Hey, Camp Aficionados!

So happy to hear about your time at camp, we were thrilled to get so many great submissions about campers’ camp experiences. We received about 30 submissions for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest that we held here at Everything Summer Camp. So we’re enthused to post each of the entries right here on the Blog! After our seven lucky winners of larger prizes, all other entrants received a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Macy C., who wrote in to tell us about how she got ‘got’ by the counselors at Camp Ozark. Here’s her story:

“On the last night of camp, we were playing music in our cabin when our top staff came in. A top staff is the head of the cabin. She came in and told us, ‘Campers, your 3 counselors have done something unacceptable on camp grounds. We are going to have to fire 1 of them and you have to choose.’ We were all astonished. Would our counselors do something that bad? Why would they do this to us? Our top staff led us out of the cabin and onto the deck. They took us into the cabin 1 by 1 to take your pick. We would all try to think of what the counselors would of done. We were huddled in a circle crying. One girl said, ‘If this is a prank, I’m going to punch someone!’ I was one of the last people pulled into the cabin. On the cabin floor one of the 3 counselors said to me, ‘I’m sorry we have to do this to you. Do this very quietly. When we say so flip over this paper’ they hand put a paper in front of us, ‘Follow the instructions and then give them back to us.’ We flipped over the paper. It was our cabin award! Every camper gets a cabin award with their name and a quality that the counselors think you showed best. It was all a prank! We were all so happy. Then we laid down on our beds and got to watch the next person get pranked. The next girl screamed when she figured out. She was so mad! We all shushed her because the people outside don’t know yet. When the last girl entered the cabin, she was mad. The counselors told her, ‘The votes are tallied 4, 4, and 3. If you pick the counselor with 3 votes all of us would get bad consequences, but not fired. Choose wisely.’ She said, ‘Are you sure this isn’t a prank?’ This is the girl who said she was going to punch someone if it was fake. We all burst out laughing! None of it really happened! She was so glad, but also angry. It was such a good prank! Afterwards, our counselors gave us candy because they felt bad. This was quite an interesting way to end the last night of camp. That is my camp story.”

What an evil trick! It was probably pretty hilarious for your counselors, though! Hope you get a good laugh about it now, Macy! Get a good look at Camp Ozark for yourself if you don’t mind a camp that gets a little pranky from time to time. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Flashlight Folks!

In this winter season, our utility bills are high and our days are dark. We can turn lights on as often as we need in the comfort of our own homes. We use fluorescent, incandescent, and LED lights ten times as much as we do in our homes in the summer. But what do we do when we find ourselves in the outdoors? Well, flashlights come in handy year-round.

As a summer camp retailer, Everything Summer Camp knows that flashlights are an essential part of packing gear when you prepare for the summer camp experience. We always want to offer the best of the best on our camping gear shop, so we keep our eyes open when it comes to new products that make their way onto the market. Our eyes grew larger when we first saw our latest flashlights. We fell in love with these handy light sources the first moment we saw them. Introducing the Blackfire Clamplight—the smartest way of manufacturing flashlights.

There are countless jobs and random tasks that require two hands of the folks who pull these jobs off. Even those tasks that don’t necessarily involve two hands are easier at least with the use of both your hands. Things aren’t the same, however, when you use Blackfire’s Clamplight. This Flashlight will clamp onto virtually anything, stand on its own, or work as a traditional flashlight.

The head of the Clamplight swivels in every which direction in order to provide the user with light wherever it’s needed. Blackfire is simply the best selection in flashlights that’s available on the market. Bringing the future to the flashlight, what Blackfire has really done is reinvent the flashlight with their incredible piece of camping gear, the Clamplight.

Get an even closer look at Blackfire’s Clamplight Flashlight right here or take a look at Blackfire’s smaller light source, the Clamplight Mini right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Bubbly Blog Buddies!

Today we celebrate something that we all know and love. It’s important to anyone who ever sent a package by mail, received a package by mail, or sought a therapeutic solution to boredom. Today is National Bubble Wrap Day. Let’s take a closer look at this packing material, turned cultural obsession and learn a little about it today.

HISTORY
Believe it or not, bubble wrap was originally invented to be used as wallpaper—not packing material. In 1957, an engineer named Fielding and an inventor, Chavannes, put their minds together to create a textured wallpaper by sealing two shower curtains together, capturing air bubbles in-between.

Their ‘wallpaper’ flopped, but in the next three years, a member from Fielding and Chavannes’ marketing team, named Bowers, suggested using it for secure shipping of breakable items. By 1960, Fielding and Chavannes founded the Sealed Air Corporation to sell what they called ‘Bubble Wrap’.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?
A lot, actually! The same way that the popularized Kleenex brand name started being used to refer to facial tissues, Bubble Wrap is not a generic term for packing material, but actually the product name specific to Sealed Air’s invention. We just call it all ‘bubble wrap’ because of how catchy the name is. Other manufacturers of air bubble rolls, however, are OmniStar Creative, Alliance Rubber, RDH Packing Solutions, and many more.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllBUBBLE FUN
Of course we love Bubble Wrap for delivering all our breakables to us in one piece, but our love for it doesn’t stop there. Its practical use may be over, but, now that its job is done, who can resist releasing all those trapped little pockets of air? Denver Boy Scouts know how fun popping bubble wrap can be! Just two years ago, they set a world record for Most People Popping Bubble Wrap at once—2681 Scouts. Way to go, fellas!

SUSTAINABILITY
Everyone is worried about sustainability nowadays—and rightly so. One thing we don’t have to worry about, however, is bubble wrap. It was a revolutionizing product in the first place, reducing package size, package weight, and using less protective material—not to mention reduced damage to shipments as well. And as for the product itself, most bubble wrap manufacturers (like Sealed Air and the others listed above) now make bubble wrap from 100% biodegradable material.

A favorite for many, popping bubble wrap is considered exciting (like when you jump on a sheet and burst a bunch all at once) as well as therapeutic (like methodically popping a whole sheet of bubble wrap one at a time). Bubble wrap popping has even inspired some creativity as you can see in the video below. Have fun popping your bubble wrap today and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Campers!

Countless campers just like you have been relishing in the joys of summer camp for more than a hundred years. Literally millions of adults who were once summer campers when they were closer to your age. It comes as no surprise then, to know that there are a lot of former summer campers who have gone on to become celebrities whom we all know and love today.

Jessica Biel is a summer camp alum. She attended Perry-Mansfield: Performing Arts School and Camp. Located in the mountains of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Perry-Mansfield has been showing kids a first-rate education as well as an awesome summer experience since it was first founded in 1913.

Jessica didn’t necessarily know that she wanted to be an actress back then. She was interested in gymnastics and soccer as well. But she definitely knew she wanted to be on the stage. She was coached in the art of singing at Perry-Mansfield and liked to do musicals in the productions her hometown would put on. At just nine years old, she had already played lead roles in ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and more.

She made money as a model for a while as well, but was most happy when she landed her first role in a film called, ‘It’s a Digital World’. It wasn’t long after that that she found the role that would really launch her acting career: Mary Camden  from the family drama ‘7th Heaven’. Throughout her time on the Warner Brothers show, she went to school at Fairview High School and continued her education afterward at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

‘7th Heaven’ was a very popular show which turned out to be the longest-running family drama TV series in all of television. Her role as Mary brought her lots of recognition and interest for roles in film. Her character on TV only scratched the surface of her career. If Perry-Mansfield sounds like a place you have interest in, check it out for yourself some time and see the good it did Jessica Biel. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Aficionados!

We were very happy that received roughly 30 submissions about the camp experience for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest that was held here at Everything Summer Camp. We’re excited to post each of your entries right here on the Blog now! To follow our seven lucky winners of larger prizes, all other entrants received a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Vannessa H., who wrote in to tell us about her son’s camp-filled summer experience that started at Camp Geiger. Here’s her story:

“I am the parent of Colten and wife to Steve H. As they prepare for a busy summer, packing them up to go away was a big part of it for me. Colten was our big traveler this year. He started out with Boy Scout camp about two hours from home. Geiger camp off Rt K in St Joseph, MO. Colten H has been going to scout camp for 6 years. A week in a tent and activities like swimming, hiking, zip line, camp fires, and more. This camp was Sunday to Saturday with one family night. (So that moms can bring clean clothing and take dirty one’s home. Well ok, get a hug too) There are hundreds of boys at this camp. As a mom, I have crazy images of how items get strung all over the many acres. An email is always sent out a week later saying that something has been found or lost.
                On the last day of scout camp, we got up at 4am to go pick him up early. He had to catch the church van that was already in route to Glorieta, New Mexico! (We live in Northern Missouri) He changed out suit cases and was off to camp #2. This was his first year to attend this camp. A great camp for intense activities and Bible studies. His favorites were rock climbing and zero gravity scooters. The downhill dirt track had hills/ramps that he was able to get ‘air time’. A mud pit was a favorite for many too! It is funny how labels of who you think you are or status or click you belong to come off when covered in mud –you are all the same. I love to hear from those that went to this camp on how they really bonded as a family.
                Next camp, a mission trip that Steve and Colten went on together about five days after Colten was home. This gave me a chance to wash ALL the really dirty, set in grime. This trip was to Nicaragua to build homes and share the love of Jesus. This too was a new experience for Colten H. This is the third year that Steve H has gone. Their checked baggage was a tote filled with items for an adopted family. They took a gift for the children from the first two families. Steve loves the girls from the first year and has a family type bond with them. They join up with other churches and Project Hope out of Springfield, MO. Anyway, the only clothing they have for themselves is in a carry on backpack. They stay in a compound with about 45 people. They have a staff that washes clothing for them while they are out in the villages. Your stuff was to be clearly marked with your name or initials. The group left the country after five baptized and a wedding! But the real change comes in the 45 people that went.
                Everything Summer Camp helped everything get returned home to the right closest! The clothing went through very active events and many washings. The tags were on everything from backpacks, socks and underwear, T shirts, and more. A few are starting to come off now, but this mom is happy to have everything home—including two very important men.”

What a fun-filled summer Colten had! He must be moving into adolescence gracefully with all his experiences! Glad your important men are back by your side. Check out Camp Geiger for yourself to see where Colten stayed. Maybe it’ll be a good match for you. As always, thanks for reading!

- John