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Technorati: camping-hammocks, camping-hammock-info, hennessy hammock

No, you don't need one. But it's a lot of fun to bring one. Sure it's one more thing to add to your camping packing list, but if camping's about living it easy, kicking up your legs, daydreaming, or just enjoying a nap in the breeze, try tossing in a hammock.

Some backpackers and hikers even toss out the tent for the hammock for these reasons:

Camping hammocks are ultra-light compared to the traditional pop tent. And they take up less room when packed. Most hammocks for camping will pack the hammock, the ..

Source: hammock camping

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Whether you are taking cross country motorcycle tours, or just a trip down to grandma’s house in Florida, traveling across the country can be a big adventure. In my life, I have taken dozens of cross country travel trips, and each one has been different. When I was in college, it was a pretty casual thing. We would clamber into my friend’s beaten up old Ford, head out, deciding where we were going on the way there. That was it. Looking back on it, it seems foolish. So many things could have gone wrong after all, and we took no precautions in our planning. Yet back then, we felt carefree. Cross country traveling was just a way to unwind from the semester, and we would do it every chance we had.

Nowadays, my cross country travels have become a little bit more sophisticated. You see, I am currently employed as a travel writer, and my cross country road trips give me ample fodder for my books. I was actually inspired to take up this career by a road trip that went wrong. A travel book that we were using seemed to be up to date, but it actually had some bad information. There were whole towns that were listed in the cross country travel guide that in fact didn’t exist. This is a problem when you are running low on fuel and you expect one of those towns ahead. After spending the night in the wilderness, camped out in our broken down car on the side of the road, me and my buddy decided we would do everything we could to help stop this from happening to other people. I became a travel writer, he became a state trooper.

Nowadays, cross country travel information is better than ever before. With satellite imaging and Google maps, online travel guides, and all of the other sources of information on the Internet, there are more resources than ever before. Of course, some of these are better than others. In my opinion, the best resources for cross country travel are local guides and printed books. Most cities will have an online website that will provide you with some reliable information about what is there. For their part, the reputable travel guides will give you some good general information about the regions your cross country travel takes you through. It is always best to consult more than one source of information, but what happened to me all those years ago is a rare events nowadays.

This article on Cross Country Travel is brought to you by our Adventure Travel and Trekking Guide , where you will find more valuable resources about Travel And Trekking. Click on “Read on ” in the “About box” to get several links pointing to our Adventure Travel and Trekking Guide.

Source: Cross Country Travel

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Anybody old enough to remember when heading out through the woods was safe? You and your friends could put up a few tents, start a roaring fire, then sit back and enjoy a night under the stars. Hot dogs never tasted so good, pierced with a dead twig and covered with blackened crisp. Toss in a warm beer, s’mores, and scary stories,…I mean, can you beat that?

Yup, those were the days. Unfortunately Jason Voorhees had to come along and ruin everything. Uh, wait a minute. Never mind. It actually wasn’t Jason at all. It was the criminal content of our society that ruined this ritual. These days it’s plain and simply NOT prudent to camp out wherever you please. Only a fool would set up camp in some random neck of the woods. Serial killers and psychopaths search for people like this. These days you have to seek out tent campgrounds. It’s the only way to get the nature experience in a safe way.

Of course, there’s always your own property. If you live on a nice piece of land with a healthy wooded area, consider yourself blessed. You are one of the few who have no need for tent campgrounds. I used to camp out on my own property as a kid all the time. We had 15 acres of mostly woods and it was a blast. Not once did we encounter a stranger on our land. It was ideal. My brothers and I could pop up a tent deep in our woods and hang out there all weekend. We became masters at building fires with flint and steel, purifying water, and dealing with small portions of food. Hey, it was a blast!

But, now that I’m an adult and live in a suburb , I don’t have a personal place to take my nephews camping. I have to research local tent campgrounds like KOA. These are the common places that folks with tents and campers go to recapture that exciting outdoor experience, and do so the safe way. Criminals have no interest in tent campgrounds loaded with masses of people.

Don’t miss out on the outdoor experience! Take your children and family camping at least once in your life. This is a fun outdoor activity that everyone should be able to enjoy. Check out your local listings for tent campgrounds nearby. Just make sure you have all the necessary camping supplies before heading off to the campsite.

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I have been outdoor rock climbing for years . Finding the right rock climbing equipment was pretty easy after I got used to it. There are so many people who review rock climbing equipment, and so many respectable sources in the area, that I pretty easily learned what I needed to take with me. Ironically, outdoor camping equipment is a little bit harder to find.

Since camping gear is a little bit less specialized , I had expected it to be easier to make choices. Wouldn’t you think there would be specific kinds of camping equipment that fit the bill? In reality, because it is less specialized there seems to be more conflicting opinions. Since I had never picked out outdoor camping gear before, I was confused by the variety of options. I made what I thought were the best selections. Unfortunately, not all of these selections worked out for me.

The first time I took my camping equipment on a rock climbing trip , I found this out the hard way. And I had decided to take no risks at all; I got the best camping gear that I could find – or at least what I thought was the best. I got a very well made tent that was certified for Arctic conditions. I bought a mummy-style sleeping bag and a lot of other survival-type camping stuff. Unfortunately, I made all of the wrong choices.

Although the camping equipment that I got was really good , it was completely inappropriate for rock climbing and for the weather. It was too heavy, too hot, and too bulky. Having the wrong outdoor camping equipment on a rock climbing trip can be very dangerous. Every spare pound that you are carrying counts, so taking too much stuff up with you is always a bad idea. I learned the hard way the pitfalls of picking out the wrong equipment. And I was really ticked off at myself, which did not help. The last morning I even dumped the sleeping bag, much to the glee of my buddies (they all know what a tightwad I am).

This is why you should always pick out outdoor climbing equipment with the help of an expert in the area. If you are just taking an overnight in a place that is easy to get to, mild, and close to civilization, it doesn’t matter. You won’t have to worry about having the best stuff. But if you are going on a serious outdoor adventure, you should do some serious planning. When you’re in the middle of the woods, remember, you can’t go to back to the outfitter to get the right gear.

So here’s my two cents. Don’t go to Walmart or Target. Either go to a specialty store where you can talk to someone who knows what you need, or get online with a reputable company. I can recommend Moosejaw personally; fast, reliable, and pretty fun people with which to do business. Altrec is good also. Rock on.

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