Get your tents all waterproofed and ready! The 2010 Great American Backyard Campout is June 26, 2010. This is a great event to get the family outside, even if it is in your back yard. My son and I have participated in this for the past couple of years. It’s a relaxed way of camping. No need to worry about your pets as they are still close by. Are you going to participate? The NWF has a link to register your yard if you like. The link is above. Check out the video below from the NWF.

(Guest Post)

For some people, watching a near-death survival program is about as close as we get to the great outdoors. Setting up a tent for the weekend in a field in the countryside gets you one step closer to communing with nature, even if there are wash rooms, fully fledged toilets (with flushes and everything) and a gift shop nearby.

Arbudir, Iceland

The following is a pick of the best campsites worldwide; Sites that will bring you closer to nature without the need to fully abandon civilization.

Arbudir, Iceland

Iceland is infamous for it’s ‘basic’ variety of campsites, and Arbudir is no exception. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the , it really is a breathtaking way to wake up in the morning. There is no on-site accommodation, and the site itself is a small piece of meadow next to the mountain hut. Just a single shower and a handful of outdoor sinks and a sprinkling of toilets really will have you going back to basics.

Sudersand, Gotland, Sweden

Sudersand, Gotland, Sweden
Gotland Island just off the Swedish east coast is famed for its tranquil nature and landscape scenery. On the northern tip is a small island called Faro, where there is a quaint campsite called Suderland which is set close to one of Sweden’s longest and most beautiful beaches. Not too far away, on the west coast, is nature preservation area famous for its huge stone formations, called ‘Raukar’; truly magical.

Bahia Honda, Florida

Bahia Honda, Florida

Tucked away from the more touristy spots in the Florida Keys is this beautiful state park. It’s the first key you will reach after crossing the 7-mile bridge from Marathon. Bahia Honda is located next to one of the deepest channels of water between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The spot makes for excellent swimming, snorkeling, diving and fishing or simply kick back and relax in what most people would visualize as paradise. The sandy shored lagoon really is a site.

If you decide to venture off to one of the places listed above, pack wisely, and don’t let the burden of dragging your bags around with you ruin your trip. Pack a limited bag, there is no need to bring the bathroom sink (although one would come in handy in some places). Pack light, but warm fabrics such as fleeces, and bring trousers with tear away knees so they double up as shorts. The North Face has great selection of outdoor attire and the quality is second to none.

If all else fails there is one last campsite which combines safety, familiarity, convenience and at arms’ length of all the mid-night snacks you could dream of: your back yard!

The big one!

Also this weekend is free entrance to US National Parks that normally charge. Another great reason to get outside this weekend! Looks like the closest for me is Ohio or Indiana. No Kentucky parks listed.

Tent all set up!

Here are some articles that might help you out on your camping adventure:

• Fun things to do when camping
• Things to take camping
• Quick and easy s’mores
• Basic trail mix

Now go waterproof that tent and let’s go camping!

The WondaWedge

• Fishing
• Reading outside
• Reading/watching TV in bed
• At the beach/pool
• At an outdoor concert

There are many uses for the WondaWedge, and since it’s inflatable storage is a snap. One thing I would like to see is a quick deflate opening. That is the one minus I saw as it took several minutes to squeeze all of the air out.

Info:

• Weight: Under one pound without carrying bag. (15 ounces)
• Height: ~18 inches
• Width: ~17 inches

What do you thing about the WondaWedge? You can purchase one on their site. Let me know what you think of it.

May 11, 2010 update: 20% off at checkout! Use the code WILD510 when checking out.

The wondaWedge

WondaWedge in use

I was not given any money for this review however I was supplied the product to review. Just letting you know.

Hello everyone! Boy this oil spill is a real disaster for wildlife. Check out this article by the National Wildlife Federation on how you can help. I’m a little low on funds for donating right now so I’m going out to help on a social basis. Here are a couple of helpful twitter accounts, if you know of any others please add your comments.

• NWF
• John Amos

Please also check out this article on how they’re cleaning the birds. It takes up to 4 people up to 45 minutes to wash a large bird!

You can also help out by stumbling this article or the NWF article to help with traffic and building awareness. Thanks!

Womp'em Sticks

• Scrambled eggs with crumbled sausage
• Peanut butter mixed with jelly
• Marshmallows! (MMMM) Roasted marshmallows even better!
• A roasted hot dog with your favorite condiments

The Womp’em Sticks also come with a metal attachment that will hold your hot dog, marshmallow, or anything else you need to skewer and cook over your camp fire. The Womp’em Sticks also come in a handy container for easy storage in between uses. For more information about the Womp’em Sticks or to purchase them use this link. YouTube video.

Womp'em Sticks 2

Womp'em Sticks with attachment

Spot GPS Satellite Messenger

• Send a SOS/911 message. If you are in a serious accident or situation this one button call for help can be, quite literally, a life saver.
• Send a Help message. If your situation is not dire but you need some help from a friend then you can notify them of your need with the press of a button.
• Check in with loved ones with an ‘Ok’ Message.
  Send a custom messages back to your family with your GPS determined location.

Hike or camp with the peace of mind that your loved ones know you’re ok with the SPOT Messenger.

In all there are 74 ways to enter! Go here for full contest details and to enter the contest.

Rick Kratzke

I had the great opportunity to interview Rick on the phone. He’s a great guy who is way into deer hunting.

Rick’s Blog: Whitetail Woods. Rick writes something just about every day! You should really check out his blog.

Want to connect with Rick on campspace? Here is Rick’s Campspace site.

I asked Rick if he brings his phone or electronics out in the woods. He said he enjoys just watching the animals. First those chipmunks, then the squirrels. Too many times I see a facebook update of “in the stand now” but it seems like if you’re distracted my that you may miss your opportunity, and in the wild you seldom get a second chance.

Geocaching App

Overall I really like this app. It’s around $10.00 and lets the novice break into geocaching with out spending alot of money on an GPS device. I did say something earlier about saving something for offline mode. Offline mode is good for when your iPhone cannot get service. I recommend saving a cache to offline mode each time. You never know when your phone might loose service when you’re tracking down a cache that is deep into a leaf covered woods. Also if you do not have service the satellite view will not show up at least the version I have.

Another feature I like with this app is it’s tie in with the geocaching.com website. I can mark a cache as found on my phone and it will show up on the website. Great feature. Another reason why I didn’t mind spending $10 for the app. Now I’m just waiting for the ground to dry out so I can get back out there and finally find Lumppy’s Loot!

What do you think of the Geocaching app for the iPhone? If you do not have it yet and you’re interested in starting the geocaching hobby I definitely recommend this app.

Music used in this podcast is from a band called 77 South and the song is I Dig You.

GORE-TEX

Only One Week Left to Enter the GORE-TEX® Brand Experience More Challenge

The winner will receive $10,000 towards planning their dream adventure

Elkton, MD (January 6, 2010) – The GORE-TEX® brand Experience More Challenge ends on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. The online contest launched on December 3, 2009 in conjunction with the brand’s new online community, www.MyExperienceMore.com. In the first month, 750 members have registered for the community and more than 250 experiences have been shared.

“We are seeing that people who love the outdoors also love to connect with one another and share their experiences,” states Melissa Riggs, GORE-TEX® brand marketing. “Our goal is to continue to provide a community where they can do just that.”

The Experience More Challenge invites community members to share their outdoor experiences for a chance to win the experience of their dreams. Members can submit photos of themselves “experiencing more” outdoors, and community members are invited to rate these experiences. Entries receiving a certain average rating will then be considered for six finalist positions, chosen by a panel of Gore representatives. The six finalists will receive GORE-TEX® gear and will be reevaluated by the online community, who will vote for the winner of the Experience More Challenge. The Grand Prize Winner will receive up to $10,000 towards planning his/her own dream experience, including expenses and gear. Additionally, the GORE-TEX® brand will donate $5,000 to one of 10 participating outdoor non-profits, to be selected by the winner.

About W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

With more than $2.5 billion in annual sales and approximately 9,000 employees in 30 countries worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., provides diverse, high-performance solutions in consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. As well-known for its unique corporate culture as for its products, Gore’s 50-year success story rests equally on product and organizational innovation. Perhaps best known as the inventors of expanded PTFE (ePTFE) and the makers of GORE-TEX® fabric, Gore is a leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products that comprise a breadth of capabilities.

Welcoming in 2010!

Song used (from Music Alley)
77 South – I Dig You