If you are one who has not opted for the newest laser
eye surgery & you still deal with contact lenses while
camping, here are some helpful tips.
Daily disposable lenses are a wonderful invention. At the
end of the day, throw them out & grab a fresh pair in the
morning. If your eyes can handle the overnight, these little
blessings are super thin & easy to sleep in. Just make sure
you bring your re-wetting drops in the tent with you.
Eye Glasses
A spare pair of eye glasses will be your savior. You may
wish to bring them in your overnight bag, just in case you loose
or break the current ones you are wearing. Cotton bandanas & rubbing alcohol come
in handy for cleaning.
Only need your reading glasses occasionally? Well, then don't
forget to pack them too.
Removing them contacts & putting on your glasses at night
may help with irritated eyes.
Eye drops
Irritated eyes can happen to almost anyone. A bug flies into
your eye, a chunk of dust while off-roading, many springtime
pollens can reek havoc on your eyes. Keep some allergy drops
around with your lip balm & sunscreen.
Stock well - bring a small towel, or bandana, your saline solution,
a case, re-wetting drops, your eye glasses & an extra pair
of lenses.
Contact maintenance could be taken care of inside your the
car in front of the rear view mirror. Minimal wind & dust
inside the car makes this an ideal place for eye care. Small
particles of pollen, dust & ash will become a nuisance when
dealing with eyeballs, so make sure you have plenty of saline
around.
Pack a wash cloth for morning time. The clean feeling can be
accomplished at camp. Fresh spring water from the nearby creek,
heated up on your camp stove for a warm wet towel on your face.
Ah, melt the night before's camp fire smoke off your face, clean
the crud outta your eyes, ears & nose.
Daylight -- Ouch!
If your idea of camping is staying up until 3 a.m. around the
camp fire drinking & talking, then daylight at 6 a.m. can
seem unbearable as the tent bakes you like a small sauna. If you
are gonna stay up late make sure you realize a few things:
You won't be on that 8 a.m. hike with your pals
Tone it down silly. Keep your mouth to a minimum. People are outside for peace. There are
others sleeping around you & you don't wanna be referred to
as 'loud jack ass drunk' by other campers.
Alcoholic beverages will bring your body temperature down
as soon as you hit the pillow or sleeping
bag. Bring an extra blanket & wear a hat.
The sun (& birds) are gonna wake your tired ass up at the crack
of dawn, so choose your shady tent site carefully
Bring a knit cap, blind fold, or sunglasses inside the tent the night
before
Rehydrate the next day, before your afternoon hike. See headache
products & eye drops above
Nothing can make you seem older than trying to read a label
or map around campfire light. The dimmer the light, the worse
your eyes seem to be as you approach your 40's. Make sure you
know about all the new lightweight headlamps & LED flashlights
out.
GaZillion Candle Power
Finding that perfect camp site on a dirt road at 10pm on a
Friday night is tough work. Reading a topo
map, navigated with a GPS
& determining if this steep hill route is actually a cliff
edge. If you are the kinda person who craves to get outside - all the
time & camp well away from the crowds, do yourself a favor
& invest in a handheld megga spotlight. This handy item comes in
use for 4x4 night runs, hiking to desert petroglyphs at night,
not to mention blasting out the noisey or nosey neighbors.
Outdoors in California, Sierra Waterfall Camping Dirt Roads
COUNTRY ROADS
take me home
Total Escape is California, off the beaten path
Farm Towns California has more variety of farms than any other state and the land mass to go with it. If you've ever dreamed of starting a backyard vegetable garden, or even living in a farming town, you too can escape the city life for nature, sunset walks and dark night skies.
Waterfalls, swimming holes; Wildflowers blooming above 4000 feet elevation, and summer holidays are here - which means camping season is in full swing. Sierra Nevada high-country bloom mid to late summer. The higher the altitude, the later the blooms.
Rural California Directory: Now that you've found this independent California resource, you can discover more local destinations online. Find your own rural place, a home way up in the hills, or just a good camp spot for the night. Discover that perfect desert spot for winter camping, petroglyphs, or the best small town museums. We list it here, all outdoors, all local. Travel the back roads of the west, on the cheap. Camp year round, without the fees, from Baja to Shasta. Find secluded spots. Historic, independent inns to remote yurt resorts, yoga weekends to primitive hot springs, RV resorts, or dispersed camp sites. Hiking trails, kayaking lakes, fishing streams, gold mines and ghost towns, and all the topographic maps to go with.
We're still here, thousands of pages and decades later. Way outside the city limits, beyond the county line. No wifi, no smart meters, no gaming addictions, no traffic lights, no city noise. Rural living in California still exist. Hike on the weekends, bike to work, boating mid-week, we have you covered for destinations. Find a new boulder garden, a big waterfall, trailhead or an ancient lava cave. Total Escape - Two whole decades online. Not quite obsolete.
Craving the Wild? Before the tweets, the constant memes and paralysis of our current culture, DanaMite started this travel web site way back in 1996. Catchy phrases like, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) did not yet exist.
Total Escape features abundant real photos of real places. Secluded destinations, camping and lodging, examining the best back roads, side routes, the topo maps (to get you out there). Locals-only travel tips, gear reviews, festivals and events. This unique travel site is updated every month, for the past 25 years!
Juicy content specific only to California. Focusing on outdoor destinations, small towns and budget-minded travel since 1996, we've recreated the weekend getaway - without the crowds. Escape the matrix, the city life, the traffic jams and learn how to avoid the tourist traps. Drive on past the factory outlet malls and the water slides, we've got much more to show you. Way out there, on the back roads, and in the backcountry.
Wilderness in California - more nature, less people.
Stock well - bring a small towel, or bandana, your saline solution,
a case, re-wetting drops, your eye glasses & an extra pair
of lenses.
