Hey, Summer Campers!

Summer camp has been around since 1861, so it goes without saying that there are a lot of former summer campers out there in the world today. Some have gone on to become famous celebrities. Former summer campers have populated the music business, professional sports leagues, television and movies, etc. Remembered forever in our hearts, today we’re talking about a movie star who the world lost earlier this year: Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Yes, in his younger days, Philip enjoyed summer stays among the 122 acres at Ontario County’s 4-H Camp Bristol Hills in New York. 4-H Camp Bristol Hills is a division of the Cornell Cooperative Extension on Ontario County. He went to camp alongside his younger siblings Gordy and Emily in the 80’s. And by 1987 he worked as a camp counselor.

Rather active as a kid, Philip had a great time playing sports at camp, especially his favorites, baseball and wrestling. When he went to see a stage production Arthur Miller’s play ‘All My Sons’, however, Philip realized his true passion was the theater. “I was changed—permanently changed—by that experience,” Philip later recounted. “It was like a miracle to me.”

He was chosen to attend the New York State Summer School of the Arts when he was 17 and it was there that he befriended people with whom he would later collaborate on important projects that shaped his acting career. One of his colleagues, a Bennet Miller, is quoted for noting, “We were attracted to the fact that he was genuinely serious about what he was doing. Even then, he was passionate.”

After receiving his drama degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1989, Philip started appearing in supporting roles all throughout the following decade. He eventually made a reputation for himself as the actor who only did supporting roles—he’s in a lot of movies! But as he stepped into leading roles, he blew audiences away with his portray of author Truman Capote in the 2005 film, ‘Capote’ which landed him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

He only continued to impress audiences as he really grew into his career. Unfortunately, his career and life were cut short due to heart failure in February earlier this year. The world is sure to miss his charming presence on the big screen.

- John

Hey, Returning Students!

Moving up in grades means an increase in schoolwork and responsibilities—and that almost always means a bigger backpack! Good thing we’re on the ball here at Everything Summer Camp. We always take the back-to-school season into consideration since it’s so close to the end of the camp season. Take a look at our latest backpack, an Under Armour creation dubbed the Storm Hustle II Backpack.

The folks at Under Armour outdid themselves with this backpack! Sequel to their original Storm Hustle, they’ve made a few important upgrades to this beast of a backpack! The superfluous space inside is lined with soft fabric that makes this bag perfect for all-purpose carrying—secure for laptops, photography equipment, and other valuables.

Its interior is protective, but the exterior is an impenetrable fortress. Under Armour’s exclusive Storm technology is their signature performance fabric which is extremely water and snow-resistant leaving the Storm Hustle II safe and dry in all weather conditions.

Gifted with a strong bottom, its tough panel works as a shock absorber to eliminate damage to contents from being thrown down after a long woodsy trek or an exhausting school day! This pack also provides you with Under Armour’s Adjustable HeatGear® shoulder straps to give added carrying comfort and lessen the strain of all those heavy books.

Complete with a gusseted front laundry pocket, another front pocket that’s water-repellent, and two mesh side pockets for water bottles, put this pack on your back for the summer season and keep it there when you head back to school!

Built tough, this Storm Bag will stand up to all weather conditions and hold its ground so it’s sure to span the grades alongside you as you move up, maybe all the way to college! It’s durable and can take the weight of those hefty textbooks. Enjoy your return to the school year and as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Chocolate Aficionados!

Today is National Milk Chocolate Day. Everybody and their mothers like the taste of chocolate (unless you’re just some kind of weirdo—no offense)! Responsible for such heavenly treats like chocolate frosting, chocolate bars, chocolate candy, hot chocolate, and much more, milk chocolate has transformed the world of chocolate forever!It accounts for more than 85% of the chocolate that gets eaten in the United States. While dark chocolate is a less altered dessert, milk chocolate, on the other hand, is made of a mixture using cocoa solids along with dry or condensed milk. There are folks out there who enjoy a bar of dark chocolate (yours truly being one of them), but most people indulge in the milkier treat.

People didn’t start eating chocolate until we noticed our less-evolved predecessors doing it. That’s right! We saw monkeys eating the white pulp within the cocoa pods and…well—monkey see, monkey do! And we’ve been hooked from our first taste! But our first taste was nothing like the typical Hershey’s bar that most people think of when they think of chocolate.

No, the first tastes of chocolate were bitter-sweet and probably wouldn’t be very tasty in today’s sugar-obsessed opinion. But something about its intoxicating richness held our taste buds spellbound for nearly 4000 years until, in 1875, a confectioner named Daniel Peter mastered a recipe eight years in the making that resulted in milk chocolate.

Bringing an unprecedented level of sweetness to this once bitter treat, Mr. Daniel Peter created a treat that’s dominated the dessert world for almost 150 years! The many health benefits of chocolate dissipate when undergoing the process to make milk chocolate, but it’s still proven to make us feel better.

In fact, you don’t even have to eat it. Science says that even just the smell of chocolate increases specific brainwaves which are known to trigger relaxation. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling more relaxed already! Enjoy a milk chocolate treat for your relaxation as well as enjoyment today and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Getting kids excited about Back-to-School shopping is typically an uphill battle, but we try to make it easier by bringing in cool, new products for our online shop. Check out our three new products from Lockers 101—the Style It! Stackable Locker Shelf, Style It! Magnetic Storage Bin, and the ‘It’s a Girl Thing’ Hanging Organizer. Get a closer look at each of these beauties now available at Everything Summer Camp.

Style It! Stackable Locker Shelf
The Style It! Stackable White Scroll Locker Shelf from Lockers 101 creates more space inside your school locker giving you the edge on organization and convenience for your locker trips. This lovely scroll design Locker Shelf is sturdy as it is stackable and is sure to make life at your locker a little easier.

Style It! Magnetic Storage Bin
Get carried away with Lockers 101 Magnet Madness! The Style It! White Scroll Magnetic Storage Bin increases your locker’s organization as well as overall convenience. Divided into three sections, you can keep your pens, lip gloss, and hair brushes separate from each other and super-accessible when you don’t have much time between classes.

It’s a Girl Thing Hanging Organizer
Boys just wouldn’t understand. When it comes to Hanging Organizers from Lockers 101, It’s just…a Girl Thing. Boasting a magnetic back for use in your locker, this Hanging Organizer comes with a hanging hook so it can be used in a bedroom or other place as well. Keep life convenient and grab the ‘Girl Thing’ Hanging Organizer for your convenience.

Soup up your camp trunk or school locker with these great locker accessories. Decorating will surely make the little world inside look and feel way more fun, more functional, and definitely more you! Have fun browsing our selection and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We love being the convenient stop before the camp session begins here at Everything Summer Camp–the recommended camp outfitter for roughly 250 summer camps across the country. And proud of our relationship with each of them, we love singing their praises on our Blog. That’s why today we’re shining our camp spotlight on the much-deserving Camp La Junta Boys Camp.
Tucked away on 200 acres between the scenic rolling landscape of Texas Hill Country and the pristine Guadalupe riverfront, Camp La Junta sits among wide open spaces. The beautiful, spacious campground is naturally shaded thanks to the ubiquitous cypress and oak trees.

Never a dull moment, at La Junta, they keep their campers pretty busy throughout the summer sessions with awesome activities such as Horseback Riding, Archery, Mountain Biking, Riflery, Canoeing, Swimming, Scuba Diving, Athletics, Go-Cart Racing, Arts & Crafts, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Football, Tennis, Fishing, Sailing, Kayaking, and even more!

The campers’ cabins may look rustic on the outside, but inside, they are roomy and remodeled as of 1990, offering comfort throughout the nights. They each provide a full bathroom with hot water available for the twelve campers as well as a cabin leader and leader-in-training.

Aside from their 19 wood paneled cabins, the campground is complemented with a conveniently laid out campus including the Old West Dining Hall, their all-weather recreation hall that provides air conditioning when it’s too hot out, an open air theater where campfires are had as well as Sunday services and awards ceremonies, horse stables, a covered activity pavilion of 6000 square feet, open fields, and much, much more.

Much more than just what you see on the surface, though, Camp La Junta provides its campers with the encouragement and opportunities to build lifelong confidence and shoot for their aspirations. Check out Camp La Junta for your camping experience and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John