Trekking Poles | Wilderness Outdoors | Family Camping, Campfire & Dutch Oven Cooking Recipes

Outdoor Hiking – Nature Trails

Exploring Outdoor Trails

Exploring nature trails with your family can be a wonderful rewarding experience. Just seeing smiles on those little faces when they discover something new is enough to make your day. But then you notice that the ones that were telling you that they didn’t have to take out trash or won’t clean their room; are now listening to every word your saying about something they are interested in. Just recently I came across a blog that hits points on this subject very well. It’s a man that enjoys taking time with his family on nature trails while taking nice quiet walks in wooded areas that are defined as hikes by this author. Taking in a part of history that takes readers back to a time when horses were the means of transportation to this area. He shares thoughts of walking with his dog while he defines differences between walking on city streets & a pleasant hike in a wooded area with fresh air in your lungs & sounds of blowing leaves.
I have always enjoyed nature trails & hikes along lakeshores or wooded areas where I live. You may want to look into purchasing a trekking pole or two if this is something that appeals to you. There is many times when something as simple as a walking stick could have prevented a slip or a fall. There is price ranges for all with many different styles to choose from. If you are more inclined to take longer trails that involve all day adventures or even an overnight trip you are going to want to have proper gear for this also. There is many good one person tents that can be found online. One place I know has a good selection of tents is this outdoor tent store. You will also need a good set of lightweight cooking pans that will store in your backpack without weighting you down. These are just a few items you want to plan out for your nature trails hiking experience.

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Dutch Oven Recipes – Camping Recipes

Dutch Ovens for Camping

To have some of the best tasting meals for camping that is low fat.
For camping feast that are delicious & fun to make you can’t beat a cast iron Dutch oven hanging on a tripod over hot coals on a hot summer night. When camping in parks or way back in a wild setting campers like to tell stories & trade camping recipes. It’s a great time for children to learn Dutch oven cooking from older campers & to learn how to use them. If you’re on a lone country trail or trekking by a mountain lake; join your fellow campers & share a good camping recipe with them.

Baja Seafood Stew

1/2 c Onion; Chopped, 1 Medium

1/2 c Green Chiles; Chopped

2 Cloves Garlic;Finely Chopped

1/4 c Olive Oil

2 c White Wine; Dry

1 tb Orange Peel; Grated

1 1/2 c Orange Juice

1 tb Sugar

1 tb Cilantro; Fresh, Snipped

1 ts Basil Leaves; Dried

1 ts Salt

1/2 ts Pepper

1/2 ts Oregano Leaves; Dried

28 oz Italian Plum Tomatoes; *

24 Soft-shell Clams; Scrubbed

1 1/2 lb Shrimp; Raw, Shelled, Med.

1 lb Fish; **

6 oz Crabmeat; Frozen, ***

Use 1 24oz can of Italian Plum Tomatoes that are undrained and cut in half. **

The following fish can be used: cod, sea bass, mahimahi or red snapper fillets that

are cut into 1-inch pieces.

*** Crabmeat should be thawed, drained and cartilage removed. Cook and stir

Onion, chilies, and garlic in oil in 6-quart Dutch oven until onion is tender. Stir in

Remaining ingredients except seafood. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer

uncovered for 15 minutes. Add clams; cover and simmer until clams open, 5 to 10

minutes. (Discard any clams that have not opened.) Carefully stir in shrimp, fish

and crabmeat. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until shrimp are

pink and fish flakes easily with fork, 4 to 5 minutes.

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Outdoor Hiking – Outdoor Adventures

Wilderness Hiking

Preparing for a hiking trip can be your most important task. Before anything else we must be sure we have a good supply of necessary equipment & supplies we will need for our outdoor adventures. Check them old hiking boots you have stored away in a box way back upon a shelf in your garage.
Little rodents have a way of finding things we thought was secure. One thing none of us want is to find out that we have to make a quick last minute run to buy boots because we did not check our gear a few days ahead of time. Check your trekking poles for any repairs you may want to do to them, such as new tips, straps or even replacing them all together. If you are planning on a long hiking trip of more than a couple days you may want to plan ahead & leave heavy items such as cooking items at locations along your route. Cast Iron is great for cooking outdoors over an open fire but lugging these items over miles of wilderness is hard. You will want to plan ahead and leave items like cast iron skillets & heavy Dutch ovens at designated camping locations along your hiking path. A well planned trip is an enjoyable trip & one you will not regret. Food items take a little more time to prepare for & it all depends on how long you are going to be on your outdoor adventures. There are several camping stores that sell freeze dried items that are both lightweight & compact for hiking purposes. Water is something to really consider, you will want to carry at least enough water for one day with you or leave water bottles ahead on your trail with your cooking gear also. If you leave food items at locations make sure to protect these items from wild animals such as bears & raccoon or skunks. They will always be looking for a free meal from hikers & campers that have not taken precautions to put things out of their reach. If you are not taking a long trip of more than a few hours you may want to consider carrying or pulling a small cart with items for your camping kitchen with you. Where ever you decide to go or be sure to have a good plan for your outdoor adventure because an unprepared trip in a wilderness setting can be a disaster waiting to happen. Everything from clothing to preparing your meals can be a very rewarding experience that you will find other hikers & campers talking about on a regular basis. It is a great feeling knowing that you planned this outing & even some of the smallest details have made a big impact on how things have turned out on your trip into Mother Nature’s back yard. So get out & have fun, you will not regret a well planned wilderness vacation.

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