How to Level Up Your S'mores

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!

Kammok is on a mission to make 2022 the year of restoration. We feel most rejuvenated when we seek time outside on a daily basis, even if only that only means stepping outside for fifteen minutes. Here are seven super achievable ways that you can find the outside rest you're looking for.   1. Go camping once a month. This might sound like an ambitious goal, but that’s what goal setting is all about! Car camping with a few friends or your family is always a great way to get outside and decompress. Plus, between national, state, and county parks, plus the addition of sites like Hipcamp, finding a last-minute campsite is usually possible. When adventure calls, book a campsite!   2. Take some work calls outside. The nice thing about work calls is that you can take them almost anywhere. Bring the office outside, stretch your legs, and enjoy the fresh, open air. A small step like this can really refresh your day. Who says getting outside always has to be an adventure?   3. Cook outside more. This is a team favorite for the Kammok crew. On the one hand, cooking outside is a bit of a production compared to quick pre-made meals, but we’d argue the finished product is always better with open-fire cooking.  Bonus: It’s simply good for the soul. Recent favorites: grilled broccoli, sweet potatoes, and flash-grilled romaine heads. Toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and throw them directly on the grill. Top with lime juice or balsamic and some grated parmesan before serving to really kick up the flavor. Looking for dessert? Check out our favorite s’mores recipes here.   4. Sunset walks for the win. By far our favorite time of day is golden hour, and if you work a typical 8-5, your schedule is likely clear when the sun is going down. To us, there’s no better way to enjoy the sunset than with a walk around the neighborhood. You could even pack some snacks and your favorite picnic blanket, and head up to the most epic sunset spot you can think of.    5. Sign up for an outdoor race or club. Signing up for a race can be a great way to motivate yourself to get outside more. If you have ambitions to run, cycle, or swim any distance, the promise of a future event can be just the extra push you need to get outside and do what you love more often. If you’re looking for a change of pace, consider an adventure race. These often rely more heavily on the use of map skills, navigation, and often include some kind of paddling activity.    6. Read in your Roo. I think we can all agree that indoor reading can get a bit stale. Grab your favorite book and hit the trail to your favorite hammock spot. Get some steps in, enjoy the outdoors, and read in the most comfortable outdoor spot possible: a Roo Double (on flash sale right now, for a limited time). No trees? No worries—the Swiftlet portable hammock stand has your back.   7. Plan one epic adventure this year. If you’re like us, the call of the next big adventure is always present. We often dream of taking five months to hike the PCT, venturing up north to paddle the Boundary Waters, or going on a month-long fly fishing expedition in Patagonia. But most often, these dreams aren’t realistic for our busy lives. We make a goal of one extended trip in the outdoors per year, and planning for them always gets us jazzed. Set your sights on a paddle trip, backpacking expedition, or whatever it is you’re into, and make something happen.    Want more tips and tricks? Check out our DIY Tent Glamping Guide!

The phrase “home is where the heart is” may be a bit cliché and worn-out, but there’s still something very true about it. Thoughts of home are different for everyone, but often there’s a common thread of somewhere comfortable and easy—the place where your tribe lives. Now swap out “home” for “camp” and you arrive at the spirit of National Camp at Home Day. Is it a little cheesy? Maybe. But can you really have too much cheese? There is definitely something to be said for a beautiful campsite in the backcountry with stunning views or a basecamp in your favorite park as migratory songbirds dance in the trees. But more importantly, the people you share your campsite with make these adventures worthwhile. Camp doesn’t have to be a specific place. With the right group of people, that same adventurous spirit can live anywhere. This year, National Camp at Home Day is all about getting ready for the next big camping trip. That said, if you’re the friend in the group that takes gear prep to the next level (You know who you are. The trip to Joshua Tree isn’t for another two months and you’ve already made the Costco run, uploaded your purchases to Splitwise, and packed and repacked until everything fit in your rucksack just so.) don’t forget to sit back and have a cocktail—you can’t beat Moscow mules and hot toddies around the campfire. To the laid back crew, the ones that stuff everything in a bag day-of and spend the trip in mismatched socks: Make sure your planners have fun and remember to pitch in when it’s time to do the dishes. Side note: If you’re not using Splitwise to track group expenses, you may want to check it out the next time your crew goes away for the weekend. Step one: Campsite vibes. If you have access to outdoor space, by all means use it. Fresh city air might not beat fresh mountain air, but with a little imagination your backyard can be a vintage Airstream campsite in Marfa or the perfect hideout along a river in Yellowstone. Just don’t let your imagination get the best of you. Those are squirrels—leave the bear spray inside. Camping in an apartment? Not to worry! Spread your tent out in the living room, “stake out” the rain fly with heavy books weighing down the corners, and stream your favorite virtual campfire. If setting up a tent just sounds boring, grab every blanket in sight and build the ultimate fort. No matter what you choose, do your best to recreate one of your favorite campsites. You can use house plants to bring the outdoor feels close to camp and play your favorite nature sounds from this awesome Spotify playlist (welcome to the jungle). Looking to do some stargazing? You’ll probably want a pack of these. No matter where you set up camp, get out on your favorite trail before the sun goes down and soak up some Vitamin D. Step two: Let’s get cooking. You may be tempted to order your favorite pizza for a night like this (a decision which we fully support), but consider testing out a new camping recipe you’ve been wanting to take on the trail. If you’re outside, work on building the perfect Dutch oven fire for a Basecamp lasagna or even a cobbler for dessert. Indoor camping can be a great time to test out a new Backcountry recipe you’ll be able to enjoy on a future trek into the mountains. One of our favorites is this simple, three-ingredient chili mac recipe: Ingredients:  1 Box of your favorite instant mac (you really can’t beat shells and cheese) 1 can pinto beans (or 1 cup dehydrated beans)/li> 1 package of chili seasoning Directions: Prepare the mac and cheese using the instructions on the box. With the pot on medium/low heat, add in the beans and cook until heated. Stir in the chili seasoning until fully incorporated, and enjoy! (Optional: Throw in some cured sausage you could easily take on a backpacking trip.) Step three: Make it fun. Even if the stars are faint in your backyard, we have the perfect way for you to get more acquainted with the night sky. SkyView is an augmented reality app that allows you to identify constellations simply by pointing your camera in any direction you want to learn more about. Next time you’re under a blanket of stars, you’ll be the expert at camp. Another great learning tool for the outdoors is Merlin Bird ID, an app created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If you have any interest in learning about the wildlife in your neck of the woods, this birding app is a great way to get started. Just select and download your region, input the size and colors of a bird you spotted, and then search through a list of potential matches until you find your bird. Each bird profile comes with a snapshot of info, multiple photos, and a recording of the sounds they make for better identification. Now when you hear that familiar chirping in the woods, you’ll know exactly what you’re listening to. If playing games around the campfire is more your speed, maybe Fish Bowl is right for your group. For rules on how to play, check out this clever website. It even has virtual scoring and cards so no paper is necessary—win for Mother Nature! Now that we’ve mentioned campfires, maybe it’s time to discuss this quintessential part of National Camp at Home Day. If you’re in your backyard with access to a firepit, good on you. Fire up a roaring blaze (safely, of course) and slow roast your perfect mallow. Don’t get discouraged, living room campers—you just have to get a bit more creative. Try arranging throw pillows into a make-shit fire ring and use a lantern to set the mood. No matter what your campfire is made of, let this be the gathering place for eating meals, playing games, sharing stories of past adventures, and hopefully planning future ones as well. Invite friends to camp at home from afar and connect your campfires through the trendy new website you may have heard of called Zoom. Mouth still watering over the possibility of s’mores? Turn the oven on broil and roast your graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallows in the oven until everything is nice and gooey. Pro tip: Leave the s’more sandwich open to brown your marshmallow, then stack the remaining graham cracker on top before eating. Who said you need a campfire for the perfect s’more? More than anything, we hope National Camp at Home Day inspires you to get outside with the people you love. We encourage you to use this time to prepare for the next trip. Check the bug net for holes, make sure your straps are in good shape, and by all means start laying out an itinerary for your next national park exploration. But most importantly, take in the moments. High on a mountain or under a ceiling fan, in person with friends or chatting on FaceTime from afar—the time is now for making memories you’ll always hold onto. So plan, definitely. Just do your best when the time comes to let go and allow the spirit of adventure take hold. 

A recent survey found that more than half of adults spend five hours or less in nature each week. Competing priorities and access to the outdoors were the leading reasons to explain this decline in outdoor experiences. We get it. Spending time outside is low on most people’s to-do list, especially in our digital age.  In line with our mission to elevate time outside, we want to offer the Kammok community different ways to enjoy and experience time outside. We took a look at seven daily activities our team takes part in, no matter how crazy the week, and asked how we might move those from indoor to outdoor. Take your calls on a walk-and-talk basis Having to listen in on calls for work? Head to the nearest green space for a walk and talk. It’s an easy way to get moving and spend time outside during the work week. Bonus: take your lunch break outside, too.  Commute to work by foot, bike or bus Walking to work or even walking to the bus station drastically reduces your carbon footprint, and allows you to spend more time outside. Try one of these options for your commute at least once a week, if you can. Move wind-down activities - reading, yoga, meditating - outside Nature provides the best environment for restorative experiences, allowing you to de-stress even if only for a few minutes each day. Ditch the gym, head for the greenbelt Free and open to everyone, greenbelts and walking trails can provide an alternative to running and working out in the gym. Try a picnic for date night For next week’s date night, switch it up with a charcuterie board and a bottle of wine at a local park or vista. Spending time outside, among other benefits, has shown to improve prosocial behaviors and connectivity among people. Swap a tv series with a podcast, and listen in your hammock We might be biased, but Dirtbag Diaries is our favorite podcast this year. Hang your hammock, close your eyes, and listen uninterrupted.  Turn weekend getaways into escapes outdoors Typically more affordable than hotels or airbnbs, campsites and cabins at local state and national parks are an alternate way to spend the weekend. Try HipCamp for even more options on private lands. Among the benefits to spending more time outside are better health, reduced stress, and improved relational and social skills.