Fishing Frenzy

With school wrapping up and winter coming to a close, spring is a great time to get excited and prepared for summer activities with your family. And, even though it can be a little rough to go without showers, air conditioning, and other modern conveniences for a little while, camping is still a popular and affordable way to have fun as a family.

As you pack the car with the things that you need for a few days or weeks in the wilderness, one of the most important pieces of equipment that you need is a sturdy, spacious, and weather resistant gear tent. After all, you never know what Mother Nature will throw your way in the form of weather and a tent can provide all the shelter you need from rain, cold, mosquitoes, and other small pests.

There are a couple things you need to think about if you are getting ready to purchase a gear tent though. One is its size. After all, a one man tube tent isn't going to be very comfortable for a family of four or five. And, in addition to providing enough space for your family, your tent needs to be strong enough to stand against rain, wind and snow during the trip. Easy set up models are always a plus as well.

Once you've found and purchased the perfect gear tent for your family, the rest of the packing should be pretty quick and easy. Don't forget fuel for the fire, goodies like smores, and a couple of sleeping of sleeping bags and your trip is bound to be a success.

If you already have all the camping and summer equipment that you need, spring is also a good time to stock up on winter sports equipment. So, if your family enjoys skiing or snowboarding, look for amazing discounts on skis, goggles, poles, boots, and helmets as stores try to sell their old inventory with the season's end.

Even though you will have to store that equipment for a couple months before you get a chance to use it, spring shopping for winter sports gear is a great way to get a jump on Christmas and save some money while you're at it.

In addition to saving on rentals, investing in family ski equipment is a great way to help your children feel comfortable on the slopes and get to the lifts faster. And, if you have more than one child, the younger ones can use older models that their siblings outgrow.

With gardening, garage sales, and spring cleaning taking up so much of your time during this season, it can be easy to let the sales and summer preparations fall to the wayside, but taking advantage of them can be a great way to save some money and get excited for some valuable experiences with the family. So, mix a little fun into the equation if you have caught an annual case of spring fever.