Camping Articles

1. Buying a computer? Ask these 3 questions!

By Adam Fletcher 1. Why do you need a computer? Whether you are a new user or advanced one, whether this is your first computer or second (or even third), be clear as to why you want a computer before you even think of buying one. How will you use your computer? Are you only interested in browsing the Internet and checking e-mail? Do you plan to use your PC as a programming machine? Do desktop publishing or... read more

2. Campsite Meal Planning and Recipe

By Timothy D McBride Hello Again, Today we will be talking about meal planning. Meals are one of the most memorable aspects of any camping trip and if one meal is a disaster you will never hear the end of it. I will show you how to avoid spending half the day in the kitchen and still deliver a meal that will knock their socks off. Pre planning and pre prep are a great way to buy more time for doing what you ca... read more

3. Bird Watching Journals – Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences

By Rick Chapo Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips. Bird Watching Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first ... read more

4. Siberia Travelogue - Part 1 - Here I Come!

By Richard A. Chapo “You must really hate this job.” That’s what my boss said when I told him I was moving from San Diego to Siberia for a year. In reality, I was bored and looking for something that would be completely and utterly new. Whether it was sunstroke or a developing tolerance to margaritas, San Diego just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Heck, I hadn’t even gone to the beach in nine months and it was only a few ... read more

5. 6 Things You Must Do If You Want To HaveThe Secret To Catching More Trout

By Robin Shortt It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. ~John Steinbeck 1. How Fish Think When you hunt for deer, and any other animal for that matter, there are some set rules you have to follow if you are going to catch some very wary Brook and Brown trout. Will the rules for hunting somehow help with Trout Fishing.... read more

6. Budapest – Health Resort Spas

By Rick Chapo Budapest is an amazing city with so many attractions that it is hard to know where to start. The health resort spas seem as good a place as any. Budapest Spas Budapest sits on a tectonic plate fault line in Eastern Europe. While earthquakes seem inevitable, one advantage to the location is the proliferation of mineral water spas in the city. Here are a few highlights. The Gellert Spa Hote... read more

7. Siberia, Russia – The Slow Train - Part 8

By Rick Chapo After deciding to move to Siberia for a year to teach at the Chita State Technical University, I embarked on a travel odyssey unlike any other. In this entry, we pick up the trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Horror As my new Russian friend walked down the hall, I reflected on the information he had provided me with a grimace. The train ride from Khabarovsk to my destination, Chita, wa... read more

8. Fly Fishing Journals – Keep Track of Your Trips

By Rick Chapo Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you'll never stop. Whether you are going to the local water hole or to Alaska, you should use a fly fishing journal to keep track of your sessions. Fly Fishing Journals Fly fishing is more than just fishing, it’s a peaceful, surreal activity. For many, there is almost a meditative quality to casting. For avid fly fisherman, fly fishing trips to loc... read more

9. Budapest, Hungary – The Castle District

By Rick Chapo Towering a couple hundred feet above the Danube River, the Castle District in Budapest is a special place. Surrounded by gothic churches with stain glass, a visit to the Castle District is like stepping back into the renaissance. Castle District Situated in the Buda section of Budapest, the Castle District sits on the eastern side of the Danube. Positioned a couple hundred feet above the Dan... read more

10. A Day at the Summer Palace of Peter the Great

By Rick Chapo For elegance and old world feel, St. Petersburg is by far the best Russian city. If you go, a visit to Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great is a must. Peterhof As Tanya and I left St. Petersburg for Peterhof, I was in a foul mood. A pickpocket had cut through the bottom of my backpack and swiped my camera. The ferry taking us was packed and the adorable child on my right had just ... read more

11. Playing Chess in Russia – The Agony of Victory

By Rick Chapo Russians have a thing for chess and, frankly, are very good at it. Being from San Diego, I thought chess was something you put photo albums in. Playing Chess Playing chess requires thinking ten or twelve steps ahead. If I wanted to understand the Russian mind, I had to learn to play chess. If nothing else, it would be a good way to pass the time. This I was told by Robert, an American livin... read more

12. Fly Fishing in Russia

By Rick Chapo A few years back, I spent a year living in Siberia and had a chance to head out to a town called Tinda. Much to my surprise, a couple of the locals had fly fishing on the menu. The Siberian Surprise Mention the word “Siberia” and most people think of bleak, frozen tundra stretching for hundreds of miles. Well, this is more or less true in the winter. In the summer, however, much of Siberia ... read more

13. Fly Fishing On The Green River - Paradise Lost

By Rick Chapo Fly fishing is all about finding a great location, preferably in the middle of a hatch. The Green River in Utah was one such place, but is it still? The Secret Is Out No less than five years ago, it seemed like you head to the Green River and see few others along your little stretch of paradise. These days, it seems like a freeway. The Green River starts at Flaming Gorge in the far North... read more

14. Riviera Maya, Mexico – Paradise Defined

By Rick Chapo The Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast was a secret getaway to paradise for many years. No longer. Now it is considered one of the finest beach areas in the world. Riviera Maya Located on the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, the Riviera Maya is jaw dropping beautiful. Although the area was only known to a select few for years, the last 10 years has seen a boom in tourism an... read more

15. Cambodia – The Blind Masseuses

By Rick Chapo Cambodia has seen far more than its fair share of tragedy and misery. The blind masseuses offer a glimpse of the true Cambodian heart and will to carry on. Seeing Hands Massage With the onset of the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia took a serious turn for the worse from the late 1970s through the early eighties. When the Khmer Rouge were finished killing or starving as much as tw... read more

16. Thailand – The Land of Smiles and Cheap Travel

By Rick Chapo Thailand is known as the land of smiles, which is amazing considering the traffic jams in Bangkok. For budget travelers, Thailand simply can’t beat on price alone. Thailand Thailand is an odd mix of contrasts. It can be extremely stressful while trying to get around in Bangkok and gloriously relaxing while laying on practically any of the beaches that populate the coast of the country. Rega... read more

17. Costa Rica – VW Vans and Crawling Things

By Rick Chapo For better or worse, man has tamed Mother Nature in many countries. My general impression is this isn’t the case in Costa Rica. San Jose to Carrillo Roughly ten of us had decided to head to Costa Rica for a week to stay at a friend’s place just outside the beach town of Carrillo on the west coast. We flew into San Jose and were supposed to be met by a rental company representative that had ... read more

18. Living In Siberia – Lenin's Revenge

By Rick Chapo In 1999, I moved to Chita, a city in Siberia, Russia to teach for a year. After seven days of planes, trains and, well, more trains, I was ready to experience Chita in all its glory. Day 1 – Lenin’s Revenge Riding on a train for three plus days does weird things to your equilibrium. You tend to develop a natural compensation for the swaying. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t just snap back wh... read more

19. Backpacking Journals – Preserve Your Backpacking Experiences

By Rick Chapo Backpacking is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your backpacking experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a backpacking journal for your adventures. Backpacking Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent backpacking experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went ... read more

20. Wat Doi Suthep, Chang Mai – A Not So Spiritual Journey

By Rick Chapo The Buddhist Temples in Thailand are simply impressive. This is particularly true of Wat Doi Suthep, the mountain temple outside Chang Mai. Wat Doi Suthep More or less located on the top of Suthep Mountain, Wat Doi Suthep is a day trip from the city. You’ll notice I didn’t write an “easy” day trip. When the Thais build a mountain temple, they’re serious about the mountain aspect. Suthep... read more

21. Big Bend National Park – Texas

By Rick Chapo Big Bend National Park is a land of borders. Situated on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande, it is a place where countries and cultures meet. It is also a place that merges natural environments, from desert to mountains. It is a place where south meets north and east meets west, creating a great diversity of plants and animals. The park covers more than 801,000 acres of west Texas where... read more

22. Camping Lanterns Guide: Backpacking And Camping Lantern Tips.

By Marc Wiltse What kind of camping lanterns best fit your outdoor needs? Do you need light weight for backpacking, or is maximum light more important? Camping lanterns have been around for quite a while, especially fuel lanterns like kerosene and gas lanterns. LED lanterns, rechargeable lanterns or electric lanterns, butane lanterns, propane lanterns, battery lanterns and candle lanterns are newer to the sce... read more

23. Calcutta, India – More Than You’ve Heard

By Rick Chapo Calcutta, India is a city known for having a serious poverty problem. While this is true, there is much more to the place. Calcutta Calcutta is a colonial city organized during the period of British rule, which means a great majority of it is only one to two hundred years old. Unfortunately, the upkeep in the city has been seriously lacking. Frankly, the place appears to be falling down in ... read more

24. Fly Fishing - In Search of the Chase

By Rick Chapo With fly fishing, sometimes it is all about the chase. Here’s a day trip that looked unfruitful, but turned out alright in the end. Colorado Fly Fishing We put the raft in on a warm morning in Sept. without a cloud in sight. My expectations were not high, since a warm sunny day tends to put the fish down, at least on this stretch of the Colorado. When the fish aren’t rising, I go straight fo... read more