I admit it, I’m an Amazon junkie. I get a lot of what I need off the web, and Amazon is one of the best ecommerce sites out there. I was skeptical when I heard about Amazon Prime and their free trial. Two day shipping free- one day shipping for $3.99. Nope, that’s not a typo, for four bucks you can ship millions of eligible items (items Amazon stocks, as opposed to it’s partners) to your house. Free for a whole month. After that they bill you an ANNUAL fee of $79.
Here’s what Amazon has to say:

Amazon Prime members enjoy the following benefits:
Fast Delivery
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items
• Upgrades to One-Day (Overnight) Shipping for just $3.99 per item

Simple Shopping
• No minimum purchase required
• Members-only 1-Click buttons on product pages
• No need to think about shipping charges

Convenient Sharing
• Members can share benefits with up to four family members living in the same household

Free Trial
• Amazon Prime new subscribers are invited to try Amazon Prime free, for one month.
After the Free Trial period, customers will be automatically charged the $79 annual fee unless they choose not to upgrade to regular annual memberships at or before the end of the trial period.

So I signed up for the free month, figured I’d order a few things and then cancel. Well the membership paid for itself when I ordered a big piece of exercise equipment. I paid an additional $4 for next day service, figuring I’d get an email explaining I couldn’t do that. Nope, next day it showed up on my doorstep. Suddenly I was able to expect 2 day delivery for free. I find myself upgrading to next day service quite a bit, it’s just nice to have what I need exactly when I want it. A month goes by, I did some math and my shipping last year was already over what a prime membership costs- so I took the plunge. I’ve been happily ordering for months- if you regularly order from Amazon it’s worth your time to take a close look at Amazon Prime.

Are you feeling the call of the “great outdoors?” Spring and summer are right around the corner; the height of camping season. For a nature enthusiast, there’s nothing finer than camping in a national park, state park or designated recreation area. Whether your camping world consists of the mountains, deserts, ocean areas or the rolling prairies, America’s glory truly comes to life when you actually live it! Experienced campers know all the best places and have their favorites when it comes time to pitch their tents. If you’re a novice camper, or have only limited experience in camping, here are some tips to be aware of.

First, if you have friends who are expert campers, ask if you can tag along on their next outing into the world of nature. Ask questions, watch what they do and how they do it, and learn the “do’s and don’ts” of camping. Learn about designated campgrounds, campfire safety, hiking routes to campsites, reading topographical maps, making your campsite bear-proof, and weather safety.

Then, put yourself into the hands of an outfitter’s store or web site who specializes in camping equipment and safety. This is a great time to ask your camper friend to accompany you or browse the web with you. All camping gear is not created equal! You’ll want the best quality and safest gear you can afford that will be with you for many years of outdoor recreation and not fall apart or malfunction when you need it the most.

Depending upon your campsite location, you’ll need the following basic gear: a backboard that straps around your shoulders and stows all your camping gear, an all-weather waterproof tent(s) with a plastic floor-liner to keep you from sleeping on wet or cold ground, kerosene lanterns, flashlights, a “bear bag” that you’ll hang from a tree to keep your food supplies safe from hungry bears, raccoons and other night scavengers, fire-starting material, and light-weight cooking gear if you’re planning a campout of more than two days. About water purifying tablets: never drink from natural rivers, lakes, streams, or ponds! Nature’s water contains bacteria that seriously upsets non-immune human gastrointestinal systems. Unless you want to share your camping trip with a nasty case of diarrhea, treat all water with a purification tablet before you drink it.

Don’t forget necessities like sleeping bags, toilet paper, soap, food prep materials, clothing that can be worn in layers in cold weather, comfortable hiking boots, a sturdy hat, sunscreen, and insect repellant. “Bear bells” can be attached to your backboard or walking stick; bears hear and smell you long before you see each other. Use bells or conversation with your companions, and bears will go out of their way to avoid you. Learn what to do if you should have a sudden, aggressive encounter with a charging bear. A steadfast rule in the camping world is to never have a visual “stare down” with a bear, wolf, or mountain lion; they take this as a challenge and could get you seriously hurt or killed.

Got dogs? Leave them home when you go camping. They naturally attract the attention of predators. If you’re planning to fish or hunt, make sure you have a license to do so and learn your wilderness area’s regulations on fishing gear and firearms.

By following these simple rules and steps, your camping experiences will be adventures of a lifetime!

The Ahwatukee Foothills News has this story about “pampered camping”. There’s three Arizona state parks that offer something other than a few rocks around a campfire pit for travelers to stay. I tend to to try to really get away from civilization when I camp, and I prefer to sleep outside when I can. I do like the idea of more people enjoying outdoors- this seems like a little more a rustic vacation to me. One of the things I like is the “campers’ probably won’t be leaving a lot of garbage around the campsite- seems like everywhere I camp I end up trekking out someone else’s garbage on top of my own, so there’s a plus. Also older or disabled campers, who might not be able to lug a pack into the woods could definite do this.