Hey, Camp Fans!

Packs are important to us at Everything Summer Camp. We carry a diverse selection of both Duffels and Backpacks because we know how different sort of camp stays call for different features from your packs such as length of camp stay as well as the activities you choose and the equipment they require. Osprey Packs are shining examples of Backpacks and Duffel Bags. Today I’m highlighting a couple of our latest packs from Osprey—the Hikelite Backpack and the Daylite Duffel Bag.

Let’s check ‘em out:

Hikelite 32
The Osprey Hikelite 32 is a versatile pack—ready to spring into action whether you’re going for a day hike or using it as more of an everyday kind of bag. It offers an AirSpeed backpanel which means it is well-ventilated so you don’t end up with a soggy shirt. It’s got a stretch mesh side pockets as well as a zippered front pocket and the pockets on the inside and outside of the top lid for easy access to all your smaller items. The Hikelite can help you can stay hydrated with its 3 Liter reservoir. And it’s got a number of other handy features too like upper side compression straps to reign in your pack size, a sternum strap with whistle, a removable hipbelt so you can use it when you prefer it and keep it out of your way when you don’t. It also comes with an integrated raincover to keep your pack dry in rainy weather as well as trekking pole attachments.  

Daylite Duffel
Always ready for the job, the Daylite Duffel 60 from Osprey is a great choice in your midsize Duffel Bag. Brimming with convenience and functionality, this bag offers easy accessibility to the contents by way of its large U-Zip front panel. It boasts several pockets including a stretch mesh one for your water bottle. The EVA foam padding hook-and-loop harness can convert to offer you different carrying styles: backpack, over-the-shoulder, and grab-and-go. Made from recycled materials and bluesign®-approved, this duffel is a delight to travelers of all walks of life!

Get a closer look at these Packs right here on our website; click here to see the Hikelite and you can click here to see the Daylite Duffel. Be sure to browse all the rest of our Osprey Packs selection so you’ll be prepared for whatever summer camp has in store for you! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Leafy Green Lovers!

Today is a day dedicated entirely to just a single little leaf that packs such a monstrous punch of protein, iron, fiber, a crazy amount of vitamins, and various other incredibly beneficial nutrients. Today is National Spinach Day. It may not look like much, but this is one incredibly versatile vegetable that can add a lot with just a little to a menu of different meals!

One of the beauties of spinach is that it’s good to eat raw or cooked (although cooking actually releases more of the benefits)! Some people snack on spinach leaves. My mother will make mini cucumber, spinach leaf sandwiches using spinach leaves as the bread and a cucumber coin in the middle. Pretty healthy snacking, Ma!

It’s such an easy thing to simply throw it into the mix with a big garden salad. It’s great at adding some variety to all the lettuce leaves working as the foundation. And—not to knock lettuce—but spinach is a million times better for you.

But the simplicity of spinach doesn’t stop there. Along with being an easy salad add-in, spinach is just as easy to add to your soups, going in virtually any soup. Put it in a bean soup. Put it in a potato soup. Put it in a mushroom soup. Put it in a stew. And the great thing is, you don’t really even need to cook it. Just put it in the pot at the very end. Stir it in and the heat of the freshly made soup do all the ‘cooking’ it needs.  

After adding it to salads and soups, you can add it to so many other things! Put it in with casseroles, chop it up and add it to an omelet; blend it up with milk and blueberries for a delicious smoothie! The possibilities go on and on!

Appreciate this amazing little source of so many essential vitamins as well as minerals like iron and zinc—not to mention the awesome nitrates it has stocked up. Enjoy adding this awesome leafy green to your meals and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

At Everything Summer Camp, we understand the importance of correspondence with your camper during their summer stay. It’s incredibly important they know that you’ve been thinking of them while they’re away. And since most camps limit their campers’ contact with the outside world solely to letters in the mail, we thought we’d offer the Summer Camp Greeting Card Pack.

We just worked on a bunch of new Cards—writing and designing them—so there’s a great new selection for you to pick from when you click right here. These Summer Camp Greeting Cards are a great sentiment and such a great show of thoughtfulness. Write a little message inside the card or just send it as is. Either way, it’s sure to put a smile on your camper’s face.

Not only is it good for a smile but it helps kids cope with a little homesickness. Let’s them know that everything is A-okay back home and their loved ones are thinking of them. Summer camp expert Dr. Chris Thurber discusses the importance of camp correspondence in a previous Blog post he supplied us with called Write Right. Check it out by clicking here.

From general camp-themed cards to other themes geared toward specific interests like fishing or horseback riding and, of course, all those magical camp moments, you’re sure to find a set of cards that speak to you for your camper. There’s a card for campers to send home as well!

Five cards in a set. You won’t find cards like these anywhere else. Pick the Set of 5 Cards (with their colorful envelopes) that fit your camper best and drop a warm hello with these cute, campy cards!

Enjoy these cute cards with your kids and get your Summer Camp Greeting Card Pack today. You can browse our Postcards too and other Stationery products right here and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Fencing Fans!

And I’m not talking about that white picket in the yard. I mean Fencing—the sport! From a distance, you could mistake this sport for the centuries-old dueling practice of sword fighting. Fencing players are dressed in padded gear which is loaded up with sensors that are designed to mark points scored by your opponent each time they strike it.

While people are naturally concerned with the safety of a sport that looks so similar to sword fighting, Fencing has an incredibly low injury rate compared to other sports like soccer or gymnastics. There’s tons of padding and a full facemask that players wear. And Fencing swords come to a blunt end without being sharp in the least. The only injuries that happen are ones that would with any other sport.

So who was the daring pioneer who saw the art of sword fighting and said to himself, “I’d like to have fun in a swordfight without the risk of serious injury or death”? It was Domenico Angelo from the 18^th Century. Sword fighting was part of military training back then, but Domenico considered the enjoyment one could derive from studying the strategy and skill involved in sword fighting without actually fighting.

It was in 1763 that Domenico established Angelo’s School of Arms in London where he taught a class called ‘The Fashionable Art of Swordsmanship’. He established the basics, giving rules to posture and footwork that are still taught in modern Fencing. While his class was meant to prepare the students for real combat with a sword, he always reminded and encouraged the health and sporting benefits in Fencing above its use as a weapon.

Domenico’s family—experts in the art of Fencing—ran the school for a following three generations. They would also remain the reigning champs of European Fencing for nearly one hundred years!  

Fencing is an awesome and adventuresome activity! If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, look into your summer camp’s activities. Do they have a Fencing class available? Maybe your school offers a Fencing class. Otherwise, there’s likely a class you can find elsewhere not too far outside your local area.  Have fun with Fencing and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

The recommended camp outfitter for more than 270 summer camps, we here at Everything Summer Camp are proud to work with every single one of them! And we love singing the praises of the many camps with whom we’ve developed a working relationship too. That’s why today I’m shining our camp spotlight on the magnificent Blue Mountain Ranch summer camp right smack-dab in the middle of beautiful Colorado in the town of Florissant.

With more than 400 acres at its disposal, the historic Blue Mountain Ranch has been welcoming boys and girls from ages 7-16 to their amazing land for the past 75 years. Surrounded by the majesty of the Pike National Forest, it’s easy to see how Blue Mountain Ranch is a perfect place to make your escape from the pressures of everyday life at school or home.

Check out the good times waiting for you when you decide on Blue Mountain Ranch for your summer camp experience! You’ll have the opportunity to participate in Archery, Baseball, Basketball, Canoeing, Cheerleading, Fishing, Football, Hiking, Horseback, Horse Care, Rodeo, Mountain Climbing, Nature Study, Paddleboarding, Rappelling, Riflery, Ropes Course, Softball, Survival Class, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Yoga, and plenty more.

Of course, there are activities that encourage a little downtime too such as Arts & Crafts, Camp Crafts, Creative Writing, Drama, and lots more. The camp is always coordinating other reasons to gather too such as Talent Shows or Barbecues, so there’s always tons of time to just hang out with all the friends you’re making. One of the sayings known at Blue Mountain Ranch is “"A friend is worth a mountain made of gold."

Whether you’re assigned to the Cox or Stewart Cabin for boys or the Tilley Cabin or Clark Hall for girls, you’re sure to feel right at home with the works for electric as well as indoor plumbing. Find yourself having a blast in the comforts of summer camp at Blue Mountain Ranch. Give them a closer look and as always, thanks for reading.

- John