Summertime is a season that activates and engages all our senses.
Freshly cut grass, a campfire and sunscreen, the smell of these things instantly take us back to these longer days under the sun. The feeling of sand under our feet, the warmth of the sun on our faces and we can’t forget about the fresh local sweet corn that’s bursting with flavour. Our eyes and ears take in the sights and sounds of birds chirping, kids playing, summer thunderstorms that bring some relief from the heat, family and friends gathering and the landscape surrounding us that bears so much goodness and beauty for our body and our soul.
Our senses are most alive when we’re in the great outdoors and a lot of our summer experiences and memories usually involve being out in the fresh air. We fondly remember our summer days growing up, living in our bathing suits and spending all day outside. Another favourite memory involves going to a cottage or camping the same week in August on Manitoulin Island. We’d spend the whole time with our aunts, uncles and cousins swimming, fishing, reading, hiking, exploring and laying under the night sky searching for constellations. Camping is one of our favourite ways to spend summer weekends and holidays with our friends and family, there’s just something magical about being surrounded by nature wherever you turn.
Whether you plan on camping in your backyard, a National Park or out in the wilderness there are always supplies and necessities that are going to make your experience more enjoyable. We’ve rounded up some great camping essentials found right here at Anna’s, take a look!
You aren’t really camping if you don’t have a bonfire, right? Packing all that extra newspaper and kindling can be a pain, but these Down to Earth-Fire Starters make lighting a fire super easy. This package is $19.99 and contains 10 fire starter pods and you only need one pod per fire! Not only does this product start a fire quicker (which means s’mores sooner), but it’s also 100% biodegradable, made in the USA, 100% recycled and comes in scents like Maple Bacon, S’mores, Redwood Forest and Citronella. These pods are perfect for your fireplace, wood stove, campfire, fire pit and so much more.
Bringing games is a must when you go camping, play them during the day, at night under the stars by the light of the campfire or to kill time if you’re trapped inside during a rainstorm. Anna’s carries these super handy game tins ($29.99) that are easy to pack and are ready to bring you and your friends or family endless amounts of fun. So pick one up the next time you’re in and choose between a poker set or a card & dice game – or take them both!
Bugs are inevitable when you’re camping and you’re probably guaranteed to come home with at least one mosquito bite, but Anna’s is here to provide you with some sprays and creams to keep them at bay. Make sure you grab a bottle of deBug All Over Body Spray this summer ($14.99), it’s perfect for camping, late-night ball games, bonfires, hikes and any outdoor adventure. We love that this product is 100% natural and can even be used as a linen spray to keep those pesky bugs away. We also carry an all-natural No-Bite-Me cream, another product that comes in handy during these summer months outside. With no harmful chemicals or DEET, this cream is safe for children and even newborns and is made up of 16 essential oils. Read more about this amazing product here.
Depending on where you camp and how you camp, you don’t always have quick and easy access to water to wash your hands. So bringing along a hand sanitizer is a must! This Handy-Tizer spray is $9.99 and is not only perfect for camping but is an everyday necessity. With essential oils being the star ingredients, this product is all-natural and alcohol-free. Choose from a variety of scents, we are loving this Orange + Lemon one.
The summer days are hot but things really cool off once the sun goes down. Getting cozy by the fire with a blanket is a camping highlight. Bringing along a throw blanket is not only great for keeping you warm but can be used to sit on at the beach or on a picnic too! Anna’s has a great selection of beautiful throw blankets that are machine washable and can go from couch to camping!
Camping meals usually consist of things that can be cooked on an open fire. Your typical burgers and hot dogs seem to taste even better when they’re enjoyed in the great outdoors. Food is a key part of camping so you don’t forget to pack some delicious snacks that can be passed around and munched on while you’re sitting around the fire, playing games, reading a book or out on a family hike. Anna’s carries some perfect snacks and goodies to bring along on your next camping trip! We can’t get enough of the Pretzel Pete mini twists and nuggets in salted caramel, smoky barbeque and garlic parmesan flavours. These are the perfect salty snack to accompany you and your beer while you’re playing a round of poker! If you’re looking for a super healthy snack, grab a bag of our spinach and kale whole-grain chips by The Better Chip company. These chips are great alone or grab one of our jars of salsa to dip them in.
We still love something sweet while we’re camping so we always like to bring a jar of Cooper’s Mill Strawberry Syrup, so good on our dessert pie irons or our morning pancakes! As you camp more and more you learn tips and tricks to make things a lot easier and more efficient. We’ve learned that prepping meals before you go always makes things go a lot smoother and is a lot less work once you’re there, which means more time to relax. Here’s a quick tip: pre-make your pancake batter and place in a container or place in plastic baggies and twist the top with a clothes pin (they’ll look like icing bags), when you’re ready to start cooking just snip the tip of the baggie and pour onto your pan!
Camping trips typically mean you spend the majority of your time outside. Whether you’re playing, biking, hiking, canoeing or spending the day at the beach you want to make sure you protect your skin and hydrate with water. If you’re looking for some amazing organic sun care products stop at Anna’s, we have COOLA sunscreen spray ($29.99), mineral stick ($32.99), liplux ($14.99) and after-sun lotion ($39.99). The sunscreen spray has an SPF of 50 and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, the spray makes it so quick and handy for applying and re-applying, and the sport stick makes applying to your face effortless.
We don’t want to forget about our lips, so make sure to apply a lip product that has an SPF of at least 30. We are big fans of this line of lip care due to the quality and the fact that it’s great for every day (it even comes in tinted versions to give those lips are little extra colour). The after-sun lotion hydrates deeply and has a moisture-locking base of Organic Agave and Aloe Vera. It also includes nurturing essential oils like lavender, sweet orange, mandarin and cedarwood.
If you’re like us you bring a refillable water bottle with you wherever you go, so finding that perfect bottle that is big enough to house all the water you need for you and your family while you’re out and about is key. If you’re looking for a large water bottle that keeps your water cold for 24 hours or your hot cocoa or coffee hot for 12 hours, come into Anna’s and check out our selection of Swig Life bottles that come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. The one pictured is our 32oz. Wide Mouth Bottle.
We hope you and your family are enjoying every minute of this season so far, we can’t wait to hear all about your summer adventures. Don’t forget to stop at Anna’s for all your summer and camping needs!
