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Written by Dr. Felicia Wong.  Dr. Felicia Wong is a physician, outdoor enthusiast, and wellness blogger based in Southern California. Between her and her husband (also a physician)'s busy work schedules, raising two young sons, and running her popular Instagram account Everyday Adventure Fam and blog on adventure tips, she exemplifies what it means to live intentionally and joyfully with her family. The Wong family can be found hiking, biking, enjoying a day at the beach, or skiing in the nearby mountains on any given weekend. However, one of their favorite activities is camping. In this blog post, Dr. Felicia Wong shares ideas to help you celebrate National Camp At Home Day!   Our family loves to camp - at home, close to home, in state and national parks, or off grid.  We started glamping as a family 6 years ago, and have gradually worked our way from glamping to car camping, to boondocking and backpacking!   One of my favorite things to do, aside from planning our own camping trips, is to encourage more people to give camping a try.  National Camp at Home Day - March 27 - is a great time for new campers to do a practice run, and for seasoned campers to test out and inventory gear in preparation for the spring/ summer camping season!  To help you get ready for this fun weekend, we have come up with some ways to enhance your camp at home experience:   Turn off your electronics and set them aside. Consider turning off your wifi.  Unplug. If weather and space permits, consider camping outdoors on your patio or in your yard.  If you have one, get cozy around an outdoor firepit with some camp blankets!  If camping inside, you can create a nice camp ambience by moving some houseplants around your tent. If you have a fireplace, set up your Swiftlet hammock stand and hammock nearby.   Play “camp games” . Our kids love card games like War and Go Fish! When it gets dark out, turn off the lights and use your camp lanterns, flashlights, headlamps. Treat yourself to classic camp treats like s’mores and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows No campfire at home… No worries! Here are 3 methods to make S’mores at home!  S’mores on the Stovetop: If you have a gas stovetop, you can roast marshmallows just as you would over a campfire.  Put a marshmallow on a skewer and set the stovetop burner on low heat. Use care while slowly turning the marshmallow over the heat to your desired doneness. We recommend this method for adults, as it involves an open flame. S’mores in the Oven:  Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.  Break the graham crackers into halves, and place half of them on a baking sheet. Top each graham cracker with chocolate, and then a marshmallow. Bake until the marshmallows are puffed and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Top with the remaining graham cracker halves and press to flatten. If you prefer your marshmallows extra toasty, you can also use the broiler following the same steps, but will need to watch them very closely, because they can burn quickly. Serve immediately while the S’mores are still warm! S’mores in the microwave: Place chocolate and marshmallows on up to four graham cracker halves and put on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 15 to 20 seconds, or until the marshmallows puff. Top with the remaining graham cracker halves. Learn more about how to participate in this year's National Camp at Home Day here. Happy camping!

Every National Camp at Home Day celebration needs tasty refreshments. We think this one's a crowd pleaser for sure. Learn more about how you can make the most of your camp at home celebration here.  Ingredients: Vodka 2-3 Grapefruits Sparkling Water Sugar Kosher or Sea Salt Fresh Rosemary Preparation: Juice your grapefruits until you get 1/4 cup of juice. Pour juice into a sauce pan and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Turn burner on low heat and let simmer until all the sugar is dissolved. Prep your favorite rocks glass by rimming it with salt and filling it with ice. Add 2 ounces of vodka to your cup. Add the grapefruit and sugar mixture to your cup. Top it off with sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and rosemary sprig. National Camp at Home Day is all about one thing: outdoor relaxation. What that means to you could be completely different for someone else. Whether you feel inspired to go on an afternoon jog, set up your tent in the back yard, or just spend an hour reading in your hammock, we hope you'll make the most of it. And if you need one more way to maximize your relaxation vibes, the official cocktail of National Camp at Home Day is here to deliver.  Are you celebrating National Camp at Home Day in the Austin area? Drop by our gear shop for a hassle-free, ready-to-drink canned cocktail from All Hands that's sure to put you in the right mindset when the 27th rolls around. Sure, you can spend the extra time to make it yourself, but with a canned cocktail this good, why would you? Cheers, y'all!

National Camp at Home Day was started two years ago as a way to experience camp when travel restrictions were in place, but it lives on today as a reminder to pause wherever you are and take a step outside. Sounds pretty simple, right? That’s because it is! On March 27th, we celebrate outdoor restoration at home. Whether you’re too busy to plan your next camping trip, you’ve got little ones at home that aren’t quite ready for the backcountry, or you’re just looking for a reason to set up your tent and roast some marshmallows, this day is for you. Take a break from the weekly hustle and bustle and experience the magic of basecamp. 1. Prep your gear for spring adventures. The backyard and the living room are great places to double and triple check that all your gear is still in tip top shape and that no crucial pieces are missing. Maybe your bugnet has a hole that you didn’t notice before (shoot!), or you accidentally left an apple core in your sleeping bag and it’s been developing a special kind of funk (tarnation!). We get it. Sometimes when you get home from a long weekend, you just wanna shove your gear in the closet and move on. Hopefully you won’t find any surprises in your gear box, but if so, the 27th offers an opportunity to sort things out ahead of time.     2. Explore a new local park. We all have that one local spot that we’ve yet to explore. It’s been on our list for over a year, and we’ve still yet to go. Hopefully National Camp at Home Day is just the motivation you need to stop making excuses and go check it out. Go find a new hammock spot, hike on a new trail, or play a round of disc golf. Take a cold beer along, and you really can’t lose.     3. Have an adventure themed movie night. The best way to get amped about your next big adventure? Settle in and have a low-key adventure movie night! Sure, we’d all rather be out exploring our favorite national park for days on end, but when all you have is a Sunday night, it can be pretty restorative to live vicariously through someone else for an hour and a half. We’ve put together a list of our favorite films to stream right now, and we hope you’ll find them just as inspiring as we did.     4. Enjoy a cocktail on your balcony. Again, the goal here is to just get outside. Plain and simple. We really can’t think of anything better, especially as beautiful spring weather rolls into the Lone Star State, than taking an hour or two to decompress outside with a book and a cocktail. The bar is low, people. Like low low. But we believe the restoration these moments can provide is huge. Take a deep breath, shut the laptop, set down your phone, and crank some tunes on your outdoor patio. This is the fresh air, and the delicious cold beverage, you deserve. Plus, we've got   the perfect cocktail recipe for ya!     5. Invite friends over for a cookout. Honestly if we could just get rid of kitchens, we would. Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true, but man…cooking over an open fire? There’s really nothing better. Not only do you have the benefit of outdoor cooking, but once the fire is piping hot, you’ve also just created the perfect place to gather for you and your friends. Cook some steaks, bust out the marshmallows, maybe even pass a bottle of whiskey around the fire if you’re feeling extra frisky. National Camp at Home Day only comes once a year, so you might as well enjoy it the right way!     6. Plan your next far flung adventure. We’re calling on the crazy adventure planners of the group with this one. There’s no better place than fireside with a bottle of your favorite spirit to get your best buds to commit to the next big camping trip. We even have a cool segue that’s sure to win the crowd over: “Wow, camping at home is so fun! You know what would also be fun? Going camping in Montana!” Talk about a seamless transition. Now you’re ready to pitch your next big backpacking or river trip.    Want to get more out of National Camp at Home Day? Discover amazing deals, a gear giveaway like no other, and much more here.

If you spend time outside, whether you’re hiking, camping, climbing, or mountain biking, chances are you frequent public lands. Luckily, through national parks and forests, state parks, and local trails, adventurers have the ability to explore everything from alpine habitats to deep canyons and everything in between. More and more people are getting outside and visiting parks at record levels, which is why it’s important for all of us to become good stewards of the ecosystems entrusted into our care. The following Leave No Trace principles are key to maintaining pristine wildlife in our parks, and they basically all boil down to one unifying point: Leave it like you found it.   1. Plan Ahead and Prepare This isn’t just a good idea to make the most of your camping trip—it’s also an essential aspect of Leave No Trace. When visiting national parks, become familiar with the “Plan Your Visit” tab on a park’s page. Each park is different, with special concerns and regulations that you should be aware of. Planning ahead also means reducing your footprint by visiting parks in smaller groups when possible and avoiding times of high use. Do your part today by becoming familiar with parks you frequent often or plan to in the near future. Here’s an example of a regulations page from one of our personal favorites: Arches National Park.   2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces The National Park Service has spent many years developing trail systems and campsites for our enjoyment. However, the purpose is not simply to give us access to wild places. By sticking to designated trails, visitors make less impact on the park and prevent degradation from erosion. The same principles can be applied to campsites as well. When you pack up in the morning, your campsite should essentially be unchanged. The best way to ensure this is by utilizing campsites already designated by the parks. In the backcountry, stick to marked campsites or other durable surfaces like rock, gravel, sand, dry grasses, or snow. You can also protect riparian areas by camping 75 steps away from lakes and streams. If you’re curious, you can also check out these two articles from the NPS about the history and current management principles of trail making.   3. Dispose of Waste Properly We’ve all seen the signs: Pack it in, pack it out. Comma splice or not, these words should be at the forefront of every visitor’s mind when exploring public lands. Even with the glaring signs at every trailhead, you’re almost certain to find trash from someone who came before you. We could write an entire article on this single principle, but here are a few basic tips to keep in mind. When packing food for your trip, dispose of any unnecessary trash ahead of time: Think produce stickers and packages within packages. For example, if you’re bringing cereal on the trip, consider recycling the box ahead of time and only bringing the bag. Meal prepping ahead of time can also be a great way to lighten your load and reduce the amount of waste in camp. In the backcountry, utilize freezer baggies to group meals and act as a waste receptacle to be disposed of properly when back at park headquarters. And remember, pack it out means pack it all out, including orange peels and pet waste.  Utilize toilet facilities when possible—park maps do a great job of pointing you in the direction of a bathroom. When making overnight trips away from facilities, packing a bathroom kit is essential. A simple kit includes toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and a small spade. You should also bring a separate baggie for the disposal of paper products. For solid waste, dig your cathole 6-8 inches deep and 75 steps away from water, campsites, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole with the removed dirt when finished. Lastly, to wash dishes or yourself, carry water 75 steps away from any water source and use only small amounts of biodegradable soap if necessary. Scatter any strained dishwater. Consider using body wipes for personal hygiene. These are easy to dispose of and can be purchased from most outdoor retailers.   4. Leave What You Find This one is pretty simple. Imagine you’re a kid and your parents have dragged you into yet another antique store. “Don’t touch anything!” A pine tree certainly isn’t as fragile as fine China, but that doesn’t mean we should be carving our initials into one. Leave rocks, plants, and other natural items where they are—these aren’t souvenirs for you to bring home. The whole purpose of this principle, and every principle for that matter, is to leave parks in their natural state for other visitors to enjoy. Not to mention we want to preserve these ecosystems so that plants and wildlife can continue to thrive.      5. Minimize Campfire Impacts We’ve all seen in the news how damaging fire can be, which is why this principle is extremely important. Follow fire regulations at any given park, and simply don’t build a fire when and where it isn’t allowed. This goes back to planning ahead as well: If you think you’re going to find yourself in a situation where you need added warmth, pack the appropriate insulation. Bring along a small stove as well for any meals in the backcountry. Where fires are permitted, use park fire rings, portable fire pans, or mound fires. Always keep fires small and only use down and dead wood that can easily be broken by hand. When you’re done with the fire, let the coals burn to ash, put the fire out completely, and then scatter the ashes. Your goal is to remove any indication that a fire has ever been made.   6. Respect Wildlife Animals in parks are truly wild and should be treated as such. It seems like every year there’s a new video of someone approaching a bison in Yellowstone to get a closer look—a situation that never ends well. Beyond your own safety, respecting wildlife means helping them stay wild. That means never feeding animals, either purposefully or accidentally by leaving food lying around. Feeding wild animals can alter natural behaviors in ways that are damaging to the ecosystem. Store food items securely, dispose of trash properly, and use bear boxes where offered. All of these measures will help prevent wildlife from taking a liking to your trail snacks.   7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors Finally, be nice to everyone in the park. Just as you should leave parks in pristine shape for future visitors, you should also respect the ones who happen to be there at the same time as you. Yield to other hikers on the trail, step on the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack animals, and consider the fact that not everyone loves loud music. Public parks are for everyone. By following these simple guidelines, you’ll allow others and yourself to enjoy the outdoors in a way that benefits both you and the landscapes you visit.   One final note on the Leave No Trace principles—our eighth rule if you will. Leave it better than you found it. This isn’t our attempt to implore you to beautify the landscape by planting flowers (please don’t do that). Instead, we encourage you to bring an extra trash bag along when hiking and camping. Even in pristine national parks, you’re bound to find litter left behind by visitors. You may feel like you’re not even making a dent in some of your park cleanup efforts, but every piece of trash picked up helps. If we’re going to be good stewards of the land we get to enjoy, we might as well go above and beyond the call of handling our own mess. You may even be surprised to find how addicting it can be to pick up other people’s empty beer cans. This year on National Camp at Home Day, we encourage everyone to start practicing these Leave No Trace principles. Go for a hike on your favorite local trail and pack out the litter you find along the way. When cooking your camp meal, take into account how much waste you’re creating and come up with a plan for packing it out in a backcountry setting. If you have kids around the campfire, teach them the importance of the seven Leave No Trace principles so they’re ready to hit the trail with you. We can all make a positive impact by thoroughly learning these principles and implementing them when the time comes.