Popup campers a cost effective camper for those fun outdoor adventures

Camping is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. This experience can be enhanced by using a pop-up camper instead of tents. These campers can be rented for one-time trips, but can also be purchased relatively inexpensively. They are a fun way to travel and camp at your favorite outdoor area. Popup campers are fairly inexpensive. New trailers can be purchased from $5,000 to $10,000. If you camp often, this may be a great investment. Check the Internet for local dealers in your area and shop for the camper with the features you desire. Used campers are also available. Most dealers who carry new popup campers (also frequently called tent campers) will also have used models available. Check to be sure they are in good condition. This may be the perfect budget solution for regular camping enthusiasts. Rentals range from $300 to $500 for a week or $60 to $80 per day. Pop-up or tent campers are easily towed by many vehicles. Even smaller cars can handle towing a popup camper but be sure to check weight and hauling requirements before attempting it. You don’t want to wreck the transmission in your vehicle by trying to pull a camper that is too heavy for it. SUV’s and trucks are ideal for hauling a camper. All that is needed is a proper hitch to fit the type of camper and a hookup for the taillights on the camper. The dealer will be able to help determine the type of hitch needed. Another nice feature of a popup camper is that it has a low profile while being towed. This means it won’t obstruct your view while you are towing it. Popup campers provide comfortable accommodations that are much more secure then a tent. While tents provide minimal shelter, a camper has comfortable beds, protects you from the elements and provides warmth. Most models will unfold into two sleeping areas. This is ideal for families with children. The kids can sleep undisturbed in their area while mom and dad have some privacy. Smaller campers will have refrigeration units, storage areas, dining areas and cooking devices. This is perfect for more convenient cooking and dining. Some also have outdoor shower facilities and grills for barbecues. The larger, more expensive models may have indoor bath areas and more room, including living area space. These campers are comfortable and convenient. They also provide a much more secure area to stow gear and supplies while you are out exploring the area. Setting up a pop up camper isn’t hard. You will need to maneuver the camper into the site then unhitch it from your vehicle. Then, crank the camper up (some models have motorized cranks which saves a workout for your arms); pullout and secure the sleeping areas on either end; and pull out and secure the slide-out areas, if your popup camper is equipped with them. Make sure to crank down the stabilizers or your camper may tip on one end while someone is in it. I speak from experience on this topic. During a camping trip last year, I walked in our popup camper and over to one end to retrieve something from our storage area. Suddenly the camper tipped on its side. It was scary, but everything was okay. The extended bed on that end of the camper prevented the camper from tipping more than a few feet, but I now make it part of my job to make sure the stabilizers are cranked down during every camping trip we take! The entire process of setting up the camper, including setting up the inside and making the beds takes about 1 hour. Yes, it takes longer to set up than an RV, but a tent camper also costs significantly less. Whether you are a camping enthusiast or venturing out for the first time, using a pop-up camper is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. You can hike, canoe or go on nature walks and return to the comfort of your camper. Your gear will be safe and you will have a cozy place to eat and sleep without the hassle of building fires and setting up tents. This is an ideal way to enhance your camping experience.

Responsible recreation in the backcountry

Having a good time is pretty high on everyone’s to do list, especially when surrounded by awesome views and super-awesome friends. We hike, bike, climb, camp, raft, fish, hunt, four-wheel, sleep and eat – among other things – in the backcountry. If not done properly, that’s a lot of wear and tear on our natural resources. Responsible recreation ensures future outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as you have. Without a recreation code of ethics, our backcountry would become a thing of the past. Here are some universally agreed upon keys for having a good time – the right way. -Take only pictures, leave only footprints. If you carry it in, carry it out. This will eliminate litter. -Protect water sources from contamination. Use bio-degradable soap, or try hot water soap-less dishwashing, bathing and clothes washing. When using soap (even bio-degradable) and toothpaste, dispose of the wastewater at least 100 feet away from natural water sources, well or faucet water sources. -Be a good neighbor - control your noise and your pets. Always keep your dog on a leash no longer than 6 feet, and away from public swimming areas. Barking and not cleaning up after pets leads to many complaints from other outdoor enthusiasts. Do not leave pets unattended. -Be respectful of the natural environment – keep the trees and shrubs alive and growing. Nails and wires should not be used on trees because they can cause serious damage to trees. Burn damage will permanently scar or kill a tree. -When hiking or biking, stay on designated trails. This keeps damage to vegetation and erosion in one place. -Before leaving your campsite, clean your fire pit and your campsite. Make it as clean as you would want it if you were arriving that day. The next user will appreciate it. Leave-No-Trace, lnt. org, offers the following Principles for Outdoor Ethics: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. Here is the Tread Lightly!, treadlightly. org, pledge: Travel and recreate with minimum impact, Respect the environment and the rights of others, Educate yourself – plan and prepare before you go, Allow for future use of the outdoors – leave it better than you found it and Discover the rewards of responsible recreation. Responsible recreation means having the common sense and the courtesy to enjoy the backcountry without spoiling someone else’s experience. Most outdoor enthusiasts understand this very well and spend a good deal of their time restoring, enhancing and conserving our backcountry. Have a good time when you’re outdoors and share these keys with your friends. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

Stalking alligators in florida

Alligators were the furthest thing from our minds as my wife Ana and I traveled along the coast of northern Florida. We had paid $23 to camp in our conversion van at a beautiful state park on the beach the night before. In the morning we saw a dolphin swimming near shore. Then we heard we could camp for free at the isolated campgrounds which dotted the Apalachicola National Forest. Our frugality sent us into alligator country. We spent two nights in the dark woods next to the dark waters of a slow river. Our only company was an old guy who seemed to be living there, and a nice couple with their two-year-old daughter. Lester was from England, Kari from Texas, and Indya was born in Guatamala. They met in India, of course. Our little group circled the fire at night, trading stories, and occasionally sneaking down to the water with flashlights to look for the eyes of alligators. We heard splashes in the night, but saw nothing. The Lake Talquin Monster When the old guy told us camping was free at Wiliams Landing, on Lake Talquin, we all moved up there for a week. The hot showers convinced us. We continued trading stories around the fire each night, but now we saw all kinds of wildlife. Armadillos walked through camp, giant grey herons fished just offshore from the van, and there were racoons, owls, squirrels, ducks, and turtles. Then was also the "monster." March is a great time to get out in the woods in Florida, so I was poking around near a corner of the lake, when I heard the splash. There were no fish that big, I knew, and we had already seen two small alligators sunning themselves the day before. This one had to be a giant. Ana and I returned the next morning, and again heard the splash. It was under the water before we could see it. In the coming days, we visited the monster each morning once the sun was high enough for him to come out and soak up the heat. We caught enough glimpses to know he was at least ten feet long. Kari and Lester made a "Crocodile Hunter" movie of us stalking it. In time, it no longer panicked, but just slowly lowered itself into the water, as if getting ready to hunt us properly. We stopped trying to get so close to it. Our gang went to view alligators safely after that, from the tour boat at Wakulla Springs.