Hey, Camp Fans,

We all know what fun summer camp is. And we also know what kind of a hassle it can be to get yourself and all your summer camp gear there and back in one piece. That’s where we come in with the J World Moose Wheeled Duffel Bag.

You can trust this duffel to make a trip to camp a lot easier on you. It’s got plenty of room inside to fit lots of the gear you’ll need at camp. The Moose has padding inside for absolute safety of all your valuables as well as no shortage of pockets and compartments for easy and organized storage.

It may be a long, bumpy road to your camp, but you can rest assured that all your belongings will be safe inside your J World Moose and look the same as when you first packed it all up and started your journey.

The J World Moose is made with two soft and silent wheels that work great for smoothly traversing a hectic airport where quick turns and pivoting can be necessary amongst the crowds. And the Moose also rolls great on a terrain that is much rougher than that of an airport floor; say, like your unpaved campgrounds!

The bottom of this wheeled duffel bag is ABS molded with inner padding that guarantees the protection of all your valuables inside.

Whether you’re taking your Moose along with you to go on a hike, going to the beach, or simply moving your gear to and from camp, the Moose is made to keep up with your eventful summer. It will deliver all the durability and convenience you could want in a rolling duffel bag.

The Moose has a full-sized, U-shaped, zippered opening for easy packing as well as zippered mesh and a pocket that can hold your shoes or anything you have that’s gotten wet—all of which makes this duffel bag easily accessible and perfect for your summer camp experience.

Let this wheeled Moose keep camp convenient and care-free and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

Giddy up, Camp Preppers!

As we post about our new products, it’s our hope that you are coming across items and gear that will be of interest to you for your specific summer camping activities. 

If you have a deep-seeded appreciation, love, and respect for horses and horseback riding, then you’ll find this particular blog post invaluably beneficial for the coming camp season. Today, I’ll be discussing The Ovation™ Deluxe Schooler Helmet as well as a fun way to dress it up with cool Helmet Zocks!—the best way to cover and decorate your helmet in awesome, bright designs.

The Deluxe Schooler from English Riding Supply is the right helmet for any entry level rider because of its many, many conveniences. No rider, let alone a lesser experienced one should have to deal with a heavy helmet that fits too tight and makes riding hot, sweaty, and overall uncomfortable.

A rider who is equipped with the Schooler Helmet won’t have to worry about any of this unpleasantness. Because this helmet is ventilated and lightweight, it will wear comfortably and keep your head cool. Then, for even more comfort and added protection, the interior is mesh-padded.

The Schooler also features a removable breakaway visor along with a dial fit system and a leather and nylon adjustable harness so that it not only meets your personal riding preferences, but is sure to meet the specific size of your head. This helmet delivers maximum comfort!

ASTM F1163-04a/SEI Certified, this helmet is more-than-suitable for riding but also good enough to use as a show helmet!

It’s given a rubberized finish for a very sleek look, but if you really want to ride in your own style, Ovation™ Helmet Zocks are the way to go! Helmet Zocks, socks for your riding helmet, not only cloak your helmet in your preferred design, but also provides your helmet with protection–avoiding scratches or getting marked up in any way.

Arrive at riding camp wearing the Ovation™ Deluxe Schooler Helmet and sporting a great Zocks cover! Are you ready to ride? As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

Hey, Camp Folks!

At the beginning of the month, we had our first Employee Bio blog post about Kristy, Everything Summer Camp’s Lead Buyer.

The hope with these particular blog posts is for you to get to know us better here at Everything Summer Camp, learn a thing or two about the people who work here, and have a better understanding of who we are as a company.

Today marks our second Employee Bio post about our Production Supervisor, Shirley. She plays a very vital role in the construction of our camp trunks. As the Supervisor, Shirley coordinates the scheduling for production based on the orders for camp trunks that we get from you.

She also keeps her eye on inventory levels and assigns daily goals for her crew. Together, they get everyone’s camp trunk made, custom to what you ordered and we ship it out to you in plenty of time before summer camp starts!

A camp trunk, a foot locker, locker trunks—it doesn’t really matter what you call them; in any case, Shirley makes them and she’s probably one of the best in the country at doing it. After almost 26 years of building them, we pretty much consider her an expert at this point! 

If you’re all brushed-up on your Everything Summer Camp trivia, you may already realize that Shirley has been working here ever since this company first got going—that’s pretty impressive. The length of her employment just goes to show how much she likes her job.

What’s kept her here for so long? “I enjoy the people that I work with and take satisfaction in the products we make,” she says. Having started out as a Production Worker, Shirley’s come to have an exceptional understanding of what durable trunk construction is and how to achieve it on every single one she builds.

So, after reading this post and learning a little about Shirley, aren’t you glad we have her in charge of making your camp trunk? Until next time, Campers. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

What Goldilocks Can Teach Us about How Long to Stay at Camp?

Goldilocks did three things right when selecting her preferred chair, porridge and bed: She kept an open mind, she experimented and she was involved in making her own choices. Wise parents adopt the Goldilocks model when deciding on session length. Let’s talk through each of these three factors.

First, you and your child should keep an open mind. Some eight-year-olds are ready for a seven-week stay; some 14-year-olds will struggle with a two-week stay. Generally speaking, younger children and first-year campers begin with shorter session lengths (one or two-weeks) and build up to a month or more. However, there are plenty of exceptions. Ultimately, you’re trying match the camp and session length to your child’s interests, abilities and developmental level, rather than link any parameter of his or her stay to chronological age.

Second, experiment a bit. Arrange for your child to spend a few overnights and long weekends with friends or relatives. Let them get a sense of what they miss. (Everyone misses something.) Talk with them after this practice time away from home about how they coped with their normal pangs of homesickness. Coach them on the best ways to adjust to the separation from home. If they claim to have sailed through the separation with nary a thought of home, they are probably lying but still showing healthy confidence.

(Note: Most parents are committed to preventing severe homesickness. That’s why the American Camp Association created a 25-minute homesickness prevention DVD. The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success is actually a DVD-CD set that lowers the intensity of first-year campers’ homesickness by 50%, on average. Consider making this $10 investment in your child’s happiness. The set is for sale on EverythingSummerCamp.com or by calling (800) 535-2057.)

Third, involve your son or daughter in the decision about how long to stay at camp. Some of the choice will be dictated by family finances, of course. Whatever flexibility is left should be largely up to your child. Ownership over the decision about how many weeks to attend camp goes a long way toward promoting good adjustment to the separation from home. Said differently, children who feel forced to spend a certain amount of time away from home are more likely to become intensely homesick.

Of course, Goldilocks didn’t get it all right. After all, she broke into someone else’s house without permission, a fact not taken lightly by the three bears. Camp has an entirely different premise. Not only are the chairs, meals and beds perfect for kids of all shapes and sizes, the staff will welcome their presence and work diligently to help them feel part of the family.

Enjoy the summer!

Dr. Christopher Thurber

Hey, Camp Enthusiasts!

A couple days ago we discussed the Fawn Grove Throw from Woolrich—the warmth, the weight, the look, and the feel. So today we’re going to take a look at the Woolrich Atlas Twin Blanket, the Fawn Grove Throw’s cousin as an alternative blanket for summer camping. 

This post discusses the differences in both of these Woolrich classics so that you can best decide for yourself which one you want to cover up with for a chilly camp night.

Just like the Fawn Grove Throw, the Atlas Twin is more than big enough in which to wrap yourself up or to share with your camp friend while the both of you sit half-blanketed, reading a book or enjoying the warm atmosphere around a fire.

The Woolrich Atlas Twin Blanket is nice and comfy and, above all, warm!

Unlike its cousin, on the other hand, the Woolrich Atlas is meant to be a heavier type of blanket. It isn’t going to deliver the same kind of soft, fluffy feeling that the throw will. However, the blanket is much more effective for layering than the throw could ever be.

The Woolrich Atlas Twin is also a larger blanket than the Fawn Grove Throw. Woolrich adds 6” to one end and 10” to the other to make the Atlas 60” wide and 80” long.

Keep in mind that when you buy a Woolrich quality blanket, you’re not just picking one out for camp! The Atlas Twin Blanket is especially long-lasting thanks to its bulkier feel. It’s made of 80% reprocessed wool and 20% nylon.

The Atlas Twin Blanket is a blanket you’ll enjoy for the rest of your entire life!

The color on the Atlas Twin are solid colors and not designs, naturally, the colors on the Atlas are deeper and fuller than the softer approach of the plaid designs that you see on the throw.

Well, that just about covers it, everybody. Hopefully this gave you a clearer idea of what blanket types the two of these are and maybe even which one you’ll want for your camper. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John