Did you know that June is Great Outdoors Month?

In 2019, the U.S. Senate designated June as "Great Outdoors Month."

So what is Great Outdoors Month? Well... here is the explanation from the National Park Service:

‘Great Outdoors Week’ began under President Clinton in 1998 and has grown under the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations into a month-long celebration of the outdoors. Since 2008, governors from across the country have joined in designating June as a month to celebrate the great outdoors and more than half the states have already proclaimed June 2019 as Great Outdoors Month!

Now that we are half-way thru June, what have you been doing for Great Outdoors Month?

I know many of us are going thru terrible heat waves, so anything you can do to head into the cooler mountain temperatures (for us in Arizona, it's up in our High Country), will help combat the heat and help you enjoy the great outdoors!

Here are some ideas to enjoy Great Outdoors Month and things we've done in the past that help us get out and enjoy nature:

• Go Camping! - preferably somewhere in the mountains where it is cooler

• Go Fishing - usually being around lake water will cool off everyone

• Get Away! - just like Clark Griswald did, load up your station wagon (or SUV or whatever car you can) and head out, get away. Even just a change in scenery can help your enjoy the great outdoors.

• Take a Hike - for anyone in hotter climates, do this early in the morning before the heat of the day makes it unbearable.

• Visit Bearizona - for anyone in the Southwest, this is a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors. And, since it's particularly hot, this makes for a great option because it is a Drive-thru Wildlife Park - stay in the comfort of your air-conditioned car and still enjoy the outdoors :)

• Visit a Nearby Lake - most everyone across the country has a lake within driving distance. Get out there and play in the water - swim, ski, boat, fish, and do whatever other water sports you can. It's always a great reset to enjoy the great outdoors on a lake.

And, no matter where you are, make sure to use sun screen! Even when you feel cool because you are in or around water or in higher elevations that feel cooler, the sun is still beaming down. 

These are just a few things we like to do to enjoy Great Outdoors Month.

We hope you get out and enjoy and relax!

Camping – Do You Love It Or Hate It?

 

In my family, we have camping lovers and camping haters. My husband, son, and I love to go camping. My mother-in-law just stares at me every time I talk about an upcoming camping trip and asks why I want to leave the comfort of my home with my nice, comfy bed, so that I can go sleep in the woods on the ground or in our pop-up. Being the articulate person I am I say, “Because it’s fun.”

It’s hard to explain to a non camper how relaxing it is to be out in the open air all day at a campground with miles of trails to hike and bike; or by a lake to go swimming, boating, or fishing in.

My parents took me camping from an early age, and I camped with them until I left their home and was out on my own. I loved it, so I continued the tradition.

I tell my Mother-in-law how it’s fun to explore the area trails; looking at the views, the vegetation, and the wildlife. For example, during a recent camping trip an evening hike brought me within 10 feet of a baby deer out with its mother. It’s hard to explain how fun it is to be able to see something like that.

But instead my Mother-in-law asks me how bad the bugs bit and if I got soaked from the rains (as she did once on a trip with us).

 

Then I try to explain to her about how much fun it is to sit around the campfire at night. It’s a great time for casual conversation and to have a beverage and maybe a few toasted marshmallows or S’mores. I love watching the flames and listening to the wood crackle and pop. My mother-in-law asks how we keep the mosquitoes away (lots of tiki torches and mosquito repellant) and says, “Doesn’t it get boring after a half hour?” Again, being the articulate person I am my answer is, “Ummmm, no.”

 

It's all about being prepared. For mosquitos, we either have repellant that we spray onto our bodies directly and/or we use mosquito repellant candles.

I try to explain the food cooked outdoors just tastes better. Campfire cocoa along with bacon and eggs is hard to beat. And those little S’more makers you can buy in the store are nothing like the delicious S’mores you make over a real campfire. If you haven't had a true S'more cooked over a campfire, you’re missing out on one of the best camping foods there is!

But when I explain to my Mother-in-law how good camping food is, she wonders if the bugs buzz around the food we’re trying to eat and asks if I miss my dishwasher. Our pop-up camper doesn’t have hot water so I have to do things the old fashioned way and heat the water I need to wash dishes.

 

When it comes to camping though, most non-campers could deal with sleeping in a tent or a pop-up camper and wouldn’t mind cooking their food outside. But the one sticking point for many non-campers is the bathroom and shower facilities at campgrounds (unless you’re lucky enough to have a camper with its own bathroom and shower facilities). Camping is not like staying at a 5 star hotel. The bathroom and shower amenities take a little getting used to. Some people will wait as long as possible to go to the bathroom because they want to avoid using the pit toilets at the campground any more than necessary. My sister-in-law doesn’t mind the pit toilets as much as she minds the spiders that are usually in them.

For me, the one stickler is that I need to have a portable potty in our pop-up so that if I have to go in the middle of the night, I can easily go inside without having to forage the cold and/or animals in the dark - that's when we camp where there is a pit toilet.

Our favorite portable potty we've had for years is a Hassock Portable Toilet. It's basically a bucket that sits inside of a tub. You line the bucket with trash bags and add toilet pellets for odors. It has a seat and a "splash cover" that holds the toilet paper. And, it all is contained within the tub that has a lid. For me, it's easy, comfortable, and not near as smelly as a pit toilet.

 

Camping is what you make of it. Nobody says you have to like it. My Mother-in-law doesn’t, but I sure do. It’s a way to get away from the daily stresses of your normal life, kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself for a few days. You’ll have responsibilities no more taxing than deciding what clothes to wear that day, what to eat, and whether you want to go for a walk or a bike ride or just sit in a chair and relax by the campfire.

Who in your family loves or hates camping?

Have you convinced any non-campers to go camping with you?

I'd love for everyone to share their stories as well.

 

 

Camping with Bears

My parents were visiting Bearizona today and it reminded me of this story...

Camping and Bears is almost a given.

But there are many things you need to understand about bears to ensure your, and their, safety.

Before we arrived to camp & hunt one year in Eagle, Colorado, we were told that there was heavy bear activity around the area and that we needed to take extra precautions with our food and clothing. Everyone was to place their trash in the main dumpsters every night and the ranger would pick them up and take them to the main shed across the main road from the campground.

MY RULE #1 with Bear Safety - Leave them alone - usually they are just looking for food. Which you should always have locked up in a bear-tight container and inside of your car.

We had the pop-up and my parents and their friends all had fifth-wheel trailers. We knew they would be fine, but knew that we were just in a tent on wheels.

 

Only a day or two into the trip, one of the friends we had met at the campground over the years of staying there told us to come look at something.

We all went over to their bus, which was converted into an RV. A bear had smelled the food from their refrigerator (which was inside their RV) and tore a hole into the metal from the outside. Now I’m not a scientist, but I think metal is stronger than tent fabric, right? LOL!

This made us all realize the sheer strength a bear has. It also made me start sleeping in the middle of the pop-up. Like that would help me, hah! – it’s only about five feet from the edge where a bear could easily rip through the tent fabric of the bed area! Still... it made me feel a bit safer :)

 

Having witnessed all of this, my mom made sure to tell me to be very careful on the mountain while hunting and to watch out for my dad. She wanted us to stay together and not separate as we have done a bit in the past. I found out from my dad later in the day that she told him the same story, “Watch out for Debbie...” So, understanding the bear activity, my dad and I did just that, stayed by each other during this year’s hunt.

 

One day, we returned to a mountain we’ve hunted in years past. We headed out in the dark and up to about 11,000 feet. This was the farthest we had been away from the camp, but knew that everyone who had hunted this area always saw a lot of elk. As we were heading up in the dark, just before sunrise, my dad had to use the restroom. I held his rifle and he was around the corner by a trough. As always, my eyes are constantly scanning the distance for whatever animal we are hunting, and those we are not, such as the bear that were in this area. With both rifles in hand, I spotted five elk at the top of the hill. It was not a safe or legal shot as they were on the edge of the hill and the sun wasn’t quite up.

But as my dad has taught me, we never want to spook anything out of the area. They may well come back down that mountain later when we are ready and it is safe to take the shot.

After my dad finished his business, he walked over to me. He could always tell when I had a bead on something – he looked in the same direction I was looking, as I didn’t make any movement to hand him back his rifle. I knew the elk were off in the distance now and told him what I had just seen.

Knowing we just saw elk and didn’t spook them, we decided to setup on the opposite hillside. We found a nice area of three good-sized trees in a circle. We setup in between them so that my dad could face one way, looking 180 degrees, and I could face the opposite way, looking the other 180 degrees. Our gear had a nice place to sit in between us, readily available, but not in our way.

 

After sunrise, but still early morning, I turned to the left, just about my cross over point of my dad’s view, and saw something dark and big running through the trees.

To this day I still cannot confirm to you it was a bear, but my eyes have been trained to know animals and what to look for in the wild (my dad noticed it too). This had to have been a bear! Just about 100 yards from our stand.

The feeling was so eerie; only those who have come across a bear in the wild can understand how I felt at that moment. I proceeded to quietly inform my dad, and we both kept our eyes in that direction for quite some time. I can’t say that for the rest of the day I was elk hunting; I was probably bear watching more than anything, especially in that direction.

Of course, this made for a great campfire story that night.

 

The next day, after dinner, we saw other campers gathering around a couple of rows down in the campground. Our friend, Dorla, had broken her ankle and was on crutches that year. So we hoped there was nothing wrong with her. We saw she was participating in whatever was going on there.

It appeared they were really interested in something, so my dad and I headed that way. Much to our surprise, they were all staring at the large bear getting into the trash dumpster! He was no small bear, and after about five seconds I said, “What are we doing here? We should be inside your fifth-wheel, dad.”

 

And, I swear the exact words out of my dad’s mouth were, “We don’t have to run faster than the bear, we only have to run faster than Dorla.” LOL!

Now, I’m sure we’ve all heard that statement jokingly used on television shows and in movies, but when you’re actually in that situation, I felt somewhat safe and yet felt bad for Dorla at the same time.

After a few minutes of watching the bear forage the dumpster, we decided we’d better head back to camp. Of course, when we were around the campfire and told my mom, she thought we were crazy to even go look. Since we knew the bear was in and around the campground, everyone decided to get inside their trailers early that night.

So, back at our campsite, my husband flared up the fire as we were in the last spot on the outside of that row of the campground. We would be the first to encounter the bear.

As I didn’t want to stay outside, I headed to bed, in the middle of our pop-up. 

After a short time, I heard a scary growl. My husband quickly opened the pop-up door and quickly shut it tightly again. He said the bear was just outside our campground and he realized he only had a stick of firewood to protect him. With that said, he stayed in the pop-up and slept with his loaded pistol right next to him. We didn’t even chance walking over to my parents’ campsite to get inside their metal and larger fifth-wheel trailer.

MY RULE #1 with Bear Safety - Leave them alone - usually they are just looking for food. Which you should always have locked up in a bear-tight container and inside of your car.

MY RULE #2 with Bear Safety - Remove any clothing you may have been wearing when cooking and eating at a campfire - bears will smell that and think it's food. And, it's a good idea to keep those clothes with the food, inside your car.

MY RULE #3 with Bear Safety - Always have protection! Whether or not you are a gun person, have something to protect yourself. Again, the bear doesn't want to hurt you (usually), so bear spray is a good option as well.

Moral of the story - you really do just have to run faster than the other person to get away from something as dangerous as a bear.

Camping Safety Tips: Part 2 – Camp Fires, Wild Animals, Dangerous Activities

Camping provides a great temporary escape from the stresses and dangers of suburban and urban life. However, the camping experience is fraught with its own set of dangers. The wise camper must take these into account and prepare in advance how to make safety in the woods a high priority and counter the inherent risks.

In part 1 of this two-part series, we looked at safety related to food preparation, preparing clean drinking water, and how to minimize the risk of illness from ticks.

In this second part, we will now turn our safety focus to properly handling camp fires, avoidance of wild animals, and giving caution due consideration while walking through any wooded areas.

CAMP FIRES

For many people, the thought of sitting, talking, or singing around a camp fire lies at the heart of the outdoor experience. No fire, no fun. However, a fire handled improperly can lead to inadvertent disaster. So safety is of the essence.

When starting, enjoying, and later putting out a fire, use common sense.

For example, if you are camping when the weather has been dry for a lengthy period of time, it would be safer to skip the camp fire altogether. This issue itself may actually influence your decision on selecting a time to camp.

Additionally, only build fires in camp ground provided areas, such as fire rings. Otherwise, clear out a small area in your camping site, and place rocks around a circle to set the parameters for your fire. Within the circle, dig a hole several inches deep for the wood you will burn.

If you have not brought your own wood on the trip, gather wood that is already dead and lying nearby. Make sure that any leaves close to the fire pit are raked several yards away and that there are no paper products lying on the ground. Throw those in the trash.

Once the fire is started, let it build slowly with smaller twigs and dead branches, only placing larger pieces of wood on the pile as the flame grows. Make sure small children remain several feet away from the flame, as the heat can become intense while it grows. And they certainly should not be close enough that they could slip or trip and fall in.

Tennis Shoe tip - if using a Fire Ring - metal will get very hot - hot enough to melt the rubber of your tennis shoes - I can't tell you how many of our camping friends have done this - LOL!

Never leave a camp fire unattended. When leaving the area (say for a walk) or going to sleep for the night, extinguish the flames.

And finally, when you are packed and ready to leave the campground, use a lot of water to douse the flames, saving your clean drinking water when at all possible. If you think you've used enough water, double it! Stir the ashes with a shovel (a MUST have if you will have fires while camping) and use more water until the remains are cool enough to the fingers.

Here is a good fire shovel that saves space - we've had ours for years and love it as if you're backpacking, it can be tied to the outside of your pack. It also has a pick which comes in handy in various situations.

And, if you are in an area with trees, be sure to look outside the camp fire to see if there are any possible root systems that have caught fire! This one was a surprise to even us, experienced campers - years ago, as we were putting out the fire (continuing to stir and add water while we were packing), we saw smoke about 20 feet from the fire pit! The fire pit must have been attached to the root system of the nearby tree - luckily, we always pack AFTER we have put out the fire so that we can continue to check and make sure it is out - OR this could have been a disaster!

WILD ANIMALS

Most people do not encounter wild animals when camping in the woods, certainly not up close and personal. But that does not mean they are not living in the habitat and posing a quiet danger to humans. It can definitely be entertaining to spot them from a distance, not to mention serving up great snapshot opportunities with a raccoon, deer, or even a bear. However, in such a situation, distance between you and the animal is one of your best friends.

Never (ever) attempt to feed an animal you encounter. It is not your pet dog or cat and may attack! That is an instinctive response. Even if you make no gestures that seem threatening, the animal may interpret it that way.

If a wild animal approaches you, back away slowly and do nothing to invite its approach. Depending on the type of animal, cougar or mountain lion, for example, teach kids to make themselves appear taller by taking their jacket or shirt and raising it above their head with their arms.

Minimize your risk of an animal encounters in the first place by wrapping all food securely and putting it away when you have finished eating. Then throw away food-related trash in camp provided trash receptacles.

And, always - always have a weapon to defend yourself! In my over 50 years of hunting, fishing, and camping, I have always carried a knife for safety - but NEVER had to use it - Better to be prepared and have that knife and not need it!

PERILOUS ACTIVITIES

There is nothing quite like a long, quiet walk in the woods. Remain on paths that have been designed for walks. Use common sense.

• Refrain from hanging on tree branches. Old, dying, or thin wood can easily snap off.

• Avoid walking close to or leaning over steep cliffs, whether they are primarily rock or brush. It would be easy to slip or lose your balance. A subsequent fall could be disastrous.

• Do not attempt to conquer gravity in the opposite direction either. That is, refrain from climbing steeply angled rocks. You are on a camping trip, not a mountain climbing expedition.

• In the winter, never walk on frozen water. Regardless of surface appearance, there is no method to assess how thin and weight-bearing capable the ice may be.

As you can see, the camping experience is not a danger-free zone. The great outdoors certainly provides compelling motivation to seek quiet time with nature. But this activity cannot be done with reckless abandon. In fact, making safety in the woods a habit actually assists with maximizing the many positives of the camping experience.

Camping Safety should always be top priority as it gives you piece of mind and ensures you have a fun camping trip!

Camping Safety Tips: Part 1 – Food, Water, Ticks

Camping out in the woods can be one of the most gratifying experiences available for those who stress over the hustle and bustle of daily life in or near a city.

The dangers of contemporary lifestyles and environments can themselves drive people to the slow pace of the woods. Crime, careless drivers, pollution, identify theft. Who needs it!

While seeking a safe haven from the pitfalls of "civilization," the camper must also bear in mind that the great outdoors is fraught with its own set of dangers.

Let's consider a few and how you can counter the risks.

In part 1 of this two-part series, we'll look at food safety, ensuring you have clean water to drink, and avoiding ticks.

FOOD SAFETY

Bacteria can invade many types of food, especially those high in protein and moisture, such as milk, milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, cream pies, custards and potato salad. After preparation, these foods must be kept either hot (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit) or cold (below 45 degrees Fahrenheit). Between the two temperature ranges lurks the danger.

A camper who does not have the means of sustaining food that can easily spoil outside of those thermometer readings should not bring them on the trip at all. It would be much safer to bring canned food and garden goodies.

Exposed food should be prepared prior to the trip and protected in plastic prior to icing them since ice can trap harmful bacteria. For example, though ice pulled from a frozen stream in winter can help to keep food cold, it should never be permitted to touch the food itself - that includes items in the cooler which might be eaten directly or even be touched and then those hands touch something else.

And whether eating meals from a picnic table or sitting on the ground, always cover the eating area with something clean, like a plastic table cloth.

Any food that you suspect may be spoiled should be disposed of rather than eaten. The risk is just too high.

CLEAN DRINKING WATER

When you are thirsty, there is nothing like a cold, clear glass of water to satisfy. At home, our tap water is normally relatively safe, though many people opt to filter it through one means or another to improve the odds of safe drinking and better taste.

Aside from water that is purified for us, however, it has been estimated that the vast majority of surface water in the US fails to meet government standards for intake safety.

When you are camping without your own water (or a sufficient supply) and are not at a camp ground that has purified running water available, you will need to take additional measures to protect yourself from water contaminated by bacteria and viruses.

There are fundamentally four options for accomplishing this. The first you can do at the camp site. The other three require preparation prior to heading out to the camp site.

• Boil the water - Heat suspect water to a boil, and let it continue to do so for several minutes. After cooling off, it should be consumable.

• Iodine liquid or tablets - Instructions that come with the iodine will explain how many drops to use for a specific amount of water, and for what time period.

• Filtering - Most microorganisms can be filtered out depending upon the materials used in the filter and the filtering design of the unit. When purchased, be sure the instructions clearly state what will and will not be filtered out.

One of our favorite water filters is this one by Life Straw. We usually have bottled water with us, but for hiking (especially long hikes), this is always something we have in our backpack for emergency water situations.

• Purification - Purifying will remove or kill all dangerous water-born bacteria. Using this method, the water should be run through the purifier at least a couple of times to ensure drinking safety.

AVOIDING TICKS

Ticks look innocuous on the surface. But tiny as they are, they still have the potency to make a person very ill with Lyme Disease. They can dig their way into a person's skin very easily without notice when he rests up against a tree or walks in brush. Once on the skin, ticks will burrow their way in and are not easily removed.

Before you head into the woods, you will need to minimize opportunities that these blood suckers have to find their way to your skin through an opening in your clothing. Tuck in whatever clothing you can: shirt into pants, pant legs into socks, shirt sleeve over top of gloves (if the weather is cool enough for gloves).

Additionally, spray on your clothing a good insect repellent. The repellent can be found at any sporting goods store and most general retail outlets like Walmart.

We like Deep Woods OFF for those areas heavy in ticks - and they even have one that is Deet Free, if you prefer that.

Upon returning to your camp site or turning into your tent for the night, check your body visually and with your hands looking for any small bumps that may be indicative of a tick that has landed on or embedded itself into your skin. Have someone else look carefully through your hair (running their fingers through it) and scan anywhere else that you cannot easily see, such as your back.

And, always always at the end of a camping trip, have a buddy system to check each other. I remember one Girl Scout campout where we even had the buddy system, checking each other thoroughly, including our hair - but nonetheless, a week later, my buddy found a large tick in my hair - ugh!

If you find that a tick has dug itself into your skin, immediately (but very carefully) remove it with tweezers. Grab it as close to its legs as possible, making sure to extract its entire body. If you are unable to do so, it would be better to leave the camp site for a time to visit a doctor than to risk infection.

In part 2 of this brief series, we will continue our consideration of camping safety tips, focusing specifically on camp fires, wild animals, and dangerous activities in the woods.

Camping – A Wonderful Way To Enjoy The Summer Outdoors

Camping is a way of enjoying a mini vacation and is enjoyed by all families and couples. Many people prefer to camp at state parks, as they have a number of amenities and the fees are also quite affordable. An exceptional attribute of these state parks are that they provide the public with ample opportunities to enjoy the wonderful outdoors. There are state parks in every state, no matter where you live. 

An ideal time to camp would be when the state parks are less crowded. Compared to weekdays, the weekends are busier. There are people who prefer the isolated areas for camping because of the privacy they offer. A reasonable distance between campsites is preferred. There are very few people who choose the crowded state parks. 

When it comes to planning a camping trip, you should first decide on where you would like to camp, State parks, National parks, or BLM land.

Don’t forget to check if the campsites are available. Get additional information and secure a pass. The information is available with comparable charts that make it easier to select a state park with all amenities that you are on the lookout for. Acquiring a pass would be easier, especially if you frequently go camping. There are passes that give you the right to visit specific locations, by the year or season.

There are also many websites available which allow you to get detailed information, and many allow reserving spots online. For us, Arizona is our home and we have enjoyed many camping spots within State parks - visit the Arizona State Park Reservation service here.

And, for National Parks, check out the Find a Campground site offered by the National Park Service.

And, if you like to RV camp, Campendium is a great site. They include links to the National Park reservation page as well as many State Park reservation pages.

A major reason why campers choose to secure the state park passes is that they allow easy access to the various camp-sites. These passes make the camping experience more enjoyable and comfortable experience. Hot showers, clean restrooms, convenience stores, boat rentals, boat launches, weekend movies, marinas, playgrounds, hiking trails, small beaches, horse riding and fire pits are some of the amenities that state parks offer. The restrooms are kept clean even though they are public. 

Most of the state parks also offer water and dump stations for the convenience of the campers, but there may be extra fees charged for using these additional amenities. These amenities are offered regularly to campers who prefer sleeping outdoors and use tents.  

The amenities could vary from park to park and state to state and should be used responsibly as they are offered as privileges to visitors. Irresponsible usage of state parks could culminate in a ban issued in your name.  

The best time for camping is in the bright summer time, with the most daylight hours to enjoy the experience.  Camping is said to be the best way to take a break from hectic schedules and be one with nature, finding solitude and calmness that is so essential amidst the chaos otherwise.  

It is essential that you treat all the amenities with respect in these parks. Be responsible about your duties and avoid littering the place. If by mistake you break something or create a mess, clean it up and let the park rangers know about the effort. If you like the park and would like to return for another camp, make sure you act responsibly and ensure that the camp site is tidy on your way out.

I was a Girl Scout and learned at an early age to "leave no trace..." Basically, I was taught to leave a camp spot cleaner than it was when I arrived. And, if everyone wants to continue enjoying the outdoors, we need to all do our part.

Depending on the campground, you may want to have your own trash containment. We have always loved this one because when you're done camping, you can wash it off and store it easily in a small space.

When all is said and done, it is about enjoying  the summer outdoors. Find a camp spot and enjoy the outdoors with your family and friends!

Buying Tips For Camping Stoves

I've had so many people over the years ask about what we use to cook food when we go camping. And, while there are so many options, depending on your specific type of camping, I thought I would start with this post about buying tips for camping stoves.

The vast selection of camping stoves tagged with technical terms a layman wouldn’t understand, may be scary for some who are not that experienced when it comes to camping and buying camping stoves. However, purchasing the right camping stove is not as hard as it may seem.

Here are some considerations you should take into account when buying a camping stove. With these information and simple tips, selection and purchase would be much easier

Size

Camping brands like Coleman offer one, two and multiple burner camping stoves. 

What you should opt for should depend on the volume of cooking you intend to do. If you’re solo packing, a camping stove with one or two burner may do, but if you intend to go camping with the whole family or plan to have a camping cook feast with a bunch of friends, go for a camping stove that has two or more burners to save time cooking.

We are a small family of 3 and have always found that 2 burners is enough for the type of cooking we do. We also use the fire pit for some of our foods.

Type of Fuel

After deciding which stove size is suitable for your camping needs, the next thing to consider is the type of fuel you’ll want to use. Your fuel options include propane, white gas (otherwise known as Coleman fuel), unleaded gas, butane or kerosene. However, it is mostly recommended to use either propane or white gas only.

Out of all the camping stoves, those that are fueled by white gas produce the most heat. It is the more environment-friendly choice for it burns cleanly without any odor or effect on food taste as well as produces less waste.

Many of the Coleman camping stoves that are fueled with white gas operate on dual fuel system which means that the stove can run either on white gas or unleaded gasoline. However, it is best that you use only white gas unless during cases when you run out of it and can’t buy any.

Propane camp stoves on the other hand are simpler and more easy to use, but weigh a lot heavier compared with white gas. But propane Coleman camping stoves are also great choices because of their easiness to operate and ignite, and good performance in warm climates and at low elevations. Most Coleman camping stoves powered with propane fuel even have electronic ignitions to save time and energy.

Type of Camping Activity

Another consideration to make is the type of camping you intend to do during your trip. For example, if you plan to go backpacking, choose a camping stove that is lightweight, has a single burner for this is easier to carry in your load.

But if you intend to go on a family camping trip, a group hike or RV camping, it is more appropriate to opt for three or four burner stoves that would allow you to create a grand fiesta for everyone.

Now, if you’re planning to go on a beach camping trip or have a backyard party where you’ll probably want to do some grilling on the side, a combination of a stove and grill is the perfect choice for you.

Many camping brands such as Coleman provide you with a wide array of quality camp stoves and background information on its features to make your choice much easier.