What is a good cheap tent brand? Greatland,Ozark Trail or Field and stream?

bridget36

Looking to buy a big enough tent for a family of 5. I don't want to spend to much money because I am not sure if I will even like camping.So I will like to buy a store brand. I am not sure what kmarts brand is. Anyway out of the brands I listed above our any of them good?

Answer
All very good advice above. I will give my two-cents worth. I have two, four-man (9'x7') Ozark Trail tents from Wal-Mart. For a family camping trip, these work great, they are easy to set up, pretty good bang for the buck and over-all have been pretty good tents that have lasted several years and are still holding up. Would I climb Everest or go on an extended backpacking or climbing trip with them, absolutely NOT! I have a quality, one-man backpacking tent for my more serious backpacking trips that I bought from REI. As somebody else said, a tent for the kids and a tent for you guys is the way to go, it's what I do. Two smaller tents are cheaper than one large tent and two small tents are easier to set up than one large tent. I tend to be very organized when I camp. My wife and kids scatter their "crap" all over the tent. Having two tents helps this a lot. The other plus to this is if something happens to one of the tents, it gets a tear, catches on fire, whatever, you have a back-up. Everybody has opinions based upon personal experience, and this is my personal experience. I hope your family develops a love of camping and the outdoors, it's a fantastic family experience.

what are some good affordable camping tents? price range 50. to 150. sleeping 4-6?

frustrated

i want to start camping again with my kids, grown, and grandkids. it needs to be a quick setup, and easy.

Answer
Go to www.rei.com and they have very good tents on clearance sale.

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What kind of fabric do I need to make clothes?

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Lady_Eagle

I am making some kids clothes and I was wondering what kind of fabric I need to buy. I am used to buying quilting cottons, so any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Answer
I'm assuming that you're using commercial patterns for your kid's clothes... if you check the back of the envelope, there will be a list of fabrics that will work well with a particular pattern. You'll want to choose something that drapes like one of the listed fabrics for the pattern to "work right" -- too stiff a fabric will make the kid look like s/he's wearing a circus tent, and too drapey a fabric will make the garment look old and tired or straight off the "anything for $2" rack.

Easy fabrics for beginners to garment sewing:
softer denims
cotton twill
pinwale corduroy
cotton shirtings
cotton interlock
polar fleece
sweatshirting
wool or cotton flannel

Have you found the Kwik Sew book on sewing for kids? (Actually there are three -- babies, toddlers and kids).... the book contains "master patterns" for the full range of sizes, and tells you how to sew them. It also tells you how to make various modifications to the patterns to turn them into new designs. Highly recommended. If you buy used copies, make sure the master patterns are included.

Campers: What type of camp meals do you have when tent camping for about a week?

Woodland H

Weâre a family of 3 & weâre going on a longer trip this time, & restaurants are far & few between. How do you manage meals & what type of food do you bring? Do you precook foods at home, bring them raw & cook them at camp, or frequent local grocery stores? Do you tend to eat a lot of canned food? Peanut butter sandwiches? Just looking for easy ideas & non-complicated recipes as space is at a premium w/ all the junk we have!!!

Answer
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches work fine for lunch, but if you're gone for a week, don't make them part of the dinner routine.

I would recommend that you pre-measure and prep before the trip as much as possible. Segregate stuff into zip-lock baggies and then just dump and mix once you are at the camp site. It makes life so much easier when you are trying to prepare the meal if you don't have to spend time cutting vegetables, measuring flour, spices, etc. Some recipes that work well include stews and cobblers. Don't be afraid to have a night roasting hot dogs. Do some searches for "Boy Scout Meals" to get some ideas.

Bring powdered drink mix like Tang, Lemonade, or Kool-Aid (leave the sugar free and low-calorie stuff like Crystal Lite at home as you and the kids will need the extra calories) to have with breakfast and lunch. Hot Cocoa works well for dinner.

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Campers: What type of camp meals do you have when tent camping for about a week?

easy kids tents image

Woodland H

Weâre a family of 3 & weâre going on a longer trip this time, & restaurants are far & few between. How do you manage meals & what type of food do you bring? Do you precook foods at home, bring them raw & cook them at camp, or frequent local grocery stores? Do you tend to eat a lot of canned food? Peanut butter sandwiches? Just looking for easy ideas & non-complicated recipes as space is at a premium w/ all the junk we have!!!

Answer
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches work fine for lunch, but if you're gone for a week, don't make them part of the dinner routine.

I would recommend that you pre-measure and prep before the trip as much as possible. Segregate stuff into zip-lock baggies and then just dump and mix once you are at the camp site. It makes life so much easier when you are trying to prepare the meal if you don't have to spend time cutting vegetables, measuring flour, spices, etc. Some recipes that work well include stews and cobblers. Don't be afraid to have a night roasting hot dogs. Do some searches for "Boy Scout Meals" to get some ideas.

Bring powdered drink mix like Tang, Lemonade, or Kool-Aid (leave the sugar free and low-calorie stuff like Crystal Lite at home as you and the kids will need the extra calories) to have with breakfast and lunch. Hot Cocoa works well for dinner.

Can you help me create a carnival themed birthday cake?

Abby M

I am looking to create a birthday cake for my daughter's 3rd birthday. We're going all out and doing a carnival themed birthday party with a tent, petting zoo, games, etc. I'm not really interested in buying a cake, I'd rather make it myself. The only problem I'm having is that I can't seem to really find any good ideas. I did see one for a popcorn box but it looked "sloppy". Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Carnival Party



A carnival themed party can be lots of fun for both the parents planning the party and the kids who are lucky enough to attend. With carnival style games as the entertainment and the prizes as the favors this party is sure to be a hit. A little imagination and some store bought supplies makes it easier than it sounds.

Invitation
On your computer you can print out a large ticket for "admission" into the birthday bash or if you can find popcorn bags at a restaurant supply store print the information on a card and place in the bag. There are also really cute store bought clown invitations you can purchase at party supply stores that will fit with the theme.

Decorations
Balloons in primary colors tied everywhere. If you have a good artist in the family have them draw up some carnival type posters onto poster board and hang throughout the back yard. A large canopy tent for the presents, cake, eating area can be set up to look like a big top and decorated with streamers.

Food
Serve all of your food at once or have a booth set up as a concession stand. The age of the children might be a deciding factor on this one, younger children might not take time out to eat unless they are instructed. Some suggestions for carnival style food are popcorn, hot dogs, corn dogs, ice cream bars, cotton candy (you can buy it already made), and for the cake you may want to decide to do cupcakes on this one (it will save serving time, you'll be busy with so many other areas of the party).

Games
Set up carnival style booths by using card tables, large boxes, plywood, sheets or any prop you may have to set up your games. Three or four games will be good you will need to have an adult or teenage child to work each booth. You can either make up tickets to play each game once or buy a roll of tickets to hand out a bunch of tickets and let them play for a certain time limit. If you've ever been to a carnival you probably already have some ideas in your head about the types of games you can play. In case you need some help here are a few to get you going. You can give small prizes at the booths such as stickers, candy, rings, etc. or have them win tickets to redeem prizes.

Ring Toss: Buy some plastic rings at a toy store and place some plastic soda bottles filled with water or you can have them unopened and drink them later.
Set them up in your "booth" and let the game begin.
Go Fish: You can buy a toy fishing set or make your own with a stick and some string. Tie a magnet to the string, make paper fish out of construction paper and clip a paper clip on the end. Using color-coded fish the player wins the prize that corresponds with the color of fish they caught.

Ball Throw: Use a TV tray or some other small surface to make a small pyramid out of aluminum cans, for older kids you can use something a little heavier. Use a lightweight ball to have the players knock the cans off of the surface.

Bean Bag Toss: Use a piece of cardboard and cut holes large enough for a beanbag to go through, larger for younger children. You can draw a funny face and use the mouth as a hole or have several holes on the board. The object of the game is to get the beanbag through the hole. You can use a chair or stepladder to support the cardboard.

Pick a Pop: Get a half of a Styrofoam sphere and a bag of lollipops. Color with a marker a few of the bottoms of the lollipops. Stick the lollipops into the sphere so you can?t see the colored marking, the guests pick a pop and if it has a color they win a special prize if it?s just plain they win the lollipop.

Activities
Along with the game booths you can also set up some other fun activity booths such as face painting, a tattoo booth (with removable tattoos of course), a finger painting table, and a photo booth (cut a hole for the face on plywood or thick cardboard and draw a funny body, take a Polaroid to give as a party favor). If you have a larger budget you can actually hire some entertainment like a clown or magician.

Party Favors
The prizes for the games become your party favors, make sure everyone gets to take home a prize by giving out something at each both (redemption ticket or small token prize). You can also give out pre-packaged cotton candy or animal crackers as part of their favor. A great place to find carnival favors and supplies is Oriental Trading Company, Inc.

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Most people do their Mormon Missions in a third world country, how did Mitt Romney manage to get France?

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Peter Purc

Is it because he is worth hundreds of millions, so they selected the easiest Mormon Mission for him.

If he was a Boy Scout, I bet he hired other kids to pitch his tent, and install a fluffy mattress.

Answer
Because that's where all the favored, weathy, and/or high-profile mormon kids go. Paris, France. Nobodies go to the back of Timbucktu or Boring, Utah. It's always been the case.

Elizabeth Smart went to Paris, France, too, for her mission. When she returned she gushed about how "lovely and culturally insightful" it was. Do you think they would send someone like that to Boring, Utah? Too much PR to be garnered from her publicity. Sara Lowlife, an LDS nobody, came back from Timbucktu covered in insect bites and suffering from sunburn, gushing about how "lovely and culturally insightful" the country was.

Nobody interviewed her. Why not?

How do you make an indoor tent?

Luigi fan

I wanna make an indoor tent with my bed cuz my real tent broke and my freind's coming over and we were ganna camp...
Please answer my question!

Answer
"Tents donât necessarily have to go outdoors. You can make a fun indoor tent thatâs collapsible and will give the kids hours of enjoyment. This tent doesnât need any stakes but you will have to have plenty of fabric.
How To Make A Collapsible Indoor TentSheets can be used to make curtains, tablecloths, and yes, even tents.

Consider sheets instead of other material, since theyâre inexpensive and easy to work with, for this project.

Five twin sheets will make an excellent tent. You can purchase fabric, though, in smaller yardage than the sheets, if youâd like a shorter or smaller tent. Working with sheets makes it easier, since you donât have to measure and cut each side of the tent.

Consider how much floor space you can spare for the tent. Remember that the tent is easily collapsible if it needs to be moved in a hurry. Measure out the amount of space youâre willing to give the tent, then cut a sheet or piece of fabric to that size, allowing a couple extra inches on each side for hemming, and making sure to cut the piece in a perfect square. If one end of the sheet is already hemmed, do not add the extra inches for that side.

The square piece, upon being completely hemmed, becomes the top of the tent. Each of the four remaining sheets will become a side of the tent. Stitch the first sheet onto one side of the tent, at the very top edge. Allow the edge of the tent top to barely hang over the top edge of the sheet. Continue this until you have three sides sewn onto the tent. For the fourth side of the tent, cut the sheet in half, lengthways, then hem the cut edges. Sew the sheet onto the tent, making the fourth side, including a doorway. Make tabs and sew one on the top section and one on the bottom section of each sheet edge. These are used to tie the sides shut.

In order to hang the collapsible tent insert four eye hooks into the ceiling. To make the tent collapse out of the way of guests, insert two of the eye hooks next to the top ceiling molding. The four hooks should align with the four corners of the tent top.
String wire through the tent at all four corners. Wad the wire into a ball shape at each end, inside the tent, to keep it from coming out when hung. String the wire up to the eye hooks, making sure to get the tent top level and even. Simply wrap the wire around the eye hook and itâll hang until ready to collapse.

To collapse the tent just undo the front two wires. To remove the tent completely, just remove all four wires from the eye hooks. The tent is easy to hang again, and the kids will have a blast when they play in it."
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/46362/how_to_make_a_collapsible_indoor_tent.html

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What campground is best to camp at, at the Grand Canyon?

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mommyem

My husband and I are taking our 4 little kids (1-7 years old) camping at the Grand Canyon next month in June. I'm just wondering what campground we should stay at? We would like somewhere with running water and flush toilets, and other stuff like that. You know the easy, convenient way to camp. We will be sleeping in a tent and need room for parking a minivan and small utility trailer. We would like someplace not too busy but also want fun activities and to be close to stuff to see. Thanks for any good answers!

Answer
Here's a couple of recommendations for Grand Canyon South Rim:

1. Kaibab Lake Campground - It's near the juncture of 1-17 & Hwy 64 at Williams going north to the Canyon. It's about 60 miles from the Park gate but the setting is beautiful and you've got a lake. Campsites have all you need.

2. Mather Campground - Just inside the Park gates. Call in advance as it can book quick. Great value. Has bathrooms, running water. It's also near the in-Park supermarket. Bike paths aplenty. Easy access to shuttle buses.

That'll get you started.

What can I do to have a better vacation?

payitoffno

I will be 30 weeks pregnant when we leave for South Dakota. We will be camping for 8 days and I am hoping to have a good time. We bought an elevated air mattress to help, but what other suggestions does anyone have? I know it will be hot so I am going to drink a lot of water and try to take it easy. I don't want to be tired and crabby the whole time.

Answer
Unless your camping site is just an hour or so away, make sure to take a break at least every 2 hours to get up a walk around on your trip there. This will help keep the swelling in your legs and feet from making you miserable. Of course water is a must, so kudos for being prepared for that one!

Make sure that you bring something comfortable to sit in, something with support, not one of those chintzy folding camping chairs. Do your research and go sit in a few now and see how easy they are to get in and out of, and how they feel once you actually sit down.

Don't leave out your pillows! Of course with camping you kind of don't want to use your sleeping pillow while lounging in front of the campfire, so bring along a couple from the couch, or better yet, grab a couple from a local $ store. They are nice to have if you need any extra support in bed or just for sitting, and you don't worry to much about them getting dirty since they aren't that important once you get home.

Also, keep in mind that your need to pee will only get worse the more pregnant you get. I don't know about you, but the places I camped never had the best potty arrangement. Considering that I usually got up at least 3 times a night to visit my throne, you might want to make arrangements for some kind of porta potty for inside your tent. At the least you could always get a kids potty training potty and use that. Small yes, worse than camping bathrooms, not by a long shot. If you are worried about the smell you can always put some kitty litter in it to absorb the urine, and then sprinkle some baking soda on top of that.

Last but not least, BRING SOME COMFORTBLE FOOTWARE! I know that we are all tempted to wear sandals and flipflops in the summer, but its a very good idea to bring something that will give you some support if you are planning on doing any kind of walking on this camping trip. Your center of balance will be off, so the chance of you losing your balance will only be increased on uneven camping ground!

That's about all I can think of. I hope you have a wonderful trip and congrats on the pregnancy!!

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What kind of fabric do I need to make clothes?

easy kids tents image

Lady_Eagle

I am making some kids clothes and I was wondering what kind of fabric I need to buy. I am used to buying quilting cottons, so any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Answer
I'm assuming that you're using commercial patterns for your kid's clothes... if you check the back of the envelope, there will be a list of fabrics that will work well with a particular pattern. You'll want to choose something that drapes like one of the listed fabrics for the pattern to "work right" -- too stiff a fabric will make the kid look like s/he's wearing a circus tent, and too drapey a fabric will make the garment look old and tired or straight off the "anything for $2" rack.

Easy fabrics for beginners to garment sewing:
softer denims
cotton twill
pinwale corduroy
cotton shirtings
cotton interlock
polar fleece
sweatshirting
wool or cotton flannel

Have you found the Kwik Sew book on sewing for kids? (Actually there are three -- babies, toddlers and kids).... the book contains "master patterns" for the full range of sizes, and tells you how to sew them. It also tells you how to make various modifications to the patterns to turn them into new designs. Highly recommended. If you buy used copies, make sure the master patterns are included.

Campers: What type of camp meals do you have when tent camping for about a week?

Woodland H

Weâre a family of 3 & weâre going on a longer trip this time, & restaurants are far & few between. How do you manage meals & what type of food do you bring? Do you precook foods at home, bring them raw & cook them at camp, or frequent local grocery stores? Do you tend to eat a lot of canned food? Peanut butter sandwiches? Just looking for easy ideas & non-complicated recipes as space is at a premium w/ all the junk we have!!!

Answer
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches work fine for lunch, but if you're gone for a week, don't make them part of the dinner routine.

I would recommend that you pre-measure and prep before the trip as much as possible. Segregate stuff into zip-lock baggies and then just dump and mix once you are at the camp site. It makes life so much easier when you are trying to prepare the meal if you don't have to spend time cutting vegetables, measuring flour, spices, etc. Some recipes that work well include stews and cobblers. Don't be afraid to have a night roasting hot dogs. Do some searches for "Boy Scout Meals" to get some ideas.

Bring powdered drink mix like Tang, Lemonade, or Kool-Aid (leave the sugar free and low-calorie stuff like Crystal Lite at home as you and the kids will need the extra calories) to have with breakfast and lunch. Hot Cocoa works well for dinner.

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What can I do to have a better vacation?

easy kids tents image

payitoffno

I will be 30 weeks pregnant when we leave for South Dakota. We will be camping for 8 days and I am hoping to have a good time. We bought an elevated air mattress to help, but what other suggestions does anyone have? I know it will be hot so I am going to drink a lot of water and try to take it easy. I don't want to be tired and crabby the whole time.

Answer
Unless your camping site is just an hour or so away, make sure to take a break at least every 2 hours to get up a walk around on your trip there. This will help keep the swelling in your legs and feet from making you miserable. Of course water is a must, so kudos for being prepared for that one!

Make sure that you bring something comfortable to sit in, something with support, not one of those chintzy folding camping chairs. Do your research and go sit in a few now and see how easy they are to get in and out of, and how they feel once you actually sit down.

Don't leave out your pillows! Of course with camping you kind of don't want to use your sleeping pillow while lounging in front of the campfire, so bring along a couple from the couch, or better yet, grab a couple from a local $ store. They are nice to have if you need any extra support in bed or just for sitting, and you don't worry to much about them getting dirty since they aren't that important once you get home.

Also, keep in mind that your need to pee will only get worse the more pregnant you get. I don't know about you, but the places I camped never had the best potty arrangement. Considering that I usually got up at least 3 times a night to visit my throne, you might want to make arrangements for some kind of porta potty for inside your tent. At the least you could always get a kids potty training potty and use that. Small yes, worse than camping bathrooms, not by a long shot. If you are worried about the smell you can always put some kitty litter in it to absorb the urine, and then sprinkle some baking soda on top of that.

Last but not least, BRING SOME COMFORTBLE FOOTWARE! I know that we are all tempted to wear sandals and flipflops in the summer, but its a very good idea to bring something that will give you some support if you are planning on doing any kind of walking on this camping trip. Your center of balance will be off, so the chance of you losing your balance will only be increased on uneven camping ground!

That's about all I can think of. I hope you have a wonderful trip and congrats on the pregnancy!!

Really nervous about our upcoming trip to the beach? Can any of you Moms give me some tips?

~CriCkeT~

We are taking our Daughter to the beach for the 1ST TIME! We are SUPER excited, yet super nervous! She will be 17 months old and she is just everywhere! She never sits still, and she can pitch some tantrums! LOL...She has never been this far away from home (12 hrs) and we are just really nervous! Can you please give me some tips on how to make the trip and the drive easier? Thanks!

Answer
Car DVD player and several of her favorite movies or cartoon DVD's

Take plenty of healthy snacks and drinks for her.

Take beach toys- a pail and shovel, some sand toy molds to make shapes with. Pack a few surprise toys for her during the trip in the car. Check dollar stores for simple little things like a small stuffed animal or something she can play with in the car that won't make a mess. Pull them out every so often and let her have one to keep her entertained and happy on the trip.

Schedule breaks at regular intervals for the potty and just to stretch legs, get a snack etc.. You'd be amazed how pulling off the road for 10 minutes will revive you and keep kids happier in the car!

Lots of sunscreen and one of those little canopy tents to sit in for her or a big umbrella you can all fit under on the beach to protect from the sun.

Another thing with beaches- and I'm assuming it is an ocean beach- be careful about the water. Strong under tows can come in fast and be undetected even from a short wade into the water on the shore. If a little one gets caught by one they can be pulled out far into the water and drown. Be sure someone is holding her hand tight if down by the water and don't let her out of easy grasp for a second.

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