Learning From Experience
I heaved my bag out of the back of the minibus and turned around. Here I was, after a slightly nauseating coach journey, in the middle of the Welsh mountains, for my first ever camping trip. The small field was surrounded by closely knit trees and shrouded by a light covering of mist. Along with the glistening dew on the grass, the meadow looked mysterious and magical. Two hours of hard labour la
Continue ReadingUsing Your Watch as a Compass
When our Border Collie/Sheltie mix, Keegan and I head off the pavement for adventure, I always carry a handheld GPS along with a compass and a map, so here's a word of advice: learn how to operate your GPS before you go out in the wilderness and know how to use a compass and a map. If you do not know how to use those items, they will be useless to you. Using your watch as a compass is easy, here i
Continue ReadingBy a Babbling Brook
We could not understand it! Arriving late in the day on this popular Lakeside Camping site we expected all the best, prime sites would already have been taken but there it was: a nice almost level site with commanding views across the lake, and right by a babbling brook. We parked on the plot and looked round mystified, all the other campers had pitched their tents just about everywhere else, unde
Continue ReadingGiant Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll
This breakfast treat is sure to be a hit with the kids! Our giant Dutch oven cinnamon roll became a favorite camping breakfast each year at our Oregon coast campouts. Ours is done in a 6 quart/10” Dutch oven and would be a generous breakfast for 6. We use 2 lbs. of frozen bread dough (like Rhode’s), defrosted; so this would be a great breakfast after the first night camping! Generously coat
Continue ReadingOut in the Wild: Do’s & Dont’s
There is no better way in the world, than camping, to get in touch with mother nature. The canopy of entwined branches and thick, green leaves, the carpet of the soft grass beneath you and the sight of the clear, blue sky is truly enthralling. Of course, there is the buzzing of the bees and howling of the fox at night; not to mention the great growl of the bear, but all of this, coupled with the
Continue ReadingUsing a Rock for Fishing Bait
Most parents know that when you go camping at a lake there will be fishing involved. On one of our camping trips to Lake Don Pedro, my husband and I, along with our two sons decided to walk down to lake to do some fishing. It was a warm sunny day with a nice breeze blowing. We settled in our lawn chairs and prepared to catch that big bass. After about twenty mintues of fishing and not
Continue ReadingHow to Climb Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain, standing at 5,895 metres, 19,341 feet above sea level. It is comprised of three distinct peaks (Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi) of which Uhuru Peak is the highest point on the crater rim of Kibo. Kilimanjaro is a huge stratovolcano. Kibo is dormant while the other two cones are extinct. Climbing any high altitude mountain is a serious undertaking and care shou
Continue ReadingWhen Cows Attack!
Convinced Martians had landed, as something tried to eat my tent at five in the morning, I realised that five very large cows were attacking... "In true Brit fashion I charged. Yelling threats like "Shoo!" and "Go away,'' They ignored me. It was obvious I didn't speak cow language. The tent was looking decidedly weak as a brown and white cow trod on the bottom of the door. I courageously push
Continue Reading