Increase in vision problems among African Americans

We came across this medical news today, and feel that it ties right into what we've been saying about African American children and the outdoors. 
Too many video games, 
Too much TV and not enough outdoor life.
There is a increase in myopia or distance vision, as published by researchers at the National Eye Institute and published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.  This is a quote from Susan Vitale, PhD, of the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Md.  
"People are using computers and handheld devices much more, and they're spending less time outdoors. There are a lot of possible changes that are reasonable guesses as to why the prevalence of myopia has increased." 
Among blacks, estimates of myopia prevalence grew faster over the period than it did among whites, more than doubling -- from 13% to 33.%.   
You can also check out this article from the Los Angeles Times," A study finds that 17% more Americans have myopia than 30 years ago. Close-up computer work could be a reason".
The Camping Consultants wonder, can camping be part of the solution? 

Let us know what you think.

The Camping Consultants

No If's ands or Butts

 Photo from Discovery news

Have you ever gone camping and arrived on your site to find it littered with cigarette butts?

The same applies to all plastics, fishing line,and worm containers etc.

This post is not about knocking people who smoke. Some people who smoke are very responsible with the butts. 

We just wanted to bring some facts to those who are not so responsible. 
New studies show that cigarette butts can kill fish.

This is a excerpt from the website Cigarettelitter.org 

 Fact:

"[Cigarette butts] also present a threat to wildlife. Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who mistake them for food ... Composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, cigarette butts can persist in the environment as long as other forms of plastic."
--Clean Virginia Waterways

You can also check out this article in the NY times, Cigarette Butts: Tiny Trash That Piles Up.

Our point is: Please dispose of trash properly!!!

The Camping Consultants

 

A Gift for the Holidays

As you begin to shop for holiday gifts, Why not give the gift of the outdoors.

Recreation.gov is a great place to start, this is where we book most of our trips.

At this site you will find National parks, Army corp of engineers campgrounds and other Federal sites.

One of the things I like about this site is, Let's say you want to go to the Smithsonian. All you have to do is pick the museum of your choice, and on the same page you can also make reservations for near by campgrounds.

It may be difficult to book a date for someone else, so a great thing to do is make your own gift certificate on your computer, or get a youngster to do it for you.

Now is a great time to book for the spring to get the best sites.

The Camping Consultants

Giving Thanks

As we begin the holiday season we give thanks.

We are thankful for our families, thankful for  our bounty and our health. 

But do we acknowledge our world, our precious planet and all it provides?

Do we take the time to look at all the different shapes of leaves and colorful hues, or do we simply rake and discard them?

Do we let ourselves enjoy the bright blue sky on a crisp autumn afternoon, or do we rush through it to the warmth of our dwellings?

When do we give mother earth her thanks for all she provides us. 

Our very existence is based upon her. 

While some of us may experience cold snowy days and others rain filled gray skies, let us not miss out on the beauty of it all.

We are thankful for all the enjoyment and pleasure that nature provides, and we are thankful to all of you who read this blog. 

May you have a blessed and bountiful holiday.

The Camping Consultants

Fall and Winter Camping

We love the cooler weather, and still enjoy camping. All you need is the proper equipment and a little know how.

We came across this article written by Rick Curtis, Outdoor Action Program, Princeton University.

The website is the Outdoor Action guide to winter camping.

Everything you need to know from sleeping bags to survival is covered. You may not need to use all of the info, so just tailor it to your particular type of camping whether it be in a tent, pop up camper, trailer or rv.

The Camping Consultants

Things not to do when camping!

Over the years we have had camping experiences with animals.
Deer have attempted to get into plastic bins storing food.
Squirrels have eaten marshmallows left out overnight, but this was the most amazing.
After a day trip sightseeing we headed back to the campground.
Instead of eating out, we wanted to cook a nice dinner and relax.
We were looking forward to our two inch thick new york strip steaks seared on an open fire, you know the old school kind from the butcher wrapped in paper.
When we arrived at our site there were grapes spilled about and muddy prints on our cooler, which we left out but hinged tightly.
The animal had small hands which opened the latches and stolen not just grapes, but our brats and our beautiful steaks. We were outdone, raccoons  raided our cooler.  The more we looked around the more evidence of the crime we discovered.
Well I guess you could say we learned our lesson, now we put our cooler in the car if it has food inside and suggest you do the same. Unless your in bear country which requires a whole lot more. That's a story for another day.
And the morale of the story is don't leave your cooler alone. What if there was wine in there?   


The Camping Consultants

Barefoot on the beach (part 2) /The curse of the banana

This is part two of Barefoot on the beach. 

Deep sea fishing is a all day affair, so we pack a soft cooler like a picnic.

Some boats sell drinks and snacks,

but we're picky eaters so we always bring our own.

Being that it's Florida in summer we also pack rain ponchos just in case it showers, also sun screen and sunglasses.

Our friends have also packed snacks and lunch for the afternoon.

The day begins early, the boat pulls out to sea at six o'clock. It's warm and it's just beginning to brighten up, into what seems to be a great day. We speed away with the boat jumping the waves.

The captain and his mates welcomed everyone aboard and explained where we would be going, and the types of fish we hopefully will catch. When the captain noticed that our friends had brought bananas aboard. The captain tells him that bananas are bad luck  on a fishing boat, and that he needed to get rid of them. That was the first time that we had heard of that superstition, what the captains says is okay in our book.

Our friend laughs, peels the fruit and begins to eat from the bunch. It takes about an hour to reach the fishing area. Our banana eating friend has heaving over the side of the boat the whole time.

Every one has rods ready, we bait up and drop line anticipating our first catch.

The captain sees fish on radar we wait, but nothing happens. So we go further out to sea.

Again we stop and fish and now half the boat is sea sick. Still no fish!

Then it gets worse!!

 (Clouds rolling in)

Out of nowhere the sky turns black and the sun just disappeared.

The wind begins to pick up causing the waves to rock the boat dramatically, but we still fish.

Now almost everyone is sick, and like something out of a movie rain began to pour down upon us tossing the boat about like a toy. We were scared! Everyone was silent or sick as we waited for the storm to pass. Finally after about an hour which felt like a day, we see glimmers of sun as the rain lets up and we head back to the marina. Not one person caught anything.

We were all disappointed except for our still sick friend who was happy to be back on land.

There was no sympathy from the crew or passengers for our banana eating buddy. 

So Don't Eat Bananas on a Fishing Boat!!

The Camping Consultants

Barefoot on the beach

Each summer as with a lot of families, we have our annual summer vacation.

As you would have guessed, ours is a camping vacation. This time we choose St. Augustine, Florida, and stayed at Anastasia state park.

The sites were very tropical, small but cozy. Once settled in we felt as if we were on a tropical island. The history of St. Augustine is rich in culture as in the picture above, this quarry was worked by Native Americans and enslaved Africans. The coquina stone mined from this quarry was then used to build the Castillo De San Marcos fort.

Another site that's rich in history is Fort Mose (pronounced mo' se) the first settlement for freed Africans in North America.

The town is adorable. We toured around on a rented scooter, which was an adventure on it's own.

We followed the path of the tour buses which lead us to the tour sites. We visited the Ponce De Leon fountain of youth (and looking younger for it!), The Castillo De San Marcos fort, just to name a few.  And what a way to top off a day by visiting a local winery for a tour and a wine tasting, a really good wine tasting!

The beach at Anastasia campground was unbelievable, on this visit our footprints were literally the only ones. The beach is breathtaking, the white sand so soft underfoot.
The entire week as we toured various sites around St. Augustine, we listened to one of our favorite cd's Barefoot on the beach.

Where Micheal Franks talks about the beach and the Fountain of youth.  A couple that we've known for decades was coming down to spend the rest of the week with us.
Being from Boston, whenever we go anywhere near the ocean we try to get in a deep sea fishing trip. So we were excited.
Remember camping can be more than roasting marshmallows, It's a inexpensive way to travel and explore new places.
Never underestimate the power of camping, the possibilities are endless.

Stay tuned for part two, our adventure at sea, and what an adventure it was!


The Camping Consultants

How to scale and clean a panfish

This video shows you just how easy it is to scale and clean a panfish.
Panfish taste great, their light and sweet. Their usually the first fish you or your children may catch.
Just use a small hook and a worm and your ready. check out the link for pictures of different types of panfish. So get the frying pan ready.

The Camping Consultants