Camping is one of the most refined and civilized of pleasures. Our remote ancestors would never have survived and evolved without the ability to build strong and protective shelters in the wild – the wiliness and courage to gather or track down their food – and, perhaps most of all, the resourcefulness to entertain themselves and each other in the infinitely long evenings before civilization.

At the same time, we thoroughly civilized, contemporary urban dwellers have the opportunity to appreciate the outdoors in a special way, one that was, perhaps, not available to our faraway forerunners: the way of contrast.

After all, they knew no other way to live. But we have our hyper-busy existences to compare against the unhurried ways of forest and countryside. And serious campers know that their everyday lives enrich their experience of camping, much as the dash of chocolate syrup can just make that dish of vanilla ice cream, or as a glass of good beer or wine enlivens the cigar smoked afterwards.

Camping is one of those timeless American pastimes, like baseball or hiking, that it’s hard to imagine life without. But with government scientists forecasting a continued upswing in extreme weather events – floods, intense storms, droughts, tornadoes, etc. – camping may not always be the easy summer option that it is for most of us today.

In an America where, as the Associated Press recently reported, overall summer temperatures are hotter, rainfall more intense and floods more frequent, opportunities for camping may be correspondingly rarer. Which is all the more reason to seize any chance today!

These days, finding a campsite is easy. The National Park Service website maintains a search engine (look for the “Find A Park” service) that enables you to search our country’s vast national park system by name, location, activity and even topic (”American Presidents,” “Caves,” “Civil War,” etc.).

Plug in “camping” under the “activity” topic and you can find all sorts of opportunities close to home. And most American localities, even the smallest towns, now have at least one sporting-goods store where you can locate anything from a pup tent to the latest high-tech waterproof tent. (If there’s an army surplus store near you, even better.)

Online classified ad sites, many of them free, make it easy to avail yourself of someone else’s lightly-used, high-end camping gear, sometimes for next to nothing – thank goodness for the impulse buys of the affluent.

But though camping gear may be easy to come by, and camping locations too, that doesn’t mean you should approach a weekend in the Great Outdoors as if it were no more challenging or dangerous than a weekend in your TV room, or even a night in your backyard. One noted writer has described the American wilderness experience as “the kind of democratic privilege that comes with simplest deserving.”

Most people can enjoy the privilege of camping in the woods – that’s why it’s “democratic.” But you have to be careful, thoughtful and respectful in order to achieve that simple deserving. Here are some things to keep in mind before you go tromping off to the woods:

1) Know basic CPR and First Aid. The Red Cross offers courses in many locations through community-ed programs. Keep a fully stocked and labeled First Aid kit.

2) Wild animals are not your friends. Don’t approach them. Even the small ones. And don’t feed them either – that’s not just a cliche.

3) Hang your food from a tree; don’t keep it in your tent, or you may find yourself feeding wild animals against your will. (And you may be part of the feed.)

4) Be observant. A wilderness area that’s new to you is not the place to go off for one of those absent-minded strolls in which you pay more attention to what’s in your head than what’s on the ground in front of you. You’ll enjoy yourself more if you’re paying attention to the area around you, but you’ll also be more likely to see that rattlesnake while he’s still a relatively safe distance away.

5) Know your own medical history and that of anyone you’re camping with. If anybody in your party has a serious allergy, it’s everyone’s job to keep that person from getting the bee sting that may threaten him or her.

6) Don’t hike by yourself.

7) Do some research beforehand, on the flora and fauna of the area (even if you’re camping close to home), any dangerous animals, and the upcoming weather. The author of this article was once stuck on a camping trip while tornadoes ravaged nearby Minnesota counties. It’s no fun.

Make Smokey the Bear proud. Keep a ring of rocks around your campfire, have a full water bucket on hand as well as a fire extinguisher, build your fire away from flammable items, and – for crying out loud! – don’t ever leave your fire unattended. Make sure it’s extinguished before leaving the grounds, even for a moment.

9) Don’t leave trash.

10) Remember that the camping ground isn’t yours. It was here before you and it’ll be here after you. To put this into practice, here are some “green” camping tips to consider: Avoid using little single-use disposable items or Styrofoam dishes on your trip (you’ll have to do more packing, but it’s worth it).

Bring firewood rather than using fallen branches, which contain nutrients that forest soils need. Dump your “gray water” (dish- and shower-water) in the areas designated rather than in the bushes or streams. For those of you who own power generators, consider replacing them with solar panels. Crank-operated flashlights and radios make a lot more sense in the woods than battery-powered ones, too.

This conveniently portable Solar Camping Kit enables you to be ready every time you go camping. The kit fit neatly under a bed, in your trunk or just about anywhere you wish to have it handy.  The Camping Kit represents 10% off the individual items.               

Solar Camping Kit includes:

• Solar radio
• Solar lantern
• Solar cell phone charger
• and the Shake n Shine flashlight  – FREE!

 You’ll have enough power to stay connected to the real world with a feature rich Solar Radio, enough light at camp sites in the evening to light an area or tent and have the ability to charge your cell phone.  The Solar Camping Kit also includes a bonus Shake n Shine flashlight at no charge.

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WaterStates is a full service consumer, small boat, water recreation, and marine electronics distributor that focuses on helping our customers establish an edge through competitive pricing and superior customer service.

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Why should you want them?

It is practically impossible to see most house numbers at night! What if there was an emergency at your home? Think about the importance that clearly visible house numbers provide.

Maybe you are expecting a delivery or hosting a party at night? Consider the times you have been driving down a road looking for an address. Now envision the same thing at night-in the heart of darkness.

Solar powered house numbers are available that clearly display your home address number both during the day AND night. By using solar powered address numbers, you’ll never have to worry about emergency services, invited guests or the pizza delivery person finding your home at night.

Solar house numbers store energy during the day and provide glowing home address numbers at night. You will want to make sure that you mount the solar address numbers on your mailbox, house or fence so that they receive enough sunlight to recharge the batteries.

During the daylight hours the house numbers are collecting energy from the sun and storing it within a weatherproof enclosed set of batteries. As darkness settles in, the numbers will begin to glow utilizing LED lights.

 Points to consider when choosing your solar house numbers:

 Three types of solar powered house number designs:

* Background Lighting – These address numbers have a general lighting that lights the area behind thenumbers creating a glow around the actual numbers making them standout.

* External Light – These address numbers have an external solar powered “flood” light attached, much like the older style billboards. These lights can be attached to shine down on the numbers.

* Solar Powered LED House Numbers – The actual address numbers are made from patterns of LED lights and can come in various colors. Consider solar powered home address numbers that include the following characteristics:

* They should be constructed of high quality and weather resistant materials – Such materials as high quality plastic, cast or anodized aluminum will stand up to the test of time. There are also units made from copper that some people like for the weathering features.

* How well the Numbers are seen from the road both during the day and night – You will want to choose your home address numbers not just how they look at night, but, also how they will be seen during the day. You will want to consider contrasting colors for the solar address numbers against the surface they will be mounted on. Usually a dark color versus a light color is a good rule of thumb. This will allow them to stand out in the day as well.

 * A design that fits in with your home and landscaping Design – Solar house numbers come in many designs from the usual individual numbers to the slightly different, including solar powered home address numbers “embedded” into what looks like real “rocks,” that can be integrated into your landscape. But be careful about having them blend in to your landscape too well as it would defeat the purpose of visible addresses.

 * Bright LED Lighting – LED lights do not consume a lot of energy and most are expected to stay lit for the entire night.

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The Sun is the ultimate and infinite source of energy. The solar energy can be used again and again. Solar energy is a low maintenance and more reliable power source. The major advantage of the solar energy and its products is that it is free of charge after it has been installed.

Also, the sun energy or solar energy is environment friendly as it doesn’t have any waste products and its batteries only need maintenance.

Solar energy has replaced traditional forms of energy in usage. The hydrogen in the Sun’s core burns to release huge amount of energy. The sun radiates this energy in the form of heat and light. All the other energy forms and sources on earth are indirectly derived from the sun, like fossil fuels which are formed by the dead and decay of the ancient plants that grow by photosynthesis.

The usage and demand of the renewable energy is increasing day by day. People are now searching for alternative power sources that prove to be affordable and environment-friendly. The solar power is a good solution for saving the energy cost.

There are also various solar rechargeable household devices like solar radio, solar chargers for the cell phone and bipod, solar rechargeable flashlights and lanterns, solar car cells and solar rechargeable batteries. And solar flashlights are also very useful in emergency situations.

If you want to ensure that your house can easily be located by emergency services you need to be better prepared for emergencies with a Solar Emergency Preparedness Kit, WaterStates has the solution for you.

SOLAR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Experts recommend that everyone should be ready in case of an emergency.  Start or add these items to your emergency preparedness kit. 

Our solar-powered devices harness the sun, so they recharge to give you continuous performance.

The conveniently portable Solar Emergency Preparedness Kit enables you to have on hand the essential items to help you get through an emergency.  The kit fits neatly under a desk, bed, the trunk of a car; or anywhere you and your family can access it.

Our line of solar products also includes camping gear, cell phone and computer laptop chargers and beautiful decorative solar lighting.

When its dark outside, visibility can be a challenge, and it is practically impossible to see most house numbers at night. 

Solar House Numbers provide that extra measure of safety as well as convenience.  In the event of an emergency at your home, think about the importance that clearly visible house numbers provide. 

Look around the Waterstates Trading Company web site for incredible, affordable solar-powered products that make a difference in today’s world.

For more information See: www.waterstates.com