What better way to spend a hot summer day than to go picnicking in the park? Thereís so much to enjoy; food, drinks, games, sports, activities, campfires and good company – just donít forget the bug spray! If youíve ever had a hard time deciding what to bring on a picnic, below are several lists that give ideas for what to pack on a picnic, no matter who you are going with. So grab your friends, family and loved ones and get going!
With the kids
Kids love hotdogs and marshmallows. I donít think Iíve ever met a kid who doesnít enjoy roasting (and burning) these items over a camp fire. So if you are going on a picnic with kids bring hotdogs and marshmallows and youíre sure to please. Also bring pop and juice, chips, plastic cutlery and dishes. As for games, kids will like Frisbee, soccer, skipping rope, or really any game. Kids arenít that hard to please, just as long as you have food, beverages, and several games you can keep them entertained for hours.
Romantic
Picnicking with a partner can be very romantic if done right. Bring along a nice blanket to lay out on the grass, plastic wine glasses, and a nice plate you can both share. As for food, it is ideal to bring finger foods that you can feed to each other. Try crackers, cheese, olives, antipasto, cold cuts, and chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert. If you are a drinker itís always nice to bring along a bottle of wine or champagne, but remember donít drink too much unless you have a ride home!
Friends
A lot of people enjoy going down to the park to hang out with friends (I know I do), because it can be a blast! And all you need is a group of friends, a case of beer, hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, pop, plastic cutlery and dishes and a football, frisbee or hackysac to play with. Itís also fun to bring along a boom box if anyone has one.
Office
A lot of office parties involve going out for lunch, or ordering food in, but itís a great idea to schedule these times for going on a picnic. You can ask every one to bring something and that way you wonít be spending too much money yourself. Things you can ask people to bring could include, hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, steaks, chips, pop, juice, potato salad, green salad, fruit, veggie sticks, nuts, and desserts. This can be a lot more fun than a regular office party too because people can play sports and do activities instead of just sitting around a table.
So as you can see, planning a picnic is easy! You can be as creative as you want with what you bring, but the basics are often the best. So this summer, instead of wasting money at restaurants, gather up some friends and go build a fire!
Survival foods are not the most important thing in most emergency situations in the wilderness. You survive weeks without eating if you have to, so it is usually more important to find shelter, water, and stay dry and uninjured. On the other hand, just knowing you can find food out there, and having something in your stomach, can do wonders for your state of mind, which CAN be crucial to your survival.
What then, do you need to know about survival foods? First forget the idea that you need to learn every last edible wild plant. I love learning about new edible plants, but very few of them provide enough calories to be worth the effort in a survival situation. What you need s to know a few basic categories of animals you can eat, and some of the most abundant and calorie-rich plants.
The Animals
Mammals in North America can all be eaten (except for the livers of some arctic mammals). Since many carry parasites, wash your hands after handling them, and cook the meat if possible.
North American birds are all edible, and there eggs are too. I’ve even eaten seagull eggs cooked on a hot rock, and they tasted fine.
Fresh water fish in North America are all edible. Catching the fish is the difficult part, but they can be quickly and easily cooked over a fire.
Amphibians and reptiles are usually safe to eat – if you remove the skin. I have cooked snake in a stew and over a fire, and I recommend the latter.
The Plants
Cattail is one of the most abundant and calorie-rich foods in the wilderness. The white part of the stalk at the bottom, and the new shoots, can be eaten raw or cooked. Flower spikes can be cooked like corn-on-the-cob when green. Roots can be mashed in water to release the starch, which can be added to soups. Pollen from the flower spike can be shaken into a bag and used in soups. Cattails grow in swamps or wet soil, and you really should get to know this plant.
The inner bark of pine trees is edible. It’s a good survival food to remember, because it is available year-round. That white spongy layer between the outer bark and the wood is what you want. Although it is mostly fiber, it contains enough carbohydrates to be worth boiling into a soup if nothing else is available.
Edible berries can be a delicious and filling survival food in the right season. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries all have their wild forms. If it looks like the domestic one (usually smaller) and smells and tastes like it, it’s safe to eat.
Of course it’s fun to know which mushrooms you can eat, and even which flowers are edible, but both of these have almost no calories. To quickly learn what you need to survive, concentrate first on the common animals and the most abundant and calorie-rich edible plants. Those are the survival foods that will most likely save your life.
Are you planning to take a camping adventure? If you are, have you ever been camping before? If this is your first time taking an extended camping vacation, you may be unsure as to what you should bring along with you. If that is the case, you are definitely not alone. Although a camping vacation can be fun and exciting, it can sometimes be stressful to plan. If you would like assistance with planning your next camping vacation, you will want to continue reading on.
When it comes to camping, you will find that you need to bring multiple items with you. These items often include items that are referred to as camping supplies and then items that are referred to as camping gear. In most cases, you will find that camping gear is used to describe pieces of equipment, whereas camping supplies are often used to describe food, health and beauty products, and so forth.
When it comes to camping supplies, like clothing and food, there are many individuals who automatically know what they need to bring. On the other hand, when it comes to camping gear or camping equipment, there are many individuals who are unsure as to what they really need to bring with them. Just a few of the many pieces of camping gear or camping equipment that you may want to bring with you on your next camping adventure are outlined below.
One of the most common pieces of camping gear that you will need to bring with you on your next camping vacation is a tent. Depending on who you are going camping with, you may even need to bring multiple camping tents with you. If you have yet to purchase a camping tent, you will want try and make sure that you purchase a tent or tents that are strong, sturdy, dependable, and waterproof. Even if you are planning on camping in a motor home, you may want to think about brining a tent, just incase. Many motor home campers prefer spending at least one night in the open wilderness and you may too.
A sleeping bag is another piece of camping gear that you will want to make sure that you bring along with you. If you are camping with your family or your romantic partner, you will want to make sure that you have enough sleeping bags to go around. Although you may assume that a light sleeping bag is good in the summertime, you may still want to think about brining along a heavy style sleeping bag. These types of sleeping bags are good in case the weather suddenly turns cold.
In addition to brining a traditional sleeping bag with you, you may also want to think about bringing along a sleeping pad or an air mattress. If you will be camping in a traditional tent, you may find it somewhat uncomfortable. While many campsites have level ground, not all do. If you are concerned with how you will be able to sleep on your next camping adventure, you may want to buy a sleeping pad or an air mattress along with you, just to be on the safe side. With these items being relatively affordable, you really have nothing to lose by doing so.
The above mentioned camping gear pieces are just a few of the many camping gear pieces that you may want to think about bringing along with you on your next camping adventure.
