Hey, Camp Folks!

An absolute necessity at camp, you want your child to bring a towel they can dry off with quickly and thoroughly for the duration of their summer stay! Your natural instinct may be to go with an ordinary, bulky cotton towel (probably like the ones in your bathroom at home). And that will certainly get your camper by for their summer stay. But a towel like this has its disadvantages in the summer camp setting such as eating up space and not remaining the most fresh.

PackTowl, on the other hand, doesn’t make just any typical towel. THESE towels, however, are anything but typical! Yes, they are higher-priced than your basic cotton towel, but you don’t want to skimp when it comes to your child’s camp stay. Read on to learn how PackTowl Towels are extraordinary products and worth every penny.

Did you know that, before the 1800s, towels were only found in the closets of the rich and royalty? They used to be much more expensive before the Industrial Revolution when they were all handwoven. The advent of large textile machines, however, brought the means of mass production in a short amount of time, making cotton towels much more affordable. They quickly became a part of our everyday lives and a commonplace item found in every household.

PackTowl is here to revolutionize the towel by making it out of an ultra-soft fabric that’s easy to wring out and dries unbelievably fast—70% faster than cotton. In fact, when hung out in the sun, it dries in just FIVE MINUTES. Perfect for camp! These towels are also lightweight and amazingly absorbent. Camp packing lists typically want you bringing four shower towels and two beach towels. PackTowl towels, however, dry so quickly that you could get away with bringing fewer along!

When your average towel comes back from camp, best case scenario: it becomes a rag towel. But PackTowl isn’t your average towel. It’s made with built-in sand and dirt-repellency; just a few good shakes and this towel shrugs it all off! It’s guaranteed to survive multiple camp outings from one season to the next for many years to come. Check out our PackTowl towels when you click right here. Thanks for reading, Camp Folks. And, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Dodgers!

The energy is charged with cheers, shrieks, shouts, and other sounds of excitement that join the bouncing sounds of a dozen rubber balls launched one way as a dozen more fly in the opposite direction. Dodgeball at summer camp is a surefire means of frenzied fun! It’s been a staple of gym classes as well as summer camp activities, but its origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations.

Some historians speculate that games similar to Dodgeball were played as far back as 500 BC., but it’s officially recognized to have begun 200 years ago in Africa. Their version wasn’t really a game, though. It was played with stones instead of rubber balls. Instead of fun or spectator amusement, it was intended to develop the strength and endurance of their warriors.  

From Africa, it spread to Asia. And after that it was popularized in Europe where they traded out the stones for leather balls. European schools started using the game as a way to teach children important skills like agility, hand-eye coordination, and teamwork. Over the course of the 1900s, the modern version emerged, made its way to the United States and its popularity went through the roof!

Dodgeball helps children develop important skills such as:

Agility
You have to move quickly in this game to avoid getting hit. Become more nimble and coordinated the more you play.

Hand-Eye Coordination
As is the case with any sport that involves catching a ball, Dodgeball strengthens hand-eye coordination. You have to catch balls and throw them back with speed.

Teamwork
Dodgeball is a team sport that requires players communicate effectively and work together in order to achieve the win.

Overall, it's a game with a long history that encourages physical activity, teamwork, and sportsmanship, making it an ideal activity for kids at summer camp! While the game has undergone some major changes over time, its main objective has remained the same (and it’s a lot more fun and safe now that it isn’t played with rocks).

Enjoy some rounds of Dodgeball this summer if you have the opportunity at your camp! Thanks for reading today’s Blog post and, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Families!

When you work with more than 270 fantastic summer camps, you can’t help but sing their praises, so we’re grateful for this Blog to use as a platform for getting the word out about these awesome camps. For another installment to our Summer Camp Spotlight Blog posts, we aim our camp spotlight to the West Coast.

One of California’s most treasured summer camps, today, we fix our spotlight on River Way Ranch Camp—home away from home for boys and girls since 1967. A lucky location, River Way Ranch is found in the foothills of the magnificent Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

With 75 acres of majestic beauty, River Way Ranch keeps its campers enchanted with its surroundings and entertained with its activities! Join in on the outdoor fun of Archery, Basketball, Softball, Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Ropes Course, Climbing, Wall, Zip Line, Horseback Riding, an overnight trip in the Sequoia National Forest, and much, much more.

There’s also indoor fun with Arts & Crafts, Ceramics, Culinary Arts, Photography, games in the Recreational Center, and more. And don’t forget about the fun sure to be had on the waterfront like Paddle Boarding, Knee Boarding, Kayaking, Waterskiing, Water Aerobics, Water Sports, and a number of other great ways to have fun in the water!

After a long day jam-packed with activities, campers retreat to their bunks in the air-conditioned cabins they’ve been assigned to complete with electricity and bathrooms. The cabins are accommodating for eight campers and two cabin leaders who stay in the cabin throughout the night.

River Way Ranch knows how to show the youth of today a fun summer. Check out their website and get a good look at this camp by clicking here. It may just be the camp for you! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Axe Fanatics!

Axemanship, also known as lumberjack sports, is a competitive sport that may be offered as an activity at your summer camp. It involves an assortment of skills and techniques which are related to forestry and logging. In fact, as you may have guessed, this sport originated from the logging industry and slowly transformed into a pastime for enjoyment. One of the leading names in Axemanship isn’t a man at all. Martha King is a world-famous, record-setting champion in a number of events.

Martha is reputed to be one of the best female axemen in the world; born to a family of loggers in 1971, she had a good start, competing in her first axemanship event at just 16! Her expertise is attributed to more than just her upraising, though. Her tireless work ethic and dedication to logging is bolstered by the countless hours she’s spent training in the gym and the woods. 

Setting multiple world records for speed as well as accuracy in a number of different events, Martha excels in events including the standing block chop, the single buck saw, and the springboard chop. She’s also won championships in lumberjack sports and is considered one of the best in the world.

With a completion time of 29.43 seconds the world record for standing block chop belongs to her! She’s also set records in the single buck saw and the springboard chop. In addition, she’s won several championships in lumberjack sports, including the Stihl Timbersports Series (the most prestigious competition in the sport). She’s been inducted into New England ‘Logger's Hall of Fame’. And she’s been inducted into the ‘the U.S. National Axe Throwing Federation' Hall of Fame! That’s a lot!

A true legend in the sport, Martha’s accomplishments have been inspirational for countless young women to try their hand at lumberjack sports. Is Axemanship something you have an interest in for the coming summer camp season? Confirm that it’s an activity your camp offers and have an axe-swinging good time! Thanks for reading, Camp Folks! And, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Light Lovers!

With the music of crickets and a million other night creatures filling the air, it’s always an exciting feeling to tiptoe your way through the thick darkness—your flashlight in hand to break the black, its steady, bright beam illuminating your path. Flashlights are essential gear for your summer camp stay, other adventures, and any emergency situation. Let’s take a good look at the Torch 1000 LED Flashlight from the affordable camping gear brand Gear Up. 

Casting a powerful, thousand-lumen punch of pale white, LED light, the Torch provides excellent illumination that’s powered by three AAA batteries. No worries that this flashlight will suddenly die out on you—the battery life of this flashlight will last you for full days—even on high mode. The included user manual comes with this flashlight gives a maximum of 15 hours, but we found that, with Duracell batteries, it lasted just shy of five-and-a-half days (or 130 hours) high and weeks on low.

One of the features of the Gear Up Torch Flashlight that really stands out is its telescoping head that offers the option to focus or widen the beam. Extend the head to narrow and sharpen the light or pull it back inward to broaden it and cover larger areas. The options are handy in different situations, like spotting something in the distance, or lighting the path ahead of you.

Built with rugged construction, this camping flashlight is armored in a durable aluminum enclosure so it can withstand tough conditions and rough treatment. It can take a number of spills, including ones of a ten-foot drop! Shockproof as well as waterproof, this flashlight is perfect for camp. It holds comfortably in your hand and is small enough to sit in most pockets.

If you’re unsure how much use your camper will get out of their outdoor equipment when their camp stay is over, Gear Up products are a great choice—made not just to be effective and durable, but very affordable as well. It’s an excellent option for anyone looking to complete your camper’s packing list without breaking the bank.

Also perfect for setting that eerie atmosphere for telling ghost stories around the campfire and entertaining friends with shadow puppets, the Torch 1000 is definitely the Flashlight for you during your camp stay. Check this awesome Flashlight out for yourself by clicking right here (batteries sold separately). Enjoy crossing this one off your summer camp’s packing list and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John