CELEBRATE GLOBAL SLEEP UNDER THE STARS NIGHT!

August 07, 2024

AUGUST 8 is Global Sleep Under the Stars Night and is a night to spend outdoors enjoying the sensational night sky. With summer coming to an end, take advantage of all the night has to offer by gazing upwards and see the wonder of stars across the sky. Whether it’s in the backcountry or your own backyard, one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the outdoors is to spend a night under the stars. Gazing up at the night sky gives us a sense of peace and, at the same time, an overwhelming sense of awe.

Once you've set up your overnight camping spot why not enjoy the great outdoors including fun activities and tasty treats! Build the campfire and prepare special snacks and meals. Gather around the campfire to share a story or two. To enjoy a night by firelight here's a few book suggestions. Click each book title for full information. All available through OutWest Shop Bookshop. 

Life’s better when you add fresh air, a warm campfire, bright stars, and s’mores.”
------ Anonymous

            
Campfire Stories: Tales From America's National Parks 
Edited by Dave and Ilyssa Kyu 

Gather around the campfire and share these stories!

Our national parks are beautiful and unique places, often serving as an introduction to the outdoors and inspiring an appreciation for nature and wilderness. Similarly, stories and storytelling can serve as an introduction to other places and foster a powerful emotional connection to nature. Campfire Stories brings together tales about our national parks; some are by well-known writers such as John Muir, Bill Bryson, and Terry Tempest Williams, while others are from pioneer diaries or have been passed down through generations of indigenous peoples.

Co-editors Dave and Ilyssa Kyu spent six months traveling and researching the stories collected here. They gathered the best materials from public libraries, historical societies, arts and cultural organizations, museums, research centers, and national park archives. Park rangers, historians, artists, curators, educators, and local residents all offered guidance and suggestions. The goal was to discover entertaining, diverse, and engaging writings that reflect each park's essence--as well as just fun to share. Campfire Stories focuses on these six iconic national parks:

• Acadia National Park
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Yellowstone National Park
• Yosemite National Park
• Zion National Park

Each story includes an "About this Story" reflection, offering insight into how Dave and Ilyssa discovered the tale, why they selected it, and some background about its writer. Dave and Ilyssa also share their own thoughts on each of the parks they visited, as well as tips on how to be a compelling storyteller.

          
CATCH A CRAYFISH, COUNT THE STARS: Fun Projects, Skills, and Adventures for Outdoor Kids
Author Steven Rinella
Illustrator Max Temescu

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A hands-on, gloves-off, muddy-boots activity book for young adventurers ages eight and up, offering fun projects and adventures to build lifelong skills and knowledge about the natural world--from the host of MeatEater and author of The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival.

Does climbing a tree, building a bug hotel, spearing a bullfrog, stalking wild animals, and scouting for petrified wood sound more fun than homework or chores? If so, this guide is your perfect companion to endless summer days and rainy fall afternoons alike. Filled with advice, insights, and activities to inspire wonder and excitement about the natural world,

Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars is a curious kid's treasure trove, filled to the brim with outdoor projects, skills, and adventures complete with illustrations. The book presents a ton of fun and exciting ways to explore the natural world.

            

FEAST BY FIRELIGHT:
Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors [A Cookbook]
Author Emma Frisch

A transporting, lushly photographed book with easy-to-prepare recipes for gatherings at campgrounds and cabins alike.
FEAST BY FIRELIGHT offers solution-oriented recipes that make cooking outdoors feel effortless and downright fun and it shows how to utilize clever cooking methods, prep food at home, and pack smart.

The book includes recipes for camp cooking as well as detailed menus, shopping and equipment lists, and tips showing how to prepare before you leave.

Featuring 70 accessible recipes, it is the first of its kind in the outdoor-cooking niche to pair useful information with evocative photography of finished dishes and useful illustrations (such as how to pack a cooler and how to build a fire), setting a new standard for camping cookbooks. 

              
The Campout Cookbook: 
Inspired Recipes For Cooking Around The Fire And Under The Stars 
Authors Marnie Hanel & Jen Stevenson 

"Spells out how to eat well when camping out."
--The Washington Post

"This is the rare book that considers campfire cookery as a gustatory pursuit."
--Sierra, the National Magazine of the Sierra Club

Finally, here's a cookbook that complements the magic of gathering around a campfire and sharing a meal with friends. From the IACP Award-winning authors of The Picnic, which brought taste and style to eating outdoors (in the daytime), comes its companion, for leaving civilization behind and dining under the stars. A mix of dishes to make ahead and meals to cook on-site, The Campout Cookbook includes more than 75 recipes for wood-fired skillet pizzas; backcountry stews and chilies; fire-roasted vegetables and cast-iron breads; unexpected dips, jerkies, and high-energy bars; breakfasts to satisfy that yawning hunger that comes from sleeping in the fresh air; s'mores, of course (including Vanilla Bean Dream Marshmallows & Co. and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Caramel Fire-Ban S'mores); and cocktails, coolers, warm libations for chilly nights, and a Blood Orange Bug Juice.

Plus there's inspiration and know-how for every avid camper and enthusiastic neophyte: How to find a suitable campsite and build a campfire specifically for cooking over, and how to keep it going. Stargazing for city slickers. A troubleshooting guide. And the definitive packing list and camp kitchen essentials. Just add a few scary stories for a truly memorable campout.


The Campfire Foodie Cookbook:
Simple Campfing Recipes With Gourmet Appeal
Author Julia Rutland 

Make Your Meals the Best Part of Camping!

Put away the hot dogs and the sandwich meat. Your next campsite meal will be a culinary delight! Renowned cook, recipe developer, and author Julia Rutland has brought her sensational skills to the great outdoors. The result is a camper-friendly cookbook featuring:

• More than 100 tasty yet simple recipes for your campsite or cabin
• Full-color photographs revealing every savory option for campers, families, and foodies
• Time-saving and make-ahead tips for easy campsite cooking and cleanup!

After a bit of prep work at home, you'll create mouthwatering dishes that are sure to please. Choose your favorites, and prepare to be delighted. You'll wish every meal was cooked at a campfire.

                         
S'MORES: Recipes for The Ultimate Camping Experience: Collection of The Best Campfire Recipes
Author Angel Burns

Do you love all those campfire classics? Do you want to learn how to prepare them in your own home? The S'Mores Recipes are here to teach you a valuable lesson. You don't' have to go camping if you want to have the perfect roasted s' mores.

This cookbook will reveal the secret behind preparing the perfect recipe in your own kitchen. Plus, you will get tons of other delicious recipes such as banana bread, brownies, decadent trifle, cookies. All of these are enhanced by the amazing flavor of the s' mores, so this cookbook is something that you really don't want to miss. Take your copy right now and start preparing them today! 

           
S'Mores 
Author Lisa Adams 

Everyone's favorite campfire treat gets a makeover.

No campsite? No problem! Author Lisa Adams gives suggestions for making s'mores on a barbecue, in the oven, over a stovetop, and on the hearth of your living room fireplace. S'mores shares over 60 ways to make unique and scrumptious treats this camping season. Enjoy the Banana Caramel, the Strawberry Shortcake, the Hazelnut Raspberry Brownie, the Biscotti Latte, and many, many s'more.

The Campout Card Deck:
50 Cards To Elevate Your Outdoor Adventures
Authors: Marnie Hanel & Jen Stevenson 

Your Perfect Outdoor Adventure

Create a most memorable outdoor experience. Learn how to build a campfire and keep it going, then discover recipes for a dozen different s'mores and National Park-themed hot dogs. There are games to play, stargazing tips for city slickers, flask cocktails, backcountry breakfast boards, and more. All in 50 beautifully illustrated cards to help you leave civilization behind.

This deck has been adapted from The Campout Cookbook (Artisan, 2018).

  

                 ENJOY ALL YOUR NIGHTS UNDER THE STARS!!

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