Hey, Readers!

2020 sure has been a very trying and challenging year for all of us. But we’ve hardly skipped a beat here at Everything Summer Camp! Amidst all the chaos and concerns this year has brought, you may have missed all the new products that we’ve added to our store. We’ve got awesome new products from brand names like iScream, Nite Ize, Marmot, and plenty more!

Here’s our 2020 New Product Recap:

Don’t Scream!
We brought on a lot of new products from iScream. With their fun and versatile selection, we just couldn’t help ourselves. We’ve got a new Collapsible Water Bottle, Canteen, Hooded Blanket, Cosmetic Bags, Luggage Tags, and Small Rhinestone Decals. They so across the board at iScream, they even have their hands in the lighting arena…which brings me to my next point:

Let There Be Camping Lights
We got some cool lights this year! Still from iScream, we have their String Lights along with the Photo String Lights. And we also have their DIY Neon Effect Light. We have some brilliant MPOWERD lights like their Inflatable Lantern, Color Lantern, Build Your Own, Solar String Lights, and the Luci Connect which can be controlled through an app on your phone to pick the exact shade you want to shine. Then there’s the ENO Twilight Camp Lights. And don’t forget to check out Outback’s Joey Flashlight! That’s a lot of light!   

Take a Dip
The water’s fine! Just put on any number of our swimwear from TYR Sport. We’ve got the Star Spangled Diamondfit Swimsuit, Girls’ Luau Ella Maxfit, Girls' Peekaboo Oliviafit, Hydra Diamond Fit, Girls Solid Maxfit Swimsuit, one Rashgaurd for boys and another for girls, Wrinkle-Free Adult Silicone Cap, Long Hair Silicone Cap, Ergo Nose Clip and Ear Plug Set, 4 pack Ergo Ear Plugs, and much more!

Catchin’ Zzz’s
We’re also introducing some new Sleeping Bags to our selection. Get the Callisto 30° Sleeping Bag from Kelty as well as the Mistral Kids 30° Sleeping Bag. Check out the Wenzel Sapling Youth 40-50°. Or go with the Marmot Kids Trestle 30° hot, new Sleeping Bag or their Kids Nanowave 40°!

We’re sure you’ll love the latest at our online store! Enjoy browsing our expanded selection with these awesome additions and order everything that you want for all your future camping endeavors. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Hey, Readers!

Happy Veterans Day. Today is a holiday intended to honor and show our appreciation to those who have served their country in the armed services. We call those people veterans. Everything Summer Camp extends immense gratitude to those who have fought for our freedom. What is this day all about and what’s so special about today’s date?  

Jump into today’s Blog post for a better understanding of this federal holiday and what you can do to honor those who served our country.

Similar but Different
Veterans Day can sometimes be confused with Memorial Day. While they ARE similar to each other, Memorial Day restricts who is being honored. It is a day meant to remember those who have fought and died while serving their country. Veterans Day is meant to honor both those who have fallen and the ones who survived.

Why Today?
November 11 marks the end of World War I (nearly a century ago) when a truce was made with Germany. Veterans Day is pretty much the American celebration of Armistice or Remembrance Day. Although, our intentions are to honor all veterans—not just those from the first World War.

How to Celebrate
Mailing cards or letters is a wonderful way to show someone your appreciation. Wearing a remembrance poppy or a yellow ribbon is a simple, great way to quietly show your support as well. You can get some more ideas about how to show your appreciation for vets in your life by browsing through a previous Blog post—just click here.

It’s taken a long time for the holiday to become what it has come to be. So appreciate those around you that you may know who have served in the armed services for your country and wish them a Happy Veterans Day. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

When you work with all the great summer camps that we do here at Everything Summer Camp, it’s hard not to sing their praises. But we like singing anyhow, so we do it pretty often. We work with more than 270 camps and today, we’re shining our summer camp spotlight to southern Canadian border in Ontario, just north of Toronto.

Situated on the shores of Ahmic Lake, Ak-O-Mak girls are treated to the camp’s private waterfront and 400 acres of land, including open fields, woodland trails, forest, and wetlands. Founded in 1928, Camp Ak-O-Mak was the world’s first swimming and sports camp for girls. 

Girls have a lot of fun with jam-packed days at Camp Ak-O-Mak, filled with awesome summer activities. Have fun at their waterfront which offers a diving tower, beach games, sailing, and more! And, back on dry land, Camp Ak-O-Mak offers huge grass playing fields where you can find their baseball diamond, soccer pitch, archery range, beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, along with a bunch of mountain bikes and road bikes.

The beautiful campus boasts roughly one mile of private shoreline overlooking the pristine Ahmic Lake. And they have rustic, but well-maintained buildings where their campers sit down to eat, visit the infirmary, bring clothes to the laundry service, or get warm by the large stone fireplace.

Campers at Camp Ak-O-Mak live in wooden cabins with no electricity. An unplugged, rustic living experience gives the girls an unmatched level of focus and develops their appreciation for the natural world around them as well as the new friends they’ve made. 8 to 12 girls of the same age are assigned to a cabin along with two or three counsellors.

If Ak-O-Mak sounds like it may be the camp for you, check it out further by visiting their website—just click right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Hunters!

While you may find this activity among the options for your summer camp itinerary, right now is the perfect time of year to go over some tips and advice on Hunter Safety. While hunting seasons may vary among all the different game and regions, now is a very popular time that marks the beginning of hunting in our area here in the north woods of Wisconsin.

In preparation for this popular season, let’s hit on some very important points concerning your safety when you head out for hunting.

Wear to Blare
Sure camouflage plays a strategic role in the sport of hunting. But wearing colors that blend into your surroundings can also be very dangerous. Instead, dress with the strategy to stay safe. Wear blaze orange so other hunters know you’re you.

Law of the Loaded
It’s a good idea to act as though all firearms are loaded. Accidents are less likely to happen when you use this kind of caution.

Muzzle Management
Simply put: Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot. Always keep your muzzle pointing in a safe direction.

Undeniable Identification
Until you’re able to identify your target without question, it’s a good idea to keep your finger off the trigger. Do not shoot at movement. Do not shoot at assumptions. Only shoot when you know for sure what you’re shooting at.

Where Ya Goin’?
Before leaving home to go hunting, always tell somebody where you’re going, what you’re doing, and when you expect to be back—no matter how experienced you may be.

Stock and Load
Be sure to bring safety supplies that you may need in survival situations such as food rations, fire-starting kit, cell phone, rope, flare gun, space blanket, axe, and whistle are some good suggestions. Maybe you have more.

Use these points of caution and preparedness to avoid accidents and stay safe when you go out on your hunting adventures. Enjoy your time in the wilderness and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Bullseye!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Are you nuts for nachos? Who doesn’t love that salty crunch or the lack thereof from a pile of chips that have soaked up some delicious cheese sauce? Nachos with cheese are a common concession at sporting events, state fairs, and movie theaters. How do you make a good thing better? Add more! For today—National Nacho Day—I took a poll around the office to see what peoples’ favorite toppings are for what’s known as Loaded Nachos.

But before we get into that, let’s go over the quick backstory of Nachos. How did these particular variety of chips get their name? The story takes place in the 1940s in a Northern city of Mexico called Piedras Negras. It begins one night at a restaurant when some regular customers came just after closing time. They were very hungry, so the chef seated them anyway.

He explained that there wasn’t much left in the kitchen, but he could go make do with what remained. He cut up some tortillas and fried the pieces, melted some cheese on top, and chopped up some jalapeño peppers. The regulars raved about what a delicious plate the chef had made. The chef’s name: Ignacio, known by all his friends as Nacho.

As the southwestern dish grew in popularity, people started putting their own spin on it, creating their own variation of ‘nachos’. They sprinkled corn on top or pulled pork. Some folks added sour cream while others added pineapple. And some did all of the above and them some more! Loaded nachos were born.

So what do people like around the office here at Everything Summer Camp?

To Cheese or Not to Cheese
Cheese is pretty much a must for everyone here when it comes to nachos. Some folks insist on cheese sauce while others prefer shredded cheese. Some heat the cheese up or melt the shreds. Anita, our Lead Buyer, explained that the shredded cheese would melt appropriately with the heat from the meat. And, of the 8 people surveyed, only our Vice President, Mark, didn’t bother to mention the cheese at all.   

The Power of Sour
Six of the eight surveyed said they need sour cream on their nachos. Only two of us including myself said no to the cream. An interesting addition to sour cream was western dressing Anita recommended to try. 

Beef up your Nachos
Everybody mentioned some kind of meat in their list of toppings with only one exception from our Operations Manager, Brian. Other items took priority for him. Others specified taco-flavored ground beef, while others just said ground beef or hamburger. Mark was the only one to veer off the ground beef path and say he goes for steak on his nacho plate.  

Special Mentions
Black olives were important for only three folks Brian, Anita, and me. Only a couple people mentioned jalapenos like Mark and myself. And it was only Diane and I who mentioned guacamole. Only Brian and Drew, our Marketplace Manager, go for tomatoes, but Drew specified the tomatoes be stewed. Drew and Mark were the only two to include raw onions as one of the most important ingredients. It was just Mark who included pinto beans. And, lastly, as one of the stranger ingredients included, our Graphic Artist, Amy, said she would add salt—in place of salsa if need be. I guess, the chips aren’t salty enough for her!

There was one thing that everybody agreed on and that is a plate of nachos sounds pretty good after talking about it. Maybe you got some ideas from us for your own plate of nachos. Or if you already have your nachos down to a science like some of us do, just enjoy your own mouth-watering creation for National Nacho Day. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John