Hey, Camp Folks!

During these cold, dark winter months of northern Wisconsin, it’s easy to get a little crazy about light. We throw them up all over our yards, the outside of our houses, and in darker corners and pockets indoors. Common at light shows, concerts, and plenty of other festivals, you’ll start seeing Glow Sticks as nighttime sets in. They’ve been around for decades, but originally weren’t used in celebratory fashion. They were military equipment.

It’s easy to see why Glow Stick technology was initially researched and developed for military use. The government contracted a chemist named Edwin Chandross in the 1960’s to investigate the process of chemicals that could emit powerful light without generating heat called ‘chemiluminescence’.

Glow Sticks need no batteries. They’re cheap. They have a long shelf life. They’re easy to dispose of. They can tolerate high pressures. They’re waterproof and weatherproof. And, in the right conditions, you can see one from a mile away. They’re also non-flammable and non-sparking, making them the only source of light safe to use in a disaster area immediately following the event. They’re used on a daily basis as markers for parachuters, landing zones, targets, as well as emergency lights.

At the same time that these new inventions were being used in their practical functionality, Glow Sticks emerged in a completely separate and surprising application. People found the aesthetics of the light from Glow Sticks had a certain appeal in a party and festival sort of setting.

Glow Sticks debuted on the music scene in 1971 at the Yale Ball in New Haven, Connecticut when a concert-goer and his friend visited the factory where his father worked assembling Glow Sticks. They filled their backpacks full of these cool lights and hauled them to the concert that night.

Within the first few songs of the show, the boys had started cracking open the Glow Sticks and handing them out to the crowd. No one had ever seen anything like it before. The awesome lights in the dark night brought the music to a stop and the whole show to a standstill. People were spellbound!

Glow Sticks remain an important part of military gear, but are certainly prevalent in places like clubs, parties, and festivals…even summer camp! Show your true colors in the Color War with a Glow Stick that never stops and get our LED Mini Glowstick from Nite Ize. We also offer the Nite Ize NiteHowl LED Necklace for hands-free lighting. Check out these and other lighting options from Nite Ize by clicking here. Thanks for reading, Camp Fans. And, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Bandana Boys and Girls! 

One of the most versatile pieces of clothing in our wardrobes today, the bandana can be worn in an infinite number of ways! It’s such a simple design! Just a small square of about twenty inches by twenty inches of cloth. It’s such a simple piece that you may not think about it as something that was invented. But it certainly didn’t come around by accident. 

So where did the bandana come from? 

The word ‘bandana’ is likely an Americanized version of the Sanskrit word ‘badhnati’ meaning to bind or tie. Originating in Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome, the name found its way into the English dictionary around 1750. The Portuguese language turned ‘Badhnati’ into ‘bandannoe’ which has slowly morphed into the word we all know as ‘bandana’. 

Taking after its older brother, the handkerchief (which has an even deeper history), the bandana and hankie are very similar at first glance. Same size. Same shape. They both even have a plethora of uses.  the bandana separates itself from its predecessor by its printed cambric construction—a plain-woven material (more often than not, cotton). Handkerchiefs are traditionally made from unprinted linen. 

Over the years, bandanas have proven themselves to the world, booming in style and popularity. Not only are they a versatile garment, but they work for a variety of different generations and walks of life. Throughout history, you’d find bandanas on the heads of sailors, farmers, cowboys, bikers, miners, and plenty more types of people…like summer campers! 

Break out your bandanas when it comes time to compete in the Color Wars. Bandanas work great for supporting your team’s side in the Color Wars at summer camp. If you’re into horseback riding, they make for a great liner under your riding helmet. Be sure to check out our bandanas for yourself. Stay cool. Stay in fashion. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! 

- John

Hey, Cookie Kids! 

Do you flip for the Chocolate Chip Cookies? Who doesn’t?! These appealing discs of dough and chips have magical powers that are sure to make your mouth water. Today is Chocolate Chip Cookie day—a day that’s sure to have you preheating the oven and mixing ingredients. Break out the flour, sugar, and—of course—the chocolate chips and let’s get bakin’! 

Easily the most popular of all the cookies, I’d be stunned to find anyone reading this Blog post who has never had one before. Can you imagine a world without the Chocolate Chip Cookie? Unfortunate as it may be, many folks have lived their whole lives without ever knowing the taste of this delectable treat! After all, the recipe was only created in the late 1930s. 

It was Ruth Wakefield, an experienced baker with a degree in household arts, who made the original Chocolate Chip Cookie. Ruth ran the reputable Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts where she first conceptualized this new cookie with melted chocolate chunks. 

She put out her ‘Tried and True’ cookbook in 1938 which introduced the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to the world. The recipe blew up! Within a year, this cookie got so popular that it was mentioned on a radio program hosted by Betty Crocker. As if the cookie needed any help, this radio mention really did solidify this cookie’s reputation as a cultural smash! 

Many origin stories have been proposed for how Ruth came up with this cookie. Some have said it happened by chance when some chocolate fell into her cookie batter. Others suggested that chocolate was a quick replacement ingredient that just proved to be amazing. These are just stories, though. 

The truth is that Ruth was an absolute perfectionist when it came to her craft. She knew the art of baking very well. This iconic cookie was no happy accident! It’s the result of Ruth’s know-how for making a recipe and testing it carefully. Be sure to indulge for Chocolate Chip Cookie day and say a little thank you to Ruth for her incredible recipe! As always, thanks for reading! 

- John

Hi, Camp Fans! 

Never fear; the All Natural Moso Purifying Bag is ready to bust up those bad smells that can sometimes get trapped in a closet or maybe your footlocker trunk! Made from 100% bamboo charcoal, this bag is a perfect odor eliminator! This fragrance free bag will remove all odor, bacteria, allergens, excessive moisture, and harmful pollutants in an area as large as 90 square feet. 

Derived directly from the bamboo plant, the main ingredient in a charcoal bag is called Activated Charcoal. Here’s how it works: 

When you burn bamboo, there’s not enough air to allow it to combust into flames. As a result, the carbon inside the bamboo distills into the coals that remain. When the charcoal interacts with steam, activation occurs—the surface area of the carbon molecules gets much bigger and develops deep pockets where dirt, oils, and other undesirable stank gets trapped. 

Activated charcoal is said to have been used by the Egyptians for as long as 6,000 years ago. It wasn’t used for air purification, though, but rather for smelting ores to create bronze. Around 3,500 years back, they started using it for healing ailments and, in doing so, discovered that it would absorb unpleasant odors. Further use for it was found about 2,500 years ago as a means of water purification with antiseptic properties. 

Keep only what you want in your footlocker! Throw a charcoal bag in your trunk to prevent mold and mildew and keep things clean and odorless! Care for a Moso Air Purifying Bag couldn’t be easier; simply set it out in the sun for an hour once a month and the bag is ready to use again! This bag is non-toxic and eco-friendly—safe around pets and children—and will last you up to two years.  

As always, thanks for reading and happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Paperbackers! 

Do you find yourself often enough glued between the front and back of a soft, handheld novel? Today ought to be just your cup of tea! Find your favorite spot to read and plant your face in your favorite soft cover because today is Paperback Day! It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting under a shady tree or curled up in a nice, big chair—it’s what you’re reading that counts. After all, books offer a whole different world to which you can escape! 

Of course, you can’t curl up as comfortably with a hard cover book the same way you can with the casual portability of a paperback. And that means people didn’t know the joy of truly getting cozy with a good book until the paperback revolution came around in the 1950s. 

We have Allen Lane, a publisher in England to thank for this revolution. He used money out of his own pocket to launch the Penguin Books imprint in 1935. The softcover saw immediate success in the local area, but it didn’t take too long to sweep the world! 

Paperback popularity went through the roof in a very short period. They were cheap to produce and gave way to dime novels—a quickly produced book of typically low quality printing and writing. However, many paperbacks were simply reprints of their hard cover original. 

No matter what the content, softcover books shoehorned their way into places where a hardcover dared not go such as newspaper stands, drugstores, airports, hotel lobbies, etc. Books were now an item that people would buy on impulse! 

Softcover books are great to pack along for camp and any other summer travels you may have planned. Be sure to peruse our selection of Choose Your Own Adventure Books, the Camp Confidential Series, Mad Libs, as well as summer camp guidebooks, available right here at Everything Summer Camp and happy Paperback Day! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans. 

- John