How to Make Fire Starters

To get ready for Camping in 2017 I plan to take advantage of the winter months to get my Fire Starters made. 

I make my own Fire Starters using:

• Paper Egg Cartons
• Empty Toilet Paper Rolls
• Dryer Lint 
• Scrape Yarn
• Used Scented Wax from my Electric Burners

I keep a plastic bag on my laundry shelf - I place all of my dryer lint in the baggie.  I save all used toilet paper rolls and paper egg cartons.  

I have two wax scent burners in my home. Once a week I place in new wax.  I use the old wax for my fire starters.

Easy to Make Egg Carton Fire Starters

• Take a egg carton 
• Place dryer lint in each egg slot 
• Drizzle warm melted wax over the lint in the egg carton ~ then flip over toilet paper roll and pour more wax into the other end.  I pour wax from a burner into each side of the roll. 

Continue this process until the egg sections are full of lint and wax. It usually takes three times to fill my cartons to the top.  
When the egg carton sections are full - cut the sections apart. You will have one dozen fire starters from one egg carton.

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Fire Starters

• Toilet paper roll
• Lint from dryer
• Wax from wax scent burner
• Place toilet paper roll on it's end in lid of egg carton 
• Fill with lint
• Pour in one burner of wax
• Flip roll over and pour in another burner wax

I then place the Fire Starters in a large sealed plastic bag.  They work perfect for starting fires.

Place a few of the Fire Starters in the fire pit - add your wood in a tepee design - with the Fire Starters in the middle of the tepee. As the fire grows - I add a few more starters to ensure the fire is set and ready to go. 

Fire Starters work great - the lint burns fast setting the carton and paper roll on fire..the wax keeps everything burning longer. 

Trace Mississippi State Park

If you are in the Tupelo, Mississippi area - there is a fantastic State Park.   Trace State Park is a excellent place to relax and enjoy.  We stayed there for 3 nights in April. The weather was beautiful. The park is perfect for water sports - I wish I would of taken a kayak. The lake is perfect for kayaking. 


The sites are very large - as you can see from the pic the Jeep and my brothers camper fit perfect with lots of room on both sides.

The washrooms and showers are very nice and clean. In fact they are the nicest I have

found so far. 

Hard to beat the price for camping ~ $20 a night full hookup!

CLICK HERE for PARK INFO

CAMPGROUND INFO CLICK HERE

CAMPING FEES CLICK HERE

The campgrounds are good size & well maintained ~ total of 106 sites ~ 9 cabins ~ 17 Primitive Group ~ 24 Premium Campsites ~ 10 Primitive and 46 Standard Campsites.

Park Description

Trace State Park offers a quiet, natural retreat located just minutes from the excitement of Tupelo, one of Mississippi's fastest growing cities. Trace State Park offers a variety of outdoor activities ranging from fishing and water sports to exploring miles of secluded nature trails. A special arrangement with the Pontotoc Country Club allows Trace State Park guests to enjoy the club's 18-hole golf course without paying green fees.

Park Services & Amenities:

Within Facility
All Terrain Veh Riding Barbeque, Briquette Bath House Biking Bird Watching Boat Launch Ramp Cabins Church Service Comfort Station Disk Golf Dump Station Fire Rings Firewood Sales First Aid Station Fishing Fishing Lake Gift/Souvenir Shop Handicap Access Hiking Hiking Difficult	Hiking Moderate Ice Sales Information Center  Jet Skiing Lake Laundry Pavilion Photography Picnic Tables Pier Fishing Playground Powerboating Ranger Station Satellite TV Trails, Horse Trails, Mountain Bike Walking Water Skiing Wildlife Viewing

Camping Coffee Made Easy

I need coffee first thing every morning!  

Camping is no exception!!!

I found a perfect way to solve my coffee addiction issue!  I have a Keurig just for camping! I call him FRED!  

He sits perfectly in the front passenger floor of my Jeep.

The grab bar on the Jeep makes a great coffee kcup holder.

I pick up coffee cups at our local Dollar Tree.  I get a pack of 6 with lids for one buck. We reuse our cup - no need for a new cup every day.

I plug Fred into the surge outlet I use for my electric blanket. 

Perfect Coffee!!

Who said camping has to be difficult!

In Nipped in the Bud, Not in the Butt: How to Use Mediation to Resolve Conflicts over Animals by Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton

Conflicts over animals are among the toughest to resolve. People form deep emotional bonds with their pets—after all, they're members of the family—so when a dispute involves animals, people get just as angry as if the clash were over their human children. When they've finally had enough, they head to court where the law treats the pet as property—as just a thing.

But there's a better way: mediation. Whether your conflict is over who gets the cat in a divorce, how to deal with a barking dog, or any other issue, a neutral mediator can bring you and the other person together so you can hear each other out, acknowledge each other's feelings, and resolve your dispute. Not only can mediation settle the conflict in less time and with less expense than litigation, but it can save and even strengthen relationships.

In Nipped in the Bud, Not in the Butt: How to Use Mediation to Resolve Conflicts over Animals, litigator-turned-mediator Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton introduces her proven techniques for addressing your conflict, working out a mutually satisfactory solution, and ensuring the well-being of the most important party—the beloved pet or animal in need.

Available to buy from....

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble

You ask WHAT ARE SKEETER BEATERS?

SKEETER BEATERS

Skeeter Beaters are a fantastic way to turn your vehicle into a sleeping camper.  As you can see my Jeep Liberty is my sleeping camper.  Easy to use Skeeter Beaters make that possible. 

So easy to order and use  

#1 ~ Go to their site http://theskeeterbeater.com/

#2 - Click on FIND YOUR VEHICLE SKEETER BEATER SIZE

#3 -  Follow directions on their page

Skeeter Beaters are:

• Made in the USA
• Sewn and Shipped by a Sheltered Workshop
• Our mesh is Rated as True NO SEE UM Screen
• No dyes Will Come Off Onto Your vehicle
• Won't "Ride Up" on Your Window

Very easy to order  - I ordered one set for the front windows. My set for my front windows for my Jeep also will fit my back windows.  My camping buddy also ordered hers and she too bought one set. She places them on front and back windows. They work EXCELLENT!!

I have used them camping in Mississippi - Louisiana - Kentucky - Tennessee - Wisconsin.  

Skeeter Beaters makes sleeping in my Jeep easy. I know I can make my own screens - but by the time I purchase materials and time to make the screens - the price I paid is well worth every penny.

I give Skeeter Beaters a 5 STAR Review!  

They are the BEST!!!! 

Mammont Cave National Park

If you are traveling down I-65 in Kentucky I found a great National Park worth the stop.  Mammoth Cave National Park.

Mammoth Cave National Park has more than 400 miles of explored caves. It is the world's longest known cave system. Definitely worth the stop!  

MAP

CAVE TOURS 

Frozen Niagara Tour
Domes & Dripstones Tour
Great Onyx Lantern Tour
Mammoth Cave Accessibility Tour
Grand Avenue
Cleaveland Tour
Wild Cave Tour

SURFACE WALLS & PROGRAMS
Heritage Walk
Porch Talks
Green River Bluffs Hike
Let's Go Birding
Nature Hike
Evening Program

Cave Tours & Programs change during the season - make sure to check HERE   When you click on the link you can also find a detailed explanation about each tour ~ Duration, Distance, Total Stairs, Difficulty, Tour Capacity, Price and Tour Times.

Camping ~ Click HERE for all Camping Info

Campground	Mammoth Cave	Houchin Ferry	Maple Springs
Sites	105 sites 4 group sites	12 sites	4 Equestrian sites 3 group sites
Reservations	Y	N	Y
RV Sites	Y	N	N
RV Hookups	N	N	Y
Dump Station	Y	N	N
Grill & Tables	Y	Y	Y
Camp Store	Y	N	N
Toilets: Flush	Y	N	N
Toilets: Chemical	N	Y	Y
Showers	Y	N	N
Coin Laundry	Y	N	N
Water	Y	Y	Y
Large Groups	Y	N	Y

We took the Frozen Niagara Falls Tour. They bus you to the cave site. Our Ranger was very knowledgeable about the cave system.  You will be impressed how the park system is handling a diesease that bats are getting! I don't want to tell you the details - I think learning the info at the end of the tour is part of the fun.

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 7 

Mammoth Cave, KY 42259-0007

Phone:

(270) 758-2180 

General information line for Mammoth Cave National Park

Raccoons and Camping

Every since our Raccoon visit in October I have been reading everything I can find about Raccoons and Camping. After hours of reading articles from experts to novice - I have determined the only way to secure your food from Raccoons is to keep your food locked in your vehicle.  

So far - there have been no sightings of Raccoons breaking into cars and stealing food. 

Locked in your car is the safest place. It is even suggested that you put your cooler in your car if you plan to be away from your campsite for any length of time during the day.

This is how we found the cooler in the AM

It is also recommended that you never leave your keys outside - sneaky raccoons have been known to sneak in and snatch up keys - jewelry - anything shinny.

When the raccoons raided our site - the only noise I heard was the noise of something falling on the ground. It was our two wine bottles falling off the cooler. Not sure how many raccoons there were at our site - but they came in ~  knocked off the wine bottles ~ opened the cooler ~ then feasted on cheese - sausage - eggs  - they even dug into the ice.

WARNING ........ I read a article that stated be very careful after dark. Many raccoons in camping parks are fed by campers ~ they feel very comfortable around humans. BE AWARE of your surroundings. You never know who or what is watching you. 

Mirror Lake Wisconsin State Park ~ October 2016 ~ Location of Food Heist