Most Hyped Pop-up Ever?

opera-pop-up-tentSeveral weeks ago, I started seeing stories about this stylish tent trailer designed by Belgian architect Axel Enthoven. The stories kept coming; Treehugger on November 2nd, Gizmag on November 3rd, Gadgettastic on November 4th – everyone is fawning over the pop-up that, “takes obvious cues from the Sydney Opera House in Australia.” (Dvice, October 30th). Despite all of the excitement, there is scant little tangible information available on the ‘Opera’ tent trailer, other than its lavish accoutrements. Evidently, those are real hardwood floors and there is a wine cabinet in there, somewhere.

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Reluctant Camper to Responsible Parent

campire-kidsI just spent the weekend in Fayetteville, NC with a dozen of my fellow Paratroopers, who served with me in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. They had seen CampingBlogger.net and several commented on how once they had vowed never to sleep on the ground again, once they had gotten out of the Army.

Interestingly, I too shared this attitude when I returned to civilian life. Understand that in the five years I served (some of my friends are still serving, which is amazing), we had been bitten by ants in the jungle, bitten by flies in the desert and bitten by the bitter cold in the Arctic. Five years of this could leave anyone a bit jaundiced to the idea of camping in the outdoors.

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Win a Panasonic Lumix Ruggedized Digital Camera

lumix-ts1-rugged-cameraThe Lumix DMC-TS1 is a 12.1 Megapixel camera that not only takes great pictures and HD video, it is also designed to withstand five-foot drops and it’s even waterproof to ten feet. Just as important, the Lumix weighs less than six ounces and is small enough to fit in your pocket, so it’s perfect for all kinds of backcountry family adventures. Best of all, the Lumix DMC-TS1 can be yours for the low, low price of Free!

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No Charge at Park Service Sites Tomorrow

yosemite-entrance-signIn honor of Veterans Day, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced that parks and areas managed by the department will not charge entrance fees.

“Visitors to national parks are invited to take a day to honor and reflect on what our service men and women have done to maintain our freedom and keep peace around the world,” Salazar said.

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