Packing Food For Extended Backpacking Trips

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It will probably be no problem for you to bring nothing but high energy "snack foods" with you on the trail if you are taking a one night backpacking trip, as these foods will keep you going until you finish your trip, but if you are going to be going for a longer period of time, it will be important that you have something more substantive at least once per day; of course, the problem with this is the fact that "something more substantive" often means something that is both heavier and perishable, but if you follow these tips, you will be able to bring some lightweight, healthy, filling foods for those longer backpacking trips.

Tuna will be one of the best foods for gaining both energy and nutrition in a small package, and when you are going camping, tuna has the additional benefit of being able to be eaten raw, so you will not need to have a camping stove with you in order to have your food; when you bring tuna on the trail with you, make sure you avoid the mistake many people make of bringing canned tuna, and instead get packaged tuna, as this will weigh less, will not require you to bring along a can opener, and will not require you to figure out what to do with the can when you finish.

Bringing something such as bratwursts with you will not really work if you are going to be backpacking for several weeks, but if you are only going to be going for two or three days, bratwursts will keep in your pack without requiring ice, and they will be a delicious treat for you at the end of the day.

And if you are going on an extended trip, bringing dehydrated foods with you is a great idea, as foods such as dehydrated potatoes, beans, and even meats will allow you to carry complete meals in your pack without adding lots of extra weight.

Rather than spending all your money on "scientifically advanced," high-priced options that actually give you a lot less nutrition and energy than you need when hiking, go with these options, and you will have everything you need on a long backpacking trip.

How To Stay Safe In Natural Disasters

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A need for safety and security is something every single human has in common, and there are few things in life that threaten this basic need more than natural disasters; after all, natural disasters are often so much bigger than us that it seems like there is nothing we can do to keep ourselves safe when we are in their paths, but while this is true to an extent, it is also true that you can keep yourself safer in natural disasters as long as you know a few specific things that you should keep in mind.

Tornados: You probably have some sort of storm cellar or basement you can get into when the sirens go off if you live in a part of the country where tornados frequently occur, but there are still a few places you can go in order to keep yourself safer even if you do not have a storm cellar or a basement: when the tornado sirens go off, get in a closet that is situated underneath stairs, or get in a ground-floor bathtub with something such as a mattress on top of you, as these will help to keep you safe.

Hurricanes: Out of the three main natural disasters, you are likely to have the most advance warning of all with a hurricane; if a hurricane is headed your way, you should consider clearing out of town completely, but if you are unable to do so, you should at least make sure you have enough food and water to last you for several days, and you should board up your windows and tie down your outdoor furniture so that you can protect your house from all the damage the wind of a hurricane can cause.

Earthquakes: Earthquakes can be the most frightening natural disaster of all, as you will typically have no advance warning; once you feel an earthquake rumbling your way, however, you should get into a doorway immediately, or - if you are near a place with no power lines around - you should get into an open field where there is nothing that can fall on you.

There are times when there is nothing you can do but cross your fingers and hope for safety when a natural disaster strikes, but when you keep these tips in mind, you will at least be able to increase your chances of staying safe in any natural disaster that comes your way.

How To Get The Most Out Of School

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Some people spend a lot of time complaining about their understanding of the state of education in America, while others instead try to find a solution to this supposed "problem" on their own - and when people go about finding a solution to this problem, they often discover that the problem lies less in what is being taught, and more in the manner in which students are allowed to skate by in class. Regardless of whether you are a high school or college student (or the parent of a high school or college student), there are plenty of things that can be done in order to help you get the most out of school - and if you are taking classes this summer, this will be the perfect time for you to start putting these things into action!

One of the big mistakes people make when it comes to school (especially for college students) is that classes come to feel like "something to do," rather than something they are supposed to participate in; because of this, they often go to class tired, and this leaves them in a position where it is difficult for them to gain what they should out of class.

Not only should you make sure you are feeling awake when you go to class, but you should also make sure you are engaged; this means that you should be taking notes and actively listening, rather than simply watching the clock and waiting for the class to end.

And one of the most important things of all - if you want to get the most out of school - will be having a willingness to work; you must be ready to put in the extra effort necessary to learn, or you will never get as much out of school as you should!

It is one thing to simply try to do enough in school to get good grades, but it is another thing altogether to go through school with a desire to learn; when you take this approach to school, you can gain knowledge that will help you in your future, rather than just getting a grade that will mean nothing down the road!

Sony Cybershot DSC-HX5V a Great Camera!

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Check out the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX5V!  This camera is Sony's answer to Nikon and Canon cameras at the same price point. You can purchase a Sony Cybershot at the reasonable price of $220. Users and professionals have both given this camera two thumbs up so the HX5V is well worth taking a closer look at.

Sony decided to use their G lens in this camera.  This is the same lens they use in their DSLR and camcorders. This point and shoot camera offers a 10X optical zoom (this is about a 25mm equivalent).  This is not too bad for a point and shoot camera. The HX5V also has a 10.2 megapixel capability.  The optical sensor is a back side illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor.  This sensor allows in more light then traditional sensors. This is further assisted by the cameras optical and digital image stabilization options.

Unlike many other point and shoots the HX5V offers a lot of manual control. If you like setting your own ISO, you will enjoy the range this camera provides between 125 to 1600. You have a very wide range of white balance settings at your disposal also.

Bright days are always an issue for cameras with an LCD display.  The Cybershot tries hard to deal with this on their 3 inch display by making it an antireflective surface. This screen is a very nice size to help you compose your photographs and also to view any movies you may wish to create. If you like making home movies, you will love that this camera offers a dedicated video button.  This is nice so you don't have to mess with a lot of menues in order to take video. The videos are captured at 1080i and are saved into a MP4 format. The HX5V also provides HDMI outputs so you can play your media directly to a television directly from the camera.

Some of the other features that make this camera a great buy are the sweep panoramic option, which allows you take breathtaking panoramic pictures. If you like sharing exactly where your photograph was taken, you can tag your photos using the cameras built in GPS function.

For the price the Cybershot is a great camera, and it has stayed neck and neck with the competitors. Sony has remained up to date with its competitors with this camera. This camera has gotten great reviews from both users and professional organization.

Enjoying A Camping Trip Alone

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Many people do not realize how little time any of us spend in silence as we go through our everyday lives - and when you start to examine this truth, you will even realize that most of those times when you think you are in "silence," you are not truly silence at all, as the world around you is packed full of distractions that keep you from sinking into any seriously productive thought. And while every person who comes to this realization (and subsequently begins searching for a way to enjoy some true peace and quiet) will have a different approach in mind to finding some "alone time" and silence, one of the best ways to accomplish this is by taking a camping trip on your own.

Of course, if you are going to be taking a camping trip alone, there will be a lot of considerations for you to keep in mind in order to ensure that your trip is successful, and the most important of these considerations deals with making sure you are safe; if you are going camping alone, make sure someone knows where you are going, and make sure you are going to an area that has well-marked trails to prevent you from getting lost!

Another thing that will be important is that you pack enough items for "just in case" - which means enough food to hold you over should something happen, and enough water to help you along for several days longer than you are planning to be out there.

And of course, it will be important that you make sure and plan your trip in such a way that it is conducive to getting some thinking done - which means that you will want to plan it so that you will not be pressed for time, but will be able to truly sit and think about nothing, enjoying the silence and solitude of being all alone in the great outdoors.

You can, of course, gain solitude and silence through ways besides going camping alone, but there is not much that compares to such an experience, and these tips will help you to make such a trip a success.

Tightening Up Your Writing

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Regardless of whether you are a high school student, a college student, someone looking for a job, someone who has to write for their job, or even someone who writes for a living, everyone can use some extra tips to make sure their writing is as tight as possible. After all, tight writing is absorbing writing - and when your words are needing to convey something to the audience, you need these words to be as absorbing as you can make them.

Extra words: When you start to pay attention to your writing, you will find that there are often ways to say "what you want to say" using fewer words than what you usually use. While "fewer words" is not the hard and fast rule to tighter writing, it is certainly a big key; you should make sure that every word in your writing serves a purpose, as this will help you to make your sentences "pop" off the page.

Passive voice: In every possible instance, you need to write in the active voice, instead of in the passive voice; most readers will not even notice what you are doing differently, but it will definitely stand out to them that something is different.

Adverbs: There is nearly nothing that weighs a sentence or a paragraph down more than the overuse of adverbs; the rule to keep in mind, when it comes to using adverbs, is this: avoid adverbs as best you can, unless you absolutely have to use them!

Study: Finally, studying and practicing are the best ways to truly tighten your writing. Here is the best book to use for study: Elements of Style was written by William Strunk, Jr - who was a professor of EB White's (author of "Charlotte's Web") - and it was coauthored by White himself; it is the definitive piece of literature on the craft of concise and straightforward writing, and is a necessity for any student or professional writer!

When you put all these things together, you will be that much closer to writing in a tight manner - which is to say, you will be that much closer to writing in a truly effective manner!

Becoming A Movie Extra

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One thing you may have noticed when watching a movie is that there are usually a lot of extra people in each scene that are doing nothing but walking around, saying no lines and playing no role, and serving no real purpose except to simply be there; these people, of course, are called extras, and while some of these people are certainly being extras on movies because they hope to break into Hollywood themselves, a lot of other extras in movies are simply people who thought it would be fun to be an extra in a movie! If you have ever thought that being in a movie might be fun - even though you maybe have no real acting skills, or no real desire to be an actor - here are a few things you will need to know about becoming an extra in a movie.

If you live in one of the areas where the filming of movies is common, such as Southern California or New York City, it will be a whole lot easier for you to become an extra in a movie, as there will be a lot more movies being filmed around you; if you live in these areas, simply keep an eye out in newspapers and local periodicals for ads for casting calls - but even if you do not live in a place where movies are filmed often, you can search online for casting calls of movies that may in fact be shooting in your area.

You will have to bring a headshot with you when you attend the casting call (even if you are not interested in being an actual "actor"), and if you have ever been in any movies before you should also bring a resume; typically, casting calls are held in a large area, and the main thing they will be looking for is people who will fit in with the look of the movie, and who will be able to show up on the day when they are supposed to be there!

Becoming an extra on a movie is actually quite easy, as long as you simply show up to a few casting calls with a headshot and - if applicable - a resume; and once you have landed a "role" in the movie all you have to do is show up on the day of the shoot - and wait around until they need you, at which point you will be able to make your major motion picture debut!