Camping With the Family

Monday, October 4, 2010

There are different reasons that lead families to decide to go on camping trips. Most people consider camping to be a simple, affordable, healthy and pleasurable way to vacation with their families. It also helps them to get away from the business of life in urban areas and to provide an extraordinary experience for their children.

Should you be considering a family camping vacation this summer season, here are some tips on how to plan your trip:

1. In case you have young kids, you might consider purchasing a tent that is roomy enough for all family members. However, if you are taking older kids, it might be smart to invest in extra individual take out tents to provide them with the feeling of self-sufficiency.

2. If it is your first camping trip with the children, it might be a good idea to have them play in their tents in your own back-yard. It may give them a feel for camping and help them get used to putting their tents up which will save you time in the actual camp out.

3. There are websites on the internet which supply thorough information on countless camping locations. Checking on them may assist you not only to determine what gear, garments, and meals to take, but also which activities to do.

4. National parks usually offer very affordable camping areas with beautiful scenery and nice amenities. Additionally, whenever looking for a camping area, it is recommended that you try to find a spot that is located in a high terrain. In case it rains, your tent and gear are not going to get water drenched.

5. Making a list of the most essential objects to take and checking them out as you pack, will help you not to forget things. Here are some suggestions:

Cooking gear: A small cooking stove and a lighter, a frying skillet and cooking pots, cooking utensils and a kitchen knife, a square plastic bucket for washing dishes, a dish rack, and the new dish soap disposable washing pads, dish towels, disposable plates and silverware, napkins, a can opener, paper towels, plastic containers with lids (for leftovers), a tea pot or a coffee pot, and a cooler with some ice in it.

Food: Take things that are easy to cook, like hot dogs, barbecue meats, pasta, and potatoes. You may want to take some canned goods, chips, and some bread, cold cuts, mayonnaise and mustard and/or peanut butter to make some nice sandwiches. Bring your own water bottles and a big jug for camp, and whatever else the family likes to drink. Some people prefer to cook their meals before hand and bring them in containers instead of cooking at camp.

Clothes: Take light-weight clothes for layering, bathing suits and towels; include a few knit tops and jackets for the night time, and rain gear (I found a light wind breaker to be excellent). It may also be a good idea to take some extra socks and hats. If you are planning on hiking, it is important to take appropriate shoes.

A first aid kit: a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide, ointment, Afterbite, aloe vera (also good for insect bites, sunburn and skin irritations), tape, gauze, tweezers, and scissors.

Campfire: a folding standup grill for the campfire, dry kindling (to get the fire going), some way to keep your wood dry - there is nothing worse than wet wood (all the rain stopped but you cannot start your fire), a sharp axe to cut the wood, tough long grill mitts, long bbq tools, and a long lighter.

The fire is healthy. It makes you feel happy and it helps to keep the blasted mosquitoes away.

Insect Fighters: Electric fly swatters (one for each tent, and one for the kitchen). Citronella refill candles or citronella torch fluid and torches (to keep mosquitoes away from camp area), lots of insect repellant (if, like myself, you cannot bear repellants, try Skin So Soft by Avon).

Other stuff: Sleeping bags, flashlights, garbage bags, toiletries, sunscreen, an extra folding table, a map of the area, clothes line with clothes pegs, a notebook and pens (for making quick notes for "next time"), and toys for the children. Also, on our last trip, we really benefited from a large umbrella tied to the outdoor picnic table.

6. When getting to the campground, choose a nice, flat, clean area to set up your tent or tents, and use groundsheets. Read the instructions for the campsite and play by the rules. Also, enjoy nature around you and be mindful of it.

7. Learn to recognize poison ivy and what to do about it in case you get it. You can avoid it by wearing long socks around fields, peeling the socks off inside out and putting them in a plastic bag for dirty clothes.

8. If you prize your good night sleep, look for radio-free areas. There will be people who enjoy partying all night playing their radios as if you were not there.

9. At night, lock all food away in the bear safes: the raccoons and bears will come (that is my experience in the US).

10. Leave the campgrounds in better conditions than when you arrived!

I hope these tips may help you to have both a secure and an enjoyable trip. You may also want to visit some camping sites on the Internet for a more thorough list and other suggestions.
Have lots of fun!

Traveling is my passion. I have traveled often by land, sea and air. So naturally, I have much to share with you! I enjoy talking about my experiences and hope they will benefit you. Please, click here for more information.

Electric Bug Killer

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Are you looking to rid your home or yard of those pesky flying bugs? Want to start enjoying the great outdoors? You need an electric bug killer.

The electric bug killer is safe for the environment. No more worrying about having to use those aerosol bug sprays and actually hitting the bug. Toss out that nasty old fly swatter. The electric bug killer attracts the bugs so you don't have to chase after them. Just let the bugs find the zapper.

The hand held models look a lot like a little tennis racket. Just wave at the flying insect with the racket and bugs are zapped instantly. They are great to take on vacation or family outings where you suspect bugs may be a problem. Since they do have a low power output, there is no need to worry about harming children or pets. Light weight and portable, just toss the hand held model in the trunk and go. These hand held models are also great to have in your kitchen where you want to avoid contamination of food or perhaps in a children's room.

The plug-in type electric bugkiller comes in 15 watt for half acre protection up to as high as 80 watts for commercial and/or industrial locations.

The rechargeable type is designed to hang directly in a tree in your back yard or place it on your patio table. They come equipped with UV light and fan to attract the insect. They can run up to six hours on a single charge.

There is a 12 volt bug zapper that you plug into your car's cigarette lighter outlet, and zap in and around your vehicle.

Prices vary, with hand-held models as low as $10 and the plug-ins from $30 up to $270. They are great money savers, since you purchase once and your done. No more wasting money buying cans of bug spray or fly traps.

Warranties vary depending on the manufacturer. You can also purchase extended warranties on some models.

Warm weather is coming and so are the bugs. Plug in your bug killer and enjoy the outdoors.


Jason really loves her home and family and lives life to the full and has been writing about her knowledge and experience. Feel free to see some of her material at Electric Bug Killer and Electric Bug Zapper.

Electric Bug Swatter - Is This Type of Bug Zapper Worth Buying?

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Electric bug swatter is nothing but a hand held pest-control device. It looks very much like the tennis racket, but smaller and it is designed for quick insect killing. A brief and powerful electric shock does the trick, and when any conductive part of the insect or bug touches the device, it is killed instantly with the electric shock.

Normally, the electric bug swatter comes in similar patterns from most of the manufacturers in the market. It will have a handle consisting of batteries as well as some charging mechanism. Usually the mechanism is either a capacitor or a transformer. It connects to the electrically charged grid that is located on the head face.

The electric grid in the electric bug swatter kills the insects through electrocution. High voltage is maintained on it. When the fly comes into contact with it, a fatal shock is administered and the fly dies in result.

Since this type of bug zappers requires the grid on head face to be charged constantly, ideally, a good, reliable and rechargeable battery is the most essential element for it. Such battery will not only ensure regular power supply for working of the tools but also keep the consumption centrally under control.

Good and reliable electric bug swatter will help you eliminate the requirements of flying insects in a clean way. They will be equipped with electrified net ordinarily and should be able to kill the bug on contact making around 900-1000 volt discharges. Most good manufacturers are also providing a recharge set with the original tool as a promotional gift for the item. Above all, this device would be safer for human beings as well as the environment around.

On the market, this electric bug swatter is also recognized with many other names, such as electronic bug/fly swatter (zapper) racket, or electric fly swatter. Before buying it, it's necessary if you also learn the safety issues about this type of fly zapper.

How to Use Your Electric Bug Zapper

Friday, October 1, 2010

Zapping bugs with stationary electric devices has been a popular pest control measures for decades. If passive bug zappers aren't enough for you, you may want to opt for active bug hunting with one of the new zapping rackets. They're affordable and can actually be fun to use, making you put to use your skills and improving your eye-hand coordination.

They may look daunting at first. In fact, if you've never seen anyone use an electric fly swatter before, you may wonder just how is this odd looking tennis racket going to do its job? In the old days, rubber swatters would swish through the air and all the way to the wall, or even the table, squishing the poor bug into oblivion with the sheer force of the blow. Swish and bang and you're done... well, except for the cleaning part.

With the new electric rackets, you can't simply swat it on a hard surface like that. Bang it into the wall or unto the table too many times, and you're likely to quickly ruin the electric circuits, or even smash the plastic frame. Then again, can you really take a fly in mid-air, while it is flying around in circles, or more likely arbitrarily around the room? I know some people who can, but they really are the chosen few. For the rest of us mere mortals, it takes a technique and some preparations. Let me share my own bug zapping tips and tricks with you here.

Technique is everything here. Wait for the bug to land on a spot and carefully note its location. Slowly bring your electric swatter, placing it so that it rests on its side with the frame leaning on the surface. The net should be facing the bug, about 10 inches away. If, for example, there is a fly sitting on your table, let your racket touch the surface of the table with its plastic frame, standing vertically.

Hold down the switch, so that the light is on and the net becomes electrocuted. Now, quickly move your racket along the surface in the direction of the fly. The fly will try to get away by flying upwards, but if you're quick enough, your electric net will be sweeping over it, catching it at about 1-3 inches above the surface. The key here is to keep your racket touching the surface with the frame the whole time, for extra stability. That way, you bring the net in, sifting through the area above the bug's landing point. It works like a charm, and takes very little skill to perform.

As with everything, this technique does take some practicing. It is still much easier than trying to get the fly while it is flying around the room. What you do need it to have the bug on a flat surface, either vertical or horizontal, so that you can move the racket along that surface towards the bug. The support generated by the surface ensures a steady swift blow. If your adversary happens to be sitting at a less accessible spot, just wave around and let for it to land at an appropriate spot.

One more tip: if you can, try to chill the room for a bit before you start hunting. Insects thrive in warmth. Make the room cooler, and they are likely to become slow and sluggish, and you get the advantage.
Happy hunting everyone!

This article is copyrighted to the writer. You may re-publish it on your website as long as the resource box at the bottom remains intact and with active links. Any other use of this article, in full or in part, is forbidden.

Need an electric zapper racket? Check out my blog for the Best Electric Fly Swatter on the market. My site is full of more pest control information, with various guides: http://www.pest-control-hub.com

What is the Best Bug Catcher?

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Do you suffer from a magnitude of bugs, mosquitoes and flies? There are many parts of the world that does and this requires you to get something to prevent yourself from these little creeps. What you can do is spread out tons of dangerous toxins, but that's not the most effective method...

There are a few ways to make home made bug catchers for things like bee's and wasps or anything that is attracted to sugar, sweets and nectar etc. The way to catch these is to simply take some dish wash soap and sugar water. Mix it and place it in a bowl or whatever... The bugs will fly into the sugar and be attracted by that, but cannot get out of the bowl because of the soap! Try it, it really works well.

Another method is getting a fly swatter. This is the most common method, but requires lots of hard work and aim in order to hit enough bugs. It's slow and a long process, but there are things that can be major improvements such as electric fly sappers for example.

Another great method is an electric bug zapper. This is a cage looking device that is lit up like a light and since bugs are attracted to the light and sound in the evening they will fly right into the trap and get ZAPPED! It's a funny thing to see as well as very effective for getting rid of bugs around the home.

My favorite that works very well as well, which is a step up from the fly swatter is the electric fly swatter. This is a fly swatter that is also electric and will easily zap any bugs that fly into the electric part of the device, and it's quite a large area to work with. You simply have to swing the device around you in order to zap bugs effectively, which makes it a lot less difficult to work with.

It is also a lot more cost effective at a low price of around $10-$15 as opposed to the pricier bug zappers.
Well, these are just some of the many ways to catch bugs at home without having to resort to dangerous chemicals or expensive exterminators. A problem could be if you have so many bugs that these methods will not work... You could also use them in combination and put out many bowls of soap and sugar water, as well as a few bug zappers in combination with an electric fly sapper.


Learn more about the electric fly swatter at http://www.electricflyswatters.net right now!

The Fly Zapper That Can Kill Flies Faster and Practically

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

This fly zapper is a recent innovation which has taken the market by storm. It has replaced the traditional ways to kill flies. We will show you how to kill flies with it faster and practically.

Electric fly swatters are an electrical piece of equipment that is designed in the shape of a badminton or lawn tennis racket. In the round area there is a wired electric grid which has air vents in between as the flies are very alert to a slight change in the air pressure around them.

The electricity or current to this wire mesh is given from the batteries which are placed in the handle. There is a switch on the handle. When this switch is turned on then wired grid goes live. Current starts flowing in that area. Now where the fly is flying or sitting, you just need to gently swipe this useful tool in that area. When this flying insect comes in touch with the grid, it is killed instantly due to the huge electric shock.

This type of zappers works differently from bug zappers. As bug zappers are placed at one place, the particular kind of light in it attracts flies, then the electric shock will kill them when they come nearby. But it is a compulsion that they should come near the zapper, as in electric fly swatter, there is no such compulsion and all you have to do is just generally swipe it in the air on the place where there is a flying insect and it would be killed practically in a very small time without any effort.

Thus this fly zapper is quite an innovation and we should make a good use of them. But as they are so cheap, the quality is a bit low, that is why we should take care of that part and enjoy the home free from all the flies and mosquitoes which had bother your life for so many years when there was no effective, practical and faster way to get rid of flies.


Although this fly zapper seems to be a great tool, it's still necessary to understand the safety guide of using the device.

Is an Electric Fly Swatter Dangerous?

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Electric Fly swatter is another innovation that has come up in recent times. It has been of great help in killing the unwanted flying objects like flies and mosquitoes from our homes, which have been of great concern in recent times. But, is this device completely safe? Is there any potential dangerous when people use it?

As you notice, the insects (such as flies and mosquitoes) must have been the reason for running temperatures and other health issues that sometime arise in our homes. However, today, this is not the case anymore. We can kill those nuisances with just a swipe of the Electric fly swatter.

This device at first look resembles to a toy, but it is not so. Although it looks like a badminton racquet but that wiring area is actually an electric wired grid which can be turned on by pressing the button on the handle and is operated with batteries.

Whether or not its usage is dangerous, it actually depends on how we use and store this electric powered equipment. If it's used carelessly, then it can hurt yourself or other people.

If it's left alone, then small children in the house can pick it up and start playing with it while considering it to be a toy. If they turn it on by accident then this can lead to a big disaster.

Keeping that electric fly swatter in our hands while sitting on the chair can harm us when we fall a sleep, because we could turn it on and then touch that wired grid, which can give us a big electric shock.

It's also considered dangerous if it touches the areas or substances that can be potentially ignited by electric current (Flammable substances, electrical equipments, machinery with moving parts, and sources of static electricity).

If we can keep a watch on all these things, then this electric fly swatter can prove to be a real boon instead of being dangerous if left unmanned or used carelessly. Whenever nobody is using it, we can take out the batteries and store it to save us and our beloved ones from having unpleasant incidents.


Learning the safety guide of this electric fly swatter can help you understand the way you should use this type of fly zapper.