Hey, Camp Fans!

The history of things is interesting. Learning the origin and purpose of our own inventions typically says a great deal about who we are as a collective people. The history of the hairbrush tells us that we’re a crafty people with a universal desire to always be lookin’ good! And we’ve pretty much always been this way.

In fact, archeological digs for ancient artifacts in Egypt have revealed that combs—not to be confused with hairbrushes—have existed in primitive form as early back as 5500 B.C. Our Egyptian ancestors knew that the design of a comb would work best for untangling and straightening hair.

If a comb is like shampoo, then the hairbrush is like conditioner. Hairbrushes aren’t any help when it comes to tangled hair. You need to run a comb through it first. The comb makes your hair manageable. Now it’s ready for brushing—designed to massage your scalp, enhance circulation, and induce your scalp to release its natural oils.

While combs go back over 7000 years and maybe longer, hairbrushes have only been around for 240. A man named William Kent began making them by hand in England, 1777. He crafted them in the same fashion as the original toothbrushes (which you can read about by clicking here). He made his brushes with the hair of boars—which is still what they’re typically made of today.

Hairbrushes were initially only for the upper class that could afford products of such luxury. Of course, nowadays, most households are entitled to the luxury of hairbrushes. Pack one along for your summer camp stay and grab the Folding Brush with Mirror here at Everything Summer Camp. Keep your head feeling clean and looking good!

You can get a closer look at the Folding Hairbrush on our website by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Proud Papas!

Happy Father’s Day! Dads all around the world are honored on this day for the unconditional loving support they give to their children every day. Last month, I posted gift ideas for mothers on Mother’s Day. Never mind that it’s already Father’s Day—doesn’t mean it’s too late to create a heartfelt gift to present to your dad.

As I prefaced in my Mother’s Day post, if a low budget (or lack of one) is what’s kept you from getting a gift for your dad, then this is the Blog post for you! These ideas are basic and require only materials that you likely already have in your house. And don’t feel bad about not buying your present; your dad will probably appreciate a homemade project more!

Greet Him with a Greeting Card
Make a card on your own for Father’s Day! It’s a thoughtful gift that gives you creativity so you can express to your dad exactly how you feel and not how a greeting card company assumes you do. You can go simple with an 8½” x 11” sheet of paper folded in half or get a little fancier if you’re feeling your “origami” skills and try to make this Tie and T-shirt greeting card.

Finger Paint is Handy
Sometimes creativity can be a little messy, but it’s all worth it for Father’s Day (as long as you don’t make him clean up). Have fun and get creative with your gift and see what you can do with your hands. And remember—the more fun you have, the more your father is sure to appreciate it!
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Make a Picture
Maybe your dad loves to take you fishing. Maybe you two are always going golfing or playing a simple game of catch in the backyard. Whatever fun times you share with your father, show him what it means to you with a picture that makes him think of all your great times together.

Do-It-Yourself Decorations
Dads are notorious for having what’s come to be known as ‘Dad Humor’. Their jokes are typically dripping with puns that make us cringe and moan. Give him a little bit back for Father’s Day with this punny ‘You Rock’ rock for display on a dresser top or office desk.

These are just some ideas that you’re more-than-likely able to make for your Father’s Day gift today. Or maybe these ideas have inspired a gift idea of your own. In any case, enjoy the fun in the artistic and creative process and make your father proud! Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

You know who else was a summer camper? LOTS of people! So many, in fact, that a sizable percentage of them went on to become famous celebrities. I’ve written about nearly 100 of them! And today I’m talking about another. His name is Arlo Guthrie. This name may not be as famous as it once was, and even yet, not as famous as his father’s name once was: Woody Guthrie—the man that brought us ‘This Land is Your Land’.

With his dad being born in 1912 and him being born in 1947, it’s understandable that kids of your generation aren’t very familiar with these names. But back then, these guys were as big as Justin Vernon is today. These were the celebrities that Bob Dylan idolized.

Summer camp probably wasn’t quite prominent enough to assume that Woody Guthrie ever attended, but he sent his son Arlo to Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks of New York—one of the oldest traditional overnight camps in the country, operating since 1916.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Arlo attended and graduated grade school as well as high school in his home town. But he moved to Massachusetts in 1965 when he attended college at Stockbridge School. After that, he had an adventure overseas, spending the summer in London. There, he met with a man named Karl Dallas who was able to connect Arlo to the folk rock scene in London and he eventually continued in his father’s footsteps, singing folk songs.

Throughout his life, however, he’s continued his education in Montana to attend the Rocky Mountain College in Billings. Next, he moved back home to attend Siena College and after that Westfield College in 2008 (when he was over 60 years old!).

He loves being a student and he loves being a singer/songwriter. He was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award on September 26, 1992, though he’s probably best known for his song ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ which you can listen to below if you think you’re up to it (the song is roughly 20 minutes long and goes off the rails a number of times).

Nurture your love for the interests you develop in life like Arlo did and enjoy your visits to summer camp! You can check out Raquette Lake Camp right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Fans of Everything Summer Camp!

Meet our Printing Technician at Everything Summer Camp, Ed Jr. (or EJ). An excellent part of our team, EJ is in charge of the printing part of our Designer Trunk production. He keeps tabs on orders so he knows how many printouts of which designs to make! He also networks and finds artists to supply us with more of our awesome designs for our Designer Trunks.

If you don’t know what our Designer Trunks are, they’re our traditional C&N footlockers, only turned on its ear. These trunks are dressed up in a design that covers them completely (aside from the bottom). To get a better sense of what EJ does, take a look at our Designer Trunks right here.

To achieve such a cool look, EJ employs an interesting printing technique that embeds our high-definition designs directly into the metal exterior of our trunks. “I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here,” he says.

When EJ isn’t at work, he’s home with his beautiful family—his wife Justine, their daughter Arya, and baby #2 on the way! He and Justine are very excited to bring another little baby into the world. In the meantime, they’re just enjoying the summer. “I love to go camping,” he told me. “And Justine’s family is really into that too—it’s an every weekend kind of thing for them,” he clarified.

“Camping is a big part of our family life.” EJ anticipates the camping trips he’ll be making this summer and the new member of his family that will be here by the end of summer! We can’t wait to meet her! EJ asks that all our customers enjoy your Designer Trunks or get one if you don’t already have one—they’re the coolest! And of course, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

At Everything Summer Camp, since we work with more than 270 camps, we love to pick one regularly to spotlight and sing their praises here on our Blog. So far, we’ve featured more than 50 of those great camps and we aren’t stopping any time soon. Take this virtual tour of Camp Tockwogh in Maryland so you can learn all about this fantastic YMCA Camp!

Tockwogh opened its doors to summer campers in 1946 and—now, throughout the years—the Tockwogh summer camp staffers have loved every minute of the experience. This remote, east coast summer camp is situated on 309 well-maintained acres that stretch across one-and-a-half miles of the shoreline on Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay offers the best waterfront for fun activities like sailing, waterskiing, canoeing, kayaking, and more. And they also have a pool for water sports and swimming. On land, Tockwogh offers cool activities like archery, mountain biking, horseback riding, and outdoor education. Find a plethora of sports like soccer, softball, volleyball, flag football, lacrosse, basketball, dogdeball, and so much more.

And Camp Tockwogh operates under the philosophy that “A good camp should have something for every kid.” And so they do. On top of all their active activities, they also offer lots of options in the fine arts such as learning guitar, drawing, creative writing, photography, or painting. There are also performing arts offered like dance, drama, and cooking.
Campers are broken down into smaller villages by grade for housing and activities during their stay. The rustic cabins are complimentary of the natural surroundings of the campgrounds as well as more than accommodating for each camper who lives there and the cabin leader who lives there too.

You can get even more info on Camp Tockwogh when you check out their website for yourself. Maybe you’ll find the camp for your kid when next summer rolls around. Good luck and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John