Thursday, August 6, 2009

Picking The Correct Kids Sleeping Bag

Are you planning a family camping vacation and have kids that will be going on the expedition? If you answered yes to this question, then you may want to invest in kids sleeping bags for your young ones so that they are warm and comfortable.

Because of the simplicity of the design, kids sleeping bags are easier to manufacture and produce than adult sleeping bags. Part of the reason for this is that children are not likely to camp in extreme climates. As a parent, if you are allowing your kids to travel with for camping in extreme climates, this is rather irresponsible on your part. Kids' sleeping bags are generally manufactured inexpensively by the use of synthetic materials. Another reason that synthetic fibers are used in place of down is because synthetic does not require much maintenance and will still provide some insulation when wet. This is a good option in case it rains or something gets spilled on the sleeping bag. When people do purchase kids sleeping bags that are made of high quality materials, they are wise to purchase a sleeping bag that will at least last a few years before the kids outgrow them.

Another thing to consider is how much the kids sleeping bag will weigh. Either you or your kids will have to carry their camping gear and you want to make sure that this is not going to be an concern.

Most kids sleep warmer than adults; this is due to the fact that kids have a higher metabolic rate. So, even when they lose heat fast because of their smaller bodies, they produce heat even faster. For this reason, it is no surprise that kids sleeping bags that are cheap are more popular than expensive sleeping bags.

Most of the kids sleeping bags that are on the market today, have a non-rectangular shape which includes a hood, draft tube, and draft collar. In really cold weather, the hood is critical as you lose a large amount of heat through your head.

The North Face Tigger kids sleeping bag can be used in temperatures as low as 20 degrees and is made of synthetic fill. This is one of the most popular sleeping bags for children as there are no cords to adjust the hood or chest segments. No cords mean that there is absolutely no way for a child to get tangled up in sleep.

No need to worry about if your kid will be warm or not, these sleeping bags come with draft tubes that stop the heat from escaping the kids sleeping bag through the zippers. Additionally, draft collars enhance the sleeping bags insulation properties even further by preventing the heat from radiating the shoulders and out of the sleeping bag. As you can perceive there are several factors that have been well thought-out in the manufacturing of kids sleeping bags.

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Growing up on the Oregon coast James has spent many many years in the Oregon mountains camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. He now enjoys sharing his knowledge with others through his writing. Find out more at http://www.ozark-trail-tents.com



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Thursday, July 2, 2009

How To Go Camping With A Baby

Camping with your baby can be a lot of fun, and can be a special time between you and your baby. Babies adjust easily and seem to enjoy the new sights and sounds of camping.

You can use the items made for babies on your camping trip. You want to make camping with your baby comfortable and convenient so you have more time to spend doing fun activities with your family.

Most babies enjoy the water, and many campgrounds have baby pools. Take your baby swimming and keep your eyes open for the excitement he/she will show. If there is a beach where you camp, you can take baby with you. It is important to protect your baby from the sun and heat. Sunscreen is a must to protect baby's delicate skin. Shade is always a good idea for baby when he/she is not in the water.

Backpack baby carriers are a good idea when camping with baby, since there are frequently places that are hard to push a stroller. If you like hiking, or going for a walk around the campground, a baby backpack carrier could be just the thing for you. Baby backpack carriers are used for babies who can sit up on their own. These backpacks are available with a hood to protect your baby from the sun. Most babies love the closeness of Mom or Dad while riding in their baby backpack.

Backpack diaper bags are also very useful when camping with your baby. These backpacks are comfortable to wear, and can hold more supplies than a regular diaper bag. Some of these backpacks are available with an insulated pocket that aides in keeping bottles and snacks cool for baby. Also, when walking long distances or hiking, it is better to wear a backpack diaper bag that evenly distributes the weight across your back and is better for your body and balance, than to carry a heavy diaper bag that hangs from one shoulder. Taking walks and/or hikes with your baby can be a fun, exciting, and interesting time together.

While camping with your baby, you may want to use a child locator. Child locators come in different styles. One style uses a fun clip device to clip onto the clothing of your baby/child and a small hand held device for you, the parent, to push a button, which will emit a loud, friendly beep from the device clipped to your baby/child. Another style of child locator has a fun device to clip onto your baby's/child's clothing and one for the parent, and operates by using a distance zone, so if your baby/child is outside of that distant zone, a continuous beep goes off. These devices are very helpful in helping you keep an eye on your baby/toddler during times when you may get distracted. As every parent knows, it only takes a few seconds for your baby/toddler to disappear out of your sight.

Camping with your baby can be such a wonderful experience for you, as parents, and for your baby, and with all the available items on the market which help make camping with baby so convenient, camping with your baby can be a very enjoyable, fun, educational, and bonding experience!

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David Cummings is a devoted family member and regular author on parenting and family topics. He is devoted to helping parents create quality time with their families and assisting children-centric organizations as well. He manages Bustling Baby, LLC - a family-oriented store that makes parenting life easier and fun, including the Eddie Bauer Bassinet and backpack baby carriers

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Planning Your Camping Food

Camping food for many people has come to mean granola, oatmeal, and more granola. Camping food can range anywhere from veggies or hot dogs – great for roasting over an open fire – to a steak-and-baked-potato dinner and one-pot meals. Freeze-dried camping food is great for hiking, backpacking, or camping meals because you don't have to keep it cold to avoid spoiling. Camping food such as Mountain House Brand or Backpackers Country brands can be a very convenient way to eat. Camping food benefits include your meals can be already. Camping food downsides include cost as meals can be more expensive, and you can lose your creativity for cooking while camping.

Camping Food Recipes


A search of the internet will turn up many online cookbooks and recipes submitted by people interested in camp cooking and are free for you to download. Things to consider when researching camp recipes include cooking for different travelers on different days, planning for large groups, planning for partial trip days, different guests eating different meals, large and small appetites, storage for ingredients, and much more.

Do not overlook soup recipes for camping and other meals that require only one pot or pan, so you can pack light, eat well and enjoy your camping trip.

You can create yummy gourmet meals with a little understanding of grilling and adapting recipes to the grill. You should learn how to adapt regular recipes to grill cooking, too, and you'll see that you can create some mighty tasty gourmet recipes that taste like you've spent hours preparing them.

Family Camping Food Ideas For Children

Children love to get involved, and the beauty of camping is that the recipes are usually simple, easy and fun. The kids will enjoy them even more if you let them modify the camp recipes and have some cooking fun. Before your next family camping trip, gather up some kid-friendly camping recipes. Camping dessert recipes are fun and easy for kids to make, and the whole family enjoys eating them.

Camping Meal Planning

Meals should be planned around the "core" entry but like buying a car it's the extras that make it more enjoyable. Meals should be made as simple as possible. Meals or soups in a cup are definitely convenient foods but they may be too bulky for many backpackers and campers. Meals take more time to prepare at the campground but it's also one of the jobs that everyone seems to want to help out with. Meals around the campfire are just as much the centre of camping life as meals around the kitchen bench at home.

Freeze-dried Camping Food

A quick search of the web turns up numerous companies producing freeze-dried foods for backpacking, including many vegetarian options. One of the best types of camping food is freeze-dried food or dehydrated food. Nowadays, people climbing the Himalayas, exploring the Poles, competing in offshore races, canoers and all kinds of travelers and globetrotters take very light freeze-dried food with them, which in extreme conditions can be made eatable by adding water acquired from snow or even sea water after desalination. Dehydrated or freeze-dried camping food is great for hiking, backpacking, or camping meals because it doesn’t have to be kept cold to avoid spoiling. Camping, backpacking, or hiking food that's freeze-dried or dehydrated can reduce weight by sixty to ninety percent. With a little creativity it's easy to make meals better-tasting and healthier than freeze-dried astronaut meals!

With some tasty camping food in your pack, you can make sure you won’t go hungry. Take easy to carry, high energy camping food to fuel your expeditions and outdoor adventures. If you're used to eating at gourmet restaurants, no matter what type of camping food you pack you'll probably be disappointed but you’ll still have fun. You'll also want to consider animal and/or bear resistant camping food containers especially if you're going to bear country. Please check the local area for suggestions on camping food storage and how to deal with trash. Good camping food is easy, light-weight, and served hot quickly.

Nitro-Pak--The Emergency Preparedness Leader


Alison Stevens

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Additional Reading: Camping

Additional Reading: Outdoors

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