I just read an article in the newspaper this morning about a 100-year-old woman who attributes her long life to listening to her mom’s advice to “go outside and play.” Where safer and better to play outside than camping? Oh, the freedom and fantasies—I remember it well!
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Archive for Camping – Page 5
Yep, it’s easier than you think with the right gear, and of course, a Summit or Outdoorsman helps tremendously. This past summer while camping here in Colorado, we made a video of my dad, Richard, making Soused Shrimp (aka Shrimp Scampi) with a twist. You’ll find the recipe on our Videos page. Enjoy!
by Analisa Macias (daughter of Richard and Eleanore Snogren)
As parents, we have goals and expectations of ourselves and our children. But what, really, are we expecting our children to gain from all of our parenting? What do we really want for our kids? What do they need to launch them into a successful and happy adulthood?
We want our kids to be good, smart, respectful, and happy. We want them to make us proud and to feel good about themselves. But in reality, these terms are elusive and subjective. How do you teach someone to be happy? Or good? Often teaching “respect” ends up instead teaching fear and intimidation. Smart is relative and unique to each individual.
Good and happy comes from within, it is implicit in our beings—not a personality trait. Respect for others is treating someone well and as an equal and can only come from a strong sense of self-respect. So as I ponder how to help my children develop a happy, good, smart, and respectful inner self, I often go to fearlessness.
More than anything, I want to help my kids be fearless. I don’t mean literally to feel no fear, but rather to feel unafraid of failure enough to try whatever they feel inclined to try. To give things a shot, to take initiative, to not be afraid of judgment or rejection, and to not fear not being good at something. We learn by being and by doing. And if my kids are not afraid to be and not afraid to do, then they will grow up pretty fulfilled. This will translate into a happy and respectful human being.
Recently while enjoying a coffee at Starbucks with a friend, we were discussing My Camp Kitchen’s new release, the Outdoorsman.
When I told him we offered a kit the customer could put together and finish themselves, he replied, “That’s great, your customers can use a little ‘sweat equity’ to get high value while saving money.”
Although it usually refers to building up equity or value in a house by doing a lot of work yourself, or in other instances, acquiring ownership in a business by investing labor rather than cash, “sweat equity” fits our new Outdoorsman kit rather nicely.
If you’d like to build some sweat equity while saving money, check out the Outdoorsman kit today!
I was recently camping in Steamboat Springs with some friends. I brought a Summit with me, of course. Many neighbors came by and were looking at my kitchen, as they are wont to do.
One person in particular had a lot to say about our kitchen. He had an aluminum kitchen set up in his campsite and was really impressed by the stability of My Camp Kitchen’s Summit. Apparently, the aluminum kitchens are wobbly. You’ve gotta be really careful around them—no kids playing and beware in windstorms. He kept pushing the Summit from a variety of angles and could not get it to budge. He was seriously impressed. Fortunately, I had some brochures, so he is going to check us out online.
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.
I am passionate about a number of things in life, two of which are camping and cooking. In all my years as an engineer working long hours, it was the weekend camping trips and weeklong camping vacations with my family that re-energized me for the weeks to come.
Until recently, we were tent campers. I have always looked for ways to become more organized and to make it easier to get ready, easier to set up camp, and of course easier to come home and get ready for the next trip.
We started out with five kids in a 1961 Ford Falcon, and we had to be organized just to fit. That is how My Camp Kitchen got started.
There is no greater joy than to be able to share the things one is passionate about with others. Joining my engineers’ eye for detail with my love of nature and cooking has enabled me to share with the world a really simple and organized way to cook outdoors while keeping all the kitchen gear and supplies right where you want them whenever needed.
I hope you all enjoy our outdoor kitchen systems as much as we do!!
Happy camping!
Richard Snogren
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.
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.
Overland Journal gave My Camp Kitchen rave reviews! When comparing My Camp Kitchen chuck boxes to other field kitchens, Overland Journal ranked us first in our class (kitchens with container for cooking gear as well as surface upon which to cook) in its Spring 2011 issue. See below for excerpts from the review.
Overland Journal ranks Summit at the top for versatility, convenience, and features
From lightweight to luxurious, we look at the best kits for cooking outdoors.
Photograph by Chris Marzonie for the Overland Journal
Overland Journal, “Spring Field Test”
Excerpts from the review discussing the My Camp Kitchen™ Summit:
The My Camp Kitchen [Summit] is a new product. Constructed entirely of Baltic birch and red oak, the Summit Traveler is a fine example of good old-fashioned woodcraft using a simple, cleverly executed, elegant design. This is a camp kitchen your grandfather might have built in his workshop and passed down as a family heirloom. I met the maker, Richard Snogren, at the International Sportsmen’s Expo in Phoenix and got the impression that his product is a labor of love. After using it in the field, it’s obvious that it’s also the result of personal experience. He’s obviously spent some culinary time in the field and knows what he is doing.
The Summit scores impeccably on volumetric efficiency, thanks to the folding base and wood panel construction…. Put together with dovetail and dado joinery, the build quality is high. Years of use will only add character and a patina of adventure.
Once set up, the Summit is a joy to use. Swing open the cabin doors and you have three compartmented areas facing the chef, with a large counter in front. Additionally, there is a voluminous area below the counter and inside the base available for food boxes or any other large items you want accessible.
The Summit scores at the top
The Summit scores at the top for ease of use and ergonomics…. The working height and accessibility to cutlery, tools, specs, and paper towels couldn’t be better. This kitchen is immensely comfortable to use.
If you can afford the required cargo space for this kitchen and you’re serious about having a first-class work area to prepare fine meals, the Summit Traveler is a wonderful choice. The simple set-up and takedown, coupled with proper ergonomics and high-quality construction, score high points.
My Camp Kitchen Summit ranked first in these categories:
- System Versatility
- Convenience
- Features
Learn More
If you have any questions, please give Richard a ring at 303.972.4721 or contact us today.
Thanks for reading, and happy camping!
Note: the Summit was referred to in the original article as the Summit Traveler. Since printing, the name has been changed.
Thank you for your interest in My Camp Kitchen!
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- Adam, Owner
704.425.5526 (cell)
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—Adam Eckberg & Team
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