What an amazing week this was! Warm weather, nice rain showers, a little thunder, a little lightning. Great for the farmers, gardens, grass and all without any bugs! I feel that is about to end very shortly, but that isn’t going to stop us from having an awesome summer. Since we live in Canada, we know that our summers are short. Like so many memes and posts on the internet suggest, “Last summer was amazing, I believe it fell on a Thursday.” That being said, we make the most of our short summer and here is some camping advice for you to use and hopefully make your summer an enjoyable one!
One of the groundbreaking things we heard of recently, was this thing called “Camp-Easy.” The Saskatchewan Parks & Government have created “Camp-Easy” sites on certain Provincial Campgrounds which provides the equipment you need to camp, without you bringing all the major items. This is great for those people who want the full camping experience but can’t afford the equipment or you don’t want to purchase all the gear. The best part is, you don’t have to take anything down afterwards! “Lunch and no clean up! Can life get better?”
Where are these sites available?
You can call to book your Camp-Easy site by contacting one of the locations below.
(May 18 – Sept. 3, 2018 | 14-night maximum stay | $65/night):
- Pike Lake Provincial Park (29 km southwest from Saskatoon): 306-933-6966
- Echo Valley Provincial Park (70 km northeast from Regina): 306-332-3215
- Buffalo Pound Provincial Park (30 km northeast from Moose Jaw): 306-694-3229
What gear comes with these sites?
These sites include:
- Large Tent on a wooden platform (14’x16’)
- 2 Bunk Beds & 2 Singles (Sleeps 6)
- Screened dining tent
- Stove and Propane Tank
- Lanterns – 2
- Wash Bins – 2
- Camping Chairs – 6
- Roasting Sticks – 6
- Axe
Other Camping information
There are many things to think about when you go camping. Here is a small checklist to make sure you’re prepared for your vacation.
- Purchase your fishing licenses
- Register and Insure your boat and camper trailers
- Make sure you pack and have enough life jackets for everyone in the boat
- Make sure your tubes and other inflatables hold air so you don’t have to find a patch
- Go get bush pie makers! Now. Go get them…and Cherry Pie filling. You won’t be sorry!
- Make sure you bring all the camp-easy food. Hotdogs, Burgers, S’more Kit, etc.
- Sand toys for the beach. The kids will need it. And so will you.
- Pedal Bikes to get around easily.
- Barbecue, Table for BBQ, Lawn Chairs, and a few extra folding tables for convenience. We all know that picnic table gets filled up way to quick.
- For the luxury camper, who can’t give up their electronics: your satellite dish, laptops, ipads, phone chargers, upgraded data plan. #Netflix #RainyDay
- I recommend unplugging from the world, if possible, then you need: cards, games, books, toys, puzzles, bikes, and creativity! Enjoy the outdoors!
- The essentials: toothbrush, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, bug spray, various beverages & snacks (healthy ones of course), bedding/sleeping bags, thermarest or air mattress (for tenters), lanterns, matches/lighter, newspaper, paper plates and cutlery and water.
I’m sure I’m missing a few particular items, but that wouldn’t be camping if you didn’t forget something! Like your boat or your youngest child. 🙂
We hope this summer brings you a lot of joy and excitement. We hope you have warm days of fun in the sun and healthy rains to refresh your soul. That sounds cheesy, but we mean it. It is important to recharge in this busy life. Without taking time to “stop and smell the roses” once and a while, we will watch life pass us by. Enjoy this summer to the fullest, you deserve it!