Planning and Preparation | Niagara Woodland Campground

Food Safety Tips for Campers

August 25, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

During your camping trip this summer, it is critical that you take food safety into consideration to prevent illnesses that are food-borne. Here are a few tips and pointers to help you keep your food safe as you enjoy the great outdoors:

Plan Ahead

• Plan your menus ahead of time keeping portion sizes in mind, this will help to avoid leftovers.
• Plan meals with common ingredients that can be cooked in one pot, this will lower your ingredient list and lighten your load.
• Opt to pack items that do not require refrigeration, for example; canned fish, poultry, and meat, beef jerky, peanut butter and jelly, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, bread, noodles and soups, fruit drinks, and powdered milk.
• Pack in an organized fashion using containers that are airtight and resealable plastic bags which can also be recycled and used for various other campsite purposes.

Keep Things Clean

• Pack biodegradable camping soap and disposable wipes. This will help you clean up after preparing meats and poultry, in particular.
• Place double wrapped packages in plastic bags at the very bottom of your cooler so there is no dripping on other food products.
• Prior to beginning your food prep, wash your hands with soap and water for twenty seconds.
• Use a spatula or clean tongs to remove poultry or meat from the grill and place on a clean plate; this will prevent cross-contamination.

With the above mentioned food safety tips and pointers in mind, you will avoid any unnecessary food dangers while having fun on your camping trip. We want all your camping meals to be filled with fun and good times with your family. Taking just a few measures for food safety will assure a memorable trip.

Camping Essentials; Don’t Leave Home Without Them

June 2, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Every camper has their own list of what is most important to bring on a camping trip, or what is most important not to forget. There are some universal tools, though, that will serve you well to have on hand – just in case.

Matches
You will, at some point, want to light a fire. It may be a campfire or your grill, but you will need a source of flame. Standard matches can get wet just from humidity so they are not recommended. Bring a lighter or matches that are made to strike in inclemant weather.

Lanterns and Flashlights
Campgrounds can be dark at night so you will appreciate a light source if you have to go outside for any reason. There are many inexpensive models that run on a few batteries. Make sure to bring extra of those, too.

Rope
It is inevitable that, at some point during your camping trip, something will need to be tied, strapped, hung up, or winched. If you have a good length of nylon rope, you are prepared for almost anything.

Knife
You will need this to cut the rope we just mentioned. Camping is a time when a small multi-knife can come in quite handy. You tend to run into situations unique to those you experience at home and a multi-tool provides options for fixing things that need to be fixed anyway possible.

First Aid Kit
Scrapes, bug bites, slivers, and allergies can sideline your vacation if you don’t have the tools to fix up the injury and get back out to have fun. A pre-made first aid kit will do as long as it contains supplies to address these common situations.

You will need this. You may need to cover something if it rains or lay the tarp between you and the earth. Either way, a tarp always comes in handy. It is smart to bring two if you can. A large and small would be a good idea and chances are you will use them both.

These are some essentials you will probably find a use for on every camping trip. Add them to your checklist and you will have what you need, when you need it. That’s what makes for an enjoyable camping trip.

Camping Success Through Checklists

May 26, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Some people are lucky enough to live in their RVs pretty much full time. They take their homes with them when they travel so there isn’t as much to think about when packing. It’s all there already. They have to focus on anchoring things before they move and offloading some accumulated weight but that is about it.

Others camp a few weekends a year and have quite a bit of packing to do before they can leave home. Life gets busy and jobs require focus and before you know it, it’s late afternoon on the day of departure and you haven’t started packing yet. It happens and can be frustrating. That’s when camping checklists can be a real life saver. When you get used to using one you can get yourself packed and on the road in record time.

Three basic checklists would cover most needs pretty well. One for food and kitchenware, one for clothing and activities, and one for equipment.

Depending on how often you camp and what you camp in, be it tent or trailer, you would list basic seasonings you use regularly, condiments, meat, starch, fruits & veg, and treats. You’d also list the dishes, and cooking utensils needed for most trips. Add plastic bags, paper towels, toilet paper, and hotpads to it and you should be all set.

The clothing and activities list could be sorted by person. Write down basic garments needed for each person, including linens and beach towels, and the games, toys, reading material, and electronics each of them will want to bring.

For equipment, you can list coolers, plastic tubs, sleeping bags, tarps, coffee pot, crockpot, trash cans, flashlights, rain gear, first-aid kit, and things of that nature that you’ll need for your actual camping.

Once your lists are in order it is much quicker to pack and relieves your mind that you haven’t forgotten anything. Your vacation time is limited and we hope you can spend as much time of it playing as you can, so the sooner you can pack and get on the road the sooner you can start enjoying it.

Easy Desserts While Camping

May 19, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

You’re sure to be planning on having S’mores on your next camping trip but treating your sweet tooth doesn’t have to end with that. There are oodles of tasty dessert recipes that are easy enough to make from your campsite.

Roasted Strawberries in Marshmallow Fluff
These are almost too pretty to eat and you won’t find anything easier to make. Grab some fresh, local strawberries and slide them on a skewer, dunk them in marshmallow fluff, then roast them until perfectly toasty. Their fresh, creamy, and have that campfire roasted flavor we all love.

Barbecued Apple Crisp
This is a dish you can start before you even leave home. You can pack the dry ingredients together, in a sealed bag or jar, and add the rest when you are ready to make the dessert. You’ll need old-fashioned oats, a little flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. When you’re ready to cook it, cut some butter in to the dry mix until crumbly and sprinkle the mix over apple slices that have a little lemon juice added to them. It’s all cooked in a foil pack over the grill or campfire. If you serve it with a scoop of ice cream you’ll be the star of the family. Get the recipe here: Barbecued Apple Crisp

Campfire Skillet Brownies
This is one of the most decadent desserts you’ll ever have when camping. It’s rich, chewy, and chocolaty. You can make it in a Dutch Oven. It is a homemade delight and won’t last long around your crew. You’ll need the usual suspects; sugar, flour, eggs, salt, cocoa powder, butter, chocolate chips, and heavy cream. You’ll also need to check it often so as not to over cook it. You can choose how long to cook it depending on whether you prefer chewy, or cake-like texture to your brownies. You can get the recipe here: Cast Iron Skillet Brownies

Banana Pudding in a Jar
This will be a cool and creamy favorite. You can make the pudding yourself, at home, and bring it with you, or bring canned pudding and substitute with that. You will be layering banana pudding, whipped cream, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers into a glass jar or bowls of your choice. The kidlins’ will flip for it. Check out the recipe here: Banana Pudding.

Group Camping Can be the Most Fun of All

May 12, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Lots of people like to go camping in groups. Not necessarily membership types of groups but groups of friends or family that all decide to go on an adventure together. It’s a great way to camp and you can make lots of memories with people who matter to you when you camp together that way.

If you choose one person as a coordinator you can save yourself some work and not duplicate efforts with multiple people bringing the same items and no one bringing other things. Lots of things you’ll need for the trip can be split between the group. One person could bring a grill and another could bring propane and ice.

Part of your group may want to spend the day here at the campground and another part might want to go exploring. When everyone gets back at night you can all get together for a nice meal and campfire. It’s time to tell those stories of the cousins when they were kids and remember the favorite food your grandmother used to make. Campfires can create bonding time, especially with a family group or a group of long time friends.

When you make your reservation let us know you are part of a group. If we’re aware of how many sites you’ll need and what kind of hookups we will do our very best to keep you all as close together as possible. We want you to be able to amble over to each other’s site for coffee in the morning and hear you laughing and teasing each other over games you played as kids.

We’d love to host your group camping and look forward to meeting all of you.

Tie Some Cool Knots with the Kids

April 21, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

You’ll probably have plenty of rope on hand when you’re camping and it’s a great opportunity for a knot tying activity with your kids. Their curious minds love to learn, they especially love to learn from you, and they’ll feel like superheroes when they commit a few of these cool knots to memory.

Australian Braid Knot– this knot creates a strong loop and works well on the end of the fishing line.

Bowline Knot – you can use this knot at the end of a rope to fasten the ring or a post, it won’t slip or bind and can be untied easily.

Davy Knot – this knot is known for being fast and efficient. It’s also been known to be very strong compared to other knots.

You and your kids can spend time each day practicing knots and the only expense is a length of rope. They’ll be proud to show you how fast they learn and they may even be able to show you a trick or two. You can find out more about tying knots at Animated Knots. They offer useful animations and walk you through every step of the process. We can’t wait to see how much fun you’ll have tying knots with your kids and see how fast they advance to the more complicated features.

How to Make an Easy, Portable Outdoor Movie Screen

April 14, 2018 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Drive-in movie theaters are so much fun, and these days they’re few and far between. Take all the fun of a drive-in movie to your campsite with this easy to make DIY outdoor movie screen! Relax around the bonfire and watch your favorite dvds, add some campfire popped popcorn and candy from the camp store and you have the makings for a fun and memorable summer evening. This project costs around $50, so it’s perfect for the budget minded camper.

Image Source: Shabby Creek Cottage

For this project, you’ll need:

4 – ten ft long pieces of 1 1/2 inch pvc pipe

2 – 45% elbows (that fit 1 1/2 inch pipe)

4 – T fittings (that fit 1 1/2 inch pipe)

8 – 10 inch spikes (found in nail section)

1 full size white sheet

6 pieces of 3/4 grosgrain ribbon, 18 inches long each

You’ll also need:

sewing machine

compound miter saw (or handsaw to cut pipe)

Start by cutting the PVC pipe in these measurements:

Cut the first two pieces so you get a 7 ft piece and then a 3 ft piece

Cut the second two so you have a 6 ft piece and two 2 ft pieces

NOTE: If you use less than 1 1/2 inch it will not be very stable. I tried multiple types, but this kind will hold the weight and be stable enough to hold up well over and over again.

Complete instructions with pictures, along with a recommendation for an affordable projector can be found at:

The Shabby Creek Cottage DIY Outdoor Movie Screen

Don’t want to make your own screen? You can buy one here:

Camp Chef Portable Outdoor Movie Screen

and here:

Excelvan Outdoor Portable Movie Screen

How To Protect Your Pets From Sun Burn

October 28, 2017 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Your pets have tender skin just like you do. Leaving your pet out in the hot sun can be dangerous and he or she may also become sunburned. If you’re out in the sun, make sure that you protect your pet as well. Here are a few ways to help your pet stay sun safe.

Start by ensuring that your pet has plenty of fresh water and a cool area to lie in, this may require you to set up a chair or two and drape a towel over it for a sunscreen.

Try to keep your pet out of the sun as much as possible. If keeping your pet out of the sun in this fashion isn’t possible, there are other options.

There are many pet sunscreen products on the market. These include protective jackets or hats, as well as tee shirts and the like. You can get these for your pet if your pet doesn’t mind wearing them.

If your pet, like many, refuses to wear them, then you may need to talk to your veterinarian about pet sunscreen. Many people suggest using children’s sunscreen on your pet, however, always check with your veterinarian first to ensure that the product that you select is safe for your pet.

Don’t forget, if your pet gets into the ocean, water, or a swimming pool you’ll have to reapply any type of pet sunscreen that you put on your pet.

Some pets will try to rub sunscreens off so try a different scent if this is the case, sometimes it’s just a matter of the pet doesn’t like that particular scent.

Always try to limit the time that your pet spends outside in the heat of the day as well. Never leave a pet in a hot vehicle either as this can also cause serious health issues or even death.

Fun Tips For Keeping Your Camping Kids Hydrated

October 21, 2017 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Kids and camping seem to go together well but they tend to run a lot and neglect drinking enough fluids to replace what they are burning off. If you’re trying to find some fun ways to keep your camping kids hydrated try some of these ideas.Your kids will love them.

Give each child his or her own canteen that goes around their neck or over their shoulder. You can even find canteens that go around their waist.

Consider a “holster” for their water bottle and encourage them to “holster” their water bottles. Take an old belt and cut it to fit their waste and form a “holster” to hold the water bottles. Even duct tape will help here. Be creative and have fun. Help kids to create their own water bottle “holster” to keep them busy with a fun and creative useful craft.

Freeze water bottles and give them to kids to slurp on as they thaw. These can also be placed into their water bottle “holster”. They’re ideal to keep kids hydrated and cool on a hot summers day. Replace water bottles as they’re drained. Keep plenty in the freezer to keep kids going.

Consider camel packs. These are often used in the military and hold an amount of water and have a straw that the child can suck from whenever he or she gets thirsty. They are particularly nice for hiking.

Don’t forget some healthy popsicle ideas. Kids and popsicles go together well.

Watermelon is full of water and a watermelon seed spitting contest is a great way to get them hydrated and have a little bit of creative fun as well.

Other melons have water in them, however, watermelon has more than most.

Frozen juice bars are an ideal solution to keeping kids hydrated when camping.

Combine one or more of the above to keep kids hydrated when camping and you’ll have a great time.

3 Ways To Keep Your RV Tires In Tip-Top Shape

October 14, 2017 by niagaraw_tFkrw5H

Your RV is your pride and joy and you have put a lot of love into it. It’s your home away from home, and your chance to drive around your state or even the country. You get to see new places and have adventures while keeping the creature comforts of home as you park for the night or weekend. So, maintaining it is usually high on your priority list.

Part of that is keeping your RV tires in tip-top shape as a central component of keeping your motorhome in great shape for travel. Fortunately, you can do that in three simple steps.

First, keep your RV tires inflated. Know what the recommended pressure ratings are from your current tire manufacturer, and stay at it. You might go above and below here and there, but for the most part, you should stay at the ideal number. This reduces their wear and tear when you’re out driving, and you’ll enhance their probable lifespan in all circumstances. Just make sure to check the pressure level often, since it might change over time when the RV doesn’t see use.

Second, keep your RV tires clean. It only takes some water and gentle soap to keep tires looking great. That also provides protection for their external surfaces, so rubber can maintain its highly-protective attributes.

Third, be sure your RV tires see regular usage. This one makes a lot of people scratch their heads, but RV tires actually wind up lasting longer when they’re used, rather than left idle. RVs often sit for long stretches of time between trips, and the immobility is actually conducive to cracks forming. Keep your RV active, or stored out of the elements.