The Radiance of Knowing

A radio controlled car is made up of a remote and the motor vehicle. By turning or pushing the controls up or down and left or right, the individual has the ability to make it go in any direction.

There are countless makes currently on offer in the stores. The simple ones can only just about travel a little distance. Customers that hunger to witness the authentic deal would be advised to pay for the remote control vehicle that has to be custom-built and personalised from scratch.

Remote operated toys are classified either as electric operated or nitro power-driven. The remarkable feature about toys that utilise an electric powered motor is that the battery element is fully rechargeable. Remote control toys that make us of fuel will have to be replenished and greased after some time, which is extremely similar to regular road vehicles.

These model cars are frequently controlled by people of all ages. A number of specialist outlets have remote controlled cars similar to those entered in NASCAR and monster trucks that are time & time seen in the destruction derby. This simply demonstrates that individuals can take pleasure in radio operated cars both on and off the road.

Do these splendid toys call for oodles of tender loving care (TLC)? Yes they do. The owner should scrutinise the battery, the shock absorbers & the tires on a frequent basis. This will help ensure that the vehicle is capable to keep it is speed & efficiency each occasion it is taken to the race track.

The fan ought to be aware that not all of the parts are capable of being patched-up. This is because of toy companies designing their cars to operate only up until the machinery just break. Those that wish to enjoy the remote control car will either have to swap the mechanisms, nevertheless this occasionally can difficult to buy.

Radio operated toys do not simply apply to cars. There are also planes, ships and helicopters to purchase in the toy outlet.

Parents and kids alike who are inquisitive & for some reason have never done this before perhaps should stick to the entry level model(s) then just upgrade at a later stage if the individual is entirely serious with it & wishes to participate in racing contests on a regular basis. Toy Shopper has details on a whole range of mini radio control cars .

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As the warmer weather approaches, we look forward to another
season of camping and enjoying the fun, relaxation, and beauty
that the outdoor environment has to offer. I am anxious to get out on weekends to some of my favorite campsites around Kentucky
and Indiana. Of course I’ll have plenty of fishing gear to bring along in case some of my family or friends join in on the adventures that are sure to come with each outing. This is the most enjoyable thing for me when I see others having a great time hiking, fishing, throwing Frisbees, or sitting around the campfire telling stories or singing campfire songs.

There are several things I try to consider before I begin packing for
a camping trip. First of course, is how long will I be gone? How
much time do I have to get away from the “9 to 5″, unwind and get
refreshed by the fresh air, sunshine, and peaceful scenery that nature provides so abundantly? This summer, I’m going to try to get out more frequently on the weekends so I’ll talk a little about short outings that are not too distant from home. This will allow me more time for what I actually want to do, and that of course, is to camp. I don’t want to spend 5 hours going and 5 hours coming, using basically a whole day just for traveling. If I pick a place that’s within a 100 mile radius, I should be able to find several dozen places to visit and spend less than 4 hours of total travel time.

Ok, that sound great, I can think of a dozen places within 100 miles right of the top of my head. Lake Monroe, where my youngest son and I visited last year, is only 1 hour and 45 minutes from my home. That was a great weekend camping trip and my daughter and her friends at IU came from Bloomington to join in the fun. Several of the girls had not fished much at all, and I had more fun than they did watching them scream and holler as we caught over 70 bluegill. It was a great thrill for them to actually catch, clean, and eat fresh fish. Most of the panfish were a little on the small side, but I had them keep them for several reasons. One of course, is the fish sometimes swallow the hook and it’s nearly impossible to throw them back when this happens. Another reason I sometimes keep small bluegill, is that it helps other aquatic life to have more abundant food sources. Anyway, after we cleaned them all, they were absolutely delicious dipped in a bowl of egg and milk, rolled in cracker crumbs and cornmeal, and fried to a golden brown. And of course we had several bags to take home, which seemed like it made the camping trip last longer than just the weekend.

But let’s get back to some of the essentials of planning your weekend camping trip. After you’ve decided on how much time you have, you will need to consider how many nature lovers are going camping. That’s usually the easy part. So if you’ve got 5 people going, and you’re going to be gone for two nights and two days, you’ll want to figure how many meals that will be. I’d say it will be in the neighborhood of 2 dinners, 2 breakfast, and 2 lunches, not including snack times. So we’ll need enough food for 10 people (5 x 2) for essentially one day. That should calculate to an average of 8-10 ounces of meat per person, 8-10 ounces of vegetables and fruit per person, and 8-10 servings of bread or grains per two persons. You can also use the 8-10 rule for your drinks for a total of 8-10, (8-10 oz.
drinks) including water, per person per day. This may seem like a lot of liquid, but when you consider 3 meals a day and an additional drink in between, you are already at 6 drinks a day. Remember, dehydration is a major cause of heat stroke. If you’re going hiking, swimming, or playing any type of running sport, this will easily bring the drink count up an additional 3 or more for a total of 9 drinks a day. Let’s make an easy formula to go by.

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FOOD QUANTITY FORMULA

NOTE: Hard cheeses such as American and Swiss include in meat weight.
Soft cheeses such as cultures add to fruits and vegetables weight.
Eggs may be separate.

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So that’s a pretty good rule of thumb to go by for your “3 squares.” If you like to snack, which goes great with camping, bring along your chips, marshmallows, or no bake cookies and you’ll never go hungry. Don’t forget the milk if your bring chocolate.

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Article written by Keith Kampschaefer. Keith is President of CHK Marketing, LLC, which owns and operates http://www.PackNCamp.com Outdoor Supply. Along with his extensive knowledge and experience in the outdoors, Keith also has over 30 years experience in the food industry, specifically, perishable foods such as meats, seafood, and vegetables.

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My rucksack weighed 14kg at the airport. After three days it was 10kg, which was still too heavy. Shampoo went in the bin, soap would do. The mosquito net was given away and not missed. Several books were left in hostel libraries. I cut my towel in half and the sleeves came off my tee shirts. I saw people tear pages from books - once read they were just extra weight. As well as the surplus from my rucksack I lost 8kg, which was a pleasant surprise on returning home.

I was hiking the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route dating back to the 9th century. The main route, the Camino Frances, starts at St Jean Pied de Port, situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The route is a well trodden path across the north of Spain to Santiago, a whopping 760km.

The official hostels are amazingly cheap (usually about 4), however to stay in one you must have a pilgrims passport, this can be collected from the pilgrim’s office in St Jean. Once you have it you are officially a pilgrim. It was late in the day and I would not make it to the next main hostel so I booked into a private hostel called the Orisson. It is only 8km from St Jean, but a tough 8km - more than three hours up very steep inclines.

At 28 the Orisson was not cheap, but it was worth every cent. That evening, drink in hand, I watched the sun set while relaxing on the cliff edge viewing platform, happy my first day on the Camino was complete. Dinner was tasty and wholesome, but more importantly the company was interesting and fun. Sixteen of us sat down at one long table to eat and the chatter featured a multitude of European languages. It was indicative of the varied nationalities and cultures I would meet along the trail.

Next morning the noisy packing of rucksacks dragged me from my sleep. It was still dark yet some of my fellow pilgrims had decided on a (very!) early start. I went outside with my steaming hot coffee and watched the sun rise between the towering peaks of the Pyrenees, an incredible sight and well worth the early disturbance. Okay, so there were some benefits to getting up early.

Tolerance is an absolute for hostel living. Most people, I found out, start walking at 6.30am (sunrise), finishing by about 2pm and so leaving time for a siesta during the hot afternoons.

Roncesvalles is not a town but a medieval abbey, and a resting place for pilgrims. The hostel accommodates 120 people in bunk beds, the largest single room communal hostel on the route. I wondered if I would sleep, but as was the case on most nights sleep came easily and quickly. There was the occasional night where I was kept awake by a snorer, though thankfully not often, but I quickly learnt that a loud cough will usually stop them for a while.

I had taken a journal to record my musings on life and the events I would encounter. I was not the only one; journal-writing seemed like a prerequisite - scribblers anonymous. Each little tree had a pilgrim lazing on the ground beneath it writing. But after a few days there was little to write about, apart from the antics of the other pilgrims. I had wanted time to contemplate life, but the mental noise of every day life quickly evaporates while trekking, and the need to always be thinking slips away.

There are beautiful old churches in every little hamlet, and incredible cathedrals in each city. However the pilgrims I met along the way provided the greatest entertainment.

I met a sixty year old woman who had walked from London. Each year she sets out on a long distance walk of about 2000km.

Another night I slept on the floor in the church Bell tower at Granon and had a free communal diner presided over by the local priest. I met two Italian girls called Sylvia, one wanted to be a movie star, the other had a little cat’s bell on her pack that drove me nuts as we walked along quiet desolate paths, silent apart from the bell. Two Polish girls with unpronounceable names were christened north and south.

The company of people from all over the world, from diverse cultures, and many different backgrounds made this trip. Most pilgrims had started alone, and walked with people they met. A camaraderie developed that does not normally happen on holiday, or even in life.

Walking into Santiago was fulfilling but disappointing. Like life the journey was to be remembered, not the anticlimactic finish. Santiago’s narrow streets teemed with tourists, too many people for pilgrims who had become accustomed to the quiet countryside and great hospitality of small Spanish towns.

There are many web sites for information, but the best I found was the Confraternity of St James. (http://www.csj.org.uk/) or (http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk), I walked on the Camino for four amazing weeks. Four weeks without mobiles ringing, without television, without newspapers, and without background radio noise. I did not miss any of it, but after a long day in the heat and dusty plains of the Mesita a bath would have been appreciated.

Leslie Gilmour
Web site http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk

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