Vapur water bottles Reivew & Giveaway!

 

When hiking or spending time outdoors it is so important to make sure you are hydrating & bring plenty of water with you. But, it can be an annoyance to carry around the empty water bottles with you on the way back. I recently came across a brand called Vapur who sells a unique collection of water bottles that can be laid flat then rolled up to store in your pocket or bag taking up very little space. Each one also has a clip so you are able to clip it into a backpack or your pants. The clip also doubles as a tie to hold the water bottle in the rolled-up position so it doesn't unravel. 

They offer several different sizes the smallest is the kids size which holds 0.4L & the largest holds 1.5L. I love the color selection they offer, you can select something bright & colorful to color coordinate with or you can simply pic out an all black water bottle. The adult water bottles have twenty two different colors to choose from and the kids comes in four different designs. They also sell a bottle for wine that comes with a easy to pour spout. The bottles are able to be put in the freezer & are dishwasher safe. 

I like that these bottles are really easy to clean & I have no issue filling them up. Aside from the weight of the water, the bottle itself is very lightweight so when it is empty you won't even notice it in your pocket or bag. It is also kind of fun to drink out of, so you'll find yourself drinking water more often if you are someone who is trying to increase their water in-take. I like carrying mine around by the clip, it is comfortable to hold. I also like the spout the bottles have, if I ever run into a situation where I need a little water to wash my hands or my kids hands I can use this to pour a bit onto our hands without making a mess. My kids also enjoy using these bottles which is a plus. 

What do you think about these bottles? Is this something you can see yourself using? 

Prize Alert:

One lucky winner is going to receive a 1L bottle & a 0.7L bottle. 

This is open US Residents only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 03/16/23

Giveaway entry question: Leave me a blog comment letting me know which color water bottle you'd like from Vapur. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Vapur for the review & giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Venustas heated vest Review!

 

As many states are bracing for major snow storms it may be a great time to pick up a heated vest for when you need to go outside. I was recently gifted a Womens Heated Vest 7.4V from Venustas to test out for winter & it is wonderful to have on hand for the extra cold mornings. Whether you enjoy being outdoors or just get cold easily this is a great way to add a little extra warmth to your outfit when the temperature drops outside. This vest can be purchased for $159.99 on their website & they also sell heated jackets, gloves & more. 

The vest is sold in a S all the at up to a 4XL, it has a water & wind-resistant exterior to add an extra layer of protection during winter weather. This vest has six sections of carbon fiber heating elements, which include your back, the back of your neck, each shoulder and the front stomach area on both sides under the pockets. It has three different temperature settings low, medium & high so you can adjust to a lower setting if you start getting a little too warm & it comes with a helpful guide to teach out the color for each setting so you can adjust it using the black button on the breast of the vest. 

Depending on which setting you leave the vest on it will run from anywhere between three to ten hours when fully charged. The battery comes with a wall charger & instructions on how to make your battery last longer when you aren't using it during the warmer months. 

I can definitely feel the most warmth in the neck & shoulder areas of the vest, I don't notice the back as much but that may be because I wasn't leaning against anything while I was wearing this. It does really help keep you warmer when wearing this though, it makes a great middle layer between your shirt & your jacket to really keep you cozy. I haven't needed to wash this but you'll be surprised to know that it can be washed in a washer without any issues. 

Disclaimer- Venustas provided me with the products mentioned above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Holiday gifts for Outdoor lovers from Oceas.

If you have someone on your holiday shopping list this year that loves being outdoors & going camping you should check out the products sold by Oceas. They have some great products to help make your trip a little more comfortable & I will be sharing two of those products with you on this post which are the Backpack Cooler & The Puffy.

The backpack cooler is my favorite out of the two items I was gifted to review simply because it is the product we use the most out of the two. It isn't just great for camping, but it is also good for bringing on hikes, picnics & short car trips. The inside of the bag is made with a insulated, leak-proof liner so you can add ice packs or loose ice so you can bring cold drinks & food along with you. According to their website it can hold up to 45 cans of soda, I haven't tried to hold that many cans as we generally don't buy canned soda, but it holds several of our extra large water bottles, some re-usable ice packs along with snacks with plenty of extra room. Along with the inner pocket there are also two zipped pockets, one large one along the front and one at the top of the bag plus two mesh pockets on either side of the backpack. This back pack is comfortable to wear even when it is full of stuff, the straps are padded to give it a little extra cushion. I like using this for hikes, days at the lake, etc because we don't have to drag a large ice chest with us in order to bring drinks. You can pick up their cooler backpack for $59.99 it can be purchased in grey, black or blue & it comes with a bottle opener keychain. 

They sell five different types of blankets for various outdoor needs, I received "The Puff" which is a padded blanket which can either be used as a regular blanket for warmth or you can place it under you for a little extra cushion. This is a soft nylon shell filled with cotton, it is water proof, durable & can be rolled up to fit perfectly back into it's carrying bag just like you do with a sleeping bag. It comes in three different colors - black, blue or green & has a second side with a lighter shade of which ever color you choose. It has a stretchy strap attached to the blanket itself so when you are done rolling it up, you can put the strap over it to hold it into place which makes it easier to get into the carrying bag. You can purchase this blanket for $69.99 on their website along with their other blankets that include the Sherpa which looks so soft & warm. This blanket is not only good for camping, but you can use it at home or take it with to sit on while you picnic or hang out on the beach. The materials used are easy to wipe off & dirt or sand will simply shake right off of it. 

What are some products that would help make your camping or hiking trip easier & more comfortable?

Disclaimer- Oceas provided the products mentioned above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchasing the product.

Cabin Rentals at Roper Lake State Park - A Review.

Right now the weather is perfect for exploring Arizona on the weekends (or during the week if you have time). While my family and I enjoy camping sometimes we don't feel like setting up the tents and camping gear after a long drive to our designation, yet we want to remain in nature so the cabins that the Arizona State Parks Department offers at many of their state parks is the perfect solution. If you've been following my blog for a while you will remember that I recently posted a review of the Roper Lake State Park located in Safford,Arizona. This post will cover information on their cabin rentals.

The cabin rentals they offer are cute and cozy, each one has it's own theme which will help you designate which cabin is yours. We stayed in the Hummingbird cabin, to go with the theme they had a metal Hummingbird hung up at the front of the cabin and inside of the cabin you'll find a small set of curtains on the door that have a hummingbird print. The cabin is one big room split by a half wall (Doesn't go all the way to the celling) and a door for privacy so you can change. Inside are two bunk beds, a queen sized bed, along with two shelves.

This cabin is one step above camping, it will help keep you safe from the elements, it has electricity and heat/ AC and beds to sleep in. Outside you'll find a Barbeque to cook on and a sink where you can clean any fish you've caught in the lake that day, no cooking is permitted inside of the cabin so there is no mini fridge or microwave so you'll need to prepare before you arrive packing enough ice and food for your stay. 

We were aware that we needed to bring our own sheets and blankets so we got everything packed up before our trip, we always make sure to pack a trash bag or two, cleaning wipes, etc because you never know what you are going to need. I am happy we packed trash bags because I was surprised to find there was no trash can of any type inside of the cabin or out (understandable to due nightly visits from animals). There is no seating aside from the beds themselves so if you are looking for a place to sit down and eat there is a cute picnic bench on the porch where you can sit and enjoy the view. 

Speaking of the view there is also a swing on the porch which my kids and I loved sitting on and just enjoying the nice weather, plus is was a lovely spot to star view from. It gets absolutely pitch dark at this park because it is on the outskirts of Safford where there isn't a ton of city lights to drown out the natural lighting from the stars, which makes the sky gorgeous during the night.

There are a few changes I would make to the rental experience a little more comfortable for families staying in the park. Firstly I would add a small trash can inside of the cabin, not all families remember to bring trash bags with them which can make it difficult to dispose of garbage properly. Second, as you may have noticed there is no bathroom in this cabin so you'll need to walk to the bathrooms which isn't a biggie. There are two toilets directly in the middle of all the cabins, they are vault toilets which are basically stationary port-o-potties, there is a small sink outside to wash your hands, but there is no lighting to help you see at night. I think an addition of a solar powered light for inside each bathroom would be lovely. A secondary bathroom with a shower is located behind a row of the cabins, we didn't go check out this specific bathroom as we didn't see a trail leading up to it and didn't want to cut in-between other families cabins to get back to it. 

The lake itself is quite lovely, they offer a beach area where you and your family can swim, a "island" where you can relax and picnic, along with hiking trails and fishing this little lake offers quite a bit. They also have a small shop inside of the ranger station where you can pick up things like puzzles, hats, souvenirs and more. The park is easy to reach from the interstate and it is close to town so you are close to shopping, restaurants and more. If you forgot something like a toothbrush or just want to pick up some more drinks/snacks there is a Dollar General just three minutes away from where the park is located. You can find more information on their cabin rentals and rates by visiting their website.

 Disclaimer- A two night cabin rental mentioned above were provided by The Arizona State Parks Department for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase

Visiting Roper Lake State Park in Safford,AZ

One of my favorite things about winter in Arizona is that while it might be a little chilly first thing in the morning, mid-morning until evening it offers perfect weather conditions. It is generally between 50-70 degrees through out the day which is ideal for going on long hikes (or short hikes if you prefer). The lower temperatures also means you have less of a chance  to run into a wild snake since they aren't as active during the winter. We've been getting out more to explore and hike as a family to take advantage of the nice weather, along side visiting various locations on our own, I am currently working along with the AZ State Parks Department to visit some of the state parks and see what they have to offer. Our last trip took us to Benson,Arizona where we visited Kartchner State Park (click to read my review of the park). This time around we went a little more east from where we are and went to Safford,Arizona to visit Roper Lake State Park. 

The two parks are about an hour and a half apart, so if you are looking to extend your vacation it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit both parks and spend a day or two at each. From Phoenix it took us around three to three and a half hours to reach our destination, this was without any stops since we had filled up the car with gas and used the bathroom before leaving. We took the US 60 until it turned into the US 70 and continued on until we reached Highway 191 where Roper Lake is located. The drive was lovely, it took us through some cute small towns, various mountain and desert areas and you'll pass through a few reservations on your way. 

This particular state park isn't one that is far away from civilization, in fact it is only six miles from Safford and there are plenty of houses, and restaurants near by. If you forgot a hair brush, towels, or really anything else there is a Dollar General only a three minute drive from the parks front gates which makes it convenient if you are prone to forgetting one or two things when you pack. Roper lake was originally a ranch that was purchased by the state in 1972 to build a reservoir and it sits on 32 acres of land. This lake isn't connected to a river, so the lake is maintained and stocked with fish by the state department. If you are looking to stay in the park over night, they offer eight cabins to rent along with plenty of RV and camping spots. 

For our trip to Roper Lake we received a two night stay in the Hummingbird cabin. Check in for entering the cabins is 3pm, however you are free to arrive any time of the day to get your park pass, visit the lake, hike, fish or swim before heading to your cabin. We arrived early in the morning on the day we needed to check in, we wanted to get checked into the park system itself so we could get our parking pass. Included with your pass is access to Danksworth State Pond which is several miles south of Roper lake, so we wanted to head there first. If you visit the pond first you'll need to pay the daily fee, I will cover that park in another post within the next week along with a small review of the cabin itself. 

While Roper Lake is significantly smaller than some of the other lakes in the state it has a lot to offer. If you drive around the back side of the park past all of the camping areas you'll find parking for a "Island". The island is a large piece of land that sticks out into the lake, so you'll be surrounded by the lake on both sides. It has picnic areas, a large gazebo, plenty of grass to spread out blankets and relax and it has a designated beach area that is for swimming. No boats or fishers are allowed in this area so you can swim and relax without any worries. During our trip we spotted a few families enjoying the beach area, the water was chilly but nice, you can see half of the beach area above. As mentioned there were two families here so I didn't want to be rude and include them in the photo, the beach is larger than what is shown in the photo above. Pets are allowed in the park, and you can pay a small fee to have them in your cabin as well. If you bring them with they need to stay on their leash, however if they want to run free for a while they have a dog run in the back of the park that is fenced in. 

Through out the year the state parks department stocks this lake with various fish (you can find a calendar on their website). The most recent fish stocked at this lake was a group of Albino rainbow Trout. We did bring all of our gear, however this time around even with hours of fishing we sadly didn't catch any fish and it didn't look like the few other fishers near us had any luck either. My son did however have an unusual catch! While fishing off of the fishing dock my sons line got caught on another line that was in the water, he managed to reel it in enough I was able to lean over and grab both his line and the other. It is preferable that you don't leave behind extra fishing lines, lures, etc in the water so I decided to pull up the line that his caught on. I ended up pulling up some fishing lures, and not one but two entire fishing poles all of which I tossed into the trash bin they provided on the dock. Boating is allowed, however it needs to be a motor free boat so this lake is perfect for anyone who loves to paddle boat, kayak, paddleboard, etc.

We may not have caught anything this time around, but we still had a great time. There were lots of ducks and birds to watch, we had one duck in particular that hung out next to use the entire time we were fishing, letting out a few honks occasionally to let us know he was still there. We also spotted several gorgeous cranes, we counted six in total - four white, and two grey. I also became very excited when I spotted a Cardinal couple when I was walking around by myself exploring some of their picnic areas. They were in an exploring mood as well and kept flying between a few trees, though I did manage to capture a few shots of them. 

During the evening, when the sun starts to set is usually when the bugs become more active which means the birds are as well. In front of our cabin was an area where the water had receded a bit showing a large patch of mud, once the sun had fallen the area had dozens of birds descend upon it for dinner. We all enjoyed seeing and hearing all of the birds, it was neat to watch. 

In the mood for a hike? There is plenty of hiking in and around the park. We decided to check out the Mariah Mesa trail located in the park which is a .75 mile loop. As you can see from the photo we had a gorgeous view of Mount. Graham covered in snow during our hike. The hike has clearly marked trails, along with hand rails and easy to navigate steps leading up the hill. If you feel a bit exhausted when you reach the top, or you just want to take a break and enjoy the views there are two benches at the top facing opposite directions so you can just sit and relax. Once you get down, if you need to use the bathroom there is one located directly across the road from where the trail head starts. 

Over all the park was quite clean, we spotted several different species of birds and small critters. The park looks stunning at sunset, I've always loved Arizona sunsets but with the snow capped mountains and the lake reflecting the sunset colors it was just captivating. Before leaving if you'd like to take a souvenir home they have a gift shop that has shirts, snacks, magnets, gifts for kids and more. 

Disclaimer- The one night cabin rental mentioned above were provided by The Arizona State Parks Department for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

HoKENA LED safety flare Reivew + Giveaway!

Are you prepared for accidents to happen while driving in your vehicle? If you were to get hit, break down or have a tire pop while driving at night the last thing you'd want is for someone to end up hitting you because they didn't see your car pulled over onto the side of the road. Some roadside assistance kits come with road flairs, but they are generally a one time use item. 

I recently found out about a company called HoKENA, who produces LED flares that last a lifetime. It isn't just the flare that sets this company apart, but also the amount of care and thought that goes into each package. They sell their flares in a set of three for $34.99 and they arrive in a bright orange carrying case or if three flares isn't enough they also sell them in a five pack. As you can see the carrying case is significantly smaller than the box it is package in, why is that?

The three flares aren't the only thing you receive when you purchase this safety set. They also include a whistle, two screw drivers to make changing the batteries a breeze, two emergency thermal blankets and a window breaker/seat belt cutter. Every item in this pack is extremely helpful in a emergency situation and can be used for non-car type emergencies as well. 

Each flare is slightly larger than the palm of your hand and the design allows for a comfortable hold on the light when turning it on/off. You can place these on the ground around your car or you can use it's other two nifty features. The first is that it is magnetic and will stick to the side of your car, removing it is easy and it won't ruing the paint on your car. The second option is it has a plastic hook on the back of the flares that can be popped up so you can hang it on a branch, or even in your tent if you are camping because it has a solid white light that can be used as a flashlight. They are also water proof and will float in water so they are great to have on your boat as well.

The flares have nine different light modes, some of them blink in different patterns while others are solid. The mode that I thought was pretty neat is the Morse code setting that blinks out a SOS code. These are battery operated and each mode has it's own specific run time for if you were to leave it on, the longest is the solid red on low which will last for 35 hours! In most cases you'll only need these for less than 4-6 hours while you wait for a tow truck, fix a flat tire, etc. I like how compact they are because it doesn't take up a lot of space in my trunk or in my car if I prefer to have them up front. Looking at them you might think they are heavy, but they are actually pretty light weight so you can take them camping or hiking without them weighing you down..

The lights are BRIGHT, they are meant to be seen from a long distance away. I will be uploading a short reel on my IG page showing the lights and some of their settings if you are interested in checking that out. I am a big fan of these flares, My husband and I always like being prepared and these grabbed my attention due to being re-usable. The bright orange they used for these products is also an eye catcher and will help you know where your tools are at all times.

The bonus safety items that came in this are pretty useful as well. It came with a tool that is specifically made to help you escape your car if you were to become trapped due to an accident. One end has a window breaker, this is extremely helpful if your door becomes stuck shut because then you'll still have a way out and the other end has a very sharp blade designed cut cutting your seat belt off if it won't come unlatched on it's own. The tool came with a black holder which can be mounted inside of your car, and it is compact enough you can even stash it under your dashboard. 

Additionally there are two emergency thermal blankets that will help keep you warm/dry, a whistle that can be used to signal for help and two small screwdrivers to change the batteries on the flares or for another job you might need. The flares come with batteries so you won't need to worry about buying the first set. I need to pick another set of these up to have in my husbands car. If these LED flares sound like something you'd like to have in your emergency kit as well, head over to check out their website and also enter below to win a three pack.

PRIZE ALERT: One lucky winner is going to receive a  three set of LED safety flares.

This is open to US Residents only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 02/20/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me: What is another emergency tool you like keeping on hand or having in your car?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  HoKENA has provided the products mentioned above for the review + the prize for a giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Stay in a cozy cabin at Kartchner Caverns State Park!

 

Although this year has been a strange one due to covid, one of the unexpected experiences that has come out of it is that we've been given the chance to check out local state parks, and travel destinations on a more personal level because there aren't a lot of people traveling at the moment. I recently was given the chance to work with the Arizona State Parks Department! The opportunity is very exciting for my family and I because we love camping, being outdoors and exploring so we can't wait to work with the parks department more through out the next year.

This time around we were given a night rental at a small cabin inside of the Kartchner Caverns State Park located in Benson, Arizona. This state park is wonderful for camping and hiking, however that isn't all that it offers. It is also home to the Kartchner Caverns itself which is beautiful and well preserved cave system that I will cover in another post coming soon.  The views from front door of the cabin are gorgeous, you have a perfect view of the mountains and trails that are free to explore. All of the information on reserving a cabin or camping spot can be found on their website.

                      

 Coming from North Phoenix the drive took us about three hours to reach the park, once inside the park rangers were very helpful getting us checked in, letting us know what time we could get into our cabin, and more. The cabin itself was easy to find, there are four cabins located inside of the park along with a few dozen camping spots and RV spots that are able to be reserved for up to two weeks at a time. Wondering how much a cabin rental will set you back? A cabin rental is surprisingly affordable at $59 a night (plus a one time $10 reservation fee) the rental fee includes the daily park fee. The cabins have two parking spots located directly next to them for each cabin, all four cabins have a designated sign letting you know where to park. Directly in front of each cabin you'll find a firepit (wood can be purchased from the park rangers) and a picnic table for your personal use.

Each cabin sleeps up to six people and includes a queen bed plus two bunk beds. Originally I had pictured a big open cabin similar to one I had stayed in at a KOA in New Mexico, however we were surprised to find that it was actually split up into two rooms. The first room contained the queen size bed, a table with four chairs and a small kitchen area that includes a microwave and small fridge. Guests are asked to bring their own pillows and linens due to there being no washing machines at the camp, they do provide mattress protectors to help keep the beds themselves clean. We had no issue with bringing our own bedding, it was like packing for a camping trip without the tents.

You may notice that aside from the microwave there is no other methods for cooking, however there are plenty of outlets so you could bring a small toaster or cooking top to prep your food if you plan on staying for a long stay. We were only going to be staying for a one night/two day stay so we had brought some breakfast items to make in the microwave and we opted to take a small drive into Benson to get some dinner. 

                

The day we arrived it was a stormy day and had been raining on and off, that combined with it being winter the weather outside was a little chilly. So was the cabin warm? Yes! Each cabin has both heating and air conditioning, they don't have an actual way to set the temp you want on the heater it simply has three options "Low", "Comfortable" and "High". We had it on high or a bit but ended up turning it down to comfortable, the cabin stayed toasty warm and just the right temp, you couldn't even tell it was chilly outside. 

You may have noticed that the back room is the room with the two sets of bunk beds, however not shown is a bathroom. Though there isn't a bathroom inside of your cabin there is a camp site bathroom just out the backdoor of the cabin, a quick two minute walk gets you over to the shared bathrooms which also contain showers for anyone looking to wash off. The bathrooms were clean and well kept, since the walk was short we didn't get too chilly. If you have a lot of trash to throw out there are also dumpsters, along with a small trash can inside of your cabin. 

   

We are a family of four and we were all perfectly comfortable, and cozy inside of the cabin together. There was plenty of room to move around, and plenty of space to store our belongings. There were several hooks around the cabin, outlets with USB ports, lights and heaters in both rooms and if you want privacy to get dressed or from the kids at night there is a door you can pull shut between the two rooms. 

After we checked into our cabin the first night we went to check out the trails so we knew where we were wanting to head in the morning, we also picked up some board games while we were in Benson so we could play them at the cabin table. We had a very enjoyable stay and the park itself was gorgeous, I will be doing a blog post soon with more photos of just the trails and another with info on the caverns itself. This is a gorgeous place to visit and it is a destination that isn't to be missed! 

Disclaimer- The one night cabin rental mentioned above were provided by The Arizona State Parks Department for a review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase

Camp in comfort with the Arizona GT 7/8 tent by NTK Global.

My family and I love being able to camp when ever we can, just before the lockdown for Covid happened we went on a family trip to the lake for a weekend of camping. On our camping trip we brought our new Arizona GT 7/8 Family Camping Tent by NTK Global. This tent retails for $349.99

Usually when we camp we have two tents that we set up, one for the kids and one for us which can be a lot of work because who wants to put together and take down two separate tents? Plus my car doesn't offer a ton of room for camping equipment so it is nice to cut back on the equipment a little.

The Arizona GT 7/8 is large enough to fit two double mattresses + two singles, or a queen mattress and two singles. Honestly you could probably mix and match depending on how many people you are planning to have in the tent, when we went on the camping trip at the lake our kids slept in the RV with their grandparents which left the tent for my husband and I. We had a queen sized mattress in the tent and still had a ton of room, we could easily fit one queen size mattress on each side of the tent with room in the middle and sides still.

The image above shows our tent set up with our queen sized mattress placed in the corner, the tent almost makes the mattress look tiny in comparison to how much space is still open. A big issue with a lot of tents is once they are set up and you put the air mattress or sleeping bags in there isn't a ton of room to move around, in our old tent once we had the air mattress all set up there wasn't a ton of room between us and the roof which made getting changed difficult. This tent is 6.2FT tall in the middle section, both my husband and I are under six foot tall so once we are through the door we can completely stand up in this tent without any issues! I am only 5'5" so my head doesn't even hit the roof when I am standing, which makes moving around, getting dressed, unpacking/packing everything a breeze.

A big tent means it is a pain in the butt to set up right? Wrong! This tent is actually fairly easy to set up and it doesn't take long to get the tent up, put the tarp on and get the cover to the door up (takes ten minutes or less to do everything). Taking it down is pretty simple as well, but like with most tents the worst part is getting it back into the bag it came in, I always seem to have an issue with getting any tent I've ever owned to fold up just right to fit back into the bag properly. With a little help from my husband I can get this into the bag and zipped up, and I will tell you that this bag is large and actually a bit heavy. If you have a generator or decide to stay at a camping location with electrical hook ups, it is nice to bring a fan/heater which means running a cord into your tent. With this tent instead of having to leave the door unzipped a bit to run a cord into, it has a small zippered flap in the bottom of one of the corners to make running a cord into the tent easier. (As you can see in our backyard camping photo above, we had an extension cord in the tent with a fan and a radio on).

Need space to put your glasses, phone, flashlight, etc while you are sleeping without setting them on the ground to be possibly stepped on? No worries, this tent has two mesh pockets in the corner of the tent along with a hanging mesh hammock at the top of the tent for your smaller items. The mesh hammock in the middle of the inside of the tent also has a hook to hang your light on to make it easier to see at night.

The tent has two doors (one on each end of the tent) along with windows on both sides of the tent, it comes with a waterproof cover to put over it and it has a little gray mat (Seen in the first photo)  that comes with it for outside of the door. The windows on the side do not have zippers instead the fabric rolls up and it has little plastic hooks that hold onto it. The tent comes with several orange ropes to hold the tent up and in place, you don't have to use these the tent stays up just fine without them however your tent might not extend out it's full amount. Adding the orange ropes to the tent and securing them to the ground helps add an extra few inches on the length of the tent and helps open up the inside of the tent.

Covid has made it to where we haven't had a chance to go out and go camping, but earlier in the summer before the heat struck we set up the tent in our backyard for a night of smores, board games and sleeping outdoors. Which was nice because we had an actual bathroom near by for when we needed to go.

We are pretty happy with this tent, and we look forward to using it for years to come because it seems well built and very sturdy. NTK Global has tents of various sizes to fit all of your personal and family needs and they also sell a wide variety of other camping goods, I highly suggest taking a look at their site.

Do you enjoy camping? What are some of your favorite things about camping, or your favorite spots to camp?

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by NTK Global for review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

BugBand Mosquito Repellent Review & Giveaway!

**This was not a paid post. The products mentioned below have been provided by BugBand for the review & giveaway free of charge however my honest opinions were used. The opinions expressed below are solely my own & they may vary from others.**

The weather is heating up here in Arizona which means it is time for us to start camping again! We generally don't go camping when it is colder because the nights are unbearable and it seems like you'll never warm up and having to crawl out into the night to use the bathroom is the worst. Sadly the warmer summers months also means Mosquito's will start their mission for blood.

No one wants to leave a BBQ covered in mosquito bites or wake up while camping to find they are covered in mosquito bites. We are always sure to bring bug repellent with us but some of them have such a harsh smell it is almost difficult to be around.

I recently received the chance to work with the company BugBand on a review of their Deet-free mosquito repellents. I was sent their Family pack which contains a container of jumbo towelettes, a pack of individually wrapped towelettes, a 6oz insect repellent spray lotion along with a 3oz spray lotion. The lotion actually doesn't smell bad and has an almost pleasant smell, it has some citrus tones to it along with a citronella scent. I found the lotion to be more of a spray as it came out more of a liquid than you would expect in a lotion but it spread evenly and will help you cover a larger area of skin in one application.

I think the towelettes are pretty neat as well, it is the first time I've ever used a product like this and I like that the towelettes weren't soaked with the repellent. The smell isn't over whelming and the product is easy to use, I am looking forward to using the spray on lotion and the towelettes on our next camping trip.

I also received a set of bug bands which is a bracelet that can be worn to repel the nasty bugs! They do have a bit of a stronger scent than the lotion and towelettes but it isn't that bad. I like that they each come with their own little container because you can put it back inside of it when you are done and use it until the scent is gone. The bracelets have slots that make them adjustable so kids all the way up to adults can wear them, plus they come in assorted colors such as the glow in the dark band I am wearing above so everyone can pick out a color they like. All of their product states that it repels not only mosquitoes but it also repels flies, gnats, no-see-ums, fleas and ticks which are all pests that I don't want any where near me so it makes these products even better.

PRIZE ALERT:
Only Lucky Reader is going to win their own Family Pack.

This is open to US Residents!! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 05/19/2018
 
 Giveaway winners are announced on FACEBOOK, If you would like to see who won my latest giveaways please visit and like my facebook page.
 
Giveaway entry question: Please leave me a comment letting me know which of the pesky pests mentioned above you'd love to repel with these products. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dorcy GIVEAWAY & Review

After a bad storm we had about two to three weeks ago I have been thinking about steps to prepare for bad storms & natural disasters in the future. We experienced heavy rain,lightning/thunder and some mild wind which was we were perfectly fine inside watching TV until the power went out,Being her first time in a power outage my daughter started freaking out which is when I came to the horrible realization we had No flash lights in the house & only a few candles which were hard to find with only a cell phone light.

I no longer need to worry about finding my way through a pitch black house because A company called Dorcy came to my rescue! Dorcy is a company that has marketed Flashlight products for over 55 years & is a proud business partner with many of the world’s largest retailers including Sears,Wal-Mart,ACE Hardware,TruServ & Target. For a recent review I was sent A 41-1080 500 Lumen LED Spotlight,A 41-2097 134 Lumen Headlight Spot Beam, A 41-4750 180 Lumen LED flashlight, 4 41-6407 LED Glow Light - Glow Stick & Two sets of Batteries [AA & AAA].The 500 Lumen LED Spotlight uses a new battery saver technology that extends the life of the battery ensuring years of great performance the spotlight gives 2 ½ hours of continuous use which is perfect for when the power goes out,fishing trips or camping trips I plan on keeping mine where I can always reach it.The 180 Lumen LED Cyber Light Flashlight takes advantage of leading technology with its True Spot Reflector system that gives you a 275 Meter beam of light & Believe me it really does have a wide reach when I am collecting fire wood or have to use the bathroom at night while camping I like being able to see what is in front of me but the one flash light we have in the truck doesn't do much justice in the way of lighting the way so I will be more than happy to pack this in my camping bag. The Flashlight & Head light are both light weight the Spotlight is a bit heavier but would still be easy to carry around.



We were excited to try out our new flashlights & I can tell you that these lights are Bright we were actually surprised at how bright they were and how well they work. My favorite is the Lumen LED Spotlight it lights up our bedroom better than our actual lamp does & it covers a large amount of space I can't wait to take this with me camping. My daughter enjoys playing with the Glow sticks & the headlight she will run around at night with the headlight on which is an adorable site. After trying these products I would be more than willing to purchase more of their products & I plan on doing so in the near future. Dorcy offers a wide range of lights & lighting needs one of my personal favorites from their website is their Lumens 4D LED Twin Globe Lantern & their LED Motion Sensor Flood-Lite. All of the products they offer are offered at very reasonable prices and the products are worth it they work well,& will last a long time. My entire family can honestly say we Love Dorcy & the products they offer we will be Dorcy fans for life. ****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.Products were Provided by Dorcy for the Review & Giveaway free of charge****

PRIZE ALERT: Dorcy has agreed to give one lucky winner the following (1) Lumen LED Spotlight,(1) Lumen Headlight Spot Beam & (1) Lumen LED flashlight.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway