Getting you started on outdoor adventures

Whew! I’m returned from my camping trip last weekend to White Horse Lake Campground near Williams, Arizona. Nicole and I had a great time!

Of course, like any good trip, it wasn’t without its hiccups! ESP Boss built me an AMAZING rack that fits over the back of my truck so I could haul all the camping gear AND the two kayaks. And, of course, I didn’t get a photo of it! But, I’m hoping to get in another camping/kayaking adventure before fall so I’ll be sure to get photos then.

But, to build the rack: well, let’s just say I had planned to leave about 11 am.

Then leave by noon.

Or 1:03.

Or SOMETIME on Friday…

By 2:15 Nicole & I were FINALLY on our way.

What is fantastic about this kayak rack (aside from the fact that my dad built and it was free) is that I can slide all my gear under the kayaks! I picked up a pair of Rubbermaid Action Packer tubs.

What’s really cool about these containers is not only are they tough, hold all my gear AND keep it dry, but the way the lids latch on make them really secure. I never had to worry about the lid flying off the tub while in the back of my truck! Plus, they’re lockable!

And it was so hot it was a good thing that we had the kayaks! It was nice and cool on the water.

Here are some camping tips:

Get a crate that just holds your water container. When you’re traveling, the water jug sits inside the crate so it is less likely to get punctured. In camp, you can turn the crate and the water jug sits on top. (Plus, you can get an extra storage cubby!)

Bring a tablecloth. Picnic tables in campgrounds are very handy and very dirty! A table cloth (plastic is fine) makes camping feel more civilized.

Buy new bug spray. Yeah, I brought along the bug spray that had been hanging out in the bathroom cabinet for a year and then had spent a week riding around in my truck. It did NOTHING. The mosquitoes feasted on Nicole and I! Gross!

Keep the camera handy. When we were heading back on Sunday morning, we encountered this enormous flock of sheep bopping along in the road. Nobody would have believed it without the photo!

If you blog about camping or the outdoors, take photos of the mundane things. I’m forever writing an article thinking “I have a picture of my _________” only to realize that I didn’t have photos of a campfire, stove, or tent!

All in all, we had a great time. Just look at how GREEN everything is!

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