Hey, Camp Folks!

Happy National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day! Today, we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the small businesses run by parents who make an unstoppable team. Did you know that mom and pop shops create 70% of all new jobs in America? That's right! These shops are the backbone of our economy and often have a special place in our hearts. It's incredible to see how mom and pop businesses have withstood the test of time throughout the years and have transformed to meet the needs of the times and their customers.

Did you know that Everything Summer Camp started as a mom and pop shop? We have humble beginnings that go back to 1987 when we were still known just as C&N Footlockers. Craig and Nancy Cornell, the owners, started in just a little garage in the small town of Boyd, Wisconsin, manufacturing classic footlockers.

The dust was still settling one summer day in the small workshop they built when the married couple embarked upon their first workday of their new business. After sharing a silent smile and comfortable look in each other’s eyes, the two started crafting their very first C&N trunk and, along with it, the foundation of their company. That first year, they produced 380 trunks!

As demand grew, they expanded their line of products and had to relocate to a larger facility to keep up with manufacturing and storage needs. Today, our business still operates in the same small town of Boyd where every single C&N Footlocker is manufactured. We’re still that same small town business, but we’re capable of BIG things!

We're proud to be a part of the legacy of mom and pop shops. So, on this day, let's give a big shout out to all the mom and pop businesses out there and do what you can to support a local mom and pop shop in your area! Thanks for reading, Folks. And, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

At Everything Summer Camp, we’re passionate about making your camping experience a memorable one and having the right gear is essential for a successful stay at overnight camp. That’s why you can find a wide range of summer camp gear and camping supplies to meet your every need. However, our flagship product is undoubtedly our camp trunks. Our C&N Footlockers are second to none in quality and we stand behind (and on top of) our trunks with a lifetime guarantee.

Joe is one of our longtime Production workers, putting his expert skill level to your service every day, crafting our high quality camp trunks. Given the opportunity to go to summer camp nowadays, as an adult, he could think of several ways he would spend his time. Check out his top choices in summer camp activities that he would sign up for today…

Go-Kart Racing
Though he’s never actually raced on a track, Joe bought a go-kart for his kids to ride around in the backyard. Of course, he had to test-drive it for the kids to make sure it was safe, he told me with a laugh. He obviously had a good time in it for his own sake too. He wanted to put it to the test and see how fast he could go, but never put the pedal to the floor to hard with his children chasing all around after him. If he ever found himself in a go-kart on a track, he’d love to rev it up and GO!

Paintball
Next up, Joe said he would try Paintball. He’s never gone Paintballing either, though he’s been shot with one before! He told me about a night around a campfire a number of years back with a friend who had acquired a paintball gun. They were inspecting the new purchase and getting curious about how it would feel to be hit with a paintball. “Only one way to find out,” his friend told him before letting Joe have it. That night, Joe found out—it HURTS! Perhaps Joe would get his friend to join him in a game today, looking to get a little payback!

Canoeing
For a third pick of another activity that he’s never had a chance to do before, Joe decided he would take a ride in a canoe. “It sounds like it would be an awesome way to see all the scenery and Mother Nature…and things you wouldn’t see from the land,” he told me. On top of all that he said it just sounds like a great way to relax for an afternoon, gliding along on the water and taking it all in.

Do any of Joe’s picks of camp activities sound fun to you? Maybe you’ll enjoy one or more of these come your time away at camp. Find out if your camp offers them or perhaps you can find your own means of having the experience. As always, thanks for reading and happy camping!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

An absolute necessity at camp, you want your child to bring a towel they can dry off with quickly and thoroughly for the duration of their summer stay! Your natural instinct may be to go with an ordinary, bulky cotton towel (probably like the ones in your bathroom at home). And that will certainly get your camper by for their summer stay. But a towel like this has its disadvantages in the summer camp setting such as eating up space and not remaining the most fresh.

PackTowl, on the other hand, doesn’t make just any typical towel. THESE towels are anything but! Yes, they are higher-priced than your basic cotton towel, but you don’t want to skimp when it comes to your child’s camp stay. Read on to learn how PackTowl Towels are extraordinary products and worth every penny.

Did you know that, before the 1800s, towels were only found in the closets of the rich and royalty? They used to be much more expensive before the Industrial Revolution when they were all handwoven. The advent of large textile machines, however, brought the means of mass production in a short amount of time, making cotton towels much more affordable. They quickly became a part of our everyday lives and a commonplace item found in every household.

PackTowl is here to revolutionize the towel by making it out of an ultra-soft fabric that’s easy to wring out and dries unbelievably fast—70% faster than cotton. In fact, when hung out in the sun, it dries in just FIVE MINUTES. Perfect for camp! These towels are also lightweight and amazingly absorbent. Camp packing lists typically want you bringing four shower towels and two beach towels. PackTowl towels, however, dry so quickly that you could get away with bringing fewer along!

When your average towel comes back from camp, best case scenario: it becomes a rag towel. But PackTowl isn’t your average towel. It’s made with built-in sand and dirt-repellency; just a few good shakes and this towel shrugs it all off! It’s guaranteed to survive multiple camp outings from one season to the next for many years to come. Check out our PackTowl towels when you click right here. Thanks for reading, Camp Folks. And, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Dodgers!

The energy is charged with cheers, shrieks, shouts, and other sounds of excitement that join the bouncing sounds of a dozen rubber balls launched one way as a dozen more fly in the opposite direction. Dodgeball at summer camp is a surefire means of frenzied fun! It’s been a staple of gym classes as well as summer camp activities, but its origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations.

Some historians speculate that games similar to Dodgeball were played as far back as 500 BC., but it’s officially recognized to have begun 200 years ago in Africa. Their version wasn’t really a game, though. It was played with stones instead of rubber balls. Instead of fun or spectator amusement, it was intended to develop the strength and endurance of their warriors.  

From Africa, it spread to Asia. And after that it was popularized in Europe where they traded out the stones for leather balls. European schools started using the game as a way to teach children important skills like agility, hand-eye coordination, and teamwork. Over the course of the 1900s, the modern version emerged, made its way to the United States and its popularity went through the roof!

Dodgeball helps children develop important skills such as:

Agility
You have to move quickly in this game to avoid getting hit. Become more nimble and coordinated the more you play.

Hand-Eye Coordination
As is the case with any sport that involves catching a ball, Dodgeball strengthens hand-eye coordination. You have to catch balls and throw them back with speed.

Teamwork
Dodgeball is a team sport that requires players communicate effectively and work together in order to achieve the win.

Overall, it's a game with a long history that encourages physical activity, teamwork, and sportsmanship, making it an ideal activity for kids at summer camp! While the game has undergone some major changes over time, its main objective has remained the same (and it’s a lot more fun and safe now that it isn’t played with rocks).

Enjoy some rounds of Dodgeball this summer if you have the opportunity at your camp! Thanks for reading today’s Blog post and, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Families!

When you work with more than 270 fantastic summer camps, you can’t help but sing their praises, so we’re grateful for this Blog to use as a platform for getting the word out about these awesome camps. For another installment to our Summer Camp Spotlight Blog posts, we aim our camp spotlight to the West Coast.

One of California’s most treasured summer camps, today, we fix our spotlight on River Way Ranch Camp—home away from home for boys and girls since 1967. A lucky location, River Way Ranch is found in the foothills of the magnificent Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

With 75 acres of majestic beauty, River Way Ranch keeps its campers enchanted with its surroundings and entertained with its activities! Join in on the outdoor fun of Archery, Basketball, Softball, Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Ropes Course, Climbing, Wall, Zip Line, Horseback Riding, an overnight trip in the Sequoia National Forest, and much, much more.

There’s also indoor fun with Arts & Crafts, Ceramics, Culinary Arts, Photography, games in the Recreational Center, and more. And don’t forget about the fun sure to be had on the waterfront like Paddle Boarding, Knee Boarding, Kayaking, Waterskiing, Water Aerobics, Water Sports, and a number of other great ways to have fun in the water!

After a long day jam-packed with activities, campers retreat to their bunks in the air-conditioned cabins they’ve been assigned to complete with electricity and bathrooms. The cabins are accommodating for eight campers and two cabin leaders who stay in the cabin throughout the night.

River Way Ranch knows how to show the youth of today a fun summer. Check out their website and get a good look at this camp by clicking here. It may just be the camp for you! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John