When I first read about this portable washing machine called the “Wonderwash” that’s suitable for taking with you when you go camping I wasn’t sure I thought something like this could be useful mostly because I hate the thought of doing laundry while I’m camping. My philosophy is to take enough clothes with you to last the trip and then suffer with a lot of laundry when you get back home.
But, I know this isn’t always practical when camping for longer periods of time - especially if you have kids. On long camping trips I’ve made use of the washers and dryers available at the campground. But what if you’re taking an extended wilderness camping trip where taking a lot of clothing isn’t practical - you’re not going to carry your entire closet with you unless your entire closet doesn’t even fill one suitcase.
Then there’s the issue of electricity. What if you don’t have it?
That made me take a second look at the “Wonderwash” and read what people who have used it are saying about it.
The Wonderwash is a pressurized compact washing machine that doesn’t require electricity and cost $42.95. Plus it uses only 10% of the detergent that a conventional washer uses (although keep in mind it doesn’t wash as many clothes at once as one either).
According to the product website it will wash
10 t-shirts or 30 pairs of socks, or 2-3 pairs of blue jeans at one time.
This is how it works:
You put warm or hot water that has the detergent in it into the washer, and place the lid on the machine to seal it. Pressure will form inside the washer forcing the water and detergent through the fabric. There’s a hand crank to turn the clothes which you crank for 1 to 2 minutes. Then you drain the water out and rinse the clothes by either putting clean cold water back into the machine and turning the machine on for another 30 seconds or by rinsing them by hand.
There are several testimonials/product reviews on the website and Camping Life Magazine gave it a positive review in their May 2007 issue.
There’s also a one year warranty with the machine and a 30 day money back guarantee so you can try it out knowing you can return it if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
Hiking is one of my favorite camping activities. I love getting out on the trails, enjoying the fresh air, and enjoying nature. While on our last camping trip we took our first guided hike. It was a hike where we learned how to identify trees. My husband and I really enjoyed it. Now we’d like to take more guided tours.
A great place to check out guided tours is the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia (70 miles west of Washington D.C.). The park is in the Blue Ridge Mountains and they offer 57 different Escape to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Just 70 miles west of Washington, DC. They offer several different “guided outdoor adventure programs” with a degree of difficulty that goes from easy to very challenging.
There’s a 2 day hiking program that costs $148 per person and features hiking along segments of the Appalachain Trail. The cost includes bag lunches for both days; transportation to the starting points each day; and certified licensed guides. On a scale of 1-5 hiking boots (their rating system) with one being the easiest and five being the hardest, this hike is rated a two.
There’s also a 1 day hiking program with a three boot rating. It takes hikers on some of the less traveled trails off the main road and footpath. A camera is highly recommended because the hikes are very scenic. Lunch is included. The cost is $74 per person.
There’s also a two day Inn-to-Inn hiking program where you hike to Skyland Resort and stay the night; and then hike to Big Meadows Lodge to stay on day 2. No, you don’t have to carry your luggage. That gets transported for you on day 2 (you check into Skyland Resort on day one before starting the hike and take your luggage there yourself). The cost is $148 per person and has a three boot rating.
There are also 2 day waterfalls and wildflower hikes with a three boot rating (again the cost is $148 per person); a one day rock climbing program that’s rated introductory through intermediate with a cost of $99 per person; and three hour twilight hikes with a one boot rating that cost $10 per adult and $8 per child 12 and under.
For more information on the park, the hiking programs, the dates their offered, or to make reservations, visit the park’s website at: http://visitshenandoah.com/ (click on ‘Guided Outdoor Programs’ in the menu bar on the left hand side of the page for information on the hiking programs).
If you are looking for trails to hike, bike, climb or places to kayak, canoe, ski or snoeshoe in Canada and the United States, take a look at trailpeak.com.
The database has extensive Canadian listings so it’s a really good place to check out if you’re planning a trip to Canada, although there are many U.S. listings as well.
The database is built by its members who submit trails to the database and give a description of the trail which often includes good tips like whether or not there are any water sources on the trail. There are also pictures taken on the trail; the length of the trail, it’s difficulty level, and a 1 to 5 star rating of the trail.
A really neat thing is that you can download the GPS data for the trail into your GPS device although you do need to purchase GPS credits to do this. You can even purchase a GPS device on the website. A bonus to purchasing a GPS device from them is that it includes GPS credits for downloading info from the website.
The website was developed in 2001 and was the first website in Canada to make its trail listings “GPS Aware.”
They encourage people to upload GPS data to the website by offering 3 GPS credits for every 1 that is donated.
You can sign up as a trailpeak member for free and receive a trails newsletter along with several other perks. For more information visit the website at: http://trailpeak.com.
