6 Ways to Enjoy National Camp at Home Day

While we love our in-person Taco Tri’s at the Gear Shop and can’t wait for them to come back, there’s a certain magic that comes with hosting virtual taco tri’s. It’s the knowing that someone halfway across the world may be doing the same exact thing at the same time.  Everyone in the world can participate as long as they can get outside safely and have access to a taco shop or ingredients to make at home. People from California to Pennsylvania participated in the May 2021 event. Some biked long distances, others went on shorter jogs around the neighborhood, but we find this to be the beauty of Taco Tri’s. It’s not about speed or distance but about spending time outside. A few of may’s participants For May we decided it was time to elevate the Taco Tri experience with stickers for each participant. We hope to continue this tradition for every new participant each month. So what do you have to do to get one of these rad stickers on June 3rd?  Participant Sticker   Get a Strava account and join our club here Record a swim, bike or run that day (bonus points for tri’ing all 3) Eat tacos! Sign up through this form so we know where to send your sticker Post pictures using #KammokTacoTri and tag us @Kammok_ATX

There are many options when it comes to what kind of insulation to use on your outdoor adventures. Down insulation is one of the most popular options because of its weight-to-warmth ratio and compressibility. It’s also extremely durable if taken care of properly. Kammok’s Bobcat, Firebelly and Arctos quilts are examples of gear that uses down insulation. The down’s ability to trap heat depends on how well it lofts, which is measured by the amount of space a certain weight of down takes up. The fluffier it is, the warmer it will keep you.  When your down insulation has been compressed in a stuff sack or storage, the fill can appear flat or displaced when taken out. Before using, we recommend allowing it to loft.  How to loft insulation: Give the quilt a good shake.  Lay it on a flat surface to allow the down time to loft evenly.  Let the gear lay out for a few hours, shaking occasionally to bring to its full loftiness. Where your down trail quilt or sleeping bag is stored when you’re not using it affects its lifespan. Here are a few tips on how and where to store your down insulation. How to store insulation: When down gear is not in use, keep in a roomy storage bag to maintain gear lofted.  Store the bag in a climate-controlled room or a sealed container. This will help your gear avoid getting wet or damaged by pests.  Pack into the stuff sack only when needed for travel.   How to wash down insulation: Sleeping bags and trail quilts don’t have to be washed after every use, however, as with any great adventure gear, it’s bound to get grimy after regular use and will need to be washed on occasion.  If using a washing machine, only use a front-loading washer or a machine without an agitator.  If the inside of your washer has the center ‘agitator’ part, hand wash with warm water in a large bucket or bathtub. When using a washing machine, place the product in the washer by itself, and add the recommended amount of insulation cleaner. We recommend using Grangers Down Wash and Repel. Wash on a gentle cycle with warm water.  Do not use fabric softener, bleach, or stain removal products.  To dry, place the product in the dryer with 3 dryer balls or clean tennis balls. Heat is required to activate the water resistance on the fabric. Tumble dry on low-medium heat. Your insulation is now clean and ready for the adventures ahead. We put our gear through a lot, and sometimes we get too close to an ember from the fire or snag it on a sharp rock. If you have a small hole in your insulated gear, you can repair it with a patch kit. We recommend using Noso Patches, though any fabric gear patch brand will do. You’ll also need rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab handy.    How to repair insulation: Tuck in any loose down feathers or snip away loose threads from the damaged area.  Clean the spot with rubbing alcohol. Allow time to dry. Crack and peel the paper release liner.  Center patch over the damaged area. Apply pressure from the center out to the edges.  If using a Noso patch, apply the patch permanently by tumble drying on low for 10 minutes.  Remove from the dryer and press the patch in a circular motion for 30 seconds.  These tips for down insulation care and repair will increase the lifespan of your sleeping bag or trail quilt. If something went wrong with your Kammok gear that isn’t easily repairable, remember that we have a lifetime warranty on all our products. Please reach out to our customer experience team or fill out the warranty form for any concerns regarding the durability of your elevated gear. 

This year for National Camp at Home Day, Alisha McDarris from sustainable travel and adventure blog Terradrift offers tips to help you level up your sustainability game and reduce waste at the campsite and beyond. So you can stay classy, not trashy. Start with proper preparation If you want to reduce waste on your next outing—whether it’s in your backyard or across the country—if you wait until you get to camp to make your move, you’ve already lost. Successful low- or no-waste camping starts with solid preparation. Skip the pre-packaged meals and bars This is a tough one, especially because pre-packaged, store-bought backpacking meals are just so easy, but the packaging they come in is usually single-use and not recyclable or compostable. So for every freeze-dried meal you snag off of store shelves, commit to making one yourself. It’s about doing what you can, not achieving zero-waste perfection. Use ingredients you already have around the house like noodles, instant rice, or spices and combine them with your favorite protein sources like instant dried beans or, my favorite, textured vegetable protein. Blend together ingredients like oats, dates, nut butters, protein powder, seeds and dried fruit to make your own snack and protein bars. Prepare your own fruit leather and jerky in the oven. Get creative! And after a few experimental recipes, we bet you’ll be way more pleased with the flavor results than with those bland pre-made meals. And if you need a few idea to get you started, I wrote a whole cookbook of plant-based recipes, which you can find here.   Buy in bulk If you’ll be making your own meals and snacks, call on your local grocery store’s bulk bin. Usually, you can bring a reusable container (for even less waste) to fill with items like instant potatoes or beans, hummus or textured vegetable protein, nuts and dried fruit, even spices and energy bites, all without an ounce of extraneous packaging. If your local grocery doesn’t have a bulk bin section, then buy larger packages of items like rice or trail mix, freeze-dried vegetables or fruit instead of single-serve sizes in order to reduce waste. Utilize reusable packaging Zip-top bags are convenient, no doubt, but in most cases, they are single-use items that don’t get recycled (though you can usually recycle clean zip-top bags at your local grocery store’s bag recycling bin). So opt out of single-use whenever possible. Snacks, meal ingredients and more can be stored in reusable silicone zip-top bags, plastic storage containers, or food wraps that can be washed and reused many times. Opt for snacks in sustainable packaging We can’t make all of our own snacks all the time. Take nuts, dried fruit, and seeds for example. Fortunately, you can still get waste-free snacks by purchasing from brands that use compostable or biodegradable packaging. Shar, for example, offers trail mix in refillable, recyclable, and compostable cardboard tubes while Sun and Swell packages their snacks, nuts and dried fruit in compostable bags, including single-serves! Reduce waste at camp Prepping is at least half the battle if you want to enjoy to a low-waste camping trip. But it doesn’t stop there; keep the good vibes rolling (and the trash bags empty) once you arrive. Ditch disposables Save the paper plates for your kid’s pizza party and commit to using reusable plates, utensils and cups when camping. There are plenty of quality and durable mess kits out there and they’re easy to wash and reuse at camp. Plus, they don’t create bags full of trash at the end of every meal. But don’t stop there: swap straws, napkins, and paper towels for reusable and washable items, too. Skip single use bottles Instead of bringing along a case of single-use plastic water bottles or even gallon jugs of water, bring a refillable container with a spout or nozzle like a water cube for storing and serving up H2O. Use a refillable gas tank You know those little green bottles that fuel your camp stove? Millions end up in landfills every year because they can’t be easily recycled. Upgrade to a small, refillable cylinder like one from Ignik to drastically reduce waste when camping. Repurpose your water bottle Skip the wasteful bags of ice (for at least as long as you can) on your next camping trip and use reusable ice packs or make one of your own: The night before you leave, fill your Nalgene or other hard plastic water bottle 3/4 full and stash it in the freezer. In the morning, you’ll have a multipurpose DIY ice pack that also functions as a water bottle as the ice melts. You can even refill the bottle with ice from a beverage dispenser when repacking your cooler on the go. Utilize refillable and compostable toiletries If you’re camping at home, this won’t likely be an issue, but if you’re spending more than a day or two farther afield, you might plan to wash up a few times (dishes or yourself). If that’s the case, avoid purchasing travel-size toiletries and soaps and instead utilize reusable and refillable containers and tubes to hold soap, shampoo and more. Also important: Make sure they are biodegradable for the least amount of impact to the natural spaces around you. Bottom Line There’s plenty you can do if you’re looking to reduce your waste while camping. All it takes is a bit of planning and preparation, a willingness to try something new, and a touch of creativity and you’re well on your way to producing less waste and enjoying more environmentally-friendly outings. Wander on!

Early in 2020, the quarantine blues laid heavy on our hearts and across the community. Our favorite parks closed, adventure travels were taken off the map, and spending time outside was put on indefinite hold. It’s no surprise if you picked up bread baking as your new hobby or turned your home into a lush nursery for house plants. Our conversations in the office kitchen moved to video calls where we expressed our woes and reflected what it meant to spend time outside in a world where you had to stay home. Going out was not an option, but there was nothing stopping us from bringing camp to our homes. The thought of pitching a tent in the living room, streaming a campfire video, and playing ambient critter noises seemed downright ridiculous in all the right ways we needed. And so we simply declared March 27th as National Camp at Home Day.  We rallied our community of Outsiders and our fellow outdoor brands to challenge themselves, to get creative, and join us for a global camp-in. From living room pillow forts to backyard basecamps, we called on the community to bring the magic of camp to our homes.The story is short, but the impact was huge. On March 27, 2020, over 2,600 campers and campsites joined us for the first-ever National Camp At Home Day.   #NationalCampAtHomeDay Join the community on March 27, 2022 for National Camp at Home Day. Get ready to break out the headlamps, sleeping bags, tents, and camp stoves. We’re calling on everyone to bring the magic of camp to your living room or backyard.  How to Participate Lead a camp. Rally the crew to participate at camp! Invite your friends and family, and settle in for ghost stories around the campfire or an adventure-themed movie night. Share your adventures. We want to see how you camp at home. Share your campsite photos with us by using #NationalCampAtHomeDay in your caption and tagging @kammok. Learn from the community. Join our Time Outside Facebook Group and get inspired by fellow campers across the world.   Learn more about this year's National Camp at Home Day, including our huge sale and giveaway, here.