A Great Time Of Year For Camping!

Camping

 

When I was kid, I used to believe that when I grew and had a family, I would have plenty of time for camping and to just enjoy the great outdoors anytime I wanted.  However, that doesn't typically or whimsically happen in the real world with always being caught up in daily life, i.e., work, school, family needs. For the average full time hard-working person life rarely affords those moments. Time just gets away. Instead, those moments must be deliberated, anticipated (with much joy), and then strategically planned. 

Just before the kids go back to school, many families traditionally take an end of summer vacation.  Ours is no different. Camping trips typically offer a variety in rewarding getaways and can be cost-effective to fit any budget, including a family budget.  Whether you prefer mountains, outdoors or indoors, there are so many ways to enjoy camping.  Moreover, camping provides an opportunity to get away from it all and get in touch with and back to nature.

Luxury Camping

Whether you choose indoor camping or go old-fashioned outdoor camping, it is always best to make sure that your camping gear and equipment is in good condition.  Planning a camping trip can also be a good excuse to replace or invest in some new camping gear and/or hiking gear.

Here is a short sample of the things you'll need to make your camping experience easier and be on your way:  For example, sleeping bags, blankets, tent, tarp, duct tape, rope, fire-starter, a reliable knife, stakes & bolts, first-aid kit, insect repellent, compass, cooking items, games and toys for the kids, and miscellaneous items, just to name a few things.

A good checklist, which will vary depending on the type of camping, activities you're planning, and your destination, can be helpful in planning and gathering equipment

Here's a checklist

Whether you're headed for the Adirondacks, the Appalachian Trail, way out west for a California Adventure, or somewhere in between, the Army Navy Shop can help accommodate your clothing needs as well as gearing you up with all the essentials for a successful camping trip or just a weekend getaway!

Lastly, there are so many great places to go camping and hiking.  Not sure where you want to go camping?  Though not a complete or comprehensive list, we've scoped out a list of 26 best and most popular places for hiking and camping.

Here's a List of 26 Great Places To Camp

Go on and revel in the beauty of nature, the grandiosity of the outdoors, solitude and fun towards achieving the classic camping adventure and making some great memories along the way. Most of all, take time to enjoy your life!

Looks Like Citizens Will Be Securing Our Borders - HUH???

Secure our borders before these guys do!

OK, so this is just my opinion, but doesn't something seem wrong here? Isn't it time our government woke up and put a big giant fence or wall or something up along ALL of our Mexican borders. Why is this so hard? We've spent billions sending men to the moon, but can't secure our own borders. And now it looks like we may spend billions more just to take care of the illegals who are crossing over every day! Just put a damn giant wall up!
And now there are at least two private groups trying to recruit citizens to go down to our borders and secure them. I smell trouble here. Not that I disagree, because something has to be done. I'm just not so sure that a bunch of private angry citizens will stay peaceful. I recall in 1969 when Hell's Angels were informally hired to act as security at a Rolling Stones concert in California (Altamont Speedway). For those that are too young to remember, it was a disaster that included stabbings murder, guns, band members being beat up, people being trampled - well, you get the idea.
There is a big difference though between Hell's Angels, who did the gig for $500 worth of free beer, and the groups that are planning on going down to secure our borders. The first group is The Minuteman Project led by Jim Gilchrist, a former US Marine. That project is called Operation Normandy, but unlike the invasion of Normandy, they do not plan on crossing the border.

Another group simple calling themselves "Patriots" are already down there in 4 locations in Texas and 3 in Arizona. They are seeking donations to purchase things such as night vision goggles and other tactical gear.
Both groups are saying that the government is not securing our borders, and somebody has to. The Minutemen Project can be reached at http://minutemanproject.com or calling them at 949-587-5199.
The other group mentioned here can be found at http://www.thethreepercenters.org

I'm not encouraging anyone to join a militia group, but simply wanted to help make people aware of the situation.
I'm just hoping and praying that maybe, just maybe our government will wake up and stop rewarding people who cross our borders illegally, and start making plans to secure our borders, before a war breaks out at them.

Illegals just strolling on in

Border Patrol Cap

USMC - Leave No Man Behind - What about Tahmooressi???

We here at Army Navy Shop plead with you to read this and sign the White House petition. Apparently, it's the only way they'll get involved!

On March 25th Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi accidentally missed a turn and wound up in Mexico. Sounds like no big deal, but for Tahmooressi it was the beginning of a huge nightmare. Apparently he had guns in his truck. Now after trying to escape and trying to stab himself with a broken light bulb, he's starting to get National attention. The White House has been asked to step in, but they will not do anything without 100,000 signatures. He only has 40,000. I guess it's OK for the White House to step in and free prisoners in American prisons, but if one gets stuck in Mexico, that's not a priority. For God's sake, this guy is a decorated Marine! The guy has a clean record. He has two tours in Afghanistan under his belt. Let's pressure Mexico to release him!
Like many of his fellow Marines, he suffers from PTSD and moved to San Diego for treatment.
His family stresses that they do not want others, whether it be our military or a militia to try to remove him because they fear it would put others in danger. Well folks, that leaves political intervention. Wake up Obama! From what I understand if 100,000 people sign the petition, the White House MUST get involved. I hate that it would take that for Obama to step in and try to get this United States Marine out of a Mexican prison. Wake up Mr. President! Do something NOW!
Another option, dare I say, is for Americans to simply stop going to Mexico for anything! Cripple their tourism! Stop buying Mexican products. If our government won't step in, let's start a boycott on Mexico!
I urge everyone who agrees, that Tahmooressi should be freed, to sign the petition here
GET INVOLVED!!!

Is There a Real Life Iron Man in the U.S. Military's Near Future?

Is There a Real-Life Iron Man in the US Military’s Near Future?
by Chris Vegvary

In a world where there’s no such thing as people who possess the ability to fly without the use of a machine, or people who are invulnerable to any kind of pain or disease, it seems like the government has realized that the closest thing we might get to a real-life superhero (using that term as defining a person with extraordinary or supernatural powers) is the Marvel Comics character, Iron Man. To that end, there appears to be a project in the works for the US Military to start making suits based on the Iron Man suit, but unfortunately, it will not be able to fly anytime soon. Even though it can’t fly, just the thought of our armed forces out there being protected by suits based on Iron Man is a pretty interesting idea. Although today's Flightsuits are pretty cool, imagine one that lets you fly!

Will such a suit allow the wearer to fire repulsor beams from their hands and chest? My guess would be no, not anytime in the near future after they’re made, but think of the level of protection a piece of armor like that could provide. It can’t fly, but what if it can jump? What if it features hydraulics on the feet that can somehow launch the wearer some amount of feet into the air? It’s all just speculation on my part, but like I said, the idea is interesting, and there’s so many things that can be done with it.

Consider, if you will, the War Machine suit from the film Iron Man 2. You could have a suit with a shoulder-mounted cannon, machine gun or otherwise (I’m talking future tech here), along with several compartments hiding smaller, more tactical weapons to surprise the enemy with. The possibilities are kind of mind-blowing when you think about it. However, all this makes me consider one thing: what is the user interface supposed to be like? By which I also mean, how are the weapons controlled? If it’s anything like the A.I. Jarvis in the Iron Man film series, then my guess is it relies on your brain patterns and other ultra-high-tech such-and-suchery to know when to fire which weapon (again, future tech).

While this sort of thing is probably a decade or so down the road from being fully operational, what with all the testing still required (considering it’s still in the planning stages, I believe), it’s really interesting to see that the military is taking cues from our beloved fictional characters, because honestly, we feel like their technology is more advanced than ours, a little too advanced, and we kind of want that technology. To me, that’s awesome.

So unfortunately, we don’t have Iron Man suits available on ARMY NAVY SHOP for you to look at, but if you’re in the military, or you know someone who is in the military, and you happen to be looking for any type of gear including military clothing, accessories, flags, backpacks, and so much more, follow any of the links in this article and check out all our good stuff!

What's All This Talk About Challenge Coins?

So, what the hell is a challenge coin anyway? Most people in the military know exactly what they are, but I figured a blog is a good place to write about challenge coins and to let those who do not know in on the secret.

 

U. S. Air Force Europe Challenge Coin

 

Challenge Coins were first used during World War I as a morale booster and to reward soldiers for their service. Today's challenge coins are beautifully made and reflect the particular branch of the military the person is/was in or whatever profession the person belongs to. 

 

But more important than that, and why they are called 'challenge coins' in the first place is the meaning behind them. When someone throws a challenge coin on the bar, he is challenging everyone in his group to produce their coin also. The last person to produce his has to buy a round for his entire group. That is the most common use, but some groups carry it farther, with playful beatings etc.

 

An excellent gift for any soldier returning from duty is a challenge coin for his particular branch of the military. Many coins today will signify what branch, what ship, what aircraft etc. There are even Challenge Coins made for civilians, like law enforcement officers  and firemen. It is a proud symbol and the people who own them carry them at all times.

Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan Challenge Coin 

 

Whether you are looking for one coin for someone's birthday or you want to give your entire group a token of your appreciation, challenge coins are an excellent choice. Army Navy Shop carries hundreds of styles, so take a peek.

The army navy store for boy scouts

Below is a note sent to us by one of our customers. Please feel free to write us with your story, and we'll probably publish it here. Thanks for reading our blog.

It's boy scout time and you might be shopping around for camping supplies. I am a mom of a first year cub scout and I am very happy to have found some great items on the Army Navy Shop website. Army Navy Shop has many items to choose from such as insulated cooler bags, lanterns, survival and first aid kits, camping chairs and backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and more. You can easily find all of your camping and boy scout supplies on the Army Navy Shop. A specific item of interest is the camo trail tent. This tent is made for two people. One of the best features is that it only weighs 3lbs and 8 oz., making it very lightweight for your young camper to carry. The camo trail tent comes with the stakes and rope for set-up. It also has a reinforced polyethylene floor. The large mesh window makes it easy to check on the boys without waking them up. The best part about this tent for me was the price was very reasonable.  I am very excited to use this tent and take my son on his very first camping trip! I hope to blog again and let you know how the trip went and how the tent holds up. So far, I am pleased with the Army Navy Shop website and the wide variety of camping products that I will be able to purchase for my cub scout!

Camo Trail Tent

Army Navy Shop Review - A note form one of our customers.

     Recently I checked out a pretty cool website named armynavyshop.com. Being a former US marine I like checking out new products that come out geared towards the military. This shop has pretty much everything you could possibly imagine when it comes to military clothing and civilian clothes bearing military logos. I like the wide variety of different types of military type of headgear also.  They carry shoes, bags, hats, pants and jackets. I noticed they also carry camping supplies, eyewear and even books and guides. It’s not exactly a survival gear store but they do carry a wide variety of products that given your circumstances could very much help in the event you were in survival mode.  I was pretty impressed to say the least. This army navy webstore is without a doubt the most complete military apparel and accessories store I’ve ever seen.

       I think of all of the products my favorite has to be the sunglasses and safety glasses. The sunglasses are priced reasonably and I found the protective glasses were actually very high quality.  I liked the aviator sunglasses and the military style cases that they offer. I also like the military clothing that armynavyshop.com carries. If you’re looking for camo clothing this site is definitely the best bet. There is also a wide assortment of shirts that are pretty cool too which bear the name of different military branches. I think this site has just about everything you could ever need when it comes to military style clothing. I could go on and on about all the products in armynavyshop.com but that would give everything away. You really have to check it out yourself. For anyone needing military type clothing or camping gear this is the place the go. Just go to www.armynavyshop.com and you will see what I mean.

Army Navy Store has all your favorite military clothing

Military Clothing: A Fashion Trend that Everybody Loves

Military clothing is a fashion trend that has long been a favorite staple in both the fashion industry and in everyday clothing wear. From camouflage clothing to boonie hats and combats boots, military clothing offers the wearer the chance to mix the innate toughness and masculinity inherent in the different styles of clothing and accessories with the more fashion forward aspects of today’s trends found at many army navy stores. Many people today who have a love for the military or a deep respect for them often get themselves fitted with military clothing from an Army Navy store and who can blame them after all, if you take a look at both classic and modern military uniforms there are some truly exceptional design ideas worked into the clothing.

The most basic of military clothes found at an Army Navy store comes in hues of green or blue and occasionally red and yellow. For the American military the clothing has long been a combination of greens, tans and blues from combined colors in camo wear to solid colors that you might traditionally find in some of the more vintage military clothing and accessory options such the Khaki Vintage Star Mini Backpack that is reminiscent of the old army packs used by soldiers in the early to mid 1900s such as in the Vietnam War or WWI.  An Army Navy store deals greatly with, you guessed it, Army and Navy military clothing and can offer you anything and everything under the sun practically in a military style that always seems to be a fashion trend. The fashion trend aspect comes from the deep respect and fascination the military brings out in the civilian popular and simply because of the “toughness” that clothing found at Army Navy stores inspire such as a Kid’s Top Gun Flight Jacket that any boy would absolutely love to wear with pride.

Army Navy Shop is a popular Army Navy store that provides unique and distinguished military clothing and accessories in many different styles, colors and sizes; from camo pants and tanks to boonie hats, flight jackets, military style backpacks, military multipurpose tools and even chicly fashionable women’s and men’s underwear in a military style. The thing about military clothes found at Army Navy stores is that no matter the era or the current fashion trends, military clothing will always be in style because who doesn’t love the classic and modern stylings of military wear?

Camo clothing and country music

Not only is camouflage clothing important for camping and hunting but it makes an awesome fashion statement! Country music is extremely popular right now; not only for adults but the youth of today. I do not know if you have ever been to a country concert but it is really exciting! People are very hospitable at the pre-gaming party and you rarely see a fight. You would think that people would be rowdy from drinking all day but it is the very opposite.

If a Country show starts at five, people are in the parking lot cooking in the morning. They set up tents with chairs and tables. It is like they are creating a backyard right in the parking lot. There is plenty of food and games. If you forget to bring sugar, you can definitely ask your parking lot neighbor! Young teens and adults have a great time playing corn hole together and bringing out the inner country in them.

Half of the concert goers are wearing camouflage attire! Whether it is a camo hat or a tiny tank; it is gonna look good! You have to own it because realistically, if you live in the city of Manhattan, you normally would not wear camo. This is your chance to be the woodsy country folk you always wanted to be. Seriously, I know that Country is not for everyone but the concerts definitely are! It is a great time for everyone; kids, teens and adults. The best part is, you can bring the whole family!

Showing My Gratitude

Almost every American family has at least someone in it that is currently serving or has served in the military. Not only did my father work very hard to provide for our family but he also served in the Army and was an excellent role model to my brothers, sisters and me. Even though he wasn’t looking for compliments, I always found that a little of encouragement meant a lot to him. And showing my gratitude with a simple gesture really went a long way. He was and still does take pride in his strength but I know there were a few times that I saw tears in his eyes while he opened up and read a card from me.

I know first-hand how hard it is to be far away from our loved ones but it’s important to remember what they’re fighting for. A great way to show our appreciation is with a little hello and a thank you gift. There are so many different kinds of items available for either any occasion or for a special occasion.

I know one thing that my father always loved and put to use was Army Clothing and boots. Not just when he was away but anytime. I still always pick him out gifts from Army Navy Stores when it’s his birthday, Christmas or anything like that. He’s got coffee mugs, key chains, and wallets to last him the rest of his life. And he’s got enough Camouflage gear to be passed down for generations. Are any of your loved ones serving in our Military? What special ways have you found to show your love and appreciation for them?