Boating Tips: Stay Safe on the Water with These Tips

by Bruce A Tucker.

Boating is fun and enjoyable. It can be a great time go fishing, or swimming or just cruising on your favorite lake, river, bay or ocean. Increase your chances of safety and follow these common sense tips.

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Seasonal Camper? Well, Let's Go Camping!

Yep folks! It's getting to be that time of year again. Time to pull out that camping gear, clean off the cobwebs and start planning that first camping trip. Whether you prefer tent camping or RVing, spring is upon us and our wanderlust is tearing at the bars of its cage. We took our first weekend camping trip a few weeks ago and it was cold and really windy. Figures, it had been beautiful the whole week before. We have since been on another, longer trip and that one was perfect.
We are looking ahead to this summer though. We are avid RVers and spend as much time as we possibly can getting out there with our kids and dogs and having fun. This summer will be our long trip. We are taking three weeks to go from California to Colorado and back. I am looking froward to seeing some of the state and national parks in both Utah and Colorado.
Camping season is here again! Yippee! Let's get out there and try out some new campgrounds and see some more of our amazing world!

Camping: Ideas to Get Your Campfire Going

by Bruce A Tucker, Feb 14, 2009
If you are looking for a variety of ways to start your campfire, there here they are. I have provided a number of ideas you can use to enjoy the great outdoors next to a warm blaze.

I have been camping since I was five years old. I thank my dad for getting me involved in such a great outdoor activity. Maybe camping is not so much a novelty for some like those who may live out on a farm or in the country, but for us city slickers, camping is a way to relax in the great outdoors and get away from it all.
When you are kid camping provides the fun of being outside all the time playing in the dirt, trees, throwing rocks and so much more. It is everything a young boy dreams of when they go outside. For adults it about getting away from the office or work and enjoying a tranquil peaceful setting. With the birds chirping, the wild animals scurry through the campsite and the best part of all sitting around the campfire telling stories that range from days gone by, to scary stories to jokes that the kids don’t hear once they go to bed.
The campfire not only provides an ambience by which to tell stories, it also gives you the chance to cook your meals over an open flame and give your food a taste you just won’t get on a gas grill or from the kitchen stove. And if you are like me and rather camp in the cooler months, the campfire provides the necessary warmth to keep you sitting outside.
Long ago we would start our campfire by using a lot of old newspaper, then piling (in a tee pee format) small twigs on top, and then set the newspaper ablaze. In a matter of no time we would have a nice fire going. Today I on occasion will use old newspapers, but I found a couple of options work just as good.
After my wife and I moved into our first house the property came equipped with some really nice pine trees. Of course what do pine trees produce? Pine cones. I started collecting the pine cones in a bucket as they fall and take them with me when I go camping. A handful of these with some twigs on top and you get your fire going in a lickity split!
The next item I found to be of great use to starting my campfire is dryer lint. Yes you heard me right, dryer lint. I took a handful of dryer lint one time camping, and put a match near it and it ignited unbelievably quick. So if you have a dryer at home, first and foremost, clean the lint catcher after every use and then save that lint for when you go camping. It makes for a great fire starter.
Ok so you don’t own a dryer, you do not own a pine tree or live near any and you would rather recycle your newspapers instead of burning them, so what do you do? Do not fear there is still options left for you. You could gather leaves at the campsite, pile the twigs on and away you go, but if the leaves are wet you will be out of luck. Today, in any sports store you can grab environmentally correct fire starters.
These fire starters are specifically formulate for starting your camping fire and the best part is they are good for the environment. The cost about a buck a piece or less depending on the size you buy and where you buy them of course. You place one in the center of your camp fire ring, place wood on top and then light both ends. They work like magic.
So there you have it. A variety of ways you can get your campfire started so you are not left out in the cold, dark woods, wondering how you are going to cook your meals.

Other articles by Bruce Tucker:
Fort Wilderness Campground Disney World in Orlando, FL: My Tips

Don’t Forget the Screen Tent When You Go Camping

Camping Tent Basics

Check Out the Reviews on Campgrounds Before You Go