Camping Articles

1. Holland Travel – Amsterdam, Van Gogh, Anne Frank

By Rick Chapo Holland certainly has a reputation with travelers. Known for having a very liberal attitude on social issues such as prostitution and drugs, the reputation is not always deserved. Yes, marijuana and prostitution is legal, but there is so much more to the country. Many look at Amsterdam as Holland, but visitors know there is much more. If you desire to travel to Holland, also known as the Netherlan... read more

2. Cancun, Mexico – A Little Something For Everyone

By Rick Chapo A sleepy island area in the 1970s, Cancun has been transformed into a mega tourist destination. Located on the Caribbean side of Mexico, this resort area has something for everyone. Cancun Make no mistake, Cancun is a very tourist friendly destination. Located on the Yucatan peninsula, Cancun is populated with mega resorts and over 20,000 hotel rooms. The economy is based on tourism and t... read more

3. Travel Journals – Preserve Your Travel Experiences

By Rick Chapo Traveling is a great way to escape the rat race and experience new cultures and places. Alas, your experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a travel journal for your trips. Travel Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent trip. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first trip you ever took. Undoubtedly, you remember few ... read more

4. 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

5. 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

6. Halloween In Siberia – Sort Of

By Rick Chapo Live in another country and you’ll start to experience serious cultural differences. This is particularly true as I discovered with Halloween in Siberia. Russian Holidays I loved living in Russia and the primary reason was people. Russians love to celebrate and they are big into holidays. In Chita, Siberia, practically everyday was a holiday. During communism, Russia celebrated the worker w... read more

7. Bird Watching Mecca – 338 Species At Acadia National Park

By Rick Chapo When it comes to birding, Acadia National Park is a mecca for sightings. The Park has 338 bird species, which is a record for any national park in the United States. The list of species includes such rare birds as the bald eagle, 23 warbler variations and falcons by the bushel load. If you’re looking to fill out your life list, Acadia is the place to be. The park has such a wide variety of bird... read more

8. Siberia, Russia – The Trans-Siberian Railway - Part 7

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 leaving the train station in Khabarovsk. A Train To Nowhere? In deciding to travel to Chita, Siberia, I had originally estimated a travel time of three days. Okay, maybe three at the outside figuring time changes a... read more

9. Student Travel – Backpacking In Europe

By Richard A. Chapo For the fortunate few, life isn’t complete without a backpacking trip through Europe. This right of passage is believed to further the maturation process of college students, according to sociologists. Of course, others have opined that copious amounts of alcohol, sun and Amsterdam have something to do with it. Regardless of your purpose, you still have to figure out what to take. Backpack – Ge... read more

10. Bandelier National Monument – New Mexico

By Rick Chapo Located in north central New Mexico, Bandelier National Monument’s 32,737 acres encompasses a spectacular array of archeological, historic, and natural features. Today, 10,000 years after its first visitors appeared, Bandelier attracts more than 300,000 people each year. "It is the grandest thing I ever saw," proclaimed Adolph F. Bandelier as he stood at the rim of Frijoles (free-HOH-lace) Cany... read more

11. 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

12. Camping Food: Easy & Warm Camping Meals.

By Marc Wiltse Dehydrated/freeze-dried camping food is great for hiking, backpacking, or camping meals because you don't have to keep it cold to avoid spoiling. While coolers/refrigerators can work well in some situations, ice or electricity isn't always available making dehydrated/freeze dried food very attractive. While removing the water helps preserve camping food it also has another benefit... Camping... read more

13. 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

14. Halloween Bird Watching – The Dark Side

By Rick Chapo Bird watching is just about the most unobjectionable hobby in the world. With Halloween approaching, however, it is time to discuss the dark, dark, dark side of birding. Bird watching enthusiasts are always looking for good spots to whip out the binoculars and visually hunt for a new life bird. There are really only two potential downsides to this for bird watchers. What Are You Looking At... read more

15. Budapest, Hungary – The Paris of Eastern Europe

By Rick Chapo Located in Eastern Europe, Hungary is diverse and beautiful country. The undisputed treasure of the country is Budapest. Budapest – A Tale of Three Cities Over 2,000 years old, Budapest is a large city containing traces of the various forces that have ruled it over time. Romans, Turks, Goths and many others have conquered the city. Somehow, the various influences work in such a way as to mak... read more

16. Travel Cambodia – Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, Sihanoukville

By Rick Chapo Cambodia is a land on the mend. From 1977 through 1980, the Khmer Rouge ruled the country, fanatics bent on genocide. Millions were killed and the period was put to film in the movie, “The Killing Fields.” Fortunately, those days are over and the country is becoming a tourist destination. Cambodia is a land of incredible contrast. Thick forest, mountains and pristine rivers compliment amazing... read more

17. 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

18. How to Pick Warm Comfortable Sleeping Bags For Camping.

By Marc Wiltse Should sleeping bags be made of down or synthetic? What sleeping bag is best for camping, hiking or backpacking? A guide to make your decision easier. First off it should at least be rated for the lowest possible temperature you'll encounter. You may want to even go a little lower just to be on the safe side. Obviously the main purpose is to hold your body heat in to insulate you from the co... read more

19. Travel Guidebooks – The Horror Section

By Rick Chapo Travel guidebooks are like bibles for most travelers and sources of information salvation in a tight spot. Just try to avoid the horror section. Travel Guides You’ve saved up some hard earned cash and are ready to hit the road. If you don’t have a firm destination in mind, you’ll inevitably find yourself sitting in a bookstore somewhere reading travel guides. Regardless of the brand, you usu... read more

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. Camping Cookware Comparisons: Which Is Best For Camp Cooking?

By Marc Wiltse What type of camping cookware is best for you? Camp cooking and clean-up can be easy or a hassle, it all starts with great camping equipment. Camping cookware, like any camping equipment, should be versatile and tough. A lot of campers have a set of cookware just for camping because they don't want to risk damaging their good kitchen set and/or it's easier to keep all your camping gear organize... read more

24. Margaret Island – Paradise in Budapest

By Rick Chapo The Danube River runs through the center of Budapest in Hungary. In the middle of the city chaos lays an oasis of tranquility, Margaret Island. Margaret Island Margaret Island is one of the unique elements of Budapest. The island is located in the middle of the Danube River in central Budapest and is a little more than 1 mile long and 500 yards wide. With the exception of a hotel at the sout... read more