Hey, Camp Folks!

We all get great enjoyment out of a hard day’s work here at Everything Summer Camp but, just like all you, we want to have our fun in the sun as well. I’ve been asking people all around the workplace to see what kind of summer camp activities people would be most interested in returning to or trying out for the first time! I stopped by in our Shipping Department recently to talk to one of our star-shippers, Madisen to see what her pick would be for her favorite camp activity!

Without any hesitation, Maddy came back with her automatic and singular answer: Horseback Riding. Like our Call Center supervisor, Diane (who talked about her love of riding in her Blog post), Maddy has had a soft spot for horses and has loved to ride since she can recall. Horse riding was her favorite thing during her days back in summer camp, finding it both peaceful and freeing.

Maddy expressed to me what a stress-relieving activity horse riding has been for her. “I’ll go out there and she takes it all away,” she told me referring to her horse. “She makes me feel free. When I’m on her back riding it’s like no one can touch me.”

I’m sure Maddy isn’t the only one who has made the connection between riding and peace of mind that riders tend to feel. After all, riding becomes the only thing you’re thinking about when doing it. Riding and balancing. It induces a level of mindfulness that requires constant focus on the proper posture for riding. It makes sense that it quiets the mind.

Maddy loves horses and horse riding so much that she moved to Wyoming a couple years back to work for Buffalo Mountain Outfitters—a horse ranch  where she fed hay bales to horses, took them out to water, got them saddled up for guests, and would help with safety procedures during tours.

Are you passionate about horseback riding like Maddy is? If it’s something you love, hopefully you’ll be enjoying horse riding come the summer season. Happy trails. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Have you ever wondered to yourself why we have certain phrases and sayings that are really built into our everyday speech. Folks find themselves saying phrases like ‘Fly off the Handle’ and ‘Keep it Up’. Often enough, people don’t even realize they’re using one of these sayings or adages—they’re just such a part of our language.

Today we’re examining the origin of the phrase ‘Break a Leg’. Ironically, we use this phrase as a means of wishing someone good luck. While you can really say this to anyone, intending to wish them good luck, this phrase is most commonly used in the context of wishing actors and stage performers a good show on the opening night of a play.

Most people think the saying ‘Break a Leg’ comes from the American theater community throughout the 1900s. The acting community (at least back then) was guilty of some superstitious behavior. And that, as you might imagine, is where today’s phrase comes into play.  

Actors and actresses had come to believe that saying something like "good luck" would actually have the opposite effect on the stage. Therefore, they picked a disastrous misfortune such as a broken leg and wished that upon a fellow actor with the intention that the opposite would happen and they would have an excellent, flawless show.

There are a number of other superstitions for which the theater community has a history of being cautious over. Whistling backstage is frowned upon, believing that it will bring bad luck. Mirrors are also thought to bring bad luck as well as reflecting light that could disrupt the show. Three lit candles are often thought to be a good thing but, once again, onstage this is said to be very unlucky.

So folks, in conclusion, be careful when you’re on the stage. Things seem to have the opposite effect up there. Enjoy another adage origin Blog post from the past by clicking right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Happy Old Stuff Day, Everybody!

It’s no surprise that we have a day dedicated to old stuff; many people have a great fascination with old things. Old things mean history. And the past is always interesting to explore. Old stuff and the ways of the past are at the heart of summer camp.

Campers are typically encouraged to embrace an immersive experience that champions old practices and non-electronic gear. And even summer camp itself is a look back to a more primitive time when the days were mostly spent outdoors.

For the last hundred years or so, people have developed and established summer camps. The idea rose in popularity with the rise of big cities. It quickly became a part of summer for so many kids whose city-living parents wanted to give their kids a glimpse of the good ol’ wholesome country life that comes along with a natural, rural setting.

In a technology-driven world that gets further and further away from our primitive roots, summer camp is a way to keep the ways of the old world alive. Technology (especially electronic and digital technology) has benefited the world greatly, however, the natural world is hidden from us when our eyes are glued to a screen.

Learning about old things like how to use a compass or spying something at a distance with a pair of binoculars are great ways to enjoy a physical experience in the real world. I don’t think too many people would describe a time of their life viewing something on a screen as a life-changing moment. The natural world presents us with plenty of life-altering experiences.

Enjoy doing something real today with a toy like a yo-yo or grab a few bean bags and learn to juggle. Happy Old Stuff Day to all and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Every kid needs a good pair of kicks for summer camp! Are you on the lookout for a new pair of shoes? You’ve come to the right place! We carry an impressive variety of shoes, sandals, and boots of all different, reputable brand names like Northside, Merrell, and more. We’ve got all the essential footwear for summer camp such as water shoes, sport sandals, tennis shoes, horse riding boots, and more!

And now KEEN trail shoes have arrived here at Everything Summer Camp! Masters of their craft, providing absolute comfort and protection for your feet, KEEN has their footwear construction down to a science. Let’s take a good look at the Targhee trail shoe. We offer the kid’s, women’s, and men’s versions.

The KEEN Targhee Footwear Family
KEEN’s Targhee Mid Hiking Shoes are armor for your feet when you’re looking to cover some serious ground. Utilizing 4mm lugs to really latch onto the terrain as you cross it, this hiking shoe was truly made for the trail.

• The waterproof and breathable KEEN.DRY insert keeps your feet dry for lasting comfort rain or shine.

• Dual-density and compression-molded EVA midsoles are designed for cushion and excellent shock-absorption for podiatric preservation!

• Its mid-height cut greatly reduces your risk of rolling or twisting an ankle while the heel support structure cups your heel to decrease slippage and blistering.

Take on those tough trails with total confidence when you lace up your own Targhee boots. We basically have your feet covered with any kind of footwear you might want for anything you might do this summer! Take a look at our trail shoes when you click right here and you can shop the rest of our footwear selection by clicking here. Enjoy finding the right footwear for you and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Hey, Horn Wailers!

A wide assortment of Horns are a fairly common category of instrument for musicians to pick up, though for the majority of their history, they were less musical and more functional—purposed as call to signal something or used in royal ceremonies. They developed as time moved on and slowly became more complex. By the 1750s, horns were starting to be used to orchestral arrangements. Read more about different kinds of horns and horn techniques from this previous Blog post.

Today we’re going to talk specifically about the saxophone and the guy who invented it! Born Antoine-Joseph Sax in 1814 (current day) Belgium, he went by Adolphe ever since he was a child. His parents were instrument-designers themselves—both of whom had made later developments to the French Horn. Of course, raised by such parents, it was only natural that Adolphe would play as well; he learned the flute and clarinet.

Adolphe didn’t just play, though. He started making his own instruments as well—and at an early age. By just 15 years old, he had entered two of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition. He went on to study flute and clarinet performance as well as voice at the Royal Conservatory of Brussel Music School. 

Before going any further, it’s interesting to note that from a young age, Adolphe escaped death a handful of times and had a few other instances that were rather unfortunate.

• At three years old, he drank acidic water that he thought was milk.
• He fell from three floors up and hit his head on a stone. He was believed to be dead.
• He once swallowed a pin.
• He got severe burns from gunpowder exploding nearby.
• Another time burned his side when he fell onto a hot cast-iron frying pan.
• A cobblestone once hit him in the head. He fell in a river and nearly died.
• He survived several accounts of sleeping in a room where varnished furniture was drying.

Had he lived to see such misfortunes, but not be fortunate enough to survive them all, we would never have heard of the Saxaphone and the instrument would never have come to be as we know it.

When he finished his time at Music School, he began playing with instrument designs. Living in Paris in 1842, he began developing a bugle with valves. This was the beginning of the saxophone. Thought to be for jazz what the guitar is for rock n’ roll, the saxophone was patented in 1846. And Adolphe didn’t stop there. He also invented the saxotromba, the saxhorn, as well as the saxtuba.

Today, you may find saxhorns in concert bands, marching bands, and orchestras. The saxhorn also paved the way for the modern euphonium! Enjoy maybe a deeper appreciation for the saxophone—a superstar among horn instruments! Till next time, Folks. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John