Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

When choosing the best tent for your next camping trip, first take into account the number of people going.

Dome styled tents will fit up to eight people and a minimum of two or three people. They’re the easiest to put up. They have two poles that run straight across and then you stake it down on all four corners. They are definitely the easiest to setup and take down. It takes fives minutes to setup and five minutes to take down.

Academy Sports and Outdoors camping expert J.B. Sharp says if you’re expecting a larger crowd you may opt for a cabin styled tent.

They are larger, have more head room, stand a little taller and they are also separated by rooms. Most of them have two or three rooms where you can fold down a little piece of cloth that will separate each room. These tents fit eight to 15 people.

Although a cabin style tent may seem to be the right choice, consider the wind gusts that may kick up while outdoors.

The dome styled tents are much better for wind because they’re lower to the ground. It’s designed to be more wind resistant; it has a little more curve. The cabin styled tents are a lot taller with a broader face so the wind has a lot more to catch, so there’s more of a chance of it blowing away, blowing over or snapping a pole.

We have more camping tips at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Alanna Jones… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Camping 101: Choosing the Right Tent Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Having the necessary gear packed before heading out on your next camping adventure can ensure a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience…

Some of the basic equipment you would need is a tent, a sleeping bag, and a pillow if you like it comfortable. Some people like to use a roll-up or foam mat to put underneath the sleep bag for extra padding, maybe a canopy if you’re expecting rain so you can have somewhere dry to hang out, and if your campsite is next a lake maybe fishing poles to have fun with.

J.B. Sharp is a camping expert with Academy Sports and Outdoors. He says tent stakes are easy to forget, so pack those first. But that’s not all you should take along.

You want Off, bug repellent, food, a cooler to keep your food and drinks cold, and something to cook your food with like a mess kit.

For added safety, Sharp says never to cook food directly on a fire.

You can use a griddle. We [Academy Sports and Outdoors] sell two-sided griddles that can be used when cooking a steak- it’s going to simulate a barbeque pit. You definitely don’t want to put your food on the fire, so use a rotisserie that can go above the fire. Those are your most common ways of cooking.

Find more information about camping by visiting passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Alanna Jones… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Camping 101: What to Take Camping Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Pam Dehne (DAY-nuh), who lives in Austin, brought her children to Kyle recently for a Texas Outdoor Family Workshop—a hands-on skill-building weekend.

I love to fish and hike and be outside, so I want them to learn to appreciate that as well so we can do something together that’s fun—instead of [sit] in front of the computer or the TV.

When I met Dehne’s son Christian, he was on his hands and knees, with hammer in hand.

[hammering] I’m pounding the stakes into the ground to hold down the tent so it doesn’t fly away while we’re inside. [ambience at end]

When asked whose idea it was to attend the workshop….

Um, it was my mom’s idea. But it’s not something that we regret. [hammering…background laughter]

“We’ includes his sister Isabel.

I just got wet from kayaking, and I’m a little cold. But, I’ve been having fun. It’s just nice to be out here. So, you don’t miss ipods and computers? Well, I still have my ipod with me. We’re hoping the battery runs out so that she can’t use it. It’s almost out, actually.

Pam Dehne said she plans to take Christian and Isabel camping at state parks this summer.

That’s our show for today, with support from Toyota, reminding you to do whatever it takes to get your kids outside. For ideas and tips go to lifesbetteroutside.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Texas Outdoor Families: The Dehne Family Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Joe Kendall says he knows how to improve the world.

I think the world would be a better place if we spent more time floating and one of the best places to do that is outside on a river. I encourage as many people as possible to spend more time doing that.

Kendall is founder of the Chautauqua Foundation’s Texas River School, the purpose of which is to…

…take kids to the river that normally wouldn’t get a chance to go.

The school targets fourth through sixth graders who wouldn’t normally spend time outdoors, let alone on the water.

The reason why we work with kids who haven’t been out there before is to help them develop a lifelong love affair with the river that I and so many of my friends have. So many of these kids come to us—their parents are afraid of the water—and they pass that on to their children. We want to try to break that cycle and get the kids to be comfortable with the river.

Kendall says after the children have spent time on the water, they’re transformed.

They’re nervous, shaking and scared and when they come back, they’re jumping up and down, screaming and hollering… it’s a remarkable change.

Texas Parks and Wildlife recently awarded The Texas River School a $30,000 grant to continue its work.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Alanna Jones… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
____________________________________________________________

Visit the Texas River School Website:
http://www.texasrowingcenter.com/trs.htm

Outdoor Learning: Texas River School Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

When Matthew Butler’s youngest daughter returned home from school asking why her Daddy—a lifelong hunter—killed animals he was perplexed.

I thought that’s a rather strange question considering I’ve always hunted and you’ve been exposed to it.

He learned classmates at the suburban Washington DC School she attended had ridiculed the grade-schooler when they discovered she came from a hunting family.

And I thought, well, I know what I’ll do. I’ll go buy a book that would explain it to her in her terms—the environmental reasons and the ecological reasons behind hunting, and why it makes good sense for us as a society. Well, I couldn’t find such a book—it doesn’t exist. So, I decided that I would write it because the story needed to be told.

The book he wrote, Billy Goes Hunting, is a tale of a young boy who, with the help of his grandfather, learns about the tradition and value of hunting. Butler says the book has two audiences.

It’s directed at the children so that they hear the message, and they understand that hunting really has an environmental, economic, and social impact on our society. And the second group is obviously parents. I guess I look at this as a tool for parents to open up dialog, open up discussion, and to communicate with their children.

Learn more about Billy Goes Hunting at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
______________________________________________________

Billy Goes Hunting Website: http://www.billygoeshunting.com/

Children's Book: Billy Goes Hunting Play Now | Play in Popup | Download