family camping » Camping Tips

Camping at El Capitan State Beach

Thomas Neton — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:38:51 +0000

This is a guest post by Thomas Neton. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the guest posting page for more information.

My son and I camp regularly. He’s a Boy Scout, so he’s a big help setting up our site and camping equipment . One of our favorite spots is El Capitan state beach, just north of Santa Barbara on the California coast.

If you’re coming from LA or farther south, try to leave during the middle of the day or on the weekend. Downtown LA’s famous rush hour traffic is pretty brutal and can add an hour to your trip. It take us about two hours to get up there from Long Beach with no traffic.

El Capitan State Beach (photo by Robert Garcia on Flickr)

The campground is up on a bluff with a fantastic beach below. At the far north end of the beach is a freshwater creek that runs into tidepools at the ocean’s edge. We’ve camped there in spring and summer, but in spring there are tadpoles in the creek – hours of kid fun! There are many forms of marine life for kids to see and experience. Bring your bikes because there are miles of roads and bike paths on the beach and in the campground that kids can enjoy.

The campground is very clean and well kept. The camp hosts are a married couple who keep a sharp eye on the campground while maintaining a friendly atmosphere. The majority of campers are families, and everybody has been very friendly every time we go.

One thing to watch for on the beach is naturally occurring tar that sometimes washes up on the shore. The occasional tarball can be cleaned up by the small wipes sold at the campground’s store. The store itself is very sparse, so make sure you bring all your supplies. The closest town is about 10 miles south of El Capitan, so a supply run can take over an hour roundtrip. They do have a small coffee shop in town, though.

Sunset at El Capitan State Beach (photo by frankenschulz on Flickr)

The sunsets are absolutely beautiful here. And here’s the insider tip: some sites offer nice views, but sites 82-84 offer ocean front views. Reservations are made through Reserve America 7 months in advance. If you time it right, you can get a prime site. Also, you can check back periodically during the current month- sometimes there are cancellations.

Thomas Neton is an avid camper and former Scout leader who runs Camptentonline.com, a retailer of tents, sleeping bags and camping gear.

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7 Photography Tips for the Great Outdoors

Karen Ho Fatt — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:32:40 +0000

This is a guest post by Karen Ho Fatt, who publishes an outdoor fire pit review site. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the guest posting page for more information.

Most of us are planning to head out to the National Parks this spring season. You will probably be making the most of your trip there; hunting, cooking and fishing are probably on the trailblazing menu. But most of us usually incorporate some kind of photography to document their trips into the great outdoors. But how do you create a more meaningful representation of these spectacular creations of nature?

For those who don’t want to just settle for the run of the mill “snapshots” here are some tips to improving your skills while on holiday.

Frozen Lake Helen in Lassen NP

Capture the Big Scene. This is the trophy photo is what we all try to achieve as photographers, the one that makes a statement; the majestic mountains rising above the clouds with the river running through below. A wide angle lens from 15mmm to 24mm is best to help you achieve that panoramic view.

Get in Closer. Photograph scenes within scenes. Focus on smaller details such as animals in the landscape with the trees as a backdrop.

Carry multiple lenses. Use a 24- 70mm lens for more standard scenes (as it looks to the eye) and a zoom lens in the 70-200mm range will help you get those far away details closer to you. A macro lens will give you a 1:1 view of your subject and will capture intimate details such as bugs on a budding leaf.

Crater Lake NP, in Oregon

Capture the Mood of the place. Getting to your location at sunrise and sunset when the light is golden will impart a different mood to your subject. A side lit mountain is a sight to behold: you will see it alternately glowing in shades of pink, orange or yellow. These magic moments are fleeting so you will have to be quick with the shutter and set up early before the sun rises (before 10 am) or before it sets (after 3pm).

Storms, Rain, Mist and Fog are not your enemies but your friend. These elements are great mood creators and incorporating them will elevate the image to a different level. They will turn the mundane into the extraordinary. And remember to dress in layers for these extreme weather changes you may encounter in the wilderness that you will want to capture.

First signs of spring

Use a Monopod or Tripod. Nature’s fickle weather and the magic moments of sunrise and sunset are often bathed in low light so you will need these tools if you want your pictures looking their best. Otherwise steady yourself against a tree and don’t breathe if you don’t have any one on hand! In addition to the latter you will probably need to use very high ISO in these low light situations and alter these more grainy images with noise software later. The monopod’s added benefit is that it also can double as a walking stick!

Get a GPS. Sure handy if you get lost but you may want to come back to the same location at a different time of day to capture a different mood and look.

Last but not least, know your camera and its limitations. Read your manual and learn what all those buttons were meant to do. As stale and boring as it may be, you don’t want to be fumbling around and not capture that fleeting moment!

These basic principles apply if you have a DSLR camera with interchangeable lenses or a more simple point and shoot camera. Taking photos is a combination of both serendipity and some careful planning. But take note as you will see miles of improvement in your travels into the great outdoors!

Karen is an avid photographer and can often be often found photographing the great outdoors near her country hamlet. She publishes an outdoor fire pit review site and you can follow her on Twitter @FamilyFirePit

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Ashland, Oregon Rafting

Roy Scribner — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:54:06 +0000

Ashland is located on the border of Oregon and California along the I-5 corridor and is most famous for its world-class Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which runs through November. While the festival is certainly a destination in its own right, Ashland also borders on the Klamath National Forest, with its countless outdoor opportunities. Crater Lake is also nearby – just a couple hours to the north. One of the most popular activities is enjoying a half-day rafting trip. This year in particular, with more visitors expected and temperatures heating up, the Rogue River will be the place to escape and get off the beaten path.

Indigo Creek Outfitters is a new sponsor, here at CampingBlogger, and they are one of just a few businesses that operate rafting trips on the Upper Rogue River, which offers the closest rafting to Ashland, Oregon. “It’s going to be a great season on the Rogue River and we are very excited to begin operations,” says Will Volpert, owner and founder of Indigo Creek Outfitters.

Indigo Creek Outfitters, which takes its name from a large creek deep within Southern Oregon’s Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, offers half-day whitewater rafting trips on the Rogue River near Gold Hill. The section of river, known to many as the Nugget-Powerhouse stretch, offers the closest rafting to Ashland, Oregon. “From our River Center in downtown Ashland, it really could not be more convenient,” says Volpert, who has been involved in the whitewater rafting industry for over a decade.

The River Center, located at 130 A Street in downtown Ashland, serves as a retail store and meeting site for the trips. “We have items available that make a rafting trip a breeze,” says Dana Woodruff, who manages the River Center. “From sun block to sunglass Chums, we’ve built a one- stop-shop for your rafting trip.”

Indigo Creek Outfitters is also the only Rogue River outfitter to offer professional digital photographs to their customers. “When customers return from their trip, photographs taken of their raft running Nugget and Powerhouse Rapids will be on display in our store,” explains Woodruff. It’s a service that, according to both Woodruff and Volpert, has been very popular on other rafting trips but has yet to be offered on the Rogue River.

I’m excited to have Indigo Creek Outfitters onboard, here at CampingBlogger. Whitewater rafting is a great outdoor family activity that gets everyone involved – and it’s as much fun for mom and dad, as it is for the kids.

Top Reasons to Go Camping in the Spring

kaitlyn — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:46:52 +0000

This is a guest post by Kaitlyn at CampTrip.com. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the guest posting page for more information.

We all know the main season for camping is the summer-time. Summer offers the best weather – sunny days, clear skies; it’s when everyone takes their vacation time. Well, in this article I want to promote why it is a great idea to go camping in the spring!

Fewer Crowds

Campsites are easier to come by during the off-season

By going camping in what is still considered camping’s slow season you avoid the crowded, noisy, busy campgrounds. This is not to say that the campground will be completely empty. There will likely be enough campers there to keep you social and happy. I have had some less enjoyable camping experiences in the summer when I felt like I was a sardine in a too-snug tin (i.e. a crowded campsite). Being smashed together next to other campers in a long cramped row is not really my idea of getting close to nature.

For me, the fewer crowds are one of my top reasons why I love camping in the spring.

Fresh and Beautiful Scenery

April and May is the high-season for spring flowers, like these bluebells

Spring is a beautiful and exciting time to go camping! Nature is waking up from its long, cold winter sleep. Everything outdoors is new and bright: the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining – it is surprisingly warm. The air is clean and crisp and the woodsy scent of trees and sweet smelling grass is some of nature’s best perfumes. The rivers and lakes are gorgeous. Their cool and clear waters are so pure that it makes you want to just jump in and cleanse your mind, body, spirit and soul.

Butterflies know the benefits of spring!

Being outdoors in the spring is exactly like those laundry detergent ads on TV when they take their clean laundry out of the washer and it smells like a spring morning. That smell is camping in spring. Imagine waking up in the morning with the sun shining through your tent and peeking your head out to smell the sweetest fresh breeze. To breathe in that breeze is like a boost of energy and a calming relaxant all at the same time. The only things you can hear are birds chirping, the river and the soothing breeze whistling through the trees.

Try camping in spring for yourself. It is heaps better than my poor poetic description – I hope it didn’t put you off.

Cheaper Fees

Camping is supposed to be a cheaper alternative to a more expensive getaway, correct? Well, it all depends. If you go to the most popular camping locations and campgrounds in the dead of summer, you can expect to fork out quite a bit of cash. Camping should not be expensive. Yes, it will cost some money as it is a vacation, but if you are smart you can have a great time without depleting your bank account. One of the added bonuses of camping in spring is that, because it is still considered low camping season, some campsites will offer lower prices. Essentially you get the same camping spot, a less crowed campsite – all at a discounted price. How can you possibly go wrong?

Fewer Insects

The mosquitoes will be worse in July!

Who likes being eaten by bugs? Not me! Insects are a part a nature and, unfortunately, I don’t believe you can ever completely avoid them. The good news is that there is a solution! Apart from applying bug spray, wearing long sleeves and lighting citronella candles, you can try to lessen the number of bugs finding an opportunity to land and feast on your skin. By camping in spring you dodge about 70% of the bug population which will be arriving in summer when the temperature rises and living conditions become ideal.

The bug season doesn’t really start until the much warmer months which are usually summer for most places. Like I mentioned earlier, camping in the spring will not rid you of these pests, but it will lessen the number of blood-suckers circling your head. It is always a good idea when camping in any season that you do not camp near still water (water that is not moving/flowing) as this is where many bugs, like the mosquito, breed.

Not too Hot

It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold, it’s juuust right. Camping in the spring offers the perfect temperature. In the day it is sunny and warm with a light breeze; at night you can cozy up around the campfire for some S’mores before crawling into your warm sleeping bag and waking up feeling fresh the next day.

One of the most unpleasant feelings when camping in the summer is when you come out of your steam bath of a tent in the morning and you feel all sweaty and sticky. Sometimes the warm weather in the summer makes camping more difficult. In summer it gets really hot, there are more bugs, you need to be careful not to get a sun burn, food does not last as long in the heat, etc.

All the more reason to go camping in spring!

Stop Hibernating! Set a Date!

There is no better time to get out of the house than after a long cold winter hibernating indoors. Spring is like a fresh new start, everything becomes clearer, brighter and cleaner. Just as you give your house a good spring cleaning, give yourself a good spring cleanse! Get outdoors and enjoy yourself and enjoy beautiful nature. After a few days of camping and relaxing in the spring sun it will feel as though a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders and the stress has melted away. Believe it or not, there are actually many opportunities to go camping in spring.

Easter Egg hunt!

Spring break is a great time as the kids are off school for at least a week, so you can take a few days to go camping with the family. Also, there is Easter weekend when you could take off and go camping. Who says the Easter bunny can’t find you in the wilderness! Pack a bunch of hard boiled eggs or boil them at the campsite and colour the eggs outside with the egg dying kits.

On Easter you can hide the colourful eggs all around the campsite in a grand Easter egg hunt and have the kids collect them all. Think of the fun that could be had!

Well, those are some of my top reason to camp in spring. I hope you gained some insightful information as to why camping in spring is an appealing idea. Maybe I did too well a job of selling you the idea and now spring will become the most desired time to camp….What have I done!?!

Kaitlyn is a world traveler/camper who is the co-founder of CampTrip along with her husband, Jeremy. Checkout their writing contest, where you can share you experience and win great cash prizes.

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Six Tips to Help your Family Campout

Stephanie Trementozzi — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:01:35 +0000

This is a guest post by Stephanie Trementozzi at Always Outdoors. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the guidelines here.

Winter is almost two thirds over and now is a good time to start thinking about camping and hiking again. Family camping is a great activity for strengthening family bonds and for creating memories that will entertain family members for a lifetime.

Our culture is experiencing an obesity epidemic and children are not spared. Camping and hiking are a great way to combat expanding waistlines. Many children living in urban settings have not had the opportunity to experience the world of nature that is found in the great outdoors. Camping is an educational experience for them as well as for all children.

Here are six tips that will help you in your family camping adventure.

Choose your campground to fit your family’s interests. Do you have swimmers or fishermen in the family? Then pick a campground that is close to a lake or a stream. If you are camping in an area that has a lot of sand, try to find a campground that has showers. Do you have bikers? Look for areas that have paved trails or roads. Are there nature trails nearby? These are great for learning about plants and trees. Do they have a Ranger Program or a Nature Center? Kids love these activities.

Do a gear check before you pack. Especially check hiking boots or shoes. Children’s feet grow quickly and they may have outgrown their shoe size over the winter. For that matter, they may have outgrown their clothes too. Choose clothes that can be layered. That way they will be ready for any changes in temperature. Let your children have a part in choosing and packing their own clothes. If you have small children, encourage them to bring a special stuffed animal or blanket that will help them sleep well at night. Your older children can be enlisted in planning the family menu. Perhaps they could be responsible for cooking the meal they choose.

Safety is something that should always be on your mind. Teach your small children to stay within sight around the campsite and on the trail. Give them a whistle to wear that they can blow if they should get lost. Teach them campfire safety. Show them what poisonous plants look like. Teach them to respect wildlife. Make sure they understand that food left outside or in the tent can and will attract animals. Talk to them about poisonous snakes and other critters that could be harmful to them.

Plan ahead and have a variety of games and crafts to keep your children occupied while they are at the campsite. Bring plenty of crayons and magic markers. Encourage them to draw what they see around them. If they are older, have them write a journal of their activities. Take plenty of pictures and when you get home, make a scrapbook combining the pictures and journal writings. My family did this over twenty years ago, when we took a six week trip across the United States. We still bring out the scrapbooks when we get together. We have many laughs over the telling of the story that happened many years ago.

Be prepared to teach your children, each at their own level. Buy some nature guide books that are written for children. They can have fun identifying animals, birds and trees. Lie out under the stars at night and look at the night sky. You will be amazed at the number of stars you can see when you don’t have the ambient light of populated areas spoiling your view. When you hike, go slow and let your children explore as they go along. Children are tactile learners. Let them enjoy the feel of the moss, lichen and tree bark. Plan short hikes to destinations like a stream, or waterfall and then let them play there. Big panoramic vistas don’t appeal to children like they do to adults.

Gently teach your children Leave No Trace Principles. Teach them how to behave in camp and to minimize their impact on the environment. Teach them to leave things where they found them. “Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.” Teach them by example how to be quiet at the campground. No loud music or yelling or shouting is allowed. Be considerate of others around you. If a particular campsite is loud, point it out to your children so they can understand why it’s important to be quiet in a campground.

A little preparation is all it takes to ensure an enjoyable family camping trip. And don’t worry if something does go wrong. Everyone working together to fix it is just another great memory.

Stephanie Trementozzi lives in Culpeper, Virginia and enjoys hiking in the Shenandoah National Park. She is the publisher of her own website, www.always-outdoors.com, which contains articles on outdoor activities and products.