Friday, December 31, 2010

Goodbye 75...

...on to summer 76!

Happy New Year Chippewa crowd!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A Special Holiday Message

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Holiday Shopping Guide, Lower Camp

Is this the final installment? Time will tell. Regardless, let's talk about Lower Camp, generally guys that are in 5th grade or 6th grades and younger. Many of these guys are new to camp and will be knee deep in all of the exciting new activities. So, let's focus on the random camp fun stuff!

1. French Spinner Blade Lure Kit : If you have a fisherman in the family, this would be very cool. A chance to build your own spinner lures! Spinners work well in our neck of the woods, and will serve well in Canada as well. For $32, it's sweet. Why not throw in some Gulp Fish Bait while you're at it. Fake worms or maggots make for interesting family moments.

2. Table Tennis Balls : Yes, the constant rhythm of table tennis balls pounding the tables is a true sign that you are standing in Lower Camp of Chippewa. Can you have too many? Probably, but this is a nice package at just $7.

3. EyeClops Nightvision 2.0 : So I admit I have no idea why you might need this, but it sure looks awesome. I suppose if nature calls late at night, you could make sure there weren't any bears lurking out there. Other than that, I know I'd love one if I were 10 again. (Hey Natalie, I might even want one now that I'm 40.) A little pricey at $50, but way fun.

Finally, the haystack is the masterpiece of meals for lower camp, so why not learn how to assemble the proper ingredients by buying Mary and Ada's Chippewa Cookbook. It will be a hit at the next birthday party....I think. See the previous post for purchasing options.


Thursday, December 09, 2010

Holiday Shopping Guide, Middle Camp

As promised, more ideas for your Chippewa campers this holiday season. Our last post was for our older campers, now we move on down the line to the guys in middle camp. Generally, I am thinking about guys from about 6th to 8th grades.

Many of these guys are working on their in-camp activity skills and beginning to really improve while also demonstrating even better care for the equipment. Thus, I thought I'd find some cool stuff for the in-camp program that could help them progress through camp ranks. So here it goes:

1. Deerskin Shooting Glove - A great idea for the aspiring archers out there. This three-finger shooting "glove" helps with a smooth and comfortable release. And it only runs about $20.

2. 3/4 Finger Sailing Glove - Am I obsessed with gloves? Not really, but your sailor would really enjoy these Ronstan gloves. Working the damp lines on an X-boat can take a toll on a dedicated sailor, so these guys are pretty handy (pardon the pun.) Plus they look cool! About $30, but I see them on sale a bit too.

3. Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool - Yes, I'm suggesting something that has a knife on it, but this is handy and fairly safe tool. I prefer Gerber since it fits nicely in the hand. This one isn't loaded with a ridiuclous number of sharp things, either. Instead, needle-nose pliers are great for fishermen, the built-in carabiner clip is sweet and the knife is blunt (read : safer) and great for general camping, plus it's partially serrated for cutting line. Bonus : the green color is uber-cool. It runs $40.

Next stop Lower Camp...

PS- Did I mention Mary's cookbook yet?

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Holiday Shopping Guide, Upper Camp

This time of year, parents often contact me for suggestions for gift ideas. So I thought I'd spend a couple of posts sharing some thoughts on great gift ideas for Chippewa campers. Needless to say, I like camping gear and sports equipment, so I'm going to limit my suggestions to three items per post. Plus, I'll try not to dwell on the obvious sleeping bag, tents, headlamps or similar items (though I'm happy to pass along suggestions for those as well.) Instead, I'll suggest some rather obscure, but cool items that are functional and long-lived.

In this post, I'm going to focus on the guys in upper camp (in high school). Since these guys spend a lot of time on the trail, it seems to me that the best gift ideas are in the camping gear realm. So here it goes:

1. Exped Drypack Pro 15 - This is a slick day pack that is waterproof and lightweight. It fits nicely in the canoe and has plenty of room for rain gear and other daytime stuff. If your camper is headed on a canoe trip of 16 days or more, I like this and it costs about $45.

2. Joby Gorillapod - More and more guys are bringing cameras on their canoe trips. This handy little guy will help them take great shots and doesn't really take up much room. It's normally about $25, but I often see it on sale.

3. Expedition Canoeing by Cliff Jacobson - This book is written by one of the great northern canoe explorers and guides. While all of his camping concepts aren't necessarily what we adopt at Chippewa, this book is a great resource for the canoe trip dreamer.

Finally, don't forget to order your copy of Mary's cookbook (see previous post). More soon for the guys in middle camp.