A few weeks ago, while most of the country was still getting snowed on, we spent a week testing our newest designs in the backcountry of Arizona.  This has become an annual event for us, and each year we temper the drudgery of product testing by selecting a new, remote location which offers lots of great scenery and opportunites to hike and explore.  Not that testing our gear is really drudgery, but it is a lot of setting up and taking down, photos, with the windows open, with them closed, with and without the rainfly, awnings up, awnings down....you get the picture.

We may use 3 or 4 tents for our camp, but during the week we will set up and take down tents and shelters at least 20 times.  And we always hope for some nasty weather.  We just cannot simulate how well our tents and shelters will perform in a wind tunnel or a rain room - we prefer to let Mother Nature provide the testing environment.  And on this trip, that is exactly what she did.  

Days one and two were nice, spring desert days.  Mild breezes and cool evenings provided us with the perfect conditions for basic testing and photography.  We had heard that there was a winter storm warning for later in the week, so we knew these may be our only days for photographing the gear in good weather conditions. Besides, the nasty weather was why we were really there.  We know how our tents perform in nice weather, but we wanted some real world testing of our latest designs from our latest production run.

We got what we were after.  Mother Nature delivered a real winter storm with wind gusts over 35mph, and driving rain hammering the tents for the entire day and night.  Proper use of guy-lines are critical to keeping your tent upright in heavy wind and rain, as the videos below illustrate. 

Heavy Rain while inside our Promontory Tent

CWXLT in Heavy Wind

During the storm, we played a lot of cards, while taking 30 minute shifts standing outside with a wind meter and a video camera, which gave us each 90 minutes to dry off between shifts.  In the end we got some great photos and video, and most importantly re-affirmed what we already know - our tents are 'nasty-weather proof'.  

We love our product testing trips - it is the one time a year when we purposely give our designs a good beating, so that we can identify any manufacturing defects or design flaws before we sell them to our customers.  And it is a rare day indeed when we can play cards all day and call it work! 

Upon return from our trip, we learned that PahaQue has won 

the About Camping 2013 Readers Choice Awards! We consider that a great honor, and appreciate the accolades.  A huge thank you to all our friends and customers who voted for PahaQue. There were thousands of votes cast, and PahaQue came out on top!

Thank you for being a member of our growing PahaQue family. We appreciate your support past and present that has allowed us to live our dream of designing and building the best camping tents and shelters available. Now more than ever we remain committed to offering our customers the very best in quality and performance, backed with excellent customer service.

I hope to see you 'round the campfire soon!  

 Jeff Basford

 President

• Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe faint objects, such as meteors or dim stars, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
• Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars and sometimes the brightest planets. But to fully enjoy the heavens - especially a meteor shower, the constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that represents our view toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy - rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, a building can be used to block ambient light (or moonlight) to help reveal fainter objects. If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.
• Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be out for more than a few minutes, and it's not a warm summer evening, dress warmer than you think necessary. An hour of observing a winter meteor shower can chill you to the bone. A blanket or lounge chair will prove much more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.

For more visit seasky.org 

Hey there, campers! It's time for more camping treats. Spring is in the air, and here in southern California it's plenty warm enough for camping. Now I know some of you out there still have snow on the ground, so it's not quite time for camping or outdoor grilling. So what's great about this recipe is that it's just as easily cooked at home or at the camp site. They're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser either way...

Chef Jason's World Famous Steak Fries

Start with:

4 medium to large russet potatoes

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp salt

½ Tbsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste

2 Tbsp chili powder (homemade is best)

1 Tbsp garlic/onion powder

½ cup finely chopped parsley

2-3 Tbsp melted butter (No margarine please...)

Now do this:

Cut each potato length-wise into 2 halves. Then cut each half into 3 to 4 wedges. 

Now simply toss the wedges in a large bowl or baking sheet with the olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Arrange on a baking sheet and cook at 350° for about 35 minutes, or until brown and crispy on the outside. (Turn once half-way through.)

*Or grill over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until they reach the same crispiness.

Let cool for 5 minutes and toss with melted butter, chopped parsley, chili powder, and ground pepper. Serve alone or with ranch or bleu cheese dressing, or even buffalo sauce. Accolades galore...

Happy Trails!

~For questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me at jason_rogers80@yahoo.com~

Contributed by Jason Rogers - outdoor industry veteran, military veteran, actor, and PahaQue's very own Cooky!