrels, opossums, bears, etc all love the sweet taste of those marshmallows. They mean you or your family no harm; they just want a sweet treat!

Let’s face it, when we go camping we are invading the homes of all sorts of animals. We should expect to see and hear wildlife regardless how cautious we are when it comes to our food. Now that doesn’t mean as a camper you can be careless. On the contrary, you should be extra careful and be particular with how you handle your waste so you can reduce the chance of animals visiting your camp at night.

If you’re at a campground be sure to toss all of your rubbish into a dumpster every night. By doing so, hopefully nature’s little scavengers will visit the waste area instead of your campsite. If you’re wilderness or bush camping try to hang your garbage and pack in a tree at least 25 to 50 yards away from your camp. When hanging your pack, be sure to hang it from an outreaching limb and try to keep it at least 10 feet from the trunk of the tree.

Like I said earlier, as a camper, you’re invading wildlife’s home. You should expect to see and hear animals. If and when you do, try to remain calm and not let your mind race with images of wolves, bears, cougars or any other animal that can harm you. It’s often the smallest of animals that make the most noise at night.

Don’t let panic, fear or anxiety overwhelm your common sense. Take a moment and listen. Listen to the sounds and try to decide if the noise is even an animal or simply a gust of wind making branches of the trees rattle.

One of the easiest ways to overcome the fear of camping at night is to prepare for it. Take a few minutes before it gets dark and simply look at your surroundings. As you’re doing so, imagine what it will look like once the sun has set. If you get frightened later in the night, just remember you are in exactly the same safe spot as before. If you need too, take you flashlight out and turn it on for a while. Perhaps talk out loud for a minute or so. These simple actions will normally scare off any wildlife that is in your campsite.

Lastly, remember to stay calm and don’t let fear overwhelm your common sense. Animals are normally much more scared of you than you are of them. Just be smart and do your best to limit any food or garbage by your tent.

Do you have any tips to overcome the fear of darkness in the wilderness? If so, please share it by leaving a comment below.

Thanks and see you outdoors.

~Jason

Let’s face it, when we go camping we are invading the homes of all sorts of animals. We should expect to see and hear wildlife regardless how cautious we are when it comes to our food. Now that doesn’t mean as a camper you can be careless. On the contrary, you should be extra careful and be particular with how you handle your waste so you can reduce the chance of animals visiting your camp at night.

If you’re at a campground be sure to toss all of your rubbish into a dumpster every night. By doing so, hopefully nature’s little scavengers will visit the waste area instead of your campsite. If you’re wilderness or bush camping try to hang your garbage and pack in a tree at least 25 to 50 yards away from your camp. When hanging your pack, be sure to hang it from an outreaching limb and try to keep it at least 10 feet from the trunk of the tree.

Like I said earlier, as a camper, you’re invading wildlife’s home. You should expect to see and hear animals. If and when you do, try to remain calm and not let your mind race with images of wolves, bears, cougars or any other animal that can harm you. It’s often the smallest of animals that make the most noise at night.

Don’t let panic, fear or anxiety overwhelm your common sense. Take a moment and listen. Listen to the sounds and try to decide if the noise is even an animal or simply a gust of wind making branches of the trees rattle.

One of the easiest ways to overcome the fear of camping at night is to prepare for it. Take a few minutes before it gets dark and simply look at your surroundings. As you’re doing so, imagine what it will look like once the sun has set. If you get frightened later in the night, just remember you are in exactly the same safe spot as before. If you need too, take you flashlight out and turn it on for a while. Perhaps talk out loud for a minute or so. These simple actions will normally scare off any wildlife that is in your campsite.

Lastly, remember to stay calm and don’t let fear overwhelm your common sense. Animals are normally much more scared of you than you are of them. Just be smart and do your best to limit any food or garbage by your tent.

Do you have any tips to overcome the fear of darkness in the wilderness? If so, please share it by leaving a comment below.

Thanks and see you outdoors.

~Jason

Timm's Hill Elevation Sign - 1952 Feet

Memorial Day weekend – a few days known for honoring those who fought for America’s freedom, the beginning of summer and camping. With a poor economy, people are still getting outdoors, but they are staying much closer to home.

This was exactly the case for me this holiday weekend. My girlfriend and I wanted to get outdoors, but didn’t want to spend a fortune in the process. So we decided to spend Memorial Day at the highest natural point in Wisconsin, Timm’s Hill. Yes, it’s spelled with two m’s and ironically called a hill.

Timm's Hill Observation Tower

Timm’s Hill is located in North-Central Wisconsin and has a natural elevation of 1,951.5 feet above sea level. It’s a landmark that pays tribute to the men and women who risked their lives to settle in this vast wilderness. The earliest settlers in this area were pioneers who were looking for the “promised land” What they found was far from spectacular riches and dreams that Europeans had of early America.

The first settlers to the northwoods of Wisconsin found bountiful forests, rolling hills, long frigid winters, and hot summers. They were forced to make scarifies and join together so they could fight for their survival. Through their hard work, dedication, and will to never give up they created several small communities that are still in existence today.

Timm's Hll Landmark Honoring Wisconsin's Early Settlers

The small communities of Ogema, Spirit, and Hill all have deep heritages related to Timm’s Hill. Many families have ancestors who lost their lives not only trying to provide for their family, but also constructing the observation tower that stands above the tree line.

From the top of the tower you can look in all directions and see miles of forest. If you look to the south you can see most of Bass Lake and if you look north, you can see the corner of Timm’s Lake.

View from Timm's Hill Overlooking Bass Lake

Hiking at Timm’s Hill

If you prefer to explore the surrounding area, you can do so by venturing out on the trails. Timm’s Hill is part of Timm’s Hill National Trail which is a ten mile hike that connects to the historic Ice Age Trail. Much of the trail is south of observation tower, but there are several miles of hiking trails that lead you around the hill.

Sign Describing the Hiking Trails at Timm's Hill

The trails are open year round and great for hiking, cross-county skiing, biking, snowshoeing, and even horseback riding in the summer months. I unfortunately did not get to hike much of the trails, but from what I did hike, it looked absolutely beautiful.

How does relate to you?

This blog post is not just about Timm’s Hill. It’s primary goal was to get you thinking about natural wonders that are close to your home. Think about county, state and national parks that are within 100 miles of where you live. Perhaps do an Internet search for the highest geographical point in your state, surrounding lakes, hiking trails, beaches, or whatever is interesting to you.

Remember, it’s not what you do that matters, it’s the enjoyment and memories that you create that’s important.

What types of adventures have you embarked on lately? Please leave a comment and share your adventures.

See you outdoors,

~Jason

Every time I begin to pack for my next camping adventure I always think about those family camping trips I took as a kid. I remember the stress that my brothers and I put on my parents not only while packing for the weekend, but also while at the campgrounds.

As a kid, my brothers and I were always on the go. We constantly wanted my parents to play some game or do something besides sit and relax. I also remember my parents struggling to find activities that we could do as a family on our camping get-a-ways.

It’s interesting because I still play these games and continue to pack the gear/equipment every time I go camping. Below is a list of 6 personal favorite family camping activities of mine.

Ladder Golf

Ladder golf is a game that is played by 2 – 4 players or 2 teams of 2 players. The object of the game is to toss the bolas (the 2 golf balls tied together by rope) onto the rungs, or steps, of the ladder. Ladder golf is great for camping trips because it’s easy to play, easy to set up, easy to transport and can be played by anyone on virtually any surface.

The game is played by having two teams, each have their own set of colored bolas, and they each take turns tossing the bolas at the ladder. Each bola that stays on the ladder receives a point. Tossing a bola on the top rung is 3 points, the middle rung is 2 points and the bottom rung is worth 1 point. The two ladders are normally 15 feet, or 5 paces, apart. Each player/team will alternate tossing the bolas until one team reaches exactly 21 points at the end of his/her turn.

You can visit http://www.laddergolf.com/ for more information on how to play and even purchase your own ladder golf set.

Bean Bag Toss/Cornhole

Bean bag toss (or commonly referred to as Cornhole in the Southern U.S.) is a childhood favorite of mine. This game is similar to Ladder Golf in that it’s played by 2 – 4 players. This great camping game is extremely easy to play by men, women and children of any age.

Essentially, all you do is take turns tossing your bean bag (corn bag) onto the platform and the team that reaches 21 points first wins. One point is scored when a player tosses his/her bag onto the platform and it stays there. Three points are scored when a player gets the bag into the hole within the platform. Each platform is roughly 30 feet apart and teammates stand by opposite platforms tossing bags back and forth.

You can read more about bean bag toss/Cornhole and find the offical rules from the American Cornhole Association.

Croquet

Croquet is not a traditional camping game but can be even more exciting when played at campgrounds as compared to a grass court. Croquet is not only a lawn game but also a competitive sport. This game can be played with 2 – 4 players in which each player tries to hit plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through a series of metal loops that are stuck into the earth.

Why is playing croquet at a campground more exciting? Well, normally you play this game on a grassy field without obstacles. Think of the exciting challenges that await you and your family/friends if you have to play around trees!

To read more about this historic game, visit http://www.croquet.com/.

Bocce Ball

Bocce ball is another game that is not only played for leisure but also professionally. I personally love bocce ball because, like croquet, it’s very exciting and challenging when playing at a campground.

The game is played by 2 – 8 players. The goal of the game is to throw/toss a bocce (a wooden or plastic ball) at a pallino (a smaller ball). The person/team to get their bocce closest to the pallino scores a point. The team that scores the point gets to toss the pallino in a new location. Now just repeat. The first team to 13 wins the game.

There are several different variations of rules to play bocce ball, but to learn the most common rules visit http://www.bocceball.com/.

Wildlife Identification

This fun camping activity is great for any family. This isn’t really a game but more of an educational adventure to explore and discover the natural beauty in the great outdoors. This gets you and your family out of your campsite and exploring the surrounding area.

The goal of this little adventure to get out and see how many different types of wildlife you can identify. You can search for mammals, insects, plants, flowers, tress, birds, etc. Wildlife identification can be extremely rewarding not only because you get to see some incredible wildlife, but you’re also learning about the great outdoors.

You will need to purchase some sort of wildlife ID kit or booklet in order to fully enjoy this activity. I’d recommend purchasing a book from a local bookstore so it will contain wildlife that is relevant to your area. You can also order kits online by doing a simple Internet search.

Geocaching

Geocaching is my latest hobby. This is an exciting outdoor treasure hunt. With Geocaching you use GPS technology to locate and find hidden containers (caches) that were hidden by some other geocacher. I won’t go into too much detail in this post because I have already written a blog post specifically on this topic. You can view a full description of geocaching here.

The above 6 activities are only several camping activities that you and your friends/family can enjoy on your next outdoor adventure. Please remember to always be courteous of other campers and obey all park/campground rules when enjoying any of these activities.

Remember, it’s not what you do on your camping adventure that’s important, it’s the memories that you create and share that are what will bring you to fully enjoy everything mother nature has to offer.

If you have played any of these fun camping games, please leave a comment and share your experience.

See you outdoors.

~Jason

Okay, so it’s not exactly apple pie because there’s no crust, but it does taste just like grandma’s apple pie! This is a quick, easy, and tasty campfire recipe for your next camping adventure. All the ingredients for for this gourmet dessert are easy and light-weight to pack. This tasty little treat is designed to make four servings.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 large cooking apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, etc)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Preparations:

• Core the apples and cut into thick slices.
• As for your campfire, try to have red coals to reduce the smokey taste.
• You want to have your cooking grate about eight to twelve inches above the coals.

Cooking:

• Place the apples on the campfire grate
• Brush apples with maple syrup
• Flip the apples frequently and continue to brush with syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon
• Continue cooking and brushing until apples at nicely glazed on both sides
• Serve warm

There you have it. A quick, simple, tasty dessert that you can enjoy on your next camping adventure! My personal addition is to add extra cinnamon to the apples for a richer taste. Plus, add a little ice cream (perhaps buy some from the camp store) to top it all off and your camp neighbors will think you hired a catering company to cook for you!

Okay, to be honest this isn’t my recipe. I have a grilling cookbook
that I use to find new and exciting camping recipes and this little gem was in it. I love this cookbook. It’s loaded with quick, easy and tasty recipes that you can use both at home and at the campground.

If you like this recipe, join our email newsletter to receive more campfire cooking recipes directly to your email inbox. Also, leave a comment if you’ve ever tried this dessert before.

See you at the campground!

~Jason