Hey, Camp Folks!

While we’re pleased to offer all the summer camp gear and other camping supplies on your packing list here at Everything Summer Camp, our camp trunks are truly our pride and joy. We’re the Maker of C&N Footlockers—the best footlockers around. Melanie (or Mel as she goes by) is one of our esteemed Production workers, crafting our high quality camp trunks.

Given the opportunity to go to summer camp nowadays, as an adult, Mel could think of several ways she would spend her time. Check out her favorite activities she would sign herself up for…

Kayaking
Easily making the top of the list, Mel went kayaking three times just last summer. Her favorite places to go are on the nearby Yellow River in Stanley as well as the Namekagon River in Hayward. She can still recall her first trip out with her mom, her brother, and her best friend back when she was 11. She was a little nervous her first time, but it can be a very soothing experience she told me. “It’s beautiful out there in the morning!”

Gardening
Years before her Kayaking days, Mel discovered a love for Gardening. She loved spending time in the big garden her grandma and grandpa’s house where they offered her money for working out there. They’d give her a dollar for each plant she planted and a dollar per item she harvested. Pretty good incentive!

Baking
Mel discovered a love for Baking at a fairly young age. Her mom had her Baking at just six years old. Folks will attest here around the office that Mel’s Baking skills are next level! “Homemade feels so warm,” she noted.

Softball
Just two years after Baking came Baseball (or Softball anyway). Mel started playing little league as an eight-year-old and she loved it so much that she continued to play throughout her school years and played for her high school team. She missed playing it after graduation and she eventually coached in order to get it back in her life!

Do you love any of the same camp activities as Mel? Her picks are particular, but pretty essential summer camp experiences! Maybe you’ll enjoy one or more of these come your summer camp stay. As always, thanks for reading and happy camping!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

We all get great enjoyment out of a hard day’s work here at Everything Summer Camp but, just like all you, we want to have our fun in the sun as well. I’ve been asking people all around the workplace to see what kind of summer camp activities people would be most interested in returning to or trying out for the first time! I stopped by in our Shipping Department recently to talk to one of our star-shippers, Madisen to see what her pick would be for her favorite camp activity!

Without any hesitation, Maddy came back with her automatic and singular answer: Horseback Riding. Like our Call Center supervisor, Diane (who talked about her love of riding in her Blog post), Maddy has had a soft spot for horses and has loved to ride since she can recall. Horse riding was her favorite thing during her days back in summer camp, finding it both peaceful and freeing.

Maddy expressed to me what a stress-relieving activity horse riding has been for her. “I’ll go out there and she takes it all away,” she told me referring to her horse. “She makes me feel free. When I’m on her back riding it’s like no one can touch me.”

I’m sure Maddy isn’t the only one who has made the connection between riding and peace of mind that riders tend to feel. After all, riding becomes the only thing you’re thinking about when doing it. Riding and balancing. It induces a level of mindfulness that requires constant focus on the proper posture for riding. It makes sense that it quiets the mind.

Maddy loves horses and horse riding so much that she moved to Wyoming a couple years back to work for Buffalo Mountain Outfitters—a horse ranch  where she fed hay bales to horses, took them out to water, got them saddled up for guests, and would help with safety procedures during tours.

Are you passionate about horseback riding like Maddy is? If it’s something you love, hopefully you’ll be enjoying horse riding come the summer season. Happy trails. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

With an exceptional understanding of what durable footlocker construction is and how to achieve it on every single one she touches, Teresa, our Production Supervisor, is one of the best trunk-makers in the country—maybe even the world. After almost 16 years of building them, we consider her the expert. With her exceptional know-how and efficient orchestration of construction, it’s no wonder that our Production Department puts out such solid products.

Given the opportunity to go to summer camp nowadays, as an adult, Teresa couldn’t make up her mind and settle on just a single activity. Check out the busy schedule she would make for herself with sports, Archery, Horseback Riding, and more!

Sports
Teresa kept spotting different sports that she enjoys playing with her current seven-year-old grandson who they call Chase, “because you got to chase after him,” she told me. They all enjoy playing games of Badminton, Soccer, Baseball, and more.

Archery
Shooting a bow and arrow was a clear pick for her as well. She loved it back in high school—she even strung her own bow! “When you’re a country girl you do a lot on your own,” she explained with a smile.

Horseback Riding
Of course, horseback riding had to go on her list as well. As a ‘country girl’, Teresa grew up with horses. At one point, her family had five horses altogether. One of them was like the wind, she told me.

Arts & Crafts
Partial to creativity (and working with her hands, of course), Teresa would also love to sign herself up for Arts & Crafts time, including Drawing and Painting. She reminisced of a painting she made in her high school days of her grandmother’s birdhouse.

Other…
A few other activities caught her eye that she tossed in like Gardening, Baking, and Fishing. She would go fishing all the time at her family’s cabin on a lake, she regularly gardens, and she’s been decorating cakes since she was ten!

Do you love any of the same camp activities as Teresa? Her picks are particular, but pretty essential summer camp experiences! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Meet Mark. He’s the President of Everything Summer Camp. I sat down to talk with him about what he would do if he was given the chance to return to the summer camp experience right now in his adulthood—what activity would he be most excited about.

Without hesitating, he told me mountaineering would be his top choice. Back in 2019, Mark’s interest in climbing was first sparked when he traveled Wisconsin to Arizona. There he hiked through the rugged White Tank Mountains, conquering a challenging 4,500 feet climb.

Later that year, Mark headed to Denver for the Outdoor Retailer Show, a bustling convention for scouting new camp gear.

Eager to challenge himself further, he arrived in Denver a couple days in advance before the show, looking to make it to the top of the tenth-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains. he set his sights on Gray's Peak, a beginner-friendly mountain towering just over 14,000 feet.

Mark encountered an unexpected hurdle—an avalanche had scattered debris across the road to the trailhead, forcing him to park further down and navigate through the debris field in the dark with his trusty headlamp.

Although he began his ascent solo, Mark soon teamed up with another climber he met along the way. Together, they provided moral support, encouraging each other through the daunting journey. Each step became a victory as they pushed through fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and cramps caused by the high altitude.

Going hand-in-hand with Mountain Climbing, Mark would be interested in trying his hand at Rappelling someday. Additionally, he would like to test out his Outdoor Survival Skills like building a shelter, starting a fire, filtering water, etc.—skills that would test his resilience and enhance his outdoor experiences.

For Mark, the thrill of climbing mountains isn't just about reaching new heights; it's about pushing his limits, forming connections with fellow adventurers, and embracing the challenges of the great outdoors. If he could relive the summer camp spirit today, Mark's passion for mountaineering would undoubtedly take center stage, inspiring others to embark on their own exhilarating journeys in nature.

Till next time, Camp Folks! Thanks for reading and, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Have you ever noticed that when you place an order with us here at Everything Summer Camp, your order is delivered at your doorstep in just a couple days? Our Shipping Department is a well-oiled machine thanks to Anita’s awesome orchestration! Under her management, so many great improvements have been implemented to our order-picking and order-packing processes. Creating such a fun work environment, it’s no wonder that our Shipping Department works so smoothly.

If given the opportunity to go to summer camp now in her adulthood, Anita said she would be most eager to do some good ol’ overnight camping. Anita feels at home in the Great Outdoors. Monthly camping trips were a regular part of the first 18 years of her life. But once she started dating the man she would come to marry, her camping trips became a weekly activity.

Included in her overnight camping trip, Anita would do some kayaking, some mountain biking, and—of course—outdoor cooking!   

Kayaking
Like lots of kids, Anita could never get enough time in the water. She’d go swimming all the time in her teen years and enjoyed plenty of other water activities growing up like fishing, tubing, water sports, and, her current favorite, kayaking.

Mountain Biking
As natural on a bike as she is in the water, Anita has plenty of fond memories cruising through a trail on her mountain bike. She recalls “Lots of our trips out,” she told me where “We’d just grab the tent, the cooler, the bikes, and go!”

Outdoor Cooking
Anita still goes on camping trips as often as her busy life allows. And no camping trip is complete without meals made over a campfire! Her and her daughter will still make pizza masterpieces over the open flames as well as orange peel muffins and plenty of other delicious meals. Sounds like I ought to join Anita on her next camping trip!

Do you love the same camp activities as Anita? Her picks are very essential summer camp experiences! It’s no surprise to find someone so in love with overnight camping working here at Everything Summer Camp! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John