Author Archives: Roy Scribner

Happy Birthday, Grand Canyon NP!

1 mile deep, 10 miles wide, and 277 miles long, the Grand Canyon is a sight to behold (image courtesy of PDPhoto.org)

1 mile deep, 10 miles wide, and 277 miles long, the Grand Canyon is a sight to behold (image courtesy of PDPhoto.org)

On February 26, 1919 President Woodrow Wilson created our nation’s seventeenth national park and placed it under the management of the then three-year-old National Park Service.

The elevation of the Grand Canyon to national park status began in the late 1890’s in an environment not unlike the one we are experiencing today. Public opinion was beginning to turn against the rampant excesses of industrialization that marked the post-Civil War period and the ideals of conservation and preservation began to take root in America.

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Camping and Hiking with Poison-Oak

Looking similar to an oak leaf is typical, but the poison-oak leaf can take on many other shapes and sizes, too

Looking similar to an oak leaf is typical, but the poison-oak leaf can take on many other shapes and sizes, too

Poison-oak can be a bush or a vine. It grows in sunlight, it grows in shade, it grows up and down the Pacific Coast of the United States and southern Canada. When camping anywhere west of the Cascades or Sierras, below about 5,000 feet, you need to be aware of Poison-oak and educate your children about how to spot it.

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Campfire Popcorn

popcorn-camping-snackThere is no better way to top off an evening of s’mores around the campfire than with a big batch of buttery, salty, popcorn. It’s hard to beat a bowl of warm popcorn after the sun goes down and, let’s face it, popcorn is usually a better bedtime snack for the little ones than marshmallows and chocolate!

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Camping: Recharge Electronic Gadgets

recharge-camping-gadgets1From mobile phones to GPS receivers and mp3 players, electronic gadgets entertain us and keep us safe when we hit the backcountry. The problem, of course, is that the backcountry doesn’t come with power strips, and electronic gadgets can quickly become paperweights if we don’t figure out some way to recharge their batteries. For all electronic devices, there are basically four options:

  1. Replace the discharged battery with a fresh one
  2. Use an external battery pack to recharge the battery
  3. Use solar power to recharge the battery
  4. Use wind power to recharge the battery

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Camping Gear to Round-Out Your Kit

Bag chairs are inexpensive and much more confortable than the cold, hard ground

Bag chairs are inexpensive and much more confortable than the cold, hard ground

I have previously discussed (see Renting Gear makes Sense for New Campers) how prospective new camping families can save money by renting gear, or buying used gear. In addition to the lower initial cash outlay, a big advantage to renting is that your family gets to find out what kind of gear you like, without getting stuck with something that doesn’t work for you. Whichever route you decide to take, there are a few items to round-out your camping kit that you should consider buying new.

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