Gear Checklist for a Camping Newbie

Every now and then, friends ask us some basic camping questions. That woke us up to the fact that not all of our readers are seasoned hikers and campers. Today’s guide is for those just getting into camping, the newbies if you will.

We take a step back and look at the basics of planning a camping trip, from gear to some nifty tips and tricks you should be privy to when taking on the Great Outdoors.

Tent and accessories

First and foremost, it’s worth looking into your shelter. The tent-is-just-a-tent approach is common, but it’s not that simple. The wrong tent can lead to a number of issues.

Vital components can easily go missing, or worse, your tent itself can break. To avoid these mishaps, it’s worth considering the following to ensure a safe and calm night’s sleep.

Sharing some Camping tips...

So Robin just sent me a link to some camping tips with kids. I thought I would share them here. I'm liking number 10. What's your favorite or some other tips you would add to this list?

Tips for Camping with Kids

Happy Trails and Happy Camping,
Tim and Robin

Book Review: Dutch Oven - Cast-Iron Cooking Over an Open Fire by Carsten Bothe

I love cooking over the campfire. I've adapted so many household recipes that I've seriously considered writing my own book. I don't usually use my Dutch oven, but I have one. Sadly, it looked like this previous to this review (not too bad, really, but it needed some love):

Obviously, I didn't have a clue as to how to take care of it. I was treating it like a household skillet. It takes more than cold water and a small wipe down with oil every once in a blue moon to take care of something that you use over the open fire (and burn things in constantly). I have had such a sad experience with my Dutch oven that I've punished it by sentencing it to near solitary confinement in the darkness of the back of the cabinet. (It is kept company by my unused Foreman grill.) I would occasionally take it camping and burn biscuits and applesauce-gingerbread cake. I've successfully baked biscuits (from a can) maybe once.

Gear Giveaway - Rokit Fuel Oatmeal

Just yesterday we reviewed Rokit Fuel Oatmeal. Now that we have your taste buds all fired up and ready to go, here's your chance to try these awesome all natural oatmeals for yourself. One lucky reader of Appalachia & Beyond will receive a four pack of single serve Rokit Fuel Oatmeal. This four pack contains one of each flavor we reviewed: Cherry Almond, Stud Muffin, Pumpkin Chocolate, and Chocolate Dream.

How do you get in on this action? Simple, just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. It is mandatory to leave a comment in order to enter and unlock all the other extra entry options. If your on a smart phone and don't see the comment form, the it would appear that our Disqus comment platform isn't working on your phone's browser. If this is the case be sure to get to a computer and get entered. Also if you are one of those who can't leave a comment on our Disqus comment platform, let us know so we can research what's going on with that.

So here's the other info: The contest will run from 12:01am EST Tuesday, December 4, 2012 and will close at 11:59pm EST Saturday, December 8, 2012. We will pick a winner soon after the giveaway closes and will announce the winner on our Facebook page as well as on the Rafflecopter widget. So without further ado...good luck to you all.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rokit Fuel Oatmeal - Gear Review

There's nothing like a good hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning when you're out camping especially on a chilly morning and you're warming your bones by the fire with a nice hot cup of coffee. It fills your belly and warms your soul. Most days it's usually just a packet of instant oatmeal, unless you're a culinary wizard with a dehydrator and have bagged your own recipe. Of course if you want something other than plain old instant oatmeal packets you can always try out Rokit Fuel oatmeal.

Rokit fuel oatmeal is an all natural alternative to regular instant oatmeal. Rokit Fuel Oatmeals are made with anywhere from 7 to 15 whole foods.  There are no soy, dairy or other isolate products and are all natural and fit for a vegan.

Five Year Blogiversary Giveaway Day 2 (Food)

Welcome everyone to Day 2 of our Blogiversary Giveaways. Today we are thinking about food and how good it is after a tough day hiking, backpacking, or even camping. We have a few great food items which are perfect for the pack or while camping. A special thanks goes out to Hungry Hikers and Vasque Footwear for sponsoring today's prizes. What's up for grabs you ask? Well let's get to it.