Hey, Camp Fans!

Here at Everything Summer Camp we pride ourselves in the quality products that we offer. Of course, we take full credit when it comes to the C&N Footlocker trunks that we manufacture ourselves ever since our humble beginnings, but we give absolute credit to those whose quality products we offer on our online shop. Let’s take a closer look at the Smartwool brand and the many wool socks of theirs that we offer on our online shop. How did this company get their start?

The Smartwool Story
Smartwool is a little ski-town brand founded by Peter and Patty Duke—ski instructors who moved in 1994 from the East Coast to Steamboat, Colorado. “That first year in Steamboat was the coldest my feet have ever been,” Peter was quoted in an Outdoor Retailer article from 2017. “I literally poured water out of my boots at the end of the day! A friend and I made some merino socks, and after that my feet were the warmest they’ve ever been, and they were absolutely dry. That’s when the lightbulb went off.”

Why Wool?
It may sound like torture to wear wool on your feet, but that’s because you’re thinking of the wrong kind of wool like your grandmother’s itchy sweater. Smartwool uses responsibly-sourced Merino wool which consists of a much thinner and softer fiber. It isn’t itchy at all. In fact, it’s insanely soft, unbelievably breathable, and completely comfortable!

Wool in the Summer?   
You may think wool would be steadfast in keeping you warm but that isn’t always the case. In fact, some campers prefer to ONLY wear wool socks. Wool actually works by regulating your body temperature. Smartwool socks are made of a thinner wool that is anti-odor and moisture-wicking to keep your feet feeling cool even in the thick of the summer season.

Get Smart About Your Socks
Thanks to the nature of this ‘miracle fiber’, Smartwool socks are naturally antibacterial, resist odor, and wick moisture away. For that reason, these socks don’t require washing after each use. You know your child. They MIGHT just grab the SAME pair of socks from yesterday! If they’re just going to wear the same socks again, at least they won’t be smelly and gross with a pair of Smartwool socks.

The people at Smartwool are smart. Not only about the way they make their products, but also the relationships they form with their business partners. They only work with a select group of businesses that they trust. Therefore, it’s an honor for us to offer their amazing socks on our summer camp shop. Check out their fun website and learn another thing or two about Smartwool. You can learn more about Smartwool right here and, as always, thanks for reading.

 

- John

Hey, Gen-u-ine Gymnasts!

Were you born for the balance beam? Made for mat routines? If so, you’re in luck! There’s a good chance you’ll have the opportunity to try some of your favorite Gymnastic events at summer camp. While you’ll always want to confirm that your camp offers a specific activity that you’re interested in, certain activities are so popular (such as Archery), you’d be hard-pressed to find a camp that DIDN’T offer it. Similarly, you’ll find Gymnastics offered at most camps.

Furthering your skills in the art of Gymnastics will benefit you greatly. Performing a sport as physically-demanding as gymnastics is a fantastic way for kids to improve their level of fitness including balance, coordination, flexibility, and strength. But the benefits of such an activity will also exceed your physical fitness. Check out how ELSE doing Gymnastics can benefit you:

Self-Confidence
Developing your skill level for certain Gymnastic events is a challenge to undertake! With practice and dedication, it’s exciting for campers to discover their progress over the course of their camp stay. Seeing themselves advance instills confidence in their abilities which results in campers feeling more confident in themselves.

Social Skills
Gymnastic events are often performed in a group setting. Kids wait in line for their turn to execute a certain event and then move onto the next. It’s a great setting for kids to talk about their progress, which event is their favorite, and just be silly with each other. It’s a great way for kids to develop their communication skills, work together, and make new friends.

Fun
This sport is hard work, but it’s also exhilarating. Learning new skills and performing routines are accomplishments children can take pride in. It’s something that helps them feel more engaged in the summer camp experience and encourage getting into the camp spirit. Since having fun is the Number One goal of summer camp, you can be sure this is one incredibly fun activity!

Will your camper be enjoying Gymnastics in this year’s summer camp season? It will boost their confidence, social skills, physical fitness, and overall enjoyment of summer camp! Be sure to encourage your kid to give Gymnastics a try. Til next time, Camp Folks! Thanks for reading and, as always, Happy Camping!

 

- John

Hey, Shining Campers!

You’re sure to find flashlights as essential items on everybody’s packing list for summer camp. The world has no shortage of flashlights—from the kinds you’ll find in any given household to tactical flashlights made for military use—so shop with Everything Summer Camp where we offer the best flashlights specifically for summer campers!

When the sun goes down at summer camp, your child will need a reliable source of light to make their way back from a trip to the bathroom to the camp fire where all their friends are hanging out. Then, hang it above your bunk to read a book before lights out or write a letter home. Make that reliable source the 2-in-1 Outdoor Camp Lantern and Flashlight from the affordable Gear Up brand.

Use this handy piece of camping equipment expanded to set or hang as a lantern for area lighting. And, when retracted with an easy sliding motion, it becomes a flashlight to illuminate your path! The Lantern cranks out 350 Lumens to light up your surroundings and 80 Lumens when in flashlight mode!

The 2-in-1 Outdoor Camp Lantern/Flashlight is a powerful light source with a durable body. Carry or hang it using its convenient rubber handle. Runs off of three AA batteries giving it long run times.

Get a good look at the Gear Up 2-in-1 Outdoor Camp Lantern and Flashlight by clicking here. Or, have a gander at all the kid-friendly lighting options available right here on our online store. We carry some of the best brands out there with names like Nite Ize, Black Diamond, Hybrid Light, Petzl, and even more.

Remember—when you need some light, Gear Up! This brand is dedicated to an affordable, quality product line of essential camping equipment. Check out the rest of our lanterns, flashlights, headlamps, and more by clicking here. Thanks for reading, Camp Folks and, as always, Happy Camping!

 

- John

Hey, Painting People!

Claude Monet was a French painter who focused heavily on capturing reality through light and natural forms. The main objective of his work was to analyze light and color and its ever-changing nature. A pioneer in the Impressionist movement, Monet experimented plenty with his work. He was known to paint the same subjects repeatedly to see how appearances changed at different times and in different light.

Impressed?
Without meaning to, Monet gave Impressionism its name. The artistic movement was named after one of his paintings: “Impression, Sunrise”, which was exhibited in 1874. It was the critic Louis Leroy who accused Monet’s painting of being a sketch or “impression,” of a piece, but not a finished painting itself. Despite it being meant as an insult, the name stuck.  

Creativity and Cataracts
In 1905, 65-year-old Monet began to notice his vision deteriorating. Colors had grown dimmer and in less than ten years, he was diagnosed with nuclear cataracts in both of his eyes. His paintings started featuring more yellow and purple tones. Because Monet often repainted the same subjects, his body of work was studied to better understand eye disease and how it affects our vision.

Ultraviolet Painting
Though Monet didn’t want surgery for his cataracts, he eventually agreed to the operation on his right eye. He didn’t have any surgery done on his left eye, however, even though it still had cataracts and violets and blues had vanished from his vision. When he had the operation, the lens of his right eye was removed, allowing more light into his eye. It’s believed that Monet was seeing ultraviolet wavelengths that would otherwise be filtered out by the lens. Blues became very prominent his work from then on.

Do you like to paint? Who knows where your ventures on the canvas will end up! Maybe one day you’ll be considered to be a revolutionary part of the art movement. Keep painting. Thanks for reading, Everyone. And, as always, Happy Camping! Thanks for reading, Everybody!

 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Once summer camp comes to a close it’s Back-to-School prep and it’s not long after that that the holiday season rolls around. Here we are now one month into the new year and getting ready for summer camp is probably the last thing on your mind. It’s a little early to be thinking about summer camp right now anyway, right? What’s there to be done for camp this time of year?

LOTS!!!

Work in Advance
There’s plenty to cross off the camp prep list. And many summer camps fill all their available spots SEVERAL MONTHS before Opening Day! If you wait until late May to get your child signed up, the remaining spots available may only be found at second-rate camps. You want the best you can manage for your kid, no doubt, so don’t procrastinate and try to get your kid signed up for camp by April!

Where to Camp
While it would be best at this point if you knew which summer camp you’d like you’re child to attend, don’t fret if you haven’t figured that out yet. You have time, but it’s something you’ll want to get moving on quickly. Speed up your search by looking for camps whose directors have a long tenure, whose staff is comprised of mostly former campers, and whose camper return rate is above 75%!

What to Do
Once you’ve identified the right summer camp for you and your camper, there’s plenty more to cross off your to-do list—things like scheduling a physical exam, acquiring all the items on your camp’s packing list, preparing your camper and yourself against homesickness/childsickness, making logistical plans for Opening, Visiting, and Closing Day, and even more.

Life gets busier and busier all the time. Make sure to do your child and yourself the favor of acting now on looking into the camp that’s best for you. Be sure to include your child in the camp prep process every step of the way to give them a sense of ownership over their camp stay and give them a feeling of control while they’re away! 

 

- John