Base Camp

Energy bites are like mini granola bars that are good at home as well as when hiking. This recipe for energy bites is chocolate chip flavored. If you want other flavors, eatthis  has a bunch of different recipes for different flavored energy bites. Ingredients: 1 cup (dry) oats or oatmeal (plain) 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (optional) 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup ground flax seed 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or alternative) 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Kitchen tools required: Measuring cup Spatula Large bowl Measuring Spoons 1. Stir all ingredients together in the large bowl until thoroughly mixed and until there are no more dry oats. Cover bowl and let chill for 30 ish minutes. 2. Once it has chilled, shape the mix into balls, bars, or whatever shape you want. Makes 20-25 balls with about 1 inch diameter. 3. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week...

Camping is fun activity that is actually easier than most people think. Many people don't go camping because they think camping is hard and is not enjoyable because you are living without many of the luxuries of everyday life. In fact, camping is the opposite. It is an escape from the luxuries of society and a really great way to relieve stress. I recommend camping to anyone and everyone. For beginners, car camping is the way to go because you are able to bring anything and everything you want. If you are more experienced in camping and are capable of hiking while carrying a fairly heavy load, you might enjoy backpacking. Even if you don't think you would like camping, I highly recommend going camping at least once during the summer. I wrote 'during the summer' because even if you bring the wrong gear or leave important items at home, you can still have a good time camping in the summer. Going camping for the first time in the winter is not a good idea because of the p...

There are right and wrong ways to pack for backpacking. I have had some experiences in the past where I have packed incorrectly and have had to carry an unbalanced pack or have had to rifle through my whole pack to find one item I need. Luckily all of these misfortunes have happened on trips where packing properly was not essential but I learned from these experiences nonetheless. Step 1 : Find a pack In order to fit all of your gear for hiking and backpacking you have to have a fairly large pack. For most circumstances a regular, everyday backpack won't cut it. I recommend at least a 50 liter pack. For a pack I use the Deuter ACT Zero 50+15. The 50 liters is the main compartment while the 15 liters is a detachable summit pack. Packs are made in sizes all the way up to 85 liters. There are a few packs larger but I recommend staying in the 50-75 liter range. Make sure the pack has a good hip belt and sternum strap unless you are planning to carry a very light load. The hip belt h...

I was given this pack 2 years ago for christmas and have used it on countless trips since. This pack has a lot of room for gear but the pack it self weighs very little. The top part of the pack can be removed and turned into a small summit pack. I use that feature when I want to bring a daypack but don't want to have to bring a whole new pack. This pack is also compatible with most hydration reservoirs. This is a very high quality pack and my only complaint is the lack of sleeping pad/tent straps (This feature is added in the newer version of the pack.) Some pics I took of the pack: The front of the pack without the top on  The back of the pack without the top on The top of the pack converted to the summit pack The back of the pack with the top on

I spent last weekend on Cow Island taking part in the Ripple Effect programs with my friends. The programs were awesome. The activities we participated in include zip lining, kayaking, raft building, and more. All of these activities were very awesome and all of the staff were very nice. After the activities our schedule left us time to explore the island. There were beautiful views all over the island and I was able to watch one of the sunsets while on the beach. The other sunset I couldn't see because of heavy clouds. For a great view of the sunset I went to the northernmost point of the public use area and watched the sunset from the rocks. The beaches were very rocky but that just added to their awesomeness. From our campsite we could see the ocean and walk right out onto the beach. There is an unobstructed view of the stars from the beach in the public use area. We went for a swim  but the water was very cold and so we got out of the water pretty quickly. My weekend ...