Archive for the ‘Tents’ Category
Tips for the Novice Hiker
When it comes to hiking, it’s important to reduce carried weight as much as possible. Having extra weight from unneeded supplies is one of the most common problems that affect hikers and backpackers. This unneeded weight could stem from carrying too much water, cooking supplies, or even clothing and accessories. As such, it’s important to seek out lightweight backpacking tents and other compact gear. While some amount of weight is necessary, it’s also important to know how to carry it.
Hiking backpacks are essential for hiking because of their design to distribute the weight in equal amounts between the upper and lower back. When a hiking backpack is snug to the back it means that the weight distribution is equal, and that the carried weight won’t have a huge effect on the hiker. It’s important to remove unnecessary supplies from the backpack as well, and remember to never carry items like hardbound books, cast iron cookware, and extra shoes.
Having a lightweight hiking backpack makes hiking all the more enjoyable, especially on those steep uphill inclines. In addition to carrying a light load, carrying a hiking stick will also make your journey easier and more pleasurable.
How to Avoid Hiking Mishaps
Hiking is an enjoyable activity that allows you to appreciate Mother Nature in all her splendor. However, hiking also poses some potential dangers and risks unless the proper precautions are taken. When it comes to hiking, there are two essential components of safety; be aware of your surroundings, and stay dry. It’s important to monitor your surroundings because the environment can change rapidly, and a carved walking stick can help you test unfamiliar terrain. At dusk, it becomes dark in a forest much more quickly than it does elsewhere, and visibility can fall at an alarming rate. You should always carry hiking equipment like a map, a flashlight, and whistle in case you should become lost. And while you may not be planning to spend the night in the woods, packing a Big Agnes Seedhouse tent is never a bad idea either.
Staying dry might seem trifling, but in truth, nothing will slow you down like wet boots, wet socks, or wet apparel. In addition, there is the danger of conditions like hypothermia and even frostbite. In some cases, it might be better to stop and stay dry than continue moving, even if you’re heading back to your car. By taking these precautions you will ensure that you have an enjoyable and safe hiking experience.
The Eureka Titan
Featuring state-of-the-art materials and an unsurpassed design, the Eureka Titan is one of the most advanced camping tents on the market today. The tent’s spacious 128 square foot interior offers enough space for the entire family. Officially, the Eureka Titan can sleep eight people. But if you want a little break from the kids, all you have to do is set up the removable divided and you can create rooms within the tent. To add more space inside, you can even remove the side walls.
With six large windows, the Titan facilitates a refreshing cross breeze, or you can close up the openings to create an insulated enclosure. Attaching the fly and floor fabric adds more protection from UV rays and the eliminate while reinforcing the entire structure. Setting up tents can be quite a chore, but with the Titan’s color-coded system, putting up your tent has never been easier.
Backyard Camping
My kids absolutely love to go camping, but because of my hectic schedule at work, I’m simply not able to take them as often as I would like. So in order to satiate their desire for wilderness adventures, I’ve purchased them a couple of Stansport tents, which we keep in the backyard throughout the summertime.
During the day the kids love to play in the tents and let their imaginations run wild. When I get home from work at night, I’ll go outside and play with the kids for a couple of hours, and then we often roast marshmallows or do other typical campfire activities. On weekends—when I’m not too tired—we’ll bring the sleeping bags out and we’ll spend the night in the tents, under the star-filled sky.
Escaping Insect Bites
Last summer my family and I went camping on the banks of the Columbia River and it was a disaster. Ok, that may be a little drastic. We did spend four days on the water, the weather was gorgeous and we had some quality family bonding. The trouble came from the nasty insects—mainly mosquitoes—which were rampant at night.
Every morning we all awoke to a host of new mosquito bites, and by the time we left, our truck had several emptied bottles of calamine lotion. This year we’re returning to the same campground, but I’m going to be prepared this time around. I’ve purchased a Eureka screen tent, offering us a safe haven from the perils of the riverside insects.
Combating Vicious Mosquitoes
Last weekend my wife and I hosted our annual BBQ at our waterfront property on Lake Washington. Summer is just hitting its stride here in the Pacific Northwest, and the weather was gorgeous the entire day. But as you probably know, the combination of heat and water creates a hotbed of mosquito activity. And as soon as the sun began to set, the mosquitoes began to rear their ugly heads.
We tried everything to keep the mosquitoes at bay—candles, spray, those tiki torches—but to no avail. Finally I decided to go inside and pull out my secret weapon: the screen house. After setting up the screen house and bringing all of the food inside, we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening free of bug bites.
Our Annual Backpacking Adventure
My brother and I take a couple weeks off from work every summer and go backpacking through the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. We have a strong disdain for technology despite the fact that we both work for an IT company, so it’s a good opportunity to disconnect and reacquaint ourselves with nature. Since we carry our packs with us everywhere, we bring nothing but the essentials: backpacking tents, emergency rations, tools and a few other miscellaneous lightweight supplies.
It may seem irresponsible to head into the great outdoors with such minimal equipment, but my brother and I were both Eagle Scouts and spent time in the Marines, so we’re well versed in the ways of the wild. Much of our food comes from fishing, which is one of our favorite activities on these journeys. On particularly good days, we dry some of the fish to save for later when they may not be biting.
Effectively Setting Up Your Tent
If you’ve ever spent any time among tents, you know that every part and accessory must be functioning well in order for the tent to work its best. To that end, if you’ve lost or misplaced your stakes, it’s not that sound of an idea to use the tent. One strong breeze, after all, could take your Eureka family tent anywhere, including in the woods, off the trail, or even in the water.
You’ll also want to make sure your tent poles are exactly right. If even just one section is bent or unusable, it can severely impair the shape of your tent and your ability to properly set it up. In terms of effectively setting up your tent, improperly sized poles will be just as ineffective as damaged poles. Before you place your stakes, be sure that the ground is solid and that there are any hazards in the vicinity, such as perilous looking branches.
It’s in Our Blood
Camping is an activity many people who grow up in the Pacific Northwest grow to love. It’s like the outdoors and nature is in their blood. Sometimes being in the wilderness is just as comforting as being at home. But not everybody likes sleeping under the stars, especially with the unpredictable weather in this area.
Owning a good tent is a basic asset of a camper. There’s no reason to risk getting drenched! Campers also need waterproof tent covers, tent stakes and ground covers. And especially during the summertime, screen tents are indispensable tools for a respite from the droves of biting insects. Without these basic supplies a camping trip simply won’t be as enjoyable.
Setting Up Camp in Inclement Weather
Although it would be nice if every camping excursion were characterized by warm temperatures and low winds, the reality is somewhat different. Camping trips are often planned weeks in advance after much work is done to clear schedules and secure reliable transportation. By the time the big day arrives, backing out because of bad weather just isn’t an option. It’s therefore critical for campers to learn to adapt.
When pitching your Paha Que tents in inclement weather, spend as much time as you need to find a suitable location. There’s nothing worse than going through the process of setting up camp – pounding the stakes into the ground, erecting the fiberglass tent poles and so on – only to find that the elements are making the tent uninhabitable. Move your operation to the leeward side of a stand of trees or a rock outcropping; that way you’ll have protection from the wind and the prevailing rain direction.