Giddy up, Camp Preppers!

As we post about our new products, it’s our hope that you are coming across items and gear that will be of interest to you for your specific summer camping activities. 

If you have a deep-seeded appreciation, love, and respect for horses and horseback riding, then you’ll find this particular blog post invaluably beneficial for the coming camp season. Today, I’ll be discussing The Ovation™ Deluxe Schooler Helmet as well as a fun way to dress it up with cool Helmet Zocks!—the best way to cover and decorate your helmet in awesome, bright designs.

The Deluxe Schooler from English Riding Supply is the right helmet for any entry level rider because of its many, many conveniences. No rider, let alone a lesser experienced one should have to deal with a heavy helmet that fits too tight and makes riding hot, sweaty, and overall uncomfortable.

A rider who is equipped with the Schooler Helmet won’t have to worry about any of this unpleasantness. Because this helmet is ventilated and lightweight, it will wear comfortably and keep your head cool. Then, for even more comfort and added protection, the interior is mesh-padded.

The Schooler also features a removable breakaway visor along with a dial fit system and a leather and nylon adjustable harness so that it not only meets your personal riding preferences, but is sure to meet the specific size of your head. This helmet delivers maximum comfort!

ASTM F1163-04a/SEI Certified, this helmet is more-than-suitable for riding but also good enough to use as a show helmet!

It’s given a rubberized finish for a very sleek look, but if you really want to ride in your own style, Ovation™ Helmet Zocks are the way to go! Helmet Zocks, socks for your riding helmet, not only cloak your helmet in your preferred design, but also provides your helmet with protection–avoiding scratches or getting marked up in any way.

Arrive at riding camp wearing the Ovation™ Deluxe Schooler Helmet and sporting a great Zocks cover! Are you ready to ride? As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

Hey, Camp Folks!

At the beginning of the month, we had our first Employee Bio blog post about Kristy, Everything Summer Camp’s Lead Buyer.

The hope with these particular blog posts is for you to get to know us better here at Everything Summer Camp, learn a thing or two about the people who work here, and have a better understanding of who we are as a company.

Today marks our second Employee Bio post about our Production Supervisor, Shirley. She plays a very vital role in the construction of our camp trunks. As the Supervisor, Shirley coordinates the scheduling for production based on the orders for camp trunks that we get from you.

She also keeps her eye on inventory levels and assigns daily goals for her crew. Together, they get everyone’s camp trunk made, custom to what you ordered and we ship it out to you in plenty of time before summer camp starts!

A camp trunk, a foot locker, locker trunks—it doesn’t really matter what you call them; in any case, Shirley makes them and she’s probably one of the best in the country at doing it. After almost 26 years of building them, we pretty much consider her an expert at this point! 

If you’re all brushed-up on your Everything Summer Camp trivia, you may already realize that Shirley has been working here ever since this company first got going—that’s pretty impressive. The length of her employment just goes to show how much she likes her job.

What’s kept her here for so long? “I enjoy the people that I work with and take satisfaction in the products we make,” she says. Having started out as a Production Worker, Shirley’s come to have an exceptional understanding of what durable trunk construction is and how to achieve it on every single one she builds.

So, after reading this post and learning a little about Shirley, aren’t you glad we have her in charge of making your camp trunk? Until next time, Campers. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

What Goldilocks Can Teach Us about How Long to Stay at Camp?

Goldilocks did three things right when selecting her preferred chair, porridge and bed: She kept an open mind, she experimented and she was involved in making her own choices. Wise parents adopt the Goldilocks model when deciding on session length. Let’s talk through each of these three factors.

First, you and your child should keep an open mind. Some eight-year-olds are ready for a seven-week stay; some 14-year-olds will struggle with a two-week stay. Generally speaking, younger children and first-year campers begin with shorter session lengths (one or two-weeks) and build up to a month or more. However, there are plenty of exceptions. Ultimately, you’re trying match the camp and session length to your child’s interests, abilities and developmental level, rather than link any parameter of his or her stay to chronological age.

Second, experiment a bit. Arrange for your child to spend a few overnights and long weekends with friends or relatives. Let them get a sense of what they miss. (Everyone misses something.) Talk with them after this practice time away from home about how they coped with their normal pangs of homesickness. Coach them on the best ways to adjust to the separation from home. If they claim to have sailed through the separation with nary a thought of home, they are probably lying but still showing healthy confidence.

(Note: Most parents are committed to preventing severe homesickness. That’s why the American Camp Association created a 25-minute homesickness prevention DVD. The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success is actually a DVD-CD set that lowers the intensity of first-year campers’ homesickness by 50%, on average. Consider making this $10 investment in your child’s happiness. The set is for sale on EverythingSummerCamp.com or by calling (800) 535-2057.)

Third, involve your son or daughter in the decision about how long to stay at camp. Some of the choice will be dictated by family finances, of course. Whatever flexibility is left should be largely up to your child. Ownership over the decision about how many weeks to attend camp goes a long way toward promoting good adjustment to the separation from home. Said differently, children who feel forced to spend a certain amount of time away from home are more likely to become intensely homesick.

Of course, Goldilocks didn’t get it all right. After all, she broke into someone else’s house without permission, a fact not taken lightly by the three bears. Camp has an entirely different premise. Not only are the chairs, meals and beds perfect for kids of all shapes and sizes, the staff will welcome their presence and work diligently to help them feel part of the family.

Enjoy the summer!

Dr. Christopher Thurber

Hey, Camp Fans!

Just a few days ago we made a post on this blog about cool and interesting stories from companies with whom we do business. The other day’s blog post was about Kamik—the outdoor footwear and clothing place that got their start in 1932.

Today we’ll be taking a look at a company that got started over a hundred years earlier in 1830 by a man named John Rich who came to the United States from England and built his first woolen mill in Plum Run, Pennsylvania.

It’s funny to speak of Woolrich’s modest start—the company whose name has become globally synonymous with quality—but the company’s first sales came from men at the surrounding lumber camps. Rich would sell them socks, coverlets, and yarn from out of his mule cart.

Pretty humble beginnings.

But in the next fifteen years, he had built a new mill further down the road which still stands today in the little town of Woolrich, Pennsylvania which expanded the company’s products and sales. As people’s lifestyles changed along with the ever-changing world around them, Woolrich never failed to find new means of production and advancements in technology, keeping itself a healthy, thriving company.

Woolrich has witnessed a lot: the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, The Great Depression, both World Wars, the Cold War, the Space Race, and the emergence of the Digital Age—all of which influenced the changes and growth of Woolrich.

From wool bathing suits to hunting coats to vehicle robes and steamer rugs, Woolrich has certainly expanded its trade. They were even contracted by the government in the late thirties to outfit a three-year, Antarctic expedition led by Admiral Byrd.

Along the way, Woolrich has come to perfect their recipe of wool, cotton, and manmade fibers with their excellent clothing and heavenly bedding! Everything Summer Camp is more than happy to be working with a company that has so much history; it’s great to offer blankets from the same company that blanketed soldiers in the Civil War.

That’s all for today, Camp Fans. Until next time. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hi, Camp Shoppers!

Moving along through March I’m sure that for many of you, summer camp preparations are starting to dwell heavier and heavier on your mind. There’s so much you need to get before camp starts, so let posts like these help give you a better idea of what you’re getting with our new products.

As hot as the days get at summer camp, the other foot always falls and with it, so does the temperature. Chilly nights and rainy days are inevitable; so, Parents, make sure your kids are prepared with the Fawn Grove Throw from Woolrich.

This blanket takes the chill out of a chilly night. It is as amazing as they come. You’ll have absolutely no problems staying warm when you cover up with this throw.

The great thing about the Fawn Grove Throw is its weight distribution. It’s the perfect balance between a bulky blanket and a light throw. You’re sure to fall asleep as you fall in love with this single-ply, warm, wool blanket.

Surprisingly lightweight and soft for 100% wool, there is so much to admire about the Fawn Grove Throw:

At 54” wide and 70” long, this blanket is certainly big enough to snuggle up in or use for two to share, covering their legs.

Whether it’s the stitching around the borders of the throw—a subtle and impressive touch—or simply the soft, plaid design, these beautiful blankets will likely hold you spellbound. That’s how you know the quality is real and definitely made in the Woolrich Woolen Mills.

The Fawn Grove Throw is available in a variety of diverse, dreamy colors so make sure you know in which one your camper will want to wrap up.

For a sneak peek of what you’re buying, I’d suggest using the zoom feature on our site. It’ll allow you to get real up close and personal with these throws. I think you’ll be happy to find that even extremely close up, the Fawn Grove Throw is the perfect summer camp blanket.

Dry clean for best care. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John