Camping Soup

The one great food that is so easy to make while you are camping is soup. There are tons of great soup recipes online that you can find also. While camping I prefer the ones with the less ingredients, especially if you are hiking into your spot and not pulling right up to your camp spot in your car.

I found this good one that I want to try the next time we get out in the wilderness.

Chicken and Corn Soup

Ingredients

4-1/4 cups chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
13 oz. canned creamed corn
1 tsp. cornflour, mixed with a little water
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat stock in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Add chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add creamed corn and cornflour. Return to heat and stir until soup boils and thickens. Add egg, stirring continuously. Cook for a few more minutes.

camping food, campfires, recipes, soup recipes

Striking Gold at the Hot Springs

We were talking the other night about our hiking trip into the Gold Strike Hot Springs that we did over a year ago. We had mis-calculated our water, and on the way back out the next day, we had completely ran out, with over two miles to go.

To say we were dying would be putting it mildly, but at about a mile left to go, we came around a bend in the trail, and found this bag of ice sitting on the rock. It was like we had struck freaking GOLD! We never did get to find the hikers that left that to thank them, but we sure appreciated it, whomever you are!

Gold Strike Hot Springs, hiking

Stay Warm With Down Jackets

While living in Las Vegas is hotter than hot in the summer, when we go camping in Mt. Charleston it can get down right cold at night. Luckily for use we have really nice Marmot down jackets. They are super warm, and the quality just can’t be beat.

Right before winter hits the desert is our favorite time to head to the mountains. The snow hasn’t fallen yet, but the chilly nights snuggling around the campfire are the greatest ever. Right before summer hits, it can still be pretty cold, but our down jackets can almost get too warm. This year I think I’m going to get a down vest for this time of year. Warm and snuggly, but still breathable enough not to get too hot.

down jackets, down vest, camping clothes

Does Reserve America Really Suck?

As many of you know I’ve been trying to find a camping site on the beach for this summer. We have used Reserve America once before when we went to Mt. Charleston, so that was the first place I checked. Everything is full, but the site says to check back often as people cancel.

This morning, I was looking around some more and in fact a couple spots did open up, and I was very tempted to grab them, but I wanted to do some research first to see if I could pinpoint the location of the actual sites. That’s when I found this site, ReserveAmericaSucks and started reading the comments left in the guestbook. Some customers experiences are really bad, and some were even specific to the location that I want to go to. And one was even someone like me who took a canceled spot, drove all the way there (6 hours) only to find it was a mistake!

Now I’m just way to afraid to reserve anything through them, and I think we’re just going to suck it up, and not make the trip this year. BUT! We may just drive down there, and physically make a reservation for next year in person. Nothing could go wrong doing it that way, right??!!

ReserveAmerica, camping reservations, campsites

GotWind.org

I found a great little DIY site called GotWind. The purpose of the site is to share his experiences of designing and making renewable energy projects for very little money, and this little gadget caught my eye. It’s the Orange Wind Generator, that powers your mobile phone.

Who doesn’t want a portable tent mounted wind charger?

GotWind.org, Orange Wind Generator, wind charger, camping, camping equipment

Mono Lake Kayaking

Last year I wrote about the guided kayaking tours of Lake Mead. It’s geared towards the beginner, and they spend a couple hours teaching you all the basics. Then they launch you out to the lake where you travel to a sand bar for a catered lunch that they provide. It was a really pricey trip, but I want to try it out so bad. I know I could probably find an individual that would be willing to take me out and teach me, but then I’d have to take out some short term insurance in case of accidents. HA! The guided tour offers insurance before you go. I guess they’ve had some trouble before

But if I learned, I could go out kayaking on Mono Lake in California, a big and mysterious salt water lake. REI is offering it as one of it’s guided tours this summer, and it looks amazing. Isn’t that picture just gorgeous?

Mono Lake, kayaking

Wordless Wednesday

Photo source - Garry61

beach camping, summer vacations, camping on the beach

Cruising The Beach This Summer

Speaking of camping on the beach, who’s got big vacation plans? We haven’t set anything in stone yet, but that’s usually how we roll. We just decide on a whim to go somewhere, we pack, and out the door we go. It’s probably not the greatest way to do a family trip, but it’s always fun to do spontaneous adventures like that.

This year we wanted to go to the beach camping. When I went to the websites to find a camp site in Pismo Beach, I was gravely disappointed that reservations need to be made 6 months in advance. I just wanted to pack the car and go, but no, that’s not happening at Pismo Beach. There are some other options that I am exploring though, and my tent will be pitched on the sand before the summer is over.

One of my favorite things to do at the beach is rent beach bikes, especially the beach cruisers. They are not built for speed. They are built for a leisurely ride up and down the coast. Check out this sweet beach cruiser I found at XYZ Bikes! I love, love, love the color of it! It totally looks all 70’s style.

And don’t forget to check out their blog for news on new bikes coming out, and special coupon offers.

XYZBikes.com, beach cruiser, bikes, beach bikes

Camping On The Beach

This is the first year that I have ever looked into beach camping. We live only about 4 hours from the Pacific Ocean, and there are campgrounds all up and down the coast the California. I went through almost all the sites, and I have narrowed down my spot to take the family to. Pismo Beach. The campground is right on the water, and it looks like an awesome and fun place to spend about a week camping, swimming, boogie boarding, and soaking up the sun.

Pismo Beach, camping, beach camping

Night Vision Binoculars

Continuing on with the fun you can have as a family camping, think of all the cool gadgets and things that you can buy to take on your camping trip. For example, how about some night vision binoculars, or night vision goggles, to look around in the forest with. Imagine all the creatures that you could see lurking in between the trees. Oh that might get a little creepy though, and lead to some good spooky campfire stories.

They come complete with digital controls, that make them very simple to control, even for kids. They are heavy duty, so if they get dropped on the ground, they are not going to break. They would make a fun extra in your camping equipment collection.

OpticsPlanet.net, night vision binoculars, night vision goggles