Hey, Summer Camp Preppers!

For today’s blog post I want to give you a few tips and pointers about having fun in the sun this summer camp season. As wonderful as it is to feel those glowing rays beaming down on your smiling face, it’s important to take the necessary precautions for hanging out in the sun.

Everything Summer Camp has a plethora of available products containing 100% natural oils and plant-based extracts that ensure your protection from harmful UV rays while being totally skin-healthy themselves.

Remember, it’s a general rule of thumb that you should apply your sunscreen a full twenty minutes before venturing out into those bright, sunny days. Also, sun screen is just as valuable on hot, overcast days in the summer.

Just because you can’t see the sun doesn’t mean it isn’t there. UV rays can still pass through a cloudy sky, so it’s just as important to use your sunscreen even when it seems like you don’t actually need it.

If you’re on a multi-day hike, you’ll definitely need to reapply throughout your time outdoors in the sun. Some sunscreens remain active longer than others so you’ll need to read the information on the back of the sunscreen product you purchase. Everything Summer Camp has sprays, lotions, wipes—we even have sun protective clothing!

Clothing with built-in sun protection is a fairly new idea in the United States. Many people wonder why you would need clothes to be sun protective when the clothing itself is already shielding you from sunrays. That’s just it, though. Everyday clothing doesn’t shield you from sunrays—not harmful UV rays, anyway.

But most people don’t realize this fact. In fact, lots of summer styles usually leave a lot of skin exposed—naturally. However, clothing with built-in sun protection is intended to cover a large amount of skin. The point in this is to keep the majority of your body protected from harmful UV rays. You won’t get too hot, though as sun protective clothing is designed to keep you cool underneath.

Have your fun in the sun. But do it the smart way and walk outside protected with sun care! And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Preppers!

I hope you’re getting more and more excited as the summer camp season draws near! In preparation, you may be looking for the right sleeping bag for your camper; and, in doing so, you may be finding it confusing to know just which kind of sleeping bag will be best—what with how many different types of sleeping bags there are.

When it comes down to a sleeping-bag, we’ve got everything you could want…which doesn’t exactly make it easy to decide on the one that’s just right for your camper. Read on and you can use this post as a guide to helping you narrow your sights on the appropriate kids sleeping bags for your kids’ camp stay.

Your first decision will come down to the style of sleeping bag. Here you have two options: you can go with the traditional Rectangle Style Bag or you can go with the Mummy Style.

For a longer camp stay that guarantees some night’s spent under the stars, a mummy style sleeping bag is what you’re looking for. It’s shape will naturally keep it warmer inside and its better equipped to protect your camper against the elements.

If your kid’s camp stay is a week long, however, and isn’t going to involve much actual camping, the traditional rectangular style sleeping bag will do just fine. It’s better for a restless sleeper as well who tosses and turns throughout the night.

Your next decision arrives at temperature ratings. Know the weather forecast for your camper’s camp stay. How cool is it going to get? The temperature ratings let you know how cool of a night it’s intended to handle. If the nights are pretty cold, you’ll want to look for a lower rating.

Next, you’ll want to give some thought toward using synthetic material or real down. Though more expensive, real down is typically your better option. It’s light, highly compressible, and long-lasting. It holds its loft longer than synthetic down and maintains its insulation well over time.

A sleeping bag made with Synthetic Insulation is going to be bigger and it’s going to be heavier. Synthetic Insulation doesn’t absorb water making it a great choice for campers who plans on roughin’ it rain or shine. These bags are also less expensive than sleeping bags made with Real Down.

Lastly, you need to decide if you want a regular size sleeping bag or one that expands from a youth size sleeping bag to and adult. An expandable twelve inches at the end of the bag ensures that your camper won’t be outgrowing this bag any time soon!

That’s all for today, Camp Fans. Hope this helped clarify which type of sleeping bag would be best for your camper! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Involving your soon-to-be-summer with preparatory shopping, packing, and general preparations is certain to put a positive spin on their summer camp stay. Learn from summer camp expert and co-author of ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, Dr. Chris Thurber, about methods you can put to good use to get your child involved in summer camp preparation. Check out the invaluable material by clicking here.

Young people at overnight camp make many adjustments, but none as new as shifting how they keep in touch with their parents. Are you sitting down? The 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation report on media use among 8-18-year-olds revealed that camper-age boys and girls send an average of 118 texts per day. That’s about 90 minutes of thumb punching on top of more than 30 minutes of (quaintly retro) talking. If that surprises you, check your cell phone bill. If you don’t like what you see, consider setting some limits. Only 14% of boys and girls say their parents limit texting. But I digress.

Add the two hours of cell time to the (ready for this?) average of 7½ hours of media exposure per day—much of it multitasking—and you’ll start to appreciate the magnitude of the relational paradigm shift you and your child are in for. What will it be like to not text or talk on the phone for two weeks? An even more powerful question: What will your son or daughter do with those 80+ hours of non-media time?

Don’t panic. Families have been keeping in touch during camp for nearly 150 years. You have some elegant historical traditions to take the place of texting. OK, you don’t need papyrus, octopus ink and a feather, but you should prepare an inexpensive stationery kit. Start with a zipped freezer bag and pack it with pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes and postcards, paper, and a few #2 pencils. The plastic bag will protect everything from the humidity, but if you want to splurge, buy self-sealing envelopes rather than the lick-and-stick kind. The easier you make it for your son or daughter to correspond with you, the more likely it is they will.

As a bonus, consider this: Writing whole paragraphs rather than truncated sentences will encourage the creation of narrative. And narrative has a special power to advance self-understanding. When your son or daughter writes stories to you about their camp experience, they’re promoting their own cognitive growth and emotional adjustment. Sure, you’ll keep some of the best letters to read aloud during a wedding toast, but the real beauty of old-fashioned letter writing is for the sender. And rest assured: Waiting for your newsy, upbeat reply forces a healthy delay of gratification, something which is increasingly difficult for a generation that grew up with high-speed wireless.

So about those 118 average texts per day. I’m willing to bet that you’re on the receiving end of about half of those. In other words, you’ve got an adjustment to make yourself. Temporarily severing the digital umbilical is healthy but challenging for parents as well as for children. My advice? Arrange some practice time away from home for your son or daughter. A long weekend at a friend’s house is a good start. And during those two or three days, take a complete break from cell phones. Commit to writing one substantive letter and have your son or daughter do the same. The challenge is worth the risk: You’ll both get more out of the upcoming camp experience.

Enjoy the summer!

Dr. Christopher Thurber

Hey, Camp Preppers!

Are you as excited as we are for the coming camp season? In preparation, you may be looking for the right backpack for your camper; in doing so, you may be finding it confusing to know what kind of backpack will be best what with how many different types of backpacks there are.

Don’t worry. You’re not alone. We even planned on posting about the different types to make it easier for you—that’s how confusing it can be. So read on and use this post as a guide to helping you narrow your sights on the backpack you want for camp.

First of all, we have School Backpacks. These are your all-purpose bags. The benefit to this bag is that it’s versatile. Use it for camp, school, vacationing, whatever you want! Ironically, the bag’s strongpoint is also its drawback. Its versatility makes it generic and basic. School Backpacks are not adequate packs for the avid hiker.

Next are the Daypacks. These guys make great kids backpacks for any single-day activity or even a quick overnighter. These packs are only meant for light loads (10-15 lbs.). Any good Daypack should have a waist belt for proper weight distribution.

We carry excellent Hydration Packs from CamelBak here at Everything Summer Camp. Hydration Packs are smart for long hikes through rough terrain. These packs hold a water bag inside and attached to that bag is a tube with a leak-proof valve for drinking. Sip a hands-free drink any time you need with a hydration pack!

Lastly, you should know the differences between Internal Frame and External Frame Backpacks. Internal Frame Backpacks keep their framework hidden inside the pack behind the shoulder harness. They fit to the camper’s form much better than external framework. Hikers have more freedom and movement and better stability.

Unafraid to show their bones, External Frame Backpacks have their metal framework on the outside. They can hold a lot. They’re less expensive than Internal Frame Packs and allow for better ventilation in the heat. They have a million exterior pockets for easy access. The frame of these backpacks don’t hug the body, so they can have the tendency to pull your child backwards a little; external frames are not good for uneven terrain.

Use this as a guideline to figuring out which type of backpack will be best for you. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John