Location
Be sure to choose a campsite, marina or resort that doesn’t require reservations but also has plenty of wide-open space to sprawl around in. Perhaps even going into designated “back woods” areas outside your city would be best. Check your local state or county preserves to find safe, awesome areas and conduct a Google search for more info.

Packing the Goodies
Besides the usual emergency kit and other camping necessities, be sure to pack things that will make Mom’s weekend more pleasurable. Pack her some mosquito repellent, Calamine, pillows, treats, blankets, lotion, face cream, chocolate, books, gifts, nail care, tissues and whatever else your Mom likes.

Sneaky Sneak
Be sure that Mom is unaware of where she’s headed off to and pack the car while she’s distracted or away the day before. You already know she loves the great outdoors but a surprise will definitely liven the atmosphere! And since you are whisking her off in secrecy, be sure to pack her necessities: clothes, boots, tooth care, face cloths, socks, etc. Lastly, make her comfortable on the trip with magazines, water, snacks and her favorite tunes.

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1. Po’ Boy Foil Bowl
Chop up 1 small potato per camper, depending on their appetite. Put the chopped potatoes in a clean, plastic bag, add a splash of olive oil, pepper, salt and whatever dried herbs you have. Add a couple of hand fulls of chopped vegetables like: carrots, celery, onion, tomato, broccoli, etc. and shake the bag. Dish out about a cup of the mixture onto sheets of aluminum foil. Wrap the ingredients tightly, leaving a small opening at top and grill over open flame or in the coals of a fire, for up to 30 minutes. Use tongs to check the packages regularly–if they steam when you open them, your po’ boy is ready! Serve straight from aluminum!

2. Baked Potato Burrito
One baked potato per camper. Leave the skin on and cut the potato in half, long ways. Scoop a chunk from each half and place scooped potato in plastic bag. Add lots of salt, pepper, seasonings and a can of drained, black beans. Mush the bag until thoroughly mixed. Place potato halves onto aluminum foil sheets, scoop potato/bean mixture onto the halves and top with other half of potato. Gently wrap in foil and, turning gently and regularly, cook the potatoes over open flame or in the coals of a fire. Be careful when opening and eat with a spoon!

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1. Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids: Boosting your immune system is a great way to fight off allergies and the infections that can sometimes follow them.
2. Vitamin A: Fight the inflammation caused by allergies with vitamin A, even after the onset of symptoms. Subtle but effective, Vitamin A calms allergies and boosts immunity.
3. Vitamin B5: This vitamin will boost your adrenal function, which is a great defense against stress. You may not know it, but your body gets stressed out during an allergic reaction.
4. CoQ10: A natural antihistamine and stress blocker, this is a great vitamin to add to C and B5.
5. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Found in fish and supplements, take this with A and CoQ10. Within an hour, you should expect relief from the symptoms of your allergies.
   Nelsons Homeopathic Medicine: These neat little pills come in a clikpak that you can carry around with you in a purse or pocket and are made by Nelsons, a homeopathic remedy company that’s been in business for over 100 years. Visit them at www.nelsonshomoeopathy.co.uk.
6. Airborne: Created by a teacher, this supplement is packed with amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins. You can find it in just about any grocery store.
7. Juices, fruit and vegetables: Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables along with drinking orange, grape and cranberry juice before, during and after a camping trip can make a huge difference in how energetic and healthy you feel.

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Celebrating your Easter weekend is special when you incorporate it into a great camping trip. Springtime is the best time to enjoy Mother Nature; the air is still cool, there’s usually a crisp breeze and since the rains… everything is clean and clear. There are still, however, plenty of campsite ideas, tips and suggestion I have for your Easter camping trip.

Amenities
Camping in springtime brings a few challenges that can be easily conquered with the right attitude and approach. Bugs, for example, are very plentiful in some areas during springtime. So arm your family with plenty of body bug repellents that won’t make them sick, like Herbaria products. Herbaria has both a spray on repellent and a repellent soap that smell great and are completely natural.

Other things you need to also consider for Easter camping is sun block for those bright, windy days and light lotion for dryness.

Activities
Easter camping, of course, should be fun! So try out these things for the kids and teens!

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Location
Before prepping your meal back at campsite, scout out a couple of local areas ideal for sitting on the ground and be sure that the area is attractive. Be aware of too much shade as the ground there will often be too moist. When possible, try to find a location on top of a hill or near the edge of a safe cliff for a beautiful view. Eating near a stream, when available, is also a pleasant experience. Calm and peaceful.

The Essentials
A great picnic must start off with a great, waterproof picnic blanket. This will ensure that even if you choose to sit where it’s moist, you, your guests and your food will stay dry. Find some excellent waterproof and stadium blankets at www.goblanket.com.

Next on the list, is a perfect picnic basket. I know what you’re thinking–a wicker

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• 5 days in advance: Reserve a one-nighter with nearby campgrounds and purchase inexpensive pop-up tent, if you don’t already have one. More on tents.

• 1 day in advance: pack tent, sleeping bag, pillow, Swiss Army knife, water, small stove, frying pan, mess kit, book, flash light and digital camera. Keep it simple and under control. Easy clean up is a must.

• Morning of: Pack can of beans or spaghetti, fruit, cookies, water, pre-made pancake mix, butter and small amount of syrup (for one) in a small, portable ice cooler with frozen cooler pack inside. Consider also tossing in granola bars, trail mix, nuts or whatever other convenient foods you like.

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Sliced Turkey Wrappers

1 wheat tortilla for each camper
2 slices of pre-packed turkey per camper
2 slices pepper jack cheese per camper
1 head lettuce
1 squeeze bottle
1-2 cups mayo, depending on taste
1/2 cup mustard
pepper
onion powder

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In order to painlessly plan your Valentine’s Day camping trip, be sure to keep three essential elements in mind; location, activity and gift. With these you can create a simple but comfortable environment that will add the intrigue you need to enjoy Mother Nature and make your partner happy.

Location: Be sure to research an area for camping that isn’t too far away from home but still requires a scenic drive into the countryside. Start by searching your state+camping on Google and then check each location’s website for park hours, amenities, restrictions, vegetation information and cost.

Once you’ve chosen your park, plan to adorn your lover with pleasant surroundings. A lush, padded mattress pad topped with satin sheets, loads of fluffy blankets, all complemented with red rose petals, is incredibly welcoming. Snacks and wine are also a must.

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The Obvious: Horse Shoes, Volleyball, Badminton, Card Games, Board Games and Croquet. These are all fun and engaging sports that anyone can be a part of. What makes them even better is how easily available and inexpensive they are. You can find them separately and in sets at any sporting goods store or retail location with a sporting goods section. A great selection of popular board games can be found at any toy or department store. The Camping Guy, however, suggests www.boardgames.com for cheap camp games delivered right to your door!

For The Family:
Hollywood Pictionary: With a large pad of paper and a hand full of pencils, each family member takes turns drawing their favorite Hollywood Stars. This is a great game for teams and giving away prizes like Electronic Hand Held Card Games, Portable Checkers, Uno, Game Balls.

Animal Antics: This is animal charades! Write the name of up to 50 animals, especially barnyard, onto small pieces of paper, fold them in half and put them in a bucket. After creating teams, have one person from each team blindly choose a paper and take turns acting out that animal’s behavior without making a sound. The opposing team members must guess which animal they are. The team who guesses the most correctly, wins!

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The Traditional Campfire
This age old tradition, when done safely, is a great experience and creates mood and atmosphere for your campsite. Start your campfire right by raking and removing all dead wood and leaves in a ten-foot radius around your fire pit. If you don’t have a fire pit, then create one by removing the first 3 inches of dirt or so. Place a bed of coals or rocks in it and top with your clean, dry wood. Fire-starter bricks are safest and easiest to use in starting the fire but they catch fire easily, so keep them put away when not in use. Don’t forget to keep an extinguisher on-hand for emergencies and a shovel to help restore your campsite when you leave. More campfire safety tips.

Camping Generators
Technologically speaking, the most convenient way to stay warm or to use any appliance while camping is to use a generator like the Yamaha 1,000-Watt Portable Generator. Like other recreational generators, this one is lightweight (28 lbs.) and provides 12 hours of running time on a full tank. They also claim they have dampened the noise with noise absorbing materials. The Yamaha is relatively inexpensive as far as generators go and this model can run several appliances at the same time. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Camping Heaters
Propane Heaters are perfect camping heaters and an inexpensive, efficient way to keep your personal space warm in cold weather camping. They are often safe, convenient and easy to use like the Coleman BlackCat Portable Catalytic Heater. This small, portable camping heater comes equipped an 8″round heater to maximize your heated area, and runs up to 7 hours at 3,000 BTU on one 16.4 oz cylinder of propane. It’s rated for indoor use, since there is no flame!

With these great options at hand and a blanket or two, your next camping adventure is sure to be a warm and comfortable one. For more information about what you need for cold weather camping. Happy Camping.

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