Camping

Bocce Ball is a Must Have for Any Camping Trip

Mountain House--The #1 Backpacking Food!

If you’re like me then:

1. You’re handsome

2. You enjoy the outdoors and 

3. You are always looking for fun things to do while camping

One of my favorite activities at the campground is Bocce Ball (pronounced Botchee).  Traditionally the game is played on a flat 76′ long and 10′ wide court using a small ball called a jack, or pallina, and bigger colored balls that look a lot like the ones you use for duckpin bowling.  You can play with two to eight players.  The basic idea of Bocce Ball is for the first player to throw the jack and then throw their bigger ball to try to get as close to the jack as possible.  The next player then throws their ball to see how close they can get.  A player scores by getting closer than the other.  I’ve never played on a Bocce Ball court, though.  The style I play is called “Open Bocce”.  There are no boundaries which makes the game a lot more fun and challenging. You can make use of obstacles like park benches, hills, sand boxes or anything else that may be around. If you like horseshoes or cornhole you should definitely try Bocce Ball on your next outdoor adventure.

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Camping For Beginners

Mountain House--The #1 Backpacking Food!

Remember when you were a little kid and camping was such fun, your parents usually packed the car with everything but the kitchen sink and didn’t use half of it. But who wants to be stuck out in the wilderness without that one thing they might use for an hour and then realize it could have been left at home. Now that you’ve grown up, the camping bug has crept its way back onto your “We outta do that” list. I’ve found that the things our parents teach us about camping go away, but the memories never do.

Maybe you have an old dusty tent in your garage, maybe you don’t. If you need to buy some camping gear I think you’ll find that things haven’t changed that much, sure maybe the style of tent back then was a pole right in the middle holding the tent up and anybody who knocked it over was given a dirty look, that’s changed. Now you’ll find tents that sleep large families very comfortably and are easy to assemble. Now stuffing that tent back into the tent bag when you’re done, that’s still the same.

If you are bare of all essentials when it comes to camping fear not, a sporting goods store will usually have tents on display and you can even find people who know what they are talking about when it comes to tents. Purchasing camping equipment is a non pressure sale, look at the available tents on display, walk in them, lay down in them, see if it’s something your family will like. If you’re worried about the cost think about this, it’s an investment in your families happiness, you’ll probably own one tent your entire lifetime. They have built them to withstand the weather, it’s worth the cost. Ask the person showing you tent how its set up, you might be setting up a tent in low light and its best to have some idea of how it’s done. Don’t rely on your instinct, read the directions.

While you’re at the sporting goods store you’ll need to get some sleeping bags, make sure they cover you completely, head to toe, kid’s sleeping bags are generally shorter. Also make sure they protect you from the outside temperature, 40 degrees and lower are a good choice. Remember, the only thing protecting you from the elements is a thin piece of fabric. If you plan to camp for more than a few days you’ll want to pack accordingly, watch the weather to know what the evening temperature will be, dress for warmth if its cold. Parents will want to pack pajamas for the kids and maybe some for themselves. If you decided to camp in a reserved campground see if they allow propane stoves. Charcoal is great for cooking out but if you got hungry kids charcoal is the enemy. Some campgrounds have fire pits but be careful, wood fires burn longer than you might be used to, coals might still be hot in the morning.

Some common mistakes first time campers make are forgetting about refrigerated items. Make a list of the foods you’ll be eating or cooking. Buy two inexpensive coolers, a sturdy one and a Styrofoam one. Keep the water and pop or juice in the Styrofoam one, you can always add ice, keep the perishables in the sturdy cooler, it will mean the difference between buying new food and using what you brought. Plus, a sturdy cooler won’t get turned over by nocturnal animals. If you grill, make sure to bring utensils, dad might be tough but he won’t enjoy flipping burgers or hot dogs with his fingers.

Make sure to have batteries for everybody’s flashlight, don’t skimp on this part. A bright flashlight gives the user more confidence, kids get scared more easily in the woods; give them a sense of security outside the tent. You might want to bring an air mattress for mom and dad, kids can sleep on mats, they usually don’t mind, but parents need that extra comfort. You can also go on-line and find out places to go once you’ve arrived at your camping destination, you’re camping, not hiding from the law, get out and see the outdoors and what it has to offer. The most important thing to never forget is the ingredients for Smores, that’s all my kids remember.

If you make sure to have a sturdy tent that sleeps everyone comfortably, sleeping bags that keep you warm and food that can be easily prepared you’ll have a wonderful time. Build some memories around a small campfire or propane stove; you’ll be glad you did.

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4Campingout.com’s Inaugural Post

Mountain House--The #1 Backpacking Food!

My wife and I decided to start this site about camping because of our passion for the great outdoors. We both enjoy camping and want to start chronicling our trips and hopefully offer some good tips for beginners along the way. We have a campground in the area which is where we like to go mostly, but we also really enjoy a good road trip with the kids to areas all over the country. I still have the fondest memories of camping with the family and meeting new friends and just having fun all day and night. Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment or subscribe to our feed, or both.

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