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Archive for Camping and Health – Page 2

Families That Play Together Stay Together … So Let’s Go

Posted by Sky //
 May 11, 2011
Family Sightseeing from a Cliff

How many of you rush to relax with your family? Do you work till 5 or 6 pm, only to come home and make dinner, followed by time spent making sure the kids have done their homework while helping those who haven’t? What time is it then? 8 or 9 pm? Then weekends … between doing chores and driving the kids to their extracurricular activities, when do you have time to stop and relax and just have fun with your children?

Studies show that when families actually plan family leisure activities like camping and let go of all the rushing, they experience increased family satisfaction (Zabriskie & McCormick, 2003) and improved communication (Huff, Widmer, McCoy, & Hill, 2003). The family as a whole even becomes more effective (Wells, Widmer, & McCoy 2004).

As we approach spring and summer—prime camping season—plan your next family campout. And when you get there, let everything else go—no more work or school or errands … just you and the ones you love. Play, relax, and have fun!

References

Zabriskie, R.B., & McCormick, B.P. (2003). “Parent and child perspectives of family leisure involvement and satisfaction with family life.” Journal of Leisure Research, 35(2), 163–189.

Huff, C., Widmer, M., McCoy, K., & Hill, B. (2003). “The influence of challenging outdoor recreation on parent-adolescent communication.” Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 37(1), 18–37.

Wells, M. S., Widmer, M. A., & McCoy, J. K. (2004). “Grubs and grasshoppers: Challenge-based recreation and the collective efficacy of families with at-risk youth.” Family Relations, 53(3), 326–333.

Nature and Movement Stimulate Neurological Growth

Posted by My Camp Kitchen //
 May 5, 2011
Little Girl Playing in a Field of Flowers

Nature and movement stimulate growth. Not just muscular growth, but neurological growth. When we experience and move our bodies in nature, we are taking in through our senses varied stimuli, and we are moving our bodies in relation to these stimuli. We are unconsciously learning something about ourselves and developing a deeper identity.

Research on the brain and nature conducted by the University of Michigan shows that after walking in a nature environment, people have better concentration and memory than those who walk down a city street. When we are overburdened by too much information, we make more impulsive choices. Daily life devoid of the calm of nature can lead to more habitual behaviors that keep us stuck in the status quo. When our brains are quieted by nature, reduced stimuli, and more natural rhythms, there is an opportunity to make different decisions that lead to personal growth and greater life satisfaction. It is totally different from the passive experience of watching television or being overstimulated by shopping in a mall.

Giving this gift to our children on a regular basis creates an opportunity for a healthy identity to arise. The more rich and rewarding experiences a child has with her family (where she feels most safe), the more curious and capable she will become. Not just because she learned how to cook a hot dog over a fire, but also because her creative self was given the opportunity to experience and move in her own unique way. She got to attend to what was interesting to her, do something with it, and share it with others. Perhaps she finds the stream of water near the campsite intriguing, enjoys whittling a piece of wood into an arrow, likes watching the squirrels chase each other while gathering nuts, or simply tends the fire while lost in thought. Whatever her natural inclinations, camping offers a way to enrich her understanding and experiences of those interests.

Family Ritual and Routine Correlates with Lower Mental Illness in Teenagers

Posted by My Camp Kitchen //
 May 3, 2011
Family Dinner

Numerous studies point to the benefits of family traditions. Regular family dinners were shown to be a consistent factor in the family life of Rhodes scholars. Research shows family ritual and routine correlates with lower mental illness in teenagers.

According to one of the largest federally funded studies, “Teens and Their Parents in the 21st Century: Trends in Teen Behavior and the Role of Parental Involvement,” family dinner times reduce teenagers’ risks of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, smoking, and early sexual behaviors. Routine creates predictability, which is critical for children. Ritual creates meaning and consolidates an experience into a memorable moment to identify with throughout life.

Planning the menu can be the first ritual of a family campout. Letting everyone pitch in ideas and list their favorite foods kicks off the fun. You begin to anticipate the enjoyment of the trip. Shopping, packing the car together, making a bag of snacks for the drive, and picking out the music for the road trip all increase the excitement. Then the family hops in the car, feeling free as a bird. The vacation has begun, and you have everything you need to relax into a rich and rewarding experience.

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“My Camp Kitchen was the central spot for all the food and drink as everyone found it to be a great camping asset. It was at a comfortable height for preparation, and all the tools I needed were right there in easy reach. My Camp Kitchen is a wonderful product that I will continue to enjoy and tell everyone about.”

—Bill and Jodi H., Colorado

“First of all, let me say I LOVE what I see and hear from your products. We are a Scouter family with two boys 13 and 11 active in our LDS Scout troop and a secondary traditional troop here in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

—Raoul Casares, Scout Father, Pleasanton, CA

“For a beautiful cooking experience, the artfulness and craftsmanship of the Summit WOWS. It feeds the soul.”

—Susan, Colorado

“Nothing competes with camping. There is no remote-control camping. So when you get a kid out there making a fire, prepping foil dinners, roasting marshmallows, playing silly campfire games, and walking around in the dark with a flashlight, he is thrilled in a way that cannot be duplicated by technology. Go, Dad!!!!”

—Analisa Macias, Avid Camper and Daughter of the Snogrens

“You make an awesome product! … Arrived home today to My Camp Kitchen waiting on my porch. Couldn’t wait to open it up and see the new improvements. I could not be happier!! The new legs are fantastic!! And having the extensions be able to stay with the box and not have to tote separate is just the ticket. We just placed our three kids’ names in a hat and drew the lucky winner of our old unit. Our oldest daughter won and promised to share with the other two and keep it in the family always. Thanks again for making a great quality product that we can be proud to pass on.”

—Scott Hall, Happy Camper, Grand Rapids, MI

“Wow! I just received the camp kitchen, and I have to say, the pictures don’t do it justice! Amazingly designed and built! Great product! I’ll send you some pics from the campsite! Thanks again, Richard!”

—David Esarey, Henderson, NV

“Everything worked just great. You can see how much I have stored in the box—literally everything I need for cooking/preparation of food. The couple I went camping with were really taken with the unit—thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread!”

—Dave Weed, Happy Camper

“We are enjoying our [custom tailgater] bar—getting so many compliments and looks! It is great.… Thank you!!”

—Anna Dulcich, Happy Camper

“I love cooking with My Camp Kitchen. I have all that I need right there. Cooking outdoors is much more enjoyable than in our trailer.”

—Richard, Colorado

“I just received my Mini Chef last Friday, and it’s terrific. And it was like Christmas finding the extras inside! A really nice touch. Thank you.”

—Alison Richards, Senior Editor of Science & Food, NPR, Washington, DC

“Wow! Awesome! Really Cool! That’s the impression I have with The Outdoorsman. Very well-constructed, and I think it will work perfectly for our Scouting needs. Easy to set up and surprisingly light. Thanks so much.”

—Brian Jasper, Scoutmaster, Marysville, OH

“We love our Camp Kitchens! Our old patrol boxes were built from plans. They were very heavy, and the legs were hard to assemble. Our Camp Kitchens were easy and fun for a group of Scouts to put together. The instructions were easy to follow, and the parts were well-organized. Everything fit together perfectly. The Camp Kitchens are well-designed and much easier for our Scouts to carry. All of our necessities fit neatly inside. In addition, set-up is easy when we arrive at camp. Thanks, My Camp Kitchen!”

—Scott Dory, Scoutmaster

“The Camp Kitchen is just absolutely perfect and fits exactly how we wanted it to in our four-wheel pop-up camper. It is really well-thought-out, and I’m SO glad I didn’t try to build a DIY as I was previously planning. You have put a lot of camping experience into every little detail. And it is built for an air drop! It’s funny how excited my wife and I are about The Outdoorsman kitchen box, considering we have tens of thousands of dollars tied up in all sorts of technical outdoor gear. Your camp kitchen is truly worth every penny. Congrats on a classic.”

—Brooks Montgomery, Owner of Hart-Montgomery Outdoor Sales, Bozeman, MT

“I want to tell you how delighted I am with the camp kitchen. We went camping this past weekend and found cooking to be easy and storing the gear convenient. Thank you also for the towels, coffee filters, and wine glasses. We used these as well. I will recommend this unit to everyone I know who camps.”

—Teresa Theesfeld, Happy Camper

“We are so pleased with the custom table [designed to fit in our Teardrop trailer]! When my husband opened it and put it together, he said he wanted to use it as a standing desk in his office!! I am just so pleased to have such a beautifully designed and high-quality camp kitchen! I value these qualities in my NON-camping life … so it was wonderful to find that you were making something like this as most of the camping stuff out there is just awful!!! It has also been a great pleasure to work with you all. Thank you for all that you do!”

—Alison Richards, Senior Editor of Science & Food, NPR, Washington, DC

“Just finished putting together your kit, and I really enjoyed the project.”

—Ed Watson, Happy Camper