The climate in California is pretty much perfect. It can
bring great weather, long summers & snowy winters. This is
why the golden state is a top vacation & recreation destination for the world. (Hence the reason so many people move here). Well, it's time you learned how to take care of yourslef while outdoors. Skin care may seem for
sissies, but it will not only make you skin look better but
also save you from the skin neglecting behaviour. You gotta stay as good looking, as long as possible!
The best sun exposure is in California. Your body craves the sun and the warm natural vitamin D that comes from afar. This vitamin is better absorbed outside thru skin - than with foods or supplements. Only 20 minutes a day will satisfy your needs. Longer than that; you best take protection methods seriously. Hat, visor, long sleeves, creams.
the best sunscreen
The latest medical reports can question whether high dollar
sunscreen & SPF are really all that valuable, but we all
know one thing... if ya don't wanna get fried - cover up with clothing and hats, or put some sunblock on. A rating of 25 SPF is adequate in most cases. If you're the fair skin - freckly type, you may wanna go higher. Just don't
forget to bring some - or you may end up paying twice as much for
some cheap crap at a mini market in route.
Neutragena is one of the Total Escape favorite brands. The CoolMist Sunscreen Spray is excellent!
Keeping sunscreen in your vehicle is not a bad
idea either. You will always haver some on hand when you need
it. You may wanna take precautions on explosions & seal it
in a ziplock bag as well.
Wilderness Washing
Bathing in the Wilderness used to mean, jumping in a cold mountian
creek. These days you are lucky to find a stream that isn't dry.
Then you worry about biodegradable soaps & the fish down stream.
Check out our Camp
Soaps selection & the educational Camp
Rules for what not to wash in the river.
wipes: Wet wipes are progressing
into more that scented 'baby wipes'. Over the last few years many
brands have jumped into the market with their newest cleansing
cloths. Everything from Make Up removal to Auto Detailing. Just
make sure not to use the Armour-All ones on your face!
Make sure to carry some around at all times in the case of
an emergency bathroom stop behind a bush. And come on people..
take your litter with you. Nope! The rangers do not get
paid to clean up after us. Nor is the woody owl volunteers combing
every road side field in search of trash. A ziplock bag or small
brown paper bag is a super handy item to have around for such
occassions. Pack it In, Pack it Out! Keep California Clean!
A bunch of these new wipes on the market have moisturizer
built in. Pefect for the dry conditions your face will experience
while out & about.
And if you must bathe emersed in water every day, you may
wanna invest in an inexpensive handy camp shower. Just lay this
puppie on top of your sunny vehicles hood or roof (for most of the day) & you
can have a warm shower at sundown.
all natural insect repellent
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.
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.
Clothing is the safest bug repellent. Make
sure that your neck, ankles & even wrist are protected.
Wear light-colored clothing, which is less
attractive than dark clothing to biting insects
Stay away from perfumed lotions, as certain
'nice' smells can attract even more bugs
Check clothes regularly for bugs. Protective
netting around sleeping and eating areas is a good way to keep
the bugs at bay.
When visiting an area with a large insect
population, always use some type of bug repellent.
To avoid skin irritation, apply insect repellent
to clothing. (but test the repellent on a small area to determine
if it will blemish the fabric)
Whenever you are in mosquito, sand fly, or
tick territory, chemical insect repellents are necessary.
The most effective repellents contain real chemicals like
DEET, Indalone, Rutgers 612 and DMP. (R-326 is useful against
biting flies).
Use repellent on exposed skin and use sparingly
only no more than two times a day. Do not use on sunburned
skin.
Despite their popularity, bath oil or skin
stick provide only one hour of protection against bugs compared
to products containing 25% DEET which last for seven hours.
If using both sunscreen
and bug repellent, apply the sunscreen first and wait 30 minutes
before applying the bug repellent.
To
avoid toxicity from insect repellents:
Apply repellent sparingly & only to exposed
skin or clothing.
Keep out of eyes.
Avoid high concentration products on the
skin, particularly with children.
Never inhale or ingest repellents.
Wear long-sleeved clothing and apply repellent
to fabric rather than to skin.
Wash repellent off your skin after the risk
of being bitten by an insect is gone.
Repellent should never be used on children's
hands because they are likely to rub their eyes with them or
put them in their mouth.
Children two years old and younger should
not have insect repellent applied to their skin more than once
in a 24-hour period.
after the fact itch relief
If you have no oinments or sprays to soothe you while in the
wild, then try a washing all the sweat & dust off your body,
then apply a cool wet cotton cloth. Bandanas are super cheap &
work well for this kinda stuff.
If you have a large family, someone is likely to get sunburned,
so bring some kinda aloe or itch relief lotions.
wounds & first aid
Curad has new technology out for Scar
Therapy. So if you are known for accummulating some battle
wounds on your excursions, you may wanna look into these.
A First Aid kit should be something everyone should have stored
in the car. You never know when you are gonna need to get that
splinter outta your finger, clean & bandage a minor wound. You will never be stranded with 'yuk mouth', if you store
an extra toothbrush & paste inside. Re-stocking your first
aid kit should be done every year. Other items great to store
in your vehicle: bottled water, flashlight, extra batteries,
blankets, jacket, boots, extra change of clothes, snack items.
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.
avoid toxicity from insect repellents:
