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Winter Camp- Do I Need It?

Oct 4

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments


Why {many people choose} camps? What it is all about camps and especially winter camps?
Do you want a challenge? Is your team or crew up for the task? Then all you need to do is visit a winter camp. It’s not your average holiday camp that just keeps you and your family happy. This is the ultimate test of your skills and endurance levels. This camp is not for the weaklings, so go only if you feel upto the challenge.
 
A winter camp will involve mountain climbing, rigorous hiking, makeshift lodging and many other activities that will bring out a side of you which you never thought you had. Since whose hands you put your comfort in is obviously a difficult choice, there are several businesses created for the sole purpose of helping you make that decision. These organizations provide campers with the expertise and guidance required in what could be a dangerous day out. What most of these organizations provide are the basic infrastructure and ground work needed for you to have a fun but demanding experience of a lifetime.
 
A simple search on the World Wide Web would find you many pointers and tips that will help you with your own winter camp. The first priority is choosing the right spot for your winter camp. Most importantly it should be set up where the wind levels are low as possible because it could blow away tents and other valuable possessions. A thorough kinowledge of camping regulations is essential. If it is unknown to you it is advisable to camp with someone that does. Several other things come into play when camping out, so if you’re new to it, always make sure you have the right people with you.
 
Something important to remember if you do decide on a winter camp is that you should always have at least one other person with you. The buddy system is mostly used by experienced winter campers. Having a buddy will make sure that both persons are cared for and looked after. Things like frostbite, keeping tab of the people in the group and the motivation levels are all aided by this system. Be sure to check that the ice you’re travelling on is thick enough to hold your weight before you commit yourself to it.
 
There are many other tips available all over the internet that touches the most important aspects of setting up a winter camp. Health, navigation, clothing and food and drink are some categories that have to be planned ahead by the group before heading for the winter camp.
 
Considering all possibilities and dangers, are you still up for a fun filled adventure that will test your own limits. Speak to a guide, or an organization and go along for the ride of your life. Explore a winter camp while you can.

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Preparing For Camping Out

Aug 23

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Camping holds a distinctive place amongst recreational activities. As a leisure time activity, camping does give pleasure to the campers. Much more than that is its impact on the well being of the body and mind. Over and above this, there is this important role of camping providing a possibility of establishing a symbiotic bond with nature. Nature has taken a heavy toll in the name of human progress. Pollution has spread wild over the land, air and water. The forests, rivers and valleys have been destroyed for development and progress. It is now asserted that this cannot go on indefinitely. Species survival, including human survival, is only possible if we change to ecologically sustainable development.

A number of things need to be mobilized for camping. Some of them are jacket, camping tent, first aid kit, sleeping bag, matches, knife, flashlight, food and water. If there are no basic facilities then one can think of bringing a hammock, camping chair, camp stove or grill, camp table, small backpack for day hikes, fishing pole, swimsuits and towels. A jacket, sweatshirt with a hood, gloves, cap and sleeping bag line would be required in cold weather. If the weather is hot, it will be prudent to take along a large hat to keep off the sun rays, sunscreen, canopy for shade, extra water, and a small battery powered fan.

Creating a bare livable condition requires camping tent as a primary requirement.  Camping tents vary according to the climate. For summer there is the one-season tent which can withstand the light summer showers. The three-season tent is required to withstand heavy rains and light snow. It also offers protection from wind, moderate rain and insects. This tent is suitable for use in spring, summer and autumn. But this tent will not be able to hold out heavy snow. The four season tent can withstand heavy snow. It is also heavier of the tents. But it is not suitable if the climate is hot. Some of the four season tents can be transformed to three season tents by removing pole sections or unzipping a roof panel. Bibler Ahwahnee tent for instance is a four-season tent.

There is the potential in camping to initiate the process of reconnection with nature. One hopes that this experience will make people sensitive and committed to modify the relationship with and approach towards nature.

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There Is A Lot To Sleeping Bag

Aug 21

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

It is very thrilling to sleep in the open. A homely bed, a pillow, bed sheets and blankets is all that you need but the difficulty is in transporting them to the place. That is where sleeping bag comes in useful as it is light weight and can be taken along with your backpack. Sleeping bag is just like a bed but zipped up. It has all the comforts of the bed, provides you the warmth and insulation. Campers and travelers find them very easy to take it along while traveling. The cold does not creep in and it keeps you warmth. It protects you from the outside keeping away insects and the wind. Synthetic fill as PrimaLoft, cotton or wool or down are the materials used to manufacture the sleeping bags. The down or synthetic fill sleeping bags are usually preferred by campers as they insulate well and the absorption of water is minimal. It can also be folded. The heat is retained better with the down fill bag which can also be compressed. The synthetic bags are however cheaper.

Sleeping bags are shaped rectangular and like a mummy. The rectangular resembles a folded blanket with a zipper. This can be folded easily and tied with straps or cords. The mummy bags are sleeping bags shaped like a mummy. They are broad on the shoulder side and tapers down as it goes to the bottom. Heat retention is better with this type of sleeping bag. But unlike the rectangular bag, it does not fold, but instead has to be rolled up.

There are a number of reputed firms that produces and sells sleeping bags. Marmot, a firm that sells sleeping bags, also manufactures Marmot tents, backpacks and clothing. It manufactures both Synthetic Bags and Down Sleeping Bags as well. The synthetic sleeping bags of Marmot includes Marmot EcoPro 30 sleeping bag, Marmot Pounder sleeping bag, Marmot EcoPro 40 sleeping bag, Marmot Trestles 15 sleeping bag and Marmot Trestles 30 sleeping bag. The down sleeping Bags consists of Marmot CWM sleeping bag, Marmot Helium EQ sleeping bag, Marmot Never Winter sleeping bag, Marmot Col EQ sleeping bag, Marmot Synthetic Yurt sleeping bag, Marmot Down Yurt sleeping bag, Marmot Atom sleeping bag,  Marmot Lithium sleeping bag an Marmot Arroyo sleeping bag, besides others.

It is necessary to consider a variety of factors to decide what sleeping bag suits your need. The major factor is of course the budget. Most sleeping bags are suitable in both hot and cold weather. All one has to do is to unzip when it is warmer and zip it up fully when is colder. But this will not suit in extreme cold conditions. There are sleeping bags specifically to handle extreme cold. When it is wet, the synthetic bags are better endowed than the down bag. But the down bag is better in dry weather.

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My First Camp-Out With My Kids

Jul 31

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

The white ghost of winter is fading away. Spring is in the air. The air is fragrant and it is the perfect time to set out with your family for a camping trip up in the hills or near a lake. A camping trip is a great way to welcome the spring.

I decided to take my two kids out for camping during the coming weekend. It would be a great experience and I would get a chance to bond with my two kids, who were growing up real fast. I decided on a location and then brought out my camping gear from the attic. I took an inventory and checked my fishing gear, tents, sleeping backs, rucksacks and trusty old portable stove. Building a fire is pretty tough when it is raining and the trusted old stove would come in handy.

I decided on the camping site and checked to see if the weather would be fine during our stay. The weatherman said there would be no rain and plenty of sunshine. I surprised my kids by telling them that we would be going on a camping trip during the coming weekend. They just couldn’t wait for the trip to begin

On the day we left for our trip, the weather was warm and the sun was shining. We reached the camping grounds in time. We unloaded the gear and pitched up our tents. Doing all that work made us hungry so we roasted hot dogs and opened a can of beans. After dinner we decided to get into our sleeping bags. It had been a long day and we were ready to sleep.

My kids were asleep almost as soon as I tucked them in. After a little I woke up to the sound of thunder and saw flashes of light. All of a sudden it started to rain; at first it was just a slow drizzle and then a steady outpouring. Thankfully my kids were warm and snug in their mountain hardwear sl sleeping bags. The morning was chilly and damp. However my kids had slept peacefully in their well insulated and lightweight sleeping bags.

The weather was excellent over the next two days. We went hiking and fishing and had lots of fun. It was a ritual that we would repeat a number of times over the years.

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Environmental Crisis – The Price Of Progress

Jul 16

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Progress and development have comes with a price. They have been at the cost of nature. With industrialization, the natural wealth – forests, minerals, rivers and seas – have been progressively used. The use has been discriminate without concern to the environment. Within a few decades of this rapid destruction of nature, its adverse effects began to impact life everywhere. Particularly the loss of biodiversity, global warming, climate change, the fresh water crisis, and pollution of air, water and land have reached a crisis situation. Along with this environmental crisis, the awareness of the need to protect and conserve environment too has increased. Public interest, government initiative and private support have grown. A major area of strong initiative is the conservation of the remaining natural habitats.

National Parks are the most fascinating of all the protected areas. These areas are usually designated as national parks by the respective national government. Most often these are supported by law. The purpose of declaring these areas as national parks are to ensure that these areas are kept away from development activities and human interference. As on 2006 there were 6,555 National Parks in the world. Many more areas are being added to this category.

These National Parks are ideal locations for camping. The experience can be both enlightening and learning. Usually camping is done in small groups. The campers take off from their busy life for a few days to experience nature in all its glory. They pitch a tent surrounded by the forest and all its life forms. They bear up with the weather. All they carry with them are what they can hold in their backpacks. They carefully pack with them just the things they need to survive with minimum comfort. The camping equipments invariably contain camping tent, a minimum protection from the vagaries of nature. Camping tents are manufactured by many firms such as  Kelty, Marmot, MSR, Black Diamond, Sierra and Eureka. These tents accommodate one to ten persons. For instance Marmot Aeros Tent accommodates three.

The National Parks have restricted entry. They are invariably open for the purpose of scientific studies, and educative and recreational tours. The entries are restricted and regulated by Park authorities. Government provides grants and allocates staff to protect the National Park and its biodiversity. The campers who visit the National Parks are expected to be responsible tourists.

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Limits To Nature, Harmonious Development Is The Key

Jul 14

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

With an annual turn over of some US$900 billion, the global tourism sector has a steady growth of 4 percent per annum. Ecotourism, a sub-sector within the tourism sector, is growing at 15 percent annually. Ecotourism targets the natural habitats that are as yet relatively undisturbed or less disturbed in the coast, the plains, the estuaries and the hills. The main goals of ecotourism are for the traveler to learn about nature, and conservation and support to it. Unfortunately, ecotourism is a troubled sector.Conservation areas are officially demarcated by governments and notified with the intention of regulating in order to protect them. But this has been facing difficulties with local communities alleging that their customary and traditional rights are being denied with the areas being notified as conservation areas. They maintain that their livelihood rights are violated with the area progressively being denied access to them. At the same time, these areas are let open for commercial interests to organize tourism. Often this is also justified with conservation as its interest. This has resulted in infrastructural development along with large hotels, lodges and resorts with modern facilities. The peace of these serene areas is invaded by waves of vehicles carrying the tourists. The local community life is disturbed as they are progressively displaced. The wildlife finds their habitat disturbed that they too have to withdraw into deeper parts. Maintaining the costly facilities mean getting more visitors to make use of them. This means more garbage, waste and pollution.

Responsible ecotourism involves traveling to natural destinations with minimal impact or low impact. It is based on environmental awareness in support of conservation. This typically can manage only small groups at one time in one location. Camping in natural surroundings is the more common amongst such tourists. These are backpackers who come with the essential camping equipments. These include camping tents such as MSR Hubba Hubba Tent and Marmot Aeros Tent, and many more designs from Black Diamond, Kelty, Eureka, and Sierra. You can get more details on the camping tents, for instance, on MSR Fury HP Tent from MSR Fury reviews.

Conservation requires that the ecosystem is protected by sustainable use of its biodiversity. The cultures of the local communities should be valued. Ecotourism should also benefit the local communities.

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Extractive Development Versus Sustaining Nature

Jul 12

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We are dependent on nature for our existence. Industrialization and technological advancement no doubt has increased our capacity to extract rapidly from nature what we need. This extraction has also ravaged the earth that no longer is this sustainable. Progress has come to be associated with material well being in terms of production and consumption. Mass consumption is promoted to sustain the growth curve. The ambitions of people too have risen. So too the population has increased. The consumptive life style requires increased growth that the environment can no longer sustain this growth. We are faced with an environmental crisis such as global warming, rise in sea level, depletion of fossil fuels, species extinction, climate change, pollution, endangered species, soil erosion, desertification, urban sprawl, habitat destruction, sustainable development and waste and garbage accumulation.

The urgent need to conserve the remaining natural habitats and protection of biodiversity is well recognized. There were just 9,214 protected areas covering 2.4 million square kilometers in 1962. But this has grown to 102,102 sites in 2003 covering 18.8 million square kilometers or 12.65 percent of the world. This covers 11.5 percent of the global land surface and 0.5 percent of the oceans.

Nature preserves without human interventions are the best place where one can learn and appreciate nature. Staying for a few days in a small group discreetly in a National Park sustained with minimum essential things is the most responsible way of visiting such a place. Camping tent and sleeping bag are two camping equipments that you will need for your protection and safety. There are other things too that you will need. You can get all these from a good camping equipment store. Firms such as Black Diamond, Eureka, Marmot, Sierra, Kelty and MSR manufacture tents to suit different needs and occasions. MSR manufactures tents in various designs as MSR Hubba HP, MSR Fury and MSR Hubba Hubba. If you want to know about any of these models you can check out a MSR Hubba HP review.

The first modern national park was established in the United States, the Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The Rocky Mountain National Park became the first national park in Canada established in 1885. The Royal National Park was established in Australia in 1879. The first national park in New Zealand was established in 1887. Sweden was the first country in Europe to establish a set of nine parks in 1909. The Kruger National Park came into being in 1926 in South Africa. Since the 1950s hundreds of parks were established in over a hundred countries all over the world.

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Defending The Commons, Protecting Nature

Jul 1

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The world has been experiencing a steady increase in temperature. The rate of this increase too is steadily increasing. Ecosystems adjust to these changes. A habitat that suits a species no longer is suitable to them. They have no other choice except to search for other favorable habitats or perish. The melting of polar ice caps is going to make it difficult for them to hunt the seals. The trout and salmon will no longer find the wetlands and freshwater able to provide them with food.

The emerging scientific data on the environmental devastation has been convincing enough. With global warming and climate change, the environment has come to the forefront of global concern. Three major trends are emerging. The first is the preservation and conservation of nature. Identifying unique ecosystems across the world including marine, coastal, desert, forest, wetland, fresh water, river, glaciers, and ice caps and protecting and conserving them. This would mean that these areas are off limit from development activities. The second is the need to ensure that people begin to appreciate nature and reconnect to nature as much as possible. The third is to promote renewable resources instead of non-renewable resources, sustainable development, reforestation, and green technologies.

Promotion of environmental and ecological consciousness and awareness is the key to changes in attitudes and mind sets. For these reasons, the need for people to take off during vacations and discovering the natural world is encouraged. This requires that the traveler is a responsible traveler who respects nature and local culture cultures. The traveler requires living those few days in direct contact and interaction with nature. Tent camping is a useful way for campers to get the opportunity to appreciate nature and at the same time enjoy their vacation. Tents come in various sizes with different features. Kelty Mantra 7 tent is a three season waterproof tent to accommodate seven persons. It is capable of handling heavy winds.

There are some essential items that campers could take with them. These include such items as sleeping bags, basic utensils, flashlight and maps amongst others. These are packed in backpacks and brought to the camp site. Observation and study of nature is important. They watch the insects, the birds, the animals and the plant kingdom in order to understand how they depend on each other. The relationship amongst species becomes evident.

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Not A Visitor, But An Involved Participant

Jun 28

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Urban life is fast and unrelentingly monotonous. There is hardly any time to think about nature and be one with nature. Nevertheless, so much has gone into making urban life what it is. Technologies have transformed nature in vast parts of the earth with human imagination knowing no bounds. The earth is heating up. The green house gases as carbon dioxide is one of the main causes. The harmful radiation from the sun is penetrating through the holes in the ozone layer that has all along been protecting us. There are now heated discussions on how to combat climate change. Draughts, floods, tsunamis, forest fires, cyclones, the receding of the polar ice caps and the rise of sea levels are taking its toll.

With increased knowledge and awareness about the environment and environmental crisis, there is increased involvement of people to protect and conserve nature. There is a passionate determination to defend the areas rich in nature and not yet modified significantly by man. More and more people are planning their trips to such areas. These could be the forests, mountains or the wild life sanctuaries. It does not matter that these areas do not have the facilities that we are used to. In fact, many prefer to visit areas that do not have these facilities so that they can really live it out.

There are camping sites where visitors are provided basic facilities. There are locations where visitors are permitted to come and stay during particular seasons. Visitors are encouraged to take with them basic survival needs as a backpack. There are a number of stores that sell camping equipments. Amongst the various camping equipment one would require is the camping tent. There are a variety of camping tents that are available. These are available in a variety of designs and models. Camping tents in various sizes are also available that can accommodate single persons to as many as ten people. Kelty Green River 6 tent is a two season large tent designed for car camping. It can also be used as a base camp tent. It has no windows and has one door. It can comfortably accommodate a family of six.

The tent should be able to hold against and protect you from the chill winds and the rains. It should not be difficult to set up without any harm to the surroundings. Many websites offer you tents which you can check out and buy.

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Bringing Nature Into Your Life

Jun 26

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

We have taxed nature enough in the past for our progress. Environment scientists have come up with enough data to indicate that we are indeed faced with numerous problems. The air, land, the ground water and the rivers are polluted. It is now recognized that we need to aim to reach a zero level pollution state.

Most of our energy needs are supplied by fossil fuel such as coal and petroleum. We depend on minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, aluminum and a host of other metals which are all non-renewable. These are polluting. They are also depleting fast. These raw materials come under the category of non-renewable energy source. What then is required is a steady reduction of the consumption of these non-renewable resources. Instead we need to work out ways to substitute these non-renewable resources with renewable resources. There are the renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. Scarce natural resources such as water, air and land are to conserved and used in a sustainable manner.

In order to appreciate the nature in its full glory, camping in locations rich in nature is to be encouraged and welcomed. Visitors are to bring with them all that they would need for their basic survival in their rucksack. Primary amongst them would be sleeping bag and camping tent. There are various kinds of camping tents available from the camping equipment stores. There is the one season tent to the four season or all season tents. There are tents which can accommodate one person to as much as ten people. The North Face VE 25 tent is a light four-season, dual door, dual vestibule, waterproof tent with a bucket floor design. These tents can also be purchased online as are many of the camping equipments that you may need.

Unique ecosystem as well as the untouched natural areas needs to be conserved at all cost. There are the endangered and threatened species that have to be the special focus of protection. The conservation of biodiversity requires that biospheres and nature reserves come to be created and zealously protected. We should also be slowly moving to better lifestyles without over-consumption. It will be a rewarding future.

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